Review of Recovery of an MMO Junkie

I must admit, this review will be slightly biased, because I am a 28 year old life-long anime fan, and I often feel isolated in my interest, as I predominantly only talk anime with friends significantly younger than I. As a result, I'd like to think that I connect a bit too much with a character who is older and in a rather shameful relationship with her passion, so I will try to abstain from being too melodramatic in my review and criticism. Story: 9. Inasmuch as I absolutely adored this series, I gave it a 9 for one very specific reason: as a 10 episode series,the tension the series builds ends significantly quicker than I might have liked. Do not misunderstand, I HATE when series milk tension and do so by utilizing lazy storytelling and plot holes. Net-Juu no Susume, admittedly, wonderfully sidesteps this issue by stopping the rising tension at a serviceable moment, I just simply wish we got a full 12 episodes, perhaps to better flesh out the characters I came to love.

Art: 9.

Stylistically, Net-Juu is pretty, but not gorgeous. Admittedly, I might be biased because this season, Ancient Magus Bride came out and since then I struggle to view art elsewhere as perfect, but Net-Juu still does a great job. Morimori is a wonderful character, but where the show excels, in my opinion, is the way it can cohesively break between portraying slapstick anime-esque comedy bits alongside legitimate moments in which her social anxiety creeps up around her. The art style comically shows her anxiety as darkness swirls around her, etc, but the mannerisms she portrays when talking to people, when she is starting to fall into self-loathing are visible and masterful. While the artwork might not be flashy, I think there is something to be said about the masterful use of refrain and balance in the art direction.

Sound: 7.

As usual for my reviews, I do not stress too much on this area as it is not within my general knowledge. I can say that I loved the voice acting, and the music helped scenes move along, but never to the point of drawing my attention to their brilliance. I did not care for the opening or closing music, and so I just give it a solid 7.

Character: 10.

As my review has suggested thus far, character is where this series excels. It shouldn’t surprise you as a reader to assume that in a well-received slice-of-life anime, the characters are what truly keep everything afloat, but this takes it one step further. Many SoL anime I’ve watched revolve around Japanese high schoolers, and for many of us (from English-speaking countries or backgrounds, as I imagine you to possibly be, dear reader) this is only escapism, there is no real connection as we don’t necessarily understand Japanese school systems or share those experiences. However, a series about becoming cripplingly bogged down by the pressures of life and escaping to things like video games (or anime) might be something a little more universally understood by watchers. Perhaps embarrassing to admit, but I certainly understand this predicament. I think this connection makes Morimori’s character arc personal to an audience, and as we watch and hope that her life situation turns around, we’re enthralled by her humanity. There is also something to be said about the fact that unlike the NEET stereotype seen in other anime, Morimori chooses this life after having been in the “real world,” and does not bog down her family or friends with her irresponsible behavior, as wonderfully portrayed in “Welcome to NHK”. She chooses this retreat from society because she is lonely, and the watcher does not want her to succeed so that she can make “something of herself,” but rather we want her to succeed solely because we love her. That is a beautiful creation as far as characters go.

Enjoyment: 10.

I’ll be straight with you, I neglected homework (ironically) and binged this in a single sitting. I felt awful having wasted so much time consistently, but this was the rare kind of anime that just speaks to me on a personal level and does not allow me to walk away. I might have felt awful about wasting the time, but on a much larger scale, I felt as though I too were undergoing a change of character as I watched the main character work through her troubles. Real life doesn’t work as smoothly as anime, of course, and I would not even begin to suggest that this anime has the power to immediately change a life, but I can at least suggest that watching this anime made me feel better about myself and my own personal sorrows, and that is something.

Overall: 9.

I think I’ve said everything I’ve wanted to say, in a meandering and melodramatic fashion. This show just stuck with me, and took two fantastic ideas (struggling with social anxiety and developing relationships with people) and perfectly bound them together. It was funny, it was touching, and it was thought-provoking. It had some small faults perhaps, some of which I don’t even really feel like listing down, but it was damn near perfect. I am very happy to suggest that this show is a solid 9, and only because I do not think there exists a perfect show. Watch it if you’ve ever struggled with shame for being a nerd (and also, knock that off because being a nerd is the best possible way to live your life :D)

Recommendations:

1. Welcome to the N.H.K.: These two are entirely different shows, both in content and direction, but they both fundamentally pivot around the idea of adults who become shut-ins due to the stresses of life. Watch if you like the topic, do not watch expecting the same sort of feels.

2. Knight's & Magic: Again, entirely different tone, but both shows are about 30+ year old office workers who find joy by escaping the real world to a fantasy one. Of course, K&M sends him to a real world, and Recovery is only a video game, but this idea of learning how to happily socialize in an escapist scenario is present in both.

3. Gate: This anime has nothing to do with Recovery of an MMO Addict, but the main character is a 30 year old man who would much rather play his mobile game than chase a career honestly, even when he is sent into an honest-to-goodness fantasy realm. I honestly just recommend it because it is rare to see a 30+ year old character represented in an anime that isn't more serious.