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(God I wish this was me)

First, let's get one thing out of the way; the first few chapters may put you off. It's a pretty terrible first impression. I can see how some people may find Nagatoro, the female lead, to be a complete bitch with how she treats the male lead (Senpai). I was somewhat the same and I was ready to just stop reading after the first few chapters, but I kept chuggin' along because, well, it's pretty different to what you'd usually find.

I like to look at the manga in its entirety and their relationship hand-in-hand, because yes: they DEFINITELY had ... terrible first impressions. However, while there was a rocky start, once you dig a little deeper into it, you'll find something to like.

What appealed to me is that the state of their relationship slowly changes as chapters pass, albeit slowly and subtly. Readers will come to realise that Nagatoro's view towards her Senpai develops gradually into affection (as unlikely as the first dozen chapters makes it out to be). As time passes, Nagatoro slowly grew on me. She isn't two dimensional; while she does get a kick out of bullying Senpai, calling him names and intentionally making him flustered, it isn't long before you'll notice the changes in her disposition. Things like moments of protectiveness whenever other people make fun of her Senpai a little too much or jealousy whenever he's involved with a girl that isn't her. It's not long before the 'bullying' is really just teasing.

Really cute to see.

Though the plot itself is rather straightforward: girl likes to mess with guy, guy puts up with it (or probably enjoys it). There isn't anything fancy when it comes to it, though despite that it's still enjoyable. There's nothing wrong with simplicity.

When it comes to characters, it's nothing home to write about. They're pretty barebones, Senpai is just referred to as Senpai, he doesn't have an actual name. He's just a pushover who enjoys art and has fluffy hair. The only noteworthy developments you'll find is Nagatoro's aforementioned view and approach towards Senpai, and to a lesser extent, Senpai towards Nagatoro. As enjoyable as Nagatoro is to see when it comes to her antics with Senpai, the side characters leave much to be desired. They don't do much aside for creating tension every now and then.

The art is in the same vein; nothing jumps out at you, except Nagatoro is pretty cute, not gonna lie. Oh, and I guess the mangaka isn't so great at drawing feet. If you know, you know.

All in all, a fun read once you're invested. Not exactly a full-course meal, but it's quite a snacc.

Everyone knows how isekai shows work; main character is whisked away into a different world, and throughout the series they learn and adapt to their new surroundings. I'll just tell it like it is.

Shield-hero in its core doesn't bring anything inherently amazing or innovative to the table when it comes to isekai or even anime in general. It only differs in how it begins its story, namely the main character Naofumi being betrayed and branded a criminal. That is what sets it apart from the crowd of other isekai. The shield-hero isn't just given the keys to the kingdom from the first day, he initially ... does not have any allies, it's him against the world. Coupled with the fact that legions of monsters come in "waves" every month or so, it gives our heroes(?) ample time to explore for that juicy world-building, but also gives them a reason to evolve and become stronger. Naofumi isn't exactly planning taking over the world, but his reasons for gaining strength and knowledge develop further from just "Because I'm the shield-hero".

What I personally find appealing in Shield-hero the most is that it has a great emphasis on its main group; they aren't already acquainted with one another like in shows such as Overlord or Log Horizon. They have to build rapport with one another, actually get to know each other, especially between Naofumi and Raphtalia. Getting to trust someone is a bumpy road in any type of relationship, and I quite liked that they needed to work for it, and after gaining each other's trust, they show it through their actions when one is being attacked whether verbally or physically.

What may appeal to viewers that are growing tired of the isekai genre is the fact that a lot of what is done by the characters are grounded in reality; none of them are particularly strong (for now) and they get by with more common methods of earning money, such as trade and transportation. Additionally, Naofumi and his group aren't horrendously overpowered like Ainz in 'Overlord' or Rimuru in 'That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime', they need to account for each other's strengths and weaknesses. No massive attacks that end a fight in one shot or anything of the sort, there's some form of strategy and therefore urgency whenever there's a threat.

In summary, this show will definitely seem like any other isekai if you decide to compartmentalise what the show does, but at the end of the day, if you dig a little deeper, you'll find some nice elements that work together to provide a familiar but fresh take on an overdone genre.