Literally everything about this show is absolutely fucking precious. The music, the artwork, the characters, the adventures, and even the motherfuckin’ title - all of it will bombard your every sense with the purest essence of cute-itude. There is not a single moment in 3KB which is lacking in cuteness, even when the story presents a number of unpleasant situations. The viewing experience was so cute, light, fluffy and that I felt as though I was floating in the sky on a cloud made of cute… although that might have been the drugs.
Do you get the idea yet? No, you don’t. You really fucking don’t…
Here is how I rated this scintillating bastion of moe:
Story: 8
Art: 8
Sound: 10
Characters: 8
Enjoyment: 10
OVERALL: ***9/10***
STORY: The premise is indeed as simple and formulaic as one would expect from a ball of fluff like 3KB - I mean, it is an isekai story with a world based on an in-story VRMMORPG that focuses on the adventures of an OP NEET, minus Truck-kun. What sets this series apart from others in the isekai genre, though, is not only the abundance of interesting details, but just how committed it is to maintaining its specific atmosphere. While the storyline may have a flaw here and there, the progression is smooth and the mood is pretty much always maintained. This show knows what it is, knows what it does best, and doesn’t deviate too much from that.
ARTWORK: I would say the artwork is about average in terms of quality; however, I personally rate it a little higher because, well, I just so happen to enjoy its overall style. Wanna fight about it, bruh?! The animation matches the content very well, and there is very little in the way of gratuitous CGI, which usually bugs the shit out of me. The character designs for the main cast had some unique qualities about them, and at least some effort was put into the supporting characters, although some do look pretty generic. In terms of aesthetics, DA BEARS is cute, polished, adorable, and cute.
SOUND: This, for me, is one of the high points of the show. The first thing I noticed regarding audio quality is that I didn’t find any of the voice acting to be annoying, which could have easily happened with a CGDCT-fest like this - that alone is worth an accolade or seven. The background music, while not particularly memorable, wasn’t off-putting or distracting, and that is more than enough for me in most cases. The real bright spot, though, is the ED, which is FUCKING ADORABLE. The OP is pretty good, too, but the ED is so cute that it might lead to an overdose of sugar moe.
CHARACTERS: Obviously, most of the focus is going to be on Luna, our intrepid MC and bearer of all things beary. She is a delightful protagonist, and her pursuit of the cuter, sweeter, funnerer things in life keeps the show shining brightly from beginning to end. What is even more interesting, though, is her effect on her surroundings, particularly as she gains friends & followers along the way. I won’t delve any deeper into this aspect of the series, because doing so would cross into spoiler territory - you will just have to watch and find out for yourself.
ENJOYMENT: Just in case you didn’t notice, I absolutely fucking loved this show. 3KB is not only a perfect offering for its intended audience and a great diversion for anyone looking to get their fix of sugary entertainment, especially as we near the end of this era of gloom & doom known as 2020. There is one aspect I have yet to mention, though, one which helps tie everything together in a nice cute bundle: This show is extremely funny. Even looking past the obvious self-awareness, there is plenty to keep you at least giggling for most of the runtime, and a few of the jokes had my sides splitting. I must say, if this show were any more precious, it just might be unbearable. You know why that’s funny? It’s because the word ‘unbearable’ contains the word ‘bear.’ Huh huh. Huh huh.
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IN SUMMATION: 3KB is just what the doctor ordered for those who are isolated, depressed and starving from a dearth of cuteness. What you will get from this huggable teddy bear of a series is plush, adorable fun with plenty of chuckles and even some entertaining action mixed into the stuffing. Cute, fun, bright, fluffy and funny - anyone with a sweet-tooth could not possibly ask for more! Such a moe-fest is definitely not for everyone, but if you can loosen up that sphincter and shut out the world for a bit, you just might catch yourself having a good time...
