The Fantasy Anime On Streaming That Turns The Genre On Its Head
Seasons 1 and 2 of The Rising of the Shield Hero are currently streaming on Crunchyroll, and will take you on an adventure of a lifetime if you’re willing to take a deep-drive. Unlike many of its contemporaries, this anime series defies genre conventions on both the Isekai and fantasy genre fronts.
The series has been praised for its unique portrayal of a main character getting whisked away into an alternate world, and expertly reinvents the concept of your typical anti-hero in a way that’s not only innovative, but also refreshing.
[F]ans and critics alike agree that The Rising of the Shield Hero is a unique outlier in the anime genre because it defies expectations.
The Rising of the Shield Hero centers on protagonist Iwatani Naofumi, who is summoned into another world through a book he discovered at the library. In this world, there are Four Cardinal Heroes donning different forms of weaponry: spear, sword, bow, and shield. Naofumi is tasked with becoming the shield hero, and by joining the other three heroes will be able to fight the primary antagonists, the Waves of Catastrophe.
Throughout the two seasons that are available to us, we witness Naofumi’s fall from grace, and his subsequent need to overturn his desperate situation after losing everything.
One thing that you’ll notice about Naofumi is that he’s widely considered by fans of the Aneko Yusagi light novels of the same name to be an interesting protagonist. Naofumi is considered to be an anti-hero with an ambiguous moral compass, and fans of The Rising of the Shield Hero recognize that he is not subject to the all-too-familiar anti-hero cliches we’ve seen in the past.
One notable personality trait that gets brought up time and time again is that Naofumi doesn’t come across like a jerk, and actively makes concerted efforts to improve himself and become a stronger, better person.
The first two seasons of The Rising of the Shield Hero are streaming on Crunchyroll.
Even when Naofumi loses everything, he never shows signs of insecurity in the face of adversity. He’s likable and keeps pushing forward with his mission rather than falling apart and dwelling on his troubles. Even when he is shunned by society in The Rising of the Shield Hero, he focuses on his goals, which makes his personality so much more relatable to the average viewer.
Throughout the first two seasons of The Rising of the Shield Hero, Naofumi has good reason not to trust those around him, which leads to questionable behavior. As the series progresses, he becomes an outcast, and rightfully becomes angry.
But as his actions tread into morally questionable territory, like carrying out torture, buying slaves, and letting bandits go even though they should remain captive, he never loses his conscience, and he is troubled by what needs to be done for the greater good.
Given the context of Naofumi’s situation, fans and critics alike agree that The Rising of the Shield Hero is a unique outlier in the anime genre because it defies expectations. The series has been praised for not following the same old tropes while also highlighting the darker consequences of acting out in such a morally ambiguous way.
But at the end of the day, Naofumi remains a hero, and despite his developing cynicism, which causes him to become distrustful and spiteful, he still has a lot of heart.
Season 1 of The Rising of the Shield Hero currently has no critical reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but its audience score of 92 percent tells us that the anime series has not only broken into new territory but has done so successfully.
Season 2, which came three years after Season 1’s release, is said to not have the same level of charm as its predecessor but is still worthy of watching if you want to continue the story.
Season 3
The Rising of the Shield Hero was renewed for a third season, which will premiere on October 6, 2023. Season 3 will center on the light novel’s Fallen Heroes Arc, and will run for a total of 12 episodes.
While there was certainly a dip in audience reception with its second season, The Rising of the Shield hero still has plenty of time to regain the confidence of viewers, and take its storytelling to the next level.
If you’re tired of your typical fantasy tropes and need something to keep you interested, binging Seasons 1 and 2 of The Rising of the Shield Hero comes with a strong recommendation and may very well become your favorite new anime series.
