I had a giant smile plastered on my face basically the entire time I was watching this. It's been a while since I've watched a show that was just a whole ton of fun, and I loved it! Usually I reserve spots at 9 or 10 stars for shows that are amazing in every department and especially story, but this shows lack of emotional stuff didn't hinder it in any way shape or form. Man I just LOVED THIS SHOW! I cannot stress that enough! I though this was just going to be a run of the mill fantasy vrmmo show, and it is, but it turns the awesomeness up to 11! There aren't any characters that you dislike (it is a game, after all), the main characters are all awesome and lovable, the action is a blast, and there are some good laughs! I cannot recommend this enough, and I'm really looking forward to season 2!
User Reviews
Review this title24 Reviews
Just fun
Pukeonthestreet6 February 2021
One of my favorites!
meghanancheta23 February 2020
Lighthearted, hilarious, fantasy; a good-time
akomapochuff12 February 2020
This show is definitely not perfect. Its mechanics are inconsistent (though some are very cool (like skill training on use(final fantasy II anyone?)), some lines.. are like as if the character just spent 5 minutes being the opposite of who they are, and then they say something as if to try to convince you they are this thing. And there is no way such a person would become so overpowered..
But still, its ridiculousness is part of its charm. It's a beautiful fantasy world, and the hi-jinks the character gets into are so fun and hilarious.. I cant help but really enjoy watching this. So silly and dumb. But so cute and fun. I cant help but cheer for this lovable main character.
I would love to just binge seasons of this show, it looks like they are past the manga? I tried finding more.
Also, thank God, there is no smutty fan-service. Its just adorable moe goodness.
I gave it an 9. But I love it like its a 10.
Thank you to all who helped to bring us this wondrous, bright, fun, good-hearted and silly world.
EDIT: Season 2 is out Yay!, the graphics seem worse (or were they sometimes that bad?) regardless. I get to binge another season as I wished. The OP protagonist is still killing it and having hardly no difficulty, making this show still a warming respite.
But still, its ridiculousness is part of its charm. It's a beautiful fantasy world, and the hi-jinks the character gets into are so fun and hilarious.. I cant help but really enjoy watching this. So silly and dumb. But so cute and fun. I cant help but cheer for this lovable main character.
I would love to just binge seasons of this show, it looks like they are past the manga? I tried finding more.
Also, thank God, there is no smutty fan-service. Its just adorable moe goodness.
I gave it an 9. But I love it like its a 10.
Thank you to all who helped to bring us this wondrous, bright, fun, good-hearted and silly world.
EDIT: Season 2 is out Yay!, the graphics seem worse (or were they sometimes that bad?) regardless. I get to binge another season as I wished. The OP protagonist is still killing it and having hardly no difficulty, making this show still a warming respite.
A very basic isekai
Flalfs30 March 2020
The animation is good, the fight scenes are splendid, this anime is best served with a cool beverage and a side of suspended disbelief. The largest pitfall of this anime is audiences taking the game in the anime too seriously, but that wasn't a problem in my case. I thought it was interesting, silly, and a good introduction to isekai anime. I would recommend it to people who have watched less anime or anime of this genre.
Don't hate the player! As if hating her is even possible...
ecvoid20 April 2020
The opinions on this anime are polarized. People either enjoyed it for its goofiness and warmth or they hated it because it's not an accurate representation of an MMORPG. To the latter group I can only tell you this: it's not really supposed to be accurate.
The whole premise is based on a good natured girl, who hardly played any video games, that opted for a personal approach rather than an established one for her VR MMORPG experience. So expecting things to go according to gaming standards would be a fool's errand.
Although the protagonist's unique progression path is taken initially because of inexperience and aversion to pain - she maxes defence and ignores every other stat at character creation - she sticks to it even after witnessing "the right way" to play the game. Her capacity to think outside the box leads her to overcome insurmountable obstacles in the most unconventional of ways.
For a very inaccurate show about MMORPG's, this anime nails class roles surprisingly good though. The protagonist is a "tank". Most of her base skills are standard to defence classes, like blocks, counters and taunts. Her good nature intertwines perfectly with the great shield class she chose. Like for instance in some MMO's the tank acts also as a bodyguard for its frailer companions.
The female MC picks skills suited for this selfless play style throughout the show. She does that either actively, because of her desire to protect her in game friends. Or by chance, because she can't ignore even an NPC if it's in distress. Her few very overpowered and accidentally aggressive skills are gained by unorthodox and hilarious methods.
All of her abilities combined turn her into a power house that really should not work at all. Yes it's convenient verging on the absurd. But people! She's breaking the game with kindness and ridiculous counters! Much to the shock and admiration of just her real life friend at first, a girl that is actually well versed in video games. But as the show progresses the MC attracts a few other players to her side. She wins them over first with her altruism and afterwards nurtures their unique qualities. So the social aspect is used to depict a necessary game component as well as a delightful story of friendship.
My one criticism is directed at the Asian MMORPG industry rather than the show. The anime just incorporated two elements that I truly dislike from said industry. First is the insertion of concepts that clash with the fantasy theme of an MMO: I couldn't help but sigh when seeing what the protagonist got from the level 3 area boss. Second being some very... generous body features characters tend to have. A certain healer from the show would make even adult entertainment actresses agree her figure is unrealistic.
But even with that in mind, everything else was thoroughly enjoyable! The PVE related antics were funny, especially when the protagonist resolved things by being unintentionally quirky. The PVP portions of the show (which were the most important) were gripping and touching at the same time. That's because beside the action and the strategy elements they also explored subjects like loyalty, determination for the sake of your friends and not holding grudges.
Truly a superb show if you enjoy watching a heroine bring out the best in herself and the people around her - video game related or otherwise!
The whole premise is based on a good natured girl, who hardly played any video games, that opted for a personal approach rather than an established one for her VR MMORPG experience. So expecting things to go according to gaming standards would be a fool's errand.
Although the protagonist's unique progression path is taken initially because of inexperience and aversion to pain - she maxes defence and ignores every other stat at character creation - she sticks to it even after witnessing "the right way" to play the game. Her capacity to think outside the box leads her to overcome insurmountable obstacles in the most unconventional of ways.
For a very inaccurate show about MMORPG's, this anime nails class roles surprisingly good though. The protagonist is a "tank". Most of her base skills are standard to defence classes, like blocks, counters and taunts. Her good nature intertwines perfectly with the great shield class she chose. Like for instance in some MMO's the tank acts also as a bodyguard for its frailer companions.
The female MC picks skills suited for this selfless play style throughout the show. She does that either actively, because of her desire to protect her in game friends. Or by chance, because she can't ignore even an NPC if it's in distress. Her few very overpowered and accidentally aggressive skills are gained by unorthodox and hilarious methods.
All of her abilities combined turn her into a power house that really should not work at all. Yes it's convenient verging on the absurd. But people! She's breaking the game with kindness and ridiculous counters! Much to the shock and admiration of just her real life friend at first, a girl that is actually well versed in video games. But as the show progresses the MC attracts a few other players to her side. She wins them over first with her altruism and afterwards nurtures their unique qualities. So the social aspect is used to depict a necessary game component as well as a delightful story of friendship.
My one criticism is directed at the Asian MMORPG industry rather than the show. The anime just incorporated two elements that I truly dislike from said industry. First is the insertion of concepts that clash with the fantasy theme of an MMO: I couldn't help but sigh when seeing what the protagonist got from the level 3 area boss. Second being some very... generous body features characters tend to have. A certain healer from the show would make even adult entertainment actresses agree her figure is unrealistic.
But even with that in mind, everything else was thoroughly enjoyable! The PVE related antics were funny, especially when the protagonist resolved things by being unintentionally quirky. The PVP portions of the show (which were the most important) were gripping and touching at the same time. That's because beside the action and the strategy elements they also explored subjects like loyalty, determination for the sake of your friends and not holding grudges.
Truly a superb show if you enjoy watching a heroine bring out the best in herself and the people around her - video game related or otherwise!
Simple storyline, therefore simple to watch
shihongwu21 June 2021
MUST WATCH!! best comedy anime so far
bumiround18 March 2020
This show is so underrated, i have to write a review because of that.
I've never laughed so hard watching anime before.
The protagonist are so adorable, cool animation and hilarious story
Some stiff guys might complain about mmorpg logic. This is a funny anime, just enjoy the comedy
Some stiff guys might complain about mmorpg logic. This is a funny anime, just enjoy the comedy
Most underrated anime this season
kenzoraki3 February 2020
A critique of one of the most popular anime of this past season
Reckno6426 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
My family absolutely LOVED this anime, and I'm more than happy that people are enjoying it. That being said, I have some notable issues with Bofuri:
First I'd like to address the "This is like Sword Art Online but done RIGHT" comments. No, I do not think that is true at ALL. At it's core they have a similar premise about VRMMO's but most everything else about this anime is very different from SAO. While SAO was about the characters being trapped in a game and would die in real life if they died in-game (and after effects of the trauma), this is a lighthearted comedy show where the characters are playing at their own pace with no real-world risk. I get WHY people are comparing the two, but the whole story of both shows are very different.
This show is about Maple, a girl coerced into playing a VRMMORPG by her friend, and as the title suggests she just goes fully into defense. It's an interesting setup, but what ultimately comes of it is a character that virtually cannot be defeated since ya know....she maxed out her defense. The first episodes consist of Maple getting attacked and unharmed by many small creatures and ultimately defeating them since they would tire themselves out. Then as she gains more skill from the creatures she "defeats" she grows to be more and more powerful in-game. This is where my problems begin....
What is my problem you ask? Well to me, it seems our protagonist Maple is what I'd call an OP (Over-powered) Mary Sue type character. And I just did not like that at all. She grows in popularity throughout the series due to her being so OP, and it just continues to irk me because there's just NO WAY I can connect (or enjoy watching) someone who is having everything go so.....perfectly well. She is basically adored by EVERYONE in the game by the end of the show. Heck she is popular within the first three episodes due to her unusual way of becoming OP. I mean, Kirito from SAO was kind of a OP Gary Stu, but at least in that show we knew he had plenty of experience playing the game and learning all of its skills and secrets through hard work during beta-testing. Maple is the exact OPPOSITE of that. She goes in completely unprepared and inexperienced, and comes out pretty much as goddess of the game......
Maybe that was the point??? But it just does NOT work for me at all. Aside from the fact that I didn't like Maple or her development, I didn't really like any of the other characters any better. There's just nothing to them that I could relate to or find remotely interesting about them. They were just.....THERE.
Another pretty minor nitpick is how they would frequently show chat between players in the game, and they would scroll though it SO FAST that I couldn't read any of it without pausing several times! As a matter of fact, my parents spent several minutes trying to pause it just at the right time so they could read the millisecond-screened messages. They couldn't even read every message. I know what you're thinking: Why do you care so much? They don't really matter in the long run, and it's probably that way BECAUSE they didn't expect anyone to read them! Well, I'm the kind of guy that's always looking for the small details in media. I will frequently pause and rewind to make sure I didn't miss anything (perhaps that is partially my OCD to blame for that) so this kind of stuff will frustrate me to a point where I usually just end up rage-quitting. I don't know why they bothered throwing that stuff in there only for it to appear an accumulated total of 25 seconds throughout the whole show. Just.....AAAGGGHHH!!!
Credit where it's due, the animation is very vibrant and colorful and the voice acting is great as always (might recommend the sub over dub this time since there are some line alterations on Funimation's part cause they are apparently more **woke** than ever). But that is not enough to make up for the irritating flaws it has.
I'm still giving it a 6 cause I wouldn't call it a ""bad"" anime. Just an anime I didn't care for in the end. I recommend you see it for yourself and decide whether you like it or not. Considering most of the reviews are positive, this one will likely be (and stay) and outlier. It probably won't even be read by that many people.
Give it a go if you want. You'll probably get more out of Bofuri than I did. And that's great! I really am glad people are enjoying things I don't care for as much.
But Bofuri was ultimately swing-and-a-miss for me
First I'd like to address the "This is like Sword Art Online but done RIGHT" comments. No, I do not think that is true at ALL. At it's core they have a similar premise about VRMMO's but most everything else about this anime is very different from SAO. While SAO was about the characters being trapped in a game and would die in real life if they died in-game (and after effects of the trauma), this is a lighthearted comedy show where the characters are playing at their own pace with no real-world risk. I get WHY people are comparing the two, but the whole story of both shows are very different.
This show is about Maple, a girl coerced into playing a VRMMORPG by her friend, and as the title suggests she just goes fully into defense. It's an interesting setup, but what ultimately comes of it is a character that virtually cannot be defeated since ya know....she maxed out her defense. The first episodes consist of Maple getting attacked and unharmed by many small creatures and ultimately defeating them since they would tire themselves out. Then as she gains more skill from the creatures she "defeats" she grows to be more and more powerful in-game. This is where my problems begin....
What is my problem you ask? Well to me, it seems our protagonist Maple is what I'd call an OP (Over-powered) Mary Sue type character. And I just did not like that at all. She grows in popularity throughout the series due to her being so OP, and it just continues to irk me because there's just NO WAY I can connect (or enjoy watching) someone who is having everything go so.....perfectly well. She is basically adored by EVERYONE in the game by the end of the show. Heck she is popular within the first three episodes due to her unusual way of becoming OP. I mean, Kirito from SAO was kind of a OP Gary Stu, but at least in that show we knew he had plenty of experience playing the game and learning all of its skills and secrets through hard work during beta-testing. Maple is the exact OPPOSITE of that. She goes in completely unprepared and inexperienced, and comes out pretty much as goddess of the game......
Maybe that was the point??? But it just does NOT work for me at all. Aside from the fact that I didn't like Maple or her development, I didn't really like any of the other characters any better. There's just nothing to them that I could relate to or find remotely interesting about them. They were just.....THERE.
Another pretty minor nitpick is how they would frequently show chat between players in the game, and they would scroll though it SO FAST that I couldn't read any of it without pausing several times! As a matter of fact, my parents spent several minutes trying to pause it just at the right time so they could read the millisecond-screened messages. They couldn't even read every message. I know what you're thinking: Why do you care so much? They don't really matter in the long run, and it's probably that way BECAUSE they didn't expect anyone to read them! Well, I'm the kind of guy that's always looking for the small details in media. I will frequently pause and rewind to make sure I didn't miss anything (perhaps that is partially my OCD to blame for that) so this kind of stuff will frustrate me to a point where I usually just end up rage-quitting. I don't know why they bothered throwing that stuff in there only for it to appear an accumulated total of 25 seconds throughout the whole show. Just.....AAAGGGHHH!!!
Credit where it's due, the animation is very vibrant and colorful and the voice acting is great as always (might recommend the sub over dub this time since there are some line alterations on Funimation's part cause they are apparently more **woke** than ever). But that is not enough to make up for the irritating flaws it has.
I'm still giving it a 6 cause I wouldn't call it a ""bad"" anime. Just an anime I didn't care for in the end. I recommend you see it for yourself and decide whether you like it or not. Considering most of the reviews are positive, this one will likely be (and stay) and outlier. It probably won't even be read by that many people.
Give it a go if you want. You'll probably get more out of Bofuri than I did. And that's great! I really am glad people are enjoying things I don't care for as much.
But Bofuri was ultimately swing-and-a-miss for me
Love this anime
rrezonmaliqi30 January 2020
A fun, light series that's very enjoyable.
jgreening-0908718 April 2020
The artwork, animation and soundtrack are very well done. There's nothing complicated about the storyline, and no deep character development or emotional scenes. It's sweet, light and funny, and I couldn't stop grinning while watching it. Maple's antics are so far-fetched that it's absurd, but you can't help but root for her.
Cool anime
shaunadam-3990320 January 2020
I totally love this show!
pwipostman27 July 2020
Now, I am an avid Anime watcher, and my usual watching habit is I'll watch a whole lot of shows, and then eventually work my way back through them.
THIS show, though...it's only just come out and I've watched it through 4 times already (which is INSANE). Good natured, relaxing, wholesome....I can't wait for the next season.
Stereotypical isekai OP protagonist. If it's not your thing, avoid this one. If you like that, then this is one of the best.
leesowders25 March 2020
The main character Maple starts playing an online game and decides to minmax defense so she doesn't get hurt. Maple stumbles into friends and powerups that complement her well.
The show is incredibly light-hearted and doesn't have the depth of other popular anime in the genre do, such as Shield Hero or Log horizon. This show also doesn't have the character progression that shows like My Hero academia and One Piece have. BOFURI does not have much fan service and lacks the typical harem trope.
The game uses true multiplicative scaling, which complements Maple's build well. No large IRL mmo uses this because it's too hard to balance. Warframe is the closest IRL game I can think of that uses multiplicative gear scaling, but it's still not quite the same. BOFURI is not an accurate representation of modern MMOs, but then again your not here to grind a game. You're here to chill and watch anime.
Here are some similar anime. If you like these, then you will like BOFURI. If you didn't like these, don't watch BOFURI.
-Overlord -One punch man -Irregular at magic highschool -Reincarnated as a slime -Tanya the evil -Shield Hero -How not to summon a demonlord -Philosopher's Grandson -Ultramarine Magmell
The show is incredibly light-hearted and doesn't have the depth of other popular anime in the genre do, such as Shield Hero or Log horizon. This show also doesn't have the character progression that shows like My Hero academia and One Piece have. BOFURI does not have much fan service and lacks the typical harem trope.
The game uses true multiplicative scaling, which complements Maple's build well. No large IRL mmo uses this because it's too hard to balance. Warframe is the closest IRL game I can think of that uses multiplicative gear scaling, but it's still not quite the same. BOFURI is not an accurate representation of modern MMOs, but then again your not here to grind a game. You're here to chill and watch anime.
Here are some similar anime. If you like these, then you will like BOFURI. If you didn't like these, don't watch BOFURI.
-Overlord -One punch man -Irregular at magic highschool -Reincarnated as a slime -Tanya the evil -Shield Hero -How not to summon a demonlord -Philosopher's Grandson -Ultramarine Magmell
Girl cheats in a crap video game that's all.
vestman-197297 February 2020
To a dnd player like me, the settings just doesn't seem real.
For example
1, in ep1, Maple got many OVERPOWERED skills through very easy approaches. As such easter eggs are unbalanced, they only exist in console games, not for online games.
2, A common rule is "every creature is treated equal". While Maple (whos str is very low) can defeat a boss by eating it, when she was being bitten by many insects for hours, she is unharmed. This was CHEATING.
3,A newbie defeats a big boss easily and got A WHOLE SET OF OVERPOWERED EQUIPMENTS? in a MMO?
....
So in all, the whole story sounds "A girl beats a poorly-made unbalanced online game in a way she cheats in a console game". That's it. The author should do his homework more carefully. At least, play some WOW or DND.
So in all, the whole story sounds "A girl beats a poorly-made unbalanced online game in a way she cheats in a console game". That's it. The author should do his homework more carefully. At least, play some WOW or DND.
Very fun and goofy
panthersdachamps22 May 2020
Enjoy this show, not very often do you find a show that can have good humor and great action. I'm sort of a sucker for good animation during fighting scenes, and this had it. The MMORPG aspect isn't accurate to a true game but I enjoy seeing how someone else portrays it. Again this was enjoyable.
MMORPG'ers Must WAtch
eqdynamite26 March 2022
If you're expecting Sword. Art Online, this is nothing like it. On the other hand if you play any form of ONLINE GAMES, more importantly any Multi-Player Games then this is an Anime you Must Watch and if you're not laughing by the end of the first episode then you need to get a sense of humor. Maple is a Newbie 100%, she barely understands multi-player or fantasy games, What she does want is not to take any damage, she doesn't want to get hurt. So she makes a character who tries not to get hurt. So she plays her way which is EXTREMELY UNORTHODOX. She solves solutions most season veterans would never think of and in doing so creates anomalies in the game. She has an uncanny luck factor on her side, such as finding hard to find quest items & quests, She does the unexpected and comes out on top.
Maple is the most fun I've had watching someone else play an MMORPG and that said PLEASE WATCH THIS ANIME. You will soon fall in love with Maple, Sally, Syrup & Orobus. The other characters she meets along the way and joins her guild are like her in some ways. A Common phrase heard is: "I'm glad she's on our side"
Sit back and enjoy this first season of."BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense."
Maple is the most fun I've had watching someone else play an MMORPG and that said PLEASE WATCH THIS ANIME. You will soon fall in love with Maple, Sally, Syrup & Orobus. The other characters she meets along the way and joins her guild are like her in some ways. A Common phrase heard is: "I'm glad she's on our side"
Sit back and enjoy this first season of."BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense."
A fun and enjoyable show
BlackWind-20011 July 2022
This one took me by surprise, it has the same cheerful feel as So I am a spider and I love that this has another season coming. It's qwerky and fun. And the rewards Maple comes across is always a wtf moment which makes it even more exciting to watch. Nice and interesting side characters and never a dull moment.
Worth
bummer-7745016 May 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
trimmsthem7 July 2022
I had a friend suggest this show to me some time ago. I wasn't very sure but eventually gave it a go. And I was pleasantly surprised. Kind of gives you that WOW sort of feel but VR anime scaled to insane proportions. I'm not going to go into details about how certain aspects of the show have plot holes or flaws or that the MC is a Mary Sue or it was this or that. I enjoyed the concept, characters and environment. It was a very fun show to watch. Of course this is an anime, not everything has to make sense. I give it a thumbs up.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
