Net-juu no Susume

Title:Net-juu no Susume
Recommendation of the Wonderful Virtual Life
Recovery of an MMO Junkie
ネト充のススメ
Overall:Buy
Keywords: , , , ,
Notables: NOTO Mamiko
SAKURAI Takahiro
SUZUKI Ryouta
UEDA Reina
Moriko Morioka is 30, a 'corporate dropout' and a NEET, although she insists she willingly chose to become one. She attempts to create a new life for herself within 'Fruits de Mer', a fantasy MMORPG.

11 episodes
OverallArtAnimationCharacter Design MusicSeries StoryEpisode StoryReviewer
Buy 8 7 8 6 8 8 Ggultra2764 [series:3446#1552]
Recovery of an MMO Junkie is a slice-of-life comedy focused on a 30-year old NEET participating in an MMORPG and awkwardness ensues when she starts interacting with a businessman who seemingly has ties to the game she plays. It's pretty hard for me nowadays to enjoy most anime comedies since their execution can either fall flat or be hit-and-miss in most instances. But MMO Junkie did a mostly solid job of exploring Momoko's awkwardness in social situations for both the online game she takes part in and real life as she starts interacting with Yuta. The very premise of the series actually makes this a pretty relatable title as well for older anime fans, who may feel embarrassed with admitting to having interest in hobbies that others may find childish or weird as an adult. The developing chemistry between Momoko and Yuta is also a convincing one for a romance title, with both finding themselves working through their awkwardness in social situations with both the online game and real life. The only major shortcoming I may have with the series is its subpar visual presentation, though the series doesn't necessarily need high-budget animation considering its down-to-earth and relatable premise. If you're an anime fan well into adulthood, Recovery of an MMO Junkie is a pretty relatable and amusing slice-of-life comedy I would recommend at least checking out once.

Last updated Friday, December 14 2018. Created Friday, December 14 2018.
Unevaluated Stretch [series:3446#628]
(11 (all?) episodes watched):

Although I generally love otaku themed stories, I found myself worried that Net-juu didn't seem to be pressing very hard to develop an intriguing plot with well developed characters. Nothing about this show really grabbed my attention during episode one; what happened was very pedestrian and predictable. No major conflict that needed to be resolved was revealed. If I were to compare this show to Grimgar, another story taking place in virtual reality, the simplicity and lack of ambition within Net-juu becomes obvious. I found Morioka's real-world life to be far more interesting than her shallow one as 'Hayashi', a male adventurer, but even so, it wasn't all that intriguing. Does she worry about how she will pay her rent now that she's unemployed? Will she become seriously addicted to this game? I couldn't be very optimistic that anything really fascinating was forthcoming. I really wish at least a half-hearted effort would be made to explore in a semi-novel manner what it means to get emotionally wrapped up in virtual reality, but so far I was not seeing it.

But again Net-juu is an otaku-themed show, and when I finally moved forward to week two episodes, for some reason this was one of the first I wanted to watch. That may have been precisely because it's relatively unambitious, and I was not in the mood for something demanding at the moment. It's pretty obvious what the link between Morioka's virtual friend, Lily, and Sakurai, the guy she keeps running into in the real world is; I sort of wished this show would hurry up and make it clear, since we have already guessed it and they aren't fooling anyone. The real question was what would become of this relationship. While I really, really wished this show had delved more deeply into the feelings of people who get addicted to virtual reality (it's easy to pretend that no serious problem exists, since to do so would sort of reflect badly on the video game and anime industries), this show seems good enough. Morioka strives to keep things like how old she is a secret, and as a result she gains some personality and you can sympathize with her. Again, what happens in the real world seems much more interesting to me than what happens online. In episode four the two main characters begin to suspect the truth, and the way hints appear to them seemed fairly fun and believable. Previously I had almost wanted to beat my head against a wall over the seemingly unambitious manner in which the story was being pursued. I felt genuinely moved in episode five when Morioka runs into Sakurai on a crowded Tokyo street. I guess we have gotten to know her well enough that we can care how things will work out for her in her real-world life, and the story is indeed taking place mostly in the real world rather than the virtual one. For the moment, real people are still more interesting and more easy to relate to than avatars.

It had seemed that the story was nearing an inevitable conclusion, with Sakurai no doubt about to reveal what he has deduced to Morioka and confess to her--but the show was only six episodes old. In episode seven a new level of deception and misunderstanding is created when Morioka reluctantly creates a second avatar in order to appease Koiwai, Sakurai's nosy co-worker who wants to try the game himself. It appears that a second one-in-a-million coincidence has occurred on top of the one that the premise is based on. But since the tone of this anime is harmless and fun, I didn't mind all that much. The plot still sort of seemed to plod forward however, and I wish it would pick up the pace a little. It seems that the characters are afraid to say or do anything dramatic lest they offend someone. That may be realistic, but it's hardly exciting.

Is it finished? I was certain that there must be at least a twelfth episode forthcoming, but several weeks passed without one and ANN says 11 is all there are. A number of things seemed unresolved; like, who's that woman who seems to come to a front door in the OP sequence? She hasn't appeared yet. Maybe this is a two-season show which has been taking a break over the holidays. I suppose I would probably watch a second season, but I have probably forgotten a good deal in the meantime, since this was not one of the most moving and engaging anime that there are.

Last updated Friday, April 27 2018. Created Saturday, October 28 2017.

Community Anime Reviews

anime mikomi org