The Rising of the Shield Hero (Anime)

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Anime television series
title The Rising of the Shield Hero
Original title 盾 の 勇者 の 成 り 上 が り
transcription Tate no Yusha no Nariagari
The Rising of the Shield Hero Anime Logo.svg
International logo of the anime series
Country of production JapanJapan Japan
original language Japanese
year 2019
Studio Kinema Citrus
length 24 minutes
Episodes 25 in 1+ seasons ( list )
genre Isekai , action , dark fantasy
Theme music see music
Director Takao subscription
production Jun'ichirō Tamura
music Kevin Penkin
First broadcast January 9 - June 26, 2019 on Tokyo MX , Sun Television , KBS Kyōto , AT-X , TV Aichi , TVQ , BS11
German-language
first broadcast		 July 16, 2020 on TNT Comedy

First publication in German		 January 9 - June 26, 2019 on Crunchyroll
synchronization

The Rising of the Shield Hero ( 盾 の 勇者 の 成 り 上 が り Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari ) is an anime series released in 2019 by the animation studio Kinema Citrus , based on the light novel series Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari by Aneko Yusagi . The anime follows the 20-year-old student and Otaku Naofumi Iwatani, who is transported to another world by magic and from then on tries to save this world as the "hero of the shield".

The first season, which includes 25 episodes, was shown on Japanese television between January 9, 2019 and June 26, 2019. Crunchyroll showed the series on the same day in a simulcast with German subtitles. For North America , a version dubbed in English was already published by Crunchyroll in addition to the OmU version.

action

One day, while reading the "Chronicle of the Four Sacred Weapons" in the library, the 20-year-old student and Otaku Naofumi Iwatani is teleported by a spell to another, computer game-like world . When he arrives in the new world, he finds that he has a shield on his arm and that three other people, each with a weapon - a sword , a bow and a spear - have been summoned with him. The King of Melromarc, Aultcray, had the four holy heroes summoned to save the world from being destroyed by catastrophic waves of monsters that occur on a monthly basis. These are announced by so-called dragon hourglasses . It turns out that Ren Amaki, Motoyasu Kitamura, and Itsuki Kawasumi hail from an alternative Japan and have experiences of this world through playing similar video games , unlike Naofumi. So it happens that when willing adventurers are assigned to the four heroes as companions, nobody wants to join Naofumi. Ultimately, the adventurer Myne agrees to accompany the hero of the shield on his journey. So they equip themselves with weapons and armor at the armourer's and fight weak monsters in the nearby meadows before they discuss plans for the following day in a restaurant in the evening. The next morning Naofumi finds out that he was robbed while he was sleeping . An army of royal knights leads the perplexed Naofumi to the king , who suspects the hero of the shield of rape . Confused and angry at the betrayal of Myne, who falsely accuses him, Naofumi pulls out of the court.

As the rumors of the rape spread like wildfire throughout the kingdom, Naofumi has a hard time finding new companions, so he buys a young, ailing girl named "Raphtalia" as a slave from the slave trader Beloukas. Raphtalia lost her parents during the first wave, was captured by the royal knights after the wave ended, and tortured by a nobleman in dungeon , causing trauma . Little by little, Naofumi can gain her trust. When they are attacked by a two-headed dog during an expedition in an abandoned mine, Raphtalia's trauma comes to light again. Naofumi, who stands protectively in front of her, manages to encourage her and defeat the monster. She promises to fight by his side. When the second wave is announced, Naofumi is once again confronted with the events surrounding the suspicions. While the other three heroes set off in the wave to the boss monster, it is Naofumi who saves a nearby village from destruction. The wave can be repulsed. At a banquet , Myne Motoyasu reveals that Naofumi is keeping Raphtalia as a slave, whereupon he challenges the shield hero to a duel. Against his will, Naofumi agrees to the duel and, despite his disadvantage, seems to be the winner. However, due to an unauthorized interference, the hero of the shield loses the duel and Raphtalia is freed from her slave seal. When it turns out that Myne is actually the king's daughter, Naofumi falls into anger out of frustration. Despite the broken seal, she gives Naofumi consoling words and renews her promise to fight at Naofumi's side.

To have the slave seal renewed, they pay a visit to the slave trader Beloukas. There Naofumi purchases a monster egg for 200 silver coins. From this a bird-like creature hatches, a filolial that he baptizes "Filo". After just a few days, the chick has assumed gigantic proportions. When Myne wants to declare the village of Lute, which Naofumi protects during the wave, to the land of the spear hero Motoyasu, masked figures intervene. She challenges the hero of the shield to compete with his filial against the dragon of the hero of the spear in a race in which the winner receives the village. Despite some set traps, Filo and Naofumi can win the duel. It also turns out that Filo is able to take on the human form of a girl.

Over the next few weeks, Naofumi and his two companions travel the country and make a name for themselves as the "saint of the heavenly bird". They save a village from being overgrown by a magical plant monster , fight against a dragon zombie and save a nearby village from an epidemic and help refugees who have come to Melromarc from another kingdom. These incidents were caused by the careless and sometimes arrogant behavior of the other heroes. On the way to the kingdom, where they want to get holy water to heal the curse that Raphtalia suffered in the fight against the zombie dragons, they meet "Melty", a young girl of noble sex in the forest. She asked the group to take her to the capital of the kingdom as she had an important job there. It turns out that Melty is princess and the heir to the throne of Melromarc. Naofumi, who is still hurt by the events surrounding the king and his other daughter, rejects her request to reconcile with her father.

In the next wave a similar picture occurs as in the previous one: While Naofumi protects the village and evacuates the people living there, the other three heroes fight against the boss. However, they cannot find the boss, so Naofumi and his companions join the other heroes. Naofumi sees the other heroes disagree and get in each other's way. He recognizes that the boss is in the shadows of the other monsters and lets the shadows attack, whereupon the boss of the wave, a so-called "soul eater" appears. While the other heroes can hardly damage the boss, Naofumi manages to defeat the soul eater with the help of an ability on his Wrath Shield. Then a mysterious woman appears who calls herself "Glass" and reveals itself as the true boss of the wave. The wave, which has a time window, ends before the boss can start the final attack.

After Naofumi has left the capital, it is Melty who follows him and tries to talk into conscience. She is ambushed by one of the royal guards. The hero of the shield fends off the attack, but with an illusion spell that magicians use with the help of a crystal ball, it looks as if the princess is kidnapped by the shield hero. Thus begins the flight of the shield hero and his companions through the entire kingdom. They are pursued and captured by the other heroes and the royal knights, but they manage to flee again. Naofumi asks Ren to investigate what happened. The escape leads the hero of the shield to the estate of the sovereign Van Reichnott, who is friends with Princess Melty. He gives them shelter, but his property is attacked the next morning by the guards of another nobleman. While Naofumi and Raphtalia hide in the pantry , it is Melty who puts a stop to the knights of the noble idol Rabier. She agrees to return to the capital with him, provided that he withdraws his guards from the property with immediate effect. Raphtalia recognizes her tormentor in Rabier. Naofumi decides to break into Rabiers Castle and free Melty. You manage to do this and enter the dungeon where Raphtalia was imprisoned and tortured. While a few of her old childhood friends survived the torture, her best friend fell victim to it. On the way out of the castle, they notice how Rabier uses a ritual to free a sealed beast. The hero of the shield and his companions lure the monster from the castle into the forest to a lake, where they face the ancient beast. When they realize that they have no chance against the monster and Naofumi wants to use the wrath shield, "Fitoria", the queen of the Filolias, interferes in the fight and defeats the dinosaur- like creature. Fitoria asks Naofumi for a conversation. She knows what has happened and asks him to reconcile himself with the other heroes, otherwise she will have to kill the heroes. The following morning, Fitoria takes Melty hostage and challenges Filo to a duel. Filo wins the duel and is chosen by Fitoria as her successor. Meanwhile, the heroes Ren and Itsuki examine the church and come to a cave in which a magical artifact is said to be hidden. When the chest is empty, Itsuki suspects an ambush. At this moment the heroes are supposedly hit by a magical beam of light.

Fitoria teleports Naofumi and his group close to a hero. It turns out to be Motoyasu, who suspects Naofumi of maliciously murdering Ren and Itsuki. The two groups duel. When Naofumi wins this fight, it is Filo who notices that something disastrous is going to happen and orders Naofumi to protect everyone with his skill "shield prison". A ray of light shoots from the sky. Pope Balmus appears and admits to having planned the entire plot. He also killed the other two heroes. It comes to a fight between the two heroes and the Pope and his followers. Melty recognizes a replica of the four sacred weapons in the Pope's weapon. When the Pope threatens to win the fight, it is attacked by the heroes Ren and Itsuki, who were believed to be dead. After a long argument, they decide to fight the Pope together and, thanks to the help of Queen Mirelia, who had her arrival announced by Ren, win him over. Naofumi is critically injured.

Three days later, the hero of the shield wakes up from his coma and is met by Queen Mirelia. She asks him and his group to come to the castle the next day so that his name can be cleared and the culprits punished. The next day, Aultcray and Malty are tried. Malty, who is a notorious liar, is given a slave seal, revealing everything. The king and princess are sentenced to death for their actions , but Naofumi has mercy on them both, which spares their lives. The Queen then calls the four heroes to a conference to give them important news. At the end of the day Naofumi and his group travel to Raphtalia's ruined homeland, where he meets two strangers.

After the events, the four heroes go to the Cal Mira Archipelago to become stronger there. On the ship, Naofumi comes to a cabin with the other two people he met shortly before in Raphtalia's home. They introduce themselves as "L'Arc Berg" and "Therese Alexandrite". They decide to hunt monsters together to get stronger. When the group around the shield hero takes a break, they find an underwater ruin near the beach that houses a kite hourglass and predicts the arrival of the fourth wave within the next two days. They teleport into the capital and tell the queen of the impending danger. This puts together a fleet and evacuates Cal Mira. The next wave arrives on the high seas. Together with the queen, her fleet, as well as L'Arc and Therese, the four heroes fight against the monsters of the wave, but they fail to inflict enough damage on the boss monster. Naofumi asks L'Arc to attack the monster. Together they beat the boss. L'Arc and Therese attack the four heroes and reveal that they are also heroes who come from another world. Naofumi can deal significant damage to L'Arc, who has special advantages against defenders, but the fight is interrupted by Glass. Naofumi challenges Glass, who is also a heroine, to a duel. Naofumi has recognized that her weak point is the "soul eater shield", which sucks life energy out of her instead of mana . Before the fight can be decided, the wave ends and the three heroes L'Arc, Therese and Glass are teleported. Back in Cal Mira, the group fishes up a companion of the bow hero and takes her into the group. Naofumi is appointed the new sovereign of Seyaette for his deeds and has Raphtalia's home village rebuilt so that it can be used as headquarters in the future.

world

The world in The Rising of the Shield Hero is a less industrialized , medieval -looking world with a Mediterranean climate. This is hit by "waves of catastrophe" at regular intervals. After the first of these waves of monsters could be repulsed with great difficulty, the kingdom of Melromarc decided to summon the four heroes who are able to defeat the waves all.

In addition to the Matriarchate Melromarc, there are other countries and kingdoms in this world, including Siltvelt and Schildfrieden . The world is inhabited by humans, demis, and beastmen. The slavery is permitted in Melromarc and in some of the neighboring countries. Demis are sub-human beings with animal characteristics, with the human component predominating. The animal side predominates among the beastmen. In Melromarc, Demis are considered to be second class living beings and are therefore kept there as slaves , among other things . In Siltvelt and Schildfrieden, Demis are equal to humans.

production

On June 22, 2017 it was announced that Aneko Yusagi's Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari would be converted into an anime. There were flyers published that indicate a promotional video for the series, which during the Anime Expo was shown on July 1 that year. Kadokawa announced part of the production team during the expo. Another part of the team was presented in early August 2018. The production team consisted of:

On December 8, 2018, the start of the anime series was announced for January 9, 2019.

In an interview with Trending Anime during the Crunchyroll Expo in 2018, Jun'ichirō Tamura revealed differences between the original adaptation: Naofumi's personality was made more adult than in the light novel series. In another interview with Anime News Network , producers revealed that there were several problems that could be resolved. The world is like a video game and status reports, the receipt of experience points or the learning of a new characteristic had to be visualized. Keigo Koyanagi and Takao Abo said in a conversation with Crunchyroll that the director of the Kinema Citrus studio, Muneki Ogasawara, came up to them one day with a bag full of novels from the franchise and said that he would like the series to be made into anime. Koyanagi was still working on material for Made in Abyss at the time .

The project was presented to the staff of the studio back in 2016. Before developing the episodes, screenwriter Keigo Koyanagi read through the entire volumes of the original and decided which parts the viewers would like to see in the anime version. Due to the limited length of an individual episode, not everything could be transferred. Koyanagi describes his heart bleeding regularly during the selection process. The author of the light novel series, Aneko Yusagi, was present at the initial script meetings. Yusagi checked the scripts and storyboards , noted possible mistakes in the setting and gave the producers advice on the abilities of the four heroes. The character designs are reviewed by Seira Minami , who draws the characters in the original work.

Director Takao Abo said in an interview with German magazine AnimaniA that he was not familiar with the Isekai genre before.

A total of 25 episodes were produced for the first season, each with a running time of 25 minutes - with the exception of the first, 47-minute episode. During the Crunchyroll Expo on September 1, 2019, it was announced that the anime will have both a second and a third season.

publication

Television and simulcast

The 25 episodes of the anime were shown between January 9, 2019 and June 26 of the same year by the Japanese broadcasters Tokyo MX , Sun Television , KBS Kyōto , AT-X , TV Aichi , TVQ and BS11 . The simulcast provider Crunchyroll showed the series on the same day after the broadcast of the respective episode on the Internet worldwide, excluding Asia. Crunchyroll worked with Funimation to develop English dubbed versions, which were shown in the original sound with English subtitles at the simulcast provider shortly after the series was released. Originally, the English-translated versions of the series should take place at the same time as the Japanese release, but it was announced a little later that the broadcast of the English-dubbed episodes would be delayed by two weeks, so that the last episode was shown on July 10th.

Crunchyroll announced on May 14, 2020 that The Rising of the Shield Hero is one of three anime series that will receive a German dubbed version and will be broadcast on the PayTV channel TNT Comedy from July 16 . The broadcast takes place shortly after midnight, but counts as the television day of the previous day. Every Thursday after it airs, the episodes are added to Crunchyroll with dubbing.

Home video

Japan

Between April 24, 2019 and July 24, the anime was released in Japan on DVD and Blu-ray . The third volume was released on June 26, 2019 for the finale of the first season.

Volume Release
(Japan) 		Content swell
1 April 24, 2019 • Illustration of the character Naofumi Iwatani
• A3 artboard
• Episodes 1–7
• Supplement with a short light novel by Aneko Yusagi
2 April 24, 2019 • Illustration of the character Raphtalia
• Opening and closing credits without text
• Episodes 8–13
• Supplement with a short light novel and manga by Aneko Yusagi
• Audio commentary
• Setting collection
3 June 26, 2019 • Illustration of the character Filo
• Audio comments
• Promo videos
• Episodes 14–19
• Supplement with a short light novel and short manga by Aneko Yusagi
4th July 24, 2019 • Illustration of the character Melty Q. Melromarc
• Audio commentary
• Commercials
• Episodes 20-25
• Supplement with a short light novel and short manga by Aneko Yusagi
• Setting Collection

United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland

The distributor Manga Entertainment has announced that the series will be released in two volumes on Blu-ray and DVD. The first volume, which includes the first 13 episodes, is scheduled to be released on June 1, 2020. A limited version also contains a slipcase, a 120-page art book, key rings, art cards, stickers and a poster. Part two, which includes the remaining twelve episodes, is also due to appear on June 1, 2020. The second volume is also available in a limited version with a 200-page light novel booklet as additional material. This includes material that was published for the Japanese Blu-ray version.

German-speaking area

The anime publisher Kazé announced on June 20, 2020 that it would release the series in German-speaking countries on DVD and Blu-ray .

synchronization

role Japanese voice ( seiyū ) German voice
Naofumi Iwatani Kaito Ishikawa Björn Schalla
Raphtalia Asami Seto Birte Baumgardt
Filo Rina Hidaka Léa Mariage
Motoyasu Kitamura Makoto Takahashi Arne Stephan
Ren Amaki Yoshitsugu Matsuoka Ricardo Richter
Itsuki Kawasumi Yoshitaka Yamaya Christian Pointer
Malty S. Melromarc (Myne) Sarah Emi Bridcutt Sonja Spuhl
Pope Biscas T. Balmus Takayuki Sugo
King Aultcray Melromarc XXXII Yutaka Nakano Axel Lutter
Melty Q. Melromarc Maaya Uchida Daniela Molina
Van Reichnott Taku Yashiro
Mirellia Q. Melromarc Kikuko Inoue
Fitoria Sakura Tange
Beloukas slave trader Ken'ichi Okada
Armorer Elhart Hiroki Yasumoto
L'Arc mountain Jun Fukuyama
Therese Alexandrite Saori Hayami
Glass Megumi Han

Characters

main characters

Naofumi Iwatani ( 岩 谷 尚 文 , Iwatani Naofumi )
Naofumi Iwatani is a 20 year old student and otaku . One day while reading the book "Chronicles of the Four Sacred Weapons", he is sucked into another computer game-like world and becomes one of the four sacred heroes. His weapon is the shield . Since he is generally considered the weakest of the four heroes and has no personal knowledge of the new world, nobody wants to join him on his journey at first. His first companion, Myne, accuses him of rape , which lowers his status in the kingdom. This leads to the fact that he buys a subhumanoid girl kept as a slave with the characteristics of an animal as a companion. Because of the rejection by society and the allegations against him, he has developed a cynical and suspicious attitude towards the local population. Because he sees the heroic existence as a burden and was brought into the new world against his will, Naofumi does not shy away from unfair means to ensure his own survival, which is why he is often sharply drawn by his comrades-in-arms - the other heroes - and the inhabitants of the country is criticized and misunderstood. Although he no longer trusts the stranger in general due to the previous negative experiences in the new strange world, Naofumi always tries to fight for those who believe in him.
Cosplayer as Raphtalia, of 2019.
Raphtalia ( ラ フ タ リ ア , Rafutaria )
Raphtalia is a "Demi", a subhumanoid being with the characteristics of a Tanuki . Until the arrival of the first wave of monsters, she lived as a freelance resident with her parents in a fishing village on the coast of Seyaette in the Kingdom of Melromarc. Shortly after the wave, she and the other surviving villagers were abducted by the royal knights. Raphtalia got into the hands of a nobleman who hates Demis and loves to enslave and torture her in his dungeon . She was then almost completely exhausted and, with severe trauma, sold to the slave trader Beloukas. After that, it was sold to Naofumi, the hero of the shield. As Naofumi's companion and slave, she is nursed to health by him. At first she was fearful and reluctant to face him. When she learns from him that he is the hero of the shield and needs someone to fight for him, she becomes more open. She swears to stand by him in battle as his "sword". Even after her slave seal was broken, she renewed her promise to him. Raphtalia develops romantic feelings for him over the course of the series.
Filo ( フ ィ ー ロ , Fīro )
Filo is a filolial, a bird-like creature that is able to take the form of a human girl. Naofumi bought it as an egg from the slave trader. In her bird form, Filo is considerably larger than Naofumi and a little more corpulent compared to other Filolials that the group has met up to then; In her human form, she looks like a nine-year-old girl with long blonde hair, blue eyes and white wings. She loves to pull Naofumi's covered wagon and has a good appetite. After a fight with the current Queen of the Filolials, Filo is chosen by her as her successor. She is friends with Melty Q. Melromarc, the younger second princess and heir to the throne of Melromarc.
Melty Q. Melromarc ( メ ル テ ィ ＝ Q ＝ メ ル ロ マ ル ク , Meritto Meromaruku )
Melty is a nine to ten year old girl, princess and heir to the throne of the Melromarc kingdom. Since Naofumi detests the royal family because of their previous deeds, she initially had a difficult time with him. Even when she is rescued from an attack by the royal knights by the hero of the shield, the relationship with him initially remains cool. Melty asks him to protect her anyway. Only on the run from the royal guards, the other heroes and her older sister, does she gradually break the ice and win Naofumi's trust. When they find accommodation with a nobleman and his property is attacked by Idol Rabier's life guard, Melty allows him to arrest her so that the others in the group can escape. She is saved by Naofumi. She has purple hair that has been tied in two braids on the left and right and purple eyes. She is friends with Filo.

Heroes summoned

Legendary heroes

Motoyasu Kitamura ( 北 村 元 康 , Kitamura Motoyasu )
Motoyasu Kitamura is the hero of the spear who was conjured into the new world together with Ren Amaki, Itsuki Kawasumi and Naofumi Iwatani. In contrast to Naofumi, Kitamura has knowledge of this world. He is 21 years old and a student . Kitamura has blond hair and is pigtailed. He is considered a womanizer and shows signs of the Lolita complex . His team consists of four adventurers, including Myne, who Naofumi has accused of sexually abusing them. That's one of the reasons he feels disapproval of Naofumi. Nevertheless, he shows a simple-minded, naive character and can be controlled by Myne. So he is incited several times by her to duel with Naofumi. Since Kitamura regards the world as a computer game, he is not aware of the consequences of his actions: He finds a manipulated seed of an alchemist and has it planted in a village to counteract a famine . But according to a legend, the seed was locked because it can bring harm to the world. In the light novel series, the reader learns that Kitamura was mistakenly stabbed to death by a friend and classmate.
Ren Amaki ( 天 木 錬 , Amaki Ren )
Ren Amaki is the hero of the sword and was conjured up together with Kitamura, Kawasumi and Iwatani. He has a calm and cool character. As well Kitamura has also Amaki by playing various VR MMO - Online Games knowledge of this world. He usually keeps a cool head in heated situations. When Naofumi has to flee from the royal guards, he starts investigations at his request, as Naofumi suspects a conspiracy. Although he seems quite relaxed, he also has reservations about Naofumi, as he has snatched a lucrative task from under his nose. Since Amaki regards the world as a VR MMO computer game, he is not aware of the consequences of his actions: he defeats a dragon , but leaves it because, in his opinion, the dead body despawns and thus triggers an epidemic. Still, he has a thoughtful and reflective personality. In the light novel, Ren is killed by a murderer while trying to save his friend .
Itsuki Kawasumi ( 川 澄 樹 , Kawasumi Itsuki )
Itsuki Kawasumi is the hero of the bow who was summoned to the new world with Iwatani, Kitamura and Amaki as one of the four sacred heroes. He, too, was able to acquire knowledge about this world through various video games. He has a somewhat shy and soothing personality. He developed a rejection towards Naofumi because he was also deprived of an assignment. Since Kawasumi, like Amaki and Kitamura, view the world as a computer game that they have played, they do not think about the consequences of their actions. For example, Kawasumi leads a rebel force to overthrow the ruler of an area in the north without considering that the new ruler will quickly fall into the same pattern and that the overthrow will further worsen people's living conditions and trigger a new wave of refugees . In the light novel, we learn that Kawasumi was run over by a truck .

Seven Star and Vessel Heroes

Glass ( グ ラ ス , Gurasu )
Glass is the heroine of the fan and comes from another world. She is cool and has a great sense of honor. Your goal is to kill the four heroes to save their world, which is also haunted by monster waves. She first meets the four heroes during the third wave and only accepts Naofumi as such. In the fourth wave, she supports her companions in trying to kill Naofumi. However, they have to withdraw because Naofumi has discovered their weakness: the "soul eater" sign. She has long black hair and is wearing a kimono .
L'Arc Mountain ( ラ ル ク ベ ル ク , Rarukuberuku )
L'Arc Berg is the hero of the scythe and, like Glass, comes from another world that is also threatened by the waves of catastrophe. He is muscular, has a tattoo on his upper arm and has red hair. He's a very relaxed guy. He befriends Naofumi when they are together on the way to Cal Mira Island to train there. Having heard of the rumors about the hero of the shield, he doesn't believe that Naofumi is said hero. Only during the fourth wave on the high seas does he realize this and challenge Naofumi to a fight to the death.

Antagonists

Malty S. Melromarc ( マ ル テ ィ ＝ S ＝ メ ル ロ マ ル ク , Maruti Meruromaruku )
Malty S. Melromarc, known as Myne as an adventurer , is the eldest daughter of King Aultcray Melromarc XXXII and Queen Mirella Q. Melromarc. As the eldest child, she should inherit the line of succession, but her personality causes other people problems, so that the line of succession was given to her younger sister Malty. A chronic liar, Malty is anxious to do well in the favor of the king and the hero of the spear of which she is a team. Among other things, she makes a pact with the Three Heroes State Church to get the heroes of the shield out of the way. So she falsely accuses him of rape and later tries to make him stand there as the kidnapper of her sister. Due to the fact that she has been stripped of the line of succession in favor of her sister, Melty tries to kill her sister. The machinations later become known through a public court. In the light novel it is described that Malty does not shy away from other teammates who come in her way, kidnap and sell them as slaves.
Aultcray Melromarc XXXII ( オ ル ト ク レ イ ＝ メ ル ロ マ ル ク , Orutokurai Meromaruku XXXII )
Aultcray Melromarc XXXII is the king of Melromarc and had the four heroes summoned after the laborious defense of the first wave. He shows an aversion to the heroes of the shield, which underlies an act of the previous shield hero. He hates Demis and is a believer in the Three Heroes Church. He is sentenced to death by his wife for serious crimes, but spared because of Naofumi's intervention.
Pope Biscas T. Balmus ( ビ ス カ ッ テ ィ ＝ T ＝ バ ル マ ス , Bisukatti Barumasu )
Biscas T. Balmus is the Pope and thus head of the Three Heroes Church. He worships the heroes of the spear, sword and bow while branding the hero of the shield as devils . Due to the inability of the three heroes and the associated loss of influence of the church, he tries to murder both the hero of the shield and the three other heroes in order to be able to summon new heroes and to consolidate his power. Balmus plans a conspiracy to come to Melromarch's power, abolish the monarchy and instead establish a theocratic state.
The Three Heroes Church
The Three Heroes Church is the state religion of Melromarc, who worship the heroes of the sword, the bow and the spear and see the devil in the heroes of the shield. The church split off from the four-heroes church after the previous hero of the shield helped the Demis establish their own nation. After Queen Mirellia, who does not belong to the Church of the Three Heroes, embarks on a diplomatic journey, the Church influences King Aultcray to summon the four heroes into this world in the hope of manipulating the heroes of the spear, sword and bow and stir up against the hero of the shield. Despite these attempts and the incompetence of the three other heroes, the church is losing influence in the population, also because of Naofumi's heroic deeds. This leads the church to attempt to frame Naofumi for the attack and kidnapping of the second princess. Since the Pope accuses Motoyasu, Ren and Itsuki of being “false heroes” and sees God in themselves , he and the church try to kill the four heroes and start a political overthrow in Melromarc. However, the plans are shattered and the Three Heroes Church is dissolved.

Supporting characters

Mirellia Q. Melromarc ( ミ レ リ ア ＝ Q ＝ メ ル ロ マ ル ク , Mirellia Meromaruku )
Mirellia Q. Melromarc is the Queen of the Melromarc Kingdom. Due to the fact that Melromarc is ruled matriarchally , she has more power than her husband to King Aultcray. She was on a diplomatic trip to the other nations, but broke it off to support the heroes in the fight against the Three Heroes Church. Annoyed by the misdeeds of her husband and her eldest daughter, she has them brought to justice and sentenced to death. However, Naofumi intervenes and spares both lives.
She has a magical affinity for ice magic. Mirellia is a capable diplomat and politician . She commands an army of mysterious ninja- like bodyguards , called "shadows", who secretly observe the four heroes and intervene if necessary. Unlike most of Melromarc's residents, Mirellia has no prejudices against Demis and other population groups in the world and tries to improve the relationship between the two races.
Keel ( キ ー ル , Kīru )
Keel is a demi dog and a friend from Raphtalia's childhood days. He was held in his dungeon and tortured by the same nobleman . After his liberation, Keel stays with the noble Van Reichnott, who is friends with Melty. In the light novel, Keel is a girl who was raised as a boy .
Fitoria ( フ ィ ト リ ア , Fitoria )
Fitoria is the Queen of the Filolials and the last surviving member of the previous generation of heroes. It is several hundred years old. In her filolial form, Fitoria is a huge bird with brownish-reddish plumage, while in her human form she wears short white hair with three " hair antennae " and a pink dress. She first meets Naofumi during a battle with an ancient dragon-like monster that was magically sealed by the previous heroes.
Fitoria tries to persuade Naofumi to reconcile with the other three heroes, whom she would otherwise have to kill all four heroes in order to summon new heroes. She takes Melty hostage to provoke and fight a fight against Filo. In combat, she can recognize Filo's potential abilities and officially appoints her as her successor as future Filolial Queen.
Therese Alexandrite ( テ リ ス ＝ ア レ キ サ ン ド ラ イ ト , Terisu Arekisandoraito )
Therese Alexandrite is L'Arc Berg's companion and together they try to kill the four heroes in order to save their own world from destruction. She befriends Naofumi when they are together on the way to the Cal Mira archipelago to train there, not knowing that Naofumi is the hero of the shield and asks Naofumi to make her a bracelet . She later fights Naofumi at Glass and L'Arc's side during the fourth wave. Therese's special offensive magic only attacks her opponents, but they do not harm their comrades. She can communicate with gemstones because of her origin .
Lecia Ivyred ( リ ー シ ア ＝ ア イ ヴ ィ レ ッ ド , Rishia Aivireddo )
Lecia was a member of the group of the bow hero Itsuki, but was cast out because she is said to have destroyed an object important to the hero. In the fourth wave, she supports Naofumi in the fight against Glass by using wind magic to pass him barrels of alcohol and turning the fight in favor of the shield hero. Since she tried unsuccessfully to drown herself on false suspicion , Naofumi takes Lecia in until Leica is able to refute the allegations against her. She is clumsy and has little self-confidence, which is why she is seen by others as ballast.

music

Opening and closing titles

Opening credits

No. Interpreter title Episodes Remarks
1 Madkid Rise 1-12
2 Madkid Faith 13-25 Episodes 20, 21 and 25 without opening credits

Credits

No. Interpreter title Episodes Remarks
1 Chiai Fujikawa き み の 名 前 Kimi no namae ( Your Name ) 2–3
5–12
25
2 Asami Seto Falling Through Starlight 4th
3 Chiai Fujikawa あ た し が 隣 に い る う ち に Atashi ga Tonari ni Iru Uchi ni ( While I'm Next to You ) 13-25 Episode 25: あ た し が 隣 に い る う ち に Atashi ga Tonari ni Iru Uchi ni and き み の 名 前 Kimi no namae by Chiai Fujikawa in the credits.
4th Kevin Penkin Cold illusions 21st Singing: Ryan Greaves

Official score

The official music to be heard in the series was composed by the Australian music composer Kevin Penkin , who was also responsible for the music in the animes Made in Abyss , Norn9 and Under the Dogs . Since Penkin can speak Japanese himself , meetings and video conferences were held in Japanese via Skype , in which Abo could talk to Penkin about the sound of the music. Abo, Koyagani and Tamura were enthusiastic about Penkin's work. Koyanagi said that the music outside of the fight scenes was able to transport the listener into another world.

Kevin Penkin focused on various aspects when composing the pieces, including the emotions of the protagonist Naofumi. According to Penkin, the music in the series has also taken on a pseudo- religious direction, not least through the use of church instruments or melodies and harmonies that are typical of church or baroque music . The world in which the series takes place has a Mediterranean touch, so that director Abo brought up the idea of ​​incorporating Spanish influences into the music through the use of flamenco guitars . Furthermore, Penkin, who compares his work at Made in Abyss with the work on the music for the Shield Hero, said that with the music in Made in Abyss they wanted to draw attention to specific things while this project was much larger and a similar approach in the production of video game music. Penkin worked with various musicians to play the music.

The serial music appeared on two soundtracks: Dusk and Dawn via Nippon Columbia .

reception

Controversy over the first episode

Due to the plot, the first episode was perceived and received largely negatively by the relevant media. Thus, in published Anime News Network five meetings at launch, which mixed up were negative. Almost everyone found the first episode tiring and boring due to the flooding of the Isekai anime market or the storytelling and the computer game-like world. They also went into the controversy that had sparked the series in advance: In this episode, the protagonist Naofumi is falsely accused of rape by a female character . Theron Martin found this aspect unnecessary, as it was already predictable that she wanted to take advantage of the protagonist. Nick Creamer was particularly hard on this part of the story in his demolition and wrote that it was irresponsible to portray this topic in an anime in such a way. The portrayal of the trial against the protagonist reminds Creamer of anti-feminist , conspiracy-theoretical online memes. False suspicions of rape are very rare, a "tiny static anomie," much more often actual rape is not reported and victims of sexual violence are deterred by such stories from going public. The author of the series, whose gender is not known, he accused of expressing his anger towards women with the work, and that is exactly what the fans are looking for in the series. Steve Jones from the same platform named The Rising of the Shield Hero as the worst anime of 2019 because he believes it glorifies misogyny and slavery .

The first episode of the anime series was also discussed negatively on the S1E1 platform. Although the critic was able to identify some interesting passages in the episode, the reviewer described the episode as "dangerous and disgusting" because of the issues it dealt with around rape and slavery. The character of Naofumi seems closed and suspicious because of his experiences looks unsympathetic. Because of these aspects, the streaming service provider Crunchyroll was criticized for its participation in the series. Fans of the franchise were also accused of finding a fulfillment of their misogynistic fantasies in the series .

Jesse Camou also wrote about the controversial content of the first episode in his column on ComicsVerse and concluded that the anime accidentally made big waves. He says that the timing of the anime's production shortly after the MeToo protests came up was unfortunate, as the template was already in 2012 and an earlier production might have kept a controversy small. Camou testified that the anime cast a bad light on the MeToo movement, as the episode implies that women are wrongly suspecting men of their own accord and real victims of sexual abuse are kept small. However, according to the author, the first episode also shows a problem of movement.

In Japan itself, the episode was not perceived as controversial.

Commercial win

Since the start of the anime series, sales of the light novel and manga series have almost doubled. At the beginning of the series, the number of manga and light novels sold was 3.3 million copies. In February 2019, the mark of four million units was reached. In April, just two months later, the franchise hit 6.2 million copies sold.

Due to the success of series such as KonoSuba , Re: Zero and The Rising of the Shield Hero , Kadokawa announced that he would like to produce an Isekai anime for every season in the future. The profits in the anime business have increased compared to the previous season due to license income in North America, among others for The Rising of the Shield Hero .

On April 27, 2019, a demo version of a video game based on the anime series was released. The demo was created using the RPG Maker MV . An English version is now available for free download on the anime's website. On September 24 of the same year, the full-fledged game was released on Steam under the title The Rising of the Shield Hero: Relive the Animation .

On October 5, 2019, it was announced that the characters Naofumi Iwatani, Raphtalia and Filo can be seen as exchange students in the second season of the Isekai crossover anime series Isekai Quartet . A post by Crunchyroll, citing an article from Nikkei Entertainment , said The Rising of the Shield Hero was the most continuously watched anime of the year.

"Anniversary of the hardest shield"

The Kadokawa company announced that March 15th will be named the "Anniversary of the Hardest Shield" - 最 硬 の 盾 の 記念 日 saikō no tate no kinenbi - and that this has already been registered with the Japan Anniversary Association . In a tweet from Kadokawa it is said that the date was chosen because the Kanji “ 最 硬 saikō ”, in German “hardest”, can be read in this case with “ さ い こ saikō ”, where “sa - さ ” is an allusion stands for “san” - three - and for the third month, while “iko - い こ ” is interpreted as “ichigo”; “I - い ” for “ichi” means one; "Ko - こ " for "go" - five - can be closed and you arrive on March 15th. For this announcement a poster with the characters Naofumi Iwatani from "Shield Hero" and Maple from " BOFURI " was presented. The characters were chosen because they both fight with a seemingly invincible shield.

Meetings

Gracie from Anime Trending found The Rising of the Shield Hero was your average anime because it lacked many of the elements that make a good anime series. Gracie praised Naofumi as the main character, but found the other characters - especially the antagonists - to be underdeveloped. It was difficult to cheer for the characters. Above all, Raphtalia, the protagonist , who was actually intended to support Naofumi, was identified as the greatest disappointment. Filo was described as pretty bird girl that just fights and the satisfaction of Loli serve-lover. Melty was also perceived negatively. Instead of embodying an important political role, she is just a vulnerable character. However, Gracie found the music used in the series positive and found that it captured the environment and the soul of the character extremely well.

Manga Tokyo's Iitakino liked the anime series better. The Rising of the Shield Hero differs from other Isekai works, because here the main character Naofumi is demonized and therefore develops into an antihero. The characters are described as well developed, from his mates to the villains. In Isekai works, it is common for the protagonist to build a harem of female characters. Naofumi has Filo, Raphtalia and Melty, but there is no harem in the series. Finally, it is said that The Rising of the Shield Hero brings new and fresh elements to the Isekai genre, which is why the anime can be considered one of the best Isekai series currently.

In an article on the online presence of the Ugandan daily newspaper The Weekly Observer , Abdallah Mbajja and Michael Kateregga wrote that The Rising of the Shield Hero would breathe new life into the genre of the MMORPG anime, believed to be dead . The two authors determine this based on the person of the shield hero, who is supposed to save a world in which everyone despises him from destruction. It is unclear whether the protagonist should take the hero's path or see the world burn. According to the authors, the anime shows that an original concept is not necessary to tell a good story. They come to the conclusion that the genre could be brought to new life if other creators cut a disc from the anime.

Awards and nominations

The Rising of the Shield Hero received multiple nominations at the Anime Trending Seasonal Anime Awards, with the series winning in two categories. The seasonal awards are used to determine nominations for the annual Anime Trending Awards. The anime has been nominated in eight categories so far, further nominations are still possible.

year Award category For result swell
2020 Anime2you.de Awards Best Anime Series Simulcast The Rising of the Shield Hero 4th Place
Anime Trending Awards Anime of the Year 14th place
Best in adaptation 9. Bib
Best in soundtrack 5th place
Action or Adventure Anime of the Year 9th place
Fantasy or Magical Anime of the Year 3rd place
Man of the Year Naofumi Iwatani 3rd place
Girl of the Year Raphtalia 1st place
Supporting Girl of the Year Melty Q. Melromarc 7th place
Ending Theme Song of the Year Chiai Fujikawa - Kimi no namae 6th place
NEO Awards Best streaming anime The Rising of the Shield Hero Nominated
The Anime Awards Best voice actor (EN) Billy Kametz as Naofumi Iwatani Won
Best soundtrack Kevin Penkin for The Rising of the Shield Hero Nominated
Best girl Raphtalia Won
Tōkyō Anime Awards Best anime series The Rising of the Shield Hero 50th place

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Diyo, Noobles: INTERVIEW: The Rising of the Shield Hero ft. Composer Kevin Penkin & Producer Junichiro Tamura. Anitrendz.net, January 10, 2019, accessed July 30, 2019 .
  2. ↑ a b c d Kim Morrissy: The Staff of The Rising of the Shield Hero. Anime News Network, May 10, 2019, accessed July 30, 2019 .
  3. ↑ a b Demelza: Why The Rising of the Shield Hero's Anime Is Better Than the Original Light Novel. Anime UK News, January 16, 2019, accessed August 1, 2019 .
  4. ↑ Jennifer Sherman: The Rising of the Shield Hero Fantasy Novels Get Anime. Anime News Network , June 22, 2017, accessed July 30, 2019 .
  5. ↑ a b Karen Ressler: Kadokawa Announces 2 New Anime Titles, Rising of the Shield Hero, Chio's School Road Staff. Anime News Network, July 1, 2017, accessed July 30, 2019 .
  6. ↑ a b c Egan Loo: The Rising of The Shield Hero Anime Unveils Main Cast, Staff. Anime News Network, August 9, 2018, accessed July 30, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Egan Loo: The Rising of The Shield Hero Anime's 2nd Promo Unveils More Cast, January 9 Debut, Half-Year Length. Anime News Network, December 8, 2018, accessed July 30, 2019 .
  8. ↑ Get in the game! An Interview with the Director and Screenwriter of The Rising of the Shield Hero Anime. Crunchyroll , February 6, 2019, accessed August 3, 2019 .
  9. ^ A b Lars Wilhelm: Forces from the dark side . In: AnimaniA (Ed.): 4/2019 . S. 24-25 .
  10. ^ A b Lars Wilhelm: Forces from the dark side . In: AnimaniA (Ed.): 4/2019 . S. 25 .
  11. ^ A b Lars Wilhelm: Forces from the dark side . In: AnimaniA (Ed.): 4/2019 . S. 26 .
  12. ↑ Megan Peters: The Rising of the Shield Hero Orders Seasons 2 and 3.Comicbook.com, September 1, 2019, accessed September 2, 2019 .
  13. ↑ Guest author: Shield Hero Season 2 & 3 Announced at Crunchyroll Expo Panel. Crunchyroll , September 1, 2019, accessed September 2, 2019 .
  14. ↑ Chrystalyn Hodgkins: Crunchyroll Reveals Streaming Territories for The Rising of The Shield Hero Anime. Anime News Network, September 2, 2018, accessed July 31, 2019 .
  15. ↑ Karen Ressler: Funimation to Stream Rising of the Shield Hero Anime, Crunchyroll Announces Dub Cast. Anime News Network , December 20, 2018, accessed July 31, 2019 .
  16. ^ Karen Ressler: Rising of the Shield Hero English Dub Debuts, Future Episodes to Debut Simultaneously With Japan (Update). Anime News Network, February 13, 2019, accessed July 31, 2019 .
  17. ↑ Rafael Antonio Pineda: The Rising of the Shield Hero Anime's English Dub to Have 2-Week Delay. Anime News Network, May 15, 2019, accessed July 31, 2019 .
  18. ↑ René Kayser: Three new titles from our catalog get a German synchro. Crunchyroll, May 14, 2020, accessed May 15, 2020 .
  19. ↑ Alexander Krei: Series replenishment for adult swim block at TNT Comedy. DWDL.de , May 14, 2020, accessed on May 15, 2020 .
  20. ↑ René Kayser: An update on our new German synchros. In: Crunchyroll .de. July 16, 2020, accessed July 16, 2020.
  21. ↑ a b c d e Mikikazu Komatsu: Filo Shows Angelic Smile on The Rising of the Shield Hero 3rd DVD / Blu-ray Jacket. Crunchyroll , June 12, 2019, accessed July 31, 2019 .
  22. ↑ a b c d The additional content was taken from the product information pages of the CDjapan shop .
  23. ↑ Normanicgrav: The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 1 Anime Limited Editions & UK Home Video Details Revealed. Animeuknews.net, February 25, 2020, accessed March 15, 2020 .
  24. ^ Robin Hirsch: "The Rising of the Shield Hero" appears on DVD and Blu-ray. Anime2you.de, June 20, 2020, accessed June 20, 2020 .
  25. ↑ List of speakers. AniSearch.de , accessed on April 27, 2019 .
  26. ↑ Aneko Yusagi : The Rising of the Shield Hero . tape 1 . One Peace Books , Long Island , New York , United States 2015, ISBN 978-1-935548-72-0 , A Heroic Discussion, pp. 32-33 (English).
  27. ↑ Aneko Yusagi: The Rising of the Shield Hero . tape 1 . One Peace Books, Long Island, New York, United States 2015, ISBN 978-1-935548-72-0 , A Heroic Discussion, pp. 31-32 (English).
  28. ↑ Aneko Yusagi: The Rising of the Shield Hero . tape 1 . One Peace Books, Long Island, New York, United States 2015, ISBN 978-1-935548-72-0 , A Heroic Discussion, pp. 33 (English).
  29. ↑ Aneko Yusagi: The Rising of the Shield Hero . tape 1 . One Peace Books, Long Island, New York, United States 2015, ISBN 978-1-935548-72-0 , Extra Chapter: The Spear Hero's Buffoonery, pp. 290-314 (English).
  30. ↑ a b c d various authors: The Winter 2019 Anime Preview Guide: The Rising of the Shield Hero. Anime News Network , January 6, 2019, accessed August 2, 2019 .
  31. ↑ Steve Jones: The Worst Anime of 2019. Anime News Network, January 3, 2020, accessed March 15, 2020 .
  32. ↑ Winter 2019 First Impressions - The Rising of the Shield Hero. S1E1, January 6, 2019, accessed August 2, 2019 .
  33. ↑ a b Haris Odobasic: "Dangerous and Disgusting " - "Shield Hero" episode with negative reactions. Anime2you.de, January 12, 2019, accessed August 2, 2019 .
  34. ↑ Jesse Camou: Does THE RISING OF THE SHIELD HERO's Premiere Dismiss the Me Too Movement? ComicsVerse , April 30, 2019, accessed August 3, 2019 .
  35. ↑ The Rising Of The Shield Hero Anime Producer Answers Fans' Burning Questions In Reddit AMA Session. Crunchyroll, February 12, 2019, accessed August 3, 2019 .
  36. ^ Nico Lang: "The Rising of the Shield Hero" anime doubles the print run of the franchise. Anime2you.de, August 2, 2019, accessed April 27, 2019 .
  37. ↑ Jamez: The Rising of the Shield Hero: Light novel and manga reach milestone. Animenachrichten.de, April 21, 2019, accessed on August 2, 2019 .
  38. ↑ Nico Lang: KADOKAWA introduces new rules for Isekai anime. Anime2you.de, June 2, 2019, accessed August 2, 2019 .
  39. ^ Joseph Luster: The Rising of the Shield Hero PC Game Launches in Japan. Crunchyroll, April 27, 2019, accessed August 2, 2019 .
  40. ↑ ShieldHeroEN. Kadokawa.nimg.jp, accessed August 2, 2019 .
  41. ↑ Jamez: Isekai Quartet: Start date of the second season known + new characters announced. Animenachrichten.de, October 5, 2019, accessed October 4, 2019 .
  42. ↑ Mikikazu Komatsu: The Rising of the Shield Hero Is The Most Continuously Watched Anime in 2019. Crunchyroll, December 10, 2019, accessed December 11, 2019 .
  43. ↑ Robin Hirsch: BOFURI x Shield Hero: Kadokawa proclaims shield anniversary. Anime2you.de, March 15, 2020, accessed on March 15, 2020 .
  44. ↑ 最 硬 の 盾 の 記念 日. Kinenbi.gr.jp , accessed March 15, 2020 (Japanese).
  45. ^ Gracie: Final Impressions: The Rising of the Shield Hero. Anime Trending, July 19, 2019, accessed August 2, 2019 .
  46. ↑ Iitakino: Why is Shield Hero Different From Other Isekai Anime? Manga Tokyo, July 19, 2019, accessed August 2, 2019 .
  47. ↑ Abdalla Mbajja, Michael Kateregga: Shield Hero could resurrect this special gaming genre. The Weekly Observer , May 16, 2019, accessed August 3, 2019 .
  48. ↑ Winners Of The 2019 Winter Anime Awards. Anitrendz.net, accessed August 2, 2019 .
  49. ↑ Deiru: Kaguya-sama: Love is War victorious in Winter 2019 Anime Awards. Anitrendz.net, April 6, 2019, accessed August 2, 2019 .
  50. ↑ Category 3: Best Anime Series in Simulcast. Anime2you.de, accessed December 25, 2019 .
  51. ↑ Official Nominees. Anitrendz.net, accessed July 28, 2019 .
  52. ↑ Results. Anitrendz.net, accessed February 25, 2020 .
  53. ↑ Cayla Coats: Meet the Nominees for This Year's Anime Awards! Crunchyroll, January 10, 2020, accessed January 10, 2020 .
  54. ↑ Adam Bankhurst: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Wins Anime of the Year at Crunchyroll's Fourth Annual Anime Awards. IGN Entertainment , February 16, 2020, accessed February 17, 2020 .
  55. ↑ TAAF2020 ア ニ メ フ ァ ン 賞 は 『劇場版 う た の ☆ プ リ ン ス さ ま っ ♪ マ ジ LOVE キ ン グ ダ ム』！ Tōkyō Kokusai Anime Fair , February 6, 2020, accessed February 10, 2020 (Japanese).