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

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Oh yeah this one is a special treat, I'm already hugely into stories involving some form of video game aspect, and this one is a truly immersive virtual reality game played by a top tier gamer (unironic), dude seeks out bad games and basks in the jank. There's a consistent level of hype rising as the main game (Shangri-La Frontier or SLF) unravels mystery after mystery and the game's plot is slightly stagnant until this crazy kid joins the game and breaks it somewhat. His lack of fear and his knowledge of shitty games' mechanics translates pretty well into the world, allowing him to go ... for a luck/crit based character whose signature bird mask gains his some recognition is a contradictory character both impeded and aided by curses and debuffs and buffs and a whole slew of broken powers with crazy limitations. It is entertaining that the main character has thus far (230 chapters in) been stupid in some aspects and game-savvy in others, his brokenness hasn't been annoying because he has good comrades around him who contribute to his gains and they cooperate to defeat nigh-invincible bosses.

So yeah I got ahead of myself, but you can read the synopsis elsewhere. What I think this manga does well is pacing: there are multi-chapter fights but since the game lore promises to be so vast, the fight against certain antagonists evolves in a multi-stage manner and each time the heroes figure something out to best the challenge. The 3rd (?) battle against the underwater antagonist is extremely long and tied to figuring out the mystery of a town and entangles various NPCs and what should be a burdensome slog week by week with ballooning character numbers is handled in a timely manner with each character getting a chance to shine.

There's one slight annoyance that I don't see clearing up any time soon. The main character in real life knows a strong player from the game (a legendary character within a really established clan) and it's a girl who has a huge crush on him and avoids him or stumbles across her words when chatting to him. I know it's a kind of slow burn thing that maybe she has to build her confidence but it's not the best aspect of the story considering she plays a really cool, noble knight character so I think she should get that boost somehow but who knows, maybe the main dude has the similar aromantic vibes of Luffy like he's just jumping around being audacious and alluring for people because of skill and interpersonal relationship things are less important, who knows.

I like the outside life and its integration into the game, for example there's a fighting game that runs on a similar engine as SLF so the main trio of characters go to test out the VR machines and premiere a fun game in an arena style and the author and artist get to flex their fighting game flow so that's a switch-up from the mainline fantasy world. And at times, the main guy gets to try different games that translate into SLF with a skill or lesson, it's fun, they all build on each other.

I cannot speak for the connection to the light novel, nor can i connect it to the anime itself but this is a fun adaptation that's full or neat twists and gamer-relatable material such as grinding or wanting top loot, it's silly at many times but doesn't lose sight of its main objective. There's a lot of lore that remains as of yet unexplored but it is announcing the goalposts with regards to the main fights the narrative must tend to (there are seven colossi which seem like endgame material and by now, we know the names and statuses of 5 so things are heating up!) Super fun and so far one of the more engaging and accurate gaming representations despite it all being super advanced ultra-bananas virtual reality machines.

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 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 story. 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.