English Dub Review: Bofuri: I Don’t Want To Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense “Defense and Spoils of War”

 

 

Overview (Spoilers Below)

 Kasumi, the girl who challenged Maple and Sally at the end of last episode, has immediate buyer’s remorse. And so, she uses her super-speed ability to run away. Little does she know, Sally also has super-speed which allows her to catch up in a jiff. The two girls fight for a while, but when Maple finally shows up, all three are overtaken by quicksand and dragged into a dungeon.

This particular dungeon has some really sick rules and was likely designed by fictional serial killer/puzzle creator, Jigsaw. In other words, the trio is handcuffed together, and if one of them dies, they all die. Instead of letting the handicap beat them, the girls learn to combine their powers—usually at the detriment of pokey little Maple. They part ways after finishing the dungeon, as soon as they’re unbound—splitting the medals they earned three ways.

Over the next few (in-game) days, Maple and Sally collect a lot more medals but are still considerably short of the 20-medal goal. On a secluded beach, Maple meets Kanade, a low-level puzzle fiend. This energetic spirit gives the girls a puzzle to solve that will likely lead them to the medals they seek. This quixotic clue leads them to a series of ruins. Here they’re forced to use all their water spells to fill one of four fountains. Ingeniously, they fill the other three with goo spat out by Maple’s Hydra ghost. This transports them underwater, to an Atlantis-like city.

An enormous Kraken confronts them. However, Maple destroys him with ease by poisoning the water—which is air for squids—with liquefied Hydra goo. Damn, that Hydra she killed on the first day is really coming in handy. Victory transports them to a garden of breathable water and even more medals.

Meanwhile, the in-game, ugly bunnies discuss what’s hot and what is not. The furry little freaks love Payne and Mii, the Fire Empress—but they hate Maple. Well, hate is a strong word, but these janky rabbits are certainly afraid of her ruining the integrity of their game. They fear she’s become more of a last boss than an actual last boss.

Two medals short, and with not much time left in the event, Sally leaves Maple behind to do a little PvP. And so, Sally rushes out on the field and goes all Aileen Wuornos on everybody, murdering people left and right whether they have medals or not. Standing over hundreds of dead bodies, she’s a bit miffed to have only gained two medals. But at least this enables them to meet their self-imposed goal.

Back with Maple, Sally acts like she didn’t just commit genocide, and allows her friend to use their twenty medals to acquire the power of Psychokinesis. Maple uses this newfound power to ride on her enormous turtle and kill from above like an all-powerful goddess. Things are getting dark quickly.

 

Our Take

And so, sweet little Maple has become the Floating Fortress. Just like in an official online game, she’s advancing at a proper rate for somebody who apparently has unlimited time to play with no real-world consequences. Seriously, we haven’t had an IRL scene between Maple and Sally for almost three episodes. At one point it was hinted that Maple/Kaede might not be keeping up with her schoolwork on account of the game. Sadly, that plot line appears to have been dropped.

We’re fully immersed in the game now as if all the players are trapped inside, a la Sword Art Online. But this show is better than SOI because it lacks a platitude of life-or-death scenarios. This is supposed to be about two friends having a good time playing a game together. Because of that, we need some IRL moments to keep us grounded. To be clear, I’m not looking for a ton of domestic drama, but a hint of looming school projects or unavoidable family activities would keep this story feeling realistic.

Anyway, back to the game. While the second event provided us with entertainment and sent our protagonists to far more exotic locales than the first event ever did, I’m glad it only lasted for two episodes. There is so much to explore, and too many people to meet without having the fear of PvP constantly looming over our heads. It’s great that Sally excels at combat, but I’ve seen enough of her serial killer antics to last a lifetime. As far as this series goes, the only time PvP needs to come into play again is when Maple is forced to fight another player. Sally’s a seasoned psycho—been there, done that. However, when Maple is forced to kill a “person,” the stakes will be raised, and that will justify the reintroduction of the concept.

All of a sudden, we have a giant turtle and a frighteningly powerful Maple. Where do we go from here? I’m sure we’re in store for a couple slower-paced episodes where we check back in with Iz and a few of the other secondary characters. But when will those in-game bunnies come into play? What other dastardly deeds will they execute to hinder our sweet protagonist?

Maybe a paywall? Yeah, that’s it. I’m guessing they’re going to add a paywall. Now that would be realistic.