Non Non Biyori Nonstop

eatmerindou Apr 9, 2021

10

Nearly crying tears of joy while writing this because of how perfect this season of Non Non Biyori was. And when I say perfect I really mean perfect, as in I have absolutely zero complaints about this flawless final adaptation. It's practically impossible to nitpick and locate a single point that could be improved on in this 12-episode blessing. From start to finish, Non Non Biyori Nonstop embodies everything that an iyashikei anime should strive to be. There are just a couple things I want to touch on about this season that made it such a praiseworthy piece of work - at least to me. The biggest point I want to stress is how perfectly the entire character cast is handled. Comprised of numerous very likable individuals, in a mere 12 episodes we are lucky enough to see pretty much every single one of them in the spotlight for a pleasantly long yet balanced duration of time. In the previous two seasons, there were some girls who proved to be extremely amusing even in their sadly limited screentime - in particular, Candy Store Kaede & Tokyo student Hikage come to mind - and I felt that some of the time dedicated toward the main quartet's antics (as wholesome and entertaining as they are) could have been better spent exploring those supporting characters a bit more. But following my completion of Nonstop, I can joyfully and confidently say that those subtle issues of mine have been resolved and replaced with pure appreciation for this show and its wonderful writers.  Along with providing viewers with some highly enjoyable moments centered around these returning side characters, season 3 also introduces a couple of new faces (and believe me, they're equally as wholesome as the rest)! Typically, I am a bit skeptical when an anime decides to toss some completely new characters into the mix this late into its progression, but I absolutely loved these additions to the cast, and seeing how naturally they meshed with the preexisting group of girls only increased my happiness levels even more. Truly, truly wholesome stuff.  One more thing I'd like to note on the topic of characters is how well Renge's development is shown through this last season. It almost feels out of place to say that genuine character development occurred in a slice-of-life show like this, but that was really the cherry on top for me with Nonstop. There were many moments where the frame simply rests on Renge's face, implying that she is deep in thought, and as a result of these moments' masterful timing/placement, I constantly found myself pondering what exactly was going on in her head. In the end, they all point to her blooming desire to be something of a role model to her younger companions as a product of her own experiences with her older sister figures, and watching our little Nyanpasu grow up just fills my heart with bliss.  Another notable element of Non Non Biyori Nonstop is its beautiful animation - particularly its use of cinematographic transitions. The eye-catching images of countryside nature throughout all four annual seasons really stir up an emotional attachment to the small town. They also drive home the subtle message that so much joy can be found even in a place that is relatively technologically underdeveloped. These girls spend all their time playing outdoors simply enjoying each other's company, and through the very appealing usage of landscape animation, we can see why they are always so happy.  Finally, I want to state my love for the ending theme, which in all 3 seasons has never seemed to disappoint me with Non Non Biyori. What better way to end each episode than with all your favorite characters cheerily harmonizing to a brand new original tune? It always puts a smile on my face and helps me forget about the sadness of this amazing show being over I couldn't have asked for a better conclusion to this anime than what Nonstop delivered to me. With each episode, I could feel my happiness levels increase as it continued to positively surprise me in multiple ways. Not a single second of this season's runtime was wasted; this was unironically the most engaging thing I have watched in months. My first personal 5 star rating of 2021 rightfully goes to Non Non Biyori, indisputably one of the greatest slice-of-life/iyashikei works in existence.