Review of The Rising of the Shield Hero

Really solid show. There were a couple aspects that fell a little flat, but on the whole this show was very entertaining. The three main characters are great and their relationships are really fun to watch over the course of the show. That said, some of the emotional climaxes, especially during the times when Naofumi used the dragon shield, were a little underwritten. The show was good, but there was something missing that held it back from being really great. The beginning was probably the strongest part. The way the show introduced the world and everything working against Naofumi immediately made the audience want to rootfor him and made them become emotionally invested in what happened to him. The show was also very effective at making the audience hate the people who backstabbed him, further investing the audience in the resolution to Naofumi's predicament.

I liked the climax, but the introduction of the antagonists felt a bit rushed. On the flipside though, I really enjoyed the dynamic they introduced, challenging Naofumi's character and providing an interesting conflict. He was forced to question why he fights and whether his resolve is strong enough to deprive others of their home, which I'm really excited to see dealt with in the coming seasons. It'll also be interesting to see if he is able to stay in the world after the waves are defeated. The romantic undertones were another aspect I didn't mind, but they weren't developed much, so as cute as Raphtalia is, that part of the show will need to be further explored to keep it interesting. The animation was solid, but nothing really stood out. The fight scenes were pretty ordinary, which was disappointing.

Overall, I enjoyed this, but I think it could be better. I'm really excited to see what they do with the next two seasons though.