The fantasy genre is something that introduces us to new worlds. Although Isekai is the most famous sub-genres for these anime, they leave us with a lasting impression. One such anime is Rising of Shield Hero. This anime has become one of the most loved Isekai anime and has some of the best characters for the genre. Thus, this is an anime that has given us many characters who are either kind or ruthless.
Rising of Shield hero, also known as Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari, was first introduced to its audience as a web novel that falls under the dark fantasy genre. It is written and illustrated by Aneko Yusagi and Seira Minami, respectively. Rising of Shield Hero was adapted into a manga by Aiya Kyū in 2014. In the year 2019, the first season of the anime adaptation was released by Kinema Citrus studio. In April 2022, the second season was released by the studio and DR Movie.
Who Is Naofumi Iwatani?
Every fantasy anime has to have an interesting protagonist that starts from the bottom and builds its way to the top through many hardships. Naofumi Iwatani is such a character. Being the protagonist of Rising of Shield Hero, Naofumi comes across many situations and people that change his life forever. Not only this, but Naofumi Iwatani is known to be the best isekai character of the new generation as his demeanor is very mature, unlike other isekai protagonists.
Naofumi Iwatani Character Analysis
Iwatani Naofumi was introduced to us as a twenty-year-old Otaku who enjoyed playing video games and reading mangas. One day, he goes to the library to read and comes across a book called The Record of the Four Holy Weapons. Thanks to the book, he wakes up in a new world after losing consciousness. Having been moved into a video-game-like world is the dream for almost every Otaku, and so was the case for Naofumi, too, initially.
Sadly, with the betrayal of Malty, he was framed as a rapist and shunned away by everyone. This changed his positive and curious attitude to something very cynical. It was also given that he couldn’t trust anyone from then on and kept a business-like tone with most of the people and often viewed others as wanting to take advantage of him.
This is the reason Naofumi is also portrayed as an anti-hero, meaning that he is a protagonist that leans more towards a villain’s way of getting things done. Regardless, he is very responsible and has some sense of comradeship. He is also capable of dealing with people, leading as well as motivating them when necessary. However, he still has a part of his caring attitude as he was willing to save all the people, even the ones who had once shunned him. This attitude of his is something that helps him grow more than any other weapon.
Another interesting trait about Naofumi Iwatani is that he does not respect everyone but chooses to respect those who deserve it. He also has the habit of treating people the way they treat others, giving them a taste of their own medicine. Other than this, those who he considers friends care about him and understand where he is coming from. Likewise, Naofumi too cares about the people close to him and does anything in his capacity to protect them. Being someone that is capable of motivating others, he is looked up to by many people.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Zu2jRX3ZvI
Naofumi Iwatani Facts:
MBTI
MBTI, for some years now, has been one of the most accurate personality indicator tests. Although it doesn’t pinpoint the exact personalities of people, it gives us many accurate insights about ourselves that we can use to construct what exactly we are like. Interestingly, it is the same with any character. In Naofumi Iwatani’s case, most of the character traits that he possesses lean toward him being an INTP. INTPs are known to be lazy geniuses or the warmest robots. People with this personality type are said to be quick with thinking and are very imaginative. They are often lost in their own worlds, usually constructing theories or having debates in their heads.
More importantly, people who type as an INTP are highly logical. Their logical mindset becomes a great asset to help them adapt and generate new ideas or theories. Famous people who typed as INTP include Albert Einstein and, in popular fiction, Sherlock Holmes. There is another side to INTPs, too, which also happens to be their biggest flaw. They are very lazy and often tend to procrastinate.
In short, they won’t do anything unless it interests them. Anime and Video Games are something that brings the INTPs happiness as the former helps them with their imaginations and entertainment, and the latter helps them think quickly, making them good at it. Naofumi Iwatani was exactly like this before he was isekai’d into a new world. Not only this, but when put in a situation that interested him, he tried to be more responsive to what was happening.
Naofumi’s Voice Actor
Voice actors need to not only provide the characters with a voice but also portray their emotions well through their tone. Throughout the years, there are many great voice actors who have done a great job with their voice acting. Ishikawa Kaito is one such voice actor. He has voiced many famous characters like Ida Tenya from MY Hero Academia and Genos from One Punch One. His best-known roles are for voicing the character Kageyama Tobio from Haikyuu!! and Sakuta Azusagawa from Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai.
Animals Love Him
Having any animal approve of you as a kind human being is something to be proud of. In the anime, Naofumi seems to attract animals. They do not harm him even if they are violent to others. These animals even help Naofumi when in need. Not only this, but Naofumi too is kind to and likes animals.
Very Adaptable
Naofumi is a character who isn’t very strong like the others. Even the weapon that he uses is something that cannot be considered a “strong” one. Regardless, he builds his way up using his thinking skills as well as his ability to adapt. Because of this, he also learned many skills that could help him survive and, in turn, is capable of doing many things.
Different Personalities in different Media
In the web novel, Naofumi Iwatani’s character is not very kind. He is seen as someone with dark thoughts as the novel, focusing on Naofumi more, has provided us insights into his thoughts. In the anime, he is seen as a character that people can resonate with and understand. However, the same people would think about him differently for his characteristics in the novel.
Also Read: Who Does Naofumi Iwatani End up With? All About the ‘Shield Hero’
