Recap / The Rising of the Shield Hero S2E9 "Humming Fairy"

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Tropes for this episode include:

• Animal Lover: Naofumi shows shades of this when interacting with Ethnobalt, easily figuring out the Library Rabbit wasn't even Human. It's even lampshaded by Kizuna based on how many Animals and Demi-Humans tend to trust and travel with him.
• A Taste of Their Own Medicine: The person who kidnaps Filo keeps on forcing the poor girl to dance and "sing" for his customers. As soon as Naofumi discovers where she is and frees Filo, the kidnapper barges in and calls them thieves. What does Naofumi do? Burn him with his Wrath Shield? Nah, that'd be too leisurely for scum like him. Instead, Naofumi uses a unique shield that places said person's mind in a realm where, instead of ordering poor Filo to "dance and sing", the ghoulish "patrons" order him to do the exact same thing he told Filo to do earlier, making Naofumi's revenge against the insolent bigot all the more exquisitely satisfying to behold.
• Benevolent Monsters: Kizuna reveals that Ethnobolt is descended from these.
• Chekhov's Gun: The locks of hair that Naofumi absorbed into his shield after giving Raphtalia a haircut back in Episode 2 plays a major role in this episode.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: Once Again, Naofumi is looked down upon when he's stated to be a Cardinal Hero after arriving in Sikul, granted in this case it is because Cardinal Heroes in Glass' World are looked upon as Regional Lords and that the world was on-edge due to many Vassal Heroes going missing and the people of Sikul who Kizuna had Lordship over had assumed that Naofumi was the one responsible.
• Familiar: Shikigamis are this in Glass' World; beings that are created from a catalyst and the owners' own blood and are tied into the being that helped to create them and are able to know their catalyst or creator's position in the world at any given time and track them across vast distances. Naofumi winds up creating a Shikigami made from Raphtalias' hair.
• Paper Talisman: Filo's slaver keeps her helpless by using a paper talisman to lock her in a smaller, more helpless animal form. Apparently they work like slave crests in Melromarc.
• Parents Know Their Children: Naofumi being able to immediately recognize Filo; even when she is stuck in the form of a Humming Fairy Chick instead of a Filolial.
• Rabbit Magician: Ethnobolt is an anthropomorphic rabbit that can take on human form and is skilled in magic.
• Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Filo's slaver's attempt at forcing Filo to perform drives away the crowd he tries to attract. Even if they can't understand what she's saying, they can tell she's clearly upset and can't bring themselves to enjoy the "performance."

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