After Action [COMPLETED]

[WS] "FORMAL REVIEW: 'NON NON BIYORI' "

Written 02 July 2019

'Non Non Biyori' and the fight for my sanity

So here we are again, on another animé review. As the title suggests, this review is about 'Non Non Biyori' (plus 'Non Non Biyori Repeat' and 'Non Non Biyori Vacation').

'Non Non Biyori' is a show that follows the everyday occurrences in the lives of four young girls, as each idyllic day passes by on the Japanese countryside. Each episode is presented from the perspective of: a newly-admitted grade-school student; a pair of sisters who are diametrical opposites of each other; and a girl who moved in from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, and is seemingly mature for her young age. As a year passes by throughout the course of the series, the viewers are treated with the sights and sounds of rural Japan, which is not overly romanticized to the point of being a huge promotion of a "return" to countryside living.

With the passing of the seasons, we are given a glimpse of how each character live their life on the countryside, which is no different from how I've actually spent my every vacation on my mother's hometown in Ilocos Sur: idyllic, simple, more peaceful, and with considerably less worries―plus you can be as close to nature as you want. However, countryside living has its own share of drawbacks: it can get boring and monotonous quickly; access to all creature comforts is pretty much limited―or in worst cases, nonexistent; the norms and culture of the countryside are worlds apart from that of the big city; and staying there for a considerable amount of time can be lonely, overall―especially for people who were born and raised in the cities. 'Non Non Biyori' has presented to viewers the two sides of countryside living; and with characters the viewer can relate to (I can actually relate to Ichijou Hotaru the most, as she is the newcomer from Tokyo), 'Non Non Biyori' is pretty much a "realistic" depiction of life on the countryside . . .

As to why watching this relaxing slice-of-life series turned into a fight for whatever's left of my fucking sanity: I've read a "parody" doujin of 'Non Non Biyori' featuring Ichijou Hotaru . . . and, sufficient to say, it awakened my inner degenerate once again. I mean―Gun Jesus, who would've thought that Hotaru is just eleven years old? With a seemingly-mature physique, one can easily mistake her for a sixteen or eighteen year-old girl! I blame that casual search I did on the Godfather's channel, NHN, while watching said series! (Then again, that notoriously repulsive "R 'n' B" doujin was a satisfying read.)