While the two shows may not be related at all, BOFURI and The Rising of the Shield Hero got an unexpected crossover, pitting the two protagonists against one another.
This collab is actually the second time that the two popular shows have collaborated, and there’s a surprisingly good reason for this.
One of these is the fact that the two main characters are both powerful shield-wielders. There’s also the fact that the two series are published by Kadokawa.
BOFURI and The Rising of the Shield Hero’s Second Collab
Kadokawa is no stranger to collabs between its titles. After all, the publisher produced Isekai Quartet, the hilarious isekai crossover that featured KonoSuba, Re:Zero, Overlord, and Saga of Tanya the Evil.
While this new crossover featuring BOFURI isn’t as extensive as Isekai Quartet, it does give fans a nice treat in the form of a cool visual that shows the two main characters raring to fight.
As for why the collab was released recently, the date of March 15 is key to understanding it.
Specifically, in Japanese, 3-15 can be read as "saiko", which means "strongest" in Japanese.
Given that BOFURI’s Maple and Shield Hero’s Naofumi are their respective worlds’ strongest shield-wielders, it makes sense that the two have a special crossover.
As mentioned above, this isn’t the first collab between the two shows. But this latest one might be the most eye-catching given the beautiful artwork of Maple and Naofumi.
ALSO READ: What Game Is the BOFURI Series Based on?
Maple and Naofumi Face Off in Second Collab
Specifically, the crossover is for a special visual that celebrates March 15 as “The Hardest Shield Day”.
Fittingly, Maple in an angelic outfit is shown facing off against Naofumi in his demonic form.
This newly drawn visual was made following a fan survey, and it’s a seriously impressive work, enough that it almost looks like a key visual for an actual crossover anime.
Aside from praising the artwork, fans had some interesting things to say about the crossover.
While they think a fight between Maple and Naofumi will be an exciting one, many believe that Maple will still emerge victorious.
Here’s hoping that we get to see an actual crossover fight between the two just to settle this fan debate.
BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense Season 2 is currently airing.
Meanwhile, The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3 is confirmed, though there’s no release date for it yet.
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