Non Non Biyori Repeat | Episode 1
EmperorBrandon: This show continues to be so pleasantly low-key. Renge’s sense of wonder and pride at being a first grader for the first time and all the things that come with it, like wearing a randoseru and making the trip to school, was just so adorable.
So it does look like we have a bit of a prequel episode to the first season’s first episode here, and that fits with the season being named “Repeat”. I assume that’s just referring to the year and we’ll still get all new stories like we got here. If that’s the case, well, should be fine. Chronology doesn’t matter much with a series like this.
“Hey, when did Nii-chan get on?” Such the perfect reintroductory line for Suguru. 
Hah, and they get in a jab at what’s to come at the beginning of the first season where he fell through the floor.
Funniest part of the episode was seeing Hika-nee off. All full of herself impressing Renge with her cellphone, and thinking Renge was going to get lonely with her leaving. But rather than an emotional moment, we get hilarity as she accidentally left that very cellphone she was bragging about earlier behind. 
bctaris: Wonderful timing with that scene, and the long shot on the train indeed going off and not stopping; more of the almost pregnant directorial style of pastoral scenes and settings (but oddly not as over-sentimental as I remembered) that the show’s so well known for. It’s a certain sparse and quiet (and, when needed, quirky) poetry. It was used to the hilt for a quirky bit of comedy, in fact, with Natsumi’s beat-too-long pause thinking about how to address Renge for the practice roll call.
Sensuifu: That scene was hilarious; loved it. I think the use of these extended periods of silence works effectively both ways, one to serve as a moment of reflection only to maybe later end with something more sentimental (i.e. Renge’s tears in last season); and the other to work as a lead to a comic effect, as you noted with Natsumi’s pondering. Either way, there’s a degree of buildup, not exactly as suspense/tension, but some sort of tease to whether the outcome ends dramatically or in comedy.
Momoka Kibi: So many moments of greatness with Renge. The only downside to the episode was lack of Hotaru. However that should be hopefully fixed with the next episode. Also glad I watched this last. Sometimes you need healing after being damaged by bad series.
EmperorBrandon: It’s all before they meet Hotaru, but that makes it all the sweeter when we see her show up and hoping she makes friends. More than just friends, Hotaru: you get a crush. Haha.
Paranoia Agent: Ahhhhh, that’s the stuff. Oh how I missed my adorable Ren-chon and others. Although, I have to admit I’m not super crazy about the idea of “repeating” the first season but with new stories. I agree that with a show like this it doesn’t really matter, I guess, but there is something about the concept that just doesn’t sit right with me. I don’t want to have to revisit Renge’s heartbreak of making a new friend only to have her leave suddenly, for example. Oh well, that’s more of a quibble than anything else. Really happy to be back in this world.
_PS_: I was hoping we’d move on to the next year, too – for one thing, Renge’s new friend was supposed to come back “next summer.” But I really enjoyed this prequel episode, getting a glimpse of the characters before Hotaru showed up. Like bonus Hikage. Renge anticipating her first day of school was adorable. So glad this show is back.
bctaris: I had forgotten that it was indeed going to be subtitled “Repeat” for this season. I wonder if it’s truly just going to be more stories from this year, or if they’re going to jump back and forth, or some other sort of clever format?
