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

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Shangri-La Frontier is a manga that drew me in real good at the start and held my attention pretty well for the next 96 chapters. This author very obviously knows his stuff when it comes to action RPGs and put a ton of thought into creating the imaginary video game this manga is named after. Discovering more and more about this game world from the perspective of Sunraku was very entertaining for me for a time and I enjoyed the steady drip of exciting quests, new locations, mechanics, equipment and so forth that we expect to see in a good open world RPG. Sunraku himself ... is also a rather novel character to me as someone who has honed his skills through the obsessive enjoyment of poorly designed trash games.

With that all that being said, I did slowly but steadily lose interest in this series until finally deciding to drop it once and for all on chapter 96. It never failed to continue presenting what seems like a very good video game, but the thing is that this author isn't actually making a game, but writing a story. He has one part of a good story with excellent and thoughtful world building, but he's unfortunately not nearly as good at writing interesting and compelling characters to drive that story forward.

The author has populated the world with tons of characters, but none of them really go beyond the stereotypes they're based off. Their dialogue and interactions all felt painfully shallow and predictable to me after a while and I didn't feel invested in any of their personal stories, not that I ever actually learned very much about any of them across 96 whole chapters. I did say that Sunraku was a novel character at first, but playing shitty games and being a god gamer is really his entire personality. I also started to get bored by how Sunraku is effortlessly so much better than the millions of others supposedly playing Shangri-La Frontier, including those who are also the best of the best and playing the game much longer than him. He starts to feel exactly like the "Invincible Hero" trope that One Punch Man parodies so well, and this is despite the fact that the author did try to give him weaknesses as a glass canon.

To conclude, I don't think it's an awful show. The author did some things very well and others rather poorly. Some people aren't going to be nearly as bothered by these templated characters and that's fine. They just failed at being interesting characters to me and it slowly but progressively started to outweigh the fun I was having witnessing the interesting game world the author thought up.

Shocked how underrated this series is for being a pretty big hit in Japan, like MMOs and wish more series were about the strategy and teamwork aspect other than just powering up to beat the villain with friendship? This is a series for you! Our Main Character (username: Rakurou) is a gaming recluse who only plays the shittiest games on the market for the thrill of challenging himself until one day he joins the most popular MMO in Japan at the time, seeking a new thrill in an actual well made game for once and uncovers the many mysteries about this mysterious AAA MMO's world ... and it's bosses. Yet upon arrival he is spawn killed by a world boss and cursed to only be able to wear a headpiece and basic knives, now having an even greater challenge due to his near permanent nerf until the boss is defeated. The games plot is tied to many world events that no single player has ever finished due to the high skill gap and challenge required. Outstanding action and detail about the games mechanics and world are given, the grind is shown off from enemies to weapon crafting, and the game lore of NPCs who are almost too real at times always keep things fresh. One extremely cool thing is that Rakurou will log off and play other games to come up with other strategies and we see what other kings of games he plays, one in particular is a cheaply made fighting game in the vein of Hokuto no Ken, or another castle plundering MMO which has had it's economy destroyed due to toxic players. The first raid boss arc was just finished as of writing this and it went in detail on abilities, game strategies, team work/co-op, all done in quite a long stretch of chapters, each going into different phases of the fight and the detail on the bosses attacks, buffs, defense, and triggers. This has me extremely excited for future encounters and what's to come next.

Shangri-La Frontier stands as a pinnacle within the VRMMORPG manga genre, setting itself apart from the standard tropes of powering up through friendship. Authored with a clear understanding of gaming intricacies, it’s evident that the creator is a seasoned gamer. Fun fact: the manga even experienced a hiatus due to the author's addiction to Elden Ring.

What truly sets this work apart is its unique approach to Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (VRMMORPGs). It delves into strategic gameplay, teamwork dynamics, and the challenges inherent in the gaming world. The narrative excels in detailing the game mechanics, establishing a vivid world, and highlighting the significance ... of teamwork to conquer formidable adversaries.

The manga enthralls with its meticulous and adrenaline-pumping action sequences. It navigates character relationships while portraying gaming as an engaging and serious endeavor. Instead of relying on worn-out clichés, the storyline focuses on unraveling mysteries and overcoming obstacles, fostering a sense of cooperative yet competitive spirit.

What's commendable is the diversity showcased among player types, notably explored through the introduced guilds. Each guild has a distinct focus, whether it's about vanquishing the formidable colossi or exploring the game's rich lore.

A significant aspect of the protagonist's character is their skill without falling into the overpowered protagonist stereotype. The need for occasional grinding to level up or acquire better equipment adds depth. Furthermore, the absence of plot armor, or at least its subtle use, is a refreshing change.

The manga's ability to allow the protagonist to venture into other games injects a breath of fresh air into the storyline. To top it off, the quality of the artwork is nothing short of impressive, contributing significantly to the overall experience.

In summary, Shangri-La Frontier is a standout in the VRMMORPG genre, defying conventional tropes and offering a refreshing, strategic take on gaming narratives.

Shangri-La Frontier is perhaps the best ongoing shounen series. (As of chapter 85)

It ticks all the boxes:

Rivalry between parties

All encompassing story arc journeys

Friendship/camaraderie

... The final end goal the cast wants to achieve

Amazing fights

(spoilers here)

ALL of this without a single need for real people to die. There is barely any sappy romance or bullshit in this series. The genuine excitement and competition from all the different factions who wish to search for unique monsters/events seeps through the page, you cant help but root for them.

The world of SLF is a MMO that actually makes sense game design wise. Players always try breaking the game in creative ways. Hoard and explore almost every nook and cranny. Form parties just to hunt a single unique monster. Actually plan for boss raids.

The main character actually fails his first fight with a boss, and when he does succeed its because two other insane and rich enough players used extensive planning and quick thinking to fell a mighty foe.

The tryhard gang, Pencilgon, Sunraku and Oicazzo have such good chemistry, undercutting each other in funny ways while always having each other's backs

Find the McGuffin quests are never a slob and actually turn out with results rather than prolong the story for another 500 chapters.

It has been a while since an action series has made me giddy with excitement while i look forward to each new chapter. 10/10.

Long story short, this is a simple yet well executed shounen series. I will wait in bated breath for each new chapter.

Shangri-La Frontier is essentially the story of "Gamer plays a video game." While the story isn’t bad, there’s no real stake or substantial plot. All stories rely on at least one pillar: plot, character, gimmick, genre. The problem with this story is that it doesn’t have a plot beyond “guy plays a VRMMORPG”. To put it another way it’s like a manga version of watching someone stream a game on Twitch or even watching a walkthrough of the game online.
The beginning chapters are basically gaming but the story does improve dramatically after two more main characters are introduced and the "party" is formed. There is ... also the "romantic interest" with the one-sided crush on the MC who adds a nice bit of flavor to the story but has yet to develop. The manga is good for the genre but unremarkable in its plot. The story shines with its world building and characters who take a while to warm up but once they do have incredible comedic chemistry and humor. The art is the same as it also improves to become more expressive and entertaining.
As far as I can tell the MC's only character trait is "gamer" and he has nothing remarkable going on in his real life that would make him stand out from the millions of other gamers in the world besides his tendency to play "trash games". it doesn’t rely on a ridiculous gimmick but it doesn’t have anything that really engages the reader. The author clearly wanted to write a down to earth story about vr gaming with a well structured realistic video game world that doesn’t rely on gimmicks or tropes, but it puts it at a disadvantage if it doesn’t have a strong plot. The characters are great but their personalities and "gamer" traits can make the dialogue a tedious slog. For example, there is a lot of exposition where the characters have to explain core gameplay elements to the reader as well as the mechanics found in RPG's. In other words there is a lot of exposition to shift through that has little to do with the plot and more flexing how thought out the fake RPG world is.
The biggest issue is that there is no conflict or stakes beyond just playing the game against other players which isn't exactly engaging storytelling unless you invested in the characters in the first place. The second issue is the combat. This being a RPG story there is a lot of fighting monsters and true to the realistic progression the story implements to make it as RPG-ish as possible, the fighting can go on way longer than it should. If you've ever played an RPG and fought a "secret boss" then you know that they can take a while to beat. And this story doesn't cut corners like other stories in the genre.
I enjoyed this story quite a bit. Compared to other stories of this genre, it takes longer to accomplish missions or tasks but the characters interactions and the creativity of the RPG world itself make up for it.

Highly recommended for fans of the genre and those intrigued by mechanics in RPG/Action/Tactical games. This manga might be the closest I've come to playing a soulslike through a reading experience.

The universe, skillfully crafted, presents a "main mission" so vaguely outlined that it leaves the characters with the role of sewing their own desires into the game, resulting in an unpredictable progression of the storyline. By following the individual stories and motivations of the protagonist and the captivating supporting cast, we are immersed in a disorderly and chaotic experience, authentically reflecting the real-life experience of exploring a complex game for the first time.

There are, of ... course, some milestones already set and others still obscure, demonstrating the untapped potential of that universe, but the story can be defined as the day-to-day life of players exploring the world, pursuing their objectives cooperatively or competitively, and even playing other games.

I believe that, even considering the already saturated genre of isekai productions and/or the exploration of VRMMO themes, there are few stories within this realm of possibilities that aim to portray the behavior and personalities of players in their natural online habitat as naturally and realistically as Shangri-la Frontier does.

The attempts of Sunrako to understand and break the logic of the developers ingame to achieve their goals are not rare, leading to a wide range of outcomes. Unlike other series, Shangri-la Frontier focuses on skill-based gameplay, not idealizing addictive elements. It showcases diverse player approaches and the success of balanced games in the long run.

In summary, Shangri-la Frontier is a passion-driven, well-balanced, and realistic gaming experience in form of a manga. A must-read for genre fans and those seeking a refreshing MMORPG story with beautiful action.

Reading Shangri-La Frontier was one of the best surprises of 2022 for me. What I at first thought to be your typical SAO clone eventually peeled open to be one of the best VR Isekai stories I had the pleasure of enjoying. Reading the first 50 odd chapters of Shangri-La frontier reminded me of the immense hype I felt watching the first 3 episodes of SAO's first season in my youth (before the thrilling stakes SAO had established and hyped up had become toppled by poor storytelling and characterisations).

It features an intriguing mystery (with arguably low stakes, but my interest remains due to how ... it depicts lore), a well-paced story, exceptional action sequences, and perhaps most importantly, very competent characterisation. Contrary to Kirito who was exceptionally overpowered due to some contrivance of reflex or something, the main character, Sunraku's skill in the game was not only properly explained and set up but it is very much a part of his character and history. Shangri-La manages to build and properly justify its power fantasy in a believable and satisfying way - while this may seem like an incredibly minute point, in such works it is the little things that really matter.

Moreover, Shangri-La emphasises the pleasure of the journey and doesn't massively time skip away to different parts of the story in order to avoid the cumbersome parts of levelling and whatnot. It does so very competently I might add, avoiding boring moments and keeping a logical and nice pace to everything. Also, the manga develops some interesting game-like elements of its world. Throwing in ideas of exploiting the game design in order to get a leg up over others or to beat a boss. It's quite compelling stuff.

Clearly, this is a long-running series and there is certainly a wealth of story that needs to be adapted and drawn, but so far, after its first major arc, this manga still manages to be compelling, constantly teasing more of the mystery and adventure that is to come.

I do have some complaints, however... Shangri-La may eventually succumb to the typical overpowered narrative, where characters become so incredibly powerful that you will need to keep track of the 101 items/friends made on the way, making following the story incredibly convoluted. Not to mention, this will also diminish the thrill of the underdog fighting impossible odds that made the initial part of the manga so darn compelling. Still, this is a problem for this kind of long-running stories in general, and I suppose this issue is merely a part of the journey. (Also seems like quite a bit of characters are girls due to the game avatar thing, I know having female characters usually helps to charm a dominantly male demographic but sometimes easing off on this stuff would make the story more 'realistic')

All in all, I can't believe that there are people sleeping on this. This beats OG SAO in its own game. I am very compelled to see how the story develops. (If there are some subpar Isekais getting anime adaptations, this will for sure see the light of day on the big screen).

''Considering the future is good and all, why make the 'now' boring?'' Shangri-La Frontier just isn't one of the best video game manga ever written; from consistent and powerful story to contrasting art to dialogues which raises your heartbeat with every word, it has the potential to be one of the best manga you've ever read. It's the adaptation of a novel. And adaptations of good works turns out even better, when in the right hands. You are going to like and love every single character, along with every element of this work. And that’s true for everyone, as I am myself a video game ... hater.

Excelent series! This series is about a guy who likes bad videogames finally challenging a god-tier game with all the gaming skills he acquired while playing sh1tty games.
The characters are amazing, MC is a very ENTP guy, basically a moderate Rick Sanchez, he does everything for the lols and is always looking for new challenges to beat.
Even though the series is called Shangri-La Frontier, that is the main game of the series, there are several arcs on other games like Berserk Online Passion, Nephilim Hollow and Galaxy Heroes: Chaos (one of the best arcs of the mangá).
The point of ... the series is to unravel the story and lore of the world of Shangri-La. The fights are amazing, the characters are amazing (if you just like generic moe or furry clichés you won't like it), almost all of the characters have strong personalities, so no basic shy and dumb characters, everyone is very assertive and aren't very sensitive, they have the type of camaraderie that allows them to mock each other without making drama about it.
If you like the manga you should read the webnovel.

This work is very original for this genre, the beginning is catchy and the characters are rather well drawn and in harmony with their character.

The goal of the hero is presented rather quickly but correctly and it makes you want to follow his adventures.

The game resources are really well used (NPCs for example)

Also, the world of this manga is very beautiful and also seems really vast!
And for our greatest pleasure the monsters are rather original and of course the unique monsters are charismatic !

I highly recommend this work to fans of this kind of manga but even to novices in the genre who will appreciate ... (I hope) this work!