Anime Review: SHANGRI-LA FRONTIER SEASON 2 is at full throttle from the get go

©Katarina, Ryosuke Fuji, KODANSHA/ “Shangri-La Frontier” Production Committee, MBS

Directed by Toshiyuki Kubooka
Series Composition & Script Written by Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
Japanese Voice Cast: Yuma Uchida, Azumi Waki, Yoko Hisaka, Makoto Koichi, Rina Hidaka
Studio: C2C

Here’s an early glimpse into the first episode of Shangri-la Frontier Season 2! The series is written by Katarina and adapted into a manga by  Ryosuke Fuji. The first part of the anime adaptation hit is in Crunchyroll‘s library for the Fall of 2023 season. Lucky for us fans, the continuation didn’t keep us waiting long.

Let’s take a spoiler-free look into what the first episode has to offer.

What Shangri-la Frontier is about

You won’t catch Rakuro, a.k.a Sunraku, playing those fancy-schmancy-state-of-the-art VR games. He’s a renowned “crap game hunter”; games so buggy that its players utilize these bugs as their techniques in-game. For the first time, he is tempted to try Shangri-la Frontier, a new open-world VR game everyone’s been raving about. He goes in confident that he won’t be swayed but ends up being engrossed in its smooth gameplay and interesting lore. Shangri-la Frontier 1, Rakuro/Sunraku 0.

Picking up right from where the first season left Sunraku is on a quest to obtain a magic operations unit. However, only an Ancient Craftsman can fix a unit from the Divinity. Sunraku’s logic is simple: if there’s no Ancient Craftsman around, Bilac has to become one! Bilac has already helped Sunraku plenty when forging weapons. So they set out on a quest to cultivate Bilac and acquire necessary items along the way.

©Katarina, Ryosuke Fuji, KODANSHA/ “Shangri-La Frontier” Production Committee, MBS

I have to confess, I’m not a gamer. And even though I gave Shangri-la Frontier a chance, I wasn’t optimistic. Some of the gaming jargon did go over my head but I myself was surprised by how invested I became, to the point of excitedly looking forward to the new episode week after week! I’ll admit enjoying seeing a half-naked birdman running around with a talking bunny and messing things up wasn’t in my 2023 bingo card, but I’m glad I gave it a try.

The aspects that enticed me in the first season are carried over into the new season. I personally like to look for diverse body shapes and characters in fantasy as that’s one of the biggest appeals of the genre to me, be it in a game setting or an alternate universe created anew. I like series that can get as weird or nonhuman as they like where it would still make sense in that universe. Seeing certain shows where every character is super beautiful or jacked, charismatic, and cool unless they are evil or a monster to be slain, feels like a missed potential.

Charmingly diverse and goofy

In Shangri-la Frontier, there’s a lot of variety, especially when it comes to character designs and NPCs. Sunraku himself generally runs around in a bird mask and jean shorts but chooses a very lame white garment when he wants to conceal his in-game identity that simply looks like he’s trick-or-treating during Halloween. Rei Saiga, Rakuro’s schoolmate, uses a giant armor that towers over other characters. Sunraku’s close companion Emul, and the other Vorpal Bunnies are all starkingly different. The series is visually satisfying and I’m looking forward to every new character I’ll meet this new season.

Sunraku’s friendship with Arthur Pencilgon and OiKatzo, his former fellow “crap game” enthusiasts he reunited in Shangri-la Frontier, is also well written. They don’t do the ‘my ride or die’ sort of shonen anime bromance. Instead, they cooperate if their objectives align, constantly bicker and jab at each other. At the end of the previous season, Sunraku left these two on read to fulfill a mission he’s more interested in and will benefit from. I can only imagine the havoc these two will wreak when they get their hands on Sunraku.

©Katarina, Ryosuke Fuji, KODANSHA/ “Shangri-La Frontier” Production Committee, MBS

As it was with the first season, this episode is high-paced and mixes in mouth-wateringly good action scenes with chock-full of explosions and lots of comedic moments. Especially the blast and its aftereffect during the final seconds of the monster our party has defeated was animated spectacularly. The previous season maintained its animation quality from start to finish. So I hope C2C can maintain the same level throughout the second one as well.

With a sword-wielding cat Aramiys overdressed for the occasion joining the party and a brand new area to explore, Shangri-la Frontier Season 2 continues as if it never took a break. Hence this new episode pretty much follows the last episode of the previous season timeline-wise, instead of introducing completely new events or characters

©Katarina, Ryosuke Fuji, KODANSHA/ “Shangri-La Frontier” Production Committee, MBS

If you enjoyed the first season, I’m sure you’re tuned in for the continuation as well. However, if it’s your first time hearing about Shangri-la Frontier, or you passed the chance, I hope this review becomes the sign you were looking for to give this birdman in jorts flashing his curse marks a go.

Shangri-la Frontier will start streaming on October 13th, 2024 on Crunchyroll. New episodes drop every Sunday.