Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
uchu_no_otaku
I was honestly surprised that this turned out so good. The first few episodes really got me because of how Naofumi was treated. Being oppressed, framed and basically having everyone against him made me feel the anger with him. 😂 I was actually getting heated watching it, like bro, I want to punch all of them too lol.
I really liked watching Naofumi slowly change after everything that happened to him. The way he starts off completely bitter and distrustful but still ends up caring about the people around him was probably my favorite part. Raphtalia was also a great addition and their relationship made the story much better.
The only thing I felt near the end was that the story started getting a little slower. It wasn't bad, but after such a strong beginning, I was expecting the same leve…
Read at the sourceLividBunny
Art and Animation wonderful, CGI spectacular.
Even though it's the kind of beginning that I despise, but knowing it was backed by KADOKAWA I don't regret having experienced it.
It's a drag of a start but then it gets into a ridiculous mystery, I did expect that bit also but for it to be a deep dark plan is what made me like it.
There was a lot of grace periods with lots of conversation which could have been better.
But still there was enough action to counteract.
Some funny and sweet bits, but mostly heart clenching strife.
It has a lot of negative emotion and the representation of the struggle is too good.
Read at the sourcesimonanimeman
The Rising of the Shield Hero Season One was a generic premise that had great potential but fell flat on some fronts.
The plot of this season revolves around a regular college student, Naofumi Iwatani who gets summoned to another dimension, specifically the Kingdom of Melromarc, as he is one of the four “Cardinal Heroes” destined to stop the incoming waves of calamity.
I’ll start with the pros, this season is essentially an underdog story, Naofumi is betrayed very early in the story and because he is the shield hero, he doesn’t really have a means of attack. Seeing him want to get revenge at first but mature throughout the story as the underdog was satisfying. There was also a level of progression present with Naofumi and his team, each one of them really felt like they got stronger and…
Read at the sourcekamikoluna17
A Frustrating Journey — 25 Episodes of High Blood Pressure
I usually write reviews for only two reasons. First, when an anime is so good that I genuinely want to share it with everyone—the kind of story that makes you say, “You have to watch this.”
Second, when it’s so disappointing that I feel the need to warn people not to waste their time.
Unfortunately, The Rising of the Shield Hero falls closer to the second category for me.
I started this anime right after finishing a really good one, so my expectations were pretty high. Considering how popular it is, I honestly thought I was about to watch something amazing. Instead, most of the season left me feeling more stressed and irritated than entertained.
Episode after episode, I kept getting frustrated. Many of the characters were so a…
Read at the sourcebob-weebington
The Rising of the Shield Hero is one of those shows that stands out for triggering my emotions. How? The characters are so overtly prejudiced against the shield hero that it made me angry. Really angry. And you won't like watching anime with me when I'm angry.
Kidding. Now, this plot feature of everyone hating the hero guy is actually fairly unique and refreshing in a sea of zero dimensional overpowered main character protagonists one-shotting everything. Or it would be refreshing if it didn't make me so darn angry.
Then the show turns back from the hero's bad relationship with the general public to his relationship with his slave half-raccoon girl. Coon girl might be the star of the show... or not.
Part of what I didn't like about this show, besides all the shield hero HATE, is how for…
Read at the sourceRombonn
Ok so like I think this is one of the better isekai series you can watch and the first half of the season actually supports my statement, though the second half kinda fell into the average isekai slump that a lot of these types of shows seem to fall into. I like the idea of the main character being a genuine pariah and having to deal with the constant hate aside from a few close people. It both makes this show unique (in a good way) (looking at you, vending machine isekai) from the others while also setting up character arcs where the MC begins to trust again. Its charming watching Naofumi grow closer to his party, traveling around and slowly building a better reputation for himself. The second half kinda dropped the ball here, where they completely pump the brakes on character development…
Read at the sourceebushdesu
The first 4-5 eps were great but the rest was very...dissapointing. All of the heroes except Naofumi fails and he fixes everything even if they look down to him. It's the same damn thing all the time. Those characters have 0 depths and they are here to show how good Naofumi is as the mc. Revenges are far from satisfactory. it pissed me off a lot. Enemies don't get what they deserve. Because nooo, Naofumi and Raphtalia are not like them!! They are good, they cannot harm!!! Bruh. I don't get the hype. Only the opening song was fire and the first episodes. That's all. Even the animation quality gets bad after some episodes, you can clearly see it.
Read at the sourceMaddtiltanime
Shield hero sets the gold standard of a specific genre of isekai where main character gets betrayed and tries to find revenge in some way. This "betraykai" feels like a classic portrayal of a character who struggles to live in a unforgiving world. You can see Naofumi changing in the world he now resides in and it's amazing to see. He reacts in a believable way and you really feel the injustice he suffers when he does get betrayed by the people around him. The lore binds it's way through the plot in an interesting fashion and makes you question what the 4 heroes are really about and why they are so important to the world. And the real "villain" of the story is unique. Without spoilers let's just say, not many isekais make you hate a villain in their story so much. If you want to find a clas…
Read at the sourceAlissfontes
The story of Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari isn’t the most original but the twist of having the Shield Hero betrayed and forced to rebuild from nothing makes it stand out a bit. While some plot points are predictable, I still found it enjoyable because I like the underdog theme.
The art and animation fit the tone, with solid action scenes and a darker atmosphere compared to other isekai. Characters like Naofumi and Raphtalia feel well-rounded: Naofumi is bitter but determined, and Raphtalia balances him with warmth and loyalty. That said, some side characters come across as one-dimensional or exaggerated.
Reactions to events were mostly believable, especially Naofumi’s initial distrust of others, though certain dramatic moments felt over-the-top. Overall, I’d say this anime is fine. Fans of…
Read at the sourceAnimeExplorer21
The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 1 took me by complete surprise. I went into it expecting a standard fantasy adventure, perhaps with a few emotional moments and flashy battles. What I got instead was a powerful character-driven story that explores betrayal, resilience, and the struggle to reclaim one's dignity in a world that seems determined to break you.
From the very first episode, the series makes it clear this won't be a lighthearted journey. Naofumi Iwatani, the protagonist, is summoned to a parallel world alongside three other "heroes" - only to be falsely accused, vilified, and left with nothing but a defensive weapon and a shattered reputation. It was honestly difficult to watch how quickly and brutally he was cast out, and that emotional weight stuck with me throughout the s…
Read at the sourceMushfiqul
Just what a perfect isekai anime should be, in my opinion. Most of the modern isekai anime only has cringy fanservice or harem plot, which makes this genre weird and awkward for a lot of genuine watchers. But this one has reached for the actual potential of isekai genre. Action, fight, story plot twist, cliffhanger, suspense, revenge, power, mythical beast or the weak one becoming the strongest, anything you ask for in any good anime, it's here. No filthy fanservice, no cringy harem plots or weird scenes. The constant ups and downs, framing or shrewd setups are really engaging. I haven't read the light novel but I thing the anime was great and the studio did a good job. In short, if you're looking for a good anime, or a good isekai anime to be precise, it's a must one. It's not totally per…
Read at the sourceRemanTheArchean
This is a fairly generic fantasy isekai that has a few interesting ideas in its first season that it doesn't really capitalize on. The start is intriguing enough with the show almost become a revenge story, prompted on by a false rape accusation and the protagonist stooping to magically-enforced slavery. That's fairly edgy stuff for an anime and it piqued my interest at first, but unfortunately it peters out anticlimactically over the course of S1. The slave-girl obviously chooses to side with the protagonists of her own free will after a time, and the false rape accusation is shown to be a sham. There's the usual anime problem of the bad guys not really receiving significant punishment for their deeds, although at least this show is funny with one of the antagonists being referred to as "…
Read at the sourceKimuraTheHatoru
Well, this was an intresting ride. A pretty good story ,with a healthy development, something that most stories today seem to be lacking . Of course most other anime don't have 25 episodes, with the first episode being 40+ minutes long, but still.I also liked the spin on the parralel worlds in all regards.
Now.... I've looked around the internet plenty ... mostly on youtube videos showing small snipets of this anime long before i decided to finally watch it. And read those comments. It's ... half amusing half depressing reading people's opinions on the fact Naofumi decides to dabble in the slave trade . Alot of people mount the high horse and all, deeming him just as bad as the other three heroes. A simpleton's view if i may be a little rude, a view of someone seeking for the validation o…
Read at the sourceteacup3000
When watching an isekai style anime I don't expect much, since there's so much trash out there. Despite the odds this one kept me in front of the screen. Long story short: I liked it and I would recommend it.
Story:
The story itself is not super innovative. It follows the typical anti hero pattern, where the MC is not welcome in his new world. Together with 3 other heroes he should save the world by fighting off monster waves. Unfortunately the group dynamic between the heroes doesn't work very well and personal matters hinder the characters to work together as it was intentioned.
Character developement:
Tbh I didn't expect a lot here. Usually you'll find some superficial changes where someone was afraid to fight before but then, due to some surcumstance, they changed their mind.
In the…
Read at the sourceFATMANBELUGA
We live in a world where the Isekai genre is so overdone. It’s gotten to a point where it becomes very hard to stand out and make a unique series in the Isekai genre. The Rising of the Shield Hero’s first 4 episodes do a very good job at putting the MC into a unique situation not many other isekais have done before. The twist in the first episode is so shocking, infuriating, and it gets the viewer excited to watch how the shield hero will overcome this obstacle. It was looking like The Rising of The Shield Hero was about to become a classic in the Isekai genre, becoming the standard for what a good isekai should look like, but oh boy was I wrong.
Remember the twist in episode 1 that sets up the rest of the series, well that doesn’t last for long. The show looses what makes it unique in th…
Read at the sourceTablekun
Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari was an anime I have heard so much about over the years, so going into it, I was expecting a 7-8/10 anime. I never imagined it would actually be terrible. The story is disjointed, and overall boring. The growth of Naofumi is nonexistent. The guy has about 50+ shield forms, and I have no idea where 3/4 of them came from. This is not how to progress an isekai MC. The spider isekai Kumo san I believe did 17 straight episodes of Kumo in a cave, leveling up, obtaining new skills, and devising ways to incorporate them into her survival. THAT is how you do isekai character growth. What we have here in Shield Hero, is a pitiful fleshing out of a premise that could have worked if done right. If season 1 is the best Shield Hero gets, then I am curious to know just how bad…
Read at the source0004-1
Art - 8/10 There is definitely some whacky CGI, But most of the CGI looks pretty good, and the overall art style looks good. The animation is always intense and showcases very solid animation. The CGI is a downside as it is used for most of the non human villains but it doesnt compare to other shows that have FAR worse.
Characters - 9/10 The characters are memorable, just because you may not like every character doesnt mean they are bad. A character that is memorable is a good character. Naofumi is a pretty non perverted main character for Isekai, and has crazy character development early that surprised me.
Story - 8/10 The pacing is amazing, the first 12 episodes fly by, pacing slows down in the second half but still has very strong episodes. The story is generic Isekai yes, but it is d…
Read at the sourceSG3
"The Rising of the Shield Hero," despite its intriguing premise of four cardinal heroes summoned to a fantastical world, struggles significantly to distinguish itself within the crowded isekai genre. The narrative, centering on the outcast Shield Hero as he grapples with both societal rejection and the daunting task of world-saving, falls short of its potential, offering a rather standard storyline without adequate depth or innovation.
This season, unfortunately, does not effectively explore or expand upon the initial concepts introduced. While the foundational idea of each hero possessing distinct powers and roles holds promise, the execution feels lacking. The series fails to delve into the rich lore that could have been its stronghold, leaving many questions about the world and its his…
Read at the sourcetjhyy
I give this show only one point less because of the lolicon trope for obvious reasons, but the show actually handled the concept really well with making the protagonist not a pervert at all, and actually regard Filo as his daughter. His cool vibes really reminds me of Ichigo from Bleach, and I admire his business savvy mind, and how he's kind but at no fault of his own.
I also really like the subtle(?) romance between him and Raphtalia, and how they handled him adapting to seeing her as a woman over the series. I don't get any ick with how they met in the beginning since Raphtalia isn't human and she's actually a young adult, but due to the abuse she suffered, her appearance kept her as a child, but once she got the basic needs met, she aged properly. I also love how she handles her jealo…
Read at the sourceAntonyAV
The Rising of the Shield Hero presents a very common trope: We follow Naofumi, who is unfairly and unreasonably hated by absolutely everyone, so he has to grow as an underdog filled with disadvantages in an environment where villains antagonize and try to weaken/demoralize him, including people who should be his comrades (in fighting videogame-like waves of enemies that appear every few weeks).
The story starts with a cliche and is incredibly predictable all the way through but seems to be fine in the first few episodes, and it continues to have strong points such as the weapon skill system, the hero's character development and travels, decent and frequent fight animations, etc... However there were many negative points as well, a big one being the need to have the protagonist surrounded…
Read at the source
