Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (LN)

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Naofumi Iwatani, an uncharismatic Otaku who spends his days on games and manga, suddenly finds himself summoned to a parallel universe! He discovers he is one of four heroes equipped with legendary weapons and tasked with saving the world from its prophesied destruction.

As the Shield Hero, the weakest of the heroes, all is not as it seems. Naofumi is soon alone, penniless, and betrayed. With no one to turn to, and nowhere to run, he is left with only his shield. Now, Naofumi must rise to become the legendary Shield Hero and save the world!

Associated Names
One entry per line
The Rising of the Shield Hero
盾の勇者の成り上がり
Related Series
Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (WN) (Web Novel)
Yari no Yuusha no Yarinaoshi (Spin-Off)
In a World Without Life (Shared Universe)
Dimension Wave (WN) (Shared Universe)
The Rising of the Shield Hero – Side Stories (Side Story)
Dimension Wave (LN) (Shared Universe)
Recommendations
Nidome no Yuusha (4)
Sword Art Online (1)
The Trembling World (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. ALLJP+
  2. Isekai Fantasy | #1
  3. Not masterpieces, but enjoyable enough.
  4. Enjoyable read
  5. Novel List

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Read DxD
Read DxD rated it
April 20, 2018
Status: --
Okay I'm caught up with Shield Hero's published novels and I wrote a review, I did my best to take consideration for those of you who care about spoilers hence the vague lack of description.

Shield Hero: An exposé on how to not turn your web novel into a light novel.

First things first, there is a TON of new content, out of the 10 volumes I read more than half of it was new, but overall I'd say this actually hurts the series, something I never imagined I'd say.

Volumes 1-4 were mostly the same with content added here and there, the one flaw of my review is that I remember the pope from the novel but feel like he was a later addition but I cant remember how the outcast situation got resolved without him.

Anyway volume 5 is when things change, half the content was new and several new major characters are focused on and introduce concepts from much later in the web novel earlier for better story flow, no issues at all here, it was actually a very good change, but it all goes down from here.

The Spirit Tortoise Arc is covered in volumes 6 and 7. I'll start with the good, Ost, pretty much everything about her addition to the series was well handled and well done, by far one of the better characters. Thats all the good.

In the web novel this arc isnt very long, it was about a 4 stage fight covered really fast which was kind of an issue in terms of plot relevance. But it was a much better alternative to what the light novel did, turn it into a 20 stage fight that is continuously making the protagonist lose or win a fight the wrong way, and connecting it to the plot changes in volume 5, by adding yet another insufferable twat psychopath that only cares for themselves, in a series that measures named characters with that main trait in the triple digits already. The 20 stages took about 400 pages of the 500 available, but without the fluff could easily have been covered in 200 or less with less than 10 stages while being a much more climactic fight. It could have been 1 volume easily if they covered the aftermath at the start of the next volume.
Ive never enjoyed a novel less in my life than these 2 volumes.

On to volume 8 and 9, it follows said twat psychopath into the newly focused on late series plot stuff, again not a bad idea, it introduces more good new characters but again refuses to advance without fluff and a 50 page fight. But atleast there was time to relax and have fun here and unlike the last 2 volumes.

10 is the start of the best arc in the series when we get the majority of the major characters and the plot slows down, sadly it too added a conflict that took up half the volume and honestly contributed nothing. I'd have put this as the climax of volume 7 and then slowly built up to the 8-9 content more organically with the new characters involved and started that at 10 once we had most of them, instead we feel less related to these characters and delayed major events vital to already introduced characters development, who will even renember the other 3 heroes at this point when we havnt seen them since the start of volume 6?

TLDR:
1. The author refuses to end a volume with new content on anything less than a 50 page fight, even if he has to write 200 pages of badly written fluff to do so.
2. The new content is placed en bulk all at once delaying vital events and characters to the series overall quality.
3. There's a pretty strong quality difference between the original content that had a framework and the new stuff that is pretty jarring due to the above.
4. The author is bad at fights and plot but the is really good at kingdom building stuff.

I recommend just reading the web novel since you can pretty much read all of it in the time it takes you read these 10 volumes and although some of its better youll get more enjoyment from being farther in the series with all the development that entails.

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mario1994
mario1994 rated it
February 26, 2019
Status: --
Its a great novel with isekai theme.. Yet after volume 4 quality drops so so much that I wonder if it is still the same author.

After struggling for 4 volumes MC gets on lucky horse and everything he does end up in successes.. I dropped it after half of second rebuilding arc.. So I cannot be certain if it will be better.

MC got denser, humour shallower in Japaneese style. Puns etc or game, anime knowladge of Mc/author overflows in each chapter.. Its rainbow puke fest for me to read all... more>> this information about games just to understand what author means.

MC gets love and respect from all after arc 4..

MC should have more.. Manly desires? I mean, not to ra+pe or fu+k female characters.. But being oblivious to their feelings gets on my nervs. The same with their, female cast way of showing it.. They sleep in same rooms, same buildings, same tents, wagons or the same bed.. Yet there is not even a kiss or any romance..

There are multitude of attractive women around MC yet he keeps those toughts at bay.. Die a virg*n and die a virg*n once more.. Who normal would fight for others, risk their lives on many occasions and not try this forbidden fruit?

Besides that.. Later in the game MC is too Op.. Almost unkillable. Similar to his companions.

His enemies/antagonists will be turned into comic characters.. Lolicons, broken mentally husks of their selvs.. There are several characters which should die but won't couse its a kids story <<less
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Ayasi
Ayasi rated it
February 24, 2019
Status: v13
To not be dissapointed consider this title as 2 separate ones.

The first title is "The struggling of the Shield Hero", which consist of the first 4 volumes. It is one of the best isekai novels out there, it feels great and fresh and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoy isekai and rate it 5 stars.

On the other hand, the 2nd title is "The rising of the Shield Hero" and it is ur mediocre fantasy isekai with just a bit more struggling than in the others. Starting from... more>> 5th novel the difference is so distinct that I had just dropped the title for half a year being gravely disappointed in it. However, it is not that bad, it is kinda ok, but the diffrence between first 4 volumes is just that distinct.

So by the end of the day u will have 2 options - either read the first 4 volumes and enjoy one of the best isekai out there or continue and read it mediocre part. Think of this title as 2 different ones and it might help u overcome the gigantic dip in quality like it helped me.

Also, Atla best grill. And if u know russian, руранобе has translated up to the 16th volume and u can read it for free there. <<less
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Destrucfor
Destrucfor rated it
April 22, 2017
Status: Completed
The novel is available as a webnovel and as a lightnovel. You'll have to purchase or search for it yet if you do buy it, which I highly recommend, it's worthwhile.

Filled with dynamic characters and a dynamic world, the plot has lots of foreshadowing and a great amount of dark hero overtones. Over all the author showcases great character growth in all the main and secondary characters as well as the tertiary characters in the later chapters of the novel. Fanservice, as well as harem plot points exist and of... more>> course it's well penned out compared to a sudden swimsuit special for no apparent reason that is for some reason drawn within 12 episodes of some anime.

I whole heartily recommend reading this novel and if you can purchase it, I would say it's worth it. <<less
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shinidoshi
shinidoshi rated it
January 24, 2019
Status: --
If you read and completed the Web Novel and decide to read the Light Novel, I suggest to skip at Volume 5 (if you're in a pinch of money or time). This is where the story changes, but in such a way where it makes me believe the Web Novel was just a rough draft of the Light Novel.

Explaination and Pseudo-Spoilers: in the Web Novel, the final boss fight had an abrupt and a disappointing ending. After many complaints, the Author extends the final boss with additional chapters, and a... more>> better finale. (Yorikun Translations points this out). To put it simply: imagine the additional chapters as DLC that makes for a better ending. The Light Novel is a remake that includes the DLC, but surprisingly enough it also expands on some lore that screams "loose ends" in the story.

For example (spoiler warning) :

Spoiler

Glass' World and the Wave Invaders. Raphtalia's and Sadina's country. The 4 Benevolent Spirit's purpose.

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Picklebandos
Picklebandos rated it
April 30, 2022
Status: v22
So, I love it, I really do

It takes the web novel and adds more

D E T A I L

While cutting out the stuff that was a bit irrelevant or out of place, and creates a more consistent villian/villians that what was in the web novel

That being said, it does take its time to do ALOT, wo dont expect a super duper fast paced story.

All in all I reccomend it more than the web novel if you looking for a longer read
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yjh0000
yjh0000
November 4, 2021
Status: v15
I'm gonna talk about characters, and the world building.

Characters

  • All done really well, with very distinct personalities. I especially love the part when Itsuki, Motoyatsu, and Ren all turned around and started to treat Naofumi as an equal. I won't spoil why that happens though. Having them stay idiotic, and being an ass to Naofumi will definitely get annoying so that's a good change.
  • Naofumi I have only one problem, he tends to rely on his rage shield/shield of wrath a little too often. I get that it's his only form of offense but he's just been using it too much. He does break out of his "I'm an evil bastard" act once he gets his village, and we see how he takes care of everything.
  • Fohl has a sister complex. I personally don't like him because of that, but he is definitely a good character.
  • Alta, Fohl's lil sister. She's one of my favourite characters in the series. Her personality is very unique, and I love her very honest talks about wanting to be there for Naofumi.
There are others but, these are the only ones I care to talk about. Everyone else is just good, or meh.

World building: It's here, and there. There isn't very strong moments. But it is good enough.
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ceireavne
ceireavne rated it
July 25, 2019
Status: v3
I do plan on coming back to this after I've read more of the series, since I've only completed through volume 3 right now. The honest truth is I'm tempted to give this a 5, but there's a 10:1 chance that's because I see this series with rose-colored glasses.

So far, I've enjoyed the world-building and even find myself wishing I could play a real game similar to this light novel. What it boils down to is a lot of the stuff it does more or less just clicks with me... more>> or falls within my sphere of interest (which I realize isn't a helpful thing for me to point out in this review--sorry, heh). In a lot of ways, I sympathize with Naofumi. Starting off, he's immature and naive. He's betrayed and loses his faith in people, leaving him dark, broody, and cynical. His character development seems to consist primarily of building from that point. Admittedly, that is somewhat clutzy writing: cut MC's emotional feet out from underneath him in order to build back to that starting point. The main reason it works is that rather than building back to the same person he was before, Naofumi is tempered by the flames of adversity and becomes a hero, something he formerly wasn't.

A major theme of the story is what it really means to be a hero. Three of the summoned heroes simply want to chase glory, while Naofumi realizes his role is to protect people. A decent chunk of the early story is hearing rumors about the other heroes, then hustling around trying to clean up the mistakes they'd left behind. It is a bit tautological, but it serves the purpose of developing his character and reputation among the country's people.

Our MC does have a somewhat exaggerated dislike for the country's princess, who betrayed, framed, and humiliated him. Is it a misogynistic thing? An incel attitude? Honestly, I don't exactly know, but I don't think it is. While I haven't yet gotten to the author's explanation of why the princess and king hate Naofumi, the country is a matrilineal matriarchy, meaning that an irrational princess makes for a suitable antagonist for this MC. From what I've seen in the anime, she's disinherited and loses her status, which does seem pretty silly to me. What exactly is the point in facing the protagonist off against royalty if you ultimately write them off? If she's supposed to be a big deal and very politically powerful, she should be written as a big deal. It's a fairly immature conclusion which shows that the conflict likely wasn't very well thought out in the first place. The princess herself is also... painfully cringey and predictable like a cartoon villain, which is very unfortunate.

Because Naofumi doesn't want to be betrayed again, he ends up adding a s*ave to his party instead of a normal adventurer. I actually really enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Raphtalia and Naofumi, since it was very sweet. They're both emotionally damaged, but at a point she realizes that he's a good person and that she actually does want to help him and serve as his sword.

The artwork is nice, with a pretty balanced spread of material. It doesn't focus too much on solely girls or action, which is something I appreciate.

Ultimately, it's tricky for me to recommend this novel. For me, it's a guilty pleasure and I can't wait to continue reading more or it. Since you may not have the same rose-colored glasses as me, it may not be for you. I'd suggest giving it a shot, at the very least. Once you get past the cartoon-villain princess, it definitely improves. As for me, I'm enjoying it because of how sweet Raphtalia and Naofumi are. <<less
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DaExorcizt
DaExorcizt rated it
October 25, 2022
Status: v16
If you came here after reading the webnovel version... don't bother. Usually when a WN gets a LN version, the second is better.

Not in this case.

I read the WN back in 2016, as one of the first light novels I'd pick up alongside other classics, such as Highschool DxD, Seikokku no Ryuu Kishi, Testament of the Little Sister Devil, Chivalry of a Failed Knight, Dantalian no Shoka, the Vanadis series and a few more.

... more>> So, when I learned it had a LN version as well, I was hyped to read it.

And I regretted it.

The story is pretty much the same until the end of Volume 4, and then...

The author basicaly became a sell out.

So, so much padding and so many changes that you simply cannot compare them past volume 4.

Unnecessary plot for the sake of volume count instead of the story itself, the story has become so ridiculous you just can't take it anymore.

In the webnovel, there were a couple of "selfish evil masterminds" type of characters, but here every volume or so we get a new such character, even if they are side characters and they are just a mob while *another* "selfish psycho evil mastermind" is the overarching villain. Like, yes, there are some good new characters as well, but with the changes to the story and certain characters being so god awfully bad you just can't like this. Hell, this novel has a 3.9/5 overall score while the WN has 4/5, with far more positove votes.

This novel suffers the same fate as Bleach; drawn out way past what it should have been in order to sell more. It's a dead horse so beaten up it ended up as a rotting piece of pasturma. Just stick to the WN and keep the happy memories from there. <<less
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breloom
breloom rated it
January 17, 2021
Status: v18
I want to give a more current review, up to the current translated volume 18. It will contain minor spoilers so read at your own risk I personally think is deserves anywhere from 3.75 to 4 stars

... more>>
Spoiler

This is the basic power fantasy isekai which probably should be the forerunner on how to do it without leaning heavily towards any one gimmick or subgenre. In other words it has a little of everything which makes this the perfect story to recommend to anyone getting into isekai overall. It's not too political yet at the same time it's not just slice of life and the character aren't constantly overpowered, true to the point of having the word "Rising" in it's title. As someone who read the original webnovel back when it was being first translated I can say this is definitely an overall improvement however there things I feel was lost in the jump

Pros

    • It has a very easy to understand plot, you're not constantly turning your head trying to keep up with subtle nuances in a characters actions trying to guess motivations or how A will effect B politically
    • Nothing is ever really explained multiple times unless it's during the prologue which around volume 10 is used exclusively for that purpose. Otherwise it's only ever explained again if said concept hasn't appeared in a volume or 2 such as a passing character mention
    • Antagonist are not purely Monsters or Humans you have a general mix of I'd say 2:3 so some volumes you'd have your chaotic evil monsters but others you'd have scheming humans
    • Good characters: Thanks to the Light Novel format most characters now have ample screen time and development beyond their basic caricatures in the Web Novel most notably Sadeena, Fohl, Ren and Itsuki all receiving full fleshed out backstories and character arcs. This works both ways however your given all the more reason to hate the villain as they are more nasty and ugly and you just love to hate these guys and I personally feel it's a good thing if you can feel elated at a villain's death/defeat cause that means they were written well enough for the reader to care. If you've never read the Web Novel I will admit the characters can come off as one note especially since everyone has a unique way of talking
    • World Building is excellent hearing how all the countries actually have different relations with certain heroes is really interesting to read such as one nation hating the Shield hero while it's neighbor worships it and the history of how said ideology came into place is just the icing on the cake
    • MC deliberately goes out of his way not to use previous game knowledge as he know it might end up getting him killed or causing more problems than it solves which separates him from other MCs
      and provides the contrast between him and his fellow heroes

Cons:

    • People will be real quick to point out the Spirit Turtle taking a volume compared to the original 10 chapters or so. I can definitely seeing that being a turn off or coming off as filler, but the series does keep it's constancy as most arcs take a single volume or at worst 2
    • This story is not deep at all. So if you were looking for some soul questioning story, super intense multi-faceted characters or a political narrative you might as well not pick this one up
    • Coming from the Web novel I couldn't help but notice the story feels bloated. The author's main goal was to tie up any loose ends he left hanging in the Web novel. So while I personally enjoy it cause I get to read about said loose ends and missing character arcs, it comes off as a detriment to others as it the story doesn't look close to ending as it seems volume 20-22 (which is untranslated as of now) has them doing new content not even hinted at in the original novel which I'm personally guessing has to do with the original Shield Hero
    • The MC lost some of his perceptiveness from the Web Novel. He was able to completely see though most enemies and allies almost immediately most notably the females who are in love with him and actual motivation. His reasoning was "I'm in a war, the last thing I need is relationships effecting teamwork or even worse someone being out of action for 6-10 months cause of pregnancy."
      Here, he seems borderline delusional when it comes to relationships. Which I guess is the point the author was trying to make since the MC was accused of R*pe, but comes off as clumsy
    • While we're on the subject of the MC
      people will say his desire for revenge is half baked at best and thus subtracts for them. My counter point is that was the point the author was trying to stress. The MC was trying to be someone he's not and is even played for laughs in later volumes
    • Battles can get repetitive with the skills used particularly that of the "Stardust Series"
    • I've actually seen some spelling/grammar errors here and there, probably no more than 5-10. While it isn't deal breaking it's still note worthy considering this is a officially published light novel that's been localized
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Personally I feel the Light Novel is more geared towards people who've read the Web Novel and thus get the most enjoyment out of seeing the new things. So basically you have to read the Web Novel first to get a full enjoyment out of the Light Novel, which is unfair to the reader so along with my cons I had to knock off a star. I still feel however if your new to isekai or Light Novels/Web Novels rising of the Shield hero is a good place to start, and I feel sets the standards for many of the other tropes that came after it like having a demi human companion to the hero. I wouldn't by any means say this is the greatest novel ever, but it's the measuring stick for other isekai. It's a shining example of how to do the basics and how to do them right. <<less
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