Introduction
After an enthusiastic invitation from her friend, Kaede Honjou reluctantly agrees to try New World Online: a very popular VRMMO played by thousands of people across Japan. Naming her in-game character Maple, she sets out on her journey. As a complete novice to such games, she allocates all of her stat points into vitality, desiring to not get hurt. With not a single point in any other stat, Maple has extraordinarily high defense, but she can't move quickly or hit hard.
This does not end badly for her, however. Due to her high defense, Maple acquires overpowered skills such as Total Defense, Poison Immunity, and Devour. These skills, along with the incredibly powerful items she obtains, allow her to obliterate most enemies in a single hit. After only a few days of playing the game, Maple claims third place in a server-wide event, gaining a reputation as a player who is both unkillable and absurdly powerful.
Despite her overpowered character, Kaede has much to learn. As she progresses through the game, she meets new friends and acquaintances, helping her complete new levels and events. Through all of her adventures, she may even pick up some other crazy skills that exceed all expectations.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
AntonyAV
"BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense" is a lighthearted slice of life anime about two girl friends adventuring in a virtual reality world while learning about the game, making friends, winning championships, etc... I won't get into any important part of the story but I'll need to speak a little about the things that happen in this anime to explain why I disliked it.
The world is interesting and the characters are likeable and maybe even relatable... At first glace, it's just that at the same time those characters lack depth and don't go through any kind of development, and the VR world always seems to bend to their imagination making them incredibly powerful, I swear every issue is fixed by Maple's Hydra (A poisonous dragon thing she gets in one of the first areas…
Read at the sourceliteraturenerd
“Scrub Lord: How I Learned to Stop Trying to Git Gud and Embrace the Cheese”. That is what they should have named this anime. Bofuri is an anime that is set up just like any other Isekai. A boring protagonist becomes obsessed with some shitty RPG that works through some incredibly advanced virtual reality. We know that soon she will get stuck in the RPG world and be told that she’ll die in the real world if she dies in the game. We’ve seen this 10 million times before. But WAIT! She doesn’t actually get stuck in the game! In fact, there are absolutely no stakes at all! This anime was recommended by a friend as one of the most pointless anime ever made. After watching it, I have to agree.
This anime is literally just watching a Let’s Play in which a no talent, filthy scrub uses OP spells t…
Read at the sourceGDropout
P.S A bit of spoilers in this
So basically a VRMMO anime that is actually like an MMO cause I have played MMOs before and know the fun excitement and everything else MMOS bring to life and this show actually acts like it so I would like to call it a generic VRMMO anime but it is not
It actually makes sense people actually look like they make it and update it occasionally and other stuff normal MMOs have so I like that about it aside from that Yeah you don't feel the rush or life or death stakes in anime like Sword Art Online where we know it's like a game but not I'm glad that there is an anime like this that has stakes and enjoyment
That being said I don't wanna see almost all the episodes and the MC does not do anything that at least advances the story a bit so I would say this anim…
Read at the sourceAlexPaulLEWZ
Itai no wa iya nanode bougyoryoku wo kyokufuri shitai to omoimasu.
Translated, it would be "I don't like painful stuff, so I guess I'll want to maximize my defense." That’s a mouthful of a title, but that also makes sense. Unless you’re a masochist, we do prefer things when they are the least painful. The very first thing that came to my thoughts when I came across this title is that the main character would be playing in a non-orthodox way, like being an unstoppable tank which lets her teammates take the kills with her indestructible support.
The story of this anime starts with a friend, Risa, inviting the main character, Kaede, into playing a virtual reality MMO—quite a normal way to start a game. As Kaede, “Maple” in-game, starts the game, she allocates all her points to vitality, sig…
Read at the sourceLizzart
I actually can not believe how well received this show is. It is absolutely terrible.
Normally I am totally okay with overpowered protagonists, because of the settings they are in. Yes i know most of the times the op protagonist gets his powers through a really dumb way, but i have never seen it done that badly. The crucial point and why i think that this op protag story is so bad, because it happens inside a video game. But that is not the only reason, because we had op protags in games in other animes as well, but New World is so broken beyond belief, you could make a hour long video about it.
Even worse the devs just give up on nerfing the protagonist and list reasons, that make no sense at all for why they came to that decision.
Okay that was enough negativity. If you are able to su…
Read at the sourceMeelis13
Bofuri is one of the most enjoyable animes ive watched, to the point i'd say its on par with Konosuba in terms of humor (although i need to stress the two shows have VERY different humor)
Story:
Honestly, story is probably the weakest point of the show, yet at same time it is very good at what its supposed to do. The story of Bofuri is not meant to make lot of sense or be deep, its just supposed to string along characters to next fun event and shenanigans.
Art & sound:
Bofuri art is beautiful, although i can nitpick about animation at places. Still, overall its very well done. Same with voice acting and music. The most used insert song in the show is always a sign that something fun is about to happen. Everything about the show oozes fun time.
Characters:
As said with story portion, do…
Read at the sourceAllsiss
It should be fairly easy to gauge your potential enjoyment of Bofuri based on your reaction towards it's synopsis. If you were reading about the MC becoming the most overpowered player in the game and thought to yourself:"Hell yeah, I want to see a cute show about a shield loli wrecking everyones shit up!", then I can recommend this one without much hesitation. Maple is very cute, beloved by all and definitely ends up dominating everyone and everything in every way possible and with strength to spare.
Now if that last part has you worried, you'll want to stay away. If you were hoping for a setting with a cute MC who learns about game mechanics, plans strategies, trains hard to overcome all obstacles and gets rewarded for her passion, well then this show isn't for you. Simply put: She does…
Read at the sourceeff-fume
Itai no wa Iya nano de Bougyoryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu, or also called BOFURI is a new quirky and colorful entry into the “accidentally OP” MC genre of MMO/isekai or alike anime - and I am genuinely in love with it.
Any educated viewer might slide their eyes over the poster and premise and immediately shudder in horror or smirk in a condescending disgust to have spotted another shlocky, bland and generic MMO “kinda isekai, but not really” trash that the anime industry has served us. Yes, the character designs look like SAO rip-offs, specifically Maple’s main armor looks like the armor set the dying girl - Konno Yuuki - wears in Mother’s Rosario, or the Great Shielder, who literally looks like Klein from the same show – but do not be deceived because; Bofuri is actually greatne…
Read at the sourceLiddo-kun
At first, this show looked like standard cute girls doing cute things show that come dime a dozen these days. However, after two episodes I realized this show struck a powerful chord.. as New World Online reminded me of the fun days I played in the real game Ragnarok Online. Reminded me all of the item gatherings, meeting friends, forming a guild. It's all here.
NONE = Also none of the excess baggage that other shows try to shove into my face. Trying to save the world from evil? trapped in another world? trapped in a game? people dying if they lose? generic harem plot? None of those shits!! This is just pure fun, we are playing a friendly game. More easy to relate to for people like me who played and enjoyed RO years ago.
Art - colorful backgrounds, lush grasslands, forests. Makes you wa…
Read at the sourceSuitwo
This will be my first review so if my points aren't well expained I'll blame it on that.
Now at first I really liked it, I wasn't going to watch it at first because I had just finished The Overly Cautious Hero (OCH) and didn't want to something like it, but in the end there wasn't much else that peaked my interest and the idea behind a character building only defence seemed interesting.
I'll start with what I liked, the art was great, whever a spell or ability was cast you could see how much effort had gone into it, everything looked so clean and crisp. As well as that the first few episodes were really great to define Maple's character and her style to me made sense and reflected in her goal of taking no damage, up to post first event I thought she was a good character.
On to why I fel…
Read at the sourceThe_Cup_of_Joe
In a world where VRMMO began taking over in the anime community, one series rises to the top through it’s unique charm and an idea so insane that it actually worked. No one would have thought that a main character with so much power could still lead an anime to such great lengths; however, BOFURI broke that idea this time around. Take realism out of the equation because there’s nothing realistic about this anime. Instead, you can have a cute, yet broken main character who gets through her life in the game through her clumsiness and extreme luck.
Unique story & concept:
With a fast-paced story to help drive the energetic and quirky nature of the main character, there’s not much time for the audience to actually breathe. Episode after episode, the main cast is either training or competing i…
Read at the sourceSanaeK10
Spiritually, Bofuri (I ain't typing the real title this time) is very reminiscent of 2018's Gun Gale Online. A cute tiny girl and her best friend just totally breaking apart the game's systems and having a jolly fun time doing so.
It's honestly both a fun comfy ride for what can be said to be a villain origin story. Think about it, the fun Persona-esque date music isn't so fun when you're on the other side just getting pummeled to death by Meipuru. Hell, it even plays in one of the final battles when you really start feeling bad for everyone else as Monster Meipuru just massacres everyone.
The show doesn't do anything particularly well, nor is anything form the show particularly outstanding or noteworthy, even compared to other series from the same season, yet I just can't stop thinkin…
Read at the sourceYautja
If you think SAO is awful, mediocre or overrated, you should think the exact same about this, or else you might just be a hypocrite. This anime is SAO meets TNY meets Moe Trash, with even more insane plot armor / contrivances than SAO could ever hope to have. Also, spoilers.
Bofuri has absolutely nothing going for it beyond the ever present CGDCT, which wouldn't be a problem or worthy of such a negative rating if not for the game aspect which has lead to an insane amount of the aforementioned plot convenience, awful characters and a litany of other issues.
Bofuri's lack of a (complex) story is not too great an issue, what is however an issue is how every single challenge is raised and defeated in a single episode, in particularly contrived manners, usually bordering on, if not shooting s…
Read at the sourceArgoNaga
Bofuri isn't very unique when it comes to isekai but it's fun to watch. A anime that is almost like a slice of life. It doesn't have over the top drama which is a good relief as they're just playing a video game.
Really good characters with their own traits but would like more development on the side characters.The animation is surprisingly well done compared to shows like Arifureta. The music is also very chill compared to other isekai which is very refreshing.
Though i feel like Bofuri did rush the end a bit. Would also like to see more real world interaction in maple's life and how the game affected her.
Enjoyed it very much 9/10 would recommend if you like moe
Read at the sourceBeefsoup
Sure, the story may be lacking in some areas of depth as the show only has one main premise: MAPLE IS OP AS HELL. Although it's predictable most of the time what will happen in battles, Bofuri is super fun to watch Maple completely decimate her enemies. The art and sound design are all super high quality, making the show a great eyegasm. Only problem would be that the character development in the show is not the best, but overall I feel that this anime is really just for a lot of fun, and hence I don't mind the story and character development lacking in some areas.
Many people say that Maple being way too OP ruins the fun of the show, but I think otherwise. It's relaxing to see just how absurd one can get and is a great fresh take on a isekai where literally everything will go right for Ma…
Read at the sourceDukino
One of the most fun shows this season, and probably will be for the whole year, comes to its monetary end. Sort of picked this up just because I saw the main girl used a shield and the animation looked cute, couldn't have made a better decision. Had an absolute blast with this show over these past months. Bofuri I didn't expect much going in but honestly from the first episode I enjoyed it. Maple immediately captured my heart with how is it plain adorable she is. Even before becoming a powerhouse she was just so cute. Trying her hardest with that little shield not wanting to get hurt even in a game. She was a fantastic lead to follow throughout this show.
Entire cast of characters I had a great time with. The whole guild of what would become Maple Tree had variety in the characters. Sall…
Read at the sourceLaLeLuLiLo
I don’t like talking about other anime when doing a review, since I just want to focus on just the show. However it is obvious that a superficial comparison can be made on this show and a previously aired title “Rise of The Shield Hero”. Since I remembered when Shield Hero was airing a few seasons ago, I made an off hand comment that the Protagonist was basically an example of a min-max build(even though it was against his will). Lo and behold that this season introduces another min-max build but this time is properly acknowledged, and also happens to be another defense build with a shield! It’s a funny coincidence more than anything, and where most of the comparison ends.
BOFURI as it is called due to it’s absurdly long title is a rather delightful show to watch. Yes, the fact that it’s…
Read at the sourceExemplarCayman
Finally, a VRMMO series written by an author that actually played MMOs before. Even more shockingly, it’s written by an author that can actually write.
You see, because the author actually played MMOs before, he understands that in reality all of them suck major balls, so instead of portraying his fictional game as “realistic,” he portrays it as fun. In a sense, the game is portrayed the way an unspoiled newcomer sees MMOs: as a new world of adventure and endless possibility, one you explore with genuine curiosity and sense of wonder. Not a repetitive grind-fest, fantasy accountant simulator regarding stats and gear, and disappointing technological limitations.
Not that this fictional game being fun actually matters. Because this series isn’t a VRMMO. It is an anime show about people play…
Read at the sourceKANLen09
The slew of Isekai VR MMORPGs that started the craze with SAO doesn't seem to slow down every single year since its inception, with many of its brethren likeness of the many light novels that novelists try to "innovate" the spin and take a page off of SAO to be something different. And while BOFURI is not in the slightest ways of power-fantasy LNs to make a dent in the massive mixed juggernaut of a subgenre, novelist Yuumikan must've seen the popularity of Tate no Yuusha (the novels before the anime) and decided to put a fun spin on it: the MC being female as opposed to the myriad of males, and I'd think that it definitely has good and bad points for it.
Everyone, and I mean everyone, must've played a RPG in your own life before. Even watching anime to imitate these fantasy stories depend…
Read at the sourceStark700
There once was a shield hero who entered a parallel universe but after being betray- . Oh wait, wrong show. But granted, Bofuri does have a character with a big shield so what gets people watching this anime with a VRMMO setting? Virtual reality is no stranger to the isekai creative realm. Sword Art Online became one of the biggest franchise of the past decade. Bofuri has nowhere near that level of popularity in horsepower and for most people, they’re turning to heads and asking themselves, “what the hell is Bofuri?”
A good question. For the sake of this review, I’m addressing it just the anime as “Bofuri” because who really wants to read out loud the full title. At its sweet spot, Bofuri essentially drops our main character into a virtual reality world, based on a new game known as “New…
Read at the source