Common Name: Non Non Biyori
Score: 10/10, 5/5
Length: 2 Seasons of 12 Episodes
Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy, School Life
Summary: Due to a work obligation, Ichijou Hotaru and her family moved from Tokyo to the small, countryside village of Asahigaoka. While she is new to this part of the country and its various traditions, she never really considered how different it could really be. On her first day of fifth grade, she is shocked to learn that her school only has four other students--and they're not even in the same grades. In spite of how daunting this new reality might be, it doesn't take long for Hotaru to find a home in the countryside, thanks to the welcoming arms of her classmates: the juvenile savant, Miyauchi Renge; the diminutive Koshigaya Komari; and Komari's tomboy sister, Koshigaya Natsumi.
Review: While it was never my intention to review two shows that address the depopulation of Japan's countryside in the same week, I'll admit that I'm kinda glad I get to do so for two simple reasons. First, the extinction of Japan's rural villages is a topic that I see as important and deeply personal to the Japanese people, considering how many shows these days either address the issue head-on or simply put forward the effort to showcase parts of Japan other than its major cities. Second, Non Non Biyori is just a really good show that I hold in esteem along with other meaningful comedies like Nichijou and Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon. To say I love the show would be something of an understatement to be honest, due to both my personal preferences and the show's ability to be both a successful slice of life anime as well as a show with enough power and impact
to leave you with a few love taps before the curtain falls.
As well as a few more afterward when you realize that the town of Asahigaoka is based on a real place(s) in Japan.
While I say that this show will leave you with a bruise or two, it's worth noting that Non Non Biyori is like its more recent counterpart, Sakura Quest, in that it handles a hard and personal issue without letting the importance of that issue influence its ability to be a solid show without the overall message. Yet it is the handling of that message that elevated the status of both this show and Sakura Quest in my eyes. Where Sakura Quest functionally succeeds as a character drama with a premise that engages the topic of solving the depopulation issue, Non Non Biyori succeeds as a slice of life comedy that offers a glimpse of what living in rural Japan is like. In doing so, however, it never forces the issue onto the audience. It never goes so far as to make the audience say something to the effect "oh, those poor kids" or "what a terrible way to grow up." Quite the contrary, in fact. While it is clear that Renge, Komari, and Natsumi have had to miss out on a few things that city kids like Hotaru take for granted, we see them living a fun and fulfilling life in their own right.
To reiterate, however, living in the country affords a very "different" lifestyle.
Even though they don't get to enjoy the conveniences of modern society like cell phone reception or access to the latest consumer trends, it's clear after the first few episodes that all these kids don't suffer from a lack of fun. After all, there's hardly a lack of places to explore in the mountains of Japan. Even though these kids have a lack of choices when it comes to making friends, they find ways to work around that with games that appeal to individuals, pairs, and the group as a whole. While their connections are partially obligatory as classmates, it never feels like they have any difficulty getting along with one another outside of the drama typical of most friendships. Heck, even though the kids are forced to attend a school where they all share the same classroom and teacher, in spite of being in different grades, they are still required to study and learn like any other kid. While this way of teaching might not necessarily get them into a prestigious school like Tokyo U, they are still given access to all the tools they'll need to function in their society. If anything, their education is a far more personalized and engaging experience overall--akin to homeschooling or the Montessori system--as opposed to the strict, regimented education systems typical of most city schools.
Granted, that doesn't necessarily make them more inclined to actually enjoy their school life. That development just wouldn't be natural, or believable for that matter.
So, rather than mourning the loss of some of the conveniences and experiences "normal" children would get in a modern city, this show tackles its difficult subject matter by just being. Sure, the kids bemoan the inability to be chic or even aware of what's currently tending every now and then, but that just reinforces the show's main point--these kids are still kids. They're just as likely to run around, act irresponsibly, and bemoan how unfair the world is as any other kid. Yet, while the show doesn't draw much attention to it, it acknowledges the quiet tragedy of their situation. In all likelihood, there will come a day when Renge and the others will eventually go off to a city school like all the older kids before them, leaving their country home behind. At that point, there won't be any kids left in the village and there's hardly any guarantee that they'll come back home once they've fallen prey to those modern conveniences. But it's also clear that their parents and teachers will likely accept that eventuality, making just one more compromise in a long, secret list of things that have been sacrificed for the good of these kids.
You'd have to make a pretty solid argument to convince me that they aren't worth every sacrifice though.
Granted, making that argument would be like fighting a losing battle since
I'm professionally obligated to have that kind of mindset.
To be clear though, this is a happy and silly slice of life comedy that functions in much the same manner as Maid Dragon did--with lots of silly and off-the-wall interactions with the characters that were both funny and believable. Yet this show truly shines when the truth of their reality starts to worm its way into the show during its more thoughtful moments that are few and far between. During these moments, the show simply takes a few moments to pause the fun and tomfoolery for a quiet moment of reflection, a moment that's meant to either draw attention to the message or revel in the natural beauty of the countryside. Yet, despite the change in tone, these moments never feel out of place. In fact, they come across as a breath of fresh air, since these moments just let the show express more of its truer nature as a fun and gorgeous but deeply concerned work of art.
Christ, I'm still tearing up just from thinking about these big moments.
Even without those moments and the underlying tragedy of the story, however, Non Non Biyori presents itself as a fantastic comedy in its own right. The interactions between the characters are varied and always worth a laugh. They all have some basic quality to their personalities, but those basics don't necessarily define who they are as characters. Rather, we get to see more than one side to who they are and get to watch them grow as people while they run around and act like kids. In case my fawning over them wasn't clue enough, they are also generally likable characters that offer a nice mix of funny, sensible, and endearing qualities in their own unique ways. While the show might technically focus on the viewpoints of Renge, the youngest child in the village, and Hotaru, the village's newcomer, it does a great job giving everyone their time in the sun by breaking up the comedic pairings in such a way that no one gets left out. So, in that way, it meets all my benchmarks of a fantastic and noteworthy comedy in that respect alone.
For the sake of clarity though, I'll state again that it is the more thoughtful and insightful moments of the show that drive Non Non Biyori up from the level of "noteworthy comedy" to the level of masterpiece. I think the proof of that statement lies in the fact that this is a show I went out of my way to watch for a second time enough though it wasn't part of the seasonal rotation. So, I feel it almost goes without saying that I recommend this title. The art is solid and engaging from start to finish but there are also a few moments sprinkled throughout the show where solid becomes drop-dead gorgeous for the sake of driving home the show's main points. The music is fantastic, discordant, or perhaps childish would be the best description for it considering the show's protagonists. While that discordant, childish nature might not make it something I'll listen to in my free time, it definitely fits the show's sensibilities and themes. Honestly, I have very little I actively complain about when it comes to this show. While the comedy does suffer a bit of "Flanderization" during the show's second season, it doesn't take long for it to get back on track once it takes a few moments for some of Hotaru's more personal moments with the other cast members. So, with that said, I'm just going to say you should probably watch this show. It's not often that I give a comedy such a high score or compare it to one of anime's comedic greats, Nichijou, but I honestly think this show deserves that level of praise for everything it says and doesn't say, making the whole experience worthwhile.