This series' archival webpage in the MAL database originally only had the Adventure, Fantasy, and Slice of Life tags and didn't even have a Romance tag until quite recently.
So unlike some familiar with the source material, I didn't go into this series for romance or expecting it, but I'm not complaining either. Adventure/Fantasy/Slice of Life/Romance is a perfect mix of genres I love too.
And I love the way this series can have so many cozy moments, comical moments, lighthearted/wholesome moments, and then also some serious moments with some dark and brutal realities of the world surfacing, some mystery, drama, action, etc.
This is why I flock to SoL overall and series like this that know they don't have to attempt to artificially be and remain as only one or two things throughout, but rather are unafraid to explore and experiment with the limits and depths of their world and characters. It makes them feel so vast, lived in, and worthwhile when anything can happen rather than just sticking to a few basic genres, tropes, or plot points. This show both has a certain cozy and warm and fuzzy familiarity and predictability that usually things won't get too intense and you are probably in for some relaxing times, while not being timid to go all over the place with its plot and genre mixture or just spend most of any given episode sitting around lounging, eating, and talking and not doing anything in particular.
Some people will despise that, but for me it's the perfect balance and combination to strike and the type of thing I actively crave and look for in a series. It's why I watch a lot of SoL more often in modern real world settings, but I also love fantasy, but I like fantasy SoL that don't allow the overarching story elements of the fantasy world/setting to totally dominate the mood and runtime and actually not forget that it's still a SoL at heart.
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