The Rising of the Shield Hero: The Dangers of Brainwashing and Willful Ignorance
The Rising of the Shield Hero finished its second season this past June, after debuting in January 2019 and completing its first season a few months later. The second season was a poor follow-up to the first, but the first season brought its own admirable flair to the Isekai genre. Unlike many series of the genre, the protagonist in this one is far from overpowering. Naofumi Iwatani, finds himself summoned to a different world to protect it from devastating waves of monsters as one of its four cardinal heroes. While the other heroes get to be either the bow hero, sword hero, or spear hero, Naofumi has to be the shield hero. It may not sound too bad, but the heroes can’t equip any weapon other than the cardinal weapon they were granted, meaning Naofumi can only use his shield and has no weapon to use offensively.
In addition to the world’s close adherence to video game mechanics, the series also tackles complex exploration of themes like brainwashing and willful ignorance. It does this primarily by pitting most of the world against Naofumi after a trusted member of a royal family frames him for a crime. It takes a long time for him to clear his name and even once he does, much of the damage is already done.
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The series makes some subtle, yet potent statements about brainwashing and willful ignorance. Both of these are not only wrong but also severely damaging to individuals and society as a whole. Brainwashing an individual removes their individuality and corrupts their ability to think for themselves. This doesn’t just cheat them out of controlling their own happiness. It also lessens their value as contributing members of society. Brainwashing also leaves emotional and mental scars
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