The Rising of the Shield Hero (盾の勇者の成り上がり, Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari) is a Japanese dark fantasy isekai light novel series written by Aneko Yusagi. Originally published as a web novel in the user-generated novel site Shōsetsuka ni Narō, the series has since been published by Media Factory with an expanded storyline featuring illustrations by Seira Minami. As of June 25, 2019, twenty-two volumes have been published.
The novel series was adapted into a manga series by Aiya Kyū and published by Media Factory, with twenty-three volumes released as of June 22, 2023. Both the novel and manga series were licensed by One Peace Books and were published in North America starting in September 2015. The 25-episode anime television series adaptation produced by Kinema Citrus aired from January to June 2019. A second season, co-produced by DR Movie, aired from April to June 2022. A third season is set to premiere in October 2023.
The anime series is currently licensed in North America by Crunchyroll.
Contents
- 1 Synopsis
- 2 List of Published Books
- 2.1 Light Novels
- 2.2 Manga
- 2.2.1 Spin-Off
- 3 Character
- 4 TV Anime
- 4.1 Web Radio
- 5 Stage Play
- 6 Video Games
- 7 Reception
- 7.1 Reception and controversy in North America
- 8 External Links
- 9 Trivia
Synopsis[]
Stories of old tell of four otherworldly heroes—wielding the sword, spear, bow, and shield—who defended the land from wave after wave of calamity. With the fate of the world in balance, the kingdom of Melromarc summons these legendary figures; in modern-day Japan, the call is answered, and the unwitting heroes are transported to this fantasy universe.
Thrust into Melromarc and given the title of "Shield Hero," otaku Naofumi Iwatani is labeled the weakest due to his lack of offensive capability and apparent inexperience. When the heroes part ways to start their journeys, he only has one willing companion: the beautiful princess Malty Melromarc. However, she soon betrays him, steals all his money, and accuses him of taking advantage of her.
For his alleged crimes, Naofumi is branded a criminal and made outcast of society. With hatred filling his heart, he sets out alone, vowing vengeance against those who wronged him.
List of Published Books[]
Light Novels[]
Originally published as a web novel, the series has been re-written with an expanded story-line. The series is currently published by Media Factory and features illustrations by Seira Minami. As of June 25, 2019, twenty-two volumes have been published.
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 22, 2013 | 978-4-8401-5275-4 | September 15, 2015 | 978-1-935548-72-0 |
| 2 | October 1, 2013 | 978-4-04-066049-3 | October 20, 2015 | 978-1-935548-78-2 |
| 3 | December 21, 2013 | 978-4-04-066166-7 | February 16, 2016 | 978-1-935548-66-9 |
| 4 | February 25, 2014 | 978-4-04-066321-0 | June 14, 2016 | 978-1-935548-65-2 |
| 5 | April 25, 2014 | 978-4-04-066718-8 | August 23, 2016 | 978-1-935548-67-6 |
| 6 | June 25, 2014 | 978-4-04-066790-4 | November 22, 2016 | 978-1-935548-56-0 |
| 7 | September 25, 2014 | 978-4-04-066996-0 | April 18, 2017 | 978-1-944937-08-9 |
| 8 | November 21, 2014 | 978-4-04-067180-2 | June 13, 2017 | 978-1-944937-09-6 |
| 9 | January 23, 2015 | 978-4-04-067355-4 | November 15, 2017 | 978-1-944937-25-6 |
| 10 | March 25, 2015 | 978-4-04-067485-8 | March 20, 2018 | 978-1-944937-26-3 |
| 11 | June 25, 2015 | 978-4-04-067698-2 | June 12, 2018 | 978-1-944937-46-1 |
| 12 | September 25, 2015 | 978-4-04-067787-3 | August 18, 2018 | 978-1-944937-95-9 |
| 13 | November 25, 2015 | 978-4-04-067965-5 | December 18, 2018 | 978-1-944937-96-6 |
| 14 | February 25, 2016 | 978-4-04-068121-4 | October 15, 2019 | 978-1-64273-018-0 |
| 15 | September 23, 2016 | 978-4-04-068638-7 | December 15, 2019 | 978-1-64273-019-7 |
| 16 | January 25, 2017 | 978-4-04-069051-3 | March 15, 2020 | 978-1-64273-020-3 |
| 17 | March 25, 2017 | 978-4-04-069190-9 | July 14, 2020 | 978-1-64273-053-1 |
| 18 | July 25, 2017 | 978-4-04-069354-5 | November 12, 2020 | 978-1-64273-082-1 |
| 19 | January 25, 2018 | 978-4-04-069665-2 | April 27, 2021 | 978-1-64273-104-0 |
| 20 | December 25, 2018 | 978-4-04-065134-7 | June 22, 2021 | 978-1-64273-105-7 |
| 21 | February 25, 2019 | 978-4-04-065546-8 | October 26, 2021 | 978-1-64273-132-3 |
| 22 | June 25, 2019 | 978-4-04-065839-1 | December 21, 2021 | 978-1-64273-133-0 |
LN Vol. 1
LN Vol. 2
LN Vol. 3
LN Vol. 4
LN Vol. 5
LN Vol. 6
LN Vol. 7
LN Vol. 8
LN Vol. 9
LN Vol. 10
LN Vol. 11
LN Vol. 12
LN Vol. 13
LN Vol. 14
LN Vol. 15
LN Vol. 16
LN Vol. 17
LN Vol. 18
LN Vol. 19
LN Vol. 20
LN Vol. 21
LN Vol. 22
Originally released as 2 separate volumes of Anthology.
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 22, 2019 | 978-4040655925 | — | — |
| 2 | December 21, 2018 | 978-4040653402 | — | — |
Anthology I
Anthology II
The novel series and the spin-off novel The Reprise of the Spear Hero was licensed by One Peace Books.
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 25, 2017 | 978-4-04-069502-0 | October 16, 2018 | 978-1-64273-003-6 |
| 2 | November 25, 2017 | 978-4-04-069588-4 | September 29, 2020 | 978-1-64273-083-8 |
| 3 | July 25, 2018 | 978-4-04-069805-2 | March 26, 2021 | 978-1-64273-106-4 |
LN Vol. 1
LN Vol. 2
LN Vol. 3
Manga[]
The light novel series was adapted into a manga series by Aiya Kyū and published by Media Factory, with twenty-three volumes released as of June 22, 2023. Both the novel and manga series were licensed by One Peace Books and were published in North America starting in September 2015.
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 23, 2014 | 978-4-04-066593-1 | November 17, 2015 | 978-1-935548-70-6 |
| 2 | October 23, 2014 | 978-4-04-066883-3 | April 19, 2016 | 978-1-935548-89-8 |
| 3 | March 23, 2015 | 978-4-04-067294-6 | May 17, 2016 | 978-1-935548-90-4 |
| 4 | September 19, 2015 | 978-4-04-067809-2 | July 19, 2016 | 978-1-935548-94-2 |
| 5 | January 23, 2016 | 978-4-04-067879-5 | October 18, 2016 | 978-1-935548-54-6 |
| 6 | June 23, 2016 | 978-4-04-068280-8 | May 16, 2017 | 978-1-944937-10-2 |
| 7 | November 21, 2016 | 978-4-04-068580-9 | November 14, 2017 | 978-1-944937-27-0 |
| 8 | April 22, 2017 | 978-4-04-069154-1 | May 15, 2018 | 978-1-944937-47-8 |
| 9 | September 23, 2017 | 978-4-04-069414-6 | July 17, 2018 | 978-1-944937-97-3 |
| 10 | February 23, 2018 | 978-4-04-069693-5 | April 16, 2019 | 978-1-64273-016-6 |
| 11 | July 23, 2018 | 978-4-04-069973-8 | May 28, 2019 | 978-1-64273-017-3 |
| 12 | December 21, 2018 | 978-4-04-065347-1 | December 10, 2019 | 978-1-64273-033-3 |
| 13 | April 23, 2019 | 978-4-04-065641-0 | June 23, 2020 | 978-1-64273-061-6 |
| 14 | September 21, 2019 | 978-4-04-065825-4 | September 8, 2020 | 978-1-64273-080-7 |
| 15 | February 22, 2020 | 978-4-04-064337-3 | March 16, 2021 | 978-1-64273-108-8 |
| 16 | July 20, 2020 | 978-4-04-064759-3 | September 28, 2021 | 978-1-64273-131-6 |
| 17 | November 21, 2020 | 978-4-04-065973-2 | February 15, 2022 | 978-1-64273-172-9 |
| 18 | March 23, 2021 | 978-4-04-680287-3 | June 14, 2022 | 978-1-64273-173-6 |
| 19 | September 22, 2021 | 978-4-04-680728-1 | September 13, 2022 | 978-1-64273-215-3 |
| 20 | February 22, 2022 | 978-4-04-681047-2 | February 7, 2023 | 978-1-64273-240-5 |
| 21 | June 22, 2022 | 978-4-04-681452-4 | September 19, 2023 | 978-1-64273-284-9 |
| 22 | December 22, 2022 | 978-4-04-681984-0 | — | — |
| 23 | June 22, 2023 | 978-4-04-682516-2 | — | — |
Manga Vol. 1
Manga Vol. 2
Manga Vol. 3
Manga Vol. 4
Manga Vol. 5
Manga Vol. 6
Manga Vol. 7
Manga Vol. 8
Manga Vol. 9
Manga Vol. 10
Manga Vol. 11
Manga Vol. 12
Manga Vol. 13
Manga Vol. 14
Manga Vol. 15
Manga Vol. 16
Manga Vol. 17
Manga Vol. 18
Manga Vol. 19
Manga Vol. 20
Manga Vol. 21
Manga Vol. 22
Manga Vol. 23
Spin-Off[]
Both the novel and manga series were licensed by One Peace Books and were published in North America starting with the first volume on December 22, 2017. One Peace Books licensed the spin-off novel The Reprise of the Spear Hero (槍の勇者のやり直し, Yari no Yuusha no Yarinaoshi).
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | December 22, 2017 | 978-4-04-069525-9 | November 12, 2019 | 978-1-64273-034-0 |
| 2 | March 22, 2018 | 978-4-04-069781-9 | May 19, 2020 | 978-1-64273-060-9 |
| 3 | December 21, 2018 | 978-4-04-065341-9 | December 16, 2020 | 978-1-64273-081-4 |
| 4 | March 22, 2019 | 978-4-04-065603-8 | June 15, 2021 | 978-1-64273-109-5 |
| 5 | August 23, 2019 | 978-4-04-065848-3 | August 17, 2021 | 978-1-64273-129-3 |
| 6 | February 22, 2020 | 978-4-04-064355-7 | November 30, 2021 | 978-1-64273-130-9 |
| 7 | November 21, 2020 | 978-4-04-065961-9 | February 1, 2022 | 978-1-64273-171-2 |
| 8 | September 21, 2021 | 978-4-04-680478-5 | July 11, 2023 | 978-1-64273-250-4 |
| 9 | February 21, 2022 | 978-4-04-680872-1 | — | — |
| 10 | August 20, 2022 | 978-4-04-681525-5 | — | — |
| 11 | March 23, 2023 | 978-4-04-681525-5 | — | — |
Manga Vol. 1
Manga Vol. 2
Manga Vol. 3
Manga Vol. 4
Manga Vol. 5
Manga Vol. 6
Manga Vol. 7
Manga Vol. 8
Manga Vol. 9
Manga Vol. 10
Manga Vol. 11
A comedy spin-off series was released in the 61st issue of Kadokawa Dengeki Daioh G. The four-panel comedy manga, titled A Day in the Life of the Shield Hero (盾の勇者のとある一日, Tate no Yūsha no to Aru 1-Nichi) was drawn by Akagashi.
| No. | Japanese release date | Japanese ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 27, 2019 | 978-4-04-912431-6 | — | — |
| 2 | December 26, 2019 | 978-4-04-912922-9 | — | — |
| 3 | August 26, 2020 | 978-4-04-913351-6 | — | — |
Manga Vol. 1
Manga Vol. 2
Manga Vol. 3
A Gourmet and Slice of Life spin-off series was released in the Kadokawa. The six-panel comedy manga, titled The Menu of the Shield Hero (盾の勇者のおしながき, Tate no Yuusha no Oshinagaki) was drawn by Akano, Amamichi.
| No. | Japanese release date | Japanese ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | February 22, 2020 | 978-4-04-064199-7 | — | — |
| 2 | September 23, 2020 | 978-4-04-064908-5 | — | — |
| 3 | March 23, 2021 | 978-4-04-680268-2 | — | — |
| 4 | February 21, 2022 | 978-4-04-680873-8 | — | — |
| 5 | June 23, 2022 | 978-4-04-681441-8 | — | — |
| 6 | February 22, 2023 | 978-4-04-682143-0 | — | — |
| 7 | September 22, 2023 | 978-4046828033 | — | — |
Manga Vol. 1
Manga Vol. 2
Manga Vol. 3
Manga Vol. 4
Manga Vol. 5
Manga Vol. 6
Manga Vol. 7
A slice of life spin-off series was released in the story of Raphtalia. The three-panel adventure manga, titled Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari: Girl's Side Story (盾の勇者の成り上がり ～ガールズサイドストーリー～, The Rising of the Shield Hero: Girl's Side Story) was Story and illustrate by Shirosaki, Aya.
| No. | Japanese release date | Japanese ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 18, 2022 | 978-4866575438 | — | — |
| 2 | December 16, 2022 | 978-4866576060 | — | — |
| 3 | October 18, 2023 | 978-4866577111 | — | — |
Manga Vol. 1
Manga Vol. 2
Character[]
to be added.
| 《Gallery》 |
|---|
TV Anime[]
An anime adaptation was announced in June 2017. The television series is produced by Kinema Citrus and directed by Takao Abo, with Keigo Koyanagi handling series composition, Masahiro Suwa designing the characters and Kevin Penkin composing the music. The series aired from January 9 to June 26, 2019, on AT-X and other channels. It ran for 25 episodes. The first opening theme is "RISE", performed by MADKID, while the first ending theme is "Kimi no Namae" (きみの名前) performed by Chiai Fujikawa. The second opening theme is "FAITH," performed by MADKID, while the second ending theme is "While I'm Next to You" (あたしが隣にいるうちに, Atashi ga Tonari ni Iru Uchi ni) performed by Fujikawa. For episode 4, Asami Seto sang an insert song titled "Falling Through Starlight" as her character Raphtalia. Both Crunchyroll and Funimation streamed the anime.
Staff | |
|---|---|
| Original Author | Aneko Yusagi |
| Original illustration | Seira Yanami |
| Director | Takao Abo |
| Series composition | Keigo Koyanagi |
| Character Design | Masahiro Suwa |
| design leader | Takeshi Takakura |
| Monster design | Ken Mori |
| Stunt Action Design | Yuka Kuroda |
| Prop designer | Ayako Sugimura |
| Color design & Color setting (S1) | Anna Okamatsu |
| director of photography | Yukiyo Kajiwara |
| 3D-CG director | Yuji Koshida |
| 2D artist | hydekick |
| Editor | Hitomi Sudo |
| sound director | Yuki Gofumi |
| music | Kevin Penkin |
| Music producer | Shunichi Uemura, Hiromitsu Iijima |
| music production | Nippon Columbia |
| IRMA LA DOUCE | |
| producer | Takashi Tatsuzaki, Nobuhiko Kurosu, Kenichi Tokumura, Hiroyasu Taniguchi, Toyokazu Middle East, Yasuhiro Nakajima, Yutaka Kashiwagi, Naoki Kishida, Sho Nakata |
| Junichiro Tamura, Mitsuhiro Ogata | |
| Animation Producer | Munenori Ogasawara |
| Animation production | Kinema Citrus |
| Production | Shield Hero Production Committee |
Crunchyroll streamed the show in both the original Japanese version and the English dub. Plus Media Networks Asia licensed the series in Southeast Asia and is streaming it on Aniplus Asia, iQIYI, bilibili, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar. Funimation started streaming the dub on May 1, 2019. Originally intending to air the English dub simultaneously with the original Japanese, Crunchyroll announced that there would be a two-week delay in the release of the English version on May 14, the day before episode 19, "The Four Cardinal Heroes", was scheduled to release.
| No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Storyboarded by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Shield Hero" Transcription: "Tate no Yūsha" (Japanese: 盾の勇者) | Hitoshi Haga | Keigo Koyanagi | Takao Abo | January 9, 2019 |
| 2 | "The Slave Girl" Transcription: "Dorei no Shōjo" (Japanese: 奴隷の少女) | Seung-hui Son | Ohine Ezaki | Seung-hui Son | January 16, 2019 |
| 3 | "Wave of Catastrophe" Transcription: "Saiyaku no Nami" (Japanese: 災厄の波) | Satoshi Mori | Ohine Ezaki | Satoshi Mori | January 23, 2019 |
| 4 | "Lullaby at Dawn" Transcription: "Akatsuki no Komoriuta" (Japanese: 暁の子守唄) | Seung-hui Son | Ohine Ezaki | Takao Abo, Yuka Kuroda | January 30, 2019 |
| 5 | "Filo" Transcription: "Fīro" (Japanese: フィーロ) | Toshiharu Kudō | Daisuke Tazawa | Hitoshi Haga | February 6, 2019 |
| 6 | "A New Comrade" Transcription: "Atarashii Nakama" (Japanese: 新しい仲間) | Shigeki Awai | Daisuke Tazawa | Hidetoshi Namura | February 13, 2019 |
| 7 | "The Savior of the Heavenly Fowl" Transcription: "Shinchō no Seijin" (Japanese: 神鳥の聖人) | Yūji Tokuno | Daisuke Tazawa | Seung-hui Son, Yuka Kuroda | February 20, 2019 |
| 8 | "Curse Shield" Transcription: "Noroi no Tate" (Japanese: 呪いの盾) | Hitoshi Haga | Daisuke Tazawa | Hitoshi Haga | February 27, 2019 |
| 9 | "Melty" Transcription: "Meruti" (Japanese: メルティ) | Toshiharu Kudō | Ohine Ezaki | Toshiharu Kudō, Kōji Furukuwa | March 6, 2019 |
| 10 | "In the Midst of Turmoil" Transcription: "Konmei no Naka de" (Japanese: 混迷の中で) | Jun Takahashi | Ohine Ezaki | Takao Abo | March 13, 2019 |
| 11 | "Catastrophe Returns" Transcription: "Saiyaku, Futatabi" (Japanese: 災厄、再び) | Hodaka Kuramoto | Daisuke Tazawa | Erukin Kawabata | March 20, 2019 |
| 12 | "The Raven Invader" Transcription: "Shikkoku no Ihōsha" (Japanese: 漆黒の異邦者) | Shigeki Awai | Daisuke Tazawa | Yasuhiro Irie | March 27, 2019 |
| 13 | "The Devil of the Shield" Transcription: "Tate no Akuma" (Japanese: 盾の悪魔) | Hitoshi Haga | Ohine Ezaki | Hitoshi Haga | April 3, 2019 |
| 14 | "Everlasting Memory" Transcription: "Kesenai Kioku" (Japanese: 消せない記憶) | Naoki Murata | Ohine Ezaki | Hidetoshi Namura | April 10, 2019 |
| 15 | "Raphtalia" Transcription: "Rafutaria" (Japanese: ラフタリア) | Toshiharu Kudō | Ohine Ezaki | Takao Abo | April 17, 2019 |
| 16 | "Filolial Queen" Transcription: "Firoriaru no Joō" (Japanese: フィロリアルの女王) | Ryū Nakayama | Ryū Nakayama | Ryū Nakayama | April 24, 2019 |
| 17 | "A Promise Made" Transcription: "Tsumugareru Yakusoku" (Japanese: 紡がれる約束) | Hodaka Kuramoto | Katsuji Yatsushige, Keigo Koyanagi | Tatsuhiko Komatsu | May 1, 2019 |
| 18 | "A Conspiracy Linked" Transcription: "Tsuranaru Inbō" (Japanese: 連なる陰謀) | Naoki Murata | Daisuke Tazawa | Hitoshi Haga, Tatsuhiko Komatsu | May 8, 2019 |
| 19 | "The Four Cardinal Heroes" Transcription: "Shisei Yūsha" (Japanese: 四聖勇者) | Hitoshi Haga | Daisuke Tazawa | Hitoshi Haga | May 15, 2019 |
| 20 | "Battle of Good and Evil" Transcription: "Seija Kessen" (Japanese: 聖邪決戦) | Takuma Suzuki | Daisuke Tazawa | Takao Abo, Yuka Kuroda | May 22, 2019 |
| 21 | "Naofumi's Triumphant Return" Transcription: "Naofumi no Gaisen" (Japanese: 尚文の凱旋) | Takao Abo | Keigo Koyanagi | Takao Abo | May 29, 2019 |
| 22 | "Four Heroes Council" Transcription: "Yūsha Kaigi" (Japanese: 勇者会議) | Kōji Furukuwa | Ohine Ezaki | Kōji Furukuwa | June 5, 2019 |
| 23 | "Cal Mira Archipelago" Transcription: "Karu Mira-tō" (Japanese: カルミラ島) | Toshiharu Kudō | Daisuke Tazawa | Toshiharu Kudō | June 12, 2019 |
| 24 | "Guardians of Another World" Transcription: "Isekai no Shugosha" (Japanese: 異世界の守護者) | Takanori Yamamoto, Takuma Suzuki | Daisuke Tazawa | Yuka Kuroda, Hidetoshi Namura | June 19, 2019 |
| 25 | "The Rising of the Shield Hero" Transcription: "Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari" (Japanese: 盾の勇者の成り上がり) | Shinpei Wada, Kōji Furukuwa, Takao Abo | Keigo Koyanagi | Takao Abo | June 26, 2019 |
| TRAILER (SEASON 1) | |
At 2019's Crunchyroll Expo, it was announced that the series would receive a second. Then later at 2020's virtual Crunchyroll Expo, it was originally announced that the second season would premiere in October 2021, but it was later delayed. The second season aired from April 6 to June 29, 2022, on AT-X and other channels. Masato Jinbo replaced Takao Abo as director, and the rest of the staff members reprised their roles, with production by Kinema Citrus and DR Movie. The second season ran for 13 episodes. On May 2, 2022, Crunchyroll announced that the second season would begin streaming its English dub on May 4.
Staff | |
|---|---|
| Original Author | Aneko Yusagi |
| Original illustration | Seira Yanami |
| director | Masato Jimbo |
| Series composition | Keigo Koyanagi |
| Character Design | Masahiro Suwa |
| design leader | Takeshi Takakura |
| monster design | Ken Mori |
| action design | Yuka Kuroda |
| prop design | Hirataryo, Mikio |
| art director | Masaru Sato |
| Color design & Color setting (S2) | Aiko Matsuyama |
| director of photography | Yukiyo Kajiwara |
| 3DCG director | Go Hiroshi |
| 2D artist | hydekick |
| edit | Hitomi Sudo |
| sound director | Yuki Gofumi |
| music | Kevin Penkin |
| Music producer | Shunichi Uemura, Hiromitsu Iijima |
| music production | Nippon Columbia |
| producer | Takashi Tatsuzaki, Nobuhiko Kurosu, Kenichi Tokumura, Hiroyasu Taniguchi, Toyokazu Middle East, Yasuhiro Nakajima, Yutaka Kashiwagi, Naoki Kishida, Sho Nakata |
| Kosuke Arai, Masakatsu Umeda | |
| animation producer | Munenori Ogasawara |
| Animation production | Kinema Citrus |
| DR MOVIE | |
| Production | Shield Hero S2 - Production Committee |
During "Kadokawa Light Novel Expo 2020", it was originally revealed that the second season would premiere in October 2021, but it was later delayed. The second season aired from April 6 to June 29, 2022. It ran for 13 episodes. In Southeast Asia, Plus Media Networks Asia licensed the second season and is simulcasting it on Aniplus Asia, bilibili, IQIYI, Netflix. The opening theme is "Bring Back", performed by MADKID, while the ending theme is "Yuzurenai" (ゆずれない), performed by Chiai Fujikawa. On May 2, 2022, Crunchyroll announced that the second season will begin airing its dub on May 4.
| No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Storyboarded by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "A New Roar" Transcription: "Arata na Hōkō" (Japanese: 新たな咆哮) | Masato Jinbo | Keigo Koyanagi | Masato Jinbo, Mayu Hirotomi | April 6, 2022 |
| 2 | "Footprints of the Spirit Tortoise" Transcription: "Reiki no Ashiato" (Japanese: 霊亀の足跡) | Takahiro Hirata | Keigo Koyanagi | Takahiro Hirata | April 13, 2022 |
| 3 | "Shaking Land" Transcription: "Yureru Daichi" (Japanese: 揺れる大地) | Tomonori Mine | Keigo Koyanagi | Kahoru Fujiki | April 20, 2022 |
| 4 | "Ruins in the Fog" Transcription: "Muchū no Iseki" (Japanese: 霧中の遺跡) | Mayu Hirotomi | Keigo Koyanagi | Mayu Hirotomi | April 27, 2022 |
| 5 | "Ost Hourai" Transcription: "Osuto Hōrai" (Japanese: オスト＝ホウライ) | Takahiro Hirata | Keigo Koyanagi | Takahiro Hirata | May 4, 2022 |
| 6 | "Racing to Catch Up" Transcription: "Okkake" (Japanese: 追駆) | Takuma Suzuki | Keigo Koyanagi | Masayuki Kojima, Tomoko Hiramuki | May 11, 2022 |
| 7 | "Infinite Labyrinth" Transcription: "Mugenmeikyū" (Japanese: 無限迷宮) | Ippei Ichii | Keigo Koyanagi | Ippei Ichii | May 18, 2022 |
| 8 | "A Parting in the Snow" Transcription: "Yuki no Wakare" (Japanese: 雪の別れ) | Kim Min-sun | Keigo Koyanagi | Hideaki Uehara | May 25, 2022 |
| 9 | "Humming Fairy" Transcription: "Hamingu Fērī" (Japanese: ハミングフェーリー) | Marina Maki | Keigo Koyanagi | Marina Maki | June 1, 2022 |
| 10 | "Katana Hero" Transcription: "Katana no Yūsha" (Japanese: 刀の勇者) | Takahiro Hirata | Keigo Koyanagi | Takahiro Hirata | June 8, 2022 |
| 11 | "Kizuna" (Japanese: 絆) | Yang Jeong-hui, Ji Yang-ho | Keigo Koyanagi | Ippei Ichii | June 15, 2022 |
| 12 | "Reason to Fight" Transcription: "Tatakau Riyū" (Japanese: 戦う理由) | Daigo Yamagishi | Keigo Koyanagi | Daigo Yamagishi | June 22, 2022 |
| 13 | "Flowers Offered in Recollection" Transcription: "Tsuioku no Kenka" (Japanese: 追憶の献花) | Muneki Ogasawara, Sakumi Inoha, Masatsugu Arakawa, Daigo Yamagishi | Keigo Koyanagi | Masayuki Kojima, Yōhei, Shingo Kaneko, Daigo Yamagishi, Sakumi Inoha | June 29, 2022 |
| TRAILER (SEASON 2) | |
The third season is directed by Hitoshi Haga, with the rest of the staff from the previous season returning, with Alfredo Sirica and Natalie Jeffreys also joining as additional composers. It is premiered on October 6, 2023. The opening theme is "Sin", performed by MADKID, while the ending theme is "Suki ni Natte wa Ikenai Riyū" (好きになってはいけない理由), performed by Chiai Fujikawa.
Staff | |
|---|---|
| Original Author | Aneko Yusagi |
| Original illustration | Seira Yanami |
| director | Hitoshi Haga |
| Series composition | Keigo Koyanagi & Kinema Citrus |
| Character Design | Masahiro Suwa, Sana Komatsu, Franziska van Wulfen |
| monster design | Wataru Inada |
| art director | Akika Kashiwamura |
| Color design & Color setting (S3) | Azusa Sasaki |
| director of photography | Tsunetaka Ema |
| 3DCG director | Yuji Koshida |
| 2D Artist | hydekick |
| Edit | Hitomi Sudo |
| Sound Director | Yuki Gofumi |
| Music | Kevin Penkin |
| Music Producer | Shunichi Uemura, Hiromitsu Iijima |
| Music Production | Nippon Columbia |
| Producer | Aya Iizuka, Masashi Hirayama & Kosuke Arai |
| Animation production | Kinema Citrus |
| Production | Shield Hero S3 Project |
On October 19, 2023, Crunchyroll announced that the third season will begin airing its dub the following day.
| No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Storyboarded by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Dark Coliseum" Transcription: "Yami no Koroshiamu" (Japanese: 闇のコロシアム) | Hitoshi Haga | Keigo Koyanagi | Hitoshi Haga | October 6, 2023 |
| 2 | "Nadia" (Japanese: ナディア) | Motohiko Niwa | Keigo Koyanagi | Hiroshi Yoneda | October 13, 2023 |
| 3 | "The White Tiger Siblings" Transcription: "Hakuko no Kyōdai" (Japanese: ハクコの兄妹) | Shunsuke Kishi | Takuya Asahina | Masayuki Kojima | October 20, 2023 |
| 4 | "The Operation to Capture the Spear Hero" Transcription: "Yari no Yūsha Hokaku Sakusen" (Japanese: 槍の勇者捕獲作戦) | Shunsuke Takarai | Akiko Waba | Shunsuke Takarai | October 27, 2023 |
| 5 | "Each of Their Paths" Transcription: "Sorezore no Michi" (Japanese: それぞれの道) | Takanori Yamamoto | Momoka Toyoda | Hitoshi Haga | November 3, 2023 |
| 6 | "Where You Point Your Strength" Transcription: "Tsuyo-sa no Hokosaki" (Japanese: 強さの矛先) | Motohiko Niwa | Momoka Toyoda | Youhei | November 10, 2023 |
| 7 | "The Girl and the Dragon" Transcription: "Shōjo to Doragon" (Japanese: 少女とドラゴン) | Min Kyung Hee | Ohine Ezaki | Hitoshi Haga | November 17, 2023 |
| 8 | "Dragon's Den" Transcription: "Ryū no Su" (Japanese: 竜の巣) | Testuro Tanaka | Ohine Ezaki | Shingo Kaneko, Tetsuro Tanaka | November 24, 2023 |
| 9 | "Emperor Dragon" Transcription: "Ma Ryū" (Japanese: 魔竜) | Takanori Yamamoto, Yuuto Ooizumi | Ohine Ezaki | Hiroshi Yoneda, Huang Jiawen | December 1, 2023 |
| 10 | "Perfect Hidden Justice" Transcription: "Pāfekuto＝Haido＝Jasutisu" (Japanese: パーフェクト＝ハイド＝ジャスティス) | Arisa Shima, Toshisuke Kishi, Akemi Kabata | Akiko Waba | Yusuke Kubo | December 8, 2023 |
| 11 | "Justice VS Justice" Transcription: "Seigi bāsasu Seigi" (Japanese: 正義 VS 正義) | Daiki Yonemori | Akiko Waba | Daiki Yonemori | December 15, 2023 |
| 12 | "The Ones We Must Protect" Transcription: "Mamorubeki Mono-tachi" (Japanese: 守るべき者達) | Wataru Arakawa | Keigo Koyanagi | Yoshiaki Okumura | December 22, 2023 |
| TRAILER (SEASON 3) | |
In January 2024, it was announced that a fourth season was in production.
Web Radio[]
The web radio "Raphtalia and Filo who want to deliver normal radio" by Asami Seto as Raftalia and Rina Hidaka as Firo was distributed every other Monday at Onsen from January 21, 2019 to September 16, 2019, and then resumed with video on the last Monday of every month at Onsen from January 17, 2022 On January 17, 2022, distribution resumed on Onsen with video on the last Monday of each month.
From July 27, 2020 to January 27, 2021, the web radio program "Seto Masami and Hidaka Rina no O(wo)mitai! was distributed on the last Monday of every month on Onsen.
Stage Play[]
It was announced that it would be adapted for the stage on September 16, 2019 and was scheduled to be performed at COOL JAPAN PARK OSAKA TT Hall in Osaka from March 27 to 29, 2020 and at Theater Sun Mall in Tokyo from April 2 to 12, 2020, but due to the outbreak of a new coronavirus The Blu-ray and DVD of the no-show performance of the March 27, 2020, Gene production at COOL JAPAN PARK OSAKA TT Hall was released in September of the same year at the Scissor Blitz Shop.
- Staff (Stage)
- Original Story - Aneko Yusagi
- Original Illustration - Minami Seira
- Screenplay - MORIYAMA Kaori
- Directed - Ken SENDA
- Cast (Stage)
- IWATANI Naofumi - UNO Yuya,
- Raphtalia - ISOBE Karin
- Filo - SEKINE Yuna
- KITAMURA Motoyasu - YAMAMOTO Kazuyoshi -> ASATO Yuya (TOKYO Meteor Shower)
- AMAGI Ren - MATSUI Yuho → TANI Mizuki
- KAWASUMI Itsuki - FUKAZAWA Taiga
- Knight Commander Nops - Nishi Kenta
- Deputy Knight Commander SABRE - Seishi OHNO → Naoki TANAKA
- EIKU - ISHIGAMI Ryusei → YAMANAKA Kenta
- Slave trader - Kotori Kojima
- Raphtalia (Childhood) - Erena Kamada
- Mine - Bridcut Sailor Emi
- Erhard - Maruyama Atsushi
- Aultcray Melromarc XXXII - Isamu Ishizaka → Atsushi Mizutani
(order of the stage rehearsal performance → substitute performance, no "→" if there is no change)
Video Games[]
A mobile game titled Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari Rerise (盾の勇者の成り上がり RERISE) was released for iOS and Android devices on February 24, 2021. An adaptation of the anime titled The Rising of the Shield Hero: Relive the Animation was released for Steam on September 24, 2019, for iOS and Android devices on October 24, 2019.
- Pachislot Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari (2023, Sammy)
Reception[]
The light novel series had over 3.3 million volumes in print by December 2018, and the manga series had 1 million tankobon volumes in print by January 2019. By April 2019, the light novels and manga have sold a combined 6.2 million copies in Japan, after their sales increased by 1.2 million copies in two months, mainly due to the success of the anime series.
The character Raphtalia was selected as Best Girl for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards in 2020.
Reception and controversy in North America[]
When the anime series began airing in North America, the first episode came under controversy. Several Anime News Network reviewers criticized the show for its depiction of slavery, raising the question of slavery apologism, and the framing of a false rape accusation, leading online fans to accuse the Western attackers of the anime show of being a “loud minority” and these fans hoped that the dub would not try to make changes to appease its critics. While one of the main Japanese members of the staff behind the anime openly rejected the controversy as "bullshit", when the show's producer Junichiro Tamura was asked about it, he responded that there "have not been any controversies regarding the series in Japan, so it is difficult to say. In the case there was any controversy domestically, we will try to address all issues with the staff and people involved to bring our customers a better product the next time."
Reviews of subsequent episodes have been generally positive. Theron Martin of Anime News Network gave a rating of B− for the first two episodes, stating "The series looks like it's gotten over its initial problematic hump and should hopefully slide into a more agreeable story flow." He gave a B+ rating for the third episode, stating that "the series seems like it's angling to build Naofumi up more as a folk hero than the famously brazen heroes we're used to seeing in fantasy stories" and that "episode 3 gives the best argument to date for the series' possible potential."
External Links[]
- Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari ─ Web novel at Shōsetsuka ni Narō (in Japanese)
- Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari Series ─ Official light novel website
- Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari ─ Official manga Comic-flapper website
- Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari | Comicwalker
- Yari no Yuusha no Yarinaoshi | Comicwalker
- Tate no Yūsha no to Aru 1-Nichi | Comicwalker
- Tate no Yuusha no Oshinagaki | Comicwalker
- TV Anime "Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari S1" Official Website
- TV Anime "Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari S2" Official Website
- TV Anime "Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari S3" Official Website - JP Version
- TV Anime "Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari S3" Official Website - EN Version
- TV Anime "Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari" Official (@shieldheroanime) - Twitter
- TV Anime "Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari" Official (@shieldheroanime_official) - Instagram
- Stageplay "Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari" Official Website
- Stageplay "Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari" Official (@shieldherostage) - Twitter
- Game: Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari Rerise Official (@shieldheropjt) - Twitter
- Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari Series ─ Wikipedia JP
- Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari (TV Anime) ─ Wikipedia JP
- Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari ─ Wikipedia EN
Trivia[]
to be added.
