

The Rising of the Shield Hero

Iwatani Naofumi, a run-of-the-mill otaku, finds a book in the library that summons him to another world. He is tasked with joining the sword, spear, and bow as one of the Four Cardinal Heroes and fighting the Waves of Catastrophe as the Shield Hero. Excited by the prospect of a grand adventure, Naofumi sets off with his party. However, merely a few days later, he is betrayed and loses all his money, dignity, and respect. Unable to trust anyone anymore, he employs a slave named Raphtalia and takes on the Waves and the world. But will he really find a way to overturn this desperate situation?
There are a lot of reviewers bagging on this show, but most of the criticisms seem like they heard about the show, and didn't actually watch it. There's no harem, and the character that's being constantly called a loli was literally raised by the MC from birth. He always refers to her as his daughter, so if you're sexualizing that relationship, that's a personal problem.
That aside, this show is dope. Season 2 does dip a bit in quality, but season 3 was a return to form and excellent. I was hoping for more from the season 2 otherworlders arc, but the curse series arc for all the heroes in season 3 was fantastic.
If you don't know what you're getting into when you start this series, the first five episodes are pretty shocking. Seeing an MC treated that way in an isekai really pulls you to his side. It's also understandable as he loses trust for just about everyone in this new world he finds himself trapped in.
Raphtalia is probably one of the best sidekicks in any isekai, earnest, competent, and trustworthy....she always has the MC's back. You can see where the relationship is going, even if the MC can't. It's one of the more nuanced relationships in this genre.
A lot of characters were added in seasons two and three, and not all have been completely fleshed out. I'm hoping we get more backstory for several people in season 4....it's honestly a bit crazy how large the cast of characters for this show has grown. Everyone is unique, in character design and personality.
Great animation and artwork, but I wouldn't call it elite... Excellent fight scenes and lots of different fighting styles on display. Honestly, this is a really good one...don't let the hate keep you from watching it.