Another thing it doesn’t delve too deeply in is the gender-play aspect of things- the guy-playing-as-a-girl and girl-playing-as-a-guy aspects don’t lead to any real exploration of gender dynamics or identity or anything, but they’re not done in a gross way either, so at least there’s that. It doesn’t delve too deeply into it, but it’s nice that this is acknowledged. Also, while the series presents MMOs as a positive place, it doesn’t ignore the sexism female gamers have to deal with- it’s mentioned that one female avatar had to fake having a boyfriend because she got so inundated with unwanted advances. The romantic relationship the series centers around is a wholesome one, and Moriko’s love interest is a genuinely nice guy. However, as the show goes on she starts to interact with the real world a little more too, which is also good. The MMO world actually helps her heal, allowing her to make new friends and be comfortable with herself and it’s presented as a positive outlet for her if she moderates it. Her decision to quit her taxing job is actually presented as largely being a good decision for her, which is refreshing (and probably pretty important and positive, considering the amount of work-related stress issues people in Japan face) (it’s unclear how she’s supporting herself though.

The English name for the show is a bit misleading- Moriko’s recovery isn’t really from being a MMO junkie, but from being burnt out on life in general. Then in real life, she runs into a guy that has ties to her MMO world. She plays as a hot guy character and quickly partners up with a cute girl character named Lily. The story follows Moriko Morioka, who quit her soul-sucking corporate job and instead chose to hole up in her apartment and play MMOs. In a rarity for anime, the protagonist is a woman in her 30s. Recovery of an MMO Junkie is a sweet and sincere show and a solid romantic comedy. Winter 2017 Anime Overview: Recovery of an MMO Junkie and Anime-gataris

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