Recovery of an MMO Junkie: A Romance Anime with Unprecedented Development
Recovery of an MMO Junkie, an underrated romance series, captivated audiences with its fast-paced and innovative approach to character relationships. The anime adaptation, based on the original manga by Rin Kokuyo, left a lasting impression despite its premature end. This article dives into the unique development of the series and the impact of its untimely conclusion.
The Unprecedented Relationship Progression
This is Who I am | Recovery of an MMO Junkie
Underrated romance series Recovery of an MMO Junkie held so much promise because of how unprecedentedly fast the male and female leads' relationship progressed in the first season. However, due to the failing health of the original manga's creator, Rin Kokuyo, publisher Comico decided to end the series while it was still undergoing a years-long hiatus, a move that negatively affected the anime adaptation.
Moriko Morioka in Recovery of an MMO Junkie
Comico's decision to cancel the series was undoubtedly the correct one and is even more impressive when considering it transpired in 2018, long before the poor working conditions within the anime and manga industry became more well known. However, the anime adaptation perplexingly began when the manga was still on its years-long hiatus, so it just exposed more people to a story that had a higher chance of ending prematurely.
Lily and Hayashi in Recovery of an MMO Junkie
A Relationship That Transcends Three Worlds
Even before Recovery of an MMO Junkie began innovating romance anime tropes, the relationship between Moriko Morioka and Yuta Sakurai was already quite layered. On the surface, the story appealed to so many because Morioka and Sakurai had a slightly romantic relationship in an MMO when both of their avatars didn't match their real-world genders.
This already complex relationship soon began to get even more layered when Morioka and Sakurai accidentally met in the real world without knowing who the other was, allowing the anime to show their real-life and gaming relationships slowly starting to overlap as they begin to piece the identity of their avatar's player together. If that wasn't enough, Morioka and Sakurai later discover that they are each other's long-lost friend from a different MMO.
All this happens long before the series finale, so when they are able to make these incredible realizations, an unofficial relationship ensues before the final episode. During this time, they go on a date – that they don't admit is a date – roleplay together in Morioka's room, and even hold hands. This is unprecedented, in part, because many rom-coms are faulted for playing the 'do they even like me?' card well beyond the first season. However, Recovery of an MMO Junkie clearly expedites this overly abused trope.
Even though the two of them don't officially state they are boyfriend and girlfriend, it's safe to assume that if the manga hadn't gone on hiatus, they would have been. Most anime seasons are rarely less than 12 episodes, and yet the anime ends in only 10. This creates the impression that the first season was likely cut short because the manga's hiatus was still in effect and mangaka Rin Kokuyo hadn't written enough chapters for a full 12-episode season. In fact, Sakurai makes a comment in the season finale that implies Rin Kokuyo was planning on writing one or more chapters that take place at a hot spring.
The Impact of Untimely Conclusion
It might be a rom-com staple to see a couple in denial go to a hot spring together, but Recovery of an MMO Junkie was clearly innovating the most overused trope in anime romance before it tragically ran out of material to properly conclude. And even though it would have been exciting to see Morioka and Sakurai's relationship grow even further in Recovery of an MMO Junkie, the real letdown is that a story about two souls who somehow always manage to find each other across multiple worlds is now over.
