Itai no wa Iya nanode Bougyoryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu. 2

This show begs the only question that only serves to boggle my mind: What's up with sequels that fail to live up to the potential of their former premiere seasons? Being the final show to finish out of the paltry Winter 2023 season that is honestly nothing more than a throwback to the COVID days of early 2020, novelist Yumikan's Bofuri was at least back then when the pandemic just started in the Winter season, a breath of fresh air when it came to parodying close premises like SAO on the subject matter. And above all, a potential of a show that has limitless ways togo around of, other than being a good time-waster and one of the best Winter 2020 shows of its lineup. And unsurprisingly 3 years later, we get the sequel...which was honest to goodness: a massive letdown of a disappointment. Couple that up with the scathing sequel effect of shows like Kami-tachi ni Hirowareta Otoko a.k.a By the Grace of the Gods and Maou Gakuin no Futekigousha a.k.a The Misfit of Demon King Academy as some of the worst follow-ups from their previous interesting premiere seasons, not to mention that both shows also started in Fall and Summer 2020 respectively, what has 2-3 years of development have been for the effort back then that warranted the sequel that is worse off than what came before? To be fair, Maple and her Maple Tree guild of veteran character stays like Sally and Co., it's great to see them back for more "Players vs. Devs" kind of online game where the OP-ness knows no bounds, especially with all that has been established with Maple's exponential growth in Season 1 3 years ago. And all that time has culminated in Maple Tree being New World Online's biggest and most famous (and infamous) guild due to their limitless leader of potential. The other guilds of Mii's Flame Emperor and the Order of the Holy Sword under Payne are keeping up their status quos together to make sure that they at least match Maple's level, or else not to lag behind like the rest of the players in the game. Of course, since this is Season 2, it's Round 2 of a literate game against the developers, pushing their creativity and powers to their limits, ensuring that while the difficulty is amped up but not too much for the most of casual players, there is just no beating Maple at her own game because she feels like she is always 100 steps ahead of the pack, tiring the developers out of way against her every move and targeting the others instead. Smart move, but nope. In the very end, it feels like this show caters to an audience that is all about fun, and don't get me wrong as it truly is, but if the anime and its source material has not known anything of its Achilles' Heel, it's knowing the adage of "the sky is the limit". Basically, the TL;DR is this: if you've watched Season 1 (which you've definitely seen somehow), the sequel is more of the same, literally copy-paste. Silver Link still shows their promise in this show by pumping out the usual sakuga moments that are of its signature since Season 1, and it is replicated here to good effect, I'll give it this much if the studio's in-house directors Mirai Minato and Shin Oonuma (chief) knows what kind of game they are playing with Bofuri's adaptation. The one disappointment for me though, would be the OST. Junjou no Afilia's 2nd OP for Bofuri just sounds pedestrian when compared to the amazing 1st OP graced for Season 1 that's just as iconic and still having that whimsical effect, even 3 years later. The ED, like Season 1 however, is forgettable at best and isn't noteworthy. Like Kami-tachi and Maou Gakuin, Bofuri haphazardly joins the list of Winter 2023's worst Season 2 sequels of a gleaming potential that could be realized back in the day, only to squander it like nobody's business, thinking that 2-3 years' worth of time in-between that the world would degrade even more (that it didn't) and just capitalizing on its past goodness, which sadly isn't to be found here. It's such a shame this could be just as great as Season 1, but for whatever reason, somebody (or somebodies) didn't try hard enough to justify its existence. Not much hopes for a Season 3 going forward, but still, an average pass is what I'm willing to give for Season 2 here. A downgrade to subpar average repetitiveness.

To start off the review, "Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense" season two is a wholesome and entertaining anime that continues the story of Maple and her friends as they explore the virtual world of "New World Online." In my opinion, this show is amazing, and I have been enjoying how Maple finds her own ways to make MMOs entertaining for once. The author's creativity in the show made me realize how desperate I want a real fictional game. I am more interested in a game that I can invest time and money in rather than making animegirls real bro. Regarding the show, season two felt a little off from the shining qualities that were present in season one. The show pacing catalyzed quickly, moving to the new levels every 3-4 episodes, but now it's every 2 episodes. I was excited to see what the sky level had for Maple and the gang, but it seems the developers were more focused on adding new content quickly, I guess. Speaking of the devs, while I sympathize with their struggle to deal with Maple's unconventional approach to becoming overpowered, it's not right for them to rush out new worlds and events so quickly. As HyperlinkBlocked pointed out, they seem to be more focused on adding "unique skills with each expansion" rather than balancing the gameplay. While Maple did get ONE SINGULAR nerf, which is just a number limit on her shield absorption. I strongly believe the devs should further nerf more of her abilities. For example, they could restrict the number of firearms Machine God can place on the battlefield or introduce an overheating function that's common in many games. They could also give her an ammo pool that slowly recharges or cooldowns, or make enemies drop little ammo, which is a common feature in other games like Warframe. Another suggestion is to impose a limit on the number of defence levels Maple can achieve, like what is done in the Souls games, perhaps setting the max at 99 or having promotion levels or something. Aside from nerfs, the devs should stop using impossibly difficult bosses to prevent Maple from progressing. If I were playing New World Online, I would honestly give up if the bosses were nearly impossible to defeat. This is not a good game design. I also don't understand why Maple is allowed to use any ability without any requirements. Aren’t all her stats, aside from defence, at one? It seems foolish for the devs to make a literal tank do more damage than the actual DPS. Have they not watched videos of playing WOW? Another improvement would be to introduce a cooldown when switching abilities simultaneously. It doesn't make sense for Maple to turn from a literal Touhou mechanical boss to a demon from hell in a span of a few microseconds. Like holy crap, the amount of constant DPS Maple can produce isn’t fair man. Another thing that doesn't make sense is why every single side character has a total max HP of 1. None of them has improved in terms of gear or skills in the past 2 seasons, and they all seem like glass cannons in clans that we as viewers don’t know how many there are besides for the big three. Guilds, man. I was really expecting the show to add a new major guild or a new set of characters that are either rivals or new members of Maple Tree. I guess, in some way, the introduction of the new pet system is an attempt to reintroduce some of the characters in the show, but honestly speaking, the devs just forgot to balance it properly. Although getting better pets requires completing a series of tasks or completing a hard dungeon on your own, which I especially like, it isn't fair that the only drawback of being slow as a tank can easily be removed by hopping on your pet or even asking somebody to carry you. It avoids the consequences of being the tank, which I 100% hate. Aside from balancing issues, why isn't this game allowed for players outside of Japan? If I were living in Maple's world, I would be crying myself to sleep because I cannot play one of the most popular VRMMORPG games of all time due to region lock. The devs could make an international version of the game, and they would be making so much money if they did this, but no, they are more focused on "balancing" Maple over actual profits. However, I am glad that the devs did not add any sort of loot boxes or other gambling alternatives to the game. I would combust if I could buy crates to get OP skills or level up a goddamn battle pass; I really don’t want this game to turn into Fortnite. Now onto the actual review of the show: The pacing of S2 of Bofuri can feel fast-paced at times, especially at the beginning when the show switches to a new level within a short span of two episodes or less. Despite this, the show remains engaging and entertaining throughout. Although the season can become repetitive in the challenges that the characters face, the show's unique and unconventional approach to problem-solving keeps it fresh and interesting. Additionally, the animation quality improves significantly as the season progresses, although the early episodes suffer from poor CGI usage that can be distracting. Despite these shortcomings, the plot of Bofuri is simple but effective, with Maple and her friends taking on new challenges and exploring the world of "New World Online." The characters are well-developed and likable, with Maple standing out as a protagonist who uses her unorthodox strategies and high defensive capabilities to overcome obstacles. The sound and animation in the show are top-notch, with the soundtrack being catchy and fitting for the show's light-hearted tone. The fight scenes are well-executed and visually impressive, and the same goes along with the designs of the bosses and characters which are all unique and imaginative. Another strength of the show is the development of the characters, particularly Maple and her close friends, and the heart-warming way they interact and support one with one another. The show also explores the different strategies and abilities of the various guilds and players, which is fascinating to see. I also appreciate how the show explores the different strategies and abilities of the various guilds and players, and how they adapt to new challenges throughout the eps. In conclusion, Bofuri season two is a wholesome and entertaining anime that will appeal to fans of the first season and anyone looking for a light-hearted and enjoyable anime with engaging characters and exciting action scenes. Although it may suffer from some pacing issues and repetitive elements, the show's unique approach to problem-solving and likable characters more than makeup for any shortcomings. Note: I am just saying, but it would be interesting to see the developers of "New World Online" explore the origins and purpose of the Machine God. It could add a new layer of depth and complexity to the world-building of the game and provide a fresh and exciting plotline for the characters to follow. It would also be fascinating to see how Maple's ability to acquire new skills and upgrades is linked to the Machine God's existence. Perhaps there could be some sort of connection between the two, with the Machine God providing Maple with a power boost or unlocking new abilities for her to use in battle. Furthermore, delving deeper into the lore and backstory of the Machine God could provide opportunities to introduce new characters and expand the world of the game. It could also open up new avenues for exploration and discovery within the game, with Maple and her friends venturing into uncharted territory to uncover the secrets of the Machine God and its purpose within the game. While that’s the end of my review, and I hope that the author reads this review and considers my ideas in later seasons. Thanks for reading.

I enjoyed s1, I did not enjoy this season for the reason that follow: There is no real storyline that means anything, just episodic adventures which have no meaning and end with a boss that is quickly and easily defeated as each character is overpowered. Each new world is just passed by never explored or expanded, meaningless. Just used to fill a episode. Fights have no impact and aren’t interesting as they are over quickly have no build up and nothing of risk is on the line. The overpowerdness of characters becomes boring as they are never challenged and the quirkiness and uniqness of new skills haslost its impact and are overdone. All clan rivalries are squashed and they all become friends working together. Half way through it becomes Pokémon as now all character battle with pets. It just seems overall lazy with nothing of value entertainment wise to enjoy. The last episode was the best out of a bad bunch and sets up what seems to be a slightly more interesting s3 with finally some sort of challenge to maple tree.

For better or for worse, S2 of BoFuri doesn't bring much of anything new to the table. That is to say that if you enjoyed the first season, you will enjoy this one, too. They're pretty much the exact same thing. Simultaneously, if you thought S1 was not for you, this installment will not redeem shit. Be at peace and move on. The only tangible change I could detect was that of my own deteriorating enjoyment of the series. S2 reveals an unintended consequence of releasing anime in a seasonal format, rather than continuously, as scores of old anime used to. Because it is released separately,rather than a simple continuation, which is what it actually is, the new installment ends up feeling like more of a sequel. This represents an important difference in nuance that cannot be dismissed out of hand. There is a fundamentally different set of expectations in play when the show goes from BoFuri episode 12 to BoFuri episode 13, versus when it goes from BoFuri episode 12 to BoFuri season 2 episode 1. Like it or not, when you wait months, maybe even years for a new season, you can't help but build expectations to see something new and exciting, rather than just have the story pick back up where it left off and go on as though nothing happened. Unfortunately, that's exactly what BoFuri does. It just kind of keeps going and nothing really happens, because all of the investigation of the in-universe laws and concepts was already over and done with by the end of the first season. There's nothing left to explore. It's no longer a fantasy adventure show, but rather just slice-of-life – video game slice-of-life of life with no shortage of action, to be sure, but slice-of-life of life nonetheless, because nothing matters anymore. There are no more stakes, because all of the players from the 3 main guilds are friends now. So, you literally get to just sit there and watch them honest-to-God play a terribly designed video game and hang out for 4 hours. Had this been a 2 cour show with 24 episodes instead of 2 seasons of 12, I'm sure I wouldn’t have felt as disappointed. Granted, you might say that vydja slice-of-life is the whole point of this show. I’ve no argument with you there. Correct, that is indubitably the whole point. I'm just saying what I'm saying to set expectations accordingly. Mind you, I am also not suggesting that I have a solution for the inadvertent repercussion of the seasonal release format. This is just me pointing out that the problem exists – simply consider it food for thought. I'm certainly not advocating going back to the perpetual weekly broadcast paradigm, especially not when considering the pacing of modern One Piece and Black Clover – and I would rather get waterboarded than see another Naruto filler episode. What I will say in defense of BoFuri’s second installment is that it's not a cocktease in terms of Maple’s power-ups and abilities. The show won't surreptitiously forget that she can do all that OP bullshit in order to nerf her and introduce tension, as so many other shows are known to do. “Oh, no! I have no idea how to balance this overpowered ability I've given this character and I can't write around it. Never mind, just pretend it never happened!” And you're left there wondering, hold on a minute, why is this character struggling here? Why doesn't he just use that super powerful ability again? No, in the case of Maple, you will get to see it all again as much and as many times as you like, Predator, Loving Sacrifice, Atrocity, Hydra, Machine God, the whole 9 yards. If anything, for the first couple of episodes, I felt as though the show was being too liberal in showcasing her abilities, but then I remembered, nothing that's happening matters. It's just cutesy moeshit that’s not meant to be serious or go anywhere. It's just supposed to make you feel good about yourself for a little while. Sure enough, she will gain additional broken skills and abilities during this season, as well, but none of them really felt as memorable to me as the aforementioned ones from S1. Far and away the best thing about it were some of the new zones and vistas. In a select few scenes, the background art gave birth to some environments that I couldn't help but wonder how much cooler and more fascinating they would have been in a story with an actual narrative that was capable of putting them to good use. As such, I can say I had a decently good time with it, and if you thought the previous installment was nice, then why not give this one the good ol’ college try? Though I must admit, I certainly had to make a conscious effort to stay engaged and watch the next episode every time, rather than let myself get distracted by other, ostensibly more interesting things. There really just wasn't that much to this sequel.

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