Coming up in October the first season of Shangri-La Frontier is coming out. And it’s one of my most anticipated anime releases in a while. Why, because I randomly decided to pick up the manga for it, and I got hooked. So, spoilers, I really enjoy Shangri-La Frontier, but why do I like it as much as I do?

The Plot

Shangri-La Frontier, while it looks odd from the images, is a VRMMORPG manga where the main character is known for one thing. He’s known for loving and beating the worst games out there. Then comes along a new game, Shangri-La Frontier. A game that is not horrible. But one that promises to be a great game, and Sunraku is created in that world.

As it turns out, being very good at bad games makes you much stronger or more adaptable in good games. And soon Sunraku is starting to explore mysteries of the game that weren’t meant to be found for a long time. Of course, there are some drawbacks as well when he gets cursed, but he’s used to having an uphill battle.

The World of Shangri-La Frontier

I think one thing that makes this manga stand out to me is the world that they are creating. It is fairly common for MMORPG’s in manga to be pretty generic. They all try and do something different, I won’t say that they don’t, but often times, it follows more of a predictable pattern.

Shangri-La Frontier does a good job of offering predictable patterns but also then unique things. One of the early unique things you’ll meet are the rabbits. This whole world within the world of Rabbituza and other creatures. It’s a twist done some for comedy but also it builds on the lore of the world.

And it is the depth of the world building as well. As you get further into the story, you see the progression of the world and story that it is trying to build. I think it’s interesting how, as part of the manga, this whole other world has been created as it’s own living entity in the game.

Sunraku

Now, Sunraku isn’t the most unique character out there. In fact, I think that there is a lot of overlap with him and Kirito from Sword Art Online. Both of them fall into a category of not playing too well with others but have a heart that is willing to help others.

That is a trope that I like. I am not a fan of when an anime or manga leans into edge lords, but on the other extreme, when the main character is overly emotional as well, Midoriya from My Hero Academia, that is annoying as well. So it’s a character who cares, but not to the point where it’s at a level that it holds back the character.

No An Isekai

Let’s also talk about that, this is going to feel a bit like an isekai to some because the characters spend almost all their time in the video game. We rarely see outside into the real world. But it’s like Bofuri and Sword Art Online that way. The real world and connection to the real world still exists.

I very much enjoy isekai, but right now there are a ton of them. I recently started one where someone was reincarnated as a vending machine. Or I’m reading one where someone came back as a sword. It’s definitely scraping towards the bottom of the barrel with them. Not to say that all of them are that rough, but I do think it’s worth noting that some of them are and the saturation point. By just making it an VRMMORPG it is different.

Who Is Shangri-La Frontier For?

I think that this is going to have a bit of a wider appeal than the normal fantasy manga storylines. The world building, like I talked about, is better, and I think the supporting cast is interesting. And I can’t speak for the anime, obviously, since that isn’t out yet, but the manga doesn’t lean into fan service. I’d say that it actually does a good job of just being normal, which I think will help with the audience as well.

My Final Thoughts on Shangri-La Frontier

I’m not sure I have a ton more to say about it. I very much enjoy it, and it’s one where I am going to keep on reading it. I will also be watching the anime when that comes out to see how it shows it off. I think the best comparisons are things like Sword Art Online and Bofuri which I really like both of them.

Honestly, some of why I like this genre as much as I do might be because I just enjoy the idea of playing in another world. It is probably why I like D&D and watch movies, or get invested into television shows. It’s fun to see a world, in the manga, where that exists. It’s the escapism element of it and imagining what a VRMMORPG will be like in real life when it happens.

But even without that, I think that the story is strong. I like the characters and I want to see what they get up to. And I think when you care about what the characters do next, that’s always a good sign for a story.

Have you read Shangri-La Frontier? Let me know your thoughts on it. Or is it one that now sounds interesting to you?

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