Non Non Biyori Nonstop - Episode 1 - 10 Second Anime

Renge meets Akane, who wants to practice the flute with her senior band mate Konomi.

Episode 1 – “I Played the Frog Song”

Hmm.

I had one question for Non Non Biyori Nonstop, the third season in the Non Non Biyori series – would it cover the same year as the previous seasons? When the 2nd season started, it surprised me that the girls went through the same grade and seasons as the first season. Would we get time progression for this season? The answer is no, which confirms that Non Non Biyori, much like Peanuts or Calvin and Hobbes, is about the special year that the main four girls became friends.

It’s a testament to the notion that time in childhood moves so slowly because a year in a child’s life, like Renge, covers 20 percent of her life so far. For an adult, time moves quickly because a year covers 2 percent of a fifty-year old’s life. Non Non Biyori captures how full a child’s life can be and that it’s impossible to show all the meaningful experiences in a twelve episode season. Not even three seasons can handle all the wonderful things that happen to four childhood friends in a single year.

Heh.

Farm country sounds. We’re back. Put on your headphones, sit back, and relax. Renge practices her recorder. It’s the country, she says, but they still have fun every day. Yeah, they do!

The Non Non Biyori Nonstop opening credits remind you who the four main characters are.

I wonder if we’ll see more of the older side characters to fill out the time since it’s the same year again and the storylines around the main four already played out in previous seasons. Renge will practice her recorder with Konomi, who plays the flute in high school. Hotaru still tries to keep her childish side a secret to her friends. Renge claims she wants to play a song for a secret someone. The school textbooks prove the children are still in the same grade as last season. Grade 1, grade 5, grade 7, grade 8, and grade 9. Nii-chan is still the cipher.

Renge needed toothpicks and tape to make a doll. But why? Just to play! Renge and Natsumi even make speech bubbles for them. Natsumi’s doll looks disturbed. No praise from Komari. The spare parts make Natsumi’s doll look worse. Nii-chan makes his own toothpick and tape doll. Is it a bear mask? Ha, wut. Natsumi claims that strange creature is a dachshund. The dachshund has maternal instincts. That temporarily shut Natsumi up. Ho ho! Kazuho wakes up to tape dolls complaining about her oversleeping. Best yet, Nii-chan’s mask is on Kazuho’s face!

After the break, a strange girl looks absolutely lost in the countryside. Aw. She’s an underclassman who asked Konomi for help in practicing her flute. Akane is a shy girl. Konomi knows a place where lots of strangers will watch Akane practice her flute. Konomi the puppet master will have “someone” pick Akane up from the bus stop. It’s Renge-chon! The eye catches are still fun to watch. Akane is so pure. She doesn’t know what to talk about with a little kid. It’s easy. You let them choose. Renge trusts Akane now. She gave her the body of her defeated enemy, the cocklebur! Akane is a city girl, though. Big toads are not a fun sight to her.

Finally, at Konomi’s house. Renge is not examining Akane’s zettai ryouiki. The flute impresses Renge. It looks like an octopus tentacle! It’s not a flute. It’s an octorecorder! Renge wants to play the Frog Song, which is what the episode title is all about. Sigh. This is healing anime. Nature scenes with music from children playing wind instruments. Akane had a nice moment making friends. Nice. Renge wanted to play the Frog Song for the milking cows.

And that’s all for today.

The end credits show a sleepy scene from around the New Year’s break.

Fun. The preview plays on the TV at the Koshigaya house. I wonder if the seasons will change in the quality of light streaming into this room. Next time, more music practice and Hotaru shows her fifth-grade maturity. Fans include real life photos of the countryside, this time, a big fat toad statue.