Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari

We've come to a point in the anime industry where isekai anime are immediately judged just for being isekai. Due to the apparent "overuse" and "unoriginality" of the genre, some individuals will make a big deal about it or not even watch an anime at all simply because of the genre, even if the isekai elements have essentially no bearing on the narrative whatsoever, as is the case with The Rising of the Shield Hero. Yes, Shield Hero is an isekai, but don't let that blind you from seeing the true themes and merit of this show. At its core, this is an anime all ... about friendship, perseverance, and what it means to truly be a hero.

*Notice: Updated thoughts at the bottom*

It's also a cleverly disguised loli harem series too. Crazy, right? But I'll save explaining this shocking revelation for later. Oh, the suspense!

I know I just started off by saying not to judge Shield Hero just for being an isekai, but it honestly does have a stereotypical fantasy setting. Heroes are summoned to another world that's suspiciously designed just like a video game with the task of saving the world from monsters. Yeah, I've totally never heard that one before! But what really matters is execution, which Shield Hero completely nails. After starting off quite harmless with everything going fine and dandy for Naofumi, the recently dubbed shield hero, things take a dark turn after one of the most controversial occurrences in modern anime goes down. He gets accused of rape. Because of the current state of our real world society, the false rape allocations against Naofumi by the bitchy princess Malty struck a cord with many people and caused lots of heated debates on the topic. I say keep reality and fiction separate, and I personally think that this was a great way to swiftly introduce the central conflict between Naofumi and basically everyone else. Everyone essentially berates and shames the poor dude, leaving him a little broken on the inside. In the span of a single episode, Malty, the king, and the other three heroes summoned to the world are set up to be extremely hatable characters, and it just works. It's honestly as good of an introduction as you can get in a fantasy series.

What I love the most about Naofumi is how he deals with the crappy lot in life he ended up with. He transforms from a happy go lucky protagonist to a more cynical guy who only seems to care about personal gain, and I feel like this is a pretty realistic shift considering what he's gone through. He even ends up purchasing a demi-human slave! I thought only bad guys did that! This of course is where the anime starts to really get good, because of how great Shield Hero portrays the relationship between Naofumi and his slave raccoon loli Raphtalia. You can tell that Raphtalia has gone through some pretty messed up stuff, which the anime touches on in later episodes. It seems like Naofumi treats her a bit harshly at first, but you can quickly tell that he's actually giving her some tough love and training her to become stronger and to get over her fears. Heck, she even upgrades from a loli to a woman, that's how effective his training is!

And then after Naofumi gets further put down by the kingdom, it's Raphtalia who saves him from completely falling into despair. That's why their relationship is great, because they both help and in some ways even complete each other. Plus it's handled in a completely unconventional way too. You'd think that Naofumi would release Raphtalia from being a slave, but neither of them in fact want that, to the shock of the Spear Hero and others. Of course the writing here can be viewed as dangerous as it seems to present slavery in a positive light, but I think this situation should be kept separate from reality and that the morally grey approach works in the anime's favor. It's little things like this that make Rising of the Shield Hero really stand out.

One thing that could weaken your interest in this anime would be how quickly you get annoyed at the constant degradation of Naofumi, because his defamation continues far after Raphtalia saves him, and is the primary conflict in the anime. This isn't a show about a hero fighting against monsters. No, this is an anime about a man fighting against the people who should be his allies. I've seen people say that they've gotten exasperated over how much Naofumi gets put down, but I'd have to disagree. This anime makes you really dislike characters who shouldn't actually be villains at all, yet are set up like it due to their poor choices and actions. And shouldn't a good antagonist be someone that viewers are meant to despise and root for the protagonist to overcome? Shield Hero does just that, and I think that the central conflict is handled and eventually resolved quite well.

Of course, there's more going on than just that. Throughout his journey Naofumi encounters two more loli party members. Lucky him. The first is Filo, a cleverly named filolial who Naofumi basically raised from birth after purchasing her as an egg. She has two forms. The first is her angel-like loli form, and the second is her super fluffy giant chicken-like beast form. What can I say, she's absolutely adorable in both forms. She does lots of useful things like draw the wagon, beat up cgi monsters, and kick the Spear Hero in his balls. Also, like Raphtalia, Filo develops a strong bond with Naofumi in which they build off of each other to further evolve as characters. Filo also develops a cute rivalry with Raphtalia over Naofumi's affections, which is pretty humorous. The final girl to complete Naofumi's holy loli triad is Melty, the younger sister of Malty and heir to the throne. Because Naofumi has the most hostility towards royalty, his interaction with Melty sets up an interesting dynamic. They gradually learn to trust and rely on each other, and by consistently helping Melty, we can further see just how much of a hero Naofumi really is. Melty also has my favorite character design in the show, and despite being nobility, Melty's cuteness just makes my heart melt.

These characters travel together cleaning up the messes of the other three so called heroes all while being defamed and hunted by the government. Yet despite his annoyance at and mistrust of everyone outside of his party, Naofumi keeps persevering, which is quite admirable. Though you know what I think gives him strength? The lolis. You may have noticed that all three main girls are lolis. "B-But Raphtalia isn't!" Wrong! She may have evolved from her loli body, but she says that she still has the age and mentality of a child. This is a clever technique by the writer to hide the fact that Naofumi has obtained a loli harem. And just like your typical harem, all three girls have a thing for Naofumi and go all blushy blush when they're around him. And just like a harem protagonist, Naofumi seems completely oblivious to their advances. The author knew that he'd be labeled a degenerate for making a loli harem series, so he masqueraded his fantasy as an isekai anime. It's simply brilliant honestly. Or maybe I'm just completely wrong. Yeah, it's probably the latter...but you never know...

Madkid was asked to RISE to the occasion and perform both opening theme songs. To be honest, my FAITH in their ability to deliver quality music wasn't too high since I'm personally not a big fan of their style, but they did a good job here.

Yes, the show does have its share of flaws. For one, I do feel like episode 21 should have been the season finale, since there was a transition of arcs after it, which to me was a pretty odd design choice considering that the anime only had a few more episodes left. Shield Hero definitely has its share of technical issues as well. In some cases character designs and movements just looked a little sloppy. And the cgi used on some of the creatures just didn't look that good.

The Rising of the Shield Hero has a surprisingly decent narrative that touches upon themes that lesser anime in the genre don't even bother to mention. You know, a lot of isekai protagonists tend to act like the three cardinal heroes. They're ecstatic about living in a fantasy world and think everything revolves around them. But Naofumi is different. He keeps getting back up after getting knocked down. He may seem like he takes advantage of others, but he always has everyone's best interests at heart. He genuinely cares about his party. And even if he doesn't get any appreciation for his good deeds, he still always does the right thing. And that's what makes this shield bro a true hero...

*Edit with current thoughts*

...except I don't think that anymore at all haha. Naofumi can go join the ranks of hundreds of other bland isekai protagonists.

I revisited this series and wow, I have to say I'm disappointed. I don't usually do this, but I have to decrease my initial score of the show and disagree with a lot of what I wrote above. Naofumi's character is actually quite bland and he never receives useful development. The revenge plot is really mediocre, hollow, and relies solely on the "shock value" and "big moments". The way that slavery is handled is atrocious, and I'm kinda disappointed in myself for even attempting to defend its usage and execution as adding "depth" to the anime. Yes, it's just fiction, but that doesn't excuse trying to rationalize it as acceptable. The female characters are also painstakingly one note and dedicated to Naofumi with nary a shard of originality. Plus the 2nd half of the anime is a complete snooze fest. All around a mediocre experience.

I'm going to keep what I wrote above since I don't believe in changing one's work. It's how I felt then, so I have to deal with it. Just know that it's a lot more positive of a take then how I feel about Shield Hero now. I'd say the show is a 5/10 right now for me personally. Hope you're still able to enjoy it though!

Who are we? Every person ever. And what do we want? Throw shit at Naofumi. And when do we want it? Every second, non-stop, 247.

Modern problems require modern solutions. If society humiliates you, lets you down, you get accused of crimes you didn't commit, the general public turns against you, the game is rigged, system corrupted, you are bullied, isolated and alone, you see the worst in people and proceed to turn against the world and enter a safety mode where you become something of the sort of a "cynical little animal." Or that's what I would do.... unless... there was a cute animal-eared ... waifu and rare-breed loli bird eating up all the negative feelings, ensuring I get healed, fed and mutually respected. This is the life of Naofumi, the shield hero, our main character -- and, unlike most isekai Jesuses, he is not "a big deal." After experiencing the worst, he relies on the worst, buys the cheapest slave he can get and, just like that, their adventure in this world where royalties are meanie wienies, double standards a way of life and the slaver dude the greatest guy -- begins!

It's not hard to point out where this show's weaknesses are. The story events are insignificant filler, the isekai core plot hardly more than an excuse for the series, the side-characters solely exist to put our main lead in this unjustified situation where he is treated like garbage, most of the "bad things" have no other purpose in the series than to provoke the audience with injustice; the opposing characters' ignorance is pushed to such extents that when their development finally starts, it is done in a manner that does not convince. The change does not come from within the characters but from the outside, entirely relying on the will of the author. in fact, it is so extreme that it starts to feel like it's driven by anti-government, anti-society and anti-religion agenda. The female casting is waifubaiting and the adventure side could entirely be labelled as wish-fulfillment. It's easy to point the finger here and go "this is the type of shite I am supposed to hate in anime." Finding these flaws annoying and letting them ruin the viewing experience and kill the entertainment value is understandable. But even after all of its issues, the show is not exclusively bad, but has some strong pros as well. However, there where the cons are practically self-explanatory and easy to list down, the pros don't stand out nearly as strongly.

First of all, Tate no Yuusha has charm. Anyone can write a coherent backstory which leads to being isekai'd, and it certainly is not much harder to make the side character seem more like decent humans by extending the storyboard with anti-shield-wielder backstory that explains why they are so deeply hated, and how it's all "just politics". These problems could be countered, but that would be side-tracking, like trying to prove that it can be done for the sake of it. But charm is something that is much harder to accomplish, and it was achieved partly because the main focus was most of the time put on Naofumi's party, which is the most relevant thing there is. Secondly, Naofumi is a great character. On the surface level, it's easy to judge him or not even give him a chance, but below the first layer lays much more. He is a genuinely nice guy who has to mask his core personality to survive due to other people being unreasonable. He isn't your average gary stu isekai Jesus who is nice just because he cannot be anything else. Naofumi chooses to help people and decides where his own adventure leads him while, at the same time, ensuring his kindness is not taken for granted so that he won't be used. How many isekai series are there where the character has to take measures and alter his own personality for his own well-being? There aren't. Almost every single one of them rely on being so overpowered that their measures are bs at best, trying to hide the fact that they could destroy the world by simply farting too hard. He doesn't even seek revenge because that would simply make him feel bad. And what is this sentence if not 5000 years worth of human philosophy summed up? Finally a character who chooses this path not because it is "the right thing to do and according to muh morals" but because it benefits him the most. One can easily claim he is the same as your typical isegary, but he has awareness and reasoning that makes perfect sense, and that is what sets him apart from nearly all of the other alternatives. And thirdly, from the main cast department (read;waifu squadron), this is the purest isekai series I have seen. It's not driven by lust and sexual remarks, but by characters who have something decent going on under their skin.../fur/feathers. There is no romantic subplot or sexual tension to keep the audience interested with fanservice or useless feelings pondering. It's just a dude getting comfy'd by bunch of lolis. And with this, I speak of yours truly/the viewer.

There is not much more that I have to say. It's isekai, so it's okay to dislike it, of course, but it has heart. It's definitely not a soulless piece, but a genuine anime that has lots of good things going on in the cute, comfy and main cast departments. I almost never felt like it was fake as so many modern anime is, outside two occurrences: 1) episodes 15-17 or so where the 4th loli appeared and I absolutely hated her, and 2) the last few episode where the show has clearly started to lose its way. While the overall pace can be criticized, the episodic flow is smooth, the production is stellar, directing follows a clear vision with consistency, and there is nothing that ruins the fun or makes the series worse from these parts. Outside some CGI, the art rarely stands out for negative reasons. This time, I hardly found the CGI monsters to be a problem either, I acknowledge it exists, end of story. I highly enjoyed watching this series and it deserves some praise from me. It's not the smartest anime you can see, but it is a smart production with nearly as smart execution. I much rather recommend giving it a try than advice not to.

I’ve never been a fan of the “isekai” genre. It was never alluring for me and neither is it now. The mere fact that a person was “transported” to another world, for me, invalidated everything that happened to the said person in that “another world”. I could never fathom (and I still can’t) why the hero can’t start off as a regular person in the fantasy world instead of being transported there from our world. Originality is lost in this process as the “another world” of most isekai anime are basically the same with similar power system and the same old cliched stereotypes that have ... become quintessential trademark of the isekai genre.

“The Rising of the Shield Hero” overcomes some of the immutable traits of the generic isekai anime and is, not a refreshing take on the genre, but is a good take nonetheless. The story is similar to what you’ve probably seen a billion times - world is in danger; four heroes will appear and save it. That basically summarises the plot. Four “heroes” are summoned to an alternate world to try and stop the dark forces who are trying to eradicate said world. I have heroes in double quotes because they consist of two college students and two high school students, not the kind of people that comes to mind when hearing the word hero.

Here’s my first problem with the show. The four main characters show no confoundment when they are magically transported to a world different than their own. They all adjust to it as easily as adjusting to a new shirt that is ever so short. They simply accept their fate and are ready in minutes to risk their life and save a world with which they have no connection whatsoever. It’s like they’re the most complacent people in the universe. It is not yet explained as to why the heroes need to be summoned from a different world, because to me it seems like there are enough magicians and warriors in their own world who could help cull the demons.

Second problem – the setting. It’s set in medieval times (like the billion other isekai anime), but it doesn’t feel like it (like the billion other isekai anime). There is no atmosphere to encapsulate the feeling of medieval-ness. It basically feels like a village from the past or something.

Our story really starts when the shield hero, our main protagonist Naofumi, is incriminated of sexually assaulting his party member who also happened to be the King’s daughter. Everyone in the world, for some yet to be explained reason, had a deep-seated feeling of aversion for the shield hero from the beginning which is only augmented after hearing the about the harassment of the princess. The shield hero is kicked out of the palace and left alone to conquer his quest while avoiding everyone’s contempt.

The characters in this show are what differentiate it from other of it’s kind. Though there are some cardboard cut outs, the main characters, Naofumi, Raphtalia and Filo are all disparate from the characters present in other isekai shows. Pro No.1 – the show eschews fanservice; this really shouldn’t be a pro, but given the current state of anime and fan-service, it is. At first, I perceived Naofumi as a typical insular otaku but there’s more to his character than just that. We see his compassion through his actions and not by monologue. His magnanimity is shown via his action of saving Raphtalia and is not just pushed onto the audience. Raphtalia, another character whose temperament is shown by actions she takes and not by monologue, is also a great character. She was a slave who was orphaned due to a demon Cerberus killing her parents and is rescued by Naofumi. We see this friendship develop between her and Naofumi which feels candid and not just some forced “nakama” shit. The character writing is eloquent and we have new character Filo introduced in episode 5. I hope she gets the same treatment as the rest of the characters and is not some expendable loli. Since we’re only 6 episodes in, other characters don’t get that much focus but that’s to be expected since we’re only 1/4th into the show.

The animation is awesome, the background looks realistic but the character animation is nothing to fawn over. The character animation is pretty untenable and sloppy at times but when it really matters, it gets better.

The music isn’t remarkable and with the exception of the opening, most of the pieces are instantly forgettable. Still, fire OP though.

I binged six episodes in two and a half hours and it was a ride. I’m gonna put this show on hold and binge it once it finishes airing. Overall, it’s a pretty good isekai (never thought I’d ever say this), and I hope the quality doesn’t degrade as the show goes on. I can’t put my finger on the one reason as to why I like this show, I just like it.

The Isekai genre in anime has grown by a large number ever since SAO became popular. Due to it being over popularized, some people have long since gotten sick of it . And if you are one of those people, trust me you are really missing out by not watching this anime.

Tate No Yuusha is another Isekai anime where the Main Protagonist : Iwatani Naofumi gets send to another world along with 3 other male characters. Each of them were summoned to fight The Waves of Calamity in this RPG game liked world, which is a mysterious phenomenon that occur every so often in ... the world and warranting the summoning of the Four Saint Heroes (The Sword Hero, Bow Hero, Spear Hero and Shield Hero) to confront. As you can guess Naofumi became the Shield Hero which is know to be the weakest out of the four, and compared to the other Heroes , and had close to no knowledge of this world. Due to that, when adventurers were asked to join the Heroes' party to aid them in getting stronger, no one was willing enough to join Naofumi's party. Luckily, a lady by the name of Melromarc Malty or Myne was generous enough to join his party. Everything seemed good for Naofumi at first, Myne was able to make up for Naofumi's lack of attacking capability due to him being unable to use a weapon ( The restriction of being the shield hero ) and helped Naofumi gained a better idea of this world. After their tiring day of killing monsters, both of them went ahead to have dinner at a pub where Myne tried to make Naofumi drunk by offering him wine to drink. Naofumi declined her offer and went ahead to his room to sleep early. However, the next day he found his stuff and most of his money missing before getting approached by guards and was forced to go back to the castle. It was then that it was revealed that Myne had accused Naofumi of rape and was apparently deceiving him the whole time to get his stuff and money and give it to the Spear Hero. Naofumi, tho innocent had no evidence at all whereas Myne had planted false evidence leading to everyone believing her instead. Enraged, Naofumi ventured out on a journey alone with the intention of clearing his name and getting revenge on Myne.

STORY : 7

This is one of the Isekais that has managed to distinguish itself from the others in the same genre initially. The main protagonist is not super overpowered from the start and it is really satisfying to see how Naofumi turns the tide around, clearing his name as he sets out on his journey and gain allies along the way. The false rape accusation is very reminiscence to the ones that happen in real life, showing us the perspective of the victim and how he copes with it. This shows us that not everything is what it seems and that we should not trust the rape accuser easily without concrete proof. This is a very interesting storytelling standpoint and I am glad that the author decided to go down this route as it allows for many interesting plot twists and satisfying moments. However as I continue to watch the series there are times where it creates opportunities for many interesting plot points and fails to deliver.

ART : 7

The visuals in this anime is quite good and a good amount of budget can be seen put in the fight scenes so far. This is nowhere near the animation level of shows like Kimi No Nawa or Violet Evergarden but the visuals in this is definitely worth the praise. The art style/character designs are very like that of an normal Isekai anime and any fans of this genre would love this.

SOUND : 8

I mean what can I say? The OP and the ED of this anime is a BANGER. The OP ' RISE ' made by MAD KID is a really good J-pop music and suits the anime perfectly with the hype that it brings. The ED ' Your Name ' produced by Chiai Fujikawa is a soothing music and is a good contrast to the OP of this anime. The voice actor behind Naofumi is the great Ishikawa Kaito who voiced many great anime characters ( Kageyama Tobio from Haikyuu , Sakuta from Bunny Girl Senpai ) and the voice actor behind the lovable Raphtalia is Seto Asami who voiced Sakurajima Mai from Bunny Girl Senpai. You can get some vibes of Bunny Girl Senpai just from Raphtalia's and Naofumi's dialogues sometimes.

CHARACTER : 7

Naofumi's character underwent through an interesting turn. He was seen as your average happy go lucky Otaku that was transported into another world, but his character changed drastically after the false rape accusation and he can be seen taking a much darker tone. However, even with this change in character, deep down he is still a kind and caring person. His companion , Raphtalia is a lovable female demi-human with a great personality resembling that of Rem from Re: Zero. She is one of the few people that truly knows Naofumi as a person and cares for him deeply. She is one of the few reasons why Naofumi is able to withstand against all the hate given by the people in this world due to the false rape accusation. There is also the cute Chicken I mean Philo Rial who can change between her human and Philo Rial form at will and provides many comedic moments for the show.

ENJOYMENT : 8

Personally, I quite enjoyed Tate No Yuusha, however I do understand if people find the story too rushed and cliché, which I can agree with to a certain extent.
And yes, when you tackle topics as sensitive as false rap accusations, there are bound to be controversies surrounding it. All I want to say is that there is no need to look too deep into things, just take it as some form of popcorn entertainment. I mean it is just anime, why not just enjoy it?

OVERALL : 8

It is genuinely a really good show, thou flawed, and deserves all the popularity that it gets. It provides a relatively unique premise for the genre, along with some compelling characters. I would not be surprised if this becomes one of the more well known anime out there.

So should YOU watch this? If you are one of those people who just like Isekai and want to have fun watching anime, YES go ahead. However if you are one of those people who looks for perfection in an anime, this probably would not be your cup of tea.

It's amazing how whenever social justice warriors get irrationally angry over a work of fiction, their impotent rage serves as almost a guaranteed stamp of approval that said work of fiction is likely good.

Very few examples of this are as accurate as with Shield Hero. The characters and plot are fantastic, and the emotions shown feel more real than any Isekai in years. Nothing feels forced. Solid writing. I haven't looked forward to the next episode of a series this much in a very long time.

So what made the virtue signalling crowd of harpies so infuriated by this show? Quite simple really, because it ... includes a false rape accusation and in the current climate of political correctness we are apparently supposed to believe this sort of thing never happens in real life. Oh, and anyone who believes otherwise is literally a dude that has been dead since the end of WWII. Regardless of the fact that according to FBI statistics this sort of thing absolutely does happen ( It's actually the most common falsely accused felony ), this is a fantasy series that takes place in an alternative dimension. So what of this matters to you, the anime fan? The person just looking for some solid entertainment? Nothing really. Well, except getting to laugh at people who get offended over trivial drama.

What DOES matter is the question of whether or not this show is good. The answer to that is a solid yes. Very few anime deserve a perfect 10, with that score often being reserved for legendary works from Miyazaki. When deciding to give an anime the perfect 10 you mainly have to compare it to other shows of the same genre. As far as "Isekai" goes, this is really as good as it gets. What makes Shield Hero deserve this score is that it takes everything within the potential for Isekai to craft an interesting world, and does it flawlessly. Sure parts of it are generic. You have your generic loli comrades. Your generic moe moments. But the difference between Tate no Yuush and other Isekai is that Tate has these things in addition to a good story, as opposed to being a distraction from otherwise poor quality.

Rather than crafting a perfect world for otaku to self insert into, Shield Hero does just the opposite and creates a world not so unlike our own in terms of unfairness and corruption. It serves as a mirror image to the real world. Even in a land with might and magic human stupidity and gullibility can ruin everything and result in nothing changing. The true irony of the whole situation is that the reason why this show is good actually comes down to the very thing that the baizuo are complaining about. Tate no Yuusha puts realistic problems in front of the characters, instead of cliche ones such as "A dragon killed my family". This allows for much more effective character development, to the point where there is more character growth in the first episode than there is in the entirety of most of last seasons trash.

Most importantly, Shield Hero is a show that actually has something to say. It isn't trying to capitalize on the "Isekai fad", and despite this it's still the best show of the genre in possibly over a decade.

I'm the kind of guy who very rarely reads manga. I rather wait for years sometimes and watch the animation when it's available. Besides titles like One Piece, I never really read the manga of titles that are currently airing so I can have a better experience when watching the anime without knowing what's going to happen.
That being said, after watching only the first episode of Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (aka rising of the shieldbro) I knew something different was coming my way so I went ahead and read the entire manga in one sitting. Yes, it's that good.
It's the kind of anime that ... makes you root so bad for the protagonist that you kind of feel whatever he is feeling too. The character development is that great. You want him to succeed, you want him to be happy.
This anime is doing an amazing job showing the side of humans we don't usually see in animes. The corrupted and disgraceful society that's presented to you almost makes you want to take matters into your own hands and help the wronged.
So far, the anime is also doing an amazing job following the manga and if they keep that up I think it's a serious competitor for the anime of the year reward.
Couldn't recommend it enough. Go watch it and thank me later!

When I first heard of Shield Hero I was not that impressed. It seemed like the typical isekai designed with elements to shit on the main character and get people riled up because of that. And when I watched the first episode I had some very mixed thoughts. They were dabbling with some touchy subject matter to say the least, and had many elements that I personally found off-putting, however the execution was pretty good. As it turned out the strong execution managed to mitigate the concerns I had with those elements and ended up making what I consider to be a very good show.

There ... is a lot of shit thrown at Naofumi. And at times it can seem quite excessive. A good portion of the show is dedicated to piling as much as it can onto him. And while I'm not the biggest fan of this, I think where the show is able to shine is in the execution of it. Shield Hero does a good job of showing how Naofumi reacts to all of this, and how his heart grew colder in relation to it. It showed the trust issues that happen to come after being falsely accused, and how it can affect his whole character. The show was able to give reasons why everything around him happened, and the whole plan around it rather than just leaving it up in the air, making it easier to understand the predicament that he was in. Since the show went into detail into showing and demonstrating the severe effects of all of this on Naofumi it makes it easy to empathize with him, and to feel for him.

It could have easily felt like too much, mainly because it was so close to being too much, but the show being able to clearly show why the characters were doing what they were doing worked well. For example, take the other heroes. While they certainly are a burden for Naofumi, it's not as if they are evil. They are actually a realistic depiction of the typical guy being isekai'd. They are naive and think everything works like a video game. They are unable to think about the consequences and go with whatever they desire. This does create problems but it's understandable why they do what they did. Overall this reaches every misfortune that happens to Naofumi, and so while it can be painful to watch, it all matches up. Ironically it's Naofumi's struggles that make it so understandable why he ends up so OP in the end. While the other heroes were just doing whatever they wanted, Naofumi was struggling through life trying to do whatever he could to survive.

Furthermore I think that Naofumi's anti-hero status was quite interesting to watch. While he grew colder there is an arguemnt to make that he didn't turn that cold and rather turned his outside cold, while still caring on the inside. His companions show this well. He clearly cares for Raptalhia despite her being his slave, and her having to do anything that he wants her to do, in theory. In fact even when he's training her and putting her through struggles, he cares about her and gives her the chance to leave. The relationship between Naofumi and Raptalhia is a high point of the show, and I think it demonstrates an interesting part of morality. Having slaves is immoral, and from that lens it'd be easy to see Naofumi as immoral. But because he picked up Raptalhia as a slave, he gives her a much better life just by treating her right, and caring for her. It's very easy to see things in a black and white manner but one thing I liked about the show is looking at these topics with more nuance. And while the show never directly talks about it, I like its able to the positive results to the grey-decisions that Naofumi had to make.

The production values are also great and do a really good job of aiding the execution. The visuals look pretty amazing, outside of some CG, and the soundtrack may not match Perkin's Made In Abyss, but it is a great good OST that fits the song well. Furthermore Kinema Citrus manages to bring out great pacing yet again and allows for the time for Naofumi and his group to bond, allowing the audience to bond with them and grow to like them. While the second half's pacing was a lot more questionable, the first half was so good and did a lot to really enhance the show.

Overall the show deals with some questionable subject matter but does it well, in a way that allowed at least me to relate and sympathize with the characters, and one that made it feel real and understandable rather than poorly written revenge porn for the sake of revenge porn. I think there's quite a bit to offer in this show and I quite enjoyed watching personally. I'd recommend it to isekai fans as for me it's one of the standouts in the bunch, and while I can't guarantee that everyone will be content with the subject matter that Shield Hero pursues, I can at least vouch and say that the merits of the show were able to mitigate the negatives of them.

As a book reader I just felt like I have to write a review for the first few episodes of my favorite isekai show.
There won't be any hard spoilers ahead but you should have watched until episode 4 before continuing to read this.

-First and for me the most important thing: Characters. (7/10)-
While I am not a real bookwoorm and dropped most Light Novels, Tate no Yuusha was the only one that kept me reading up until the 13th Volume now. I love how deep they go into Naofumis personality and how the readers can follow his thoughts and changes over time.
That is where the anime ... makes a major mistake. Maybe it's because the anime is supposed to target younger audience as well, but they just ruined the most important thing about Naofumi - his anger. His cold and "brutal" side.
(spoiler until episode 4 from here on!)
While the studio did show the most important things and delivered well on that part, compared to the novel it was not even close to enough. Until the point Raphtalia held Naofumi in the her arms in the arena there was much more going on. Naofumis personality was also not as "friendly" as in the anime. you could always repeatedly read his thoughts about how much he hates the people, the world and even raphtalia was just a "thing" for him to use. He only thought about the benefit for himself and trusted no one.
The anime scratched a bit on that but compared to that hate and anger from Naofumis side shown in the book this is really nothing and makes the tear jerking end of the first book (which was the end of episode 4) sadly nothing if you compare the anime with the book.
Edit: Starting episode 5 + 6 and going into the new arc they adapted perfectly in my opinion. Feels all a bit rushed but the pacing is still fine.


-Story (10/10)-
The story itself is nothing new of course, but in my opinion, together with the slime anime and arifureta (light novel) the most solid isekai "world" with the most enjoyable environment and deepness in skill/magic/classes content yet. They went really far with the combat + class system which makes the anime feel an actual mmorpg. Sadly the anime doesn't go much into detail of all the skills and shields (yet) like in the book.


-Sound & Art (8/10)-
Nothing bad to say about the art and music. Pretty solid animations and the music was always fitting. A good but not outstanding effort I could feel while watching.


-Overall (9/10)-
It is a good show, but if you like the "antihero" theme more than shown in the anime and like it a bit less shonen-like, I recommend reading the book. It is a true masterpiece and much more detailed and even a good ammount of darker than the anime.

I've also started the manga at some point after the Novel but dropped it really fast again because it lacks exactly the same things as the anime and was only adapted with a very american cartoon (but not bad) drawing style which didn't fit in my opinion.

If you find any grammar fails sorry for that, english is not my main language.

I'm sorry this is my second review and idk how to make it sound professional XD and btw on some parts I wasn't serious XDD
Story:
This story is very well developed. I enjoy the events and feel intrigued each moment. I honestly find no fault here.

Art:
The art is adorable and I LOVE IT! The style is very appealing and even the hard things to draw like anatomy are well done.

Sound:
I love it.

... Character:
The character development of Naofumi is brilliant. It's realistic and keeps him likable. Also, Raphtalia has come so far and I'm so proud.

Enjoyment:
yes

Overall:
I LOVE IT

Do you know the formula for success in the anime industry now? The formula is not like math or physics, but selects all genres and mixes them together. "Isekai" plus "Harem" is the formula that I meant.

Is it like that? Of course, it's back to yourself. The opinion I make is just an idea that has no basis and theory.

"Isekai" is basically a term for anime with a storyline, where the main character is thrown into another world and lives a new life in that world. Usually the "isekai" genre begins with the death of the main character or through ... the intermediary of an item, and lives in another world with a new form or just a new ability.

Replacing a main potential, how they dispose of potential, and how they replace the lost potential is something that is beyond our reach. The decision is held by the studio, whatever the results, we as the audience can only surrender to the decision. Is that right?

This genre that is indeed unique is indeed liked by many people, but there are also many "Hater" who really hate this genre. The "Hater" usually has a reason to hate because it has a storyline that is only "happyness" readers without having a good storyline. It can be likened to the "isekai" genre like a pornographic story that does not have a sex scene in it.

The Isekai genre does have a storyline in which the main character, lives a new life in another world. What makes it interesting is the story that develops often, the main character has super powers. This superpowers, not always in the form of physical strength, intelligence that surpasses people in general, and extraordinary patience when problems come. Different from the other four characters, the main characters cannot attack effectively. That forced him to pair up with someone who really could.

Does it fulfill the fantasy of the reader (or even the writer?) As mentioned in the previous point. The genre of "Isekai" is indeed very qualified in fulfilling the fantasy of the reader or even the writer. Readers and writers must be eager to get all the happy things. Just like a firework that only looks beautiful at the beginning and when the specified time has reached its limit, it looks only a sadness. At first the main character has a trust and strength but as a result of one incident it just disappears.

Is the "Isekai" genre easy for writers to make? Somehow those words crossed my mind. Why not, if you look at every season there is always this genre. Inevitably, a lot of "isekai" doesn't have a strong story. Maybe only a few have a strong storyline in it. The storyline that tends not to be strong, will be more easily made by the author. As long as it meets the market or the readers' desires, there will be more and more "Isekai" genre anime. Unlike the other "isekai" this one has a startling start on how not the betrayal is done so neatly and there are no gaps anywhere, it makes the main character trapped and follows the flow of this endless game.

The most important of all is whether everything is full of "waifu?" Each anime has its own female characters ranging from "loli" to "milf". Most of them make character designs as beautiful as possible to attract men's attention. Is this to increase sales figures? Of course, every studio has its own strategy to compete in the market, but there are also those who don't take the risk to take the road and prefer to make it all. Having different characters is also important. No matter how they look as long as they have cute character designs why not?

As time goes by, this anime is getting better every time. If you look at the opening theme in the first season, I don't think it's very interesting, but in the end they are aware of their shortcomings and start working hard in the lacking part. The first and second seasons have distinct differences, even though sung by the same singer it's clear that the second season is better. "Faith" it seems that the title is familiar to anyone who has witnessed this spectacle. In every episode, even though it's often displayed, I'm sure you don't miss this one.

I am unsure how I learned of this anime but good lord I am so glad I did. Everything about it is amazing. At first I was a little unsure because I thought it was going to be another stereotypical Isekai anime where the MC has a harem and it end up a trash anime. Oh was I wrong. The MC starts off knowing anything about MMO games or how those worlds work. He never understood what was going on. He also starts off with a shield, what is seen as the weakest of all of the weapons. ... He is ridiculed and shamed by those around him and, later, the entire country. Everyone spreads rumors and he is lower than rock bottom. He gets conned and robbed and is, basically, thrown to the streets. It is through his hard work and effort that he raises and, oh boy,it is hard for him. Because of his history with the world, he does not trust anyone and is very cynical. It's not until many episodes in that he actually starts trusting his companion. I have never seen an anime with these attributes and I can relate with the MC as well. Seeing this was SO refreshing and I loved every second of it. I watched and listening to the opening and ending for EVERY episode, which I hardly ever do (I will usually watch the first one then skip the rest.) The animation and art was stunning and effects mind blowing. The characters were well developed and I don't think I even saw a cliche anime trope either. Romance is hinted at but never carried out, which, again, seems rare for Isekai animes. I am rooting for a season 2 and will start reading the manga. I want to learn Japanese so I can also read the light novels too. I HIGHLY suggest start watching this if you haven't already! While we wait with anticipation for a season 2 I will be entertaining myself with other works from this director as well as animes similar to it. Another thing to note is I never write reviews for animes so the fact that I spent the time to write this also says how amazing this anime is.

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.

'Harem Trash' this word i have seen so many people speaking for this anime. Like hell it is. I would rather say its a very much well developed anime and one of the best. Don't know why people criticize this anime, the story and animation are so good but still people just has to call it a 'Harem Trash' just because there's a guy hanging around with 2-3 girls. They just don't look at the story behind or rather they deliberately choose to call it a 'Harem Trash' even after admitting that story is good. There are 2 more seasons coming so some parts which ... you didn't understand in this season will be cleared in other seasons or at least i hope so because i haven't read the Novel so can't be sure. But i can tell you this much that Naofumi has great character design and development. And the other characters Are great as well. I will definately recommend watching this anime.

As Winter 2019's most popular airing show, it's kind of funny how the isekai genre as generic as people normally think of it can still be entertaining and creative even though the elements that you normally find in it aren't unique and just the common tropes. It's fun to see how the characters react and the resulting outcome as shown by Naofumi against the rest of society.

We're not that far into the story, though the past few episodes have been fairly strong from the start. While some people may see it as melodramatic or a cheap tug on emotions as the frustration from Naofumi gives ... a driving factor against the other heroes and betrayal of an initial companion, I found his actions reasonable since in his current state portrayed by the world's society there isn't much else you can really do.

Following the events after, there's a really nice moment on what happens when someone is being kicked while they're already down. It's not easy to think clearly when you're at a low point and with all the rage and despair at that point, you'd believe that no one is trustworthy. You needed something or someone to help you get back to your senses. That's where his only companion Raphtalia was there to let him know that she would stand by his side and be his sword. Do it for him!

Some may think that there's a set path for character development but just because it doesn't follow the standard doesn't mean it's not meaningful? People overcome their own faults and mistakes, we see Naofumi as in innocent victim but that's our view, we can't expect the other characters not associated with him to see this.

As far as the production quality goes, the art and animation are fairly good, however some dips in quality noticeable from more recent episodes. Music and OSTs are nothing short of spectacular as expected by Kevin Penkin. The overall story progression is fine, albeit considered a bit faster and less detailed than the light novel originally based off of.

If the isekai/game adventure genre is something you dislike then I won't bother recommending it, otherwise if you don't it's a pretty good watch.

(Also quick note that there are bot accounts negatively scoring some of this season's shows and upvoting negative reviews, such as this and Kaguya-sama, easily identifiable from the score stats so please be wary of that!)

In short, One of my all-time favourite isekai.

There are some shows, which upon watching only the first few minutes of the first episode can give us the impression that "yes, this would be one of my favourites". The shield hero was such a show for me.

From the start till finish this show managed to push all the right buttons that captivates me; a strong yet non-gullible MC, a caring and strong female MC and good supporting characters, excellent art, fantastic isekai storyline and apt pacing.

The story of a hero using one of the weapon which was considered weak or an accessory, and managing to ... face the odds which even the heroes with the conventional OP weapons couldn't handle, in a more realistic pacing got me hooked to this show.

Have rewatched this more than 5 times in the past few years. And will do so before the latest season 3 airs.

PS: skip season 2

I’m currently watching seven series of this season (winter 2019),tate no yuusha is the second or maybe the best airing right now, it reminds me of something beetween SAO and Re:ZERO.
The story is set in a fantasy world,where four people materialized from Japan.This guys are know as the four heroes that will save the world from wave of calamity. 9/10
The art is really good, not a perfect 9 but I will say an 8.5 that can become a 9 in the next episode.
Character: Naofumi is a really good protagonist(shield hero),Rapthalia is super cute, and they are developing in a good way. The other heroes as ... well. 9/10
I’m really enjoying watching this series, I think it can become even better.
I want to mention in this reviews the opening, oh boy! Madkid did it again, the opening is called "Rise", the rap part is really good. Sound 10/10
I hope that this series will go on being really good as it is now.

To preface this review, I first watched the series when it came out and loved it, but after being disappointed with season 2, I decided to go back and watch Season 1 again and see if it still was as good as I remembered, or if I just was caught up in the hype.

So first things first, I did end up changing my score as I was a victim of the hype, it wasn't the 9/10 that I had originally given it, the series has some flaws, and the animation, while slightly above average, is not at the standard it would need to be to ... be up there with the top ranking Isekai's
But for me, the story, characters, and character development still stands up, so it is a solid 8/10

Everyone should know the story of this series by now, so I'm only going to talk about it briefly, besides, it isn't the most interesting part of the series.
The main storyline with the waves is a backdrop where the only influence it has is on places that it hits, and characters who it has directly affected their lives, beyond that there is no sense of impending doom as everyone else engages in their own petty politics or schemes, or there are just some other goings on that have to be dealt with.
It's very much like they are the main dragon storyline in Skyrim that no one pays too much attention to, until they are forced to, because the rest of the time everyone is just focusing on the side quests and would rather be doing those.

Then we get to Myne / Malty's false accusations and her schemes, this is just an excuse to have Naofumi alienated from the others, and have him travel the land for the first half of the series, and while this is the part I prefer, it is more character driven than story/plot driven
Then when we get to Melty and the second half, and hints of a conspiracy, it becomes a lot more story focused.

However it's the second half of the series where we start to get issues, for me the conspiracy plot line didn't work that well as it felt rushed and violated the principle of "show don't tell" and in general things feel a lot more rushed. After taking its time on the first half, it feels like once they got to the second half they wanted to wrap up certain parts of the story and as such didn't allow it to breathe.
At a certain point it felt like it just said "we're done now, let's wrap it up" and honestly, I feel that is where the issues of Season 2 came from.

As said before, the first half was the part I enjoyed the most, it was focused in on the characters and their development, and while it was the part that was the most simplistic in the story, being more of a character drama, it felt the more rewarding.
For me, this was the reason why Season 1 was so good, yet season 2 was such a disappointment

Great anime! It is meant to resonate with people. The story is simple - the hero is looking into your eyes, your heart and soul. What you see on the screen reflects exactly what any of us goes through in our lives. There's betrayal, there's love, there's hate, there are friends and enemies. And it's not easy to make it through life. It's a journey and it's a struggle. There will be losses and there will be rewards. It is like looking at your own life through this anime. In that way this is a very unique anime. It tries to inspire you to continue ... living, fighting and not giving up.

It's a great anime for anyone going through hard times, which is probably everyone.
The art is great. Not over the top. Just right.
The plot is not complex but feels very deep on the most fundamental levels.
The characters are great too. Even the most minor characters feel they belong right where they are and contribute their share to the story.
This anime doesn't try to be better than other anime, it tries to make you feel better and give you hope, which is very rare for anime, since most shows are very self centered trying to impress the viewer with plot complexity, over-dramatization and other flashy tricks.

After watching this show I feel like Shield Hero is me.
And it's a good feeling. It's a real feeling.
If you didn't feel like Shield Hero after watching this.. well may be it's not your time yet. May be watch it when the time is right.. whenever it may be.

"The Rising of the Shield Hero" is a seemingly banal product, starting from its incipit.
How many anime, manga, or light novels have you seen start with "an ordinary person is summoned/reborn in an alternate fantasy world"? Too many, as evidenced by the fact that in the 2019 summer season alone, when this anime came out, there were at least three to four titles with the same premise.
Of all these copycat works, few really manage to stand out. "The Rising of the Shield Hero" is one of them, thanks to the excellent writing of the events and the rapid recharacterization of the setting.
"The Rising of the ... Shield Hero" catapults you into a seemingly perfect fantasy world and then, with a couple of punches in the stomach, brings you back to harsh reality and the simple truth that "men will always remain men." Betrayal, racism, greed, and violence: Aneko Yusagi describes a fantasy world that does not differ much from what our world was in medieval times.

Good characterization of the main characters, particularly the protagonist Naofumi, who undergoes a strong emotional change. His childish naivety is destroyed in the worst possible way, transforming him into a cynical and cold man. Only later, thanks to the presence of some faithful companions, does he return to soften a little.

In addition to the incipit, which we have seen and revised, perhaps the most evident problem is the non-existent characterization of the other three heroes. The author seems to dedicate no space to them. Is there any point in complaining about this? Yes, given the enormous importance of the three for the purposes of the plot. I don't know if the author will remedy this in the following series, but at least for this entire first series, the three have such marginal characterization that they are reduced to mere comic sidekicks. Furthermore, having the character's skill interface displayed in a similar way to the skills of an online RPG feels a bit misplaced.

"The Rising of the Shield Hero" has excellent animations. Its animated adaptation was created by the Kinema Citrus studio, which is known for Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 and the adaptation of the wonderful Made in Abyss. The soundtrack is good, with excellent opening and closing theme songs, but no particularly memorable tunes.

“The Rising of the Shield Hero” is undoubtedly one of the best anime of 2019. Its disenchanted and realistic narrative has captured the attention of many fans. It still has plenty of room for improvement, but overall its first season deserves its stardom. I recommend it to fans of fantasy and battle shonen.

Personal rating 8/10.

This should be my first anime of 2019 . I already read the manga and when I knew there was going to be an anime adaptation I was so looking forward to it .

So, the first episode turned out pretty decent with a longer duration than expected . Most of the time it happens that our MC is overpowered or actually not a hero rather a god in these another world animes .

But tate no yuusha no nariagari is different the hero is actually weak at start and this is already giving a revenge vibe so you can expect there will be a dark plot ... .So it actually gets gloomy at some parts of the show .

But the concept that the hero should be hated by all is rather perfect and unique. Because all the hero summoning animes or mangas I have seen so far were like.... hero-sama is so great and invincible who has the blessings of god and builds up a harem etc .

Another part was with the art and the characters the voice is spectacular also the face of the princess is pretty good (lmao) perfect face for a bitch that`s going to betray the MC . But the character of the sword hero ren was pretty odd considering he is 16 but he looks similar to MC who is 18 .

Further more the anime adaptation of this one is pretty good ,but originally a shield should not have power like that and also there are a few plot holes that one might notice. but I don`t think it matters much .

overall I think this is going to be a good anime . let me add some spoilers at the last part . The shield hero becomes more powerful than any of the other heroes .I specially liked the part where the other heroes were on the ground and he was standing serves them right .

The dark plot might not actually match up at few points making it boring and all but I think it`s overall a good anime with an interesting concept .Hope that the isekai fans will like it and I also think that it`s a good anime for the non-isekai fan`s who don`t like it that much because this anime basically goes through a different path than the others making the story more interesting.

I think the authors are doing a good job trying to modify this isekai genre . I mean look at first tensei shitara slime datta ken got rid of the harem concept and now tate no yuusha just dropped the normal flow and goes a different path similar to that of normal fantasy/adventure animes . So, people are getting bored with OP mC build up a harem in isekai so this might be good for a change of pace .