Review of The Rising of the Shield Hero

Please note this review is intended to be read by those that have finished watching Tate No Yuusha No Nariagari and while care has been taken to minimise spoilers there may still be spoilers within character analysis. You have been warned. Based off a popular light novel of the same name Tate No Yuusha no Nariagari which is better known by its English title The Rising of the shield hero is an action, adventure, fantasy and drama genre anime, that gives us the unique opportunity to see what would happen if a human being from the modern world was not just summoned to a fantasyworld but also summoned in order to take up the role of one of the world’s heroes and protect it as a once in a lifetime crisis takes place within the world. While Isekai genre anime like this one has long served as the staple of modern-day anime and on the surface, The Rising of the shield hero may look exactly like a standard example of that esteemed genre there are several aspects of it that in my eyes made it noteworthy. One of the main premises of the Isekai genre is of the fact that after being transported from the original world the person that was summoned will usually be given a large role that’s important to the well-being of the world to which they were summoned too with hero’s being the most common types. However, in the case of the Rising of the shield hero instead of using this common aspect of the genre, it instead flips it and makes the main character Naofumi take up the role of an anti-hero instead of being a hero as his fellows have become. This unique flip on roles while adding some much needed creativity within the genre also served to allow us to see the kind of unique interactions that the world’s inhabitants show to those that don’t fit the idea of their image of a hero which when paired with the types of bonds that Naofumi forges with his party members and his many allies within the series served to give a unique perspective on how prejudiced this new world can be. It is these aspects that served to draw me to this series and ensured that it was one that I would watch until the end. The first episode of the series while doing an excellent job in introducing both the setting, the main hero’s as well as the members of the kingdoms royalty also served well to show the kind of actions that can result from those that have both the power and the influence needed to make life difficult for those that have slighted them. While the first episode proved to be a somewhat controversial shock to some I felt that it was an excellent episode as it served to not just forge the foundations of Naofumi’s cynical personality but also help define his overall quest of finding a way to protect the world while trying to get his name cleared in a world that sees him as nothing more than a villain.

The overall story for the series takes place in a parallel world that combines the standard fantasy world where swords, magic and fantasy creatures exist with the types of prejudices and royal intrigues among royalty that’s common within the medieval era of the modern world. In this world of swords and magic, humans are not the only races that inhabit the world for they co-exist alongside various races of demi-humans as well but alas this co-existence is anything but peaceful and especially so in the kingdom of Melromarc. In this kingdom that serves as one of the primary settings for the series the king consort aided by his daughter has mandated a series of suppression on the kingdom’s demi-human population and has not just made life within the kingdom hard for them but also ensured that within the kingdom his word and that of his daughter was the law. A fact that swiftly becomes apparent when Naofumi was not just stripped of his title of hero but also labelled as a villain by both the royal family and the general population after a serious accusation by the princess to which despite having no sign of physical proof ensured that he was transformed from that of a righteous hero to that of a villain that had the title the devil shield. However despite being labelled as a villain and being cut off from all the support that the kingdom could provide him Naofumi determined to both prove his innocence and at the same time get his revenge for all the hardship that the royal family has inflicted on him does not let this stop him and despite being treated harshly by others still fights hard to both continue to live within the world and at the same time fight to protect it in his own way. But he will not do so alone for despite his status his grim determination to protect this world and get back at the royal family serves to draw many unique and powerful allies to his side that serves to not only increase his parties combat ability but also allow him to not just learn more about this world but also use it to his advantage in both defending this world from the waves and in getting justice for himself by proving that the accusations from the royal family were nothing more than lies. However in the face of both the increasing power of the waves which serves to bring increasingly powerful foes to the field and the ever malicious plots by the king consort to ruin him Naofumi and his party must not just fight hard on the field but also stay on their toes if they want to protect this world and fulfil the role of being a hero even one that is unacknowledged and unsung by the masses.

Naofumi

Naofumi portrayed by veteran voice actor Kaito Ishikawa of Rascal Does Not dream of Bunny Girl sempai and Sakurada Reset fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the main protagonist of the series. An otaku and a second-year student from the modern world that was abruptly summoned to a parallel world in the beginning of the series Naofumi on initial appearances is seen to be a positive, intelligent and earnest person by nature that somewhat contradicts the typical image of otaku’s given that he has no fear of interacting with others in society. A quiet person by nature Naofumi is shown to be someone that prefers to be low key and is shown to prefer using diplomacy to settle matters and ensure that everyone is getting along without any trouble. While doing well in showing Naofumi’s preference to use diplomacy to deal with matters this also did well to show how trusting Naofumi was towards both his fellow heroes and to the members of the royal family that he had just met. However, all of this soon changed as a result of both the false accusation that quickly labelled him kingdom-wide as a criminal and his banishment from the circle of heroes that have been summoned to fight the waves. After the change of Naofumi’s status from hero to criminal Naofumi’s personality gradually started to change.

While still remaining quiet and earnest Naofumi also notably becomes more aloof and serious in terms of attitude and indeed is willing to use threats against others if they prove to be obstructive of his goals. At the same time largely as a result of the fact that trust in his newfound state is no longer something that can be expected of others Naofumi was shown to develop a somewhat cynical attitude to life and always expecting things to go awry which is shown well in the encounters that he has with the various allies that he meets along the way. However while this aspect when combined with his willingness to use threats on innocents fitted well with the official story that he was a villain it can be seen that was also a blessing of sorts as it allowed him to easily determine the true nature of someone and more often than not expose them before they can cause any damage to him. Despite Naofumi’s cynical nature and his unwillingness to open his heart to others it can be seen that this is largely restricted to outsiders as when interacting with companions that have proved themselves to him it can be seen that he would not only fight hard to protect them but also work hard at not just developing their skills and equipment but also take great care in determining whether is there anything that’s bothering them aspects that show not just Naofumi’s caring nature but also of how considerate and perceptive he is as well. Despite the betrayal of the royal family it can be seen that Naofumi had never forgotten the fact that he was one of the heroes that have been summoned to this world to fight the waves and despite knowing that he would not get official gratitude from the kingdom and nothing but scorn from the heroes he would still work hard at not just protecting people but also encouraging them to fight together with him showing not just his desire to protect the innocents from harm but also do the job that he was summoned to do and thus showing his sense of responsibility not just to the people but to the world as well. This is perhaps best shown in the defence of Lute village which despite not being evacuated before the wave hit was literally abandoned to its fate by the other heroes due to its negligible strategic worth. Rather than follow suit Naofumi and party instead opted to protect the village and its inhabitants instead of going for the wave’s main force as others would have expected. This victory while a small one in the larger war effort did well in showing that Naofumi’s chief concern was neither glory nor fame but simply the desire to protect innocents that have been caught up in the war.

Within the series one of the most important bonds that Naofumi is shown to value the most is the relationship that he has with his fellow party member and confidant Raphtalia. While the relationship between the two was frosty at first due to his initial desire of wanting to use her as a tool this slowly began to change as a result of not just the number of battles and adventures that they have been through together but also of sense of trust that has been formed between the two of them a bond that served to not just ensure that she will not just fight for him but also fight to protect him from the many detractors that exist within the kingdom. As a result, seeing not just the amount of trust that Raphtalia has in him as well as the benefits that can come from having someone that you can rely upon and share burdens with Naofumi’s attitude towards bonds and friendships gradually started to change. While still far from being the first that would make a move when encountering new allies Naofumi gradually begins to learn to show more trust towards not just his allies but also his friends as well and willing to offer genuine praise and support to them when warranted which a far cry to how gruff he was in the past. This aspect is shown well not just in terms of words but also in terms of actions as well in Naofumi’s attempt to both protect his friends from harm by both creating new and better gear for them and in improving in his ability to finish battles quickly and effectively so as to minimise any potential damage to his friends. However, though Naofumi’s attitude towards showing trust in his comrades and to allies that he can trust in was softened the same cannot be said of his attitude towards both the royal family and his fellow cardinal hero’s. More than anything within the series Naofumi is shown to bear nothing but absolute hatred towards both the king consort and Malty who framed him and the cardinal heroes for not questioning the fact that there was no proof of his alleged crime. While this sense of anger towards them serves to not just provide a sense of motivation for Naofumi in his desire to get stronger it also served to provide him a powerful set of skills in the form of the Rage shield that had the potential to increase his combat ability considerably. This power, however, proved to be a double-edged sword however as while giving him a notable increase in combat power it also made him susceptible to the madness within a madness that thankfully he was never able to experience thanks to the increased bonds that connected him with his comrades. The character of Naofumi I felt was an interesting character that was both well designed and developed with the gradual evolution from a typical earnest and positive young man who seemed content with the life that he had to a cynical, serious and grim young man who expected to be betrayed by everyone and then finally to someone who despite living through a betrayal that would have broken a lesser man had not only learned to master the anger within him but also found a new sense of motivation that can not only help himself but his many comrades as well as they fight together to protect the world as hero’s being especially well done.

Raphtalia

Raphtalia portrayed by veteran seiyuu Asami Seto of Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Sempai and Strike the Blood fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the main heroine of the series. A member of the Tanuki demi-human race that inhabit the realm Raphtalia on initial appearances is seen to be a quiet, timid and hesitant person by nature. As a result of being enslaved at such a young age, Raphtalia in the beginning was shown to be rather hesitant when dealing with strangers both in terms of standard interaction like going to a restaurant and in learning to use weapons effectively on the field. Despite her fear of not just failing but also displeasing her master she was also shown to get scared easily. However, despite this fear she was shown to be a quick learner when properly motivated showing both determination to help master the new skills that she needs and a strong desire to do her job effectively an aspect that is shown well in the first team-ups between her and Naofumi in the field. At the beginning of the series largely due to her status as a slave Raphtalia was shown to be someone that expected her eventual masters to treat her badly likely due to the images of the number of slaves that she had seen being mistreated during her time at the market. As a result of this, it can be seen that she was pleasantly surprised that while Naofumi was a harsh master at first the efforts that he had put in teaching her not only served to allow her to defend him but also herself as well. At the same time while Naofumi’s outwardly aloof nature made it somewhat hard to approach for her it can be seen that she was surprised that rather than treat her harshly such as feeding her just scraps of food as others would have that Naofumi not only treated her to actual food but also allow her to eat with him as well. As a result of this treatment, it can be seen that Raphtalia’s attitude towards her new master swiftly improved with her fear of her master being largely replaced by a desire to both learn not just new skills but also more about the world to which she lives in. Though the time in which Raphtalia was a slave was a harsh one that had a heavy emotional toll on her it can be said that there was one thing that had kept her from giving in to despair as many of her fellow slaves have had which was her interest in the shield hero that came from the old legends that her parents told her when they were still alive. These legends while essentially nothing more than fabled tales was shown to have a deep impact on her and indeed they served as the primary reason for her desire to serve the shield hero should the opportunity present itself. As a result of this desire, Raphtalia had no qualms about stepping up and make that wish a reality when her master revealed to her his true identity. While very much aware that her skills were not yet powerful enough to be able to protect him effectively Raphtalia vowed to not just become stronger but to be also brave enough to fight by his side as his sword a vow that swiftly becomes a reality.

After growing up both mentally and physically and after seeing the kind of treatment that Naofumi receives from the kingdom’s people Raphtalia’s personality gradually starts to change. While still quiet to a degree Raphtalia in her grown-up form was seen to have become much more confident and direct with both her words and actions. While her child form would have shown some hesitation in both the usage of weapons and in identifying herself as part of the shield hero’s party here as a result of her newly founded confidence it can be seen this fear is no longer present and indeed is replaced by a strong sense of loyalty towards her master. This aspect is shown well in the many instances where Raphtalia stepped up to both stand up for herself and her master after being slandered by others. An interesting development that came about as a result of Raphtalia’s newly founded confidence that I found to be quite endearing was the fact that Raphtalia while for the most part was content with following her master’s orders was not above acting forcefully to force her master to take a deeper look at a situation. A good example of this is during the time when Raphtalia reminds Naofumi that there is no need to try and do everything by himself. While Raphtalia’s newly discovered confidence served to not just allow her to better defend her master both on the field and in society it can be said that this newly founded confidence also managed to awaken or otherwise enhance the other personality traits that had existed within Raphtalia. At the beginning of the series while noted to have a keen eye for detail Raphtalia was noted to be somewhat hesitant in passing what she had found to her master and as a result, causing delays in situational processing for the party. In the wake of her newly awakened confidence, however, this sense of hesitation and fear of acting outside of her bounds was replaced by her embracing her excellent senses while at the same time learning to pass on what she had learned to her master quickly and effectively. While enabling her to better support her master on the field this overcoming of her hesitation also allowed her to show more care towards her master by acting as both a comrade and a confidant to which she can provide both advice and her own unique take on the kind of situations that the party encounters in their journeys by listening too and determining the main aspects of the facts that have been discovered by Naofumi even the ones that Naofumi did not want to reveal. While showing well how considerate and understanding Raphtalia had become this also did well in showing the increasing bonds that have been forming between Raphtalia and her master as her past self would never have wished her masters displeasure by pressing for the whole truth. As a result of the ever-increasing bonds that have been forged between them its perhaps unsurprising that Raphtalia views the relationship that she has with her master as something that was dear to her and indeed this bond can be seen to act as her primary sense of motivation in life for in her mind it was the meeting between the two that had allowed her to break out of the grim reality of slavery and given her a new purpose in life which was to act as her masters sword. While serving to ensure that the bond between the two were almost unbreakable on account of the strong debt that both feel that they owe each other this bond when combined with her perceptive nature also allowed Raphtalia to better understand Naofumi’s personality and see past the lies that he creates to both protect himself and his parties while masking his true kind-hearted nature. While certainly understanding the necessity of protecting innocents from being targeted by his detractors it can be seen that Raphtalia dislikes the idea as while hiding the fact that her master had worked so hard to protect innocents it also served to prolong the impression that he was a villain as per the official kingdom’s bio of him a fact that frustrates Raphtalia to no end.

As a result of the strong bond that had been formed between Raphtalia and her master its perhaps unsurprising that she will find it threatened when a new party member joins, but such is the reality when Filo joined the party. While the introduction of Filo and later Melty within the party served to create some unique problems for Raphtalia it also served to allow Raphtalia to realise that while the bond that has been forged between her and her master was a strong one that didn’t mean that she cannot learn to expand the bond to accommodate other allies that have proven her worth not just to her but to her master as well. While the relationship between Raphtalia, Melty and Filo was a frosty one at first it can be seen that this gradually began to change and be replaced by a sense of mutual respect that results from the development of both friendships and the acknowledgement of a valued comrade. While doing well in both boosting the amount of combat power that the party can call upon this new bond also served to expand both Raphtalia’s desire to make more friends but at the same time awaken her desire to treat her party members as something akin to family members and protect them with all her might. While doing well in expanding upon her desire to make more friends in this world I felt that this development of hers also did well to introduce a surprisingly motherly side to Raphtalia’s character. The character of Raphtalia I felt was an interesting character that was both well designed and developed. The evolution of her character from a little girl who as a result of being forced into slavery from a young age and who was easily scared, nervous and unwilling to show her true thoughts to one that was not just more confident, intelligent and direct with both her actions and her words was well done. This is especially seen well in the role that Raphtalia had chosen for herself within the party which was that of her master’s sword as in this capacity she is not just able to stay by her master’s side as his sword but also act as his confidant and shield when needed. However this sense of seeing herself as a sword is by no means a way to view herself as a lesser being and indeed the opposite is true for Raphtalia sees the role of being her masters sword as both a means to repay her debt to her master for giving her a new purpose in life and for allowing her to meet the one person that she had wished so fervently to meet and save her from the bleak world that she had lived in. In a way it is perhaps fate that had allowed both Raphtalia and Naofumi to encounter each other for not only had they through their bonds with each other managed to create a bond that was not just able to provide both with a sense of trust, understanding and warmth that both had lost but also for the first time in their lives create a place where both feel that they can belong too and where they can show their true selves to each other while allowing both to stabilise their own fears and insecurities and help them become better people in the long run.

Filo

Filo portrayed by veteran seiyuu Rina Hidaka of SAO and Boarding School Juliet fame is one of the main characters of the series and is one of the members of Naofumi’s combat party. A member of the Filolials race a demi-human race that inhabits the realm Filo on initial appearances is seen to be an excitable, positive and innocent person by nature that closely resembles a child which considering the fact that she had just hatched prior was an apt term. While excitable Filo was also a polite, kind and loyal person by nature that enabled her to easily forge friendships with others as seen in how quickly she befriended Melty. Due largely to her child-like personality Filo was someone that was seen to have a keen sense of curiosity which when combined with her perceptive nature made her surprisingly keen-eyed at times which within the series is used well in her interactions with the spear hero. Unlike the other members of her race however Filo is able to transform into both an bird form and a human form that while showing that she is by no means a normal member of her race also does well in providing the party with some much needed tactical flexibility as her bird form allows her to both provide a means to travel to other locations within the realm faster while at the same time allow her to provide a much-needed boost to the party’s combat ability through the use of her talons.

As the series goes on however and Filo’s personality is gradually expanded upon it can be seen that Filo despite being a kind and caring person by nature is shown to be both surprisingly stubborn and at the same time teasing at times with this latter point being used for comical effect with regards to the spear hero. Indeed, this stubbornness of her’s while itself normally a negative trait of hers can be seen here as a defining trait of hers when used in conjunction with both her friendly nature and her loyalty to both her friends and comrades. This is shown well within the series during the rescue of Melty who can be said to be her first friend from the corrupt noble Idol where despite facing fierce resistance from his guards Filo still changed straight into the teeth of his defences to save her. While a powerful combatant that’s almost equal to Raphtalia and a definite asset to the party it can be seen that unlike Raphtalia Filo herself lacked any strong sense of motivation for wanting to serve Naofumi which while lessening the amount of power that she can call upon to help them when the situation requires it also made her susceptible to doubt as well something that Fitoria was able to exploit well within the series. However, despite this flaw, it can be seen that when Filo is properly motivated and has something and someone that she wants to protect that she too is capable of changing her personality in order to compensate for her own flaws. This within the series is shown during the rematch with Fitoria in which Filo rather than charging into battle without a plan as she would have done previously instead opted to show both calmness and caution willing to wait and observe the enemy’s attacks before deciding on how to approach a given battle. At the same time, Filo also awakened within her the one reason that she had needed to motivate her to become stronger which was her desire to both protect her comrades and at the same time her friends Naofumi, Raphtalia and most importantly Melty. The character of Filo I felt was an interesting character that was both well designed and developed with her evolution from a newly hatched girl that while infinitely curious and positive and cheerful to a fault to a girl that was not just immensely loyal to both her friends and comrades but also versatile enough to act as both a fighter and the parties rapid response asset being especially well done. While Filo’s versatility is without a doubt impressive for the party I felt that it was so for us the viewers as well as it allowed her to provide a degree of comic relief in her treatment of the spear hero.

Melty

Melty portrayed by veteran seiyuu singer Maaya Uchida of Charlotte and Goblin Slayer fame is one of the main support characters of the series and is one of Naofumi’s allies within the series. The second princess of the kingdom of Melromarc and the younger sister of the first princess Malty Melty unlike her older sister is a kind, caring and positive person by nature that despite her young age is able to see easily the larger picture of a given situation and react accordingly showing not just her intelligence but also her quick thinking nature as well. Unlike her elder sister and despite her young age Melty is able to project both a sense of gracefulness, calmness and sincerity that few girls her age is able to show and while doing well in showing the kind of behaviour that a princess should act with also does well to show that despite the darkness within the royal family there is still light within it. While a calm and kind person by nature Melty was also someone that was not just open-minded but also perceptive being able to not just accept the circumstances of an event but also pick out the main points of it no matter how far-fetched the story was and who it allegedly involves. This is further supported by her preference to confirm things with her own eyes rather than rely on the eyes of others as royalty often do. Unlike her older sister Melty was someone that was seen to be akin to a people’s princess in that she was not just friendly but also polite as well and was willing to apologize to others directly rather than send others to do so on her behalf and while further cementing her role as a princess also ensured that the impression that she left on others was a good one. True to her sincere and honest nature Melty was someone that preferred to be direct with her words and seemed to prefer to get to the heart of a matter quickly rather than waste time with pleasantries as other royals would have something that I felt complemented her nature really well. Unlike most people within her, kingdom Melty was someone that was curious by nature and was someone that believed that not all monsters were enemies of man which is best shown in the manner of how Melty met Naofumi and party and also in the strong friendship that she forms with Filo later on despite knowing who she was. In line with Melty’s core personality traits of being sincere and honest, it's perhaps unsurprising that Melty is someone that is shown to have an intense dislike of not just injustice but also the act of wanton cruelty that have been perpetrated by both her sister and her father across the kingdom. Indeed, while certainly uncomfortable on hearing the news it can be inferred that Melty must also feel immense regret that someone from her own family was actually responsible for these acts as well. As a result of this and in line with the image that she was the princess that will herald in a new change to the kingdom it was both a breath of fresh air and incredibly satisfying in seeing Melty lay the foundations for her mother’s return to the palace to bring about the change that she so desired.

As the series goes on however and Melty gets to experience first-hand not just how life outside the palace is like but also what it's like to travel with people that doesn’t let her status as a princess change in how they interact with her Melty’s personality gradually starts to change. Despite Melty’s image of an people’s princess whose kindness and calm nature was known across the kingdom it can be seen quite surprisingly that despite that Melty is still very much capable of showing anger as well which when combined with the verbal bards that she throws out at those that have angered her had the effect of showing a surprisingly cute side to her character. Unlike the rest of the royals Melty largely as a result of her mother’s teachings is of the belief that while the decision to summon all of the hero’s within one kingdom was the wrong decision believes that instead of simply confronting the waves haphazardly as the heroes had done so until she arrived that they should make the effort to form a unified front and fight the waves together. However this is by no means an easy task as not only had her father and sisters schemes splintered the unity of the hero’s but they had also created an intense sense of distrust between them that was not only making the situation grimmer but also gave other parties the gap that they needed to put forward with their own plans. Due largely to Melty’s role as a princess its perhaps unsurprising that she is someone that while knowing how things would work in theory would have no real knowledge on how things actually work in practice and as a result she while certainly diligent in her studies knew very little of the kind of life that exists outside of the walls of the palace. As a result, she was in for a rude awakening when she not only saw first-hand the kind of crimes that had been committed by the Knights of the kingdom but also of the actions that her esteemed father and sister had committed for no other reason other than just petty pride. This within her created a sense of doubt within her heart that served as her characters primary struggle which pitted her against whether to keep running away from her responsibilities and avoid conflict with her father and sister or to stand and fight and bring change back to the land by getting word to her mother the queen. Despite the difficult choice that effectively pitted her own ideas and desire to see fairness in her kingdom be extended to all with the petty pride that her own father and sister was displaying I was glad that Melty’s experience with Naofumi and his party and her ability to see the larger picture contributed in enabling her to make the right decision and bring back her true ruler of the land and turn the war around.

In the beginning of the series Melty’s relationship with Naofumi was shown to be a rather frosty one due to his distrust of members of the royal family as a result of the betrayal that he was subjected to which when combined with Naofumi’s aloof and cold nature only served to make Melty’s job of mending relations between the royal family and him a difficult job. However, as the series progressed and Naofumi was able to not just see first-hand the kind of efforts that Melty was putting in to mend the rift between him and the royals his impression of hers gradually began to soften much to her delight. Though still somewhat put off by his aloof nature and his unwillingness to show his true feelings openly Melty like Raphtalia and Filo before her was able to see past his guard and see the kind and caring person that lay beneath the shield that Naofumi puts up around people and as a result began to treat him as a friend and comrade with the first of her steps being to get her to call her by her first name rather than her role identifier a scene that I felt was both amusing yet heartwarming. While Melty and Naofumi are shown to quarrel quite a bit over the course of their journey rather than showing any sense of anger between the two it can be seen that rather the opposite is true for rather than create splits between the two these quarrels actually serve to allow both Melty and Naofumi to improve the bonds that been formed between them and allow Naofumi to not just understand how things within the kingdom work but also allow him to see things from her perspective as well and contributing in allowing both to eventually see each other as comrades that can be counted upon to help each other when needed. The character of Melty I felt was an interesting character that was both well designed and developed with her evolution from a kind, polite and caring young woman who while acting in good faith knew little of how things worked in the real world to someone who despite seeing the amount of darkness that lurked outside the walls yet was still determined enough to stay true to her ideas and correct the mistakes that have been committed by her father and sister by standing with the one hero who had been shouldering the burden of protecting the people by himself to be well done. While the relationship between Melty and Naofumi was not developed to the same level as the one between Naofumi and Raphtalia I felt that it was still well thought out as Melty’s first responsibility was always going to be the safeguarding of both the country and the people despite her feelings for Naofumi.

AMV

In term of animation, I thought that the series characters both in terms of main and support ones were not just well designed but also matched well visually with not just their roles within the story but also with the circumstances of said character within it. This is shown especially well with relation to the heroes and their support parties with Naofumi and his party being of particular note. While the Sword, spear and bow hero’s as a result of their acceptance by both the king consort and the princess Malty were both expensively equipped and armed and armoured in the best gear available Naofumi’s party was the opposite with him bearing ragged but yet functional equipment that reflected their contrasting fortunes within the world. Notably, I felt the character designs also made great use of colour to not just show the personalities of the characters but also serve to make them more distinguishable on screen. In this regard, this proved particularly effective for both Raphtalia and Melty both of which bore distinctive designs that matched well with their personalities. In terms of environment design and variety, I felt that the series made great use of the types of locations that can exist within a fantasy world where both magic and monsters can exist. While the series did well in featuring the standard villages, towns, mines, and ruins it also featured a surprising amount of variety by featuring locations like ghost ships, beaches, leisurely islands and more within the series. In terms of combat animation and fights this is one area in which I felt the series truly excelled at thanks to both the many excellently designed enemies and the strong and well designed battles that take advantage of both the enemy design and the ever-increasing bonds between the members of Naofumi’s party that ensured that while their abilities and skills improve in leaps and bounds that they also understand the kind of roles in which they must fulfil when fighting on the front line. While strength certainly is important I felt that the battles in which Naofumi and party fought in also made great use of tactics and strategy which when used in combination with the trust that was formed between the party served to make each battle within the series a unique and entertaining experience.

In terms of music the series made use of two opening and ending themes for the two cours with the openings being Rise and Faith by MADKID and three ending themes which were Kimi No Namae by Chiai Fujikawa, Failing Through Starlight by Raphtalia’s seiyuu Asami Seto and Atashi ga Tonari ni Iru Uchi Ni that was also sung by Chiai. Of the opening themes while both Rise and Faith served well to both introduce tension within the series on account of the kind of stakes that the world was facing in the form of the waves also served to introduce differing sub emotions as well with the former introducing both darkness and a desire to take back something that was lost which matched well with the first cour while the second introduced the themes of determination to stand firm with your allies and friends against the waves to protect them in the present to ensure a future ensures. With regards to the ending themes like the opening themes they too also served to represent specific themes within the series with Kimi No Namae being one that symbolised both despair and resentment against the world which I felt matched the first episodes superbly. The latter two ending themes while symbolising the types of emotions that the members of the party were experiencing as they bonded with each other also I felt grew calmer and more peaceful in their undercurrents and reflecting well on the gradually improving situation within the world thanks to Naofumi and party’s efforts on the front. In terms of the series OST, I felt that this was very well designed as it showed a surprisingly an excellent variety that allowed it to switch from calming tones to grand ones seamlessly as the series story progressed. The ones for combat scenes, in particular, were particularly impressive with my personal favourite being the one in ep11.

In terms of voice acting, I felt that the series main voice cast did an excellent job at portraying their assigned characters whether main or support ones. In particular, I felt that Kaito Ishikawa, Asami Seto, Rina Hidaka, and Maaya Uchida all did an excellent job at portraying the characters of Naofumi, Raphtalia, Filo, and Melty respectively. Though the two were only introduced in the latter half of the series I felt that veteran seiyuu’s Sakura Tange and Kikuko Inoue both did an excellent job at portraying the characters of Fitoria and Mirelia respectively. Likewise, the characters of L’Arc and Therese who were portrayed by veteran seiyuu’s Jun Fukuyama and Saori Hayami respectively while only appearing near the end of the series proved to be surprisingly effective characters on account of both their chemistry and combat ability. While later comers to the series the vocal ability of both veterans really helped in ensuring that their respective characters left a lasting impact within the series as it neared its end. While only appearing twice within the series I felt that Megumi Han who portrayed the character of Glass did an excellent job at portraying the mysterious and enigmatic beauty whose sharp tongue is on par with both her high combat ability and her enigmatic nature.

Overall conclusion

In overall Tate No Yuusha No Nariagari was an excellent anime that I felt was one of the best ones of the spring 2019 season with its main strong points being its unique premise that expanded upon the traditional concepts of both the Isekai genre and of Hero led animes, an excellent and well designed story, excellent and well developed characters, strong voice acting from a talented voice cast and well designed and executed battles that combined excellent tension with easily relatable stakes for both the heroes and the world.

The overall story of the series is without a doubt one of the series greatest strengths due to its combination of combining both the overall journey that Naofumi and his party went through as they went from being outcasts that were shunned by the kingdoms general populace to becoming hero’s that proudly stood and fought on the frontlines to protect the people from danger and the impact that these actions had on the larger war effort as a result of the many strong and lasting bonds that have been forged not just between Naofumi and his party but also with the many support characters that existed in the kingdom but yet were reluctant to ally with the kingdom for various reasons. While the overall story did start off by making use of a unique concept for Naofumi’s origin story that might have raised a few eyebrows I felt that this concept of introducing the role of a atypical hero to Naofumi’s character actually ended up being a well thought out idea as not only did it ensure that Naofumi was determined to prove his innocence in the eyes of the kingdom but also cause him to realise that as a result of being cut off from the kingdom’s resources that he would have to find a means to increase his combat effectiveness. While the decision to include slavery into the series was a tricky concept that proved controversial in some areas I felt that this method in the end managed to serve its intended purpose well as while it allowed Naofumi to increase his combat ability by taking Raphtalia under his wing this also allowed the opening of his eyes to the concepts of both friendship, bonds and loyalty that would later go to serve both him and the party well as Raphtalia’s inclusion into his party not only allowed him to gain a potent sword that can tear through the toughest of foes but also allow him to gain a close confidant that serves to balance out the cynicism that had developed within him. As the party expanded thanks to Filo and Melty’s introduction this bond of friendship not only served to make the party a much potent force on both the battlefield and in the kingdom but also served to expand the world significantly a fact that I felt was an excellent result. While the role of any hero within a series is to act to protect the people from harm I felt that Naofumi’s role as an atypical hero and the cynical nature that he had surrounded himself with as a result of the betrayal made him somewhat unique. While this nature of his more often than not served to make others suspicious of him I felt that this also made the effects that his actions had on others and the reactions that they give after seeing it that much more powerful while also giving both Naofumi and myself a great degree of satisfaction especially if the said party was the arrogant type.

Taking advantage of both the story and the character development that came about was the series excellent combat scenes. While most Isekai series that feature combat tend to follow the standard role of having fighters, rogues, mages and healers I felt that The Rising of the shield hero just as they improved upon the hero concept also served to expand upon the combat as well. While Naofumi himself may have been a fighter the fact that his main weapon was a shield may have given the impression that he was a one tricked pony but within the series this is not the case as thanks to the large variety of shield designs and abilities the shield that many looked down upon can be said to be one of the most powerful weapons within the series thanks to the sheer amount of tactical flexibility that it gives both him and the party. Likewise, this is also shown in both Raphtalia and Filo as well who acts as both the party’s main melee attacker and guerrilla fighter and mage and fast attack fighter respectively. Melty while joining the party only halfway through the first half of the series also served to become a potent force for Naofumi’s party as Melty while a competent mage was also a skilled diplomat whose intelligence and perceptiveness made her a worthwhile addition to the party. These dual roles within the party while the having the potential to cause great damage to any enemy that they fight along the way also had the potential to cause great confusion to them if they were used haphazardly but thankfully within the series these dual roles were used to great effect when used in conjunction with the strong bonds of friendship, loyalty, determination and desire that served to link the core party of Naofumi, Raphtalia, Filo and Melty in a nigh unbreakable bond that served to become their solid foundation as they fought to beat back the waves and protect the kingdom and its people from harm. This within the series is shown especially well within the series many battles in which the cast’s unity and determination allowed the creation and unleashing of many powerful and unique combo’s that while allowing the defeat of many an enemy also showed the depths of the bonds that made it possible.

In terms of final score, I can say for certain that Tate No Yuusha No Nariagari easily deserves a final score of 10/10 on account of its combination of a unique take on a tried and tested premise, excellent world building, well designed, developed and easily relatable characters, excellent combat scenes that were paired well with unique and powerful enemies and excellent voice acting from a top tier voice cast.