The Rising of the Shield Hero

Naofumi Arrives at Shield Hero Stan HQ

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 1

Q’ten Lo just made the biggest mistake it could ever make: it made the Shield Hero mad.

When we last left off with The Rising of the Shield Hero, things got crazy. One minute, Naofumi had Raphtalia cosplaying in a miko outfit because he thought she looked good in it (and she did.) The next minute, his village was attacked by Demi-human ninjas saying that Raphtalia would die for “making her claim to the throne.” It turns out, Raphtalia’s royalty from the isolationist nation of Q’ten Lo! Her parents had left the country to be together, but their countrymen had had assassins keeping watch over them the whole time. In other words, they knew that she had been captured and enslaved and didn’t do a thing about it. Naturally livid, Naofumi and his group have gone to settle things with Q’ten Lo. There’s just one problem: they have to get there via a nation of Shield Hero stans.

Welcome to Siltvelt, Home of the Shield Hero stans!

The new season picks up as Naofumi, Raphtalia, Raph-Chan, Sadeena, Atla, Fohl, and others are headed to Q’ten Lo. With the Phoenix due to revive in a few months, Naofumi can’t afford to worry about fighting another enemy out to get him and Raphtalia. However, since Q’ten Lo is an isolationist country, the only way to get there is to travel by ship from Siltvelt, AKA Shield Hero fan club global HQ.

For those needing a refresher, Siltvelt is a powerful nation comprised of Demi-Humans. Since the Shield Hero is historically known as a protector of Demi-Humans, they exclusively worship the Shield Hero as their god. That makes them the exact opposite of what Melromarc was at the start of the series: an entire nation of Shield Hero stans. Thus, one would think that Siltvelt would be more than happy to assist their god in his time of need.

One would be forgiven for thinking this.

No, Really. They are Shield Hero Stans

Calling Siltvelt a nation of Shield Hero stans isn’t just an exaggeration on our part. The official definition of stanning is being a fan of something to an extreme degree; in other words, potentially more than what should be healthy. Many real-life fandoms have members who engage in behavior that can be considered toxic. One could even argue that being an overzealous fan of something is itself toxic, as it can lead to behaviors like gate-keeping and disparaging people they don’t consider “true fans.” Even worse, though, there are members of fandoms who claim to like something but are just using it for their own benefit or to manipulate the thing they claim to like for their own ends. And as Naofumi quickly discovers, the leadership of Silvelt is filled with those kinds of fans.

After Naofumi and his party arrive in Siltvelt, it’s not long before they’re met by their adoring public. The entire population shows up to greet their hero, and Atla is praising them all for seeing his greatness because she’s Naofumi’s biggest fan. However, it’s when they meet with the leaders of the nation that it becomes clear that things won’t be so easy.

Rough translation: they don’t want him to leave.

Why Must Politicians Be Politicking?

Even in the face of Armageddon, there are going to be people who only care about being on top. In this case, Siltvelt is doing the same thing that Melromarc did to the other Cardinal heroes: glazing them to get their support while planning on using them as pawns. Thankfully, Naofumi has learned not to let this happen to him, and will be quick to put people in their place. However, that still makes it an issue. Especially since the final moments of the episode involve the introduction of a certain someone, a lion Demi-Human called Jaralis.

It’s been a while since I’ve read Allen Blaster’s fanfic, but I remember Jaralis all too well. That man is a problem, and he will need to be dealt with.

All of that can wait, though. For now, I’m just looking forward to seeing more of Naofumi. After the spring disaster that was TBATE, I need an Isekai palate cleanser.

I Give “Siltvelt” a 4/5

This Summer, ANIME FANS SHALL FEAST!!

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Ten Anime and Films to Look Forward to in Summer 2025

Now that it is meteorlogically behind us, I think we can all be honest about the Spring 2025 season of anime: it wasn’t that good. There were a number of great anime, to be sure. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Wind Breaker, the return of One Piece, and Lazarus (at times) were all good. However, it feels like many of the anime this season were a bit of a let down. The Beginning After the End, for example, had the potential to be the next Solo Leveling, but became a laughingstock. However, deep down, I think most people knew that the spring was going to be a lean time for many anime fans. What everyone was really waiting for was the arrival of summer, because we’ve got one of the strongest anime lineups in years. Spring might have been lean times for many, but this summer, fans shall feast!

Lord of Mysteries (June 28th)

After the disaster that was The Beginning After the End’s anime (THANKS A LOT, A-CAT!), isekai fans need a palette cleanser. Whereas TBATE was born in the USA, though, the next big isekai, Lord of Mysteries, comes from China. The premise is that a young Chinese man suddenly finds himself reborn into a world that’s a combination of the Victorian Era, steampunk, and magic. Now going by the name of Klein, the man is entangled into some sort of supernatural conspiracy as he tries to find a way home. I know next to nothing about the series, but everyone who talks about it on YouTube says its on par with Re:Zero and Mushoku Tensei in terms of quality. That alone is enough for me to be intrigued! Though, it won’t be the only isekai to look out for this summer.

New Saga (July 2nd)

What’s the one thing better than the chance of being reborn into a new world with a clean slate? Going back to an earlier part of your life with all your memories intact, giving you the chance to change how your life turns out. That is the premise behind this new anime, New Saga. Set in a fantasy world nearly destroyed by a war between humans and demons, this anime tells the story of Kyle, the hero who saved the world at the cost of his life, only to awaken four years in the past. Given a second chance to save everyone he loves, how will he put this time to good use? I don’t know, but I’m eager to find out.

DanDaDan Season 2 (July 3rd)

Sometimes, life is good. It’s only been a few months since the first season of DanDaDan ended, and we’re already getting season two. Then again, given the cliffhanger the first season ended on, anime-only watchers wouldn’t want to wait very long. The second season looks set to pick up right where we last left off with the Evil Eye Arc, with Okarun and Jiji hunting for the ghost haunting the latter’s home, while Momo has to fend off a group of perverts in a bathhouse. And judging by the trailer that we’ve gotten, not only will the animation be as good as ever, but the story will get even crazier. Given how the series became one of the biggest hits of 2024, expectations for DanDaDan remain at an all-time high. At the very least, here’s hoping that the new OP is as catchy as “Otonoke.”

Nyaight of the Living Cat (July 6th)

Of all the versions of the zombie apocalypse, this is, by far, the most cruel and evil version I have seen to date. In this comedy horror, a mysterious virus spreads throughout the world, turning everyone who touches a cat…into a cat. Given how beloved cats are by humanity for their companionship, endearing behavior, and natural floofness, this is pure torture! As a cat-lover myself, having to avoid petting their floof feels scarier than any zombie horde. Which is probably the whole point. It’s not meant to be taken seriously and is meant for laughs.

New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (July 9th)

After all these years, Panty and Stocking have returned. For those who don’t remember, this was an action-comedy about two angelic sisters who got kicked out of Heaven for bad behavior and have to redeem themselves by killing evil ghosts. Sadly, they’re easily distracted by their respective vices of men and candy. The show happens to be a favorite of the founders of this blog, so it’s return is going to be a big deal. Just don’t let any minors see it. It’s raunchy enough to rival the likes of South Park!

The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 4 (July 9th)

Just when things seemed to be going Naofumi’s way, the Shield Hero ends up facing a new problem. Thanks to a misunderstanding, Naofumi discovers that his companion, Raphtalia, is actually the long-lost heir to an isolationist nation with techniques capable of beating the Cardinal Heroes. Rather than let them keep coming after her, Naofumi opts to travel eastward so he can stop the fight at the source. Unfortunately, the only way to get there is by going through the Shield Hero-worshipping nation of Siltvelt, and they have their own plans for him. In addition to uncovering more about Raphtalia’s lineage, this season will also shed light on the lineage of two of his newest allies, Atla and Fohl. Given how Shield Hero has managed to remain consistently good (barring its second season), this going to be one of the big isekai of the summer.

Sakamoto Days, Part 2 (July 14th)

It’s been a few months since we last saw any new episodes of Sakomoto Days, but the new shonen anime about the former assassin who doesn’t kill is coming back with a new cours. The first half ended in the middle of the Sakamoto Family fighting Lu Xiaotang’s Triad family for the right for her to stay with them. However, the second half seems to have the stakes get raised as more assassin’s begin to target Sakamoto. Most notably, the trailer explictily shows that these new hitmen are willing to target his wife and daughter. Even if he didn’t kill anyone anymore, though, that’s still going to be the biggest mistake they ever make! You don’t mess with a person’s family unless you’re ready to risk your life!

Kaiju No. 8 Season Two (July 19th)

Much like DanDaDan, Kaiju No 8 is a shonen series from last year that’s returning for its sophomore season. At the end of the last season, the main protagonist, Kafka Hibino, was forced to out himself as a humanoid Kaiju to his comrades in the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force. Thankfully, he was able to convince them to give him a chance, leading him to be taken in by the First Division. With the threat of Kaiju No. 9 hanging over Japan, Kafka will have to gain greater control over his Kaiju form if he hopes to be of any help. While it might have gotten overshadowed by the likes of DanDaDan and Solo Leveling in terms of hype, Kaiju No. 8 remains an amazing anime with great animation, so it’s going to be one to look out for.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle

This summer, the final battle between the Demon Slayers and Muzan is about to begin. Shortly after the end of its fourth season, it was revealed that Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba wouldn’t be getting a fifth season. It would be getting something better: a three-part film trilogy covering the events of the Infinity Castle Arc, and presumably, the final battle against Muzan. While it’s still unclear when the films will be released outside of Japan, fans are ecstatic over this news, and will no doubt flock to movie theaters to give the beloved series the ending it deserves. The D&A Anime Blog will be included among them.

Chainsaw Man: The Reze Arc (September 19th)

At last, Chainsaw Man HAS RETURNED!! Despite how I felt about the ending to the first season, I was still interested in seeing the rest of the series unfold as an anime. And like many people, when I heard that the next arc, the Reze Arc, would be getting the movie treatment, I had one question: what day does it come out? Sadly, like Infinity Castle, we don’t know when the film releases stateside, but when it does, I hope to be there to see it. In all of its bloody glory.

Raphtalia Must Be Protected at All Costs!

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S3 Ep 12

Raphtalia is one of the best waifus in the history of the Isekai genre. She’s beautiful, kind, and strong, and she was the big reason that Naofumi never entirely gave into the despair from his early days as the Shield Hero. While Naofumi either ignores or remains oblivious that she’s in love with him (for now), he will still go to war against anyone who would hurt her. That is precisely what happens in the final episode of this season of Shield Hero. When an entire country targets Raphtalia for reasons straight out of Game of Thrones, Naofumi marches to war.

A Ridiculous Misunderstanding

Having spent the entire season tracking down the three Cardinal Heroes and setting them straight, things seem to finally be going right for Naofumi. The Heroes are cooperating, Lulorona Village is flourishing despite some setbacks, and everyone’s getting stronger. Gaelion’s even started teaching Naofumi, Raphtalia, and Sadeena how to use Dragon Veins. Things finally seem to be doing well for the Shield Hero.

Then, due to a ridiculous misunderstanding, the Heroes get caught in another conflict.

It all started when Naofumi asked Erhard to make Raphtalia a Miko Outfit based on the one she wore in Glass’ world. While the anime doesn’t explain why he did this, the Light Novel’s do: because he thought she looked cute. It was for cosplay, plain and simple. However, when Sadeena comes back and sees Raphtalia wearing it, she freaks out and begs her to take it off.

Then, all hell breaks loose as the village comes under attack from demihuman ninjas.

Q’Ten Lo and their Stupidity 

The ninjas prove tough enough to fight on even ground with the Cardinal and Vassal Heroes, cancelling their powers. It takes everyone’s help to take them down, but then they blow themselves up before they can talk. And the whole time, they were going about “Heavenly Emperor” and not letting Raphtalia claim it. Thankfully, no one dies, but one kid’s left in bad shape.

Afterwards, Sadeena took everyone aside and explained everything. To the east of Melromarc is the country of Q’Ten Lo, which is a stand-in for Feudal Japan, complete with an Emperor and isolationist policies. In the past, the royal family went through a whole Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon scenario, fighting and killing to decide the next Heavenly Emperor. By the time the dust settled, only two people were left, and one of them was Raphtalia’s father. He and her Mom didn’t want to get involved in that nonsense, so they bailed and moved to Melromarc before she was born. Sadeena, whose family had guarded the royal family for generations, went with them. In other words, Raphtalia is a Princess, and those assassin’s tried to kill her to prevent her from claiming the throne.

It turns out, the Q’Ten Lo government had had assassin’s watching Raphtalia and her parents all her life, ready to kill her at a moment’s notice. And when they saw her wearing that miko outfit, they misunderstood it for her gunning for the throne and overreacted by picking a fight with her and the Cardinal Heroes. Like idiots. Like a bunch of idiots. 

A Pissed off Naofumi Goes to War

So, let’s look at the evidence:

  1. A bunch of Assassin’s overreacted to Raphtalia’s innocent cosplaying (because Naofumi thought she looked cute.)
  2. They attacked Raphtalia, her village, and the people in it.
  3. They tried to kill three of the Cardinal Heroes, the one’s supposed to save their world from the Waves, which would screw over everyone.
  4. By doing so, they risked an international incident with Melromarc.

The thing that Naofumi cares the most about, though? These people knew about everything that Raphtalia went through. Losing her parents to the Waves. How she and her friends got enslaved with many of them dying. They knew about everything she went through before she met Naofumi and since, and didn’t do a thing to help her. 

Naofumi’s response: he’s going to war. 

While revenge is a part of Naofumi’s decision (and in this case, an understandable response), there’s logic behind it. This country was willing to kill the people meant to save their world for reasons that, in the grand scheme of things, are incredibly petty and stupid. In addition, the Phoenix, the next of the beasts after the Spirit Tortoise, will revive in two months. They can’t afford to be distracted like this. So, Naofumi tells everyone present that they’re headed to Q’ten Lo to put their leaders in their place. However, to get there, they must first travel to the one nation Q’ten Lo interacts with: Siltvelt. AKA, the land that worships the Shield Hero like a God. Thus, the season ends with Naofumi flying ahead on Gaelion to give the others a spot to teleport. 

Things are about to get Game of Thrones in here.

The Next Season Should be Fun

Full disclosure: I’m a fan of stories that have political intrigue in the vein of Game of Thrones. Since the show ended, though, I’ve also come to love these stories for another reason: to laugh at how trivial, petty, and stupid the scheming is.

No, really. After seeing how badly Westeros was ravaged from people fighting over a throne that, in the end, no one claimed, made me realize how pointless the whole thing was. Especially given how the entire thing took place while an army of ice zombies gathered in the far north. Replace the White Walkers with the Waves of Catastrophe and the Phoenix, and the Shield Hero deals with the same thing. They’re ready to destroy the world, and idiots in power are playing politics. And unlike Jon Snow, Naofumi has far less tolerance for their nonsense.

So, whenever the next season comes around, we’ll see Naofumi going to the country that worships him and then overthrowing a country dumb enough to make an enemy out of him. Not a bad way to end the season.

As for the season, it doesn’t quite reach the height of excitement that the first season did. Nor did it have quite as interesting a premise as the second season (even if several factors ruined it). However, this season feels like it was meant to be a breather before a potentially big storm. The storm in question being what will go down in Q’ten Lo.

I’m looking forward to it, regardless. 

Also, I’m with Naofumi on this. Anyone who tries to hurt Raphtalia will suffer. Like these two.

Itsuki Needs to Get Some Sense Knocked Into Him

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S3 Ep 10 Review

Two Cardinal Heroes down, one to go. Naofumi managed to find Ren and Motoyasu and, more or less, got them under control. However, there’s still one Hero unaccounted for: Itsuki, the Bow Hero obsessed with being this symbol of “Hidden Justice.” Or, in other words, he’s a kid who’s trying too hard to be Batman, but he’s coming off as Red Hood or Damian. If Naofumi and the others want to help Itsuki, talking won’t work for him. They’ll have to use force, no matter how much his former companion, Rishia, might not like it.

It’s worth it. He needs to get taken down a peg for his own good.

“Perfect Hidden Justice” Sounds So Cringe

Thanks to the Gaelion debacle, Naofumi sends Filo and Melty out to gain more levels to compensate for the loss. Beyond that, though, life in Naofumi’s village has returned to normal. The peace proves short-lived, though, when S’yne (conveniently away fighting in the arena) returns with surprising news: she’s found Itsuki. 

Ever since the Spirit Tortoise incident, Itsuki has handled things very poorly. Rather than figure out what he did wrong, he decided to double down on his negative traits and step into full-on cringe territory. Now he’s fighting in the arenas as the gladiator “Perfect Hidden Justice,” a name everyone agrees is cringe. Worse, when Rishia tries to talk to him, he slaps her out of the way, much to everyone’s disgust.

Itsuki’s Paradoxical Hero Complex

This is something other than what gets touched upon in the anime, but web and light novels gave us greater insight into the character of the Three Cardinal Heroes. In Itsuki’s case, he’s a contradiction. On the one hand, he wants to be like Batman or Spider-Man and deliver justice from the shadows. On the other hand, he also wants people to sing his praises and to look cool while saving the day. This contradiction makes him very ineffective as a hero; he has a bunch of insecurities, and unlike Naofumi, he’s not with people with his best interests at heart. At least not anymore. Now, he’s working with the personification of the corrupt elite, Witch. She and the rest of his party have him fight in the arena to get money to save slave children. However, no, but Itsuki buys that. Witch is using the cash for herself.

What’s incredibly frustrating about this is that Itsuki should have no excuse to listen to Witch. He knows that she framed Naofumi; the slave crest the Queen put on her made it clear she’s a liar. Yet she continues to get away with this well past the point where she can. Either she’s got a silver tongue on the level of Starscream, or the Heroes mental states are so fragile since the Spirit Tortoise that they’ll listen to anyone who says anything nice to them. 

It also doesn’t help that Itsuki’s unlocked his cursed series for his bow.

Rishia Steps Up to Knock Some Sense into Itsuki

So, to recap, Itsuki’s unlocked his cursed bow and is being strung along by the Witch. He’s entirely given in to his delusions of being a Batman, but he’s coming off as a Damian or Red Hood. And he’s using an alias that sounds like an edge-lord would come up with. As Atla points out, there’s only one way to make Itsuki see reason: they have to beat him up. 

There are better solutions than this, but it’s their best. When people can’t see eye-to-eye or reason in real life and fiction, settling things with fists and weapons might be the only option left. It’s like when Naruto had to defeat Sasuke at the end of Naruto to get him to see reason. Except in this case, Rishia is Naruto, and Itsuki is Sasuke. 

The decision to have Rishia fight Itsuki is important on several levels. Rishia has always struggled with self-esteem, which Itsuki and his party made worse. She’s grown more substantial and more confident since Naofumi’s group took her in, but beating Itsuki will prove to herself how strong she’s gotten. Additionally, losing to the person he thought was weak might be the reality check Itsuki needs. 

Gearing Up For the Season Finale

This episode was a pause for what was to come. Itsuki is the last of the three heroes Naofumi needs to help see sense, thus the toughest. Motoyasu buckled after Witch, and the other girls turned their backs on him. Ren went through that bandit phase, but Eclair beat him and Wyndia helped him start to come to terms with his past mistakes. However, Itsuki pushed away the one person who could help him, Rishia. Now, Rishia needs to beat him to bring him to his senses. It happens a lot in anime, but the emotional weight of a friend fighting another friend to save them from themselves works. 

There are only two episodes left in the season, and I’m hoping that the next episode gives us a good showing. It’s time for Itsuki to get help, whether he wants it or not. That, and his alias is super-cringe.

I Give “Perfect Hidden Justice” a 4/5

Dragon Emperor Dungeon Boss Fight

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S3 Ep 9 Review

Last week, things weren’t looking good for Naofumi and his allies. Their baby dragon, Gaelion, got possessed by the spirits of two angry adults. Filo’s being used as an unwilling battery as they drain her levels like a parasite. The whole group’s barely hanging on against this pseudo-dungeon boss. And like the boss to any dungeon in an MMORPG, everyone has to work together to slay the dragon.

This might be among the best fights of the entire season.

First Step to Beating the Boss: Find the Weakspot

With the Dragon Emperor bearing down on them with its flames, Naofumi’s barely able to keep everyone alive. It’s only thanks to a well-placed attack by Atla that they managed to escape with their lives. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that by the next day, the dragon will have drained all of Filo’s XP. To make matters worse, Atla, the only one who can hurt it, can’t do so without risking her own life. As everyone regroups and re-strategizes, though, we get a better look at her past through flashbacks.

Gaelion Was a Great Dad

As Wyndia explained, Gaelion is her adoptive father; her biological father died from injuries while (likely) fleeing slavers or persecution. He only lived long enough to tell Gaelion her name.

What follows is one of the most genuinely heartwarming moments of the season. There are a plethora of examples of real-life babies raised by animals, and while Gaelion’s considered sentient, he still counts. Seeing him try in vain to soothe a crying baby Wyndia with raw fish (and treasure) is something plenty of dad’s can relate to. And seeing Wyndia imitate Gaelion’s roar tugs at the heartstrings. It goes a long way to show how important they were to each other, and only makes what happened all the more tragic.

There is a point to this flashback, though. Wyndia remembers that she accidentally discovered her Dad’s weak-spot: an upside-down scale on his chest.

So now, they have to hit that.

Might Not be an MMORPG, But It can Still Play Like One

Shield Hero has made no attempts to hide its MMORPG influences from day one; that’s a known fact. At the same time, it’s also made it clear that, while some aspects of it function like an MMORPG, real life is still real life, as the heroes have all had to learn. In the case of fights like the one against the reborn Dragon Emperor, though, the show knows how to play its roots to its advantage.

Anyone who’s played MMO’s like World of Warcraft, Star Wars: the Old Republic, and more know what the final boss of a dungeon’s like. It’s a fight that tests them to their limits and requires perfect teamwork and not pulling a Leeroy Jenkins. Thankfully, not only did Naofumi’s group come to play, but so did the animation.

The fight that follows, while not quite as tense as the previous episode, makes up for things with letting everyone get at least one good hit in. However, despite everything, it’s not until Atla and Fohl show up that the tide truly turns. It shows that the studio put much of its budget into Atla’s final attack, because it is breathtaking to watch.

In the end, Naofumi and others manage to free Gaelion jr. and Filo from the Dragon Emperor, and Sadeena rips its core out. Boss fight won!

They’ve Got a Dragon Now!

So, despite having to say goodbye to her father for a second time, Wyndia manages to make peace with what happened, and starts to forgive Ren. The show makes it no secret that had Ren known the truth, he wouldn’t have fought Gaelion. Thus, it’s satisfying when afterwards, Naofumi tells the villagers, “you all duped Ren into killing that dragon for its treasure and steal his daughter. You brought this on yourself and got what you deserved.” Knowing what he can do to people who make him mad, they got off easy. It’s also satisfying to see Wyndia take the first steps to healing by thanking Ren for saving her.

Except the OG Gaelion isn’t gone for good. Part of his soul’s now rooming in Gaelion Jr.’s body, which he asks Naofumi to keep quiet about. Sadly for Filo, Jr isn’t giving the XP back, and who can blame him? He can turn into a dragon big enough for the heroes to ride!

Thus, the Sword Hero manages to make amends for one of his biggest mistakes, but the season’s not done yet. Itsuki’s still MIA, and the title for next week’s episode makes it clear the search for him’s about to start. 

This could be the hardest attempt yet.

I Give “Emperor Dragon” a 4.5/5

Wyndia and the Dragon. Her Story Revealed!

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S3 Ep 8

One minute, Naofumi and his party are cooing over their baby dragon, Gaelion. The next, it’s eaten the fused core of the dragons that Ren and Kizuna each killed. The latter is still mad at Ren and is ready to kill everyone. It seems their only hope lies in the dog girl, Wyndia, and her surprising connection to one of the dragons. 

How Did This Happen, Anyway?

The episode first establishes that the souls of two dead dragons possess Gaelion. As Rat explains, dragons in Shield Hero have an organ called a core that houses their memories. Since Gaelion is still young, the other two dragons overwrite his mind and body. In other words, he’s possessed and ready to kill anyone who comes near him. 

To make matters worse, Gaelion’s possession is taking its toll on Filo, who ate part of the core before. Now, Gaelion’s cursed Filo and started sapping her levels. The threat of the angry dragon and to Filo’s life is more than enough to prompt everyone to go after Gaelion. Thus, the group winds up traveling to the den of the dragon that Ren first killed.

Wyndia and Her Dragon Dad

While Ren’s slaying of the dragon and his careless decision to leave the body behind without burying it was already framed in a bad light, it’s only in this episode that the true extent of his mistake is laid bare thanks to Wyndia. As she reveals late in the episode, the dragon Ren killed and Naofumi fought as a zombie was her adoptive father, Gaelion. Worse, it’s revealed that after Ren killed her father, the villagers captured and sold her into slavery. They used his naivete for selfish purposes, leading to Wyndia’s distrust of Ren. 

The anime’s already well-established how the other three Cardinal Heroes have largely failed to live up to the mantle thrust upon them. They refused to work together, their pride kept them from listening to Naofumi, and they lost their parties and all trust. However, to know that Ren got tricked into making Wyndia an orphan and slave? That’s easily one of their biggest screw-ups. It also makes the sight of Naofumi’s group fighting the possessed Gaelion heartbreaking.

Return of the Dragon Emperor

Things only get worse as the party fights against the now massive dragon Gaelion’s become. Not only is it sapping Filo of her power, but it leads to her going berserk and running right toward the dragon. The group can only watch in horror as Gaelion swallows her whole to absorb her power. It’s like Cell from the Dragon Ball franchise! Worse still, even though Wyndia gets through to her father, the dragon emperor that Kizuna slew becomes dominant, ready to conquer anew.

The upside (for the fans): the fight between the reborn dragon emperor and the combined hero party is the best fight of the season yet. Naofumi, Rapthalia, Ren, and everyone else pull out all the stops to fight against the monster. It’s visually stunning in a way that the series hasn’t been since the first season. You can tell that the studio wanted this fight to live up to the fan’s expectations. Unfortunately, it’s also a fight that needs to be resolved by the end of the episode.

Yes, the episode ends midway through the fight. With most of the group on the ropes and Naofumi barely hanging on, it’s an ideal cliffhanger. Waiting a whole week to find out what happens next will be torture!

I Give “Dragon’s Den” a 4.5/5

How to Train your Dragon, Shield Hero Edition

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S3 Ep 8 Review

Things are once again looking up for Shield Hero Naofumi. Thanks to Eclair bringing Ren back to his senses, the Sword Hero’s now living in Lulorona Village. That village is getting bigger every episode, with all sorts of new people moving in. In addition to people, the village is also getting its fair share of animals to help out, including an egg that hatches into a dragon. Unfortunately, dragons aren’t the easiest mythical creatures to tame, as Naofumi soon discovers.

As a side note, this episode also marks the first significant role of a character that Allen Blaster, author of the Diligence of the Shield Hero series, likes. 

More Slice-of-Life Stuff

This week’s episode starts off on a relatively calm note, and it largely retains that tone up until its final minutes. While some might find this boring, a story’s slower moments are just as important as the exciting ones. Moreso since they leave plenty of room for introducing new characters, developing existing ones, and showing them interact outside of battle. 

The first of the new characters to join the cast this episode gets introduced in a rather hilarious fashion: by trying to ride atop a panicking Filo. Enter Ratotille “Rat” Anthreya, an alchemist and researcher specializing in create new life-forms. After getting thrown out of her country due to slander, the Queen of Melormarc hired her to work for Naofumi. Unfortunately for Filo, she’s also the kind of person who does things first without asking permission, hence the attempt to ride her. She makes up for her lack of social etiquette by helping raise the animals, though, so it turns out alright.

 Given this episode’s slower, slice-of-life feel to it, a lot of the supporting cast gets a few moments to show off their own growth. Keel reveals that he’s learned how to transform into a dog much like how Sadeena can go killer whale. S’yne creates a plushie (that looks like Fohl) that can talk for her, helping her communication problem. Ren grows closer to Eclair as she shows him how to read Melromarc’s language. It’s little things like this that flesh out the characters and make them more believable.

This girl will not stop until she gets what she wants.

Perhaps most humorous (and concerning), though, is Atla’s actions. Several times now, Atla’s been caught sneaking into Naofumi’s bed. Her excuse is that, as his shield, she needs to guard him…but nobody buys that. Especially since she tricks her brother into falling asleep before restraining him so she can do this. 

We may have a budding yandere here, folks!

A Baby Dragon: Cute But Dangerous

The supporting character that gets the most attention in this episode, though, is a little dog-girl named Wyndia. There’s things that cannot be discussed without entering spoiler-territory, but the episode does reveal a few key things about her. Chief among them, she has a strong affinity for beasts and animals, especially dragons. Wyndia has a strong fondness for dragons, so when a box of supplies that Naofumi gets includes a dragon egg, her first thought is to want to raise it herself. While Naofumi’s the one who watches the egg until it hatches, it’s Wyndia who ends up naming it: Gaelion.

Despite starting out looking like Gaelion the dragon is the second coming of Filo, things don’t go so smoothly for everyone. While in Glass’ world, Naofumi had the cores of the dragon that Ren killed (and became a zombie) and the one that threatened that world fused into one. However, Gaelion winds up eating it. He then proceeds to grow ten times his size, wrecks Naofumi’s house, and runs off.

Again, can’t reveal what happens without spoilers. However, just know that the next episode will be very entertaining. 

I Give “The Girl and the Dragon” a 4/5

Ren is a Kirito Wannabe, Confirmed!

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S3 Ep 6 Review

An interesting fact about Ren Amaki from Shield Hero: he’s a pretty obvious expy of Kirito, the main protagonist of Sword Art Online. AKA, one of the stories that made isekai a popular genre from the 2010s onwards. People know Kirito as either this lone-wolf gamer with a heart of gold or a sword-wielding badass. The anime makes it all the more apparent with Ren sharing the same seiyuu, or voice actor, as Ren in the native Japanese. Unlike Kirito, though, Ren is more of someone who wants to be a badass yet fails miserably when it counts. Case in point, this episode of Shield Hero shows Ren’s mindset before getting summoned and how he ended up the way he is now.

Kicking off with a flashback to Ren’s life before the present day, fans see how much of a contradiction the young man is. On the one hand, he likes being the strongest or being seen as the strongest and having others sing his praises. On the other hand, though, he’s a lone wolf who is unsure how to interact with his peers, and thus fails to understand the value of the teamwork. As a result, when he got isekai’d, his whole party only fed his ego, exacerbating the problem. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Ren kept thinking he was all his party needed, and neglected their own growth. Which came back to bite him tragically when his party got slaughtered by the Spirit Tortoise. 

Then, in a move surprising no one but himself, Witch robbed him of his gear and money. After that, the same guys who attacked Naofumi’s party try to kill him, only he’s got no party to help him; no deus ex machine like S’yne; and none of the townspeople want to help him. He’s all alone. And that leads him to activate not one, but two, cursed series for his Cardinal Sword and become a bandit leader.

The difference between Ren and Kirito is that, while Kirito started out as a lone wolf, he managed to grow out of it. He opened himself up to others, made friends, and even got a girlfriend. Ren was never willing to take that first step, though, despite dying saving someone else’s life. He never had the kind of people that Naofumi found, which only served to reinforce these negative qualities. All of these things ultimately drove Ren to the point where Naofumi finds him. Wearing a tuxedo mask, fighting Motoyasu, and corrupted by the curses of gluttony and greed. 

Ren Gets a Reality Check

Clearly, Ren is in need of a reality check, and where Naofumi fails, his friend, Eclair, steps up. And, since we skipped out on the second season, Eclair is the daughter of the Lord that ruled the land that Lulorona Village’s a part of. When he died, she hunted down the slavers who kidnapped the villagers, only to get imprisoned by the Three Heroes Church until Naofumi brought them down.

The fight between Ren and Eclair is short but important for two reasons. Firstly, despite him being a Cardinal Hero, Ren gets his butt kicked by Eclair, showing him how weak he is. It’s even implied that Eclair wasn’t fighting him seriously, to boot, driving the point home further. Secondly, Eclair cuts to the root of Ren’s problems: he doesn’t know what he wants beyond the role he was given. He lacks the resolve needed to point his strength towards something worthwhile, stagnated from that, and hates himself for it, since it means he got his party killed. 

That is the power of the “fight no jutsu” and “talk no jutsu” at work in tandem.

With the main conflict now resolved, the episode wraps up with the two assassin’s from before attack the group while they’re recovering. However, Motoyasu kills them both in two seconds thanks to taking Naofumi’s training advice, and Raphtalia kills their souls so they can’t come back. One less problem to deal with, and two of the Cardinal Heroes now willing to listen to Naofumi.

This wasn’t one of the most exciting episodes of the season, but nonetheless, it was an enjoyable one. We got to see inside Ren’s mindset and learn why he is who he is. Furthermore, getting to watch him see reason was very satisfying. With six episodes left in the season, the only hero left to find is Itsuki. Fingers crossed, Naofumi finds him before he can get hurt or cause too much trouble. 

I Give “Where You Point Your Strength” a 4/5

Naofumi Gets More Enemies on His List

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S3 Ep 5 Review

There seems to be a recurring trend in Shield Hero. Whenever things start looking good for Naofumi, life throws him a curveball or two. First there was the thing with Witch (that’s what Malty shall be henceforth called). Then he went on the run from the Three Heroes Church. The attack of the Spirit Tortoise and traveling to Glass’ world. Now, the universe throws Naofumi another curve ball. Not only are there more world’s than his, Raphtalia’s, and Glass’, but more people want him dead. 

After giving up on the now full-blown Filocon that is Motoyasu, Naofumi, Raphtalia, and Filo are hoofing it back to Lulorona Village. Without Filo’s beloved carriage, to boot. Suddenly, they’re ambushed by a pair of arrogant, yet powerful, men in black hoods. Much like the surprise, scripted boss fight in a JRPG, their attackers prove too dangerous to fight in their current state. One of them even drops a meteor on them like they’re Sephiroth or Madara Uchiha! Thankfully, they’re beaten thanks to their own hubris and the intervention of S’yne. 

As S’yne reveals once they’re back in Lulorona Village, she’s not from their world. She was the Vassal Hero from a world that was destroyed by the people their assailants work for. Emphasis on the ‘work’, as despite killing them, S’yne states that they will return. It’s like the equivalent of respawning in a video game after dying. While it may seem like a lazy way to bring back enemies, Shield Hero seems to use it to emphasise how dangerous this mystery group is. If they’re powerful enough to invade other worlds and destroy them, then Naofumi should heed S’yne’s words. 

Some good does come out of this skirmish, though. While Naofumi still doesn’t trust her, he lets S’yne stay in Lulorona Village. The downside to having her come back after a single episode, though, is that it renders the sight of her leaving seem pointless. On the upside, though, the debuff’s their attackers used on Naofumi’s party managed to get rid of the curse they got at the end of last season. 

Despite this unexpected event, things continue to go well for Naofumi and his allies. They’re getting stronger training in armed combat and the Hengen Musou martial art courtesy of Old Lady Elrasla. So much so that Naofumi’s able to take a number of them to get a class upgrade. Again, another example of RPG elements that work well in this story. Now, all they need is someone to test their prowess against. As fate would have it, Eclair knows the perfect targets.

Ren Has Become a Chuni Edgelord

A group of bandits has been attacking stray adventurers and travelers on the roads nearby, prompting Naofumi to take a group to hunt them down. However, when he finds their leader, he’s surprised to learn who it is: it’s Ren, fighting Motoyasu.

You don’t need to have read the light novels to connect the dots here. Witch burned Ren like she did Naofumi and Motoyasu, and now he’s gone all in on his edgelord persona, complete with black armor and a mask that, honestly, looks dumb on him. As for Motoyasu, he likely only found Ren because he was looking for Filo, to her dismay.

I’ve never fully read the light novels, so I don’t know what exactly happens, but it seems like the anime’s trying to condense a lot of important details. However, given the fact that this season only has 12 episodes, it feels necessary. And the end result remains the same by showing viewers the most important parts of what’s happening. Plus, while it was lighter on the action, the episode does demonstrate the new enemy that Naofumi has. We should expect to see them again soon.

Also, Motoyasu now deserves to be on the FBI’s list of lolicon’s.

I Give “Each of Their Paths” a 3.5/5

Bitch Should Have her Picture Next to the Term ‘Hate Sink.’

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S3 Ep 4 Review

Hate sink is a trope in which a character’s deliberately designed to elicit a negative reaction from the people reading or viewing the story. More importantly, seeing them suffer invokes a feeling of joy from most people. Anime has a lot of hate sink characters in it, but few are as vile and disgusting as Bitch from Shield Hero, formerly known as Malty Melromarc. She ruined Naofumi’s reputation on day one for the heck of it, and remained a repeated headache in his life since. Then she got her just desserts with her Mom stripping her of her royalty status. She even got her named changed to ‘Bitch’ at Naofumi’s suggestion, and her alias to ‘Whore.’ Alas, this was not enough to bring the menace of Bitch to heel, as this episode sees her back to her manipulative ways. And it makes Naofumi’s job of uniting the Cardinal Heroes a lot harder.

Who is S’yne? I Should Apologize for That

First, I would like to apologize for a mistake I made in my review of episode two. The “Killer Clown” that Naofumi’s party fought was not, in fact, Fohl, but an entirely different character. This is S’yne, a completely different character, and one I had to actually look up. S’yne is powerful in her own right, but also mysterious and enigmatic. Thus, when she shows up and asks to join Naofumi’s village, he refuses to let her. Thus, she winds up going off on her own, but will likely return in the future.

https://x.com/kiyoe_sans/status/1717978220723589185?s=20

The strangest thing of all about S’yne, though, is how she talks. I had to double-check my earbuds, because her voice kept getting cutting off by static. This wasn’t a glitch, though. This was a deliberate act on the show’s part. I don’t entirely understand what it means, but it looks like it’s going to be something important. 

Again, my bad!

Motoyasu Has Hit Rock Bottom, and it’s Pathetic.

Mysterious characters aside, Naofumi’s next task is to find the missing Cardinal Heroes, and the Queen of Melromarc has already located Motoyasu. He and Naofumi have been at odds from the getgo due to Motoyasu’s lazy, womanizing ways and for falling for Bitch’s lies. However, after failing to kill the Spirit Tortoise on his own, his party/harem abandoned him, and he’s left destitute. When Naofumi’s party finds him, he’s begging one of his former party members to come back, only for her to coldly tell him to “get lost.”

Motoyasu has never been a good person or someone worthy of being called a hero. However, seeing how far he’s fallen makes even Naofumi feel a little bad for him. And it’s only going to get worse. 

In the meantime, Naofumi manages to run into Ren, who’s even worse off than Motoyasu. Whereas Motoyasu’s party abandoned him, Ren’s died at the hands of the Spirit Tortoise. Despite being traumatized, Ren refuses to blame himself for his failures, something that disgusts Naofumi. Still, he manages to make some progress with him…until Bitch shows up.

Bitch Turns into a Witch

Having fled from the Spear Hero’s party, Bitch is now effectively a fugitive, and she has refused to learn her lesson. Instead, in the latest act of petty evil, she pulls the exact same stunt she did with Naofumi on Motoyasu. She lies to Ren and says that Motoyasu forced himself on her and Naofumi freed the Spirit Tortoise, and somehow, her slave crest doesn’t call her out for her. And then Ren loses it and starts swinging his sword at Naofumi before bailing with Bitch in tow. And, to rub salt in the wound, when Motoyasu begs Bitch to come back, she uses the same akanbe taunt she used on Naofumi, and it breaks him altogether.

It’s at this point that the anime glosses over something important from the light novels. In the light novels, as Naofumi’s watching these events unfold, his hatred for Bitch reaches a new high. He even stops calling her a Bitch; in his eyes, she’s a full-blown Witch. The worst possible kind of Witch. She’s the most evil and disgusting person that Naofumi’s ever met, and will likely remain his greatest enemy until one of them dies.

Motoyasu Gets Cursed

The episode ends with Motoyasu undergoing a complete 180 in personality. Instead of being a womanizing skirt-chaser who hates Naofumi, he now treats Naofumi with the utmost respect and is ready to listen to whatever he says. That’s the good news. The rest, however, is all bad news.

Firstly, Motoyasu’s trauma with women has led him to unlock his own Cursed Series for his Legendary Spear, the Lust Spear. The anime doesn’t make it too clear, but it’s revealed in the Light Novel that he now hates almost women. Worse, his mental state’s so bad, he now regards all women as pigs; literal, talking pigs. 

It gets worse, though. Out of sheer kindness, Filo tries to cheer Motoyasu up by being nice to him. As a result, she becomes the sole exception to his curse, causing him to become obsessed with Filo in the worst way possible. He even starts calling Naofumi “Father” and begs him to let him have Filo. In no universe is this okay!

Overall, the episode does a good job of demonstrating how bad things have gotten for the other Cardinal Heroes. However, it fails to go the extra mile by diving into the psychological aspects of their suffering thanks to Bitch/Witch. In addition, Motoyasu’s left in a mental state that would get the FBI called on him back home. Yet, at least Naofumi now has one of the Cardinal Heroes willing to work with him, so it evens out. Plus, Filo can always kick him if he tries anything.

I Give “The Operation to Capture the Spear Hero” a 4/5

And remember: BITCH SUCKS!