I was first exposed to the world of the Shield Hero back in 2019 with the first season of twenty-five episodes, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Starting off the series with a false rape allegation certainly made it stand out from the crowd of uninspired isekai out there. Watching our boy Naofumi crawl back from the depths of despair and betrayal to ultimately form a connection with party members that actually appreciate him and repair his reputation was a treat. Then season two happened…

Everyone seemed to hate the next installment for a variety of reasons. A lot of people were turned off by a horrifically animated CG turtle that took up a lot of screen time. Personally I can look past low budget stuff like that if the story is good… which I’m afraid is where I fell into my own pit of despair. The Spirit Tortoise arc was so lackluster, so devoid of proper pacing and focused on one of the most boilerplate Walmart Joker characters in anime for the villain. It didn’t help that Naofumi continued to add more and more female members to his party which over time started to make this feel like a typical harem instead of an isekai. I trudged my way through the story until the Spirit Tortoise was defeated and then I dashed out of the door. Judging by the overall review scores on My Anime List taking a big hit on the second season compared to the first, I don’t believe I’m the only one either. Recently season four was announced. That’s right, we already had season three of which I have no basis for but scored higher with fans on My Anime List. Now with season four on the horizon, the reactions are all over the place. A lot of people are simply exhausted with the isekai genre and don’t feel the same appreciation for the show. Many wonder how the hell this got so many seasons in the first place and who is still tuning in after the disastrous second season. I saw some argue that while it’s not fantastic, they’re still enjoying the ride enough to be happy for this release.

At least the series spawned a ton of sexy art.

Years ago this series found itself in heavy controversy in the West for the rape allegation premise, and yet over time the controversy is now merely over the quality of the writing over the sustained period of its airtime and whether it’s deserving to see a continued anime production. If fans are still enjoying it enough (Western or Japanese) then by all means I hope it runs to completion and makes them happy. As for me, one Spirit Tortoise arc is enough to ruin the bunch I’m afraid. Did you watch any of The Rising of the Shield Hero? Do you remember the initial big outrage and debate when it premiered? Are you looking forward to season four or do you wish another anime got the spotlight instead? Grab a shield, block the enemy’s attacks, and protect your legion of loyal waifus in the comments below!