7 anime to watch during a rainy day (instead of making teru teru bōzu)

{A quick note- the numbers in this list do not mean quality! I tried my best to make a coherent line of suggestions, according to the mood of the anime}

Whenever a day is the gloomy rain filled one, I can just feel it as soon as I wake up. It’s one of those days when you don’t really want to do anything, but don’t want to waste the day either. However, what you can do is fight the gloomy weather with some anime and a hot cup of coffee or tea, so not all hope is lost!

Here’s what I have as recommendations to combat the blues:

7. Comic girls

Comic girls is an anime about a group of manga artists who have to juggle not only their job, but also stuff like high school and the very real problem of using a nickname for so long, that you forget how to pronounce your real name.
The main protagonist, Kaoruko Moeta, wants to draw a manga about high school girls, but her drafts are constantly failing due to weak premises, unrealistic characters and blandness. With the suggestion of her editor, she moves into a dormitory for female manga artists, in order to socialize more and learn new things to make her manga better.

What awaits her there is a colorful cast of characters, all with various flaws and quirks of their own, including a shounen manga artist, who over-roleplays to draw, an erotic manga artist, who just wants to draw cute stuff and a shoujo artist, who struggles drawing boys.
Instead of being just cute girls doing cute stuff (not that it’s bad), Comic girls surprise attacks with a down-to-earth and almost meta comedy; coupled with a cute art style and funny character interactions, it’s the perfect recipe to both get to know the whole manga creating process better and laugh through (real) tears.

6. Yuyushiki

Yuyushiki is adapted from a 4-koma style manga and follows the daily shenanigans of Yuzuko, Yukari and Yui, who has to deal with it all, as they attend school and are a part of the Data Processing Club.
This show is wacky and a pure comedy. Unlike the previous entry, there isn’t as much story going on, but the characters more than make up for it. As much as it all sounds as yet another cute girls goofing off kind of show, it has its own surprises, as most silly conversations often lead to the most unexpected topics. Another big plus is the dynamic between the three main characters and the supporting cast.
Humor is always subjective, but the conversation twists and wacky character reactions just add to the overall charm.

5. KonoSuba

You don’t need to wait for a gloomy day to watch this show, seriously, it’s just that good.
KonoSuba is a series that follows Kazuma, reincarnated after a pathetic death while buying a game, facing the fact that his party is full of either useless goddesses or weirdoes and that the isekai fantasy is trash for anyone who isn’t an op harem protagonist.
This is one of the best comedy series ever and, to put it basically, it’s an isekai parody with a much better cast and story than most isekai anime. If you feel like having a hilariously good time with pretty great animation and voice acting, KonoSuba is the pick for you!

4. Ani ni Tsukeru Kusuri wa Nai!

This is one of those really short comedy series, having only two seasons with ~5 min episodes, so you can blast through it in a single evening.
It follows two siblings, Fen (the older brother) and Mao (the younger sister, respectfully), who seem to be constantly bickering about everything, but care for each other nevertheless, when it matters the most.
This anime is as simple as its art style is clean and crisp, but the comedy and banter is what makes it pop.

3. Yuru camp

Yuru camp follows Rin, who out on a camping trip (alone, as usual) to see the wonderful view of Mt. Fuji, runs into Nadeshiko and has no choice but to let her accompany her. This is not the last time the two meet, however, as it turns out, they attend the same school! Nadeshiko even joins the Outdoor Activities Club and its two other quirky and fun members, thus moving the plot even further.
It’s the feeling of warmth of seeing these characters slowly come to get to know one another and enjoy spending time together, that hooked me on this show. The camping info bits were quite interesting as well, and the show can be a welcome inspiration to relax and appreciate the little things, like a tasty hotpot and a pretty view.

The backgrounds are superb and, if not for the refreshing camping aspect, you should check Yuru camp out just for that!

2. Hidamari Sketch

Hidamari Sketch in my opinion is one of the best iyashikei anime out there.

{Iyashikei (癒し系) is Japanese for “healing”, a term used for anime and manga created with the specific purpose of having a healing or soothing effect on the audience}

After many years of dreaming about it, Yuno is finally a freshman at Yamabuki Arts High School, but with that comes the scary realization that she needs to move into a dorm, away from her home and family. However, she is not alone in that situation as the cheerful and energetic Miyako soon moves in and there are the reliable and friendly upperclassmen Hiro and Sae living downstairs.
The anime follows the daily lives of these girls both at home in the dorm, out having fun together and school, where the eccentric and hilarious Yoshinoya-sensei greets them with a smile and another weird costume.

The art is pretty great and keeps the watcher engaged, courtesy of the wonderful studio Shaft. Hidamari sketch isn’t really much like their more well known/newer works, but the now famous Shaft style, in its early stages, is subtly noticeable.

While being mostly light-hearted and comedic, Hidamari Sketch doesn’t shy away from real problems and serious questions that the characters face; especially about the anxiety and doubt that comes with being an artist, or even being unsure what you want to be or do in the future.
Beware, Hidamari Sketch comes with guaranteed heart-warming and fluff.

Honorable mentions: Natsume’s Book of Friends and Mushishi

These are basically a must, no matter what the weather is. Both are beautiful and atmospheric pieces that are worth the watch!

1. Killer Seven (Cike Wu Liuqi)

Let me start by saying, I am baffled that this didn’t blow up over the internet. Sure, as far as I’ve heard, it’s a pretty big hit back in China, but the tiny numbers of 305 completed and 178 watching on Myanimelist break my heart.
{Words can’t describe how happy I am, it got confirmed a season 2}

Killer Seven has it all- action, drama, cool characters, comedic scenes that sometimes border on the absurd and great twists. It follows an amateur assassin called Seven, who is an overall good guy, so he sucks at his job. However, his problems don’t end there.
He needs to juggle working at a hair salon, trying to climb the assassin ranks, paying his rent and trying to recover his memories with the single clue he has; all while trying not to get killed by foes much more powerful than him, that for some reason are out to get him.
While it surely doesn’t have the biggest budget out there, the animation is quite spectacular and more than noteworthy, fights are always quick and breathtaking, character designs on point no matter the weirdness of the facial expression. The creators truly played to the strengths of hand-drawn animation.

It might not be the most relaxing or as funny, as some of the anime I’ve mentioned before, but if you want a great mix of it all and awesome action with likeable characters, Killer Seven is the show for you!

What shows would you recommend for rainy stay in days or just gloomy days in general? Let me know in the comments!