Episode four of The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 aired on Wednesday becoming a possible turning point for what’s been an underwhelming season so far. The episode felt as if everything that was rushed in the first three episodes finally came to a halt to give us, and the series, a breather in order to get ready for what made the series great in the first place.
The first three episodes of The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 were void of practically everything that most fans loved about the series in season one. But some of those special feelings made a comeback with episode four. Whether it was Filo complaining about always being hungry or Naofumi cracking jokes about Raphtalia then consoling her, it just felt like this was something that was desperately needed that we didn’t receive much of in the previous episodes.
While the episode was slower, there were no moments of terrible animations, rushed plot, or overuse of questionable camera angles. Episode four had solid dialogue, wonderful growth moments, and an exciting twist for an ending. The episode itself overall wasn’t anything mind-blowing but it felt like the series is finally coming back around to what fans loved back in season one.
The one thing that remains a giant question mark in season two is Ost. We were introduced to Ost asking Naofumi to kill her at the end of episode one. Then in episode two, we find out she’s a familiar of the Spirit Tortoise whose purpose in life was to steal souls. Not to mention, she even says as long as the Spirit Tortoise is alive, she can come back as many times as possible if she was killed. And now in episode four, she lets everyone know where they have to go to actually defeat the Spirit Tortoise.
It’s almost safe to say that Ost is on Naofumi’s side at this point. But season two is leaving that little bit of doubt dangling for us to keep an eye on with each passing episode. She’s still a Spirit Tortoise familiar who undoubtedly knows the Spirit Tortoise is being controlled. And the heart-to-heart moments with Naofumi, Raphtalia, Filo, and Rishia in this episode with Ost are reminiscent of how they eased Rishia into the group as well after she joined them.
The ending was definitely the highlight just as it was in episode three when Ost was still alive after “defeating” the Spirit Tortoise. Seeing L’Arc, Therese, and Glass was a sight for sore eyes and it definitely left off the episode with fans feeling excited about next week’s episode for the first time this season. Why were they in a dungeon on top of the Spirit Tortoise’s back? How did they get there in the first place? Those questions alone will have fans wanting to tune in for what’s to come next week.
Episode five of The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 will air on Wednesday, May 4, on Crunchyroll. Make sure to vote for episode four in our weekly poll to get the series back into the top-10! What was your favorite moment from this week’s episode?
Screenshots via Crunchyroll,
©2021 Aneko Yusagi / KADOKAWA / Shield Hero S2 Production Committee