Crunchyroll began streaming the first episode of the television anime of Aneko Yusagi's The Rising of the Shield Hero (Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari) fantasy light novel series on Saturday. The first 45-minute episode is available now to Crunchyroll premium members only. The series will officially launch on Crunchyroll on January 9 with new episodes on Wednesdays.

Crunchyroll is streaming the series worldwide outside of Asia with both English subtitles and dubbing as it airs in Japan. The company is producing the dub as its first simultaneous dub title, and the dubbed episodes will debut on the same day as the subtitled episodes.

Funimation will also stream the simuldub of the series starting on January 9 in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

The series will premiere with a two-hour special in Japan on AT-X on January 9 at 10:00 p.m. and will run for two consecutive cours or a half-year.

Takao Abo (Norn9) is directing the anime at Kinema Citrus. Keigo Koyanagi (Regalia: The Three Sacred Stars) is in charge of series composition. Masahiro Suwa (Chaika - The Coffin Princess animation director) is adapting Seira Minami's original character designs for animation. Crunchyroll is co-producing the show with Kadokawa. Dance vocal group MADKID are performing the opening theme song "RISE." Chiai Fujikawa is performing the ending theme song "Kimi no Namae" (Your Name).

Source: Crunchyroll