“Naofumi, the Shield Hero, is falsely accused and must fight Waves of Catastrophe with slave Raphtalia.”
The Rising of the Shield Hero
盾の勇者の成り上がり
Would You Love or Hate This?
AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste
Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
Synopsis
Naofumi, the Shield Hero, is falsely accused and must fight Waves of Catastrophe with slave Raphtalia.
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.
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 315 sampled reviews
What 315 viewers settled on.
Polarized
σ 2.23 · split reception
5.2 pts
Recommenders 8.4 · others 3.2
↑ 3.15
Running avg · Feb 2019 → Sep 2025
- 10 “I really like this anime so much, i dont know why so many people hate this isekai anime. I dont care if it isekai or harem or whatever. I just saw the good point on the story and character. The...”
- 7 “I honestly loved watching this, and seeing the protagonists slowly go from doing what looked like "evil" to making the world a better place was just amazing to watch as the public opinion about...”
- 10 “Its a good isekai anime at least it was good and better than the most of isekai anime that just diplays a lot of fan service and cringy jokes that unnecessary. and the story is pretty good about...”
Watch Order & Related
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See all credits →Production slate
- Format 25 × 24′ eps × min
- Total runtime 10h 00m all episodes
- Aired Jan 2019 – Jun 2019 Winter 2019
- Source Tv media type
- Rated PG 13 - Teens 13 or older
- Ref. BS-12870 catalog
Produced by
- Frontier Works Producer
- AT-X Producer
- Nippon Columbia Producer
- Glovision Producer
- Good Smile Company Producer
- Sammy Producer
- Crunchyroll Producer
- Kadokawa Media House Producer
- NTT Plala Producer
- Kadokawa Producer
Licensed by
- Funimation Licensor