Idol Rabier the Slaver Noble // Shield Hero Ep. 14 Review

Everlasting Memory: The Rising of the Shield Hero Episode 14 Review

Otaku Voice Staff

This episode of The Rising of the Shield Hero partially felt like filler for the first half of the episode. The introduction of Reichnott didn’t do much for me. It really wasn’t until the second half where we get the character development and world building around Raphtalia and her demi-human brethren that the episode really took off for me.

First things first, Myne Melromarc has gone chaotic evil. I am not sure if Glass, who claims to be the bad guy, is actually worse than her. She is literally scorching the earth just to find and kill her own sister. Also to kill the Shield Hero of course. We find out later she is blaming everything on the Naofumi for evading escape, but at some point someone has to stop her. Of course she hasn’t found Naofumi or Melty yet.

Melty’s Noble Friend Von Reichnott

I didn’t really get the introduction of Melty’s noble friend Von Reichnott. Its totally clear that he isn’t a part of the grand conspiracy against the Shield Hero. It still doesn’t really explain why he so conveniently found Naofumi & co. when Myne has been ravaging the countryside looking for them. He is also pretty ineffective to the plot of the episode. Nothing he did really mattered and he didn’t help do much except show there are people who do actually care for the Shield Hero. We already knew there are people in the world however that care about him.

Von Reichnott also is carried away too easily for my taste. He can infiltrate a Hero’s party as stealthily as one of the Queen’s Shadows, but he can’t sneak out of his own manor? Its not even like he planned to be captured the whole time. Hopefully he can provide something better for the party in a future episode.

Raphtalia’s Anger

Episode 14 really started as a Melty focused episode, but definitively ended as a Raphtalia piece. Components of Raphtalia’s capture and entrance to slavery is weaved into the episode. I liked getting a look at the before for her. We got a little bit in earlier episodes regarding her parents and the attack of the first wave, but that left her fallen off a cliff and not in bondage.

Not a lot of demi-humans have been introduced into the story so far. Only Raphtalia and Filo play a significant role. Seeing society have demi-humans not under human control is interesting. They have loyalty to Von Reichnott, who seems to employ them fairly. This is in stark contrast to the fat tub of lard Idol Rabier. Its never explicitly said, but he is the source of demi-human slavery, and Raphtalia’s own bondage.

Here is where I get interested. Naofumi reminds us this episode that he has both Filo and Raphtalia under his control. He actually uses his power over Filo when she disappears. I find it conflicting that Raphtalia holds so much hate for Rabier, but no ill will for the Shield Hero. He still controls her as a slave. She had the opportunity to be free, but she chose to re-enter bondage. I am still struggling to understand this many episode later.

I do hope she kills Rabier. We end the episode on quite the cliffhanger watching her put her sword to his throat. I know the show is too PG to do it, but image how glorious it would be.

An Audience with the Queen

Its been a two episodes of back and forth. Naofumi is trying desperately to get out of Melromarc’s influence, but is foiled at every turn. He even said at one point he wants to get across that border crossing because Myne has it sealed so strongly. Now he capitulates to Melty and will go see the Queen. I agree he should go see her and find out what she actually has to offer. It is just difficult to watch him go back and forth on his ultimate goal.

But seriously, could you image if Raphtalia killed Rabier? Naofumi doesn’t care. Damn, that would be such a great twist, but so almost out of character.

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[Image via Crunchyroll]