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The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 10 Review – Best In Show

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The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 10 Review – Quick Summary

In The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 episode 10, “Katana Hero,” a guard threw Raphtalia into a cell. She found that she was not alone. Kyo’s minions had also imprisoned L’arc, Glass, and Therese. They’re even armed! So, why are they still in the cell? How will they react to Raphtalia, after the battles they’ve fought against her and Naofumi? And speaking of Naofumi, will he find Raphtalia before it’s too late?

Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.

Favorite Quote from The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 10

The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 10: Raphtalia harbors a lot of self-doubt.

Raphtalia is way too hard on herself. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Cool! A Raphtalia-centric episode! She’s probably my favorite character in the franchise (though you won’t catch me saying anything bad about Glass!), and the last couple of episodes have driven home just how important she is to Naofumi. This episode close the loop, so to speak, as it showed just how important he was to her. All of that led up to the climatic scene, which just goes to show: if you want maximum emotional impact, as a writer, you have to take the time and effort to build emotional investment.

My favorite quote is one of those efforts. Raphtalia is a sympathetic character in general. But the way she honestly tries to accept responsibility for just about everything is particularly endearing. It’s also sad, because I hate seeing her in emotional distress.

Right before they escaped from the prison cell, Raphtalia had been thinking of how angry Naofumi must be with her because she left. Never mind she had stayed behind to give Naofumi, Rishia, and Kizuna a chance to escape!

“He may never forgive me,” she said (04:56).

That made the look her gave her at the end just that much more satisfying!

Best in Show Moment for The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 10

The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 10: Her politeness grew with her confidence!

Her confidence only made her more polite. To a point. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Setup: Raphtalia’s Overgrown Sense of Responsibility

By this episode, I’ve seen enough of Kyo and not-Kyo. This episode mentioned his name as Kuzuki, and I think Naofumi just called him Trash II. Whatever his name, by this episode, I was ready for him to receive a beat down. And not just any beat down. Kyo imprisoned Raphtalia; not-Kyo helped during the capture. They both just need to go.

That’s a lot of words to say I’m done with them.

As soon as L’arc mentioned that the Katana would choose its owner, I had a strong suspicion I knew where this was heading. And sure enough, the Katana chose Raphtalia! Talk about a perfect match for Naofumi – he’s the shield, she’s the sword, and no one will find it easy to stand against them.

The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 10: Raphtalia made her choice.

Raphtalia’s made her choice, and I can’t see Naofumi turning her away. I can’t wait to see what they can accomplish together! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Also, as a bonus, the Vassal Weapon burned away her slave crest. She’s a free woman now, and that made her decision to stay with Naofumi even more awesome. Which gives you a hint: that wasn’t my favorite moment. It was close, but another moment took the prize.

Delivery: Raphtalia’s Justified Warning to Not-Kyo

That moment was the well-deserved beat down that I thought not-Kyo deserved. After the Katana had turned her into all-growed-up Raphtalia, her flight from pursuit had taken her to a temple. Luckily, it happened to be the temple for the followers of the Katana Hero. A shrine maiden recognized her and helped her get dressed.

Thank heavens for the Kanata’s foresight! That was not a scene for underaged Raphtalia!

Anyway, the shrine maiden dressed Raphtalia in what looked like a Samurai outfit. It suited her. It apparently boosted her confidence, too, as we saw when she stepped out and Not-Kyo and his entourage waited for her. He demanded she return “his” sword.

The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 10: Raphtalia's Katana increased her speed!

Not-Kyo didn’t have a chance. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

I got a huge kick out of Raphtalia’s demeanor in this scene. She was kind, but firm. She explained she was leaving, whether he wanted her to or not. She warned him to step aside. Then she added (17:02), “But  if you don’t get out of my way, I can’t guarantee your safety.”

Remember I mentioned anticipation? In that instant, I so wanted to see her slice up that idiot. He came at her, and she flashed right past him. Her sword robbed him of his magic. Her movement was efficient, fast, and confident in a way that was very satisfying, because I remembered all of the doubt she had voiced in this episode.

It felt emotionally right. It felt dramatically right. And it felt thematically right. That’s a lot of work for one little moment!

What did you think of the unusual edits in this episode? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to let me know in the comments!

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