Review of BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense.
"I don't know what I am doing, but this game is fun!" This sentence is Maple in all of her overpowered glory. Bofuri is a nice and simple anime that encompasses the MMO experience into a story for anyone to enjoy without putting in the effort to play one. It's captivating, enjoyable, and downright adorable. Get comfy and enjoy watching this cute, innocent girl take on a VRMMO for the first time ever. It is not without it's flaws however, this is by no means a fantastic anime worthy of AOTY. Don't expect anything groundbreaking, revolutionary, or perfectly executed anything with this anime. It's just a casualanime done right, and that is what matters most.
Story: 6/10
It's plain and simple, nothing more and nothing less. We don't have a super engaging, plot-heavy anime. It follows a brand new gamer and her experience with her first ever VRMMO. This anime would be a video game slice of life, if that were a thing.
Art: 9/10
The highlight of this anime really is the art. I mean, wow the art in this anime is spectacular, really. The art is consistent throughout the entire anime, and it is very obvious that they did not take shortcuts. The CGI that was used in it was done extremely well for a short anime. The general art is fabulous. The fight scenes and fluidity of the battles are breath-taking. The choreography, the camera angles, the amount of detail to realistic movement, all of these are absolutely phenomenal. This anime may not be focusing on action, but it handles it so well that it trumps most action anime. I dare say that the fight scenes in this anime are some of the best I've ever seen. Even the writing of the fight scenes are well worth mentioning, it really keeps you engaged with what is happening and really starts to make you sit on the edge of your seat sometimes.
Sound: 8/10
There isn't much to say since you have to experience it yourself, but it is well worth mentioning. The VA's did a fantastic job portraying their characters and the full range of emotions going on in the anime. Both the opening and ending are great too, they earned a spot on my anime song playlist. The opening really gets you pumped (especially alongside the small fight scenes). The ending is pretty laid back, but it actually nicely wraps up the anime and leaves you with a nice warm, fuzzy feeling.
Character: 7/10
The characters are well written honestly, especially compared to how trashy writing has become with most anime nowadays. The anime really focuses on the characters, as would be the slice of life genre. Each character is very unique and realistic, instead of being walking tropes. You really come to enjoy being in the company of all the characters, and it really brings to light the quirkiness of each character just like you would see in real life. Not only that, I really appreciate the fact that the author spent time creating complex characters rather than going to basic one-dimensional ones. It really brings the anime to life since it definitely lacks a cohesive plot. But because this is a short, light-hearted slice of life story, we lack in any engaging development with the character.
Specifically on the topic of Maple/Kaede, OH MY GOSH SHE IS SOOOO CUUUTE >w< I cannot handle how cute she is and how innocent she is with game. The way she goes about the game is absolutely hilarious and lovable. She has such a charm with her interactions and thought process that you cannot help but root for her despite being the most broken thing in the game. My absolute favorite scene is when she roars back at the Hydra and her actions that follows, it makes me absolutely melt with laughter.
Enjoyment: 9/10
I genuinely enjoyed this anime, it has become one of my go to comfy anime. The entire time I watched this anime, I swear I couldn't stop myself from getting diabetes. It is so cute, sweet, and wholesome. Maple and Sally are so cute together that I could ship them, are the so adorable together. Not only that but Syrup the super turtle is my favorite. If I could, I would love to buy a huge plushie of Syrup and keep in my room.
Overall: 7.8/10
This anime is so comfy and adorable, I highly recommend it to quite literally everyone. It also serves as a great reminder that minimal trope usage is the best way to write a story, and that little bit more effort really makes a huge difference.