Review of BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense.

It's another SAO clone. That was my first thought when reading the summary online. ... aaaaand it is. Kind of. Sort of. To my surprise, I actually enjoyed this show quite a lot. It's nothing groundbreaking in terms of content, but it's a lot of good fun to just relax to. I never thought I would enjoy a power fantasy isekai, but I've been having a great time watching so far. I think the big thing people should keep in mind when watching is this: It's all in good fun. Don't take it so seriously and expect perfection.Story: 6/10

Again, nothing groundbreaking, but it sets things up adequately. I found that the initial "leveling up" phase was very rushed, so that is a negative in this aspect. However there is definitely potential in how things can progress. The MMORPG setting - however cliche - gives ample room for creativity in future plot lines. There were times when I could pretty much predict the major narrative beats, but the execution is still done in an enjoyable manner.

Art: 9/10

Really, most anime nowadays has beautiful art and animation, and this is no exception. Bofuri is clean and aesthetic, which fits in with the video game theme it has. The character designs are also cute but typical. The sharp designs somewhat makes up for the lack of uniqueness though.

Sound: 7/10

It's good. The opening and ending are decently catchy, but nothing playlist-worthy in my opinion. The in-game soundtrack adds nicely to the atmosphere, but no one should be expecting iconic pieces to stand out.

Character: 4/10

Despite being relatively endearing, I believe this is one of the weaker aspects of the show right now. None of the characters stand out particularly well. The main lead is simply "meh" so far. I do enjoy every member of the cast, but so far, there is little character development that has taken place. Despite this, I don't think it detracts from the experience because the characters all foil each other well, and their interactions drive much of the experience.

Enjoyment: 9/10

It's fun! The show is wholesome and relaxing to enjoy. Again, I don't think any one character stands out, but as a whole, it adds a lot to the enjoyment factor.

Overall: 7/10

I would definitely recommend this to those who are either searching for another enjoyable isekai series, or even those who are looking for a simple, lighthearted anime to have fun with!