Non Non Biyori Repeat

Episodes 1-2

I never thought this day would come, but I've finally found an anime sequel with a subtitle that makes sense. The “repeat” in Non Non Biyori Repeat is actually an accurate description of this series. while it's technically a sequel to the original, both seasons cover more or less the same period of time. In a more serious show with character arcs and an actual plot, this would probably be a terrible idea with disastrously boring consequences. In a series where nothing really happens, however, it works just fine.

Non Non Biyori Repeat starts off in full-on prequel mode with Hikage heading to Tokyo to start high school. After seeing her sister off, Renge has her first day of school as a first-grader. By the end of the first episode, Hotaru has moved in and we're right back to where the first season started. The second episode returns to the usual format with a handful of vignettes about life in the countryside. The characters goof off during their lunch break, Hotaru gets lost while trying to walk her dog, and Hotaru and Komari take a trip into the woods to look at the stars at night.

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that I'm able to sum up these two episodes in less space than it takes to talk about one episode of just about any other series. Non Non Biyori Repeat is not the kind of show that you watch to be thrilled by frantic action or surprised by sudden plot twists. It's slice of life anime in its most relaxed form, the kind of show that could give a snail a run for its money if it ever worked up the energy to run anywhere. By the unique standards of its particular genre though, it remains a force to be reckoned with.

The good news for returning fans is that Non Non Biyori Repeat retains all the strengths of its predecessor. Whether the characters are wandering through the woods or standing around at what passes for a bus stop, the background art is universally gorgeous. There's a very strong sense of place in this show that urges the audience to forget that we're watching two-dimensional images on a screen. As simple as the stories may be, the writing is also frighteningly adept at playing the childhood nostalgia card. It captures the mixture of boredom and freedom that comes with being a kid in the middle of nowhere and distills that feeling into an idealized, romanticized form. It'd be sinister if it weren't so darn adorable.

This isn't to say that Non Non Biyori Repeat is completely devoid of substance; the show can be both funny and insightful when the mood strikes. Dialogue is sparse in the first episode, but some of Renge's idle observations manage to say a lot with relatively few words. Her remark about having trouble seeing the trail she's leaving behind her encapsulates the uncertainty of starting a new school year while leaving room for the viewer's own experiences to shape our interpretation of the line. The overblown theatrics of the kids' ruler game in the second episode are funny on their own, but they're also clever in how they poke fun at the elaborate special moves that are so common in action shows. The show even sneaks in a few clever references to the first season, like Natsumi's prophetic quip about idiots falling through the holes in the floor.

I want to criticize Non Non Biyori Repeat for hitting the rewind button on its timeline, but it's hard to argue against a series that does what it does so well. If the first season was too slow to grab your attention, these episodes won't do anything to change your mind. On the other hand, if you enjoy having the animated equivalent of a security blanket, you'll find few shows better equipped to deliver mass quantities of warm fuzziness.

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.