BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense, is more commonly known as BOFURI in the community, and is based on a light novel series by Yuumikan and illustrated by Koin, and has 9 volumes so far.
Virtual reality is no stranger to the anime realm of creativity, and BOFURI isn’t the first to explore the idea. Sword Art Online became one of the biggest franchises for introducing this concept to the audience.
Though BOFURI is nowhere near that level of popularity, it is slowly gaining its fanbase.
But the main question remains…Where is the second season??
Let’s discuss the release date, visuals, and updates of this long-awaited second season.
1. Premiere Date
BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max OUt My Defense Season 2 was recently announced by Funimation. BOFURI Part 2 is currently in the production stage and will premiere sometime in 2021.
The creator of the novel also drew a picture to celebrate the news.
Production of BOFURI 2 is confirmed. To commemorate this decision, to produce the sequel, an illustration is released!
English Translation, Twitter Translate
BOFURI aired from January to March 2020 on AT-X, ABC, Tokyo MX, TVA, and BS11. Funimation streamed the series on its platform.
Anime productions are scheduled years in advance, and studio Silver Link. is working on many other light novel adaptations like Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World this year.
BOFURI Season 2 is expected to be released in 2021 at the earliest. The exact release date is not yet officially released, but we will keep you informed if there are any new updates to this.
The second season for BOFURI has been confirmed already and is said to be in production so it is just a matter of time before it starts.
Let’s hope the best for the staff and cast, and pray that the upcoming season will release soon.
2. Theory Section
People say that BOFURI is similar to Sword Art Online or The Rising of the Shield Hero because the protagonist uses a shield while playing VRMMO.
They are a completely different genre, while their main concept remains the same. Shield Hero, which was announced to get a Season 2 and 3, is an anime about betrayal, trust, and revenge.
Whereas, BOFURI is all about playing games with friends, with a maxed-out shield.
Let’s see if that is all it takes to make a ‘BOFURI Season 2.’
I. Popularity of BOFURI
The light novel began serialization in 2017 under the Kadokawa Books imprint. In March 2020, the series released its ninth volume.
By Jiro Oimoto, the manga adaptation was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten since 2018 and has three tankobon volumes.
The series originally began on the user-generated novel publishing site by Yuumikan in 2016 and has been viewed by more than 60 million users.
The anime adaptation of BOFURI became extremely popular the moment it aired, as proved by MyAnimeList.
But is it so well-known that the producers can ride Season 1’s high to make a sequel? What do the fans think?
II. Fan Reviews
The fanservice given by this VRMMO series to the gamers was huge. According to some, the show explains the basics of gaming terminology while Maple and her friends play around.
It seems extremely simple but has been executed in such detail, like combat moves, hidden content, random quests like fishing, or breaking the game by combining various mechanisms.
The anime is an excellent adaptation of the novel, though some chapters had to be skipped to fit the 12-episode criteria, the fans have been excited for more.
As only four out of the nine volumes had been adapted in Season 1, there is a lot of source material for the upcoming season.
With its fascinating plot, animation, and designs, Season 2 has raised the bar for many fans. Let’s take a look at the visuals which might be a part of Season 2.
3. Visuals & Trailers
The official website has not announced any updates regarding Season 2. But we can theorize that it would compile of maybe Volume 5-9, as the previous season.
The covers feature the supporting characters Kasumi and Iz.
The official sites have not released any PV or teasers regarding the sequel. We will update this article when we get the information.
Now that we have seen everything, what will the next season be about?
4. Expected Plot
BOFURI Season 2 will continue the anime and have Maple and Sally take on monsters of the game on a much larger scale than before.
This time they will also have to deal with the game bugs and also make new friendships. At the end of Season 1, they both had defeated the two Major guilds and Maple Tree guild had received a lot of respect because of this.
So, Maple also got the chance to spend the time with the master of each of those guilds. Moreover, she has turned into a new shield member in the online game.
The next part revolves around the improvement of Maple’s capacity and proficiency in the game.
The previous season ended with certain twists and cliff hangers. Now, we can see the explorations and journeys.
Let’s analyze the animation production of the anime next.
5. Music and Animation
I. Animation Quality
Even though the anime is supposed to be a comedy the action sequences are out of the world with the level of choreography and animation.
Silver Link. did an excellent job with the art, music, and character designs. Their in-game avatars look different from their real world versions too!
As a lot of content needed to be condensed for the anime adaptation, the studio focused their animation on character development and let the girls show off their gaming skills.
II. Theme Songs
Afilia Saga performed Kyukyoku Unbalance, the opening song, and Riko Sasaki sang the ending theme song, Play the World.
The OST for the animation scenes was intriguing as it allowed viewers’ attention to be enraptured.
6. Fan Expectations
BOFURI is an MMORPG that is not all about death games and is a pleasant anime to watch during afternoons.
It is interesting to see how the MC grows strong on accidents, but the anime won the fans’ hearts by making them enjoy the ridiculousness.
It is eerily similar to One Punch Man from that perspective. But it is more light-hearted.
Although fans do wonder, have the characters ever experienced a lag in that game?
Let’s recollect what exactly this anime is about.
7. Recap
I. Season 1
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 not to get hurt.
Maple has an extraordinarily high defense with not a single point in any other stat, but she can’t move quickly or hit hard. This doesn’t 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 win new levels and events.
She may even pick up some other crazy skills that exceed all expectations through all of her adventures.
8. Cast & Staff
The following will most probably return as the cast and staff members for BOFURI Season 2:
I. Staff
| Position | Staff | Famous Works |
| Director | Oonuma Shin and Minato Mirai | Kokoro Connect, Masamune-kun no Revenge |
| Series Composition | Fumihiko Shimo | Clannad, Infinte Stratos |
| Character Design | Kazuya Hirata | Kimi ni Todoke, Vampire Knight |
| Studio | Silver Link. | My Next Life as a Villainess, Brave Witches |
II. Cast
| Character | Voice Actor | Famous Works |
| Maple | Hondo Kaede | Sakura (Zombieland Saga), Kazane (Keijo) |
| Sally | Noguchi Ruriko | Ailane (Show by Rock), Mina (Domestic na Kanojo) |
| Kanade | Arai Satomi | Kuroko (Toaru Majutsu no Index), Seiko (Corpse Party) |
| Iz | Sato Satomi | Kanzaki (Assassination Classroom), Wendy (Fairy Tail) |
| Kasumi | Hayami Saori | Shirayuki (Snow White with the Red Hair), Uzumaki Himawari (Boruto) |
9. About BOFURI
BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense is a Japanese light novel series written by Yuumikan and illustrated by Koin.
The story revolves around Kaede Honji, a teenage girl who plays a VR mass multiplayer online game called New World Online with her friend Risa Shiramine.
Since Kaede hates being damaged, she creates a character named Maple in which she puts all her points into defense.
While this makes her slow, she unlocks a skill known as Absolute Defense. Coupled with Counter Skill, her character is immune to any damage!
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