#Raphtalia critical

[leuke-rants]

Real talk, I don't like Raphtalia's design. It isn't horrible or an eyesore but I still don't like it.

Let's start with her as a child:

At first glance there is nothing wrong with this design, it's just a stereotypical medieval,fantasy female attire.

On closer inspection you'll notice that Raphtalia is wearing shackles on her wrists and neck in the same places where she had the chains in the slave tent. Yikes!

This could have been used as a way to show us where her character stands, she might be out of the slaver's hands and safe with Naofumi but it doesn't change the fact that she is stil a child slave. Then she could have completely dropped the shackles after Naofumi's duel with Motoyasu when she is freed from the slave contact and decides to willingly follow Naofumi as his partner and not his slave, but of course this isn't what happened.

The most glaring issue I have is the fact that this child isn't wearing any pants underneath her dress or tights.

The dress is not short or anything,but you must take into account that Naofumi and Raphtalia are travelling through forests, mountains and other not so friendly terrains,this girl needs something to protect her legs. Like, have you ever seen anyone climbing a mountain wearing a skirt or a dress? With nothing underneath? Probably no and there's a reason for that.

Also they are fighting monsters, this child needs proper coverage for protection.

Now her as an "adult":

She has similar issues to her child design:

She stills wears shackles, because we have to be reminded that she is a slave apparently, and she doesn't wear anything under her dress.

Like girl, you jump around and run all the time you're just flashing everyone at this point, wear some tights at least!

And now,the worst part,in my opinion about her attire: the "armour"

The only parts the "armour" is protecting are her breasts and left shoulder. I guess the gloves and boots are made from the same or similar material,wich is great, but what about the rest of her body.

The whole chest,minus her boobs for some reason, are left unprotected as well as her stomach,sides and right shoulder.

Like, what was the point of giving Raphtalia armour if it doesn't even cover major weak points?

I am not expecting her to be in a full metal knight armour, but you have to remember that is essentially the vanguard,she is the first to attack and is always on the frond of Naofumi and the rest of the party, she needs proper armour that covers weak points.

Also, I don't know why, but the colours (at least in my opinion) don't mix well together. Her hair is also kinda weird, the side hairs just above her shoulders are ok, but what about those long snakes that reach her waist? Where does all this hair come from?

[shieldherostuffs]

Shield Hero Minecraft HCs

Requested & Prompted by the Discord Server :D

Headcanons:

Naofumi usually takes hours or even days to find a place to make his base (he's very critical about it, and yet no one knows the criteria. It could be anywhere), yet he's always one of the first done with a proper one.

Motoyasu's fav biome is the desert.

Itsuki likes the jungles most because that's where it's easier to shoot people.

Ren likes Dark Oak Forests because he can sneak up on people more easily.

Therese's fav biomes are mountains.

L'Arc loves Mushroom Islands, and he refuses to elaborate.

Glass likes the Plains.

Kizuna loves Rivers anywhere. She gets to sit in her little boat and fish.

Naofumi can remember all the potion recipes.

Naofumi, together with his younger brother, decoded the Enchanted Book Text together and they refused to share it, saying "With great knowledge, comes great responsibility"

Motoyasu is a little too trigger-happy about TNT and is always the first to volunteer if something has to get blown up. He has a stupid amount of TNT. (Reason his fav biome is the Desert)

Therese has the most broken chance of finding diamonds. Someone else just discovered their first one and she already has a chest half full of stacks.

Glass has an interesting goal of getting at least one ghast with a saddle on each server she's on. Once, everyone has to go on a whole hunt for ghast tears, because Glass had named and saddled many of them, and no one wanted to be assassinated because they killed one of Glass's ghasts.

Naofumi is the local chicken farmer.

Itsuki is the one who trades with villagers the most and takes down the most Pillagers.

Everyone had started setting up alarms/traps because of the number of times Ren had come into their bases undetected. He didn't steal or break anything, he was just there and gave everyone a scare each time.

Alike Therese's Diamond Luck, Kizuna has a stupid chance of getting OP loot from fishing. She loves using fucking rods.

L'Arc is the best at organizing his items and chests.

L'Arc also loves buildings castles as bases.

You need food? Naofumi's got it. It does not matter how much he's given out, he's got more. Everyone had eaten all their own food, and he still got enough to give everyone half a stack of cooked meat continuously. No one sees him making it when he seemingly runs out, and the first few times he was accused of cheating, but he never did. He's just always got food on him.

Ren and Itsuki are the best PVPs when the group is playing Minecraft in VR, while Kizuna and Glass are best in normal gaming.

Naofumi annoyed everyone with how OP some of his Shields and Armor get because it's so OP it takes a stupid amount of time to kill him.

Filo is the best at using an Elytra but she prefers just messing around in creative mode.

Naofumi will sometimes let her onto a shared server and get her as many materials as possible or get her creative mode just to terrorize other players.

Kizuna likes making her bases look like comfy little fisher huts near a river or beach, only for there to be a gigantic underground base beneath it.

From the Discord Server:

Shared by @eli-elien and @small-spark-of-light :D

Itsuki likes to make those aesthetic soft-core fairy builds.

If Itsuki is playing with someone he doesn’t like he will deliberately be useless out of spite.

Naofumi does Redstone or other intricate machine stuff.

Ren kills so many mobs he’s the designated enchanter solely because of how much XP he has.

Motoyasu does PVP he's decent but not as good as ren tho.

Crack HC; Ren plays Bedwars and is painfully good at it.

Motoyasu is the most useless out of all of them in Minecraft

Filo has made so many worlds of just her messing around in creative mode everyone is a disaster

Raphtalia is a PVPer she has a rivalry with ren They are forever equally matched for humor's sake.

Motoyasu has many MC girlfriends

Naofumi is also crackheaded like Idk how to explain it other than perhaps he's similar to Philza Minecraft but likes not bc it's Philza Minecraft no compares to that man.

Naofumi is mainly responsible for getting materials, but he gets Ren to do mining with him

(In response to my TNT-Happy Motoyasu HC) Motoyasu has bombed the base many times

Honorary Mention: Myne is a leech but that’s not a HC

[authallan]

The Rising of the Shield Hero, Volume 1 - Summary

Author(s): Aneko Yusagi, Kurt Kanazawa, et al.

Main Topic or Theme of the Book: The book "The Rising of the Shield Hero, Volume 1" is a fantasy light novel that follows the story of a young man who is transported to a parallel world and forced to become a legendary hero known as the Shield Hero. The main theme of the book revolves around the protagonist's struggles, growth, and redemption in a world plagued by corruption and prejudice.

Key Ideas or Arguments Presented: Redemption and overcoming adversity: The main character, Naofumi, faces numerous challenges and betrayals, highlighting the importance of resilience and personal growth. Prejudice and discrimination: Naofumi is initially scorned by society due to the Shield Hero's negative reputation, leading to themes of discrimination and unfair treatment. The exploration of power dynamics and corruption: The book delves into the power dynamics within the world, the corruption of influential figures, and how this affects the protagonist's journey.

Chapter number or Main Sections of the Book: Chapter 1: The Four Legendary Weapons & The Legendary Heroes Chapter 2: The Shield Hero's First Job Chapter 3: First City, Raphtalia, and Naofumi's Decision Chapter 4: Waves and Cal Mira Island Chapter 5: The False Accusation Chapter 6: The Shield Hero Feels Betrayed Chapter 7: The Duel with Spear Hero Chapter 8: The Queen's Audience & Preparations for the Battle

Key Takeaways: Overcoming prejudice and discrimination requires personal strength and determination. Betrayal can come from unexpected sources, and trust must be earned. Redemption and personal growth are possible even in the face of severe challenges.

Author's Background and Qualifications: Aneko Yusagi is a Japanese author known for writing light novels. Further information about the qualifications and background of Kurt Kanazawa and other contributors to the book is not provided.

Comparison to Other Books on the Same Subject: "The Rising of the Shield Hero" stands out in the light novel genre due to its focus on redemption, discrimination, and the exploration of power dynamics. It introduces a unique protagonist who starts as an underdog and must navigate a hostile world to grow stronger.

Target Audience or Intended Readership: The book appeals to fans of fantasy, isekai (transported to another world) stories, and light novels. It may also resonate with readers interested in themes of personal growth, redemption, and societal struggles.

Reception or Critical Reviews of the Book: As a professional book summary copywriter, I do not have access to specific reception or critical reviews of this particular book. However, "The Rising of the Shield Hero" has gained a significant following, receiving positive reviews on various book platforms and adaptations, including its anime and manga adaptations.

Other Book Recommendations on the Topic: "Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World" by Tappei Nagatsuki: Another popular isekai light novel series with themes of redemption, personal growth, and challenging societal norms. "The Rising of the Shield Hero, Volume 2" by Aneko Yusagi: Continues the story of Naofumi and his journey as the Shield Hero.

Biggest Takeaway and Point: The biggest takeaway from "The Rising of the Shield Hero, Volume 1" is the protagonist's struggle against prejudice and corruption, showcasing the possibilities for redemption and personal growth. The book offers engaging themes and an underdog narrative that captivates readers in a fantasy setting.

[cryptid-called-ash]

Welp, I said I’d explain the merchant arc overhaul later and it’s damn near midnight. So I guess that counts as later.

First thing’s first, naofumi gains the ability to communicate with Kieka very early on. And quickly gains some additional skills because of this. (Also more spells in general, but shh details)

One of those new skills is mask visage. This basically lets him change his physical appearance at will (not true shapeshifting. At least not yet anyways)

So when the shield family kick off their merchant business, Nao doesn’t just hang tight in the cart, he’s the one doing the selling.

Everyone, meet Skaan, the saint with the bird god carriage. A fair skinned man with strawberry blonde hair and a Scottish accent. He’s cheerful and absolutely loves his adoptive daughters. But don’t let that fool you, he’s a real businessman. And yet, there’s an air of tragedy to him, a deep sorrow in those oh so familiar emerald green eyes.

So yea, naofumi has a separate personality for his merchant trade.

Raphtalia also uses her illusion magick to disguise herself and Filo. They’re aliases to be decided, but I want Raph to have a white bob cut and similarly white fox traits (white ears and tail, with her hands and feet darkening to black like a fox’s). Filo is more or less the same looking but her queen form has blue highlights with the illusion, rather than the normal pink.

*leans in and whispers* this is the arc Ren gets adopted in.

This arc also earns naofumi the ironic nickname of Sunny with the people who know Skaan’s real identity. He’s less than thrilled.

Kieka is kept in bracelet form when Mask visage is used and Nao doubles down with a false rapier (ie. basically Raph’s magick sword minus the magick.) it’s purely for show so Kieka doesn’t react. (Although they negotiate to a point where Nao is allowed exactly 6 daggers and a hitting stick, the hitting stick is for Motoyasu only)

Speaking of the frat boy, he actually buys an exquisite necklace off Skaan to gift to Myne. So when the wave rolls around and Naofumi notices she wearing one of his own creations over her regular jewellery, he and Kieka can’t help but laugh. The only comment Nao gives is a sarcastic “nice necklace”

Motoyasu subsequently became a a regular buyer and a very easy person to scam. Naofumi simply charges him double to usual price. “If I’m selling to a hero, im gonna guarantee quality, o’course that’ll cost ye a wee bit extra.” As Skaan put it.

Ren rides with the shield family a few times before he learns to communicate with Orkian. It’s actually Orkian who points out that Skaan and Naofumi are the same person. Ren is a little embarrassed at being so easily fool. To which Orkian simply states “oh that’s not even the half of what you’ve fallen for. Good to finally be able to correct that. Now for the love of the star spirits, go apologize to Kieka’s champion!”

Okay, that’s all I gots for now. May add more later when I get to writing the chapter(s) concerning this arc.

Tagging ⤵️

@shieldherostuffs @rosesinbloom7love @bluelovestoship @eli-elien @maloteddy @ideas-of-immortality

{Thoughts and prayers for my sleep schedule, gosh the things I do for you all}

[aros001]

Read through light novel vol. 11. Random thoughts.

Okay, right off the bat, this

is my favorite art in the books yet just because of how annoyed Naofumi looks.

It's always been a thing but I've been seeing it more in these last couple of books, especially in contrast to Sadeena and Alta, but I really like that Naofumi likes that Raphtalia will push back against him when she doesn't like something, be it his attitude, his action, or his ideas. He doesn't want a yes-man or someone who'll worship and never question him. Child Raphtalia was kind of his sidekick but adult Raphtalia is definitely his partner. They trust each other completely and they never have to worry about holding back their honest thoughts. This is especially important if there is to ever be a romantic relationship between the two of them. Romance is not supposed to be just the guy and his prize. Naofumi and Raphtalia I can see working as a couple because they genuinely see each other as equals.

So, as has been revealed so far, Trash's family, save for himself and his younger blind sister, were murdered by the hakuko. He hated Siltvelt because it's where the hakuko came from and his own kingdom for taking no action against them for those murders. Then later his sister was attacked by a hakuko and presumably murdered and possibly raped but the body was never found, thus pushing him to overthrow the king of Siltvelt because he was a hakuko.

And he hates the Devil of the Shield because...! ...A previous Shield Hero helped to found Siltvelt? I get that Siltvelt is a demi-human supremacist country and that it worships the Shield Hero but I feel like there's a little bit of a disconnect in Trash's hatred. I suppose his hatred for Naofumi didn't blow up until he thought he tried to force himself on Malty and before that he just treated him dismissively, but I can't help but feel like I'm missing something here. Also, didn't the previous Shield Hero die in Siltvelt a month into him being summoned? I get that hatred and the desire for revenge are not always very rational, especially when religion is thrown into the mix, but I feel like it's odd he's placed so much of it on Naofumi and the Shield Hero as a whole.

So Fohl and Alta are possibly the nephew and niece of Trash through his sister and the grandchildren of the hakuko king of Siltvelt whom he killed. Obviously I'm hoping Trash's sister wasn't raped to conceive them and that it was just a forbidden love like was one of Naofumi's theories, but I guess I'll find that out in a later book.

Also, poor Naofumi and poor Raphtalia. Either Alta wants to be with Naofumi (romantically or...) or she's on her way to becoming the new pope of the Church of the Shield Hero. She was reminding me a little bit of Neia from Overlord and her devotion to Ainz in the latter regard.

“Apparently there’s a new bandit chief that’s risen to power lately, and we’ll be wasting our time unless we capture him.” ... “That’s the thing. I don’t know all the details, but apparently the boss is really distrustful and rarely makes appearances. But he’s also supposed to be strong enough to pick off even the toughest of adventurers one by one without a problem.”

This is going exactly where I think it's going, isn't it?

[Five minutes later]

Yep.

Reading this book and I realized my main issue with Ren, beyond the issues he shares with the other two heroes, was how unbelievably condescending he'd been to Eclair, someone who knew her way with a sword WAY better than he did, just to protect his own ego after he would have lost if he hadn't cheated in their duel. That left a really bad taste in my mouth but it's still not as bad as what I dislike about Motoyasu and especially Itsuki. He hasn't yet specifically apologized for that but he is showing her a lot more respect and being clearly remorseful over his actions. Even him blaming his loss against the Spirit Tortoise on his party's weakness and not his own I could swallow fine because there was the implication that he was unable to deal with the guilt of it being his fault that they were all dead, which, while bad, is a very human thing to feel. As long as he takes his training seriously from this point on and doesn't regress back, I can look forward to his progress and his interactions with Naofumi.

I actually was slightly spoiled before I started reading the light novels that the other heroes were going to unlock their own curse series as well. It was minor because I didn't hear any specifics beyond that but the person I was reading I remember being really unhappy about it. Personally, I'm fine with it. The Holy Weapons are meant to be equal to each other so it makes sense they'd have similar unlockable abilities (relative to what each weapon is, of course). The reason Naofumi is so much stronger is supposed to be because he actually bothered to learn how to use his weapon and because he took how he was told to power it up seriously. If he had an ability the others had no equivalent of it would basically be cheating. Part of the criticism too was that Naofumi had been through so much worse than the others to unlock his curse series, but everyone has different levels of stress they can take and it definitely helps that, thus far, each curse series embodies a different sin and thus has different effects. Motoyasu is clearly being effected differently by his Spear of (I'm assuming) Lust than Naofumi is by the Shield of Wrath or Ren by the Sword of Greed.

Speaking of which, I'm not the only one who felt a big red flag over Motoyasu's Temptation ability, right? I'm not saying he would abuse such a thing but powers that force attraction on people always makes me feel very uncomfortable. Just the fact that it worked on Naofumi whom is both straight and can't stand Motoyasu shows it can work on pretty much anyone who doesn't have specific resistances. It's a scary thing, your romantic and sexual preferences being altered by an outside force. Like a date rape drug weaponized.

The whole controversy over RoTSH's first episode holds less and less weight the further into the series I go. Naofumi vs. Motoyasu I'd argue has several great examples of feminism vs. sexism throughout the story. Naofumi was horribly betrayed by Malty but he doesn't hate women or use what she did as an excuse to. He's simply distrustful of anyone who can potentially betray him and is put off by the idea of any romantic or sexual relationships. Motoyasu gets betrayed by Malty (and his two other party members) and now sees all women as pigs, save for Filo, whom he's now obsessed with. The stupid criticism of RoTSH was that the series had Malty representing all women; that all women lie about being sexually assaulted and that all women are horrible bitches. That is the mentality Motoyasu now has, judging all women by the actions of one.

“Mr. Ren . . . I’m sure you’ve felt just terrible this whole time after losing your companions. It’s okay to cry now. Don’t worry. Even if the whole world insists you’re a criminal, I still believe in you, Mr. Ren. I believe you were fighting for the sake of the world.”

I love how, even after everything else she's done, the thing that makes me hate Bitch almost as much, if not more, as when she made the false rape accusation was her plagiarizing the words Raphtalia had said to finally reach Naofumi's heart and earn his trust. It just felt like such a violation, sullying that moment so much that you just want Bitch to die almost as much as Naofumi does.

Though I suppose it's Witch now, huh? Doesn't have quite the same punch as Bitch but I don't want to call her the Witch Bitch because that's my nickname for Satella in Re:Zero and that's more a term of endearment ironically enough. I don't want to sully her by putting her in any kind of association with Malty.

Original Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/shieldbro/comments/fh9syh/read_through_light_novel_vol_11_random_thoughts/

[ghostfriendly5]

Is Brand New Animal pushing genocide denial and anti-multiculturalism?

SPOILER ALERT: Probably not, but depicting victims of racism and genocide as stupid and congenitally violent makes for a very poor story. 

For the first count, Alan Sylvasta claims that reports of his ancestors massacring beastmen were greatly exaggerated. His denial is supported by the existence of berserk-beastman syndrome, and his contention that humans could not have defeated beastmen without firearms (although humans with armour, bows, military tactics and superior numbers absolutely could massacre beastmen, even without the help of Alan’s three-headed wolf form). The anime never directly contradicts the denial...but it can be generously implied from Alan’s presentation as a scheming reprobate that his denial is in fact a lie, and Shirou’s witness account of genocide is correct. Despite what the Goblin Slayer and Shield Hero fandoms would tell you, I’m a reasonable guy like that. Any favourable presentation of re-examining genocide, downplaying it or assigning blame to both sides (outside of historical facts viz. the WWI corpse-factory never existed) is absolutely opening the door to genocide denial; I’m looking right at Attack on Titan here. But since the implications in both AoT and BNA are only implications, and they don’t directly attack, say, Jewish or Chinese people in the same way as Goblin Slayer directly and unforgivably attacks women, the former two series can plausibly be passed in this regard.

For the second count, biological determinism is a very tricky subject. Not just as the bedrock of racism and cliched fantasy races; the tension between our choices and our qualities/abilities determining our identities is a very real and complex one. An involuntary inborn tendency to become a ravening monster really isn’t a good way to explore this. The premise that ‘pushing different beastmen species together triggers ravening-monster syndrome’ sounds an awful lot like Enoch Powell and Apartheid to me. It is important to remember that multiculturalism isn’t always easy or painless. Cultural/historical differences that may seem as intractable as biological ones do provoke hatred that is uncomfortable to acknowledge and difficult to resolve; in this respect the anime really was onto something worthwhile.

Ultimately though, racial tendency is a very bad cause to present for violence in a persecuted ghetto, even as a metaphor, for as long as real-world racists claim that black people, Mexicans, Hispanics or Jews commit violence because of their race. Roid-rage syndrome doesn’t only sideline the persecution and deplorable conditions that lead to violence, at a time when police and state persecution of minorities is so visibly the First Problem. It deprives the beastmen of a choice in responding to their situation, which would make them more than the mindlessly selfish and stupid herd animals that they are painted as throughout the series. Criticism of big pharma and government can only be toothless, when the people in the ghetto are stupid animals. That’s not what we want said about any minority group in a ghetto, fictional or not. Remember Zootopia had a drug that externally induced feral rages? Good werewolf stories are about mindfully controlling the beast within, that has more to do with the human idea of a wolf than canine behaviour? Spot the difference between humanising animals and degrading sentient beings that look different?   

Yes, fantasy races with both racial non-human qualities and choice-developed characters exist; Terry Pratchett did it all the time. No, this isn’t ‘just a fun fantasy story’; the real world doesn’t stop existing, and stories can’t escape what they say about it. On the credit side, Michiru, the other leads, and the dramas between them, are actually quite good. She’s certainly the Tanuki girl we need, rather than a certain hopelessly degraded victim of Stockholm Syndrome, Raphtalia. Even the brilliant Escaflowne presented beastmen in a very subservient role to humans, but even BNA didn’t romanticise their sexual slavery.          

[evawinget1232]

The Rising of the Shield Hero: The Controversies of Season 1

Ever since The Rising of the Shield Hero has been released, it has been controversial for a number of reasons. One of the most significant factors is the false accusations of violation on Naofumi Iwatani, the protagonist of the show. As if this was not enough, Naofumi’s relationship with Raphtalia, his female companion, is even more discomforting. Despite all the controversies, the show has been able to gain a large number of fans who are eagerly waiting for the upcoming second season. Today we look at some of the controversies that have had a negative impact on the show and introspect if there is a possibility that it can redeem itself.

Any anime fan will be able to recognize that The Rising of the Shield Hero is unconventional. It is unbelievable how naïve the protagonist is, and it is almost surprising to see his cohorts take advantage of him. He is accused of violation in the very first episode, and since he belongs to a female-dominated society, it means that he is in for a lot of trouble. Moreover, he even gets his belongings stolen and is mocked by society for his inability to fight. All the troubles that he faces make him a little paranoid, and he is forced to buy a slave, which further complicates things for him. The controversial beginning of the show proved to be extraordinarily polarizing for the audience in the West.

The show received a ton of criticism for its depiction of false accusations and slavery. It was later also accused of normalizing grooming. The criticisms are understandable since the false accusations specifically appear to be in bad taste during the MeToo movement. The fact that the show aired just as the allegations of misconduct with Vic Mignogna, the voice actor was released, makes it seem even more terrible.

Despite all the controversies, several fans who watched every episode of the show acknowledged the issues raised by the critics. They were outspoken and made sure that their voice was heard on social media. The people who worked on light novels and manga are overwhelmingly female, so the portrayal of the controversial scenes is primarily due to cultural differences and are not misogynistic. Since there have been no controversies about the show in Japan, the producer Junichiro Tamura has pointed out that if there have been any such fears regarding it, they would have addressed the issues. Keeping in mind that the series was not controversial in Japan, it does seem that the controversy in Western countries is merely because of cultural differences.

The allegations of grooming of Filo and Raphtalia also seem unfounded when one looks at the show with no bias. Although both of the characters indeed show romantic interest in Naofumi, the show has specifically denied such allegations by showing that Naofumi’s emotional bond with them is purely fatherly. He never recognized their romantic feelings and has been very clear about his stance. He ensures Filo is clothed because he wants her to be protected, not because he is embarrassed by her nakedness. Since Naofumi has faced a ton of problems from the beginning of the show, his relationship with Raphtalia is built on mutual trust and helps him get through his tough times.

People who stuck around with the show, despite all the controversies, were rewarded by a mindboggling soundtrack, power scaling, exceptional fight scenes, and much more. The masterful character development was touching enough to make any fan fall in love with every one of them. The show ends with Naofumi’s accuser being discredited and Rapthalia standing up to her people’s enslavement. The mistreatment of the hero is also acknowledged in the finale.

The second season of the show will hopefully give the protagonist a much more positive reputation. Almost all of the show’s controversies have been resolved, and the time is ideal for Rising of the Shield Hero to get a new start. However, it seems hard for the show to turn non-viewers into viewers since they now have a terrible first impression. However, despite its controversies, The Rising of the Shield Hero is a great show that has remained popular, and with the upcoming season, it is almost sure that it will grow in recognition.

Eva winget is a Microsoft Office expert and has been working in the technical industry since 2006. As a technical expert, Bella has written technical blogs, manuals, white papers, and reviews for many websites.

SOURCE: The Rising of the Shield Hero: The Controversies of Season 1

[rasp-passion-tea]

YOU PUT FILO OVER RAPHTALIA!?!?!?

RAPHTALIA IS BEST GIRL, BUT FILO IS BABY, I DON'T TAKE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

[transhumantales]

Isekai Quartet #4: Capitalist Club

Subaru: “Guys, Ainz, Tanya and the grumpy guy made a club.”

Kazuma: “I wanted to join, but they told they don’t allow NEETs like me.”

Masato: “What is that club about? Edgelords?”

Ainz: “Today begins our first reunion as the Capitalist Club, where we defend the rights of the public for a free market.”

Tanya: “We originally were going to only let fellow capitalists join, but Naofumi insisted on letting you guys join us.”

Raphtalia: “I still don’t know what capitalism is.”

Filo: *Is drawing Tanya with a dress.*

Albedo: “Master, when are we going to kill the weak?”

Ainz: “For the last time, Albedo, we are here to improve the economy, not kill poor people.”

Albedo: “This book on economy says the opposite.”

Tanya: “Goddammit! This is a public school book that criticizes the Chicago School! I am sure a communist prick wrote this!”

Naofumi: “Didn’t the guys from Chicago help a fascist in Chile?”

Tanya: “A libertarian dictator.”

Naofumi: “A nazi by any other name is still a nazi.”

Ainz: “We aren’t talking about nazis again!”

Raphtalia: “Naofumi sama, there seems to be some reunion in the classroom close to ours.”

Mamako: *Is taking some pizza rolls out of a microwave oven.* “Eat while they are hot, but eat slowly so you don’t get burned!”

Emilia: “This is delicious!”

Aqua: “Kazuma! My mouth is burning!”

Kazuma: “The hot mom told you to eat slowly, you idiot!”

Ainz: “What is happening here?”

Kazuma: “We made our own slacker club.”

Subaru: “Socialist club.”

Kazuma: “It’s the same thing.”

Megumin: “Praise unions and social reform!”

Tanya: “Of course a bunch of slackers would join the side of the communists!”

Porta: “We raised enough money to help a local charity.”

Ainz: “This isn’t socialism. This is just you using fanservice to get money.”

Masato: “Sadly for me it works.”

Filo: “Filo wants to join the slackers club!”

[tsukaramachi]

Small rant (This is about one of the new fall anime and white haired anime guys)

Please don’t force yourself to read this if you aren’t interested in anime because it won’t make that munch sense lol. But if you are then please continue to enjoy my frustrations about my curse of liking white haired anime characters

Khhh a small off topic rant thing but one of the new fall anime that’s coming out is an isekai and I’m not really into them except a few, but one of them has a main character with white hair so I started to watch it since the first ep came out. But I have a bad impression on supposed main girl because they always look and act the same with the kind personality and pretty big boobs. (I just get really don’t like them that much since there isn’t much of an interesting relationship/dynamic. Good examples for me tho of interesting main girls in recent-ish isekais are raphtalia and Tanya since they have more deph in their character and have unique designs)

BUT I’M STICKING AROUND TO WATCH BECAUSE OF THE MAIN GUY MIKOGAMI TSUKASA HHHH. He’s really nice and I can’t help but think about Yuuto when I see him. I am a pretty critical when it comes to new anime tho so I’ll stay open to what’s in store. (It seems kind of hard right now since this is an anime aimed at a male audience, but this is my guess because from all the female characters) I am interested in the other new isekai anime tho (the hero is overpowered but cautious) I saw the first ep and the characters have a funny dynamic that drifts away from the expected character types in isekai and poke fun at it.

But please don’t follow my example and make yourself watch an anime because the main character has white/silver hair. The anime is Choujin Koukousei-tachi wa Isekai demo Yoyuu de Ikinuku you desu! or The Super High Schoolers Affording to Live in Another World! This is an anime adaption of a light novel and I usually react differently towards them because of their ridiculous titles, but this is just my opinion since I like anime lol.

[leuke-rants]

Can we please talk about the moment when Rishia "officially" joins Naofumi's party because:

Raphtalia, a girl who has been enslaved since childhood is telling another young girl to give up her freedom and become someone's else's property. This is so messed up,like:

"Rishia-san , enslave yourself willingly and you totally gonna get stronger,trust me. Don't worry about the slave owner,he is a good one, you won't regret this!"

She legit sounds like a brainwashed cult member,like seriously,who talks like that? Especially someone who has endured so much pain and suffering under slavery!

Also,the process is painful AF!

You can tell in how much pain Rishia is by the picture alone but it becomes worse when you watch the episode. She screams and cries and is clearly in pain but hey, at least Naofumi got another underage girl to add to his harem!

Even Filo and Raphtalia herself understand how painful and agonizing this process is,why would you make someone go through all of it willingly or not?

Not to mention that no,you don't have to become a hero's slave in order to become powerful. I mean,it does give a little boost but it's not necessary. Someone can become stronger in a regular party without that nasty slave boost. But of course we can have that, otherwise we will ruin the self indulging fantasy for the incels who watch the show.

[randomguydraws]

I tried drawing Raphtalia not sure if it came out good if you got any constructive criticism I would love to hear it!

[recentanimenews]

The Rising of the Shield Hero Producer Urges You To Go Vote!

The Rising of the Shield Hero was one of the biggest anime hits of 2019. And you can find that success reflected in the fact that it's been nominated for three Anime Awards: Best Girl (Raphtalia, obviously), Best Score (Kevin Penkin, who also worked on Made in Abyss), and Best Performance by a Voice Actor (English) (Billy Kametz as Naofumi.) So if you're a fan of Shield Hero, let your voice be heard by voting now!

  And if you need any push to vote, Junichiro Tamura, the KADOKAWA producer for the show, had this to say: 

  Thank you all so much for the support you've shown over the past year for The Rising of the Shield Hero.

While the staff at Kinema Citrus and elsewhere-and the entire cast-put their very heart and soul into making the best possible show, I firmly believe that the fact that audiences across the globe got to watch it via Crunchyroll and other media made it shine all the more.

Shield Hero is a show that seeks to portray how one will react when thrown into a completely unfamiliar world, and how they'll face up to a completely different life. It was vital to convey the importance of believing in yourself and your friends when the entire world turns against you, and thus I believed in my fellow staff and dove headlong into the series fully prepared to face any criticism that came our way. That's why I find it genuinely heartening that viewers worldwide supported the show and our efforts the way you did, and I'm very thankful for it. We're aware that you're all very excited about the sequels, and we're working just as hard to bring them to you!

In the meantime, we would very much appreciate it if you could show your incredible support one more time and vote for The Rising of the Shield Hero!

  Are you voting for The Rising of the Shield Hero? Let us know in the comments!

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Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[joshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

Shieldsekai episode 14 was pretty great! My criticism of Raphtalia in my Season in Review being that she’s kinda the perfect flawless waifu might soon be disproven, and my criticism that the racism against demi-humans isn’t nearly prominent enough is getting hella disproven. Raphtalia’s old fucking slave trader I guess he is wanted to do mean shit to Melty, and Naofumi and the gang go save her, but Raphtalia’s super on edge the entire time and the episode ends with Raphtalia being seemingly ready to kill the dude. And I fucking hope she does, I don’t want her to be all “oh I’m morally good and not like you and above doing all this” because that’s generic as fuck and killing him would be way more interesting.

Also the King definitely isn’t in on the whole Melty thing, and says like “not my family again! That accursed shield!” with regards to the whole Melty thing, and I think I’ve got a theory on why the Shield Hero is hated so much - the rage shield. None of the other heroes have used their weapons in a rage mode which would suggest that either they’ve had a chill time in this world and so haven’t unlocked it, or it’s exclusive to the Shield Hero. If the latter, we can assume that the last Shield Hero may have used the rage shield to fuck up some shit, possibly something important to the Melromarc family, and that’s why the King hates him so much. It’s also been stated that the previous Shield Hero was super nice to demi-humans but since this Queendom isn’t so kind to them, the King might also hate the Shield Hero for being nice to them. I mean the show’s given us quite a good amount of information but I’m not exactly smart enough to draw a conclusion based on what we do have.

Uhhh, good episode. I’ll get back to Spring shows now.

[leuke-rants]

One of the biggest mistakes the author did was having Raphtalia go back to slavery willingly.

Despite how messed up having an ex slave willingly go back to being enslaved is, it also ruins both Raphtalia and Naofumi's characters.

We know that Naofumi is alone and no one trusts him after what Myne did to him. He got betrayed by the only person he thought he could trust, since no one else wanted to be in his party, and everyone sees him as the scum of the earth. He became extremely paranoid and can't trust anyone.

Raphtalia is all alone too. Her parents are dead, she got separated from her friends and every master she got so far was either cruel or returned her back to the slaver.

Both of them are lonely in a cruel world that's out to get them, meeting each other was the best thing that could have happened to them.

But here is when the first problem starts: Raphtalia trusts Naofumi, but Naofumi doesn't trust her back. Raphtalia respects and is loyal to Naofumi after everything he has done for her but the only reason Naofumi "trusts" Raphtalia is because he has control over her.

The moment this control is broken after his fight with Motoyasu he immediately loses his cool and is convinced that Raphtalia will leave him despite everything that they've been through.

Raphtalia proves him wrong by staying by his side even after she is freed and even after Naofumi pushes her away, she proves just how she trusts Naofumi and how loyal she is.

That could have been a great starting point for both Naofumi and Raphtalia's character, Naofumi could learn how to trust again and learn that there are people out there who will stay by his side and Raphtalia could learn to be her own person,free from slavery and standing by Naofumi's side as an equal.

But instead of that we have Raphtalia willingly going back to slavery for no apparent reason even after Naofumi tells her that it's unnecessary.

This is extremely disrespectful to Raphtalia, robbing her of her autonomy once again to become a hero's property is messed up and disgusting. I don't care how nice Naofumi is to her, their dynamic is extremely unbalanced and a master/slave duo is never a good one no matter how you look at it.

Naofumi also suffers from this. He could have had a great character arc, going from a naïve and gullible young man, to a bitter, resentful and wrathful individual to a mature and understanding person who although is cautious learns how to trust again. What we got instead is a typical isekai protagonist, who is OP, has a slave harem full of underage girls and still has trust issues even after 3 whole seasons.

[leuke-rants]

What in the pseudo-incest,stockholm syndrome,electra complex did I just watch?