Non Non Biyori Repeat - Season 2 [Blu-ray] Review

4 star second series of chilled out anime.

Non Non Biyori Repeat is the second season of the Japanese slice-of-life anime series, originally released in 2015. Based on the Manga written and illustrated by Atto and adapted for anime by Silver Link (No-Rin, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya) it is directed by Shinya Kawatsura.

It is now available on Blu-ray in the original Japanese with an English dub, courtesy of MVM Films. It is highly recommended to watch the first season before reading this review!

“It’s so much fun, that there are so many ways to play that I’ve never heard of! Since I’ve moved here, I’ve experienced a lot of things for the first time.”

Hotaru (Rie Murakawa – Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?) is a fifth grader from Tokyo. Her life changes completely one day when her family moves to the small countryside town of Asahigaoka. Here she is in for a bit of a culture shock as it lacks any of the amenities available in the city.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the Asahigaoka Branch School, which has only one class despite the fact that the students are all in different grades. Here she meets her new friend, Renge (Kotori Koiwai – Psycho Pass) who is in the first grade and whose sister Kazuho (Kaori Nazuka – Eureka Seven) is the school’s only teacher. Also in the class are the three siblings, Natsumi (Ayane Sakura – Your Lie in April) a mischievous 7th grader, Komari (Kana Asumi – A Certain Magical Index) a diminutive 8th grader and their older brother Suguru , a 9th grader who never speaks but is the master of visual comedy. These students make up the whole school.

The second series takes place over the same time period as the first (just before, in fact) as we see Renge presented with the recorder that she plays at the start of season one. This time we see different events which unfolded during the first year that Hotaru lived in Asahigaoka with her new found friends, as well as learning a little bit more about each of the characters. Their adventures include influencing the weather, getting lost in the woods and learning new things about the world around them.

“Alright! Today is special, so I’ll show you how to make tasty okonomiyaki!”

Much like the first season, this is delightfully relaxing to watch, with beautiful animation and soothing sounds, like babbling streams and insects chirping away, perfect to forget about the worries of the adult world for a while.

This anime harks back to a simpler time, and the rural setting invokes childhood summers exploring nature and playing out with your friends. The inconsequential antics of these girls make for thoroughly laid back watching, just sit back and regain a little piece of carefree life for a few minutes.

“Put your hands in front of you like this, then yell out “Whoosh!” and run while slouching.”