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The Best Anime Of 2019

So its not enough to not like the show. You want to attack people who enjoy it as insane as well.

I don't expect to change anyone's mind but when you start saying "everyone but me is wrong/crazy" is when you should start thinking instead of opining which is why I pointed something out. Just saying something doesn't make it true.

The whole "slavery morality" issue I think people mightily confused and I would never support slavery. The show merely acknowledged slavery happened, showed really bad aspects to it and had Naofumi operating to the best capacity possible in the society by buying Raphtalia and Filo and not treating them as slaves (except very briefly).

He could have not bought them but owing to his lack of abilities, he really needed someone to compliment his lack and since it was obvious the king and society at large wasn't going to help, he was forced to it. I think that is indictment of that society and not a "bad" moral choice on Naofumi.

About lovely Raphtalia, there would be all sorts of moral issues if she reluctantly agreed to return to slavery by pressure or subterfuge but as the show was written, she acknowledged that Naofumi helped her, supported her and did not treat her as a master (except very briefly). Because of that, she didn't want to be released which she states and makes the comparison that people forcing you to do things against your will is part and parcel of slavery. Her free choice to get a new crest wasn't a choice to return to a life of slavery but was an expression of her wish to stay with Naofumi in a relationship of complementary equals.

And there's so many scenes and happenings that are baffling, boggles the mind how can any person writes something like that, and any person watches and likes that.

For as much as the show tries to play it up as a selfless act of love, Raphtalia re-enslaves herself because Naofumi is so intensely unwilling to trust her that the only way he'll stay with her is if she literally cannot go against him for any reason.

Although your side of the discussion has generally been civil, the bolded part is where you cross the line and why you were getting some kickback. That's the point where you are being critical of the people who watch and like the show rather than the show itself.

I generally agree with the main criticisms of Shield Hero, and wouldn't put it anywhere near the top rankings for 2019 because of that, but I wouldn't put it anywhere near the bottom, either. I saw a number of series within its own genre that I found considerably worse, much less series in general.

Again, boggles my mind and I also don't understand what's the big problem in me saying that I feel like this here on ANN, that it's always denouncing "toxic content" in anime.

"But a lot of people watched and like", yes, thanks to remind me how crazy people today are.

Also, despite the premise that "the world is against him, he had no choice", he meets some friendly people already early on that helps him a good bit.

Key wrote:

Although your side of the discussion has generally been civil, the bolded part is where you cross the line and why you were getting some kickback. That's the point where you are being critical of the people who watch and like the show rather than the show itself. I generally agree with the main criticisms of Shield Hero, and wouldn't put it anywhere near the top rankings for 2019 because of that, but I wouldn't put it anywhere near the bottom, either. I saw a number of series within its own genre that I found considerably worse, much less series in general.

I was being honest, I really can't understand, my mind short circuits discussing about this anime. How can someone watches something like that (the second slave seal) and understands that Raphtalia was putting herself in a "relationship of equals"? Yes, it was from her own "free will", and that's another problem that will never be addressed, that she feels now so comfortable in being a slave. Not something to be proud of.

Again, boggles my mind and I also don't understand what's the big problem in me saying that I feel like this here on ANN, that it's always denouncing "toxic content" in anime.

I watch shows like Shield Hero because it puts an eye on a person who HAS to make bad decisions in order to survive.

Does that mean I endorse misogyny? Slavery? No.

people were justifying Naofumi's actions the same way the anime was. Like it made complete sense and he never did anything wrong, that he had his reasons and excuses. Like people couldn't admit that what they were enjoying wasn't well written

That some people want this show to be a moral polemic against the things they walked in with is just unreasonable from any perspective. Don't like it, fine, don't go around and attack people that enjoy the show.

...The anime presentes a situation, that develops in a certain way, and concludes with the characters making a decision. I pay attention and try to follow the events but I get to some point where the gears derail and I get lost not understanding how the anime got to that conclusion....Do you understand?... and then the other person responds "justifying", to prove that it all makes sense like Hiroki did earlier....That's what boggles my mind.

ranran-001 wrote:

That some people want this show to be a moral polemic against the things they walked in with is just unreasonable from any perspective. Don't like it, fine, don't go around and attack people that enjoy the show.

...And here we are again having this same discussion again, back to episode one.

...I really can't understand, my mind short circuits discussing about this anime. How can someone watches something like that (the second slave seal) and understands that Raphtalia was putting herself in a "relationship of equals"? Yes, it was from her own "free will", and that's another problem that will never be addressed, that she feels now so comfortable in being a slave.

...The issue is that Naofumi owning them necessarily means they cannot have an equal relationship with him as companions...they are still his property and thus cannot meaningfully employ agency towards him...

steve jones obviously didn't watch High school prodigies have it easy even in another world if he was actually choosing his worst series by it's politics/ saying something you find ethically reprehensible.

I think a big part of what creates shouting matches over Shield Hero is when people basically talk past eachother and never get quite to the real emotional center of this.

One of the big things to consider is that Crunchyroll spent a ton of money and time heavily promoting this show. They promoted it relentlessly in a way they've never done, until Dr. Stone, their next coproduction. Promotion does count for a whole lot - and that 2019 was such a polarized year politically for anime fandom further inflamed things.

A lot of the "Well, I liked it" arguments are predicated on "this is how it actually would be" or somehow find the show's slavery and misogyny pragmatic and realistic in some way, because it's justified somehow by the story - this is commonly referred to as the "Thermian Argument", from the film Galaxy Quest, referencing a species of aliens that took the movie's fictional Star Trek clone to be sacred texts and thought that was actually how the world worked. To someone like me - it's deeply depressing that some people see the world that way and devalue our shared human rights in favor of a personal supremacy narrative. Shield Hero could not be further from the way I see the world - and in my opinion, it's written from a bitter, childish perception that everyone is stupid, wrong and weak except for the Strong White Guy, with absolutely zero respect for women's rights, their autonomy, and the brutal history of chattel slavery. Writing a story where the slaves are happy or willing is totally offensive to me.

Then you have people who are mired in incel culture or spend a lot of time in forums where hatred and bigotry are promoted, people who celebrate the show and invade forums to crow about it specifically because it offends people. I don't think we have too many of those people here (we try to keep them out) but they are absolutely a factor in the show's supposed popularity. These are the folks who hear anyone say "this is offensive to me" and cackle over it as though it were a personal victory. They are a significant part of the Shield Hero audience. There's a reason hardcore Vic Mignogna supporters chose this show as their beacon.

For people like me, Shield Hero represents something that is counter to my principles about how you're supposed to treat your fellow human beings. Power fantasies are fine - everyone loves a superhero, but when these fantasies are predicated on the suffering of others and promote deeply misogynist views, personal supremacy over different kinds of people - that's anathema for a lot of folks. And it creates more division and polarization.

IMO - that's why this is such a contentious thing.

To the extent that Naofumi doesn't order Raphtalia against her wishes thus enforcing the slave crest, the relationship is independent of her "standing" as a slave. There would be no operational difference with or without it and since Naofumi never enforces the crest, treats her as an equal and Raphtalia is free to disagree with him and act independently as she does in fact do, I assert that there is no inherent inequality.

I am not saying shield hero is prefect at all (it really isn't) but it doesn't actually talk about and deal with racism and the effects it has on people as it's central point. the whole reason naofumi gets framed is spoiler[because he is supposed to be the champion of the demihumans]