How do you get into an isekai? There appear to be three methods that will do the trick. They include:
- being summoned (召喚 shoukan in Japanese) by a magic user in another world
- transferring to the new dimension through some convenient plot point (a magic gate in a wardrobe for example)
- dying and being reborn in the target world.
The newest isekai anime this season is Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (The Rising of the Shield Hero). Otaku and university student Naofumi picks up a mysterious book in the library and finds himself summoned to a kingdom called Melromarc, where he as a Shielder will join four other summoned heroes (Sword, Spear and Bow). The show is based on a light novel series and is animated by Kinema Citrus, who brought us Made in Abyss.
Right off the bat Rising of the Shield Hero feels like different isekai shows. The genre usually centers around an incredibly powerful main character such as Kirito from SAO, Rimiru the Slime, Ainz from Overlord and the MC from How Not to Summon a Demon Lord, who has all the knowledge and skills needed to dominate everyone around him. But in this show, Naofumi starts out the weakest (“I’m pretty sure a shield is more like armor than a weapon?”) and goes downhill from there.
Then of course there’s Raphtalia, the cute demi-human he rescues from slavery, then forms a party with her. She starts out at level zero and is quite useless, but he teaches her how to “attacc” so he can “protecc” with his strong defensive skills, and so far, their journey together is adorable.
Why should you consider watching Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari? Here are some reasons…
- High-quality animation and a dark and complex plot-based story (not “plot” as in “boobs” for once)
- Four handsome heroes instead of just one, for the female fans
- Best raccoon waifu we’ll ever see
- Not a harem story
- Instead of 22 minutes, the first episode is a full 45 minutes, showing a high level of dedication to the project by the studio.
- It’s already scheduled for 2-cours, so we’ve got our second season already baked in. That’s a win right there! So let’s support the and creators by watching.
Stay for the Isesaki, stay for the racoon girl. Will you be watching Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari? Tell us on Twitter!
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