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Sort of spoiler review(I don't talk about the main plots though)
When I first heard of this show it sounded really interesting to me so I decided to watch it. Despite the interesting plot that the show provides it falls flat when delivered and at. I went to see why so many manga readers found it so enjoyable when I didn't. And I think the reason why it's so hard to watch. For one, it's the MC Izumi. Izumi pretty much has "Murphy's Law" where anything can go wrong to him, which makes an interesting plot but the execution is terrible. The show really characterizes ... his trait to an extent where you literally cringe to death, such as in the very first scene where he just trips on a rock and we got to watch him say "ouch" for an unnecessary amount of time. I'm also assuming why manga readers liked it so much was that you can bear his weakness at a pace and not shove it all together at once. Another difference from the source material is that it adapted a short form into a long form, so the show pretty much restructures the story in a way its sort of different from how it's presented. And that's another thing, the pacing of the show is pretty slow. I'm not sure if it's because during the broadcast the studio had to temporarily shut down because of COVID. But you can the limited animation is at its limit at certain points of the show. Certain scenes seem extended for too long. Some characters seem to speak with a period. The titular character Shikimori is an alright character and I like how they flip the gender roles of what people normally see in a "Strong Man, Weak Woman" archetype. The side characters are honestly what saved the show for me. Genuinely more interesting than the titular character herself. Overall, if the plot really interests you then I strongly suggest just sticking to the manga it's adapted from.

This show was pretty good in my honest opinion. Most episodes have this setup with Nagatoro toying with the MC but then the next minute we just get these cool wholesome interactions with the characters.

It's sad to see that many of the negative reviews are just people who didn't even bother to watch the full season. But if you look deeper into the show you'd find it pretty entertaining. The first few episodes will literally feel like bullying, which is probably one of the reasons many people drop it, but that's what makes room for character development. You don't expect all the characters to start ... off as perfect comical people. Sure, the MC can irritate you for making such incoherent sentences; take that with just a pinch of salt. But over time you're really observing how the characters interact and how their relationship bonds over time. It's not like some shows where the mc just remains pathetic the entire season.

Of course, that's not to say that the show has its many fan service scenes which sometimes get out of hand. And yes, there are scenes where the translator infamously put Among Us references. But looking past that the story really takes shape.