Sometimes people just want to throw on a show and relax. However, finding a relaxing show can be difficult. Many anime series work to keep viewers on the edge of their seats for the entire runtime with exciting events and high-octane action. However, without a doubt, the best relaxing anime is Flying Witch.
Based on the manga written and illustrated by Chihiro Ishizuka, the series was produced by J.C.Staff and released in 2016, although it was unfortunately overlooked by many viewers during its season. But what exactly makes Flying Witch one of the best relaxing anime of all time?
The Story of Flying Witch
Flying Witch follows Makoto Kowata, a young witch apprentice. When witches turn 15 years old, they leave home to study witchcraft. So, Makoto packs up her things and, along with her cat familiar Chito, leaves Makoto's parent's house in Yokohama and moves to Hirosaki in Aomori.
They move to Hirosaki for two reasons. The first is that Makoto's aunt, uncle, cousin Kei Kuramoto and his little sister Chinatsu live in Hirosaki, and they are willing to let Makoto stay with them. Secondly, Aomori is very popular with witches due to its semi-rural nature and abundance of magic. Once she arrives, Makoto quickly settles into her new life. However, while she may attend high school like any regular girl, Makoto often finds herself in the middle of strange and comical events. These events are usually made more surreal by Makoto's magical connections.
Why Flying Witch Is One of the Best Relaxing Anime
Flying Witch is one of the most relaxing anime ever created, with all its elements coming together to make a wonderfully laid-back show. The plot and format of Flying Witch are why it has such a relaxing aura. The series is a slow, easygoing slice-of-life series that follows Makoto as she navigates tiny day-to-day issues and tasks. There isn't an antagonist, nor is there an overarching grand plot. In fact, the stakes never get higher than someone getting lost while looking around the town.
The stories also develop very naturally. The show's pacing is unhurried, and the cast often stumbles into what they're trying to do or gets distracted and starts doing something else, which helps the show feel calm and serene. Many viewers describe the show as "dream-like" because of this free-form rambling nature.
One of the best things about Flying Witch is the cast. All the characters feel very natural and realistic -- not necessarily an easy feat when dealing with magical creatures, as it's often tempting to convey their otherworldly nature through weird or eccentric behaviors. However, in Flying Witch, fantastical beings feel like the locals of any regular town going about their business. Even Chito, the magical familiar, acts as an actual cat would act. This helps make the setting seem very lived-in, with the real-world location of Hirosaki feeling like the kind of small community that many people might dream of moving to.
The soundtrack is also wonderfully chill. Composed by Yoshiaki Dewa, it features a fun mix of light orchestral pieces that are simultaneously calm and playful, perfectly capturing the rural nature of Aomori and the cast's curiosity and drive for adventure. This is all wrapped up with some beautiful animation. The semi-rural setting of Hirosaki allows the animators to show off some gorgeous vistas and amazingly detailed natural scenes, making it one of the most picturesque settings ever seen in anime. It really feels like a perfectly idealized community, simultaneously beautiful and mundane.
So, for those looking to unwind this year, Flying Witch is the show to check (or re-check) out. Beautiful, charming and memorable, the series deserves more fans because it so perfectly does what it sets out to do.
