- Episodes : 12
- Genre : January 2020 – currently airing
- Airing Date : Action, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
- Producers : Silver Link
BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense (or Bofuri for short) is the latest in a long line of isekai anime coming down the pipe recently. However, unlike so many other forgettable shows, this anime is well worth a watch because of its precious protagonist who breaks all of the normal conventions of the genre in the name of having a good time. Here’s why you NEED to watch Bofuri!
Contains Spoilers
Playing a Game “Wrong” Has Never Felt So Right
Bofuri, in the same vein as Sword Art Online, is technically not an isekai—the characters are playing an immersive MMORPG called New World Online that is separate from their normal lives. But other than a few real-world segments, it plays out just like any other JRPG-inspired isekai. Maple starts out with very little gaming experience, so she decides to choose a shield-based class and put all of her skill points into defense in order to not take damage. She turns into an indestructible tank who can barely move or attack, but she doesn’t let this deter her and sets out to explore the world anyway.
She stalls a poisonous dragon with healing potions until she can bite it to death and steal its power, and then finds a set of armor that lets her inflict counter damage on anything that attacks her. Once her friend Sally joins in, Maple abuses a protection spell to warp herself in front of Sally and keep up with her vastly superior speed. It’s objectively the wrong way to play a game like this, but Maple’s happy bumbling somehow nets her success and notoriety among the other players. It’s just plain nice to see someone having fun with a game and not worrying about min/maxing everything perfectly.
Everything is So Pure and Wholesome
Maple doesn’t know much about player interaction in online games, so she goes up to everyone she meets and tries to make friends. Shocked by her kindness, new and veteran users alike go along with her zany schemes and quickly discover that she’s a beautiful ray of sunshine in this cynical world. Her friend Sally is incredibly supportive, despite being a seasoned gamer herself, because everything Maple does seems to turn out well in the end. They form a guild called “Maple Tree” and recruit their entire ragtag group to live in a house carved out of a giant stump in the woods. Maple even has a pet turtle named Syrup who she gave the ability to grow to gigantic proportions and fly, just because she wanted to ride on its back. Can Maple just be our friend in real life?
Has the Potential for So Much More
It’s a shame that this anime only has 12 episodes because we could watch Maple and her buddies explore New World Online forever. The monster designs are creative, the characters are varied and entertaining, the top player Payne has an air of mystery about him, and we just can’t wait to see what new bizarre strategy Maple comes up with next. The light novel has plenty of content for a second season, so let’s hope that Silver Link gives us one in the near future!
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a fluffy series about a relatable and drop-dead adorable girl who radiates sparkles and light wherever she goes, Bofuri is the anime for you this season. Even if you’re not normally a fan of the isekai genre, you should still give it a try! Maple would welcome you in a heartbeat.
What did you think of our overview? Have you been watching Bofuri this season? Are you more of a Maple or a Sally when you play games? Let us know in the comments, and thanks so much for reading!
Author: Mary Lee Sauder
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