21 January 2019: Eh, I guess I'm watching Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari for the next six months
At least he's not in high school.
So far, the reactions to Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (The Rising of the Shield Hero) don't seem to be as intense as the Goblin Slayer! initial reactions were. Then again, Goblin Slayer! came out of the gate with rape and murder, while I hear Shield Hero works in its more controversial content over time. I'm ignorant enough of the franchise that it's unclear to me what is specifically so distasteful about the show to some people, but I have seen some of the more generalized accusations levied against it. Based on the first two episodes (and the first episode was double-length too), it does seem Shield Hero leans heavily on using themes of betrayal and unfair accusations in order to make its protagonist more appealing. Ostensibly, the viewers most likely to appreciate this setup are those who feel the world unfairly demonizes them as well. (Hence the associated criticism about Shield Hero courting "incels.")
At least the weather's nice.
I'm unsure this reasoning necessarily follows, mostly because I've not seen any indication that the Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari protagonist is particularly popular with anyone, regardless of how they like the show. I suppose this might be because he's been pretty much a grumpy sourpuss for most of the show so far. With a week-long break between the first and second episode, I did feel less inclined to appreciate why he might be in such a foul mood. Maybe someone who marathons the series in the future will be more sympathetic. Thankfully, the animation has been surprisingly good, at least for moments that need it, such as while showing Raphtalia's terrified expressions turning to relief during early interactions between Slave Hero and his bargain bin acquisition. Oh yeah, apparently there are going to be a lot of slaves in this show? I'm not sure if that's true, but I did read that somewhere. He's only got the one, for now, but Shield Hero is set to run for two cours, so there will be plenty of opportunities to buy more, especially considering how cheap they are on the seemingly unregulated open market.
