The Rising of the Shield Hero is one of the most-watched anime as fans enjoyed its fresh take on an isekai anime that is full of adventure and thrill. Now that it is back for season 2, and was officially part of the Spring 2022 anime collection, fans have noticed that Naofumi’s party members are now comprised of strong and powerful women. Does this mean that The Rising of the Shield Hero has become a harem?
For those who are not familiar with the harem genre, it is a type of light novel, manga, or anime in which the protagonist is loved and surrounded by three or more female characters. Most people don’t prefer this genre because of the amount of fan service included, but will fans expect this in the upcoming season of The Rising of the Shield Hero?
Is The Rising of the Shield Hero a Harem?
Based on the definition of the harem genre and the current progress of the series, the series has turned into a harem. However, The Rising of the Shield Hero has a different take on the genre.
Up to what was released in the series since it aired in April 2022, there were no love interests and no fan service added to the story. It was also emphasized that Melty saw him as an ally, while Raphtalia, whose age has been a mystery to most viewers, and Filo think of him as a foster father.
The female characters are also too young for him. Even Filo, who was weeks older than Naofumi, looks like an elementary student. Each new character has something to offer that can help Naofumi in his adventure. No character was added just for the sake of creating a harem genre although it can be quite puzzling why all of the new party members are female.
It can be that the series wanted to break the stereotype of a typical isekai harem or fans will eventually find a new reason for this approach in the series. Fans will have to tune in to know the answer.
Related: Is The Rising of the Shield Hero Based on a Manga or Light Novel, and is it Finished?
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