LogFAQs > #970278050

BONUS. BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense
https://myanimelist.net/anime/38790/Itai_no_wa_Iya_nano_de_Bougyoryoku_ni_Kyokufuri_Shitai_to_Omoimasu
Winter 2020 (12 episodes)
My Score: TBA, MAL Score: 7.55/10 S1
Best Character: Honjou Kaede/Maple
Recommended by: @WhiteLens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS8YwJ9FIrY

Premise: Honjou Kaede starts playing a new VR MMO, and she puts all her stats into defense so that she won't get hurt. This, along with a lucky combination of skills, winds up making her character Maple one of the strongest in the game!

The Good: Bofuri is an action comedy set in a video game fantasy world. The setting reminded me of Sword Art Online, and it was nice exploring a VR MMO like that without any life-threatening stakes. Maple is just having fun playing the game. There's always something new to find in New World Online. It would be a lot of fun to actually play a game like this where players can stumble across quests or dungeons that bestow wholly unique skills or gear. I loved the sense of discovery when Sally found that underwater dungeon early on, and of course Maple encountered so many things it became a running joke.

The comedic moments in Bofuri were usually pretty great. Maple and her friends are all good people having fun. Maple herself especially always got a laugh out of me when her kindhearted friendliness contrasted with her latest game-breaking skill. The events were also a neat way to keep the story flowing. The one where players hunted for coins was my favorite. This wound up being just a nice anime that was a lot of fun to watch.

The Bad: While the game in Bofuri looks like it would be fun to play regardless, I feel like the balance could use some work! People would eventually get tired of a small handful of elites hogging all the special skills and unique events to themselves. Each new superpower that Maple found felt less and less special, like they were just another to throw in the pile. This first season didn't go too far with it, not quite, but I'm worried the second season might if the trend continues.

Overall: I'm glad I finally watched Bofuri. I'm at the point where I tend to skip past shows that look like yet another generic isekai. That means I miss out on gems like this that aren't actually isekai at all! Maple was a fun character, and it was always interesting seeing her explore the world and use new skills in creative ways. The other characters she met were good too. The game was interesting, and I enjoyed seeing what would happen in it. Thanks for recommending this, WhiteLens! It'll probably wind up in the lower half of my top 100, a solid 7/10. I'm looking forward to seeing where the upcoming second season takes Maple next.