10 Second Anime - Non Non Biyori Repeat - Episode 1



Translated - "Totally Ideal Weather for a Perfect Day Repeat." 2nd Season of Non Non Biyori. The continuing light-hearted story of four girls going to school in a rural setting.

Episode 1 - "I became a first grader."

Hmm.

I was thrown for a little bit because the episode centered on Ren-chon starting 1st grade, receiving her red randoseru backpack, her bus pass, and the all important recorder. Hotaru, the transfer student from Tokyo had just moved in wondering if she'll make friends. Well, yeah you will! So, we had a prologue introducing the characters which could even serve as one for the 1st season. This works better for the second season because seeing Ren-chon go all googly over things we've already seen her using made me feel like I was slipping on some comfortable old sweats. Reassuring, a little cool at first, but then oh so warm. This show did not miss a beat at all considering its almost two year absence.

Heh.

I really liked how Ren-chon quickly traded her imaginary legendary sword (tree branch) for the recorder. She had received many things marking her transition to first grade, but this was something she left behind, completing that transition. However, she left it at school. Also very nice, showing that even if it was left behind, it can easily be picked up again. Gah, that's the stuff of "healing anime."

 

The opening credits emphasized how much time the four girls will be spending together.

All year long, through all the seasons.

 

There's that recorder!

Way better than a legendary sword shaped like a tree branch.

 

I remember it was a big deal to discover that Ren-chon had an older sister that wasn't the teacher and that she was going to school in Tokyo. Having her be all self-important but then forgetting her cellphone was the perfect reintroduction of her character.

 

All these kids may be different ages, but they so easily slip into different modes of play to match their developmental stages.

Ren-chon was so taken that her name would be announced like an adult (Miss Renge Miyauchi) but she wanted more. Natsumi was quick to oblige with a "Renge-dono" (Mistress Lady Renge Miyauchi).

 

The prologue captured another of the first season's charms in Ren-chon's random questions. In the first season, she wondered if they were really country folk. Yes, yes they lived in the boonies, but that was answered only after a whole episode had been spent assuring her they were not.

This time, she wondered whether her nice dress for the orientation ceremony was haute couture. Yes, pronounced in French. Where in the world did a six year old Japanese girl learn those words? Even her older sister the school teacher didn't know what that was. But she was assuaged for only a beat before Ren-chon asked what "haute couture" meant. Ah, that's the stuff.

 

Everything about the episode made me smile from nostalgia. The use of music, the background of farming country brought to the forefront to emphasize the dialog or music, and the background noises of nature all made an appearance too.

 

Ren-chon was ready to start the first grade.

I was ready for the next episode to see if we're actually repeating the timeline of the first season with different stories or making sure we just saw an extended flashback. Whichever we see is fine with me.