Shield Hero

All Hail Empress Raphtalia!

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 12 Review

It’s over, everyone. The liberation of Q’ten Lo is over, and Raptalia’s ancestral homeland is free. Sadly, anyone who hoped that things would end in a big, epic final battle like in a movie has had their hopes dashed. Instead of a great final battle, we have to settle for a more personal one as Raphtalia undergoes a great trial: earning the approval of her ancestors to lead the nation.

Good Riddance, Makina

So, to recap the end of the last episode, Shildina was possessed by the spirit of Raphtalia’s ancestor, the former Emperor(or Empress) of Q’ten Lo. Said ancestor then flew to the capital and killed the wicked Makina for her crimes against the nation. However, Makina had one last trick up her sleeve, using a failsafe she put in place to allow her soul to possess Shildina’s body. Fortunately, she’s about as smart as Bitch the Witch, so it doesn’t work. Some people might not like how anticlimactic this feels, but there really was no need for Naofumi and the others to fight Makina. She was a worthless piece of trash and she died like one.

The real focus of the episode, though, is what happens after that. Raphtalia’s ancestor is willing to give Shildina her body back, on one condition: she wants to scrap with Raphtalia. The logic behind this is simple. As Emperor, it will be Raphtalia’s duty to be strong enough to stop the Cardinal Heroes if they stray from good. So she needs to be strong enough to do that. Ergo, she needs to prove her strength.

Decent Fight!

The fight itself is actually pretty good, at least by the show’s standards. Raphtalia gets to show off how strong she really is, and we see how much she has to improve upon herself. At the same time, I can’t help but feel like the fighting has lost a bit of its edge. Then again, my standard might have gone up from watching other anime.

In any event, Raphtalia wins, and Shildina is freed. Which means that Q’ten Lo is now free!! However, it’s what happens next where the anime fumbles the bag.

We Missed Naofumi Preaching the word of Raph-Chan

In the light novels, after defeating Shildina and bringing the rebels in, Naofumi and the others go to capture the young Emperor, Raphtalia’s cousin, Ruftmilia. He tries to remain composed at first, but just like in the anime, Naofumi has Filo mess with him. The reason being that he wanted him to understand why forbidding people from fighting monsters in self-defense is a bad idea. Whereas the anime glosses over things, though, Filo pretends to try to eat the boy! It helps fake his death so they can take him away from Q’ten Lo, but it’s not as dramatic in the anime.

Also, it skips over the part where Ruftmilia takes an immediate liking to Raph-Chan. Which means that Naofumi now has a new member of the Church of Raph-Chan, much to the dismay of Raphtalia.

Next Season is Gonna be Crazy

Regardless, though, this brings an end to the big side quest that was Q’ten Lo. And that is basically what the entire season has amounted to: a major side quest. Because while all of this is happening, time is running out until the next of the Guardian Beasts emerges. That is when the fight to save the world will begin anew. And things are already being set in motion.

Elsewhere, a moment that should make people ecstatic takes place when Motoyasu corners and apparently kills Witch. Normally, that would leave people jumping for joy…or at least lamenting the waste of life. However, it happens far too easily for everyone to buy. And they’re right. Witch is still alive, and will likely return to cause trouble in the future.

And that brings us to what comes next, Season Five. The anime includes a teaser for the next season in its final moments, and from what we see, things are about to get bad for Naofumi. Very, very bad. I haven’t gotten that far in the light novels, but I’ve heard the stories about how bad things get.  

I Give “Return of the Emperor” a 4/5

Sisters Clash! Water Miko vs Water Miko!

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 11 Review

If there is an afterlife, then there better be a special place in Hell for adults who abuse kids, especially if it’s their own. Thanks to Makina (AKA Bitch II), any attempts to end the liberation of Q’ten Lo without bloodshed are for naught. Shildina has been ordered to go back and fight Raphtalia and Naofumi’s forces, making her their last obstacle to the Capital. And the only way they can get past her without killing anyone is by beating her one-on-one. And the only person she’ll fight? Her sister, Sadeena.

Oh, dear.

Sibling Inferiority Complexes are Hard to Handle

From the outset of this fight between sisters, Shildina makes it clear that she has no illusions as to how things will turn out. She fully expects to die facing down her older sister. However, her decision to do this goes beyond following orders, no matter how unfair they are. It’s because she has a personal grudge against Sadeena.

As this episode reveals, Shildina was only born after Sadeena left the country. Their parents and clan created her for the sole purpose of taking up her sister’s role as the Water Dragon Priestess and the Emperor’s executioner. They put her through hell for that, not even treating her like her own person. And now, Shildina is using her suicide mission as a means to let out all the hate and anger in her heart against the person she deems responsible.

Ever since the group arrived in Q’ten Lo, the show has implied that a part of Sadeena regrets leaving without trying to change things for the better. However, no one can fault her for leaving. Many people who grew up in an abusive household don’t look back after getting out. If anything, the only regret that Sadeena has after meeting her sister is that she wasn’t able to beat some sense into her deadbeat family. But now that she has Raphtalia and Naofumi by her side, she can change all of that.

Ultimately, Shildina is technically the person who wins the duel, managing to overwhelm her older sister thanks to a trump card she had in place. That victory proves hollow, though, as Naofumi and the others all rush to her aid while Shildina has no one. The only person who cares about her as a person is the Heavenly Emperor, and he was powerless to stop her from going to her death. Thankfully, Shildina doesn’t die. Something just as bad happens to her, though. Somehow, she gets possessed by a spirit!

So that is where Rapthalia Gets her Looks From

It’s not really explained that well in the anime, and the light novel doesn’t offer as much of an explanation as to why this transformation happens. Given how this new form is the spitting image of Raphtalia, though, it’s safe to say that Shildina has been possessed by the spirit of Raphtalia’s ancestor. On the one hand, she doesn’t continue the fight with Sadeena and immediately flies back to the Capital. That’s when she proceeds to give Makina the karmic justice she deserves.

On the other hand, though, Raphtalia’s ancestor is possessing the body of a kid against her will. That’s not good. If they want to save Shildina, then Naofumi and the others are going to have to fight this spirit.

As is the case with many of the fights this season, it wasn’t the most exciting thing to watch. However, what it lacked in excitement, this episode made up for in raw emotion. It really wants you to feel for Shildina when you hear her backstory, and make you want nothing more than to beat her parents faces into the ground. If we’re lucky, we’ll get an anime-exclusive scene of that next week during the finale. Until then, though, we have the battle against Raphtalia’s ancestor to long forward to. After that, we crown our Tanuki Goddess!

I Give “Oracle Miko” a 4/5

No Peace As Long as Jerks are In Charge

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 10 Review

You know who we hate? Witch, AKA Bitch, W***, and formerly known as Malty S. Melromarc. She might be one of the most loathsome, contemptible, and disgusting excuses for a sentient being in all of anime. And as this season has revealed, Q’ten Lo has its own version of Witch in the form of Makina, AKA the one running Raphtalia’s ancestral homeland into the ground. Bitch #2 is such a waste of life that even when it’s obvious she’s going to lose, she’d rather drag everyone else down with her, even if they’re just kids like Sadeena’s little sister.

You Can’t Negotiate with Jerks

At the end of the last episode, Naofumi, Raphtalia, and the other rebels had made it to the gates of the Old Capital of Q’ten Lo. Right when it looked there would be a huge fight, Sadeena’s little sister, Shildina, AKA Zodia, asks to talk things out. Despite her future subjects calling it a trap, Raphtalia agrees to go, and alone at that. It’s rather sweet to see that Naofumi and Sadeena trust Raphtalia to take care of herself, even when their followers act paranoid.

As it turns out, it’s not a trap. Shildina does want to end the civil war peacefully, asking the rebels to lay down their arms so their lives will be spared. She even offers Raphtalia a job in the government. As we’ve seen about her character, she’s completely sincere about her offer. She hates seeing people suffering as much as Raphtalia and wants to end things without any further bloodshed. With how hard it can be in real life to get people to talk things out, I can’t help but respect the young priestess’ willingness to know when it’s time to compromise.

Unfortunately for Shildina, her efforts to end the war without any more fighting were doomed from the start. I didn’t need to be Naofumi to see that fact plain as day.

Is this Woman Witch’s long-lost relative?

First of all, it’s implied, and later confirmed, that Shildina is acting of her own accord. Her master, the horrid Makina, is like Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones: if you’re not with her and doing what she wants, then you’re an enemy to be crushed. Needless to say, she is neither understanding nor willing to even entertain the thought of peace. Not that it would matter for her. After allowing Raphtalia to become an orphan, be enslaved, and then have assassins sent after her, any peace deal Naofumi would want would involve her facing justice.

Second of all, this episode pretty much confirms that the child Emperor is a figurehead with no real power. Even when he tries to speak up for Shildina’s, likely his only real friend, Makina shuts them both down. Any attempts to act in good faith are never going to work with her in charge. Case in point, when Shildina comes back having given up the Old Capital to Naofumi’s forces, she proceeds to verbally abuse the girl, playing on her feelings of inferiority towards the sister she’s never met. In other words, she’s a horrible woman and the world will be better off when she’s dead.

All Hail Empress Raphtalia!

The good news, though, is that thanks to the government abandoning the Old Capital, the group’s able to perform the ritual to make Raphtalia the new Heavenly Emperor of Q’ten Lo. Or Empress, in this case; the story doesn’t make it clear if “Emperor” is gender-neutral here. Regardless, the important thing is Raphtalia is now able to perform the blessings of the Heavenly Emperor. Even better, the Cardinal Heroes manage to learn a new way to power up that basically amounts to the use of Ki. With the Phoenix’s arrival on the horizon, they will need all the power-ups they can get.

The bad news? The road to the new capital is now blocked by Shildina. And judging by the amount of sake she’s drunk, she’s not here to negotiate.

We are nearing the end of this season of Shield Hero, and knowing what the story is like, we can expect at least one climatic fight before the dust settles. In the meantime, here’s hoping that the next episode won’t see Sadeena or anyone else forced to fight Shildina.

Also, we saw a glimpse of Motoyasu, and it looks like he’s raised some Filolials into potential queens like Filo

I Give “Prayers” a 3/5

Now there are two Sadeena’s

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 9 Review

What can be said about Sadeena? She has a dark and troubled past as the former water miko of Q’ten Lo. She’s Raphtalia’s big sister figure. She’s another one of Naofumi’s unwanted suitors after he beat her in a drinking contest. She’s a fun person to be around, all things considered.

So, who wants to see a mini-Sadeena? Because that’s basically what we get with this episode. 

Now They’re Gonna Worship Filo, too!

The liberation of Q’ten Lo continues apace as the rebels march towards the old capital. Thanks to Naofumi showing off Raphtalia in her miko outfit and helping everyone, their ranks continue to swell. In an extra stroke of good fortune, Filo is a dead ringer for the country’s national bird, so they have her happily walking around and befriending everyone like the floofy angel she is. Once they get to the old capital, they can perform the succession ceremony that will give Raphtalia the formal, and mystical, powers of the Emperor.

There’s just one problem: the puppet regime has decided to make its stand at the Old Capital. And they’re being led by the Water Dragon Miko.

As Sadeena explains, the role of Water Dragon Miko has always been in her family, and it’s more than just a religious role. The title-bearer also serves as the Emperor’s enforcer and executioner. Basically, Darth Vader without the cybernetics and angst. And Sadeena is unhappy knowing her decision to leave led to another taking up her burden.

As it turns out, though, Naofumi doesn’t have to wait to meet this potential enemy. While he and S’yne are going to meet with Motoyasu II and Elhart, they run into a young girl who’s a dead-ringer for Sadeena.

It’s Mini-Sadeena

The anime doesn’t say that this girl, Zodia, is related to Sadeena. It doesn’t need to; the fact that she looks like a mini-Sadeena is a big enough hint. The fact that she loves drinking alcohol and immediately asks Naofumi to marry her when he shows he can’t get drunk cinches it. This little girl is Sadeena’s little sister, and we all know it. Naofumi may not say anything, but he’s smart enough to put two and two together for himself. And as Sadeena herself states, any little sister she might have would’ve had to take up that role. And Zodia is only a kid.

Let that sink in. The system would have a kid become a religious leader and executioner. That’s messed up. When this is all over, Naofumi is going to have to go and have a talk with Sadeena’s family. Better yet, forget the talking. Make Sadeena the new head and banish the old ones. 

In any event, things stop being so easy once the rebels arrive at the old capital. The regime chooses to stand its ground and asks to parley with the rebels. It would also seem that the puppet masters opted to strike at the villages under their control without Zodia’s knowledge. As a result, Naofumi has to send Atla, Fohl, S’yne, and Gaelion away to help. It’s clear that while Zodia is willing to play fair, her superiors have no such desire to play fair.

Time to Fight Dirty

I can’t remember what exactly is going to happen next from the light novel, but I do know that things are only going to get worse before they get better. It doesn’t help that Sadeena is likely going to have to fight the sister that she’s never met before, either. Which is incredibly sad, since Zodia is such a sweet girl. Plus, seeing her get lost so easily reminds me of Zoro from One Piece, so bonus points in my book. 

This episode wasn’t that exciting, but to be fair, that seems to be the case for a lot of this season. It’s mostly drama and talking with action in between, and that’s fine. I’m still going to watch it, regardless.

Also, it gets shunted to a smaller scene, but after Raphtalia gives Fohl advice on how he needs to stop spoiling Atla, he starts calling her “big sis.” She has come full circle!

I give Zodia a 3.5/5

That Time We Fight a Giant Snake Monster

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 8 Review

There are many myths and legends in Japanese mythology that remain alive in the modern day, but I think my favorite is that of the Yamata No Orochi. Like the Hydra of Greek game, Orochi was a massive, multi-headed serpent that ran amok killing people for years before finally being slain by a great hero. The story of Orochi remains popular in modern culture, with it being referenced in many popular anime and manga like Naruto. Given how Q’ten Lo is essentially a fantasy version of Japan, it was perhaps inevitable that the monster would show up. It’s just that…the animation is mid.

The CGI Snake was Mid…

The episode (which skips the OP), starts off on a rather humorous note: the rebel army being absolutely wasted. They made the mistake of competing with Sadeena in a drinking contest. Once they drag themselves off the floor, though, they provide exposition on the current situation. In a nutshell, the country is controlled by a horrible woman called Makina, who’s using the child emperor as a puppet. She moved the capital from the ancient one to the east and is responsible for extorting the population, so she has to die. However, she’s not going to go quietly. No sooner is Naofumi brought up to speed than the enemy makes its move…by unleashing a giant monster.

Remember how the puppet Emperor passed laws to protect all monsters? They extended that protection to monsters that threatened to destroy Q’ten Lo, providing them with the Emperor’s blessing. And one of those monsters, an Orochi that Raphtalia’s ancestor sealed, has been freed. And it is…kind of mid.

Cool Fight

There’s no getting around it, everyone. The animation for the Orochi and its multiple forms is not that good. In fact, it reminds me too much of how bad the Spirit Tortoise looked in what little I saw of Season Two. It’s big, but it doesn’t look that intimidating. The hydra that Rudeus and his father fought in the Teleportation Labryrinth looked scarier, and that one cost the former his arm and the latter his life! This one feels a little like a joke in comparison. Maybe it’s just the limits of what CGI can do here, but it doesn’t look that scary.

At the very least, the actual fighting of the beast, which makes up a good part of the episode, is decent enough. While everyone does their own part, the main MVPs are Raphtalia and Sadeena, the latter of whom gets her own beast transformation that turns her into a flying killer whale. It doesn’t make any sense, but it looks cool!

Okay, the Killer Whale Was Cool

At the tone, that is Naofumi and the Rebellion 2, Evil Bitch running Q’ten Lo 0. And they got a cursed sword that they can eventually use. As soon as Motoyasu II gets it under control.

Things will only get harder from here on out. Now that the rebellion has shown that it means business, it’s only a matter of time before it hits its first wall. We shouldn’t be too worried, though. Naofumi and the others have got this.

I Give “Orochi” a 3/5

The Spark of Rebellion Ignites

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 7 Review

Everyone, we’ve got some good news and we’ve got some bad news. The good news is that Naofumi and Raphtalia have successfully made it to Q’ten Lo, Raphtalia’s ancestral homeland. The bad news is that only they, Sadeena, and Gaelon have gotten in. The rest of their group is stuck at sea thanks to a magic barrier. If they ever want to settle things with the corrupt leaders of Q’ten Lo, they’ll need to bring down that barrier. And to do that, they’re going to need some help from the locals. And to do that, they’re going to have to start a revolution.

Sweet.

Welcome to Q’ten Lo

So, Naofumi managed to make it into Q’ten Lo, but most of his allies are stuck outside with no way to get in. Fortunately, this isn’t the first time that he’s had to move around in a place where everyone’s out to get him. After he and his companions blend in, they get to go around seeing what Raphtalia’s ancestral homeland looks like. Having read the light novels in anticipation for this season, my expectations saw the nation as a more fantastical version of medieval Japan, like Wano Country in One Piece. In this case, though, the animation style’s more grounded in realism (to the extent that a fantasy world can be, that is), so not as many Sakura trees as I hoped. The silver lining is that the amount of tanuki statues makes the place feel like a wonderland for Raphtalia-lovers everywhere. Raph-Chan will likely be worshipped as a deity.

PETA Taken to Logical Extreme

Despite it’s beauty, though, the suffering of the inhabitants is made blatant. When the group sees someone being attacked by a monster and no one’s doing anything, Gaelon steps in to save the day. That’s when they learn something scary: by decree of the Heavenly Emperor, no citizen is permitted to attack a monster for any reason.

Let that sink in. Even if you’re about to be targeted by a wild animal that intends to hurt and kill you, you’re not allowed to fight back. Not even in self-defense. And considering how dangerous the wildlife is in the series, that’s tantamount to saying their life has no value. It’s like PETA taking their mindset to its logical conclusion, with disastrous results. It’s not always kind, but sometimes you have to kill to survive.

Let the Revolution Begin

Regardless, Naofumi and Raphtalia find that between this and the unbearable taxes, there are plenty of people fed up with things. Sure enough, they find the local official, who knew Raphtalia’s father, is more than happy to help them launch their rebellion.

The raid to bring down the lighthouse keeping the barrier up proves to be a challenge for Naofumi and the rebels. In keeping with previous fights, the enemy can negate the powers of the Cardinal Weapons. Thanks to the intervention of a blacksmith, though, they win the day. And give us a pretty cool-looking final move.

As it turns out, the blacksmith in question is Elhart’s old master whom he had come to find. He’s also a massive simp who flirts with every pretty lady he meets. It gets to the point in the light novels that Naofumi dubs him Motoyasu II, which is hilarious.

The episode ends on a positive note for the heroes. With the beachhead secure, they’re able to begin landing the troops. What’s more, with Naofumi’s backing, Raphtalia has (reluctantly) staked her claim to the throne. Which means the rebellion has begun! And by the time it comes to an end, Raphtalia might very well be called the Heavenly Empress of Q’ten Lo. Knowing Naofumi, he’s probably going to use it to sell Raphtalia merch or spread the word of Raph-Chan.

I Give “Arriving in Q’ten Lo” a 3/5

Q’ten Lo, Q’ten Ho!

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 6

Fun fact about Japan: not counting how the Allies occupied it after World War II, no foreign power has ever successfully invaded it. Besides being home to a historically warrior culture, there’s also the issue of Mother Nature to deal with. Legends say that the storms that thwarted the Mongol Invasion were conjured by the gods. Gods or not, though, nothing is stopping Naofumi from getting into Q’ten Lo. They tried to kill the tanuki goddess Raphtalia, and for that, they must pay! And now that Naofumi has a ship, he’s able to bring his crew in to march on Q’ten Lo. Let the invasion begin!

…is what I would like to say. Dang weather and divine intervention.

Q’ten Lo, Q’ten Ho!

Having returned to Melromarc in triumph, Naofumi meets with Queen Mirella to tell her that Siltvelt will be much more cooperative from now on. In return, she reveals what I already told you: Atla and Fohl’s mom was Trash’s sister, making them his niece and nephew. It’s sad to think that this had to be revealed in a manner that screams afterthought. Given everything that has happened, it feels a bit of a disservice to the two. Regardless, the pair had their time in the spotlight. Now it’s time to focus on the main side quest of the season: stopping Q’ten Lo.

Raphtalia’s ancestral homeland hasn’t given up trying to kill her or her companions. Their assassins have kept trying to attack their village, only for Motoyasu to storm in and kill them before they can do any damage. Thus, Naofumi opts to leave him and Ren in charge of watching the village. He, Itsuki, Rishia, Raphtalia, Sadeena, Filo, Raph-Chan, Galleion, S’yne, and the Hakuko siblings will proceed full sail to Q’ten Lo. They will invade the country, bring down its leaders, and put a stop to things so they can focus on the coming of the Phoenix.

Things are easier said than done, though. Not only do they get attacked by more assassins at sea, but they have to deal with nature and divine intervention preventing them from entering. The outskirts of Q’ten Lo are covered in fog, whirlpools, and a magical barrier. If they don’t want someone to come in, then they are going to have a hard time getting in! To make matters worse, one of those whirlpools proceeds to separate Naofumi, Raphtalia, Sadeena, and Gaelion from everyone else. It’s like the start of a JRPG!

Welcome to Q’ten Lo

From what I can remember, the entire sequence is pretty faithful to the events in the light novel. When the group wakes up, they’re in a cave inside Q’ten Lo itself, having been brought there by the nation’s guardian dragon. To put it bluntly, the dragon wants Naofumi to restore Q’ten Lo to its rightful purpose.

In the anime’s lore, the Four Cardinal Heroes are beings summoned from other worlds to save it when the Waves of Catastrophe hit. As we have seen, though, being called a hero doesn’t exempt a bearer from being corrupted by darkness. Thus, it makes sense that there would be a nuclear deterrent in the form of weapons that can kill the Cardinal Heroes. That is what Q’ten Lo’s role is supposed to be, but it seems they’ve either forgotten it or have been isolated so long that they no longer care until it starts affecting them. Either way, they could’ve stepped in and put the other Heroes in check well before Naofumi had to, which would’ve saved a lot of time, energy, and lives. The fact that they didn’t is just another reason for Naofumi, and by extension, the audience, to want to see this country brought to heel. Except that the rest of his group is stuck outside the barrier, meaning they’ll have to find a way to bring it down from within.

It’s a little annoying that it took us so long to get this point, but now that we are here, we might as well enjoy Q’ten Lo. This is the closest Naofumi will get to being back home for the foreseeable future, and I’ve been reading the light novels to see what happens. From what I’ve gathered, we are in for some interesting events. Welcome to Q’ten Lo, everyone! We’ve got a rebellion to start.

I Give “Leaving Port” a 3/5

Wow, Fohl Got Quite the Glow-up!

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 5 Review

Have you ever seen The Lion King before? Remember that climactic scene where Simba and Scar clash atop Pride Rock as the land burns around them? That was one of the coolest things that Disney did during the 90s, and throughout the duel of Fohl and Atla vs Jaralis, I’ve gotten similar vibes. From Fohl fighting to avenge his father to the fact that the three combatants are humanoid cats, it just feels so similar. And much like The Lion King, Fohl succeeds in his mission, while also getting a glow-up in the process.

Bad Kitty

After turning into a lion the size of a tank and calling his drugged-up followers, Jaralis goes from fighting a duel to attempting a coup and assassinating Naofumi. His thugs prove to be no match for the Shield Hero’s party, but the crazy thing is that they won’t stay down. They keep respawning, making them a major pain for Naofumi. Even worse, when Jaralis continues to lose to Fohl, he absorbs them into his body, turning him into a monstrous chimera. He starts to think that he’s a god who could conquer the world. In actuality, though, he’s only succeeded in outwardly becoming the monster he always was, and everyone knows it.

Naofumi, though, manages to put him in his place. Using his Shield and connection to Fohl, he gives the boy his own power-up, turning him into a full-on white tiger. Between him and his sister, they make short work of Jaralis, simultaneously avenging their father while also silencing any skeptics. Naofumi is the Shield Hero, and anyone who denies it is deluding themselves.

Fohl got a glow-up

The duel is thus over, and the leaders of Siltvelt keep their promise. The ship will be ready in three days. Truthfully, though, Jaralis had forfeited the second he called in his back-up and commit high treason. What was most puzzling, though, was that before he died, the lion mentioned how someone had given him the drug he used. Someone else had been pulling the strings, but at the moment, we don’t know who it is. Nor will we know anytime soon, as Q’ten Lo remains the priority.

Besides restoring their family’s honor, though, the biggest change from the duel is Fohl himself. Thanks to being half Demi-Human, when Fohl got his big level up, he aged into a teenager, showing how strong he’s gotten. In fact, Naofumi says that in his white tiger form, he’s stronger than Raphtalia and Filo! Sadly, the drain on mana means the form can only be used sparingly, preventing it from becoming a cheat code. On the plus side, though, the latter half of the episode sees Fohl and Atla returning to their childhood home and visiting their parents’ graves. Fohl sold it to pay for Atla’s medicine, but a friend of theirs kept it and is nice enough to return it. There, the group enjoys a home-cooked meal that fuses the best of Siltvelt and Melromarc together, a symbol of who Atla and Fohl are.

Time for the Truth

And since the anime isn’t going to say it, I’m going to rip the band-aid off: the Hakuko siblings mom, Lucia, was the younger sister of King Trash of Melromarc. For years, Trash thought that she had been killed while attending a supposed peace summit between Melromarc and Siltvelt. In truth, the whole thing had been set up by war hawks, and Lucia had somehow fled with Tyran’s son, their father. That led Trash’s hatred for Demi-Humans to boil over, hence why he treated Naofumi so badly. To him, Naofumi was a reminder of what he thought he had lost. But now that he knows that his sister had kids before she died, he has the chance to change for the better.

This entire part of the season has really been the story of Fohl and Atla. A good story knows when to develop its supporting cast, and that is pretty much what the Siltvelt Arc has amounted to. While it could’ve been done in a much shorter timeframe, though, I can’t complain about the results. From here on out, though, we’re focusing on Q’ten Lo. It’s time to settle things for Raphtalia, and I can’t wait to see what her ancestral homeland looks like.

I Give “White Tiger” a 4/5

White. Tiger. Power. ‘Nuff Said

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 4 Review

The duel for Naofumi’s freedom has begun. After losing all patience with the leadership of Siltvelt for not giving him a ship to get to Q’Ten Lo, Naofumi’s decided to force the issue. Fohl and Atla will fight Jaralis and his champion in a duel on his behalf, and if they win, Siltvelt will stop stalling. But if he loses, he’ll be stuck in Silvelt and forced to have an unwanted harem of Demi-Humans and Beastmen. While that’s already enough motivation for the siblings to win, they have another motive. Fohl has a score to settle with Jaralis regarding what happened to their late father on the day he died, and he will have his answers and his justice.

Fohl and Atla’s Lineage!

Starting with their introduction in the previous season, Shield Hero has been dropping hints that there’s something about Atla and Fohl that’s special. It’s not just the fact that they’re Half-Human or their incredible strength and will. The fact that Trash, who has a grudge against Demi-Humans, was so nice to them was a big hint that they’re special. As these last few episodes have revealed, there’s a good reason for that: by blood, they’re Siltveltian royalty.

Their father (whom I’m not sure ever gets a name-dropped) was the son of Tyran, the late king of the Hakuko, one of Siltvelt’s greatest military leaders, and the arch-enemy to Trash of Melromarc. While hewas every bit as skilled a leader and warrior, though, Tyran’s son didn’t like war, leading to him being disowned by his father. After that, he met and married his wife (who is important for her own reasons), had Fohl and Atla, only to be forced to fight in another war alongside Jaralis and die on the battlefield. His family lost everything after that, with his wife dying of illness, his kids having to give everything to their staff, and selling themselves into slavery so Fohl could pay for Atla’s medicine.

Jaralis is a Low-Class Hater

And despite Jaralis trying to claim to Fohl’s face that their father died a coward, the boy knows right away that he’s lying. So the lion just admits the truth: he murdered their father in cold blood.

Everyone watching should’ve already figured out by now that Jaralis is scum; so much so that the anime wasn’t able to fully capture all the things that make him scum. For example, that incident where Naofumi was almost assaulted by all those beastwomen in the bath? That was likely his idea! That’s strike one! Strike two was him trying to poison Naofumi and his party, and then doing everything he can to deny it like he’s Littlefinger from Game of Thrones. And if you’ve read Allen Blaster’s Shield Hero fanfic, then we see much earlier how slimy he is. But this is the moment where goes from being a slimeball to a hater of the pettiest degree. The man hated the Hakuko siblings’ dad because he was everything he wasn’t: kind, charismatic, and so good at being a leader that even when Jaralis deliberately put him in a position to be killed, he still won. So he pulled a Scar from The Lion King and just killed him himself!

And just like Scar, Jaralis doesn’t play fair. He must have known Fohl could beat him, because he coats his weapons in poison to paralyze him. When that doesn’t work, he dopes himself on a drug that turns him into a giant, four-legged lion. And when that still fails, he resorts to flat-out calling in some thugs to kill everyone, dropping all pretenses of a duel. The man is a hater!

Villain Rule One: Never Monologue

Jaralis, though, managed to make a classic villain mistake: he monologued and told Fohl everything. Between hearing how Jaralis killed his dad, and being pushed into a corner, Fohl gets the push he needs to unlock new power. He manages to transform into a full-on Beastman Hakuko. He looks like a white tiger god!!

As bad as the situation looks, fans should know that Naofumi and the others aren’t in any real danger. Jaralis is the kind of villain who thinks they’re hot stuff, but in truth, is a chump. He has to resort to using drugs, poison, and brute strength to fight a kid, and he can’t even do that. The Shield Hero team can handle him no problem. What fans should care more about is getting to see what Fohl can do in his El Tigre Blanco form. It could end up being what gives him a leg up on his sister! That will have to wait until next week’s episode, though, but we should be in for a satisfying beatdown.

I Give “Entrusted Power” a 4/5

It’s Official: Atla is terrifying!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 3 Review

Ever since Naofumi arrived in Silvelt, I have been very consistent in my opinion about the country: it’s a fan club that is also a nation. Everyone in Siltvelt worships the Shield Hero and would jump at the chance to help them. But like any large fandom, there are going to be toxic elements. The worst of them are the fans who claim to support what they want, but are really trying to manipulate it for their own ends. And having seen how the leaders of Siltvelt are acting, Atla puts on her Tims and gives the adults the verbal beating they deserve.

Atla Grills All the Adults

As we saw in the last episode, someone tried to poison Naofumi and his party, though everyone knows that it was Jaralis who did it. However, instead of arresting him on the spot, the leaders of Siltvelt went back to arguing amongst themselves. That is when Atla finally reaches the limits and proceeds to crash out and tells them the truth: THEY ALL SUCK.

What follows is three minutes of a child proceeding to verbally tear a bunch of foolish adults a new one, and it is glorious. And in keeping with the fandom analogy, she’s basically the one who’s calling out everyone for making that which they claim to love so unwelcoming to others. Having seen and heard stories about how toxic the fanbases of certain franchises have gotten, it’s nice to see someone not letting something similar slide. And if you thought Atla was cool in the anime, that’s nothing. She starts aura-farming so hard, she breaks the floor underneath her while Naofumi sees the figure of an angry tiger forming around her! PURE EPIC!!

Yet despite everything, and despite Naofumi getting the cook for breakfast to admit being told to use poison, what does Jaralis do? Lying through his teeth.

Jaralis Suckz!!

One would think that the end of the world would be a good motivator for people to put aside their wants and needs. However, the stupidity of some people cannot be so easily cured. In this case, Jaralis outright says that the Waves the world is facing are not the ones of legend, and that Naofumi isn’t the real shield hero. It’s like watching Littlefinger from Game of Thrones. The man will lie straight to people’s faces to get what he wants! It also doesn’t help that the Lion is a racist who continually belittles Atla for being half-human.

As this episode makes abundantly clear, Atla and Fohl are hybrids. Their father was a White Tiger, but their mother was human. And a very important human, at that. However, the fact that Jaralis, a grown man, is willing to play the “hybrid” card on children, just shows how pathetic he truly is. And he’s not going to let this go anytime soon.

So, Atla decides to pull up and put him in his place. She challenges Jaralis to a duel.

Let the Duel Begin!

If you’ll recall, Naofumi once fought a duel against Motoyasu over the matter of Raphtalia’s freedom, completely ignoring the fact that she was a slave in name only and was choosing to serve him out of her free will. This time, though, the terms are simpler. Atla and Fohl will fight on Naofumi’s behalf against Jaralis and a champion of Siltvelt. If they win, the Council will give them their ride to Q’ten Lo and let them go on their way. However, if they lose, not only will Naofumi have to stay in Siltvelt…he’ll have to form a harem.

ATLA, FOHL, YOU HAD BETTER NOT LOSE!!!

Naofumi’s chastity aside, this fight is just as important to Fohl as it is to his leader. He’s got questions for Jaralis, and he will get answers.

Grab some popcorn! This will be good!

I Give “A True People” 3.5/5