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.
