kuuderes_shadow

This anime is a panacea of the heart and mind. Life too stressful? Worried or anxious about something? Just sit down in front of the screen and put this anime on, and all your concerns will dissolve away - probably within seconds. Everything - setting, plot, sound, music, art, humour - all of it is perfectly crafted at maximising this effect. And what an effect it is. The story itself is a simple one. It follows the daily lives of four girls of various ages who all live in the same rural village and are in the same class at school. Almost everything that happens is followingtheir daily lives, with events that are both realistic and completely believable. As far as overarching story goes, that's about it - this isn't an anime you should be watching if you only care for a tense plot full of twists and turns. It is predominantly episodic in nature, although characters and settings are gradually built up over time so there's no lack of progress. Each episode contains one or two stories, every single one of which is a joy to watch and will melt your heart. The humour is lighthearted in tone, and is aimed at adding to this heart-melting effect, rather than at making you laugh out loud, although there are a few moments that could do this as well. There are also a few moments that will invoke other emotions, all very effectively and very naturally. The cast is focused mainly on the four girls. Komari is the eldest of the four, although you wouldn't know it by looking. She is very self conscious of the fact that she is unusually small for her age and tries to make up for this by attempting (and largely failing) to act grown up. Hotaru, on the other hand, is unusually mature, at least on a physical level, for a fifth grader. She also quickly develops a crush on her cute chibi senpai, although none of the others ever seem to realise it. Natsumi is Komari's younger sister, and is a bit of a layabout. She's too lazy to work hard at anything and is always getting in trouble for one thing or another. And then there's Renge, called "Ren-chon" by Natsumi. I could honestly wax lyrical about Ren-chon all day, but I don't want to bore you any more than I already am, so I'll just say that she's the youngest of the cast, who knows a lot about things that you wouldn't expect a first grade student to know, but otherwise acts fairly normally for her age. Oh, she also has some brilliant facial expressions, and Koiwai Kotori's voice acting of her character is a definite candidate for being the best I've ever come across. Every member of the supporting cast, just like the main characters, each have their own distinctive but realistic and believable personalities, and are every bit as likeable as the central four cast members. The humour and characters may be brilliant, but what makes this series really stand out is the music and images. As someone who tends to focus very heavily on the characters of a series, I don't usually care much for these things - as long as they add to the immersement, enjoyment and feel of a series, just about anything's fine by me. But here even I can't help but be overwhelmed. The series starts with nothing but pictures, sound effects and music building up the scene and setting with pure imagery. It's almost 2.5 minutes before anything is actually said, yet by that time you will likely have already entered into a state of total bliss from the gorgeous artwork, more reminiscent of a high budget film or even something you might see in an art gallery than a TV series, and soothing background music and sound effects of what is being shown. And, while the effect may not be as intense in later scenes, the quality does not drop. Just about every background in this entire series is a work of art both literally and figuratively. I've watched the first episode over and over again and every time the effect is the same. The entire anime is thoroughly rewatchable, and every episode provides the perfect relaxation whether on your first watch or your tenth. Even brilliantly written series that depend on plot twists and reveals often grow dull when watching through for the third time, but that is of no concern for an anime like this. A lot of slower paced anime, however, require you to be in the right mood before watching them, but again that is of no concern here, as Non Non Biyori will put you in that right mood, no matter what your previous state of mind. All in all, this is a series to be watched, loved and enjoyed over and over again. Everything is perfectly toned to add to this viewing pleasure as much as possible, and it is indeed a pure pleasure to watch. If you want to know what nirvana feels like, watch this anime.

theaveragemeans

This is my first review, but I'll try my best to follow the guidelines. Ah. Non Non Biyori. To be honest, when I first saw the concept art and previews, I was not impressed. Frankly, I dismissed it as yet another slice of life show, a genre so regularly plagiarized that one can't help but wonder if the anime studios are running out of ideas, as each subsequent series seems to be a cut and paste of an earlier show. It was only with great encouragement from Youtube pianist Tehishter that I began watching the show with the lowest of expectations. I was pleasantly surprised at howwrong I was. =Story 8/10= The story is a simple one. Hotarun, a Tokyo-bred city girl, finds herself moving out of the hustle and bustle of a metropolitan life and into the middle of the countryside thanks to her father's job transfer. There, she enrolls into a school that has only 1 teacher and 5 students of varying grades. Gradually, she grows accustomed to the joys of friendship and a peaceful lifestyle. That is pretty much it, story wise. Arguably, that is all it needs to be. While this might not sound like much, the writers did a fantastic job of painting a picturesque scene, albeit rather romanticized, of the differences between living in the countryside and living in the city. To roughly quote Ren-chon, "Don't you own a mountain in the city, Hotarun?". There is an interesting element of comedic relief to the show as well, which does a good job of creating a light hearted and heart-warming experience altogether. It is exactly because of the lack of intricacies and complications that make this anime such a joy to watch. :) =Art 9/10= Being a show that revolves around country lifestyle, the show does a superb job of vividly painting the landscapes and creating a nice environment that truly sucks the viewer in. I was rather absorbed into the many beautifully done landscapes and views. The show, indeed, was full of screenshot worthy moments. The characters are nicely done as well. I for one, was pleasantly surprised at the lack of fan-service and the way the creators managed to maintain a very innocent image of the characters. =Sound 9/10= Ah. The soundtrack. I often see reviewers claim that a soundtrack is plain, boring or not memorable. I would argue otherwise. The sole purpose of a soundtrack is to immerse the viewer into the atmosphere of the show, to deliberate the mood and 'flow' of the show. In this regard, the Non Non Biyori soundtrack does its job wonderfully. The subtle hints and ambient sounds that are played fit very well into the show. It suits the laidback and heartwarming theme of the show very well. As for the OP, it introduces the playful and childish mood of the overall show, which nano.ripe performs superbly. The ED is just adorable. =Character 7/10= The characters in the show are decent. I liked that the show did not introduce any stereotypes or overdo any of the characters. There's Hotaru, the classy but sweet city girl, the sisters Komari and Natsumi, and Renge, who make up the main cast of the show. They each have their varying quirks and personalities, all of which are interesting in their own ways. There is, surprisingly enough, some decent and well thought out character development, in particular, the relationship between 'sweet shop lady' and Renge. I have personally lost count at how many times I've let out an audible aww throughout this series. =Enjoyment 10/10= I love this show. No words can convey how I feel about this show, to be honest, but I'll try. Every week for the past 7 weeks, I looked forward to the airing of Non Non Biyori. Although I only got into the show halfway through the season, I was instantly hooked. I really enjoyed the laidback and calming experience that is Non Non Biyori. No matter how crappy or pissed off I felt at the time, I couldn't help but smile like an idiot after the show. Unlike other slice of life animes, Non Non Biyori is different in the sense that one truly feels at peace while watching the show. There is no drama or climax, no ante or distress. Watching the show was for me, pure bliss. 23 minutes of smiling like an idiot. Overall, this anime does what it set out to do perfectly. Granted, some might not enjoy the lack of action or fan service, but let me say this. Give the show a try. If you've had a crappy day at school, a disastrous meeting at work or if you just wanted to relax for a bit, watch this show. It's not the best show of the year, or even of the season, but it is special in its own right. 9/10.