- TYPE: TV
- SEASON: SPRING 2022
- RELEASE DATE: 6th APRIL, 2022
- EPISODES: 12
- WHERE TO WATCH: AniPlus, Ani-One Asia, Crunchyroll, Netflix, Funimation
Synopsis:
The anime follows the story of the Four Cardinal Heroes who are a quartet of regular men living in modern-day Japan. They have been recruited to Melromarc to save the country. Melromarc has been afflicted by the Waves of Calamity for ages, which have wrecked the region and caused calamity to its residents. To defeat the Waves, the four protagonists are given a sword, spear, bow, and shield, accordingly. An otaku named Naofumi Iwatani is saddled with the title of “Shield Hero.” Naofumi is disparaged and derided by his companion heroes as well as the citizens of the country owing to his mediocre offensive skills and uninspiring disposition.
After being betrayed by the only companion that he had, he meets Raphtalia, who is a slave beast girl. Together with her and his other companions, Noafumi goes out on a journey to fight the evils and to save the country from the catastrophe.
!!SPOILERS BELOW: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!
RECAP OF EPISODE 1-
Episode Title: “A New Roar Transcription”.
The episode starts with Noafumi peacefully watching over Seyatte, which is Raphtalia’s hometown. We get to see the whole party of Naofumi once again, that is Raphtalia, Filo, and the new addition Rishia who is training under Naofumi’s care. Eclair is seen looking over the military and the old lady is teaching Rishia and Keel about ‘ki’. Suddenly, they are attacked by strange bat-like monsters. Once they defeated them, Naofumi checks upon what they are via his shield and discovers that it is someone’s familiar. Suddenly, a light blinds them and Naofumi realizes that the countdown for the next Wave has stopped. We then see a glimpse of a vicious monster.
The Cardinal heroes are summoned by the Queen to the castle, wherein they are informed about a beast called ‘Spirit Tortoise’ who has awakened and is now rampaging through several territories. The Queen asks for their assistance, however, as expected the Cardinal Heroes other than Naofumi declined to help. After the discussion, Rishia approaches Itsuki, as she was once a member of his party. The other party members insult her and she is left in tears. Raphtalia takes her to the slave house and tells her that if she becomes Naofumi’s slave, her overall stats will increase, just like Raphtalia’s had. After a lot of contemplation, she agrees to become his slave. After the contract is signed, her overall stats boost tremendously.
The party makes their way to the Spirit Tortoise Kingdom. On the way, Fitoria contacts Filo and asks her to remind Naofumi of his fate if the cardinal heroes do not unite. Once they reach the kingdom, they see all the refugees leaving. They hear from one of the refugees how three of the four heroes are dead. This triggers Rishia and she runs off to look for Itsuki. Naofumi stops her and contacts Fitoria through Filo to confirm whether Itsuki is dead or alive. During this time, the bat familiar along with monkey familiars attacks Naofumi and the team. They try to ward them off while Rishia is tasked with taking the refugees to safety.
While fighting them, Naofumi is forced to use the Warth Shield. After the fight, a strange woman comes and asks Naofumi to kill her.
WRITER’S THOUGHTS
Wow. What a power-packed episode. Before I started this season, I had to rewatch season 1 as I could barely remember where we had left. Honestly, the beast’s name was funny. The animation was a letdown, I don’t know if I had too high expectations or what. The jump from one arc to a different one was very awkward. However, it was an okay start. It was funny to watch Naofumi use the Warth shield again, as the last time he used it he almost lost his life, but this time, viola. It was lackluster and rushed, in my opinion. One thing I can’t wrap my head around is the fact that the animators are using CGI. I mean, why? Also, Rishia doesn’t seem to have a backbone. I am fickle minded but I still take at least 5 minutes to sway, this girl just took a life-changing decision in two minutes of persuasion. I can’t wait to see what is in store for us in future episodes. Shield Hero has been my favorite anime for a long time, I just hope my opinion on it doesn’t take a drastic change.
Kaishi Universe 