How’s it going everyone, welcome back to another You Should Be Watching. The series where we let you know what shows you should keep your eye on. This week we’ll be diving into one of my personal favourite’s because I think you should be watching The Rising of The Shield Hero.
Recently Billy Kametz, the English voice actor for the main character Naofumi, announced that he has stage 4 colon cancer. Whilst we here at the Fizzz are relatively small, I would still like to say that I hope he takes all the time he needs to beat this cancer and get better. There is also a Go Fund me to help with any medical expenses as well if you wish to donate here (but don’t have to).
Rising? Like out of bed?
The Rising of The Shield Hero is a 2019 anime series originally created by Aneko Yusagi and animated by Kinema Citrus. The series follows Naofumi Iwatani as he and 3 others are transported to a new world to save it. Whilst this does sound similar to a lot of anime out there, The Rising of The Shield Hero flips all the tropes on their heads. I won’t give any spoilers but within the first episode, everything that you might’ve expected to happen doesn’t. You’ll find out how cruel this new world is and how it shares some similarities with our own. It’ll hook you and make you want to see the shield hero rise above it all.
A shield, that’s not a weapon
The main schtick of The Rising of The Shield Hero is that Naofumi’s weapon is a shield, just a shield. He isn’t even allowed to touch another weapon, kinda makes it hard to fight. But as the series moves forward, you’ll see his growth. From a rookie who needs others to help him, to becoming a true hero. This series will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. The series isn’t just about Naofumi though, other characters such as Raphtalia and Filo are along for the ride to help Naofumi and lighten up the mood.
Not your kid’s hero
You might think that this series is targeted towards younger audiences (given the title I wouldn’t blame you), you’d be mistaken. The Rising of The Shield Hero deals with some pretty big themes and issues. From racism, corruption, even slavery, this series will definitely keep you on your toes. It’s not just for shock value as well, they dive headfirst into all of them. All these issues are important to the overall story as well, adding more depth to not only the characters, but the world as well. With season 2 airing right now, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this series tackle even more in the future.
There you have it, why I think you should check out The Rising of The Shield Hero. Whether you’re a fan of anime or dark and gritty stories, you’ll find something to enjoy. The 1st season is currently available on Crunchyroll and the 2nd season is currently airing right now with new episodes every week on Crunchyroll.
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