TV-Series
Description
Maple, whose real name is Kaede Honjou, is the main protagonist of BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense. She is an ordinary high school girl who was invited by her best friend Risa Shiramine to play the VRMMORPG NewWorld Online. Having no prior gaming experience and a strong desire to avoid feeling pain, she chose to allocate all her initial status points into Vitality, maxing out her defense stat at the expense of speed, magic, and attack power. This decision unintentionally made her avatar nearly impervious to damage and set her on an unconventional path to becoming one of the game's most powerful players.
In personality, Maple is a curious, carefree, and somewhat air-headed individual. She is not competitive by nature and holds no grudges, approaching most other players with a friendly and open attitude, viewing them as potential friends. This amicability allows her to forge strong bonds with many top players, including those from rival guilds such as Kasumi, Payne, and Mii. Despite her absent-mindedness, she is a quick thinker who makes sensible, if unusual, decisions when faced with challenges. She dislikes causing harm to others, including in-game entities, but will fight when necessary. Her motivations throughout the series are driven by a simple desire to enjoy the game and have fun with her friends, rather than by any ambition to dominate or compete.
Maple's role in the story is that of a central figure whose unorthodox playstyle constantly surprises both other players and the game's developers. After the introduction of guilds, she becomes the guild master of Maple Tree at the request of Sally, her real-life best friend and in-game partner. Maple Tree, though small in number, is regarded by the player base as one of the strongest parties in NewWorld Online due to their high synergy and Maple's near-invulnerability. In Season 2, the focus shifts from Maple's solo exploits to the guild as a whole finding creative ways to work together, with members like Chrome, Iz, Kasumi, Kanade, and the twin sisters May and Yui contributing their own growing strengths.
Key relationships anchor Maple's journey. Sally, her best friend and co-founder of Maple Tree, acts as a guide and tactical partner, with their high synergy being a defining trait of the guild. Chrome is the first player to notice Maple's unusual style and eventually becomes an enthusiastic supporter and member of Maple Tree. Iz is a master crafter who provides equipment to the guild. Over time, Maple befriends and recruits several other notable players, building a community that values friendship and mutual support over rivalry.
Maple undergoes significant development across both seasons. Starting as a complete novice who stumbles through the game, she gradually becomes a confident and creative player who regularly discovers new skills and forms through unconventional methods. Her growth is marked not only by her rising power level but also by her increasing willingness to take on challenges and defend her friends. In Season 2, her development is intertwined with that of her guild, as the group learns to combine their abilities effectively.
Notable abilities form the core of Maple's combat identity. Her base defense, often referred to as Absolute Defense, makes her almost immune to standard attacks. She primarily wields a great shield, initially the Mirror of the Dark Night, which can devour magic, equipment, or enemies to convert them into MP. Her Atrocity form transforms her into a massive four-armed monster with its own health bar, granting immense physical strength. The Machine God skill allows her to sacrifice equipment to deploy heavy artillery and flight capabilities, turning her into a flying mech. Loving Sacrifice makes her an angelic figure that shares her defensive stats with all allies within range, redirecting damage to herself. She also gains abilities like Predator, which summons shadowy monsters to attack enemies, and Pandemonium, which summons two powerful oni. Other forms include the fluffy Sheep Eater skill that provides near-invulnerability at the cost of immobility, and the Throne of the Heavenly King, which grants defensive buffs while suppressing enemy skills. Throughout both seasons, Maple's ever-growing arsenal and her tendency to break the game's mechanics keep both allies and developers on their toes.
In personality, Maple is a curious, carefree, and somewhat air-headed individual. She is not competitive by nature and holds no grudges, approaching most other players with a friendly and open attitude, viewing them as potential friends. This amicability allows her to forge strong bonds with many top players, including those from rival guilds such as Kasumi, Payne, and Mii. Despite her absent-mindedness, she is a quick thinker who makes sensible, if unusual, decisions when faced with challenges. She dislikes causing harm to others, including in-game entities, but will fight when necessary. Her motivations throughout the series are driven by a simple desire to enjoy the game and have fun with her friends, rather than by any ambition to dominate or compete.
Maple's role in the story is that of a central figure whose unorthodox playstyle constantly surprises both other players and the game's developers. After the introduction of guilds, she becomes the guild master of Maple Tree at the request of Sally, her real-life best friend and in-game partner. Maple Tree, though small in number, is regarded by the player base as one of the strongest parties in NewWorld Online due to their high synergy and Maple's near-invulnerability. In Season 2, the focus shifts from Maple's solo exploits to the guild as a whole finding creative ways to work together, with members like Chrome, Iz, Kasumi, Kanade, and the twin sisters May and Yui contributing their own growing strengths.
Key relationships anchor Maple's journey. Sally, her best friend and co-founder of Maple Tree, acts as a guide and tactical partner, with their high synergy being a defining trait of the guild. Chrome is the first player to notice Maple's unusual style and eventually becomes an enthusiastic supporter and member of Maple Tree. Iz is a master crafter who provides equipment to the guild. Over time, Maple befriends and recruits several other notable players, building a community that values friendship and mutual support over rivalry.
Maple undergoes significant development across both seasons. Starting as a complete novice who stumbles through the game, she gradually becomes a confident and creative player who regularly discovers new skills and forms through unconventional methods. Her growth is marked not only by her rising power level but also by her increasing willingness to take on challenges and defend her friends. In Season 2, her development is intertwined with that of her guild, as the group learns to combine their abilities effectively.
Notable abilities form the core of Maple's combat identity. Her base defense, often referred to as Absolute Defense, makes her almost immune to standard attacks. She primarily wields a great shield, initially the Mirror of the Dark Night, which can devour magic, equipment, or enemies to convert them into MP. Her Atrocity form transforms her into a massive four-armed monster with its own health bar, granting immense physical strength. The Machine God skill allows her to sacrifice equipment to deploy heavy artillery and flight capabilities, turning her into a flying mech. Loving Sacrifice makes her an angelic figure that shares her defensive stats with all allies within range, redirecting damage to herself. She also gains abilities like Predator, which summons shadowy monsters to attack enemies, and Pandemonium, which summons two powerful oni. Other forms include the fluffy Sheep Eater skill that provides near-invulnerability at the cost of immobility, and the Throne of the Heavenly King, which grants defensive buffs while suppressing enemy skills. Throughout both seasons, Maple's ever-growing arsenal and her tendency to break the game's mechanics keep both allies and developers on their toes.