Non Non Biyori Repeat

Episode 6

There comes a point in every summer where the heat finally conquers human ambition, and we all either sit around doing nothing or retreat to the nearest source of air conditioning. The oppressive weather brings a sense of lethargy unmatched by even the coldest days of winter. I'm impressed that Non Non Biyori Repeat can capture that sense of involuntary summer laziness, but I'm not sure it makes for great television.

This episode opens with Natsumi coming to a startling revelation while tending the school garden with Hotaru: since they've always interacted as part of a larger group, she has no idea what to talk about when it's just the two of them. Small talk about TV shows seems like a good idea, but the conversation spirals out of control when Hotaru starts to wax nostalgic about a series that Natsumi never actually watched. Once summer break starts, the girls indulge in some favorite pastimes like catching bugs and setting off fireworks. When the latter activity goes up in smoke, a field full of fireflies ends up providing a perfect substitute light show.

Natsumi and Hotaru's awkward conversation shows off some impressive writing as it slowly drives itself off the rails. Hotaru runs off on a tangent in a convincingly natural fashion, and Natsumi's attempts to change the subject gradually become more and more absurd as the conversation moves into humorous territory. The comedy is strengthened by the contrast between Natsumi's stress and Hotaru's blissful ignorance. It's a subtle balancing act that leads to a funny (if inevitable) conclusion and entertains consistently along the way. It all works because it's easy to relate to the premise; we've all agonized over what to talk about with a loose acquaintance at one point or another.

The quest to catch cicadas has its moments, but it's not as strong overall. The details of the bug hunt are somewhat interesting, and it's fun to see Natsumi giving useful advice instead of playing the fool. However, the scene never really goes anywhere in terms of building to a strong Punch Line or offering a clever bit of insight. I usually disagree with the idea of writing Non Non Biyori Repeat off as a show about nothing, but that's exactly what we get with this sequence. We're essentially watching three kids catch cicadas with no real purpose or payoff.

The firefly scene splits the difference between its two predecessors, neither as clever as the first nor as aimless as the second. Hotaru's devastation at failing to get enough fireworks is reasonably amusing, as are the other characters' attempts to salvage the evening. The show overplays its hand in terms of cuteness and sentimentality with the field full of fireflies, but at least it makes for some nice visuals. Anime sometimes has a bad habit of under-lighting night scenes to the point where it's impossible to see what's going on, but nighttime looks pretty darn good in Non Non Biyori Repeat.

Even for a slice-of-life series, this episode is a little light on content. The show gets plenty of mileage out of the material it has, but not twenty-five minutes' worth of it. One strong sequence doesn't make a strong episode, even when it's backed up by consistently good art direction.

Rating: B-

Non Non Biyori Repeat is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Paul Jensen is a freelance writer and editor. You can follow more of his anime-related ramblings on Twitter.