Rising of the Shield Hero: S1 Ep1 Review

I just finished watching the first episode of “The Rising of the Shield Hero,” and I have to say, it was quite a ride! The intro is super cool, setting the vibe right away with great English dub voice acting and an awesome musical score. Hearing Naofumi’s internal monologue really helps you connect with him from the get-go.

Right off the bat, there’s this feeling of unease when we see the other summoned heroes—they seem way too confident and cocky compared to poor Naofumi. You can tell that his journey is going to be tough right from the start, especially when the king blatantly ignores him. But hey, at least he’s got some interesting plot points like the “waves” concept to keep him busy, which feels unique compared to other Isekai animes.

The king’s exposition about what heroes need to do and their status magic feels a bit heavy-handed, but it does raise some intriguing questions. Like, how does the king know all this stuff? There must be a prophecy or something going on behind the scenes.

I don’t really like that their weapons repel each other so they can’t train together. It’s kind of weird since we see them training together in later seasons, but I guess it’s not a huge deal for now. The idea that all the heroes come from different versions of Japan is neat, even though it doesn’t play much of a role yet besides distancing the characters.

The dialogue between Naofumi and the other heroes feels good and believable when they’re just getting to know each other. Naofumi starts off as an optimist, hoping he can change his misfortunes with women back on Earth but also excited to explore this new world.

The party selection process was brutal! I felt so bad for Naofumi—he’s basically branded as a moron right from the start because he doesn’t know anything about this new world. He does come off as a bit of a dick in that moment, asking if they can force people who sided with them to be given to him. It’s pretty clear something shady is going on.

The king tries to make up for being rude by giving Naofumi a larger allowance, which is nice. The writers do a great job with quick world-building and developing the connection between Naofumi and Myne. There are some red flags with this—she says she’ll take him to a shop she trusts, but then the shopkeeper doesn’t recognize her, and she looks embarrassed.

The blacksmith seems cool and I like the concept that none of the heroes can use anything other than their respective tools. How is Naofumi supposed to survive using just a shield? It’s intriguing!

The animation is super clean with perfect levels of detail, making everything look fantastic. The skill tree from feeding his shield “fodder” is a good idea, although it’s pretty common in Isekai animes these days (similar to the devour skill).

There are more red flags with Myne—she clearly takes advantage of Naofumi’s generosity and naivety. And then there’s the third red flag: she pushes for getting him drunk! The show does such a great job at foreshadowing that Myne is not to be trusted, from the framing to the pacing—it feels like something big is about to drop.

P.S. If I’m sleeping in a bed in a different world, I’d definitely lock or wedge something behind the door. God, Myne is such a bitch! She’s the first character that caused me to truly hate someone in an anime. But it was brilliantly foreshadowed. When Myne only calls Naofumi “Sir Hero,” it’s a good writing choice that makes her seem distant from him. You really feel rage and sadness for Naofumi when he freaks out after being turned on by everyone.

The other summons are kind of gullible as hell when they confront Naofumi since they’re basically strangers with Myne. Although I guess it’s not hard to think that Naofumi might be no good from their perspective.

The pacing is really great for a first episode—definitely rushed, but it’s by design to make everything feel like it’s going too smoothly. There’s such a huge dichotomy between the naive and hopeful person who was summoned and the utterly bitter and destroyed person he is by the end of the episode. It’s even more evident when he physically threatens the shopkeeper, showing just how twisted his mind has become, but still asking for a fair price—thus we definitely don’t start hating him.

The music in this episode is really nice; it perfectly aids with the emotions and vibe of each scene. Towards the end of the episode we are given a glimmer of hope that Naofumi can and will get past all this and make the most of his shield when he finds herbs and sells them for a good price at a friendly shop. He then goes to eat at the tavern and it’s revealed that he can no longer taste anything, this is such a poignant development with him literally losing his taste for this world. This is further solidified when upon leaving he is turned on again and threatened with being mugged. This sends Naofumi further into darkness as he threatens them back with the balloon monsters that have been biting him this whole time, symbolizing his inner hurt and self-harm.

The slave trader then shows up at the perfect time, just as Naofumi is confronted with darkness and despair again. He’s clearly shown to be a great salesman who knows exactly what buttons to press.

I also love the introduction of demi-humans—always one of my favourite tropes in fantasy anime since they often have interesting backstories and progression.

Overall, “The Rising of the Shield Hero” starts off strong with engaging characters, compelling world-building, and some seriously juicy plot points. It definitely leaves you wanting more!

Writing: 8.5/10

Strengths: The dialogue is engaging and believable. Internal monologues effectively convey Naofumi’s thoughts, making him relatable and understandable to the audience. The pacing is well-managed, balancing exposition with action and emotional depth.
Weaknesses: Some parts of the king’s exposition feel a bit heavy-handed, but this doesn’t detract significantly from the overall narrative quality.

World Building: 8/10

Strengths: The concept of waves and status magic adds unique elements to the Isekai genre. The different versions of Japan for each hero is an interesting twist.
Weaknesses: Some aspects, like why heroes can’t train together with their weapons repelling each other, could use more explanation early on.

Character Development: 9/10

Strengths: Naofumi’s character arc from optimistic to bitter and destroyed is compelling. The development of his relationship with Myne (and her betrayal) adds layers to the story.
Weaknesses: Other characters like the summoned heroes are not as fleshed out early on, but this could be intentional for later plot developments.

Pacing: 9/10

Strengths: The episode is well-paced and keeps viewers engaged with a mix of exposition and action. It sets up major conflicts and emotional beats effectively.
Weaknesses: Some might find the pacing slightly rushed, but it serves to heighten tension and anticipation for future episodes.

Overall Summary
The first episode of “The Rising of the Shield Hero” is impressive in its execution, offering a mix of engaging dialogue, intriguing world-building, compelling character development, and effective pacing. The emotional depth and foreshadowing hint at a rich narrative journey ahead. While there are minor areas where additional explanation would be helpful, these do not detract from the overall quality of the episode.

Total score 8.63/10 stars.