Shangri-La border is one of the newest anime to air in fall 2023 on Crunchyroll, and it’s off to a great start. The anime stars Rakuro Hizutome, a boy with a hobby of playing notoriously terrible VRMMO games so that he can master them despite their various flaws and glitches. One day, Rakuro decided to play a really good game for the first time in years, the world-famous Shangri-La Frontier, and through his Sunraku avatar, he found himself ecstatic to be playing a game that without any flaws, especially since his experience with “junk games” allows him to play at a different level than the average player.
There’s only been one episode of Shangri-La Frontier so far, but from that alone, it’s considered a great addition to the Fall 2023 lineup. The basic premise of a VRMMO game may no longer be unique unique, but the cast and overall presentation, at least from the series premiere, add life to the game and help it stand out from its contemporaries. It’s unknown what direction the show will take, but at the very least, episode 1 of Shangri-La Frontier has a lot to offer for those looking for a new anime to watch.
Shangri-La Frontier doesn’t have any shares and that’s why it’s interesting
One of Shangri-La Frontier’s biggest selling points is that the show doesn’t seem to have any stakes to speak of. In VRMMO anime, most notably Sword Art Online, there is often some aspect of the game that endangers humans that the protagonist must prevent, usually finding a way to save people after they become trapped in game. However, Shangri-La Frontier seems to revolve entirely around Sunraku and the rest of the game’s cast, meaning it could just focus on delivering a fun time without getting bogged down by the pacing There are too many stories now.
Of course, the idea of not really betting on the series worked well thanks to Sunraku’s personality. Sunraku is portrayed as someone who just wants to have a good time, no matter how much effort he has to put in to make it happen, something that would be more difficult to do in a more serious show than this one. this program. It is through Sunraku’s personality that Shangri-La Frontier’s easy-going atmosphere is able to shine through and thus it is able to stand out from its contemporaries. The idea that Sunraku becomes good at mastering bad (and thus harder) games is also an interesting new take on the overpowered use of the overpowered protagonist that’s so common in the setting. isekai. It stems from the main character’s abilities thanks to effort and not just luck, which is quite new.
Shangri-La Frontier’s animation & direction are among fall 2023’s best films
Another appeal of Shangri-La Frontier is the excellent animation and direction it boasts. Every scene in episode #1 has incredibly smooth animation accompanied by impeccable art and choreography, so from start to finish, this is one of the best anime to watch this season in terms of visual aesthetics. pure photo. Series director Toshiyuki Kubooka is known for producing anime like Gunbuster, Giant Robo, and Berserk: The Golden Age Arc, so with that pedigree, it’s no surprise that this anime has such great animation. so right from the start.
Animation aside, Shangri-La Frontier’s overall direction is commendable. The lighting and composition always work wonders when it comes to making every scene—whether in game or real life—come to life, and the vibrant score featuring Ryūichi Takada, Kuniyuki Takahashi, and Keiichi Hirokawa elevates The mood goes up to great effect every time the scene starts playing. If there’s anything to take away Shangri-La border episode #1, it’s team behind it has put in a lot of effort to make its presentation as awesome as possible and with a winning premise backing it, it’s sure to be one of the hits. Best guests of Fall 2023.
Shangri-La border releases new episodes Sundays on Crunchyroll.
