The Rising of the Shield Hero is a 25 episode isekai anime based on the light novel series. Naofumi is a college student who stumbles upon a book in the library that suddenly transports him to another world. This world is currently ravaged by “waves”, which are waves of enemies that appear to destroy everything in sight. The kingdom has already tried to repel the first wave and it was stronger than they anticipated. The world also has a legend that states that four heroes will be summoned to defeat these waves. Each of the four heroes wields a different weapon: sword, bow, spear and shield. Naofumi just happens to be one of the four summoned and is the Shield Hero.
Unfortunately for Naofumi, the Shield Hero is seen as the weakest and most useless (since it only focuses on defense and has no offense). The legend does state that all four heroes must work together to defeat the waves, but Naofumi is immediately looked down upon by the other three heroes, as well as everyone else in the kingdom. The heroes have to train up, and this is where all the gaming mechanics come into play such as levels and stats. Naofumi, having already experienced being pushed away, struggles to kick off his adventure. He has grand ideals of being an isekai protagonist but the first episode puts things into perspective for him. Granted, you could tell something was up from the very first moment but his easy trust causes great injustice to fall upon him.
While hard to watch, it is something that had to have happened to Naofumi, since he steels his resolve as a result. As the viewer you are waiting for him to gain in power and prove everyone else wrong. Although to be honest, it would be unexpected if he just rebelled and refuse to help the ones who summoned him here, since all four heroes are required to save the world. Thus Shield Hero has a fairly decent opening that makes you invested almost immediately.
Considering all the continual injustices that Naofumi endures, as well as the unfair disgust that he receives, he surprisingly holds together well. He doesn’t let his temper go, biding his time and just doing what he can to help and survive. Naturally, Naofumi slowly gains the trust of the common people (the ones that actually matter) while the other heroes continually become further and further away from understanding the value of things in this world. This is because the others still treat this as a game rather than reality.
There seems to be a deeper reason why the Shield Hero is pressured like this. Powerful groups want to crush the Shield Hero away and some characters are just pure evil. It’s frustrating when the other heroes are so stupid and blinded to not see pass their own prejudices. The series has a theme that one can relate to. Naofumi is being prejudiced against through no fault of his own, but based on just being the Shield Hero. He is pushed down and marginalized. However, deep down, we all want the underdog to rise up and surpass those that was above him through hard work, cleverness and reaching the full potential of his abilities, and Shield Hero does that very well.
Naofumi’s journey is a hard one, and he doesn’t get all the recognition that he deserves. While the other heroes fight the “bosses” of each wave, Naofumi is the one protecting the villages, so while it is not as flashy, it is equally important. Yet we later learn that there is a reason why Naofumi continually gets framed, and it is something that will be difficult for him to get over. So while the painful experiences never completely go away, there are small glimmers of hope and that is what keeps you watching.
Despite being looked down upon as the worst weapon, the shield is actually very versatile and powerful. Not to mention that it has unparalleled defensive powers, but there are a huge amount of abilities that Naofumi learns. Even using some of those in slightly more unorthodox ways can mean that the shield can be a dangerous and powerful weapon. It’s great when Naofumi triumphs over his rivals, even if he has to overcome their cheating. The anime paints a picture that while the other heroes may be cold, and their actions not the greatest, they may not be as bad as the first episode depicts them. It’s still no excuse for having their eyes blinded to the truth but is a little bit easier to stomach.
While the anime reverts to some clichéd isekai tropes with Naofumi gaining praise and having good party members, the key difference is that you feel he has earned it. It wasn’t given to him on a silver platter; he had to endure a lot of trials to achieve the results. That’s the thing with Shield Hero, you tend to give Naofumi a free pass with a lot of things that you would normally be annoyed about in other isekai anime, purely because of the suffering Naofumi had to endure beforehand.
Just when things are seemingly looking up for the Shield Hero, life throws another curve-ball at him. It’s no surprise that whenever he meets anyone new that he has severe trust issues. Even as the viewer, you narrow your eyes with doubt at every character that interacts with Naofumi. Due to all the good work and reputation that Naofumi is building (even though he acts like a selfish money-grubbing jerk in front of others), there are several factions that start to align to him.
The anime keeps your interest with its various twists and turns, and the obstacles that it throws to Naofumi. Having him overcome against all odds and slowly forging ahead is what keeps you coming back. As Naofumi gets stronger, while the king acknowledges his power (to a degree), there seems to be more going in the background such that Naofumi keeps getting the underhanded treatment. The first time that Naofumi rebuts these talk downs was extremely satisfying, but that just incites the hostility even more. Naofumi then has to watch his back ever more carefully as nearly everyone plots to frame him for something to ruin him.
It’s satisfying when Naofumi jumps in to save the day. By the time a few waves have passed, the nature of them becomes just a tad bit clearer. While we don’t know why they’re happening or what they are, there seems to be a reason behind them and the Shield Hero was singled out to be the one to solve it. It’s a testament to Naofumi’s personality that he doesn’t just break and kill everyone.
The other great thing about Naofumi is apart from his first betrayal where he feels sorry for himself and despairing, from thereafter, he manages to keep forging ahead. He accepts that bad things are going to happen to him and he pushes ahead to continue to do what he does. He ignores the slandering, he ignores the manipulation and he ignores the twisting of events, and then forges his own path around it. However, each time this happens, you tend to think, is he going to break this time, is he going to snap and lash out at everyone or can he keep going like this, being underappreciated and blamed for horrendous things that he did not commit.
What’s good is that Naofumi doesn’t just easily forgive as if nothing has happened. Yet, he knows what is at stake and will do what is required to help take down their common enemy. This doesn’t mean he has forgiven them, and this is what makes the anime not idealistic, but also not too angsty either, it feels a lot more relatable and realistic. When the villain finally reveals themselves for an admittedly really impressive climactic battle, you can’t help but think it was kind of an easy way out. For them to outright state their plans, after all the efforts to conceal and frame Naofumi, can be a bit of a letdown. Yet it does lead us to the best battle of the season, complete with epic moments and flashy skills. The only slightly flaw in that battle was the final strike upon the villain, which felt a bit comical given how the animation contrasted against the intense atmosphere at that point.
And when you think that all the good stuff has finished happening, and the rest of the season is going to be a more relaxing set up for the next season, you’ll be proven wrong. It’s all the tenser when you realize that there are not many episodes left and yet it keeps raising the stakes. It introduces things that were hinted before being put in the back-burner, and now bought to the forefront again. The implications of these are massive. This leads to a satisfying season finale.
The anime doesn’t waste time on fan service. There are some light elements of it but it never focuses upon it like a lot of isekai anime do. There are some key standout pieces of music that really suits the scenes that it’s played in. In one of the best scenes of the season, the music is timed extremely well with what’s happening on screen, making an already epic scene even more effective.
Overall, The Rising of the Shield Hero is a great anime. Having Naofumi be treated like he did, being continually so, and whether he can ever get redemption is a compelling reason to watch the anime. Each episode seems to end at a spot where you cannot resist the temptation to just watch the next one. The pacing is fantastic, and the story contains plenty of world-building that holds a lot of promise. The next season cannot come fast enough.
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