Non Non Biyori Repeat

Episode 7

If all the other kids jumped off a bridge, would you follow them? It's rhetorical question that parents occasionally use when their kids want to join in on some idiotic thing their friends are doing. It's not meant to be taken literally, but don't tell that to Non Non Biyori Repeat. Whether on purpose or by accident, it takes the old standby literally and uses it as a plot device.

This episode opens with the main characters using a small footbridge as a diving board while playing in a river. The notable exception is Hotaru, who lets common sense and good judgment get in the way of having a good time. Hikage comes back from Tokyo for summer break, though her only role at home seems to be humoring Renge's unique ideas for passing the time. An afternoon outing is interrupted when Hotaru loses her bag on the bus, forcing Renge and Hikage to join her on the long walk to the bus depot to retrieve it. After an episode's worth of rural adventures, Hotaru finds herself at the bridge once again and finally makes the jump.

Compared to last week's collection of short stories, this episode features a much clearer theme and a more cohesive narrative. It's all about embracing life in the countryside this week, and both Hikage and Hotaru help the show explore that idea. Hotaru's journey is the more obvious of the two, as each scene between the two bridge sequences shows her gradually getting used to her new surroundings. Hikage gets a more subtle treatment, with her shift in attitude conveyed by the conversation topics that she brings up. At first, she's eager to brag to Renge about living in the city and tries to mirror Hotaru's more urban sensibilities. As the three characters wander around town, however, she begins to embrace the charms of her hometown and starts showing off her local knowledge to Hotaru. The show never hits the audience over the head with the change in tone, trusting us to figure it out for ourselves instead. It's a small but effective example of the subtle storytelling that Non Non Biyori Repeat can pull off when it's firing on all cylinders.

On the comedic front, Renge reprises her role as one half of a comedy duo, with Hikage playing her partner this time around. Their banter while playing house with a robot and a stuffed animal is reasonably amusing, but it's the final payoff that makes the scene worthwhile. It's not hard to guess that Hotaru will show up while Hikage is trying to talk like a baby, but that doesn't make it any less funny to watch. The rest of the episode doesn't try overly hard to make us laugh, focusing on immersing us in the scenery while the story plays out in the foreground instead.

The plot echoes the comedy in its relative predictability, but it also does a solid job of making the journey entertaining. There's never any serious doubt over whether Hotaru will find her bag or make the jump from the bridge, and that's alright. Instead of big surprises and emotional shocks, we're mostly just here to hang out by the river and see the secret fort that the kids built in the forest. The series is in full slice-of-life mode this week, providing an uneventful vacation from more serious fare. If it can sneak in the occasional insight or observation along the way, then all the better.

This is a simple, competent episode taken straight out of the Non Non Biyori playbook. It won't be the defining moment of the season, but it won't take any wind out of the show's sails either. You could take a screenshot, put it on a postcard, and make your friends think you went to Japan over the weekend.

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.