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

Our main character Maple decides to join a fantasy role-player VR game after her best friend Sally recommends it. Maple is not a gamer, but gets immersed in this world, using her unconventional non-gamer logic to become super OP in defense and vitality through unique random encounters and an oddball play style. Maple and Sally--a pro-gamer level talent--have fun by dominating the game, competing in server challenges every few weeks, and making friends with other players and their guild opponents. As a low-stakes VR premise, there is no drama, no adversity, and no plot. Maple doesn't get OP through anything but happenstance through a seriesof random encounters that have nothing to do with each other. There is nothing organic at all about how the game progresses or its objectives--there is no overarching game story but a random string of bosses, shoehorned NPC questlines, and new areas for new areas sake. The game they're in is obscenely easy, especially with Maple's major cheat build.

But the appeal of this anime is not any of this but the mild humor and slice of life fantasy focus. It's like a flower and rainbows "playing games with friends in a completely non-toxic environment" simulator. There are some hilarious moments, like with "Atrocity" (I'll avoid elaborating to avoid spoilers) and the clash of her personality and powers. However, these are pretty few and far between. It's mostly a lukewarm "wow, isn't Maple so wacky?" type humor.

In terms of the choices the animators and creators made, I think there were several missteps. The design concepts for powers and the costuming are downright awful at points. Every few episodes, the action devolves into a CGI eyesore. The art style and choices are very inconsistent: compare Syrup, her pet buddy, to the chibi dragon mascot, "atrocity," or any of the enemies they fight, and it's clear there was no overarching concept to the animation style. It's totally all over the place. Everything the characters do just feels unmotivated by anything except a random/impetuous "that looks fun" or "better prepare for the server challenge of the week." I was not exaggerating when I said there is no plot whatsoever to guide the anime--Shangri-la Frontier, which is similar in premise, feels like a Russian novel by comparison, even if the stakes and plot are pretty mild in that too.

As for the positives, the characters are likable, there's no booby fan service, there are several really cute things like the pets and Maple's naming sense, the action is usually very well animated, the backgrounds and vistas are beautiful, as are the level designs overall. The whole experience was pleasant and I was entertained more often than not despite the negatives.

Is it good by any critical standard? Not really. Is it enjoyable? It would depend on your patience for slice-of-life anti-plot. Is it well-animated? Probably like 70%. Is the writing good or compelling? No. Was it funny? On occasion. Good action? More often than not.