The Capitalist Hero - The Individual and the Collective in Rising of the Shield Hero

[@ExplanationPointAnime]

For those of you who missed the link in the description, play Kurtzpel by following this link, which will also let the developers know that it was my channel that sent ya': bit.ly/2GKLMi0

[@Remi0dd6]

So is this a face reveal?

[@seanconk6808]

capitalize the industry my friend

[@dragon1130]

Available in, America and, Other America.

[@davifelizardo4187]

GIVE ME THE HERO ACA VIDEO NOW!

[@kronos200]

Explanation Point YOU LEFT THE TOSTER ON DAMN IT RUN!!!

[@Sparkle5fanboy]

I just realized in the middle of watching this video. Naofumi is a pokemon Trainer. He can't fight for himself and can only defened and support. His pokemon a Senret called Raphtalia which he quickly evolves into a Furret. Then down the line he got a Togepi egg which he name Filo that he then trained into a Togekiss. And the evil orginzation is the Church of the three hero's. Wow, Did I just uncover the plot for Pokemon shield?!

[@MrDj232]

Do I have to feed Eevee part of a zombie dragon to get a dragon type eeveelution?

[@Sparkle5fanboy]

@@MrDj232 Don't be ridiculous... That's how you get a ghost type.

[@alkorkrus5152]

I certainly hope so!

[@S.A.O.D.A]

Yeah, in the first few episodes maybe. He very muvh can fight for himself for the rest of the series though, and beat most people too.

[@caitthecat]

How have I never realized this before??? What about Melty? Some water Pokemon whose mother is a Jynx.

[@Bumbillion]

I had almost the opposite interpretation as you in terms of the way Naofumi sees people. I saw him as an unreliable narrator due to the fact that we never actually see any of those "deferred payments" collected. I think that he feels he can only operate in a transactional manner to make sure that he doesn't get betrayed again because he's holding something over people, and we see him gradually move away from this model as the series progresses. The takeaway i got for why he succeeds is because he doesn't treat the world like a videogame whereas the other heroes do. They think that when the "questline" is over there won't be consequences for their actions and don't bother to hang around to see what happens.

[@stonalisa3729]

I agree. He had to do whatever it took to make up for his lack of an advantage. The capitalist interpretation isn’t supposed to be the main takeaway but I think it is there just not what the story cares to focus on.

[@sarahmellinger3335]

Naofumi is a unrelenting pessamist and that gives him the advantage

[@jeffbenton6183]

@@sarahmellinger3335 Fair point. That still doesn't work in reality, though. Gen. Eisenhower said, "Pessimists don't win wars," and this is largely from his personal experience at winning war while being an optimist. I would argue that Naofumi thinks he's a pessimist, but the fact he tries at all - that he thinks it's worth trying to exist at all after his mistreatment - shows that he's at least somewhat of an optimist. (sorry if you're seeing this comment twice in your notifications. KZbin on my phone is glitchy)

[@isdel9474]

I'd say that Naofumi actually embodies the ideal of a philosophy known as Egoistic Altruism, which is basically the good neighbor philosophy -- I will do good if the people around me are doing good, so I should behave altruistic to my neighbors so I too can prosper. At first, he's severely hesitant to follow this ideal, as his altruism laid the groundwork for his betrayal. Over time, he learns more about Raphtalia as a person and sees her self-sacrificial behavior almost akin to weakness. She even proves how selfless she is when she tends to Naofumi's wounds after he uses Rage Shield, instead of he own. Through this, he's seen that his complete focus on his own self and own emotions can manage to hurt the people he's close to. Every time he's used Rage Shield, he's been a danger to himself or the people he cares about. On the other hand, I'd say that the Randian Objectivism is more in tune to that of the Heroes, though less about being a prosperous merchant and more in tune to that of being a celebrity. Rand's philosophy considers famous celebrities as parts of the ideal Objectivist, because everyone follows their lead, even in infamy. The Heroes -- especially Motayasu -- are very self absorbed individuals who yearn to live up to the ideal of being a hero. They live by their own conventions and ideas, wantonly slaying dragons, murdering lords and liberating serfs, and deliberately ignoring rules about. In their self-absorption and constant pursuit of ideals, they've managed to leave tons of damage in their wake. Myne herself is inconsiderate and a total objectivist in her own right. She's using her power and wealth to elevate herself, implicating Naofumi (an already disliked person) as a national threat and enemy. In the process, she's getting close to both the Heroes and royal legitimization. I think the show is trying to have a conversation about what is self-interest vs self-absorption and how a person can keep their individuality and self-interest without chasing ideals or being callous.

[@NoraNoita]

yeah I like this take a bit more than straight up capitalism.

[@rladudgns15]

Hospitals are legally not allowed to refuse emergency patients in America. They will be charged with ludicrous amount of CURRENCY since there is corrupt relationship between insurance companies and hospitals, but still, broke patients still can get their treatment.

[@Lin-ij9vk]

Well to be fair hospitals don't make much money even from government funds/donations. the finance department in a hospital carries a far heavier burden than typical private businesses.

[@josepheastham9717]

Its funny that he thinks people without currency can't get care in the US.

[@jaydenslaptop]

Healthcare costs money. If you want a expensive rare treatment than it’ll be expensive.

[@nbewarwe]

@@jaydenslaptop so poor people with cancer should just die then?

[@cerdon4076]

@@nbewarwe Why do you think "inventing the cure for cancer" is such a common phrase. Its not because curing cancer would help people. Its because curing cancer would make you rich. Let me be clear, U.S. healthcare is a cesspit, but one good thing is that patent laws and such are a major reason why big pharma 'loves' America, and why those cancer treatments exist in the first place. While you will always be accepted into the ER if your leg was cut off, no matter the currency, trying to get long term prescriptions will prove more difficult even if just as necessary. But what value difference is there between dying in America because you couldn't afford a regular checkup and dying in the UK because your surgery has been delayed for 6 years. At least in the US you can earn your life rather than throwing the dice.

[@hamos4744]

Thank you for not doing a week long pemier this time lol. I appreciate it.

[@NAGleader]

This was enjoyable, as such I will continue to give you "the time", which converts to "the currency"

[@shadoeboi212]

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) is a federal law that requires anyone coming to an emergency department to be stabilized and treated, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.

[@smile-tl9in]

which in itself is governement intervention, wich capitalism hates

[@smile-tl9in]

and it doesn't prevent people to get bankrupt by the bill, and end up dying of cold in the streets because they failed to pay the rent; or let an otherwise easily tratable illness get worse and worse until it becomes life treatening and go in ER because they cannot pay the bill and hope they can tough it up ; or the diabetic to be unable to pay for insulin get into ER for an diabetic shock, get trated, still be unable to get insuling, make another schow and so on and so forth until their body cannot take it anymore and they die. It is deplacing the problem really.

[@shadoeboi212]

@@smile-tl9in unrestrained capitalism is amoral. Not restricting capitalism is Immoral .

[@shadoeboi212]

@@smile-tl9in i didn't say it was an 'effective' system just that there were Some safeguards. Personally i think health care is a Right and deigning a person things they need to live is immoral. State run single payer seems to work better then the US system . it wouldn't be the first time the US set up state monopolys for the general good (public utilities )

[@smile-tl9in]

@@shadoeboi212 you preach to a convert my friend ^^

[@thenarrator8781]

I think something you can take away from this is that almost system can be made better by better people who understand its strengths and weaknesses. Likewise systems can be ruined by self-centered people and those who don't understand how those systems work. In the end, it always comes down to people.

[@MetaKnight964]

Systems that prop up the government will always fail.

[@Wabbradford]

"Watching someone step from second place to first is far less engaging and cathartic than watching someone rocket up to first place from not even on the leaderboard" Afro Samurai: Am I a joke to you?

[@stonalisa3729]

Yeah it’s better to watch this an ishekai where the MC is a god by the end of the third episode.

[@darkfire1408]

"Atlas shrugged, he fell of the world and landed in a new one." Quote of the year.

[@vgarzareyna]

Remember when Kurt was a SAO abridged character? Yeah, me neither...

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

Who's Kurt? I only know BallsDeep69.

[@vgarzareyna]

@@eldorados_lost_searcher you didn't watch EP's videos on SAO ABRIDGED, did ya?

[@Christian---]

@@vgarzareyna my dude.

[@OceanOfKetchup]

It's also worth mentioning that there's a third option of the hospital scenario where you get cured but have to pay off so much debt that it leads to the person in debt suffering as a result. The requirement of payment, whether upfront or otherwise, for any service that is necessary for someone's survival inherently creates needless suffering. The problem with Naofumi's model is that it's unrealistic and that it's still a bad model which doesn't give people what they need. Plenty of insurance companies have this model just with shorter due dates or they take other forms of capital, like your house.

[@vyor8837]

they can't actually collect on anything

[@RonaldCorbin14]

Love how much effort you put into the small stuff. Like showing Seven of Nine specifically at the word “individual.”

[@bdk336]

Honestly I'm not sure Shield Hero is really trying to push a capitalist ideal as much as you're portraying here. Yes Naofumi as a character embodies it but while he makes the world around him better he certainly isn't solving all the problems present. Additionally much of the advantage he has over the other heroes in terms of success at heroing is due to pragmatism less than capitalistic tendencies. Yes the show focuses on individuals and individual corruption but that doesn't mean it's trying to say that all problems are solved if you just deal with the bad individuals, as far as I can tell there are still plenty of problems in areas after he leaves them. Overall I like the analysis but you seem to be treating the show as if it's working in absolutes.

[@MrDj232]

Which is hilarious, because the main reason the other heroes screw up is because they treat it as a video game operating on simple absolutes rather than a real world.

[@robynhoodie]

In that regard its important to consider the difference between capitalism in america and japan. Japan is more collectivist in its mind set as opposed to american individualism. While still hyper competitive, Japanese people are often expected to have loyalty to the company they work for and will typically work for the same company their whole life. In turn ceo's are expected to take care of those under them. With 60+ hour work weeks coworkers become your only friends and you help your friends. Promotions happen internally rather then hiring someone successful from another business. So the pragmatism you described is the capitalist ideal in japan, trusting a system that will give you a return on long term investment because those below you are obligated to give more back.

[@Christian---]

@@robynhoodie Which countrys language has a word for death by overworking again?

[@robynhoodie]

@@Christian--- hey I said its the ideal i didn't say it works in practice. The societal pressures to put everything you have into your work are higher there. As is the pressure to conform. But when you look at the way they think about obligations of those with wealth they expect them have a higher standard to society too. There is an anime clip about an american villian who's power is based on how much money he spends and the Japanese hero defiantly tells him wealth should be used lift up others rather then just yourself. In practice Japan is probably the mist burnt out country in the first world but the ideal is that every citizen has the common good in mind, be it for their company or their country.

[@Christian---]

@@robynhoodie Nor did I say you said it works in practice, so we're cool.

[@EssenceofreigN]

I was really looking forward to more videos from you! Love your content!

[@MrDj232]

This is a very strange take on Shield Hero. Naofumi becoming a merchant was largely an act of necessity because the king refused to provide him the funds every other hero got. He demands payment before helping people, but can't resist his better nature and so winds up making barters or accepting debts. This is a conflict between his empathy as a decent human being and the anit-social apathetic behavior of his depression. He actively shuns his title as a savior by acting gruff and business like to convince people he's not a good person. The focus is on Naofumi's depression and how Raphtalia's loyalty and trust help save him from himself. Any statement on capitalism seems incidental to that story, not intentional idealism. Also, your hypothetical situation seems to be just as skewed as the ideal you claim Shield Hero is displaying. That doctor is far more likely to suggest a loan or point Armin to a charity than outright refuse to help. He won't get paid if he doesn't help at all. And that's not even including the fact that most doctors go into medicine hoping to help people, the Hippocratic Oath, and the various charitable medical services like Dr.s without borders and St Jude's children's hospital. Contrary to popular belief, people aren't told "tough luck" if they can't afford healthcare. Not by doctors and hospitals at least. Insurers can be cold bastards.

[@Christian---]

Also in the case of public healthcare he's going to be taken in at *some point* and have *something* at least done to him, albeit at the cost of the taxpayers who literally owe him nothing until they are in the same situation to be paid back by them.

[@MrNotSpecified01]

Yeah. Before this video I hadn't even thought about capitalistic ideas being present in shield hero beyond the basic concept of a merchant. This is all very forced. It seems to me like the anime is just an excuse/cover for a video criticising capitalism. Which is OK in and of itself, but in this case it's badly done and doesn't really fit with the channel.

[@Christian---]

@@MrNotSpecified01 Judging by our shared compass results we just take it for granted that the system is capitalist from the start.

[@claravinas9265]

Im guessing you look at hungry sick or homeless people and justify why you think they deserve their circumstances. Nothing in your comment directly implies this, I just get the vibe.

[@NonyaBsnes]

also, shield hero isnt sayin "heroism is bad", they're saying "acting like a arrogant fuck is bad", which all 3 of the heroes are

[@SuperLlama42]

This video made me realize that Naofumi is a lot like Greed from FMA. His underlings are basically his property, but in a bizarrely positive way, because just like you'd get pissed if someone broke into your house and started smashing all your shit with a hammer, he won't tolerate other people hurting his "property," and you'd do well to treat your property well if you want it to actually function like you want it to.

[@BeatlesRoxx13579]

Mr Point you've caught me in the middle of watching Shield Hero. I will return later.

[@S.A.O.D.A]

This is one hell of a stretch. Frankly, I very much doubt the author had this at all in mind when writing the story. Naofumi isn't some sort of hardline capitalist: the only reason why he demands payment for things is that keeping some semblance of a professional relationship between him and needy strangers "protects him" from forming relationships in which he might be betrayed, and to prevent people from taking advantage of his kindness. After all, as you said, he will heal you essentially for free if you can't pay. He is just as altruistic as any other hypothetical hero, in both his business desicions and not, (as seen when kicking himself for not getting there in time to save more villagers in the first wave and sparing Myne- err Bitch's and Trash's life lmao). As for the bandits, the whole discussion between Raphtalia and the merchant was stupid; who in their right minds thinks "stealing" from bandits who just tried to rob you is as bad as robbing and killing innocent people on the road? It's like saying killing an assassin sent to kill you makes you just as bad as they are. Also, again, Naofumi spared Myne: there's no way in fucking hell he would have actually killed those bandits. The 3 other heroes' actions were also portrayed weirdly in this video: they didn't fuck up their quests _because_ they were altruistic (they fucked up because they thinknof the world as a videogame due to their prior experiences and weren't taking it too seriously as a result, Naofumi who's never been in a VR world before natutally is more reverent of his role as a hero), so it is not a rebuke of altruism in favor of capitalism. The whole economics slant was also kind of shoehorned in. I mean, you seem to portray Naofumi's accumulation of wealth as part of his "Rise" when in reality, it isn't. He doesn't even do anything that affects his hero work with it besides crafting acessories and buying a few things here and there. None of his allies, reputation or skills (i.e. his only valluable assets) are gained through wealth. We almost never see him even spend money. Once again, Naofumi chasing after wealth (or rather pretending to) is just a means to protect himself socially. To be honest, I'm not knocking the fact that you view the series through this lens or anything, but I personally just am not convinced. Oh, and as for the hospital example, you forgot to add the part where nobody pays, the hospital gets shut down, and now NO one recieves treatment.

[@k96man]

This show makes much more sense when you realize Japan's justice system it's kind of messed up

[@DarthJami]

Tbf, his sparing of Myne was far more due to the Queen's "moderating" influence than out of valuing her life.

[@TheCurseofGatau]

Thank you - this is exactly what I was thinking. Particularly about the other heroes being "altruistic" which simply was not true but you put it much better than I could have. Cheers.

[@S.A.O.D.A]

​@@DarthJami Debatable. Point is though, sparing the life of someone who ruined yours is a very, very far cry from executing tied up captives.

[@DarthJami]

The Sword Art Online Dickriding Association Definitely. I also totally agree on Raph and the merchant’s conversation being really weird; saying “no u” to highway robbers is a far cry from *being* highway robbers

[@AlternativeIce]

DO YOU HAVE THE CURRENCY?!

[@derf213]

I DO NOT

[@BlueStarr86]

I've got a bit of a counter-argument, the tests doctors run, that generally seem like a useless waste of cash, is because a lot of diseases manifest similar symptoms and it's entirely on the table for a person to have multiple diseases with identical symptoms at the same time. To exacerbate issues, a cure for one of these diseases could very well make the other disease infinitely worse, by which I mean kill the patient in a matter of minutes, depending on the disease in question. Furthermore, the entire cost of it, particularly in the United States, is because R&D does not pay for itself, and of the nations on Earth, only the US actually pays enough money for the aforementioned R&D to have it see any significant advancement. Shit's gotten expensive as we've had to get ever more creative to figure out a way of destroying each disease as they grow progressively more difficult to manage. This stuff does not exist in a vacuum and it can very well become a guessing game of life and death. Also, hospitals are legally obligated to treat your sickness, under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act in the United States, but they will still charge you. Though this law is unfunded, so it's strength is suspect at best.

[@dargondude2375]

@Toy Healthcare can work there are plenty of examples of successful healthcare, its just that the government needs to understand that it needs to help the consumers not the hospitals

[@Raziel312]

Regarding the argument that the high price of American health care pays for R&D: if you can't access the medical advances because they are priced out of your reach, then they might as well not exist as far as you are concerned.

[@rrteppo]

Hospitals will treat you, and still send a bill in the mail even if you can't pay for it. A lot of hospitals have a charity fund specifically set up to actually pay for these people so they don't have to pay for it themselves. The second part about overcharging and over testing does happen all the time though. Also it isn't R&D. Most of the costs according to research is actually on administration to sift through all the laws they have to follow for the government. There are a crazy number of regulations they have to follow in terms of how they input data, to how they can talk to patents in just about every situation. If you can think of something that might happen in a hospital it has probably been regulated by the government. According to the Data a little over 60% of the cash Hospitals spend is actually on Administration just for those government regulations.

[@rrteppo]

@@courtneydemaeyer8017 You can order a months worth of insulin online for $6-30 depending on the brand. The reason they charge hundreds is to nickle and dime insurance companies.

[@Raziel312]

@@rrteppo Except if you can't pay that bill they don't just go "oh well ". The reason for the rules are that medical technology corporations WILL take advantage of any loopholes they can. Look up the difference between FDA approved and "FDA cleared" and realize you are the lab rat for an under tested medical device. The reason what can be said to a patient is because people are weasels. "Okay ma'am, you say that our prophylactic implant feels like a roll of sandpaper inside you? But you're not pregnant right? Okay, then I'll mark you down as Very Satisfied on our customer feedback survey. "

[@Trombi01]

12:54 I feel like this example fails bacause of one critical thing: Naofumi is a single individual and hospitals are not. When Naofumi is negotiating a payment for himself, he has nobody to answer to, but the doctor is working for somebody else, and thus not the one negotiating the price. This could be seen as something Rising of the Shield Hero tries to say: that if everyone is trying to work for themselves, then such situations as this could be possible.

[@Christian---]

A hospital has no use for baskets, what a surprise. Actually, the hospital just in general needs something of use in return for care, what a surprise.

[@Trombi01]

@@Christian--- Yea but an individual who hapens to be a doctor could benefit from bunch of baskets that will be enough for rest of their life. Naofumi doesn't work for someone else, thus he can accept payement in various ways with difrent deadlines. Doctor can't because the Hospital is the one choosing acceptable payement and deadlines.

[@Christian---]

@@Trombi01 What prevents an individual with the sufficient materials and skills to heal the sick boy from healing him in exchange for baskets? The hospital is a variable, not a set modifier.

[@Trombi01]

@@Christian--- So we agree the example is flawed, because it has different variables than shield hero?

[@Christian---]

@@Trombi01 We were in agreement from the start, my argument is in reinforcement of it and to mock commies.

[@8citani8]

"Hate people? Fight people!!! The sky is the limit" 😂😂😂 I am downloading that game just for that phrase.

[@yourresidentginger1245]

Watched this thinking “ok this could be a good video” entire video ignores any context or characterization that doesn’t agree with his point.

[@SMGJohn]

Pretty much, a very typical trait of an American KZbinr, and seems like the dub and Japanese original is different, in Japanese original Natsume never said slaves are not humans, he referred to slaves not being people in that they are obedient and not like people who cannot be trusted. Frankly, this is why dub fucking sucks, albeit if you do not understand Japanese the meaning can be lost the subtitles does a good job of conveying the actual meaning a lot better than the crappy dub does.

[@turner15]

@SMGJohn It doesn’t make sense to say that he purposefully ignored points AND point out that the dub changed things. By your own admission, there are details in the dub that slightly alter the main characters characterization and actions,. That’s not the KZbinr purposefully ignoring things, that’s him getting incorrect information because of someone else. If I performed a task that wasn’t up to your expectations because the instructions I received are different the instructions you originally had in mind, that wouldn’t be me ignoring what I didn’t like and nitpicking details. I just got incorrect info?

[@user-nf1vj7ul8d]

Hes back. Our God-Emperor is back!!

[@steadyalbatross]

Praise the throne

[@GiantEnemyMudcrabz]

ExpPoint LIIIIIIIVES! *Stomp Stomp*

[@petersilveira1629]

Emperor protect

[@OnDavidsBrain]

You mean the Manperor, HERETIC!!!!

[@jakespacepiratee3740]

There's so much overlap with Anime and 40K it's crazy.

[@ВладимирОмельченко-й7г]

Some businesses provide sub par service not because of greed/business incentives but because of government which grants them monopolies on ideas/production/distribution etc and forces customers to have these as the only options.

[@dualindigo9672]

That often happens due to lobbying when rich people use their wealth to influence politicians to act against the interest of the people. Government action isn't innately good or bad, but you shouldn't let the already powerful decide all of what is done.

[@austinpoor5217]

My interpretation wasn't that the show was "extolling the virtues" of Naofumi's methods, so much as it was his need to resort to those methods, and interact with the lowborn peoples the way they must interact with one another to survive, learning the good and bad of their culture and society, and understanding the people he's saving. When he charges them, it's because he has to or else he won't be equipped to protect them from the waves, and not to forget, they will pay that money in "hero taxes" weather or not Naofumi provides service for it. All that to say I felt the greed and bargaining was always just a way to make the world "real", so that the shows theme, and focus on the idea that this world isn't a game, would come through, and contrast the other heroes, who ostensibly "born into wealth and glory" have no concept of consequences, or the worth of what they have. Naofumi knows exactly the worth of what he has, because he has to work for all of it.

[@frecklesandfries9209]

That ad actually made me want to play the game. That hasn’t happened in a long time, my friend. So well done.

[@daanstrik4293]

Oh duck yea more vids from this Guy. And its multiple parts And its from rising of the shield Hero. Fantastic news

[@shadowreaver752]

Prepare to wait.

[@jumpsharkman3882]

Technically hospitals cannot turn you away for emergency services regardless of your ability to pay. Yes that comes with its own list of caveats and yes hospitals do attempt to squeeze profits out of those who can pay, but the lack of nuance in your analogy serves to undermine it overall. The barter analogy in general doesn't make much sense and is trying to mask its incoherency with humor.

[@JCLegendary]

That much vaunted technicality isn't worth much, unless you're unconscious or bleeding out in the hospital waiting room. Hospitals are perfectly within their rights to take people that come looking for help and do nothing but give them some Tylenol and tell them to go home and try to tough through it. Then send them a bill for a thousand dollars for the privilege for being told to F' off.

[@Nitsugalego]

local anituber has no idea how a real business works I'm shocked

[@kirknay]

@@JCLegendary that's how it was for me in my first accident. They took 300 before they would even look at me, gave me a placebo, took an X-ray, and sent me home with family and a torn back muscle. Oh, and it took my family doctor prescribing me an anti-inflamatory after week 2 of bedridden pain to get me walking right in 4 days. They still said I owed over $800 for the hospital visit.

[@BygoneT]

And, there are many hospitals with a fund specifically raised to cover people without an insurance or who can't afford it fully, which people have and keep on exploiting to pay less.

[@LostTrigger]

I have many problems with this video and im glad you made this comment

[@ChaosAura452]

1:10 Pretty much this, Mr. EP! Even if you might take a while between uploads, you are an amazing content creator, always guaranteeing us with fundamentally thought-provoking and fun videos that are comedicly rich EVERY SINGLE GODDAMN TIME... and that is very respectable!!! LOVE YOU DUDE!!!

[@basedjumper6167]

When you think about it... Naofumi is basically just a Witcher

[@EmperorKnightlock]

I really don't understand why Spear hero says nobody plays the shield. if that's the case, HOW DO THEY TANK AGAINST BOSSES? Like they do in the waves. If Nafumi wasn't there, they would all be dead after one big blast.

[@SnowyWolborg]

The game Spear Moron is familiar with, Emerald Online, was supposedly an MMO. So he might not have been literal in saying "no one" uses shield characters, but maybe just very few.

[@dragamation3266]

I don't watch the show, so i can't give a good perspective myself, but an idea i got is maybe dps in the world is so good you don't need to tank? because if you could instantly take out enemies before they even could hit you id imagine that would be way more appealing than tanking attacks.

[@MrDj232]

The shield has no attack power, it's all defense. So there's no way to imrpove solo. But fighting together slows the growth of the weapons.

[@EmperorKnightlock]

@@MrDj232 That's the rule of this universe that Nafumi is in. If we're talking strictly about the Emerald Online game mechanics, having a weapon that can't be played solo means the weapon is broken and making it so no one wants to play with people with that weapon because they won't level up means it isn't a team based game except for boss fights. These two things means the shield has no place in this weapon system. I understand that "he can't fight on his own" is the premise of the story, but I'm just wishing that the game mechanics of both the game and this fantasy world didn't make the shield work counter intuitively to the game play loop.

[@MrDj232]

@@EmperorKnightlock Maybe there are NPC adventurers? None of the games are described in detail, but they were similar enough that the other 3 all knew about weapons leveling slower together. And Motoyasu knew about the seed despite not knowing it would grow out of control. I have to assume that they're all similar enough to render the shield useless for solo play in all of them.

[@TheHandlegoesHere]

I would say that Shield hero seems to be a more conservative hero than necessarily a capitalist one. Conservative in the Metternich or Otto von Bismarck sense.

[@BygoneT]

I've never seen a hero be so reluctant about not helping without money, and I've almost finished reading the story.

[@johnwilliamson4748]

@@BygoneT He doesn't get support from the crown for most of the series even when he starts to receive proper support it can't account for all his expenses like when he tries to reconstruct Raphtalia's village. Buying the villagers back from slavery takes money, then you need money for building materials, money for domesticated livestock etc. The dude has to live as well and that means having the money for equipment to protect himself and his allies not to mention for daily necessity's like food, clothing and so on . Asking repayment for services rendered is perfectly reasonable.

[@scutumfidelis1436]

@@BygoneT The anime was good in the beginning but turned shit and hypocritical when they made the Pope Arc.

[@k_tess]

@@scutumfidelis1436 Explain.

[@spacedoohicky]

@@scutumfidelis1436 Technically it's not the "Pope Arc". It's the institutional power struggle arc.

[@Hayseus712]

Great vid, I can't wait to watch part 2 next year!

[@dustind4694]

I love how much pretzel twisting mental gymnastics went into this show.

[@magicdolphin8436]

You kind of disprove your own point: You point out that Naofumi is altruistic and try and say that it's a capitalist ideal. But altruism and capitalism are diametrically opposed. The "capitalist ideal" is the maximizing of profit, regardless of human cost (see American Gilded Age). Whereas altruism is the unselfish concern for others. Altruism is not a capitalist ideal, rather it is an opponent to capitalism.

[@alvarorubio1993]

Naofumi does not only accept currency but also barters because at his begining his shield was all he had, the shield system taught him that every thing can be used either as raw material or barter goods.

[@evansathroy]

My brain B I G intrigue Edit: My brain B I G happy Will wait on part 2 b u d d y point

[@MrRonald327]

I think the moral of this video is: “Don’t let anyone stop you from getting what you want.”

[@ZeroFighter]

Got one slight issue with the hospital analogy. Hospitals never talk to you about money until AFTER you've been discharged. Only when you're cleared to leave do they even utter the words 'money' or 'insurance'. The last time I was there, I asked who to talk to about it, and their exact words to me were, "Money's not important right now, so don't even worry about it. Just focus on resting up and getting better so you can go home. You don't want to be here any longer than you have to." Honestly, that last part is true. If you're going to get sick somewhere, it's going to be in a hospital, so the sooner you can leave, the better. Anyway, hospitals aren't allowed to turn you away just because you don't have money; not in the US anyway.

[@NoraNoita]

Depends heavily on the country yeah, I assume Points PoV is well US based, so hospitals there are very money first or we can't help you, if you're not able to pay yourself or via insurance you have to leave now. It's a prominent feature in shows like Chicago Med, and sometimes in New Amsterdam, where they show a lot of the money side of things in american based Hospitals that those Romance-Adult-Housewive-bait Hospital shows aren't.

[@ZeroFighter]

@@NoraNoita I live in the US, and was speaking as someone who's been in the hospital a few times in the last decade, in the US. I learned to stop asking them about money because they kept telling me that it didn't matter over getting me well.

[@Dell-ol6hb]

I mean of course, a hospital doesn't work if it turns away people without paying first, if they were able to do that the government would almost certainly step in and either make it illegal or if they're smart nationalize the hospitals.

[@HollyWarlock]

"atlas shrugged" the greatest explanation of getting isekai i have ever heard

[@n.l.g.6401]

"Flung into an alternate reality... where trickle-down actually works." Oh, dis gon b gud. EDIT: Yep, it gud.

[@HANIMEME]

(technically "trickle down economics" is a term made by anti-capitalist who don't understand the market to try to make fun of what actually works, it's not an actual term, it's a strawman argument toward something relatively complicated yet effective)

[@seraph_77]

@@HANIMEMESupply-side economics is derogatively referred to as trickledown specifically to mock its failings. While supply side does have its strengths in certain situations it and the philosophy around it, i.e. fuck unions, minimal regulations etc, ultimately serves to disempower individuals who are too poor and/or dependent on the system to try and fix their situations. Hence the idea that it is trickle down because the idea is that what's good for the rich is good for the poor but in many cases this is not true.

[@DBZHGWgamer]

@@seraph_77 It all depends on what you mean by "good for the poor." Because often what appears to be good for the poor still leaves the poor impoverished. And what is good for the world is often even more harmful to the poor. Being poor in general means you are always disadvantaged and it is very hard to create a system that will appropriately assist the impoverished and also avoid abuse from people who aren't in need.

[@Bluecho4]

@@DBZHGWgamer What is "good for the world", though? Because de-regulation and the minimizing of Collective Bargaining doesn't really help the "world", so much as it helps executives and shareholders. Nor does this success "trickle down". We've been doing this model of pro-Capitalism since the 80s. And we've SEEN what happens. That being that wealth disparity has massively increased; the rich get geometrically richer, while wages for most American households (not individuals, _households_ ) have remained static since so times, when adjusted for inflation. The price of living has increased, meaning more Americans must stretch money thinner. An increasing number of people are also hired, not as permanent employees with benefits, but as "independent contractors" that receive no benefits and cannot form unions. All of this not even getting into the weakening of anti-trust laws, which allow businesses to consolidate industries into a small number of corporations each, crippling competition and limiting alternatives consumers and workers have. Do you know why "millennials are killing industries"? It's not out of choice, but from economic reality. The middle class is shrinking, because the system has been rigged in favor of big business and away from either consumers or workers. Trickle Down economics - the collection of anti-regulation and pro-Capitalist policies - has only served to enrich the already rich. Rich people who, contrary to conservative talking points, have no actual incentive to reinvest their wealth and grow their businesses. Because they don't. They just give executives and shareholders larger payouts and higher salaries, which they then sit on. Why grow a company when you're one of the companies that own most of the industry between you, and you could instead just line your pocketbook? Trickle-down Economics - or whatever you want to call it - is a myth. Money does not trickle down, if you just keep giving the rich more advantages. It's a self-serving philosophy peddled by corporations and rich think tanks, to justify and lionize their own greed. And it was sold to everyone as the secret to societal prosperity, when really it's just a huge con.

[@seraph_77]

@@DBZHGWgamer While what you have said is true in the general sense i mean things more like worker abuse. The billions of dollars in unpaid overtime that many people work anyway because they are pressured to by their work. The long hours of crunch time thrust upon people in office jobs to meet deadlines. As noted in the video the chronic threat of medical bankruptcy resulting from either having to pay out of pocket for treatment or pay an insurance company that will try and weazel their way out of paying as much as possible. These things are not good for the poor, not good for the working class, and not good for the middle class. But they are all conditions created by Reaganomics which includes supply side.

[@taloralexanderwilliams1477]

Your insight and humor are gold. Thank you for this!

[@L337N1NJ4L1NK]

The primary flaw with this video is that Naofumi is altruistic at heart and not a true capitalist. The reason he defers payment and helps people for sub-par rewards isn't because he is the perfect capitalist but because he has to remain guarded but wants to help people. The reason the other heroes fail isn't because they are being altruistic but because they are being selfish (except for Spear-boi). The Bow Hero is playing up his fantasy of being a hero for the sake of his ego without thinking through his actions or the consequences of them while Naofumi instead weighs the benefits against the costs for his. The Sword Hero seeks power and selfishly puts his party in danger while not thinking about the effects his actions have on the wider world around him causing the plague. The Spear Hero is genuinely trying to be a hero but his naivety and foolishness allow him to be manipulated by those who aren't altruistic and cause his actions to be for their good and not the good of the people as he intends. That and his stupidity anyway. It's not that capitalism is the answer, but careful thought. Each of the other heroes have a value they adhere to that is also present in Naofumi but each of the other heroes lacks the one value in Naofumi that allows those values to work for the betterment of the people; consideration of others. But it was a good video none the less.

[@salvador18SaViOr]

Completely truth.

[@aero6104]

Naofumi, in my opinion, is a good example of a rational egoist with a moral compass.

[@SISTEMAQ]

So the perfect capitalist?

[@thefussyfox1861]

Wow, waking up to a new video from you was the best kind of surprise! It's an intriguing topic, one that admittedly I'd only given thought through My Hero Academia, and I enjoyed the insight into a show I hadn't heard of. The concept of capitalist escapism usually makes me think of more westernized media so seeing how it's portrayed in an eastern medium is really interesting!

[@TheTlay101]

!: Capitalism is kinda flawed tbh Also !: CHECK OUT MY SPONSOR AND PATREON YO

[@Arrakiz666]

It's like uncle Vladimir always used to say: there's no ethical consumption under capitalism.

[@Christian---]

@@Arrakiz666 Define "ethical" in this context

[@Arrakiz666]

@@Christian--- concordant with ethics. Pretty straight-forward, right?

[@Christian---]

@@Arrakiz666 Is self-interest unethical?

[@Arrakiz666]

@@Christian--- It _can be._

[@nhahtrebor91]

I always thought Naofumi just kept up the act of being a dick because of the way he was first treated. "What help you? I'm the asshole hero and if people find out you wanted my help you might be treated like my slave racoon so I'll just make you pay me and you'll give me 2 star ratings before the holy church comes and burns down your house."

[@omniboo1762]

I don't know how you managed to fit Everyant in this video

[@ashleylightheart126]

At least it isn't THE MOST AMBITIOUS RPG OF 2019!

[@ratoh1710]

Both of those situations happen but in reality we have to plan for the worst case scenario always

[@grandmasterbeardfist8519]

You know.. Im glad you post videos every eternity, it makes your weeb literal interpretations to feel more filled and worthful to hear, almost like some sort of book review where you point to the meaning of a complicated story with a simple style, analise the characters actions and perception of their context and expand the idea the book wants you to understand. Good job!

[@tintillor]

Now I want to see your analysis of C: The money of soul and possibility control.

[@DBZHGWgamer]

The Money of Soul is just a fighting anime that copy pastes a bunch of economic sounding terms over its fights and plots to make it seem like it has something to do with economics. The only economic issue it ever even partially addresses is inflation, and it doesn't do a very through job of it.

[@DBZMacky]

This video's so good, it might actually make a lot of people give THE CURRENCY to the Patreon.

[@lunokhod3937]

I really don't think that the show is intentionally spouting capitalist propoganda but it's an interesting take on it to be fair.

[@mwep415]

Even if the show is intentionally pro-capitalist, I'd hardly call it propaganda.

[@johnwilliamson4748]

Can you suggest a better system? You know one that doesn't fail every time it's been tried.

[@lunokhod3937]

John Williamson Lol no need to get political mate.

[@Christian---]

@@johnwilliamson4748 Was that the point of the comment tho

[@conansboy]

I know this was about anime, but you've given me what I've wanted for years; a perfect argument to point to whenever anyone calls Tom Nook evil.

[@leeroyjenkins7325]

I think you're right about RotSH portraying the "enlightened egoism" in a positive light but calling it pro-capitalist is a stretch (even by your definition). A) Naofumi isn't just someone, he is one of the Four legendary heroes. Sure, he is less conventionally powerful than the rest of them, and is less respected but that still puts him in a privilieged position both in a social context (a regular man would have been executed) and in combat (helping the party members to grow is the cornerstone of Shield Hero's playstyle). That makes him a kind of disgraced/impoverished noble rather than an everyman/commoner. B) His reliance on slaves and preference for purely transactional relationships are not treated as the good thing (the novels and manga are more explicit about this) but rather as a defence mechanism which manifested as a response to Myne's betrayal and general shitty treatment he received in a new world. It helped him to survive under unfavourable circumstances but ultimately has to be kept in check, least it would take over and destroy him. C) The rest of the heroes failed becuase they were treating the whole business as a game, and didn't took things seriously enough (it's curious that the three of them were familiarized with the fantasy world through different video games - one of them even comes from a timeline in which VRMMOs are a thing - while Naofumi was transported via a book; I don't think I need to explain the significance).

[@quantumlasagna4669]

Yay you made a video, I'm proud

[@123aiakos]

thanks for your wisdom kapitalist-sama

[@paper-tapes4198]

You're the creator this platform was made for. Every video you make cements that. Thanks for the laughs yo, your vids are always a good time.

[@nanigarm]

Woot, finally someone knows about SotHF hospital in my home state of NC lol

[@ILiekFishes]

I have the plague, would you help me not have the plague so i may have the not death?

[@nanigarm]

@@ILiekFishes do you have the currency?

[@ILiekFishes]

@@nanigarm I am not have currency, I am hummble basket maker.

[@nanigarm]

@@ILiekFishes Sure why not. Pay us later. XD

[@ILiekFishes]

@@nanigarm here u may hav basket weave

[@zenorus3526]

"Family. Religion. Friendship. These are the three demons you must slay if you wish to succeed in business...'' - C. Montgomery Burns.

[@jenova313]

Your framing of Shield Hero as Randian actually helped me organize my thoughts on the series a lot, so thanks for that. Goes a long way towards explaining why I fucking hate it so much.

[@brentramsten249]

13:30 in america hospitals actually cant force you to pay them what they charge you, and are required to give you emergency services whether or not 'you' or 'they' like it. its not free healthcare by any means, its just really ominous 'debtcare'

[@legoboy468]

True, but that’s because of government regulation to my knowledge, not because of capitalism

[@brentramsten249]

@@legoboy468 capitalism has never been well defined (word history is funny, some words never had a real meaning, such as patriarchy which 3 philosophers made up roughly at the same time and continued to disagree until everyone one of them died). the closest ive seen any real definition of capitalism (and i have seen no historical evidence that the word was ever used in this way) is that everyone one owns every currency they produce (no exceptions) which means you literally cannot have a government (as governments take money to function). sketchy fun facts aside, when people actually did use the word "captialism" it was more or less short hand for the free market that developed with the industrial revolution. social capitalism (or the closest thing ive seen to a short way to semi-accurately describe america's economic policy) is primary way the US of A sought to stop the free market place's natural tendency to bubble and then crash, (the bigger the bubble the bigger the crash). while USA doesnt assume direct control of their market place, it is the executive nanny in charge, and when it drops the ball, the tragedy of the commons tends to repeat itself. every government stratagy has pros and cons (admittedly some are mostly or entirely cons) but as far as "capitalism" USA has cons that are some of the easiest and most straight forward to handle (which is a bit of a misleading statement considering how hard it is to govern in general). in summary, im not really sure you can separate "capitalism" from USA government regulation in a meaningful way, and this long comment was the only way i knew how to explain that.

[@obits3]

Just an old account - capitalism by definition can only exist within a governmental structure because it requires there to be capital (ownership of stuff).

[@brenito2092]

​@@obits3 Ownership doesn't require a state, it only requires recognition and protection, both can be done by private business and by the community. There is a lot of confusion on the definition of capitalism, if you use it as just the private ownership of the means of production, it doesn't need a state. What needs a state and is very similar to capitalism according to your definition is corporatism, which is the protection of private business by the state, and is anti free market.

[@taliladd224]

Brent Ramsten I mean capitalism has always had a really strict definition: a system wherein the means of production (farms, factories, machinery etc) are owned by individuals alienated from their use I.e a CEO or shareholder, rather than the workers or the people at large. We see this beginning in the enclosure acts of the 1600s, where common land was taken out of the hands of the farmers, “enclosed” to divide it up, and given to the nobles who then sold it to landowners (note that this happened without the consent of the people actually using the land). Use of currency isn’t exclusive to capitalism, for example mutualism believes in free markets and free trade without the need for private ownership of production.

[@dwalsh6779]

Raphtalia benifitting from being a slave is an exception, not the rule. If youre a slave to someone, they could take away everything they've ever given to you at their discretion. Raphtalia is just lucky, the relationship is not positive, and Buying her only perpetrates the culture that its okay to own people as slaves

[@LoeDeePThoughT]

it may just be something in my sound setup, but your P's and B's nearly blow out my subwoofer in this video

[@caitthecat]

Sounds fine to to me. Change your sound settings before you piss off your neighbours.

[@rasgrizrevelations4145]

I wouldn't say nafumi is a capitalist hero. He doesn't have very much money and no matter how much he has he never buys influence. His influence comes from what he sells. Medical potions and the fact he helps the common people that are generally left ignored. Those people have relatives who have a bit more influence. Aka the soldiers who help him are relatives or are from a village he saved. Not being bought. In fact his challenge for them to gather up 150 silver was so they could upgrade their gear. If he bought a mansion and started an enterprise then he'd be a capitalist.

[@greenwarrior33]

I am a simple man. I see a ! video and I hit like. Also that opening is very true at least for me. I just want high quality videos as long as it's healthy for you do so.

[@Red-mg4ro]

You keep triggering my PTSD & opening the vault with your Junji Ito references.

[@ernestotorelli1209]

I don't think Naofumi's irrealistic behaviour has to be justified as it to be escapist fantasy, I think the story shows an ideal situation to be a example, a sort of guide on how to do capitalism right, by comparing Naofumi's healthy selfishness with the kingdom's corrupt selfishness, and with the other heroes' hypocritical selflessness.

[@LT-eg7kj]

I agree with this so much!! Another good point is that even though some people initially thought Naofumi was cheating poor people in need out of their money, it would be too altruistic/naive of him /not/ to charge them for him saving their lives. Like you said with the other 3 heroes, that kind of altruism never works out, and I believe it teaches the people to value the treatment and care more, and to be more self-reliant and realistic. Like, nothing in this world is free and you have to work for what you need, rather than just "oh we'll just wait for a hero-sama to come and save us!1"

[@obits3]

I think interpreting shield hero as a case for capitalism is a bit of a stretch. He demands payment because getting paid forces people to place value on you. Real people do tend to value work they had to pay for more than charity. Even if the payment is deferred, the mere fact that they agreed the service or good was worthy of payment forces the payer to admit the service or good has value. In truth, Shield Hero is a closer to feudalism.

[@MrLightlike78]

I fuckin love your videos!!!! Extra shout out for using Eustace's booga booga mask :)

[@grrrlag]

Generally a great video, but your final point about how the ideals don't translate to the real world I find to be a strawman because you imply that a capitalists don't have more nuanced answers to the more complicated real world problems.

[@OnDavidsBrain]

At this point I'm just waiting till Naofumi goes and creates the underwater city that falls apart because of a Civil War due to a massive class divide and all of his citizens turning into super powered junkies.

[@MissBrieBiscuit]

Love everything you do, whenever you have the time to do them ❤️

[@bronsonkim6652]

Great video, made me decide to give this show a second chance. Also appreciated that you took the time to contrast the show's ideals with reality.

[@lloren9009]

*lives in North carolina* Uhhh....can confirm all our health care is like that... I tried to pay in plushies once and they told me to gtfo

[@Gwenpool2369]

Last hospital I went to just automatically tranfered my bill to a bank and turned it into a loan. Completely without my consent, but they did treat me right away. But hospitals charge way too much.

[@lloren9009]

@@Gwenpool2369 oh jeez I mean...I guess thats good but still would have been nice if they got your consent and stuff. Glad you got treated though lol

[@brandonbrown6922]

@@Gwenpool2369 Yeah that... that's not capitalism. You didn't agree to the terms of that contract prior to the exchange... I'd say sue, but that would imply we actually had a truly capitalist healthcare system, instead of the mixed economy shit it is.

[@Cneqq]

US healthcare in general, it's the same in every state.

[@wingx25tv]

13:03 "do YOU have the currency?" Straight into daily vocabs😂

[@isaacsantos6200]

I disagree with your point on Naofumi calling Raphtalia not a person... His whole conversation with the slave owner was meant to keep him on his good side while getting what he wanted. Naofumi treats his companions with the care and understanding one typically gives to people. I also really disagree with your viewpoint on Naofumi caring only about money. He simply relies on what he views to be the only reliable thing in the world, business. He still shows morality by caring for the typical person even if they don't have money to pay. Honestly a I really disagree with your whole argument here

[@Christian---]

Money is a means to an end, caring about only money is caring about only means to ends, the morality of caring only about money is dependend on the goals to achieve with the means.

[@Blinkehyo]

@@Christian--- thats not a 1 to 1 though. In today's society money surely helps many means, but the ends is rarely >insert money, spit out desire< unless its something simple

[@isaacsantos6200]

@Christian Wrtti But he *doesn't* care only about money? Why else would he accept other forms of payment from the villagers? He does the good things he does out of his sense of moral duty to the normal citizens of the world. His financial/status situation pushed him to seek compensation at the start of the series, and at the current point in his journey he has cemented a belief that the heroes shouldn't do things to support the fanfare and legend status they have -- As exemplified when he shows annoyance that he's called the savior of the heavenly fowl. A more correct statement about Naofumi's care would be that he cares about the most efficient way to reach his goals while working to have people treat him as a human beig . What he does often seems heartless (ex: charging the plague victims, threatening the shopkeeper with the baloons, taking the brigands belongings) but he does these things as a way to increase his stock of materials/money while trying to get other people to treat him based upon the actions *he* has done, not based on him merely having the shield.

[@Christian---]

@@isaacsantos6200 I made no comment about him caring only of money but the righteousness of caring only of money in general.

[@Christian---]

@@Blinkehyo If you have his view of the world you talk of something like love or can't afford to buy your goals.

[@obolisk0430]

I feel your interpretation is based on the idea that we're supposed to assume Naofumi is correct in everything he does as a result of his despair. I don't agree that we are. Naofumi seeing Raphtalia as an adult is as much about him recognising her autonomy as a person as it is about him recognising her literal(?) age. Also, far as I can recall, the whole point of the bit about the other heroes suffering from delusions of heroism is that they AREN'T being purely altruistic. Spear and Sword are basically stroking their own egos, while Bow is too immature to have a proper understanding of the real consequences of his actions (iirc he's a literal child).

[@amorencinteroph3428]

This is reading A LOT into things to try to make your point, are you not? You could have taken the exact same situations and read into how a 'capitalist system' forces those down on their luck to perform heinous and evil acts (like child slavery) to get by, while the rich and privileged (the other three heroes) get to coast by without ever having to break a sweat, who can afford to adventure around doing their flights of fancy because they're being paid giant lump sums by the King to perform their services - while unable to empathize or understand the plight of the people they're helping because of how far removed from them they are. And you still completely ignore situations where Naufumi has deferred payment or taken little or no reward for the services he renders, instead being rewarded upon the initiative of those he saved. He didn't ask for a reward before saving the village from the 2nd wave, and he accepted a CART as his reward for preventing their lordship from being taken away and punitive taxes being raised upon them - but was offered a trader's pass because of all the help he had delivered to them almost unconditionally. And he still does the job he was abducted to do, for free, while not being paid by the King to do so (asides from one time where the other two heroes had to intercede on his behalf to get his reduced payment).

[@pspdsi22]

Always love your videos

[@deadmeme8973]

I genuinely hope that you don't think that the "capitalist ideal" message was an intentional thing

[@yourresidentginger1245]

Well he is ignoring a large amount of context and characterization in order to make any of his arguments.

[@joshuafogg6600]

@@yourresidentginger1245 How very Socialist of him.

[@maxieprimo2758]

If I were to locate this channel, I'd go to my nearest political subreddit and take a *hard left.*

[@gsgaming6976]

I think you read a bit too much into some aspects of the Shield Hero's character, and a bit too little into other aspects of it. Naofumi doesn't actually see Raphtalia as a tool at all. He's more like a tsundere than any sort of Ayn Randian type of hero. He genuinely cares about people, which is part and parcel of why he is so withdrawn after all the betrayal he experiences. The gruff exterior is literally a "shield" he developed as a survival mechanism. So, to get this part out of the way..... Yes, he is a slave owner. He is also, in a very real sense, a slave himself. He was brought into the world against his will. He is not allowed to leave. He will be forcibly summoned to fight the waves of disaster whether he wants to or not, placing him into real danger (and also the other heroes, because if he dies they all have to die so they can summon new ones). Each time this happens there will be less and less time left for the new heroes to learn and grow. So, he is forced to serve strangers or die and potentially let the world die with him. Despite this he is given no help and is betrayed. Even after he is betrayed, he's still on the lookout for actual adventurers, and when some approach him he intends fully to deal with them honestly, but they try and mug the "despised Shield Hero". He doesn't go looking for slaves, the trader approaches him and appeals to his fear of betrayal and very real time limit on his life. And he'd honestly prefer to buy a combat or bodyguard slave, but he can only afford the cheapest, i.e. sick or weak slaves. How he really feels about Raphtalia is shown in his treatment of her. He uses his most lucrative source of income to heal her instead of making himself money, with no guarantee it'll work or that she'll be useful long term. He buys her a toy to play with just because he sees her staring enviously at kids playing in the street. As he is in the process of literally being eaten alive he removes the compulsion to follow his orders because he understands she is traumatized by the dog beast, and tells her to escape while he holds it off. When Motoyasu removes Raphtalia's slave binding he is crushed emotionally because he is losing the only person he trusts, and Naofumi does not force Raphtalia back into the pact. He actively tells her she doesn't need to get it reapplied, it is Raphtalia who insists because she wants to make it 100% clear to Naofumi that she will not betray him. The closest he comes to treating her like a tool is right at the very very beginning when he tells her "stab the monster I'm holding or I have to get a different slave from the slave trader because I'm literally going to die in 1 month if I cannot fight the wave and I need to know you can do this" And while he does tell everyone they need to pay him, throughout the entire course of the series (including right up the end of the web novel) he never once actually goes looking for someone to force them to pay up on a debt. He just blusters a lot because he thinks it'll make people more likely to take him seriously. He asks for payment because he doesn't want people trying to take advantage of him, but when someone is obviously too poor to pay he either never presses the issue or accepts either a promise to pay later or the absolute cheapest thing they can offer him Like, he literally allows people to pay him with the fruit of the magical crops that *he gaves them*. It's almost literally letting them pay him with his own coin. Oh, and he's also under a literal curse placed on him by first one and then 2 outside influences, making him pissed off at basically everyone. So, this is him at the highest level of bastard he can be as he literally has a curse bringing out the worst in him. More on that in season 2 or beyond probably. But yeah....... He is definitely not an Ayn Randian type of character.

[@shoehunter3928]

Too be fair he consciously saw her as a tool for a good while, it wasn't untill either the duel or sometime before that he didn't. Subconsciously his altruism? (I forgot the word) shines through in how nicely he treats her

[@shoehunter3928]

Oh also wn Naofumi is an asshole

[@gsgaming6976]

@@shoehunter3928 I mean, the whole thing is you don't buy a ball for your tool to play with, or let yourself be bit by a huge 2 headed dog for a tool. I'm saying there is subtext, it tells you without directly telling you. And I agree all versions of Naofumi are, to an extent, assholes. But it reminds me of this old story from the book The Dharma Bums, where basically a dude takes his brothers dog out for long walks every day till his brother asks him to stop, because when he chains the dog up to a tree all day it has started to howl now that it has had a taste of freedom. The dude says he wishes he were like one of those old Zen Masters who might do something like walk up and start kicking the dog, do that when the brother says "Why are you kicking my dog, can't you hear it crying?" the old master could reply "Why did you chain up the dog? Can't you hear it crying?" Sometimes being an asshole, or acting like one, is in fact the kindest thing you can do. The only way to get a point across to someone too blind or stubborn or stupid to see it. The tricky part is knowing the difference between that and being a malicious asshole, because a lot more people have a taste for being a jerk than are actual good at it. I'd argue that Naofumi is the best kind of asshole, because he is living in a world that is literally on the brink of destruction with a bunch of stupid and stubborn jackasses.

[@bubalackgaming8892]

Me: dying from a knife wound after getting mugged The paramedic in the ambulance: DO YOU HAVE THE CURRENCY

[@nathanvanderburg8579]

See you in two or so months guys Btw who has read the spear hero spin off

[@TheJoethud22]

Nathan Vanderburg link?

[@nathanvanderburg8579]

Fortune-cookie I read it on an app if you look up the shield hero manga online I’m sure you would find it

[@caitthecat]

Oh fuck is it weird. I was hoping he would be redeemed to an extent, but he's so obsessed with filo that he essentially abandons other birb children to find her.

[@shoehunter3928]

@@caitthecat yeah Naoumi isn't the only one, nor is the hardest to be hit by trauma

[@evanrose96]

You missed the social and situation events that lead to the bandits paying for their lives. There not only did the bandits initiate combat first but there is no telling whether or not they would have killed the party if they had the chance. Now after they defeat the bandits the discussion of calling the authorities is brought up but correctly squashed due to Shield’s relationship to the state. There the bandits could have lied and Shield could have taken the state’s punishment due to the kingdom’s prejudice towards him. His “toll” on the bandits is a responsible compromise. He could have just killed them all, taken their resources and a bit of EXP for his troubles. Instead he lets them keep their lives, received some justice from the attack in the form of their belongings and as an added bonus he removes resources from a dangerous criminal enterprise. Just killing them would have been the pure objectivist answer to the problem since it adds all the benefits to Shield and adds the condition that there would be no risk of the bandits ever attacking anyone ever again.

[@shonen_x_trash2488]

To your opening speal: Yeah, that's pretty much what we want. That and don't be an asshole on twitter. edit: god job. Definitely lives up to the standard.

[@paaperman]

I genuinely love everything about what you talk about, and your editing style. keep it up.

[@dylangreen192]

Fantasy world? Main Character traveling in a cart with a half-human half-animal female companion? Capitalism? I'm surprised Spice & Wolf wasn't mentioned at all.

[@ExplanationPointAnime]

Good point, actually. Didn't even think about it.

[@Christian---]

I'm sure a couple red-cap-bad jabs could be fitted into that aswell.

[@Arrakiz666]

@@ExplanationPointAnime You _seriously_ didn't?

[@ExplanationPointAnime]

@@Arrakiz666 Not once! Although I did kind of rush to get the script/video done because I had a deadline from the sponsor. Wish I'd thought of it, though. I might come back to that idea in the future.

[@Rognik]

Support for 2 whole years and 22 videos! I promise not to rate that efficiency, but leave the facts as they are.

[@martinicc67]

The thing about Naofumi is that he isn't supposed to embody any ideal, he is in a world that other goods and services are often as, if not more useful than cold hard cash, he also uses the merchant - customer barrier as a way to distance himself from the people of this world.

[@spartin1173]

Hes just a fairly normal guy who was royally fucked over instantly and now hes just trying to operate in a way that both gets things done properly unlike the other heroes and at the same time allows him to still kind of exist instead of letting people fuck him over again

[@masons.4489]

This is...exactly what i imagined E.P. looking like. Pleasently not proven wrong.

[@METALmurdererOG]

Ugh... I've watched the sub so far and dub Naogumi's voice just sounds so weird... he doesn't have that "anger" in his voice

[@jaskarvinmakal9174]

It seems that it's more about overcoming adversity than it is about the capitalist mindset. We do see about half way through he's not worried about money anymore and is more focused on doing what he has to do, and what he needs to do. From what i can tell the capitalistic perspective is more of a vehicle for Naofumi to overcome as an adverse conditions than it is about promoting idealized capitalism. In the same place it could also be said that the other heroes cause these problems because they do not take the time and effort to fully understand what they are doing as they haven't spent the time and effort needed to successfully complete the task. Thus not necessarily discarding altruism as Ann Rand might but chastising them for expecting optimal results with minimal effort.

[@Jack-kx5rf]

The slaver actually tries to talk Naofumi out of buying Raphtalia because he thinks her illness is so terminal she's going to die in a few days. Really don't understand why people don't see why Raphtalia loves him.

[@SpecialProjectY]

By your logic, every doctor that saved a life has a harem already ;)

[@zaterface]

Finally this guy does something!!! Missed you !