Review of The Rising of the Shield Hero

There are an abundance of isekai anime at this point. This, I feel, still manages to be one worth watching. A story never comprises solely of content. The way it is told makes a world of difference. In Tate no Yuusha, the plot is paced very well. You join the protagonist from the start(as is traditional of isekai), seeing his trials and tribulations, how he tries to overcome them, but also how they affect him. The ordeals he goes through, and his reactions to them, are relatable and allow you to empathise. This is a story of a guy who worked hard, but who also tries toput some thought into his actions, which I very much enjoyed. I thoroughly dislike the trope of an idiot protagonist for the sake of idiocy(Fate/Stay Night anyone?), and seeing him struggle right from the onset made it interesting to watch.

Indeed, he ends up attracting a bunch of girls in quite a stereotypical fashion, but he doesn't display any harem-protagonist tendencies, rather treating them as they were presented. Minimal love triangles and romance-induced drama was also a huge plus for me.

Overall, interesting story, well told, great voice acting, and good pacing.