Non Non Biyori Repeat is more Non Non Biyori in the best possible way. If you want most of my feelings about Non Non Biyori Repeat, go ahead and read my review of the first season because not a huge amount has changed. Spoilers: I thought it was a pretty good show. I’ll just be focusing on how things have changed for the sequel.
In a way, “more Non Non Biyori” is the best way to describe it. While it is a second season, it’s not exactly a sequel; the episodes all take place in the same time period as the first season, with some occurring immediately before and others following on directly from earlier ones. I liked this approach. It threw me off a little at first (there’s no Hotaru in the first episode because she hasn’t moved there yet) but it was both a practical and effective decision. Practical because the first season occurs roughly over the course of a year, and with Ren-chon being so young it wouldn’t take long before she’d have grown up too much. Effective because it lets us see a lot of things that couldn’t have happened at any other time, different perspectives on previous events, and more of Hotaru’s developing friendship with the others.
I’d say Non Non Biyori Repeat is more successful this time. One of my main criticisms was that the first season never quite committed to either being a sitcom proper or going full iyashikei, settling a bit awkwardly in the middle. Here though, these goals are balanced with both sides also being better than before, which is quite remarkable in itself.
Not having to introduce or develop the characters certainly helps the comedy, as it’s able to get right down to business with Ren-chon’s weirdness and dumb stuff kids do when they’ve got not much to entertain themselves with, both presented with as much grandiosity and bombast as they obviously deserve. But there’s also a flair to it that I don’t remember the first season having; be it in the most intense ruler flicking fight committed to film, or them catching a monster carp in the lake, or something as simple as Ren-chon losing all faith and respect in her sister, Non Non Biyori Repeat has a certain something that really elevates it. The direction is a lot more interesting and varied, but it’s the sense of energy these scenes have, one that is perfect for a group of children messing about, that really makes it all feel a lot tighter and more enjoyable.
What certainly helps is that the side-characters get a bit more love. Hikage and Konomi in particular have a greater number of scenes, and it enlarges the comedic domain that can be explored. And it shows! There’s great variety and it never feels like it’s ‘just’ Ren-chon, Hotaru, Komari and Natsumi. It feels bigger, and with that comes more opportunities for some fantastic humour.
Where Non Non Biyori Repeat shines is with its greater emotional depth. There are a lot of scenes and episodes that are incredibly moving, be they beautiful, tragic, poignant or more. It’s no surprise that most of these moments are focused on Renge. After all, she’s a young child, growing and discovering new things every day. Some of these moments show her increasing independence, and how this plays off with her relationships. Others are about her encountering some painful realities for the first time, and how she copes. In either case, it’s all filtered through her unique and inscrutable but oh so very childlike weirdness, and watching her experience them resulted in some tears. Happy tears and sad tears, but genuine, heartfelt tears.
So yes, more Non Non Biyori in the best possible way – it has everything I loved about the first season and improves on it in every way. Every week it made me so happy and satisfied, and I’m going to miss it dearly. Non Non Biyori Repeat was a delight from start to finish, and a definite highlight of the year.
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