Shangri-La Frontier: Kusoge Hunter, Kamige ni Idoman to su

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]

Hizutome, Rakurou Main

Uchida, Yuuma Japanese

Emul Supporting

Hidaka, Rina Japanese

Amane, Towa Supporting

Hikasa, Youko Japanese

Saiga, Rei Supporting

Waki, Azumi Japanese

Vysache Supporting

Ootsuka, Akio Japanese

Uomi, Kei Supporting

Koichi, Makoto Japanese

Hakamori no Wethermon Supporting

Hayami, Show Japanese

Bilac Supporting

Tomita, Miyu Japanese

Saiga, Momo Supporting

Hanamori, Yumiri Japanese

Elke Supporting

Yasuno, Kiyono Japanese

Yamada, Ryousuke Producer

Shimada, Yousuke Producer

Hayasaka, Kazumasa Producer

Kubooka, Toshiyuki Director

Reviews

Mar 31, 2024

KANLen09

Recommended

Well-written

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, few ... have 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.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Apr 3, 2024

ArchangelEST

Mixed Feelings

Well-written

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
-------------

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
---------------------

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.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Apr 3, 2024

chii

Not Recommended

Shangri-La Frontier feels like a very confused anime. The concept can be made interesting, but the series fails to achieve that. The story is very shallow, there's no aim to the actions taken by the protagonist or by the other characters in the game. There’s no common goal that everyone is going towards and there are no consequences for their actions. This makes the series very shallow and not enjoyable, in my opinion.

Main Story: There are many instances in the anime which have additional plot points, however it never seems to follow up on them - you're constantly thinking "so what?". The game mechanics are ... also poorly explained and seem like a side-thought, without being properly incorporated into the anime. It’s hard to review the story, when the anime feels like it just doesn’t have one. The episodes are very chaotic and generally they do not follow up from each other. E.g. There’s a training arc, but there is afterwards no consequence to the series based on the training arc.

Characters: The MC is not likeable - very often I found myself thinking "if he's such a good gamer, why is he not doing X". The other characters are basically non-existent. There are very few interactions with them, some just showing up for a few minutes. None of the characters develop over time or face any struggle. They just exist in the world.

Enjoyment: I did not enjoy this series. There was nothing in it that kept me interested in what will happen next nor anything I could root for. The story, world and characters were all shallow.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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