Name: Net-juu no Susume breaks the mold of anime romcom stories and shows us something more of us can relate to.
Item: Recovery of an MMO Junkie
Rating: 80
Author: Easy801

Waifra

Net-juu no Susume breaks the mold of anime romcom stories and shows us something more of us can relate to. · Waifora

A story about an unemployed introvert and a white-collar Japanese salaryman, Net-juu no Susume relates to us the struggles of being a working class adult who finds escapism through the online gaming sphere and the friendships that you'll gain from within. Net-Juu tells many themes about an adult's modern life in Japan, such as an unavoidable social drinking culture, the lonely and long workweeks, and a slight proclivity to resorting to a life as a shut-in (NEET, Hikikomori, etc). Although the subject matter of struggling to meet society's expectations is not an idea that's new to anime, Net-Juu manages to tell a story that's unique and entirely its own.

The story really picks up in the second half, when the show decides to lean more away from the MMO elements and more into character development and progressing the romantic relationship between Morioka and Sakurai. There are some aspects in the writing that I got kind of annoyed with, such as the initial presence of Koiwai, who originally seemed to be a romantic rival, or the half-baked personalities of the supporting cast of characters in the MMO. The main storyline of Morioka and Sakurai however is ultimately what carries the anime. The pacing of their relationship is really well done and is paced incredibly well. There is no rush for the two to develop natural chemistry with each other and it makes the whole thing feel really organic and realistic, which is something a lot of romcom animes struggle to do.

In terms of soundtrack, this anime is a masterclass at utilizing an elegant, yet fitting OST. Net-Juu does an excellent job at blending elements of its music with its environment.

Spoiler, click to view

My favorite scene in the show actually happens in the last episode. Morioka and Sakurai get caught outside in the rain when they decide to go to Sakurai's apartment to wait out the weather. To pass the time, Morioka hops onto Sakurai's PC and inspects his character in "Fruits de Mer" while Sakurai watches from behind. This is where the film nerd in me comes out; the scene starts with non-diagetic music emanating from the game through the PC speakers, but when the two make eye contact, the music transitions into its own score and turns into diagetic sound. It's as if the gap that was separating the two from their online and offline personas was finally starting to melt away.

This isn't the only positive thing there is to say about the soundtrack. There's the lighthearted, SoL feeling from the simplistic piano melody in the main theme. Then enters the gentle flutes reminiscent of your favorite isekais mixed in with classic chiptune soundbits to tie in that video game feeling. Then comes swooping in the full orchestra, full of emotion and sincerity, to reign back in the core concept of romance between two not-so-strangers.

The animations leave a bit to be desired, but it's understandable given that it's not a flagship, big budget series with only ten episodes in its runtime. That isn't to say that it's all bad; you can find a ton of charm in the character movements and how it can describe various emotional states. There isn't a ton special about the fighting animations inside the game and the avatars' faces are a little bland— however, the costume designs of the characters is really unique and the color palette decisions make their looks really pop out. As for the MCs' designs outside of the game, I noticed similarities to designs of characters from other animes that I enjoy. Morioka's unkempt long hair and perpetually tired/dead-fish eyes remind me a lot of Tomoka's look from WataMote. Sakurai's business attire, formal choice of glasses, and styled hair is reminiscent of the male characters in WotaKoi. The choice of Morioka's purple hair color also reminds me of Kae Serinuma from Kiss Him, Not Me, another female MC who struggles with self-love and appearance issues.

Net-juu no Susume is not a groundbreaking show, but that's okay. The genre of romcom is extremely oversaturated with cheap highschool fantasies and unchallenging relationships with little to no adversity. This anime felt like a breath of fresh air, depicting a story that felt real and human. This is definitely worth a watch for anyone tired of generic romcom plotlines and want a little change of scenery while not leaning too heavily into being different.