The Rising of the Shield Hero

The Rising of the Shield Hero is a 2019 fantasy action anime, and this first season has 25 episodes. It was made by the studio Kinema Citrus and is based on the light novels by Aneko Yusagi. Most of the story takes place in Melromarc, a kingdom in a fantasy world.

Naofumi Iwatani is a normal college student in Japan who likes anime and games. One day, he reads an old book in a library, and suddenly he is pulled into another world. He finds out that he has been summoned as one of the Four Cardinal Heroes. The other three heroes are young men from other versions of Japan, and they carry a sword, a spear and a bow.

Naofumi is the Shield Hero. His shield cannot be removed, and he cannot use any other weapon. This means he can defend very well, but he cannot attack. The heroes must level up and protect the kingdom from the Waves, great disasters that bring hordes of monsters.

The king and most people treat the Shield Hero with little respect. Only one adventurer agrees to join his party. Soon after, Naofumi is betrayed and falsely accused of a serious crime. He loses his money, his name and the trust of the whole kingdom.

Alone and bitter, Naofumi buys a young demi-human slave girl named Raphtalia so that someone can fight for him. The season follows Naofumi and Raphtalia as they grow stronger together and face the Waves while the kingdom stands against him.