High fantasy doesn’t normally translate into what I would consider to be “slice of life,” but recently, I’ve seen these two genres collide in both Travis Baldree’s novel Legends and Lattes and a recent fantasy anime release, “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.” In both, the story follows a protagonist who has completed their grand adventure and wants to live a peaceful life. 

At the beginning of Legends and Lattes, Viv, an orc and former bounty hunter, finishes her last job with her party and arrives in the sleepy town of Thune with the goal of opening a successful coffee shop. I loved reading about how Viv’s coffee shop (a novelty in her world) comes together with the help of new friends and about her desire to be more than she seems, all while making a new home in Thune. 

In a slightly similar fashion, the first episode of “Frieren” seems to begin at an ending. Frieren is about to part ways with her party after defeating The Demon King together. An elf, Frieren expects to outlive the members of her party, but in the following decades, she keeps their memories alive while doing odd jobs for humans in exchange for strange, often useless bits of magic and raising her friends’ apprentices. 

Both stories feel different—Legends and Lattes is charming and hopeful in Viv’s idealism and her hope to find her own place in the world, while “Frieren” is poignant and grand in Frieren’s deep knowledge of magic and nature and how this helps her navigate life today. Even with these differences, I think that both stories unfold in a warm, easy way that mimics the kind of untroubled lives the characters want for themselves. I also love the supporting characters in these stories that help create community and purpose for our protagonists—Tandri, Cal, and Thimble in Legends help build Viv’s business and Himmel, Heiter, Eisen, Fern, and Stark in “Frieren” help Frieren understand others just a little more.  

Both have been such a joy to read and watch this fall and winter, and I highly highly recommend either for a cozy night in. You can grab a copy of Legends and Lattes on Bookshop, and “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” is streaming on Crunchyroll right now! 
If there’s some slice of life media you’d enjoy seeing in the column, @ me on X or Instagram (@frankiemilktea) to let me know.

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Frankie Martinez is a writer from California. Her work has appeared in 3 Moon Magazine and Poetically Magazine.