The anime The Rising of the Shield Hero is getting transformed into a stage play in time for the Spring of 2020. It’ll run in Tokyo and Osaka.
Geek thrown into a fantasy world in which he’s a hero is a concept that’s been done to death, but The Rising of the Shield Hero finds a new twist. Our protagonist very quickly has events turn sour on him and is cast out by the very people who he thought he would save.
There’s no escaping the role as Shield Hero, either. It’s bonded to his arm and simply touching a weapon causes a backlash. The hero, Naofumi Iwantani, has to resort to drastic and sometimes unpleasant tactics to get other people to fight for him.
The show has been a hit, and Crunchyroll has announced two more seasons.
The theatre adaptation is being written by Kaori Moriyama (of Bobjack Theatre), and Satshi Ōgita will direct. Scissors Blitz is handling production with Kazuki Unebasami producing.
As is often the case, the story comes from a set of novels. One Peace Books is working on translating and releasing the Aiya Kyū’s originals in English.
Earlier this year, a marketing stunt between Crunchyroll and Postable resulted in anime fans sending The Rising of the Shield Hero postcards to each other around the world.
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