(Hated Trope) "Kind" slave owners

[u/KusanagiGundam]

Speaking as an American who has studied the civil war all throughout my school years, this trope infuriates me to no end. There is no such thing as a kind slave master because slavery itself is cruel and inhumane. PEOPLE ARE NOT PROPERTY!

Naofumi (Shield Hero): Prime example of this trope. He enslaves multiple (underage) girls and an whole village and the fans still say he's a hero.

Rudeus (Jobless Reincarnation): As if being a pedo wasn't bad enough he had to buy a slave in season 2. Worse is that people still defend his actions.

Song of The South (Disney): Possibly the OG example of this trope. And the reason why Disney will never release it again.

[u/CarterBruud]

"we're going to free you of the slave brand that magically tethers you to you master."

"Everything I do is of my own free will. I want to put the slave brand back on"

Raphtalia is so fucking stupid

[u/Sad-Spinach9482 → u/CarterBruud]

Yeah, I might genuinely like(at least remember kinda fondly) the anime around until the duel with Motoyasu, but even then I thought that her loosing her crest and choosing to follow Naufumi regardless would have made a far more compelling narrative for them onwards(Rapthalia deciding to follow Naufumi out of genuine respect and loyalty for him, and Naufumi specially having to learn to genuinely trust someone without them having any leash or being above them in any way).

[u/Thin-Nerve6367 → u/Sad-Spinach9482]

I prefer the novel for that moment. Naofumi REALLY tried to convince her otherwise, even if he admitted that he'd have some trouble trusting her, but she stood by her decision because she wanted him to trust her 100%, just like she trusted him 100%. And eventually Naofumi caved.

It was actually really well done and makes the moment later on when her crest IS permanently removed that much better, because Naofumi finally finds her again and hugs her and is worried sick and she's super sad because the crest is gone and can't be re-applied (long story) but Naofumi just flat out says he couldn't care less, he's just glad she's back safely

[u/Comprehensive-Star27 → u/Sad-Spinach9482]

If I remember right, doesn’t having the slave crest on her grant buffs and benefits to Rapthalia. Naofumi has that secondary shield effect that increases all the stats and exp of his party that have it.

Like he chooses to tell her she doesn’t need it but she wants it on to level up faster.

This is all season 1 anime stuff I remember

[u/Sad-Spinach9482 → u/Comprehensive-Star27]

If I remember well(and I certainly do not because I saw the anime when it aired and now I want to be as far from it as possible), the only thing it had is a one-of joke of Naofumi getting a new shield if he got enough slave crests and a bonus of EXP for being in a party, and even if having slaves gave him new shield and EXP boost, the author could... Not do that, it's not like they need to chain an important shield to that and EXP boost is one of the most nothing burger of a boost in narratives when the author basically decides when anyone levels up and if that actually matters.

[u/Ergast → u/Comprehensive-Star27]

That's a justification from the author, though. It could had been just as easy to give him a shield that gives the same benefits to people in his party that genuinely trust him (and that gives him a tangible proof that those people trust him) and not depend on the slave crest. Hell, if slavery from other people was the problem, said shield could also add "immunity to the slave crest" as an added benefit.

And if you also want the character development for Naofumi, make this shield an evolution from the Slave shield. It goes from slaves to trusting companions, make the benefits bigger (because it requires more effort) and also make it incompatible with the Slave Shield, so no one can suggest "pile both of them together for maximum buffs" and you get a fantastic narrative tool that also buffs the power of Naofumi.

Hell, if you want the harem thing, this STILL works, because the trust is genuine for this hypothetical "Trust Shield" to work.

[u/NUTDOM → u/CarterBruud]

I understand the concept her master has trust issues and she loves him so to show she has nothing to hide and would never betray him she chooses to have the crest put back on. Anyway Naophumi should have at some point asked for it to be removed and maybe shown a little more remorse for a bad thing he did in desperation even if the outcome was a net positive. Honestly I think the whole show goes down hill the moment she gets that crest put back on anyway it was all a little iffy before hand but thats probably the line I’d draw everything after that was a waste of my time.

[u/Sad-Spinach9482 → u/NUTDOM]

and also, I still think Naofumi having to trust Rapthalia's loyalty without anything to enforce it would have been way more compelling than kinda going back to the status quo.

[u/NUTDOM → u/Sad-Spinach9482]

Doesn’t help that he asks why she’s getting it again and then doesn’t kick up a fuss about it. If my “adoptive daughter” as he seems to see it at that point gave me that excuse I’d put a bit more effort into convincing her she deserves her own autonomy.

[u/WhereRandomThingsAre → u/NUTDOM]

Not when you feel the entire world is against you. At that point in the story Naofumi had yet to even properly recognized Raphtalia had grown. He was far too self-absorbed to think about how it affected her or the sacrifice it meant for her.

Which is why the exchange is not a healthy one, but arguably a necessary one... provided it gets reversed later because they both emotionally grow into healthier characters. Which (from what I'm hearing elsewhere in this thread) is not what happens and thus it is a tragic tale.

[u/Vermilion_Laufer → u/WhereRandomThingsAre]

I mean the crest gets removed later by circumstances not by their decision, and most probably can't get reaplied. But I would argue they do in fact are emotionally healthier characters by that point.