Review of The Rising of the Shield Hero

Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari was fun to watch, and I think it's an easy recommendation for anyone that enjoys isekais. I'll try to explain why down below, without spoilers. The story : The story was "neutral" I'd say, it was neither bad nor good. It's coherent enough so that you can get into the story, the scenario is ( too ? ) easy to understand, and the events happening are believable. But it suffers from the same problems as many other animes, the story isn't original at all, although there are the usual tiny twists to make the story feel a bit unique. Likewise,quite a few elements/rules are simply shown, but never given any justification and it hurts the overall credibility of the story. BUT it's nothing major, the viewer can tolerate it, it's done in many other shows, you just have to keep in mind that you shouldn't watch this if you are searching for a flawless story, filled with logic and exempt from any plot holes.

The characters :

I think the main reason behind the success of this ln/anime/manga is the duo of main characters, Naofumi & Raphtalia. While not being particularly original ones for those mediums, the alchemy simply works between them. Naofumi as the isekaied protagonist is lovable, he isn't cringe, his actions and decisions feel logical. Concerning Raphtalia, it's your typical strong waifu, now don't expect a complex character, she has many common traits you'd find in other isekais for a female mc, but the story established between her and Naofumi makes sense, and their relationship is cute and wholesome. The rest of the cast is decent, some characters are fine, others are walking clichés.

( Quick point to qualify the characters : for some reason, many female mc in this show are children and/or have childish appearances, hopefully there's is practically no fanservice and this show doesn't have any weird scenes, but you know, it feels like a questionnable choice from the author... )

TL;DR :

All in all, Tate no yuusha no Nariagari is a good take on the isekai genre : it's not trying to reinvent the wheel, but it has a strong duo of mcs, and you'll enjoy watching them grow as a party and try to overcome the many dangers they'll face in this other world. While it is true that the story might be lacking a few things, it remains interesting enough and the rythm feels good for a 25 episodes long season. Give this anime a try if you enjoyed other popular isekais, you'll love Naofumi & Raphtalia as well !