Shangri-La Frontier: Kusoge Hunter, Kamige ni Idoman to su
Duração: 25 min per ep
Gênero: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Estudio: C2C
Sinopse:
High school student Rakurou Hizutome has a peculiar hobby of playing poorly made games—ones that are unbalanced or are filled with so many bugs that make them borderline unplayable. The few who share his hobby might recognize him by his in-game name, Sunraku. For his next game, Rakurou is recommended Shangri-La Frontier, a popular and well-received virtual reality game as a breather from the terrible games he has been playing recently.
Once he boots up the game, Rakurou decides to sell off most of his starting gear to gain extra money, leaving himself with only a pair of boxers, a bird mask, and some weapons. He is instantly hooked as he meticulously levels up his avatar. However, after encountering some intimidating monsters, he realizes that he may have underestimated the challenge that a mainstream game can offer. As Rakurou progresses, he must draw on all the skills he has perfected from his previous gaming experience. Before long, Sunraku's eccentric playstyle takes Shangri-La Frontier by storm.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
KANLen09
Shangri-La Frontier - Trash games are TRULY trash. However, God-tier games are TRULY the best of the best, for both newcomers and veterans like connoisseurs. AniManga based on video games come in all sorts of flavours. Of course, that's not to say that every single one of them are good (I'm looking at you, Reki Kawahara with the SAO franchise), and most of them (like last season's Toaru Ossan no VRMMO Katsudouki a.k.a A Playthrough of a Certain Dude's VRMMO Life) are truly equally trash with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. However, while one can easily criticize the video gaming landscape when it comes to anime, fewhave come across as actual video games that have been done with much research and purposeful lore, mimicking virtual worlds and putting the viewers into their shoes as fellow gamers, even if you're not a seasoned player. And one of them is mangaka Katarina's Shangri-La Frontier: Kusoge Hunter, Kamige ni Idoman to su a.k.a Crappy Game Hunter Challenges God-Tier Game, or simply known as its namesake title: Shangri-La Frontier, SLF, ShanFro (whatever you want to call it), which won the 47th Kodansha Manga Award in the Shonen category last year.
In the world of Shangri-La Frontier, think of it as an evolution of the SAO universe where full-dive VRMMOs have become commonplace against the retro games which vary from old-school resolutions to game mechanic gimmicks that have been analyzed and beaten every single time. As a result, smorgasbords of VRMMOs are released through the mainstream, though you'd not know if the game is actual trash or not, from rushed plots, bugs from games being full of glitches to faulty gameplay, or simply game systems which have been rendered obsolete upon release with bad graphics that are simply not up to par with the current standard. And that is the mission of the eponymous MC Rakuro Hizutome of IGN Sunraku to route out all games as the aforementioned "trash game hunter", deciphering the play styles of all games alike and mastering them like a "Jack of All Trades, Master of All" character. But as is like typical gamers, there comes a point where the burnout syndrome really gets to them, and Rakuro feels the heat to try and break out from his rut. Fortunately, the game shop that he frequently visits has a new game in store: Shangri-La Frontier, which boasts as a full-dive VRMMO with a staggering 30 mil players, with the majority of players giving it rave reviews for an experience like no other. Rakuro, feeling enticed from the offer, gives it a try with his usual IGN moniker, and thus, begins a game that's truly like no other, with the skills harvested from his time playing trash games and being an expert at it, come into play critically as he progresses through Shangri-La Frontier.
Like all modern day Isekai reincarnation stories, Shangri-La Frontier got its start as a Syosetu novel in May 2017, which according to Katarina, he'd read novelist Tsutomu Satou's Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei a.k.a The Irregular at Magic High School on said Japan's most prolific novel website while living overseas, which inspired him to start writing novels. At the time, said Isekai reincarnation-type fantasy stories (like Mushoku Tensei) were popular, and the novelist took cues from it. But his Eureka moment was when he encountered a VR-type story, which took him completely by surprise and amazement, and thus, that inspiration became the birth of Shangri-La Frontier. The interesting tidbit: the anime project was announced back in Feburary 2020, which was before the manga's serialization from July the same year, which is mind-boggling that whoever was planning the series, took a massive risk that the anime would be a massive hit when it hits the small screen, and that gutsy gamble...really paid off.
If you're a gamer by any stretch of the imagination, you'll definitely come to love and appreciate Shangri-La Frontier as a whole. Sunraku as a character, is a limitless person who has expressed his potential to conquer each and every game out in the wild, be it trash or god-tier, and through him as the MC...to skip the tutorial stages and go straight for the big guns, I hear you say that "Sunraku is like me fr fr", and you're not wrong at all. Dangers of any immaculate depth don't scare Sunraku, for he challenges the damn near-impossible by putting and racking all of his brain muscles and brawn strength to the limit to test the game's system, and how much can he actually profit from unexpected loopholes that give him the edge when it comes to leveling up ASAP. All this in the effort of figuring out Shangri-La Frontier's real game progress, Sunraku's got the smarts once he actually figured out the game's main plot, and his gamer skills maketh the young man that he is, abash with confidence.
However, Sunraku's not alone in this regard. Unbeknownst to him, someone caught his attention, and it's Rei Saiga, the girl whom has her heart strings attached towards Rakuro, but is always shy to speak up to him about his gamer aesthetics. The coincidence with them both frequenting the same game shop allows Rei to stalk Rakuro in Shangri-La Frontier behind the scenes like a fangirl, but don't be fooled for her appearance in-game as she is Psyger-0, one of the strongest players, with a menacing appearance hiding a girl hypnotized in serious affections of love for the half-naked swimming trunk and bird-head masked young man. I love their banter, which especially in game, feels like they're like-minded comrades with similar interests, though Sunraku is always forward-looking at the big picture every step of the way enough to just plainly ignore her (as a "man" knight from external looks) before she could ever speak her heart out. Don't lose faith yet, Rei Saiga a.k.a Psyger-0!
If the gamer vibes can't get to you enough, then the private discovery of a doorway to limitless growth will. And that's how Sunraku found a portal to Rabituza, a land full of rabbits that can only be unlocked once players reach a certain level requirement, which Sunraku got lucky even though he was under-leveled to begin with. There, he finds the rabbits that will help him smolder his competition: the mascot NPC Emul, of which its leader is her boss-cum-father Vysache, who is ruthless on anyone not aligning to his goals or objectives, Sunraku included when he first stepped into the hidden area. But through the test of time, Sunraku proved himself to be a viable and trusted player enough to earn Vysache's respect and have him as their esteemed guest to improve his stability as and when he needs it. Again, Sunraku and Emul's relationship is quite the charm because she provides immediate help to him in all circumstances, and vice versa. Though Sunraku always likes to take Emul at her word and abuse it to his nefarious and hilarious game plans, these two have such good vibes going for each other, which is rare since most games don't usually emphasize NPCs for assistance, let alone even a little help at best towards the players. And that's generally true with most AniManga as well.
You know what they say: "Birds of a feather flock together", and Sunraku has gamer friends to help out in the game's both side and main issues. Player Killers, or more commonly known as PKers, are nothing new in games and is a rather common thing to have, and this describes Towa Amane of IGN Arthur Pencilgon. Her being the leader of a PK group and leading a pack of player executioners, Arthur doesn't take shit as sympathy: if she deems you a waste, you're in the chopping board of the entire group. On the other hand, there's Kei Uomi of IGN Oikatzo, which Sunraku befriended from another trash game as a hardcore trash hunter, alongside Arthur as well, whom they were both invited to Shangri-La Frontier by his recommendation as fans of Sunraku. The trio is like the quote "teamwork makes the dream work", and overtime, we get to see the real Arthur Pencilgon and who she really is, aside from her ruthless PK kills and more on compassion and roots as well. It's amazing how the quote "Don't judge a book by its cover" is done here, and is done exceptionally well.
Over the years (or rather recently), studio C2C has been defying expectations each and every time when they're called to the production table, showcasing stunning and exquisite animation, that like the studio's name moniker of "Challenge 2 (to) Challenge", has put them into the forefront as a sure-fire worthy production contender for best animated shows throughout the seasons. Such examples like Fall 2020's Majo no Tabitabi a.k.a Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, Summer 2021's Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu a.k.a Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy (of which J.C.Staff is now helming Season 2), and Fall 2022's Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita a.k.a Reincarnated as a Sword, these 3 shows are quality titles put out by C2C. And I can purposefully say that Shangri-La Frontier is once again another crowning achievement in the ever-increasing catalogue, which is made an even bigger impact due to the studio's first-ever lone undertaking of a consecutive 2-cour run (not counting 2015's Aquarion Logos, collaborated with Satelight). Huge props to director Toshiyuki Kubooka and his entire staff team for the long commitment to Shangri-La Frontier, and with that being said: if you want a quality show, C2C is really up to the challenge.
For a game-based anime, music also is a key component of the show, and like its gamer roots, it has done that and much more. The OST is filled with so much gamer-centric goodness that it's respectfully composed and used throughout the entire show. And you wanna know something? Even the show's theme songs know that and play to their ultimate strengths. Speaking of which, this may be the masked avatar band FZMZ's (pronounced "Fathoms") Anisong debuts for the show, but you'll be even surprised to know some of its 5 members: JACK the rapper is (sic)boy, who gained attention not only for his unique sound that blends rock and hip-hop, GAVI the guitarist is Ivan of Survive Said The Prophet, and KAMATA the drummer is Pierre Nakano of Ling tosite sigure. Unsurprisingly, these people are not just talented musical artistes, but are also people who are deeply knowledgeable about anime, games, and VR culture, thus also bringing their songs into the Metaverse. Both songs of the 1st Cour's "Broken Games" and 2nd Cour's "Danger Danger" feat. Icy are great compliments to the anime as a whole, though I resonate more with "Broken Games" just by its sheer rap style and tidy musical resonance. The ED songs are mostly alright with Chico's "Ace" for the 1st Cour and ReoNa's "Gajumaru ~Heaven in the Rain~" for the 2nd Cour, but make no mistake: all songs here are fantastic in their own right, especially the OP songs which help set the tune of the anime.
At the end of the day, are we truly witnessing a revival of video game-based AniManga? I would like to think so, because Shangri-La Frontier has more than just captured the gamer hearts of everyone, it has a game-centric plot that captivates and encourages the gamer souls in us for further exploration. And let's face it in gamer terms: this shit is TOO GOOD to pass up for another season or 2.
If you're craving the gamer Hunger Games in you, I warmly welcome you to Shangri-La Frontier, where death is but a swing away, but living and breathing life is an out-of-this-world experience on its own.
ArchangelEST
Shangri-La Frontier is a fantasy themed MMO anime which boasts impressive production values, but fails to produce any real content within its 25 episodes, where half of it feels like meaningless filler. Animation / Art / General Visuals - 9/10 ----------------------------------------------- The world of Shangri-La is beautiful, and the animation quality is very impressive. Some of the fights, especially the one against the big boss was quite possibly some of the best I've ever seen in any anime. Very cool. Sound / Music / Voice Acting - 8/10------------------------------------------
High quality stuff across the board. We get high octane opening tracks, some nice music themes through-out the show, and top notch voice acting for the main characters.
Story - 5/10
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And here comes the weakest point of Shangri-La. Its story. Or lack there-of.
It's an MMO themed anime, but there are zero stakes of any sort. Our protagonist just tries out this new MMO for kicks. No special reasoning behind it. And once inside the game he has no specific goals either, other than to just mess around and see what it's about. Eventually he does pick up a goal of defeating some bosses, but at no point does it feel like he cares overly much, nor is there any kind of a timer or pressure to actually do anything.
Most of the show is about our protagonist just "fucking around and finding out" for fun. No grand storylines, nothing is ever at stake because dying in the game just gives a temporary debuff, so he can die a 100 times in a row and it does nothing. There's literally no failing at anything except when fighting some unique bosses, which only happens in a few episodes.
It's hard to put into words how boring it can be to watch a character fight enemies where nothing is on the line. Where death and failure means literally nothing.
On top of that, the video game mechanics are incredibly poorly explained, making all the various stats and skills that are being used be largely meaningless to us as viewers. Like, "oh this character got a +50 to this stat and so the fight changes now." How? There is no information given about the relative benefit of any stats or skills, or any game mechanics for that matter. It's all gibberish and adds nothing of value. For a game that's about an MMO, such an approach is very puzzling.
Despite its 25 episode run-time, half of the show feels like filler. This is the opposite of where Solo Leveling failed, where that show only had 12 episodes and felt like there wasn't enough time to flesh anything out in depth. But in Shangri-La, it feels like there are too many episodes, and nothing is being done with them.
Like, do we really need to watch the main character fight some random mobs for 2 episodes, after he already defeated one of the hardest bosses in the game just previously? It's a complete waste of time that does literally nothing to move the story forward or even bring any excitement at all. Fighting a bunch of trash mobs where you can die endlessly and just restart 100x over is not fun at all.
In addition to all this, the show also features some real life scenes, which are just very average slice of life moments that don't really add any value. Seeing the protagonist sit down with his family for 2 minutes to have dinner added nothing useful as his family members were never mentioned again and have no part in the story. Just filler.
There's also a meaningless cringe teenage romance sub-plot that also doesn't go anywhere and seems rather pointless, as the romance character barely gets any screen time. There is literally no foundation for a romance when the characters don't even interact for more than a few minutes through-out the entire show and our protagonist doesn't even know who they are, lmao.
Characters - 7/10
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There are quite a few characters in the show, though most of the focus is on the protagonist Sanraku. He's an extremely energetic teenager who gets extremely excited about beating video games through sheer skill and willpower, rather than any sort of meta gaming. He doesn't really develop as a character in any way, but he's still quite fun to watch due to the combination of extreme skill and arrogance which occasionally backfires as he runs into new and unexpected things.
Secondary characters feature a Bunny NPC who acts more of a comedic character for Sanraku to bounce off of, as well as being a source of exposition.
Sanraku also has a couple of friends from other MMO's that show up and help create a party, but their presence is fairly limited to a small portion of the season. Still, both characters are fun and interesting and hopefully they make a return in the future.
There's also a romance sub-plot character. A teenage girl who is part of Sanraku's highschool class. However, Sanraku is effectively not aware of them, nor does he care about the girl in any way. This leads to a very one sided, and utterly meaningless romance attempt that doesn't really go anywhere.
There are some additional backstory characters introduced, but the story doesn't really give them any real depth.
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Total - 7/10
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Shangri-La is a very impressive looking and sounding Fantasy MMO anime, but its weak story and setup that makes half of its episodes feel like meaningless filler, does drag the whole experience down.
When it's good, it's REALLY GOOD. Some of the fight oriented episodes are mindblowingly fun to watch. However one just can't help but to get bored in a lot of episodes because literally nothing of worthwhile is happening.
A worthwhile watch to fans of the genre, but I do hope Season 2 tightens up the storytelling and progression.
Danreis
Shangri-La Frontier: Kusoge Hunter, Kamige ni Idoman to su is an anime with good ideas but between good ideas and errors the final impression on me was neutral. In this story we follow the player specialized in bad games known as Sunraku who, after a long time trying all kinds of bad games, decides to play a virtual reality game known as the best game today, Shangri-la Frontier. This is the basis of the entire story since the anime. The premise of a story that takes place in a game world isn't exactly new, but this anime pleased me at first because it didn't resort to thecliché of the protagonist being trapped in the game or taken to another world like any Isekai, however, this point is harmed when the author does not add any other form of risk to the plot. In both the real and virtual worlds, there is no risk of anything serious happening that could permanently affect anyone in this story, which means that all the scenes that should be exciting are empty because there is nothing at stake.
As this is not a story about risks, the plot could focus on the gameplay of Shangri-La Frontier but the author does this in a very frustrating way. When showing any kind of training, the lack of stakes makes it a bit tedious to watch because our heroes are going to get what they want and have nothing to lose if they fail, they can die all they want and nothing really matters. But if watching these training sessions already seems like a waste of time, it only gets worse when the characters almost always just say that they acquired a new skill off-screen and that it works in a very arbitrary way.
Our protagonist is a pleasant surprise as he is not the typical loser or edge protagonist, in fact from the little that the script allows us to see it is possible to notice that he has friends and is loved in his social circle, it is a shame that there is no narrative arc for he. Sanraku learns nothing that leads to personal growth or that leads to any change in perspective from the beginning to the end of the story.
The human secondary characters suffer from a lack of screen time in the real world because even with how little the story shows, I was really interested in finding out more about Oikatzo and Pencilgon. In the end, the character that had something closer to a development arc was Pencilgon but as we know very little about her and most of it is from other characters' statements, we can only believe that she changed but we didn't see that change.
The animation is quite decent because if it doesn't shine like some contemporary shounen anime, at least it doesn't displease. The fights, although they don't have very good choreography, are not bad to watch due to the quality of the animation, but they end up suffering from a lack of emotion due to the lack of risks that I mentioned before.
In short, Shangri-La Frontier: Kusoge Hunter, Kamige ni Idoman to su practically cancels out its successes with its mistakes, which gave me an experience that was neither good nor bad, it was empty and neutral. I don't see it as a waste of time to watch it, but don't expect it to leave a deep impression on you, whether negative or positive.
insertfilename
Just overall really fun! It may be somewhat stupid in its premise and cringy/predictable with its execution sometimes, but it definitely managed the recreate the childish wonder and enjoyment I used to experience watching classic isekais when i was a lot younger. Not for anime snobs who are looking for refined writting and take themselves too seriously. they want me to give more information to be able to publish this review, but i dont want to express more than I have with the beginning paragraph so here are some filler words that should make it possible for me to post this.
Chuy_diazz
Shangri-La is the complete video game experience that you can find in any anime. What this anime did with its world was dedicate itself entirely to building a true MMORPG world. It is appreciated that he did not use the already cliché resource of "If you die in the game you die in real life." By removing this condition you allow the player to play with all their creativity without being limited by the fear of death. From character creation, to attribute points, to boss fights, it feels like the anime really understands the players and their way of thinking. At many points in the story youwill encounter situations where you would say "that is something I have done or would do" or "I know players who act this way. The anime takes into consideration factors such as leveling, grinding, items and lore. They take full advantage of their world because they know that it is the biggest attraction they have to exploit.
On the other hand, their characters have a lot of charisma and are memorable. The protagonists, the NPCs and even some characters used as background for a single joke have quite a bit of personality, they are not just background people. All the characters have chemistry with each other, there is no interaction that feels forced. The fact is that even the boss monsters have a strong presence, both within the game and the story. It feels like they use all the characters to the best of their ability.
Regarding the aspect of representing the video game experience, the best example is the fight against Wezermon. The fight begins before challenging him, because they repeatedly say that in Shangri-La the lore has the answers to defeat these monsters and it really is like that. That is why conversations have so much weight, because details are usually left that are later necessary to continue moving forward, as in any video game. The fight itself is spectacular, the fact that they decided to give it 4 chapters of development was the best they could do. Wezermon doesn't feel like a punching sponge, he really is a threat to the group. His skill set is far above the average player, it really took 3 characters with a lot of experience that cannot be considered "Average". And not only was their experience needed, rare and expensive items were needed, which took up the entire group's budget. Wezermon could sweep them away at any time if they were distracted, which is why the fight is so captivating, because you always have to pay attention to what's happening on the screen. The animation was brutal, you could pause at any point in the fight and each frame could serve as a wallpaper. Without a doubt, this fight is one of my candidates for a top 10 fight of the year.
In conclusion, if you are tired of the cliché where players are limited by death, Shangri-La is a good alternative. It has everything you can experience in an MMORPG video game, and if you don't play them, maybe the anime can convince you to try playing one. The wait for the second season will be quite long.
Raphides
The anime is great. Please, ignore the bad reviews. Most of them are crying about “how dying in game has no consequences like the person dying too”, showing that some people here are trying to find SAO-like animes, not game genre animes. In games, being respawned far from the enemy is enough punishment. Maybe losing your items would be great too, but sorry, this is not happening (except for some specific players, no spoilers). Keep yourself motivated while trying to fight enemies and losing continuously is the grand battle of a gamer and there is nothing wrong with it. As a gamer, it is really relatablewhen Sunraku tries a lot and eventually win, but with mental damage.
Other critics say about how unreal and shitty a MMO like Shangri-La would and I don’t disagree entirely about it. Unrepeatable unique bosses, too strong unique bosses, unrespawnable NPCs and very hidden secret areas are not cool features to a MMO. It is like the author is trying to drag more real life features to the game that gives readers more tension, bur his put at the stake the status of “god game” of Shangri-La. However, as unrealistic it is, I would strongly recommend you to active your sense of disbelief here, because this problem is not really that big to worry about. Think about it, the author is only doing it trying to engage their readers a bit more. A real MMO game would not incorporate those features. This anime is wholesome, it would be a waste to stop watching or being stressed about it only because of this author’s mistake.
Lastly, the romance in this anime is pure trash and the extra scenes make it worse. There is no defense here and it is why this anime is not a masterpiece in the end.
negatives
it is good, kinda. i like and i don't like this anime, sometimes it kinda boring. the jokes are not that funny and its kinda cringy for me.. its average. i enjoy it because "Action" genre and the animation is not that bad, anyone could enjoy the animation even if the story is boring or sum.. the characters react to situations and events in a realistic way in game but💀💀 i mean that was kinda strange and cringe to watch. the main characters tryna be funny but he was not. he just a silly blue bird naked, that avatar looks sucks
vantaxyz
Just finished watching the first season, 9/10 Truly a good "VRMMO" Anime, and one thing i actually like is that the MC is actually "OP" but done right, he doesnt just 1 tap all the enemy scrubs instead he feels "OP" but not too "OP", The plot is actually really interesting, the world of SLF has so much lore that it prob deserve a Video on Game Theory. All the characters in this anime also doesnt feel generic, every one of them feels "unique" in a way, my favorites were Vash and Wezaemon The style also perfectly blends with the world of SLF all the monster doesnt seemout of place it just really fits the place
If you like anime like "Infinite Dendrogram", "Sword Art Online", "Bofuri" I Recommend that you watch this anime
BenzTV
Shangri-La Frontier is not the most revolutionary anime out there, as the story is based on a game in which plenty of people are playing. Think of Sword Art Online and Aincrad, or Log Horizon and Elder Tale. However, this anime doesn't force the characters into a fight-or-die isekai situation. Regardless, the lore of the game itself is what really captivates you, even more so than that of its counterparts. There tons of interesting places that the characters explore, tons of interesting creatures that the characters either fight or connect with, tons of items that help to develop the characters in the game, and tonsof storylines within the game that the characters seek to resolve.
Worldbuilding (9.5/10):
Genuinely one of my favorite things about this anime is how captivated I am on the lore of the worldbuilding for the game. I typically do not care much about worldbuilding within stories as I often feel that authors get carried away with the worldbuilding and do not focus enough on the development of the story/characters. But that flies out the window with this anime as it forces you to focus on the worldbuilding, due to it being the most lore driven element of the game. The vast amount of towns/cities, kingdoms, forests, and all sorts of areas gives you the feeling that the author of the story really could have been a revolutionary game designer, if not a mangaka. I truly felt like I wanted to join the game myself. And I don't even play games. THAT...is how good this anime's worldbuilding is.
Story (8/10):
I can't say the story is necessarily the most intriguing part of the anime as it's just based on the main characters and his friends levelling up within a popular video game in Japan, but it still a relatively easy story to follow because of it. I would say that the story is simple, but stretched out enough; as the main plot points focus on the main character's fights against the top tier bosses of the game, as well as uncovering the depths of the game's lore. Everything in between is for the sake of development, whether it be the development of Sunraku's skills or the development of the relationships he makes with the npcs/fellow gamers. It's a fun story, and I think that's why it became such a popular anime throughout its run.
Characters (9.6/10):
You will definitely fall in love with the cast of characters in this show. Sunraku's thirst for beating the odds is what makes him an interesting main character. Pencil-gon's rough but mysterious edge makes her an interesting character that adds a lot of the story. Katzo's competitiveness adds to the trio of gamers that you will be sure to root for and pay the most attention to. Of course, the comedy elements provided by dear Emul make the show 10x better, especially when you consider her loyalty and support to Sunraku's desires. There is even a romantic subtext there with Sunraku and his classmate that also games in Shangri-La Frontier, which sweetens the deal for me personally. All in all, I'd say my favorite aspect of the show was just following along with what the characters were doing within the game, as it felt like I myself was involved as well.
Animation (9.2/10):
My final point will be based on the animation....
It's beautiful man. Very, very beautiful. Give it a watch.
That is all I have to say. Whether you're a fan of VRMMO games or not, watch Shangri-La Frontier!! You'll enjoy it, I promise! (if you don't, then forget I said anything, thanks.)
LacingMaster
A good anime full of action. Simple in terms of plot and character development. The world of this anime is normal. The game conventions are there, as well as the meta information for the players. The author smoothes out the game universe. You're not watching Let's Play after all. The visuals are good, cheerful, bright. The backgrounds are nice, the locations are different, the visual design of the characters is varied. Not that it's fresh, but it's done well. The characters and their personalities... There's no depth, nor should there be. That's not what the genre is about. It's an arcade. Everything is simplified, made vivid, details aresmoothed and minimised. The author is consistent in his portrayal of the characters. That's pleasant.
The plot is simple and straightforward. No intrigue, no investigation, no drama. Elementary simplicity.
The closest analogue to this anime is soda. It's a sweet, fizzy liquid with a distinct taste. Becomes distasteful when it's get hotter and fizzled out. Better not to drink too much of it at once. You'll get sick.
It's great for resting your brain while watching some action. This title is not without its nice moments. I especially remember Yakuza boss Rabbit forging the dagger.
BibleCampVictim2
This Show was quite good, with new adventure and challenges coming almost every episode it really is very entertaining to see the MC struggle to become stronger and try mobs twice as strong as him and discover things that were never known to exist.(Also don't skip without seeing the bonuses after every chapter, it gives a bit of lore for every character, its like a behind the scenes
scenario.)
About the MC: -Score 8/10
The Mc is funny and very relatable with most of us when we play a trashy game, we just hate the story or the bugs that the developers are too lazy to fix, well so does "Sunraku". Despite all those, he takes advantage of any bug he finds and it shows us how we can use stuff we don't really think that are useful.
Animation/Art: -Score 8.5/10
Basically it is better than the other ones we got this year and the physics of wind blowing the trees hit the spot like a cold shower after being outside on a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius i just wished those jiggle physics would have been there just like in GTA 6 😔
Story: -Score 8/10
Quite Good and overall i love the fact how Sunraku gets cursed over and over again by the game, also its entertaining to see how he reacts after finding out something new, cool anime to watch.
Small Reminder!
Although at first it looks like its Mordecai from Regular Show becoming a gamer and after working out at the gym with the bears and using steroids to get jacked and the album looking like its Call of the Dead DLC From Black Ops I with the most important character in front of the drawing. The Anime was too good to just Skip it, Thank You Mordecai dude named Sunraku!
Sunraku - Rakurou Hizutome's Character in the Virtual Game.
Talionn
Shangri La offers an intriguing and fun video-game story that is actually ABOUT THE GAME ITSELF and not about the MC's real life/romance or some shit. You get to see the MC level up, gear up, develop his skills, go through questlines, and more, it's great! There's also plenty of likeable characters with actual personalities to them. The art direction, animation, and music are all consistently good which is fairly impressive considering this is a 25-episode show. Not much else to add except for that this is the VRMMO anime that you WANTED Sword art online to be. It really is the best in its own genre,by far (King's avatar is also pretty good, but definitely not as good or 'authentic' feeling as Shangri-La).
nalist
MMORPG themed anime, when characters take what happens to them way too seriously, become pure cringe. Everything that happens to them is in a controlled environment meant to entertain, but they act like their lives depend on it. There are ways to make it feel justified and look cool, but this is not the case here. There are no real stakes here. You are constantly reminded that this is a setting where the enemies are programmed to lose, which removes any suspense. Add to this the refusal to show or even mention the fact that any information about games is usually monetized via video or streamingsites. The moment someone finds something new, you are almost guaranteed to see a video about it. Information about how to play is so abundant that it is almost impossible to find anything new in a game that has been out for more than a few weeks (or maybe days, depending on how popular the game is).
Stuff outside the game is boring and generic. Game store with physical discs aside (who the hell goes to those nowadays, let alone in the future), it feels like this is an anime with a vision of a near future from the 90s.
Anime is watchable, if you enjoy "level up" journey thing. It takes about first half of a season, then you could stick around to watch them beat some generic "unique" boss in a second half, and it gets back to the journey in the last few episodes. Boss fights have too much (shit)talking, too little action and not enough cool animation.
blackvalk
Shangri-La Frontier is a love letter to gamers and fans of the gaming anime genre. While the premise of a skilled player tackling a challenging MMO isn’t groundbreaking, the series stands out due to its fresh execution and attention to detail. Even when the story follows familiar beats, its charm and clever narrative twists make it thoroughly enjoyable. The art style is a standout feature, perfectly capturing the vibrant and immersive game world while maintaining a clean and modern aesthetic. The fluid animation, especially during intense boss battles, adds excitement and depth to every scene. This visual quality complements the story, enhancing the sense of adventureand challenge.
The characters are well-rounded and relatable, with strengths and flaws that bring them to life. Sunraku, in particular, feels like a true gamer, driven by curiosity, strategy, and the thrill of the challenge. His realistic reactions to setbacks and triumphs, paired with strong dynamics with side characters, make the story feel grounded.
Fans of gaming anime will find much to love in this series, though those uninterested in gaming mechanics may not connect as strongly. Overall, Shangri-La Frontier delivers an engaging and thrilling experience that leaves viewers excited for what’s next.
Benx2019
What if VR MMO anime, but done with some amount of effort? Well, here you go. This is a pretty nice anime. The characters are fun and bounce well off each other, even if they don't have much depth. Similarly the story doesn't have much depth or bite to it, but it does a decent job of world building and lends itself well to the action/comedy tone. That being said I'm grading this more as an action anime than a comedy. The pacing is decent and keeps moving at a good pace, with the exception of the last two episodes which are rather slow. Youmight be saying to yourself at this point that it sounds like kind of a meh anime, but those were the worst parts!
The animation is really good. While there is a little more cg than I would prefer, the characters and backgrounds are genuinely very nicely detailed. Not jaw dropping, but very nice. The real treat of this anime is the action scenes which while not the best I've seen, they are very good bordering on great at times. There are some really great scenes for Shonen fans. The voice acting for a dub is actually really good too. There is one grating character, but it's not too bad. Otherwise it's excellently cast, and has some good performaces. Not jaw dropping, but really strong. The soundtrack was a little underwhelming though. It had a couple of moments, but was otherwise pretty forgettable. I did however enjoy the ops and eds a good deal.
That all being said it's a pretty polished anime with a lot of fun moments and good action scenes. It's like if Shonen, but without trash tier pacing. 7.45/10 Dubbed
*Side note:
SO CLOSE TO AN 8!!! I had to talk myself down. It's really enjoyable, but if only the characters/story had a little more depth, or the soundtrack had a little more umph, it'd be in the 8 territory :(
whiteflame55
This is the kind of show that, on paper, should come off as just fun, popcorn entertainment with little to distinguish it. The stakes in this show are low: to excel at an MMORPG. There have been plenty of anime that used that premise, but raised the stakes by locking the gamer into the game with greater or lesser costs of death (e.g. Sword Art Online, .hack//sign, Log Horizon), and this is hardly the first instance of a gamer playing with a unique choices with their character to surprising effect (e.g. Bofuri, Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online). Sure, this one has the neatlittle wrinkle that he's a trash gamer playing a god-tier game, so he's used to facing extremely unfair circumstances and coming out on top, which changes his playstyle in ways that other players would never consider. And with solid animation and worldbuilding, this could be a really good time.
So... why is it so much better?
In part, I chalk that up to the series making the most of its lead. He's not just an audience insert, though we can certainly relate to some aspects of his character. He loves trash gaming - he consistently pushes himself into impossible or near-impossible challenges, loving the experience and behaving like any gamer would, which means a lot of rage-quitting and tantrums when things don't go right. He finds exploits wherever he can, using the game's expertly crafted engine to find every workaround he can. He never leaves behind his trash gaming history, several times going back into old games that the vast majority of other players have abandoned as unplayable, to explore new strategies and meet with allies outside of the titular game. Hell, a lot of his progress in the game is only possible because of people who he played with previously. He's more than just one player in one game, he's an all-purpose gamer who has created his own social group through years of being a gremlin in other games.
The other big distinguishing factor is the world. Shangri-La Frontier is a complex, multi-faceted world with AI that interact with players with entirely human behavior and intelligence. The world keeps moving even when Sunraku is logged out. The many cities we visit are bursting with players and NPCs, the landscape is littered with interesting themed mobs, and the promise presented by The Seven Colossi has only gotten greater as the series has progressed, particularly as they affect the forward momentum of all players through the game. Other players have gathered a sea of information about extremely niche exploits in this world, yet so much of it is unknown to even players at max level, and there are even experiences that are entirely unique to individual players. Even among settings that are discovered and widely explored, there are new secrets to prize out of some of the less explored nooks and crannies. It's the kind of world that I could see being made into an actual game and playing the hell out of it, which isn't something I can say about many anime game worlds. And of course, it all looks great, especially when the series dives bird head-first into its sakuga. It takes a while to give us some of the best of it, but when this series hits its peak, it produces one of the best looking fights of the season. And yeah, it's hype.
Other elements are generally handled well. The narrative direction of this series is really driven by Sunraku and his allies, and that occasionally means we follow flights of fancy as he spends untold numbers of hours banging his head against a digital wall. This is one of those series where filler is just a part of the experience, as this game does have a sort of linear progression (i.e. raise your level, fight bosses, move from city to city in a largely numeric order), but Sunraku seems to care little for following it closely. I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. The side characters are a mix of some excellent characters built with layers both inside and outside of the game, similarly avid gremlin-esque gamers like Sunraku, role-players, try-harders, and one girl who has an itchy trigger finger every time Sunraku is around. The game even includes guilds, some of which are known for their player killing. Some of the supporting cast can get a little rote, particularly Rei Saiga, whose character can be explained with "is interested in Sunraku" "is too shy to tell him" and "has become a force of nature in this game," but the AI characters make up for it by having their own distinctive personalities and goals. It helps that this series can plunge hard into the goofy side, particularly as the various rabbits Sunraku associate with try to hide themselves on his person, and almost every end card includes a chuckle-worthy couple of character-centered minutes.
It's a show that's easy to enjoy and surprisingly deeper than it looks. While a lot of that depth still seems to only be teased up to this point - the game devs have gotten scant little screen time (not that I want attention pulled from Sunraku), and broader bits of lore regarding what game progress means are still only being teased, particularly in the finale - the fact that this series does such a solid job setting things up is reason enough for me to love it. Glad to see we only have to wait until the Fall season for more!
MirkoAnime22
First of all I must say that I liked this season. The characters were all very good and easy written, so that everyone can understand they`re motives. The animation looks very good, especially the fights. Also the fact that Sunraku is known as someone who prefers "Trash Games" over masterpieces but fell in love with the king of VR Games Shangri-La Frontier is very good. The story itself is well written not too complicated but also not kindergarten caliber. The Openings and Endings are also very good. And the OST is also good. The world design is also good. I like it when animes focusingon world-building and not only on fights. The character design is very good. I like the fact that Sunraku is wearing an bird mask to hide his face. Also the supporting characters looking very good.
All in all is Shangri-La Frontier an hidden gem because it`s not getting the recognition what it`s deserve. I`m looking forward for the second season and hope also for an complete adaptation from the manga.
Cheers!
Koray_Tamer
As someone who loves Dark Souls-style games, I really enjoyed the character's thinking and playstyle. *Wethermon was excellent; the best animations were used in those segments. Hayami Show was a great choice for a voice actor. I would add this video game-themed anime to the list of anime I like, such as Log Horizon, Overlord, and the first season of SAO. Of course, it's not a perfect anime; it has its shortcomings... Why are those damn rabbits even there? The anime spends so much time filling up with the ridiculous rabbit kingdom and its silly rabbits. Every time Emul makes a joke or I hear that high-pitched, annoyingvoice, I turn my head to the second screen. It not only makes the anime feel more childish but also keeps it from exploring the game's world by spending too much time in the rabbits' territory.
Psyger-0, go get some therapy; you're such an obsessive and pointless character, stealing unnecessary screen time. The mini segments that appeared in the last minutes of every episode were bad and almost all of them were unnecessary; there's no need to watch when the ending comes.
For the game's world, the stories involving substantial characters, and the boss battles, I’d give an 8. However, for everything related to those damn rabbits (except Vysache), I’d want to give a 5 or 6.
So, I’ll settle on a 7 overall.
Blazurai
Shangri-La Frontier is an anime I put off finishing for quite a while, like to the point where I stopped watching it halfway and didn't start again until it was over. I'm very glad I did that, and picked it back up again. This anime, in simple terms, is like 2024's version of Sword Art Online, but better, and I guess minus the romance & dying consequences. I genuinely really enjoyed watching this anime originally, and now watching it again has made me realize how good a lot of things are in it. The good: #1: GREAT visuals, sfx, and artstyle. Has a lot of little quirks/QoL. #2: Has someof the greatest choreographed fight scenes and... well just fights in general. Really impressive artwork and cohesiveness. The boss fights in particular, especially the Lich, were really cool to see.
#3: Has a ton of really cool side stories/time lines happening all at once, in a good way.
#4: The IRL aspect ties in well with the VR aspect.
#5: Has a lot of traits of other animes, like romance, fantasy.
#6: Very nicely written ideas, like for example integrating other games into the story. Does it a lot better than SAO.
#7: The main game they play, Shangri-La Frontier, genuinely looks so fun to the point I wish it were real.
#8: Great worldbuilding.
The bad:
#1: The CGI was decent.. for the most part, but it was still CGI. The CGI used stuck out like a sore thumb, and some towards the end looked terrible. (the crystal scorpions)
#2: I wish there were more details about the other characters IRL lives. Like for example, we've seen both the MC and the other "pro gamer" in real life a little, but we know nothing about the other two. (minus the fact that one is in love with the MC, and the other character is a model)
#3: Wish the romance was honed in a little more.
Basically, these are very little complaints, moreso just nitpicks.
Was the anime good?
Definitely! This was something I desperately needed after the drought I experienced from JJK S2 ending.
Would you recommend it to others?
100%. This is an anime I feel as though anyone could get into.
Tuning into the season 2?
Yes, if I remember. It comes out relatively soon I think? (as of 4/1/24)
Overall rating:
9.3/10
