diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 45f8be7..b881fd2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ fn main() {
     }
 
     //SequenceMatcher examples
-    let mut matcher = SequenceMatcher::new(b"one two three four", b"zero one tree four");
+    let mut matcher = SequenceMatcher::new("one two three four", "zero one tree four");
     let m = matcher.find_longest_match(0, 18, 0, 18);
     println!("{:?}", m);
     let all_matches = matcher.get_matching_blocks();
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ fn main() {
     println!("{:?}", grouped_opcodes);
     let ratio = matcher.ratio();
     println!("{:?}", ratio);
-    matcher.set_seqs(b"aaaaa", b"aaaab");
+    matcher.set_seqs("aaaaa", "aaaab");
     println!("{:?}", matcher.ratio());
 }
 ```
diff --git a/examples/example.rs b/examples/example.rs
index d643be1..3f06d0a 100644
--- a/examples/example.rs
+++ b/examples/example.rs
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ fn main() {
     }
 
     //SequenceMatcher examples
-    let mut matcher = SequenceMatcher::new(b"one two three four", b"zero one tree four");
+    let mut matcher = SequenceMatcher::new("one two three four", "zero one tree four");
     let m = matcher.find_longest_match(0, 18, 0, 18);
     println!("{:?}", m);
     let all_matches = matcher.get_matching_blocks();
@@ -58,6 +58,6 @@ fn main() {
     println!("{:?}", grouped_opcodes);
     let ratio = matcher.ratio();
     println!("{:?}", ratio);
-    matcher.set_seqs(b"aaaaa", b"aaaab");
+    matcher.set_seqs("aaaaa", "aaaab");
     println!("{:?}", matcher.ratio());
 }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 2c25f15..ca6b1cc 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ pub fn get_close_matches<'a>(
         panic!("Cutoff must be greater than 0.0 and lower than 1.0");
     }
     let mut res: Vec<(f32, &str)> = Vec::new();
-    let mut matcher = SequenceMatcher::new(b"", word.as_bytes());
+    let mut matcher = SequenceMatcher::new("", word);
     for i in &possibilities {
-        matcher.set_first_seq(i.as_bytes());
+        matcher.set_first_seq(i);
         let ratio = matcher.ratio();
         if ratio >= cutoff {
             res.push((ratio, i));
diff --git a/src/sequencematcher.rs b/src/sequencematcher.rs
index 4cfc8b8..4157808 100644
--- a/src/sequencematcher.rs
+++ b/src/sequencematcher.rs
@@ -60,10 +60,13 @@ pub struct SequenceMatcher<'a, T: 'a + Sequence> {
 }
 
 impl<'a, T: Sequence> SequenceMatcher<'a, T> {
-    pub fn new(first_sequence: &'a [T], second_sequence: &'a [T]) -> SequenceMatcher<'a, T> {
+    pub fn new<S>(first_sequence: &'a S, second_sequence: &'a S) -> SequenceMatcher<'a, T>
+    where
+        S: AsRef<[T]> + ?Sized,
+    {
         let mut matcher = SequenceMatcher {
-            first_sequence,
-            second_sequence,
+            first_sequence: first_sequence.as_ref(),
+            second_sequence: second_sequence.as_ref(),
             matching_blocks: None,
             opcodes: None,
             is_junk: None,
@@ -75,22 +78,33 @@ impl<'a, T: Sequence> SequenceMatcher<'a, T> {
 
     pub fn set_is_junk(&mut self, is_junk: Option<fn(&T) -> bool>) {
         self.is_junk = is_junk;
-        self.set_second_seq(self.second_sequence);
+        self.matching_blocks = None;
+        self.opcodes = None;
+        self.chain_second_seq();
     }
 
-    pub fn set_seqs(&mut self, first_sequence: &'a [T], second_sequence: &'a [T]) {
+    pub fn set_seqs<S>(&mut self, first_sequence: &'a S, second_sequence: &'a S)
+    where
+        S: AsRef<[T]> + ?Sized,
+    {
         self.set_first_seq(first_sequence);
         self.set_second_seq(second_sequence);
     }
 
-    pub fn set_first_seq(&mut self, sequence: &'a [T]) {
-        self.first_sequence = sequence;
+    pub fn set_first_seq<S>(&mut self, sequence: &'a S)
+    where
+        S: AsRef<[T]> + ?Sized,
+    {
+        self.first_sequence = sequence.as_ref();
         self.matching_blocks = None;
         self.opcodes = None;
     }
 
-    pub fn set_second_seq(&mut self, sequence: &'a [T]) {
-        self.second_sequence = sequence;
+    pub fn set_second_seq<S>(&mut self, sequence: &'a S)
+    where
+        S: AsRef<[T]> + ?Sized,
+    {
+        self.second_sequence = sequence.as_ref();
         self.matching_blocks = None;
         self.opcodes = None;
         self.chain_second_seq();
diff --git a/tests/tests.rs b/tests/tests.rs
index 3de23df..f01a315 100644
--- a/tests/tests.rs
+++ b/tests/tests.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use difflib::sequencematcher::{Match, Opcode, SequenceMatcher};
 
 #[test]
 fn test_longest_match() {
-    let matcher = SequenceMatcher::new(b" abcd", b"abcd abcd");
+    let matcher = SequenceMatcher::new(" abcd", "abcd abcd");
     let m = matcher.find_longest_match(0, 5, 0, 9);
     assert_eq!(m.first_start, 0);
     assert_eq!(m.second_start, 4);
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ fn test_longest_match() {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_all_matches() {
-    let mut matcher = SequenceMatcher::new(b"abxcd", b"abcd");
+    let mut matcher = SequenceMatcher::new("abxcd", "abcd");
     let result = matcher.get_matching_blocks();
     let mut expected_result = Vec::new();
     expected_result.push(Match {
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ fn test_all_matches() {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_get_opcodes() {
-    let mut matcher = SequenceMatcher::new(b"qabxcd", b"abycdf");
+    let mut matcher = SequenceMatcher::new("qabxcd", "abycdf");
     let result = matcher.get_opcodes();
     let mut expected_result = Vec::new();
     expected_result.push(Opcode {
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ fn test_get_opcodes() {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_ratio() {
-    let mut matcher = SequenceMatcher::new(b"abcd", b"bcde");
+    let mut matcher = SequenceMatcher::new("abcd", "bcde");
     assert_eq!(matcher.ratio(), 0.75);
 }