BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense | Complete Anime Review

Overpowered Anime Girls Destroying Dungeon Bosses in a cute lighthearted Isekai.

If you’re interested in an anime with a light touch of fantasy, maybe this comedy series is just for you!

We look at one of the best well done Anime of this Genre and talk about why fans adore Kaede and this refreshing flavor of Video Game Style Anime.

Great art, a good story and lovable characters ... how could we ask for more? Now let's talk about Bofuri!

Bofuri Anime Girls in a team

Well, you can now play the online mobile game! D-techno has created an online mobile game based on Bofuri that is available in Japanese Only through the App stores on your phone. Consider using a Japan Based VPN if you'd like to play in other countries.

Bofuri Online Mobile Game from App Store

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does Neflix have Bofuri?

A: No, currently only Hulu and Funimation offer BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense.

Q: Is there a season 2 for Bofuri?

A: Yes! Funimation has announced Season 2 will air in 2022.

Q: Why is it called Bofuri?

A: The Kanji 防御い (BoFuRi) Used in the Original LONG title means "Defensive". It's a slang coined in Japan so they don't have to say 痛いのは嫌なので防御力に極振りしたいと思います (Itai no wa Iya nano de Bōgyoryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu) every time they want to talk about it.

Table of Contents

Anime Review

Author

Characters

Where to Watch Bofuri

References

When you live in a video game like NewWorld, sometimes you have to eat some bugs

Anime Review

Seeing how lengthy the title is, it may sound boring but the story is much more than its title. But, the question is:

Is ‘BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense’ worth watching?

If you’re into anime that are related to overpowered main characters, fantasy, role-playing games and of course lots of comedy, then yes. Bofuri, is a light series that you would want to watch all over again specially that it’s only a 12-episode anime which is kind of short in my opinion.

However, if you’re tired of generic anime characters, this series may not be for you. There are quite a few characters that I consider the typical anime character, like the main protagonist. The main protagonist, Kaede, is the usual simple clumsy girl who gets embarrassed easily and her naivety led her to become one of the overpowered players in the game. But, if you think on the other side, her personality does make the show interesting.

Kaede from Bofuri is cute and overpowered and uses a huge shield

Kaede Honjō is the main protagonist, she’s also known as Maple in VRMMO NewWorld Online. She was first urged by her friend Risa Shiramine to play, her friend was known as Sally in the game. Kaede was definitely horrified by the monsters in the game when she started playing it, causing her to use everything in her defense stats because she was afraid to get hurt, which is evident in the title. She also had made decisions that the other players didn’t think of such as eating monsters which also led her to become an overpowered player in the game as I’ve mentioned earlier.

Well, I still think her decisions are silly until now. But, of course this comedy series also has heartwarming scenes. In which Kaede acquired friends in the game whom she fought monsters with and she was able to make a guild named “Maple Tree”. Soon her guild started fighting the other guilds in VRMMO NewWorld Online, to achieve their guild to be one of the top guilds in the game.

So far there’s not much plot in the series aside from the main protagonist acquiring new friends and gaining more power, as well as discovering new bosses and other guilds to fight with in order to be on top.

Bofuri is an Isekai Anime with Very Cute Girls

Many fans of Bofuri have been waiting for Season 2 which is confirmed to be released in 2022 and expect that there will be new friendships and much stronger monsters and guilds that the main characters will be facing. If you’re tired of waiting, I suggest you also read the novel and the manga which shines in its own way.

This anime will surely make you want to play and have friends in an RPG game while you fight monsters together especially in this chilly weather. The only thing you may be bothered about are the generic anime characters and Kaede becoming more overpowered, so if these types don't suit your taste, I will recommend you not to watch it. But overall I can say that this is one of the fantasy related anime that took my interest and it’ll be entertaining to watch, especially this holiday vacation.

Author

As of now the author of BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense, Yuumikan has only written a few books which also is a part of Bofuri.

It has been said by Yuumikan during the Yen Press (2021) interview that Bofuri was influenced by their own gaming experience and they added that the anime adaptation tweaks on their novel resulted in impressive work which they also commended the anime staff. Yuumikan also emphasized that the novel, manga, and anime adaptation of Bofuri has its own appeal.

So far, there isn't much information about the author of BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense, but they mentioned that they were able to write such a successful story because they tried to put everything they like and had taken consideration to what people like as well.

Characters

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

The characters in the series all have different personalities and skills which made it entertaining to watch. Like how Maple’s naivety made her overpowered.

Kasumi from Maple Tree Guild in Bofuri is a cute Anime Girl who wields a sword

Kaede Honjou, also known as Maple in VRMMO NewWorld Online, is the main protagonist in the series and she is a simple minded girl who would eat a boss in the dungeon and gain good items from it. Even though her personality made the show much more entertaining, I still think that she’s one of the typical anime characters.

Maple is Kaede Honjou in Bofuri Anime

Risa Shiramine, also known as Sally, is a veteran player in the game and was the one who urged Kaede into playing the game. She’s indeed one of the powerful characters in the VRMMO NewWorld Online, also highlighting her great reflexes which she also possesses in real life. Even though her personality is typical as Kaede, I can say that she’s by far the most relatable character in the series. Like how she strives to keep up with Kaede who broke the usual strategies in the game

Risa Shiramine or Sally from Bofuri

Overall, the characters specifically in the Maple Tree guild have personalities that balance each other. Even if most of them are considered as generic anime characters,

It still made the series entertaining to watch especially when you’re on a holiday vacation and you just wanted to relax.

Where to Watch Bofuri

Maple Bofuri Beautiful Anime Girl Fan Art

You can watch on paid streaming via:

Hulu

Funimation

Want to watch for free: Bofuri: I Don't want to get hurt, so I'll max out my defense?

References:

Chapman P. (2021, Jan 09). BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, So I'll Max Out My Defense. TV Anime Bounces Back in 2022. Retrieved from.

https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2021/01/09/bofuri-i-dont-want-to-get-hurt-so-ill-max-out-my-defense-tv-anime-bounces-back-in-2022

De Vera M. (2021, March 31). Q&A WITH BOFURI CREATOR YUUMIKAN!. Retrieved from.

https://yenpress.com/2021/03/qa-with-bofuri-creator-yuumikan/