VOD (3)
Seasons(4) / Episodes(62)
Plots(1)
A gamer is magically summoned into a parallel universe, where he is chosen as one of four heroes destined to save the world from its prophesied doom. (Netflix)
Reviews of this series by the user Jeoffrey (3)
Season 1 (2018) (S01)
I do not believe the hype that this is the best fantasy anime series of recent years, however, I do firmly believe it is still a very satisfying show. The “Justice Porn” (as some are calling it) is very good in this show. Naofumi could have been a great main male protagonist if he had not been unlucky enough to only get his hands on a shield. They tried to get rid of him by ruining the reputation he was building, accusing him of terrible crimes, and leaving him to traverse the countryside. The anti-hero then comes to save the world - The Renegade! After all, it is great when the anime’s creators lure you at the very beginning of the show and shock you with all the injustices they let the main male protagonist suffer. Plus, throughout the following episodes, they are repeating this idea several times, because it is all building up to the moment when everything comes to a head and gets resolved, something the audience is able to fully enjoy. You get to experience the feeling of growing to hate some of the characters, rooting for the main male protagonist, and occasionally questioning who could have selected the other heroes, because I would have been hard-pressed to find a bigger bunch of (I will attempt to restrain myself here) fools and arrogant ignoramuses who have probably never heard the word logic in their lives. Plus, when the main male protagonist's karma is in negative equity practically from the beginning, and his motivation is at an all-time low because of all the injustices he has suffered, then the character development, the character's advancement practically happens by itself. Then again, people like to see the change from all the negatives turning into positives - it is inherently satisfying... Those are the main attractions of this first season, in my opinion, and I for one am curious to see what (if anything) the second season will come up with...8/10.
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Season 2 (2022) (S02)
Season 2 of The Rising of the Shield Hero definitely isn’t as good as the first one. It's hardly a surprise when the best thing about the first season (Justice Porn) is no longer there, leaving only a mediocre fantasy. After resolving the first story arc and completing the hero's revenge, the writer seems to be at a loss about where to take the story next. The way the tortoise is introduced into the story feels kind of unnatural and forced. Instead of moving on with the story that clearly hasn't ended and has room for development, it is cut off in a weird way, and a completely different danger B is inserted to replace danger A, without any detailed or logical exposition. A tortoise has appeared, be afraid! Unsurprisingly, it doesn't work at all. The part with the tortoise has no tension, it's not scary, and it’s an odd build-up to the second half, in which we’re hastily transported to another place to deal with something else, which has almost no impact on the overall plot, and the second season ends more or less where it started. It almost makes it seem like season two was just a pointless filler poorly grafted onto the main storyline. That's the way I feel about it. It would have been okay if the side plot was at least good. The first half drags, and tries to tug at your heartstrings, but only ends up being boring. The second half tries to be dramatic but uses the cheapest means. There are other worlds of other heroes (which isn't a spoiler because that’s been known since the end of the first season) but the show doesn't make me interested in the concept. So, what did I get in season two? A sexy tortoise, a moronic psychopathic villain, a new mascot of the series, some cheesy drama, the ever-so-lovable Raphtalia, and a finale with the qualities of a below-average OVA. This season really didn't do it for me. I hope the next one will be better... 4.4/10
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Season 3 (2023) (S03)
I won't avoid SPOILERS, so don't read this if you haven't caught up with the series! This season left me with a mix of impressions — thankfully more engaging than the previous one featuring the dull turtle and a questionable multiverse. We do get a dragon this time, though its forced entry into the story feels utterly absurd. The dragon becomes a threat because Naofumi and co. can't keep an eye on its diet, but okay. The storyline shifts focus to the other heroes, but there's nothing particularly noteworthy about them. One takeaway for me was the realization that becoming a wielder of a cardinal weapon seemingly requires a certain level of idiocy. Naofumi is lucky enough to be a one-eyed man among the blind, so he's not such an idiot as spear, sword, and bow. That's it, that's what the charisma of the main character is all about! The main message this season delivers is that the most reliable way to turn a selfish idiot into even a slightly normal person is to shut them up, preferably through some proper Bitch who will drain him, abuse him, and he won't even notice because he's an idiot! Naofumi went through this experience in the first season, but watching the same process unfold with the other heroes in a cookie-cutter fashion was tiring. What's even worse for me is the fact that I didn't enjoy the redemption of these three "heroes" at all. Or do you think they deserve to be in the village now? And Naofumi believes them, lets two of them go home immediately, while when an unknown girl appears at his doorstep, he hesitates to take her to the village, saying he can't trust her. But he starts trusting these idiots immediately after they go through the tragic "Bitch experience" (after all, shared experiences bring people together), and they are all depressed because of that woman, so everyone deals with it by instantly focusing on another woman. And I can't decide whether to put the guy with the spear and his obsession with Filo in the box labeled Pedo or Zoo – but who cares, it's so "hilarious" how he flatters her... And that last episode, what the hell was that? Okay, I can overlook the open shipping of Naofumi and Raphtalia, although I don't like it when the dynamics of relationships in a series change from father/daughter to husband/wife. A bigger problem is that the whole plot for the future fourth season is set in motion because Naofumi and co. don't pay attention to what clothes Raphtalia wears! This is the second time they haven't paid attention to something like this, or rather, the whole exposition and subsequent twist look like they were just made up on the spot! Damn, how I would like to be on the Shield Hero's team and live in his village, the safest place in the whole kingdom – only attacked twice this season. Those damaged houses might be repaired someday... It was a season full of experiences that I'll be laughing about for a few more years, but it wasn't all bad. Animation-wise, it was decent, except for the awkward CGI on the big dragon. Kevin Penkin's music, while commendable, didn't quite reach the heights of his work in Made in Abyss. I even liked the opening part in the colosseum and the rescue/recruitment of more new members to Naofumi's party. Despite all the clutter and a bunch of random plot twists, there's still the right fantasy feel that I expect from such anime, which is why I haven't given up on the hero with the shield yet. However, this season, for me, lands at a maximum of 4.8/10.
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