Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (The Rising of the Shield Hero)

The Four Cardinal Heroes are a group of ordinary men from modern-day Japan summoned to the kingdom of Melromarc to become its saviors. Melromarc is a country plagued by the Waves of Catastrophe that have repeatedly ravaged the land and brought disaster to its citizens for centuries. The four heroes are respectively bestowed a sword, spear, bow, and shield to vanquish these Waves. Naofumi Iwatani, an otaku, becomes cursed with the fate of being the "Shield Hero." Armed with only a measly shield, Naofumi is belittled and ridiculed by his fellow heroes and the kingdom's people due to his weak offensive capabilities and lackluster personality.

When the heroes are provided with resources and comrades to train with, Naofumi sets out with the only person willing to train alongside him, Malty Melromarc. He is soon betrayed by her, however, and becomes falsely accused of taking advantage of her. Naofumi then becomes heavily discriminated against and hated by the people of Melromarc for something he didn't do. With a raging storm of hurt and mistrust in his heart, Naofumi begins his journey of strengthening himself and his reputation. Further along however, the difficulty of being on his own sets in, so Naofumi buys a demi-human slave on the verge of death named Raphtalia to accompany him on his travels.

As the Waves approach the kingdom, Naofumi and Raphtalia must fight for the survival of the kingdom and protect the people of Melromarc from their ill-fated future.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Adaptation:	Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari
Character:	Isekai Quartet 2, Isekai Quartet Movie: Another World
Sequel:	Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari Season 2

More characters

Characters & Voice Actors

Raphtalia

Main

Seto, Asami
Japanese

Iwatani, Naofumi

Main

Ishikawa, Kaito
Japanese

Filo

Main

Hidaka, Rina
Japanese

Glass

Supporting

Han, Megumi
Japanese

Melromarc, Melty Q

Supporting

Uchida, Maaya
Japanese

Melromarc, Mirelia Q

Supporting

Inoue, Kikuko
Japanese

Elhart

Supporting

Yasumoto, Hiroki
Japanese

Melromarc, Malty

Supporting

Bridcutt, Sarah Emi
Japanese

Fitoria

Supporting

Tange, Sakura
Japanese

Amaki, Ren

Supporting

Matsuoka, Yoshitsugu
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Cook, Justin

Producer

Tanaka, Shou

Producer

Ogata, Mitsuhiro

Producer

Tokumura, Kenichi

Producer

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Opening Theme

	1: "RISE" by MADKID (eps 13-19, 22-24)
	2: "FAITH" by MADKID (eps 2-3, 5-12)

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Ending Theme

	1: "RISE" by MADKID (eps 1)
	1: "Kimi no Namae (きみの名前)" by Chiai Fujikawa (藤川千愛) (eps 2-3, 5-12)
	2: "Falling Through Starlight" by Asami Seto (eps 4)
	3: "Atashi ga Tonari ni Iru Uchi ni (あたしが隣にいるうちに)" by Chiai Fujikawa (藤川千愛) (eps 13-20, 22-24)

Reviews

Sep 6, 2023

pmavro

Recommended

From its inception, "The Rising of the Shield Hero" promises something different from the saturated isekai genre. Instead of a tale of easy triumphs and shallow challenges, it gifts its audience a rich tapestry of well-crafted characters, intricate storylines, and a thoughtful portrayal of children, which elevates the narrative to soaring heights.

The protagonist, Naofumi Iwatani, is not your typical hero—far from it. The scorn and distrust he faces upon his arrival in the new world, particularly the false accusation that serves as the catalyst for his journey, ensures that we don't just see a hero rising. We witness the rise of a complex character, hardened ... by the world, yet always grounded by his inherent goodness. His transformation is both harrowing and heartwarming, making for a protagonist who is as relatable as he is inspiring.

Then there's Raphtalia, a character whose journey from a tormented slave to a fierce and loyal swordswoman is nothing short of poetic. Her bond with Naofumi goes beyond mere companionship; it's a testament to the power of trust, understanding, and healing. Their relationship, one built on mutual respect and support, shatters the traditional molds and brings a breath of fresh air to the medium.

Yet, one of the most distinctive aspects of the show is its portrayal of children. Filo, the endearing bird-like creature who later takes on a child's form, brings a whimsical innocence to the story. Through her, we're reminded of the wonder and joy of childhood, even in the darkest of times. Her presence doesn't just serve to lighten the mood; it's a symbol of hope, renewal, and the undying spirit of youth. The series doesn't shy away from tackling the challenges faced by children either. Their struggles, hopes, and dreams are dealt with sensitivity and depth, making them integral to the overarching narrative.

Moreover, the series wisely uses children as a narrative tool to emphasize the themes of growth, redemption, and the cyclical nature of life. They play a pivotal role in grounding our heroes, serving as constant reminders of what's truly at stake. Their interactions with the main cast, filled with authentic emotion, often provide the series' most memorable moments.

In a genre rife with repetition, "The Rising of the Shield Hero" stands out as a gleaming gem. It deftly blends elements of fantasy, drama, and emotional storytelling, all the while championing the importance of well-fleshed-out characters and the irreplaceable essence of youth. It's not just another isekai—it's a masterclass in character-driven narrative, and a testament to the fact that, sometimes, the most potent shield a hero can wield is the depth of his character and the bonds he forges along the way.

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Jul 31, 2022

IvanLaptev

Mixed Feelings

The shield hero is a postirony. You can't call it bad, because in fact it is supposed to be bad, and it does its job, therefore, because of its purpose, it is good.
The fact is that the main character ends up in a very bad fanfiction book created to pump money. The hero himself says about this that this book is a passerby. You have no right to call this anime bad, because the anime itself says so.
Naofumi is a simple anime guy, he's not smart, he's not stupid. However, in the anime, he seems to be the smartest person in the world, as the ...

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Sep 3, 2023

Phasar2022

Not Recommended

3S review no. 16 (short, simple and salty/sweet/spicy)

Let’s make one thing clear, once you start watching this show you simply can’t stop. You just have to find out how much more worse it can get. You just have to find out how bad can it be, and still get aired, let alone have this much success. It is truly a masterpiece, the best of the best at touching your feelings. While watching it I was constantly either laughing out loud, or being totally angry. Not for the reasons that the show intended to provoke my feelings, but, the result is what matters right?

Story is… typical ... isekai garbage with some extra trashy twists. Four heroes are summoned in another world to fight the waves of monsters. So it’s like a tower defense, wherever they are in the world, doing training or whatever, suddenly when the wave comes they get teleported there and fight. Fascinating. So, each hero has a special weapon, spear, sword, bow and shield. For whatever reason no one likes the shield hero, no one cares about him, they clearly believed they were better off without summoning him, yet the summoned him anyway, because… well no reason really. The shield hero is always someone who has no knowledge about the world he is summoned, yet the other three heroes have always played a game that works exactly the same as the world the got summoned (even if it has a different name because they all come from different worlds? Dimensions? Whatever), and all that happens for… no reason actually other than to push the underdog status on the shield hero even further, like the fact that he is the only one that can’t use an offensive weapon, and no one cares about him isn’t enough. That being said he is clearly overpowered and his shield is totally busted. So, he didn’t already have it bad enough, the kings first daughter, pretends to join his party, just to frame him and accuse him that he tried to rape her. He loses all his starting money and items and what a surprise turns into a (supposedly) badass edgy character to fight fr himself even though everyone hates him. Now, the king’s daughter did all of that for… no reason really, just to force even more adversity towards the MC. All of the adversity is completely fake and forced and makes the viewer (me at least) aggravated and infuriated by its cheapness and stupidity. The show’s writing is terrible, sloppy, boring, and insulting cause it’s cocky and pretentious. Every simple aspect of it, world building, plot, characters. Everything is awful. Example for the world build, towards the end of the season, there is an event that is happening on an island that is perfect for training. IT’S A DOUBLE EXP EVENT! And I am not even joking, it is not a video game though, they are not trapped in a video game, it is a real world, people die, yet it’ so sloppily constructed, so much little thought has been put into it, so you get this dirty, vague world, where nothing makes sense, yet everything makes sense for convenience purposes. Amazing plot example, episode 21, is the end of a major event, the hero party is at the castle, there is a ceremony and some really sad goodbyes and tears of sadness and joy. That’s how the episode ends. And in episode 22, right at the start, they get summoned at the castle and go right back there. And I am not even joking! Zero thought of effort goes behind anything in this show, they just threw in there whatever they thought would make it more sellable and intriguing for the audience.

Now, for the characters, there is one, only one good thing I can think of, so let’s get this out of the way. The fox-girl, the second leading character I guess, has the hots for the MC, for what it’s worth, this is justified, she developed her feelings during the show, it’s plausible and completely normal. And that’s about it. Every character in this show is either completely braindead, a total cunt, or in most cases both. Everyone, all of them. I don’t know how can one create such characters even if he tries. Characters example, episode 19, finally the heroes get together at last, the events that led up to that, cleared the constant misunderstandings up to that point and now everything should be crystal clear. AND STILL, MC just goes on a lecturing rampage explaining everything cause all of those clinically dead characters still hadn’t gotten it!!! Even the queen that is supposedly the smart one (have I mentioned that in this world there is matriarchy! So the queen is above the king. And the reason is… well no reason really, but you know, some people would find that interesting no?) is completely dumb. Like she decides to punish the traitors and sentence them to death. On the day of their execution (the execution she decided btw) she was expecting the Shield hero to step up and save them, which he did at the very last moment, otherwise she would have committed sudoku and plead to the hero to spare their lives offering hers in exchange. That makes a lot of sense right? Right… oh, btw, wanna know what was their punishment instead of death? They OFFICIALLY changed their names to Bitch, and Trash(or scum or shit, I can’t remember for sure) and everyone now calls them by that. I AM NOT EVEN JOKING. This shit happens, and you have to accept it with a straight face. And don’t get me started about the rest. Like the spear hero, I’m even amazed that he has survived thus far, and I don’t meant in the world of the show, I mean in the world he was summoned from, it has to be a very lenient world towards the completely braindead. At some point in the show, the hero gets a pet, a chocobo wannabe, a chicken, but ofc it can’t just stay a chicken, even the god damn fat chicken has to transform into a cute little angel girl, there wasn’t enough fan service already apparently. Enough already, cause I’m remembering all this shit and my blood starts boiling.

Animation is ok, average. Art style and character design is generic and uninspired.

Sound is ok as well, above average. Voice acting is mediocre, nothing stands out.

So, is it worth a watch? NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! Stay away at all costs. It is infuriatingly bad. At the end of the season, MC states that now is the true beginning and where it all starts. At least you got that right bud, that’s where it all starts because what came before this had absolutely 0 reason of existing and we may as well all pretend it never happened. I would not recommend this show even to my worst enemy, if you really do want just to watch a terrible isekai, you are better off watching Artifureta, at least that’s somehwat entertaining in its horribleness.

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Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari

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Raphtalia

Iwatani, Naofumi

Filo

Glass

Melromarc, Melty Q

Melromarc, Mirelia Q

Elhart

Melromarc, Malty

Fitoria

Amaki, Ren

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