Shangri-La Frontier
First tankōbon volume cover of the manga
シャングリラ・フロンティア～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～
(Shangurira Furontia ~ Kusogē hantā, Kamigē ni Idoman to su ~)
Genre
Novel series
Written byKatarina
Published byShōsetsuka ni Narō
Original runMay 2017 – present
Manga
Written byKatarina
Illustrated byRyosuke Fuji
Published byKodansha
English publisher
ImprintShōnen Magazine Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Magazine
DemographicShōnen
Original runJuly 15, 2020 – present
Volumes15
Anime television series
Directed byToshiyuki Kubooka
Written byKazuyuki Fudeyasu
Music by
  • Ryūichi Takada
  • Kuniyuki Takahashi
  • Keiichi Hirokawa
StudioC2C
Licensed byCrunchyroll
Original networkJNN (MBS, TBS)
Original run October 1, 2023 – present
Episodes9
Game
DeveloperNetmarble Nexus
PublisherNetmarble

Shangri-La Frontier[lower-alpha 1] is a Japanese web novel series written by Katarina. Its serialization began on the novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō in May 2017. No printed version of the novel series has been published yet. A manga adaptation, illustrated by Ryosuke Fuji, has been serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine since July 2020. An anime television series adaptation produced by C2C premiered in October 2023.

It won the 47th Kodansha Manga Award in the shōnen category in 2023.

Plot

The story is set in the near future, where games that use old-fashioned display screens are classified as retro games, while full-dive VR games have become commonplace. As a result of these games becoming mainstream, there exist many so-called "trash games": rushed, full of glitches, faulty games, the systems of which have not kept up with the improved visual technology. Rakuro Hizutome (陽務楽郎, Hizutome Rakurō), is a "trash game hunter", a great admirer of these usually shameful games, which he plays with the nickname Sunraku (サンラク), until he is able to master them regardless of the difficulty due to their glitches. Rakuro has cleared the oversized "Faeria Chronicle Online" trash game, and is suffering a sort of burnout syndrome. At the suggestion of the owner of his favorite game store, "RockRoll", he buys the best-selling and excellent "Shangri-La Frontier", a full-dive VR game with 30 million registered players. He enters the world of Shangri-La Frontier as the player character Sunraku, where all the skills he has attained as an expert trash game hunter will come in handy as he progresses in the game.

Characters

Sunraku (サンラク) / Rakurō Hizutome (陽務 楽郎, Hizutome Rakurō)
Voiced by: Yuma Uchida[2] (Japanese); Eric Vale[3] (English)
Psyger-0 (サイガー0, Saigā Zero) / Rei Saiga (斎賀 玲, Saiga Rei)
Voiced by: Azumi Waki[2] (Japanese); Corey Pettit[3] (English)
Arthur Pencilgon (アーサー・ペンシルゴン, Āsā Penshirugon) / Towa Amane (天音 永遠, Amane Towa)
Voiced by: Yoko Hikasa[2]
Oikatzo (オイカッツォ, Oikattso) / Kei Uomi (魚臣 慧, Uomi Kei)
Voiced by: Makoto Koichi[2]
Emul (エムル, Emuru)
Voiced by: Rina Hidaka[2] (Japanese); Molly Zhang[3] (English)
Viceash (ヴァイスアッシュ, Vaisuasshu)
Voiced by: Akio Otsuka[2]
Psyger-100 (サイガ-100, Saiga Handoreddo)[4] / Momo Saiga (斎賀 百, Saiga Momo)
Voiced by: Yumiri Hanamori[5]
Animalia (アニマリア, Animaria)
Voiced by: Sayaka Senbongi[5]
Orcelott (オルスロット, Orusurotto)
Voiced by: Seiichiro Yamashita[5]
Setsuna Amatsuki / Tōki Hi no Setsuna
Voiced by: Asami Seto[6]
Wezaemon the Tombguard
Voiced by: Show Hayami[6]

Production

The author Katarina read The Irregular at Magic High School on Shōsetsuka ni Narō while living overseas. He found the novel interesting and therefore started to think of writing novels. At that time, reincarnation-type stories were popular in that website and there was a period that he read only fantasy stories. However, he once read a virtual reality-type story and found it very amazing. Inspired by that work, he started writing Shangri-La Frontier.[7]

The anime project was proposed in February 2020, which was before the serialization of the manga series.[8]

Media

Web novel

The series written by Katarina was serialized online from May 2017 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō.[9] No printed version of the novel series has been published yet.

Manga

A manga adaptation illustrated by Ryosuke Fuji has been serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine since July 15, 2020.[10] Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on October 16, 2020.[11] A promotional video, narrated by Azumi Waki and featuring Yuma Uchida as Sunraku, was posted on July 7, 2021, for the series' first anniversary.[12] As of October 17, 2023, fifteen volumes have been released.[13]

In North America, Kodansha USA announced the English language digital release of the manga in November 2020.[14] In November 2021, Kodansha USA announced that they would begin releasing the series in print,[15] with the first volume released on September 6, 2022.[16]

Volumes

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 October 16, 2020[11][17]978-4-06-521529-6
978-4-06-521802-0 (LE)		December 8, 2020 (digital)
September 6, 2022 (print)[16]		978-1-64-651482-3
  • 1. "Why Do You Game?"
  • 2. "A Different Kind of Player"
  • 3. "The Black Wolf's Night Attack"
  • 4. "One Unique After Another"
  • 5. "Washing Down the Good Stuff with Kusoge"
2 December 17, 2020[18][19]978-4-06-521801-3
978-4-06-521529-6 (LE)		February 23, 2021 (digital)[20]
October 18, 2022 (print)		978-1-64-651483-0
  • 6. "Two Animals on a Mission"
  • 7. "Bird-Head & Bunny vs. Moleshark"
  • 8. "Flying Human, Hopping Bunny"
  • 9. "Beware, For Thine Enemies are Legion"
  • 10. "The Stationery-Knight Queen"
  • 11. "The Typhoon's Eye, Raging Inward"
  • 12. "Things Move"
  • 13. "Bearing Fruit"
  • 14. "Aberrant Woodmage, The Fallen Divine"
  • 15. "The 500-Limit Concerto and the Victory Seeker"
3 March 17, 2021[21][22]978-4-06-522220-1
978-4-06-522219-5 (LE)		August 3, 2021 (digital)[23]
December 27, 2022 (print)		978-1-64-651484-7
  • 16. "The 500-Limit Concerto and the Hopeful Dodger"
  • 17. "The Egyptian Art Guy, Soaring Through the Air"
  • 18. "A Dazzling Sea of Trees"
  • 19. "Taking Advantage of a Just Cause"
  • 20. "Bird Mask vs Clown Spider"
  • 21. "Let's Go Tomb Raiding!"
  • 22. "Shining True"
  • 23. "Steel Beyond Any Bound"
  • 24. "Multihued Fists of Fury"
  • 25. "Regret Always Lies in the Past"
4 June 17, 2021[24][25]978-4-06-523584-3
978-4-06-523585-0 (LE)		November 9, 2021 (digital)[26]
February 21, 2023 (print)		978-1-64-651485-4
  • 26. "Only the Lingering Regrets Remain"
  • 27. "The Well-Placed Backstory"
  • 28. "Challenging Unknown Martial Arts"
  • 29. "Smush!"
  • 30. "Last Rites Across the Threshold"
  • 31. "All Emotions in the Moment (Part 1)"
  • 32. "All Emotions in the Moment (Part 2)"
  • 33. "All Emotions in the Moment (Part 3)"
  • 34. "All Emotions in the Moment (Part 4)"
  • 35. "All Emotions in the Moment (Part 5)"
5 August 17, 2021[27][28]978-4-06-524483-8
978-4-06-524502-6 (LE)		January 11, 2022 (digital)[29]
April 25, 2023 (print)		978-1-64-651486-1
  • 36. "All Emotions in the Moment (Part 6)"
  • 37. "All Emotions in the Moment (Part 7)"
  • 38. "All Emotions in the Moment (Part 8)"
  • 39. "All Emotions in the Moment (Part 9)"
  • 40. "All Emotions in the Moment (Part 10)"
  • 41. "All Emotions in the Moment (Part 11)"
  • 42. "All Emotions in the Moment (Part 12)"
  • 43. "All Emotions in the Moment (Part 13)"
  • 44. "A World Progressed, a Hero Revealed"
  • 45. "Responsibility and Overkill"
6 November 17, 2021[30][31]978-4-06-526001-2
978-4-06-526002-9 (LE)		May 3, 2022 (digital)[32]
June 27, 2023 (print)		978-1-64-651659-9
  • 46. "The Current Situation and What Comes Next"
  • 47. "Wezaemon's Legacy"
  • 48. "Prof. Pencilgon's PK Laundering Seminar"
  • 49. "Fetching, Raising, Conquering"
  • 50. "The Metamorphosing Fashionista"
  • 51. "The Walking Air Refreshener"
  • 52. "Bird + Rabbits vs. Skull Choir"
  • 53. "Ah, Magic Jobs/All Paper Armor"
  • 54. "Rare Items: More Valuable than Life"
  • 55. "Judging an Item by its Cover"
7 January 17, 2022[33][34]978-4-06-526603-8
978-4-06-526604-5 (LE)		September 13, 2022 (digital)[35]
August 29, 2023 (print)		978-1-64-651660-5
  • 56. "Winning the Battle, Losing the War"
  • 57. "Howling Winds of Turmoil (and Cats)"
  • 58. "Explorer of the World's Darkness"
  • 59. "The Half-Naked Hero and Friends in Golem Paradise"
  • 60. "The Past Always Stabs You in the Back"
  • 61. "An Unfriendly Gate Guard
  • 62. "The Unknown, Concealing Good and Evil Until Revealed"
  • 63. "Dancing Conferences, Spinning Motives, and Zombies"
  • 64. "Accelerating Conference, Surging Greed, and Multiple Beginnings"
  • 65. "Know Whose Hand You Dance Upon"
8 April 15, 2022[36][37]978-4-06-527530-6
978-4-06-527528-3 (LE)		November 1, 2022 (digital)[38]
November 7, 2023 (print)		978-1-64-651809-8
  • 66. "All Things Must Fall, All of Creation Must Be Conquered"
  • 67. "Towards the Sky, Dreaming the Impossible"
  • 68. "Aloof Sympathy at the Scorpion Falls"
  • 69. "Impelled by Hunger"
  • 70. "A Tenacity Called Craving"
  • 71. "Despair After the Onslaught"
  • 72. "Like Eating Wheat Instead of Grain"
  • 73. "Twin Wings in a Drag"
  • 74. "The One Beckoning a New Tide"
  • 75. "Not a Fight, but a Hunt Where Predator Stalks Prey"
9 July 15, 2022[39][40]978-4-06-528432-2
978-4-06-528433-9 (LE)		January 3, 2023 (digital)[41]
December 26, 2023 (print)		978-1-64-651829-6
  • 76. "Like Lions Against Rabbits, A Crab's Pizza Cutter Against the Phoenix"
  • 77. "The "Winning is Everything" Counter"
  • 78. "What to Do, What to Aim For, What to Rely On"
  • 79. "Let Your Impatience Fuel You"
  • 80. "The Hammer of Justice to the Dressed-Up Clay Doll"
  • 81. "The Floating Freak Encounters the Battle Master"
  • 82. "Sniffing Out Like a Hunting Dog"
  • 83. "Embracing Your Ambitions in the Light (Part 1)"
  • 84. "Embracing Your Ambitions in the Light (Part 2)"
  • 85. "Embracing Your Ambitions in the Light (Part 3)"
10 September 16, 2022[42][43]978-4-06-529136-8
978-4-06-529137-5 (LE)		March 7, 2023 (digital)[44]
February 27, 2024 (print)[45]		978-1-64-651900-2
  • 86. "Embracing Your Ambitions in the Light (Part 4)"
  • 87. "Embracing Your Ambitions in the Light (Part 5)"
  • 88. "Embracing Your Ambitions in the Light (Part 6)"
  • 89. "Embracing Your Ambitions in the Light (Part 7)"
  • 90. "Embracing Your Ambitions in the Light (Part 8)"
  • 91. "Embracing Your Ambitions in the Light (Part 9)"
  • 92. "Embracing Your Ambitions in the Light (Part 10)"
  • 93. "Embracing Your Ambitions in the Light (Part 11)"
  • 94. "Embracing Your Ambitions in the Light (Part 12)"
  • 95. "Embracing Your Ambitions in the Light (Part 13)"
11 December 16, 2022[46][47]978-4-06-529989-0
978-4-06-529990-6 (LE)		May 2, 2023 (digital)[48]
April 30, 2024 (print)[49]		978-1-64-651949-1
  • 96. "Once in a Lifetime, Over and Over"
  • 97. "What Do You Game For? – Oikatzo's Reply"
  • 98. "What Do You Game For? – Pencilgon's Reply"
  • 99. "A Straight Flush, With a Joker Mixed In"
  • 100. "The Perishable Delivery"
  • 101. "The Scarlet Whale and the Monster of the Sea"
  • 102. "The Foul-Weather, Heavy-Waves San Check"
  • 103. "The Die Had Already Been Cast"
  • 104. "End of Tranquility, Dawn of the Ruined City"
  • 105. "A Shark and a Bird Resisting the Abyss"
12 March 16, 2023[50][51]978-4-06-531037-3
978-4-06-531036-6 (LE)		September 5, 2023 (digital)[52]
June 25, 2024 (print)[53]		979-8-88-877063-4
  • 106. "The World and its Reason, Turned on its Head"
  • 107. "The Limit-Limit March"
  • 108. "So What? It's Aquatic! (Dragon Kingfish)"
  • 109. "Filleting the Dragonfish"
  • 110. "Roars and Destruction as a Beacon"
  • 111. "The Wolf-Gang Leaves the Sea for the Skyscrapers"
  • 112. "Top Meteor in the Shower"
  • 113. "Good and Evil Across the Chaotic Town"
  • 114. "The Thing with Licensed Games"
  • 115. "Mixing Up Chaos in the Wintry Whirlpool"
13 May 17, 2023[54][55]978-4-06-531586-6
978-4-06-531585-9 (LE)		December 5, 2023 (digital)[56]979-8-88-933287-9
  • 116. "The Miraculous Light Boasts its Glory for Just One Moment"
  • 117. "Which Way is the Longest?"
  • 118. "The Half-Naked Gamer and His Tepid Domestic Stuff"
  • 119. "Murder at 100 Meters Per Second"
  • 120. "Be Not Afraid of Thine Tyrant"
  • 121. "Lord of the Depths, Prepare to be Formally Pulverized"
  • 122. "Run, Climb, and Rage in the Dark"
  • 123. "Karma Sides with Whom?"
  • 124. "The A-(For Anonymous)-Team Faces a Crisis"
  • 125. "Selfless Service (For a Fee)"
14 July 14, 2023[57][58]978-4-06-532219-2
978-4-06-532220-8 (LE)		——
  • 126. "The Out-of-Season Pumpkin and the Out-of-Character Knight"
  • 127. "Destiny, Imitation, and Allegiance to Evil"
  • 128. "A Case of Uninformed Consent"
  • 129. "Can't Find the Needle in the Haystack if You Don't Try"
  • 130. "The Struggling Vanguard, The Smiling Fiend, and the Shining Weirdo"
  • 131. "Craftiness Hides in the Shadows, Laughing at Tranquility"
  • 132. "Dance Away, Atop the Stage of Infamy"
  • 133. "Out-Out-Out-Outsmarting"
  • 134. "A Gallon of Gasoline on the Bonfire"
  • 135. "The Outrageous Theater Heats Up"
15 October 17, 2023[13][59]978-4-06-533152-1
978-4-06-533146-0 (LE)		——
  • 136. "Romance Strengthens You; Love Corners You"
  • 137. "The Hero Arrives Fashionably Late"
  • 138. "The Shooting Star Never Stops"
  • 139. "The Day is Saved!"
  • 140. "The Arrogant Challenger – Ignition"
  • 141. "The Semi-Flammable Loser- Backdraft"
  • 142. "The Raging Avenger- Burnout"
  • 143. "Molten-Outburst Invader- Full Throttle"
  • 144. "The Big-Talking Mega-Speedster- Torque Burst"
  • 145. "Twin Titans' Crossfire- Dead Heat"
16 December 15, 2023[60][61]978-4-06-533887-2
978-4-06-533892-6 (LE)		——

Chapters not yet in tankōbon format

  • 146. "The Brave and Gallant Breaker- Dead Weight"
  • 147. "High-Spirited Outrage – Highlight"
  • 148. "Foolishly Courageous Forbidden Star – Overheat"
  • 149. "Stalled-Out Overtime Mastermind"
  • 150. "The Struggles of Evil"
  • 151. "Middle Reliever to the End- Finisher Hold"
  • 152. "Hurling the Baton at the Anchor"
  • 153. "Road to Fruition"
  • 154. "Pursue the Shadow, and Surpass It Now"
  • 155. "Start Your Hero Time!"
  • 156. "Starfall: Beyond the Finisher"
  • 157. "Training and Practice Come Together"

Anime

On July 7, 2022, an anime television series adaptation produced by C2C was announced.[2] The series is directed by Toshiyuki Kubooka, with Hiroki Ikeshita serving as assistant director, Kazuyuki Fudeyasu supervising and writing the series' scripts, Ayumi Kurashima designing the characters, and Monaca composers Ryūichi Takada, Kuniyuki Takahashi, and Keiichi Hirokawa composing the music.[2][62] It premiered on the Nichigo programming block on all JNN stations in Japan, including MBS and TBS,[63][64][65] on October 1, 2023.[5] The opening theme song, "Broken Games", is performed by FZMZ, while the ending theme song, "Ace", is performed by Chico.[5] Crunchyroll has licensed the series for streaming outside of Asia.[66] Muse Communication licensed the series in Southeast Asia.[67]

Episodes

No.Title [68][69]Directed by [lower-alpha 2]Written by [lower-alpha 2]Storyboarded by [lower-alpha 2]Original air date [70]
1"What Do You Play Games For?"
Transcription: "Anata wa Nan no Tame ni Gēmu o Shimasu ka?" (Japanese: 貴方はなんのためにゲームをしますか？)		Hiro ŌkiKazuyuki FudeyasuToshiyuki KubookaOctober 1, 2023 (2023-10-01)
In the near future screen based gaming is replaced with full dive VR games. The market is soon flooded with low quality games filled with glitches known as “trash games”. A percentage of players are obsessed with completing trash games despite the glitches. One “trash game hunter” is Rakuro, who goes by his screen name Sunraku. His classmate Rei has a crush on him but is too nervous to talk to him. After spending weeks completing his latest game Rakuro suffers mental burnout and is convinced by local shop owner Mana to play a mainstream game instead, completely free of glitches with 30million players, Shangri-La Frontier. Sticking with his preferred play style Rakuro creates a Wanderer character with twin blades, extra luck bonuses and minimum armour except for swimming shorts and a bird head mask. Choosing to skip the game introduction Rakuro begins fighting monsters while heading to the starting town Firstia. With increased luck Rakuro levels up rapidly and is amazed by the glitch free gameplay, eventually deciding to skip Firstia and go to the more advanced town Secondil. The bridge there is blocked by Firstia’s area snake boss whom Rakuro attacks with reckless enthusiasm. The introduction Rakuro skipped earlier reveals players may choose any playstyle, including non-combat characters such as academics, merchants and farmers.
2"A Peculiar One"
Transcription: "Tokui Naru Mono" (Japanese: 特異なる者)		Hiroyuki MoritaKazuyuki FudeyasuHiroki IkeshitaOctober 8, 2023 (2023-10-08)
Rei, already a powerful warrior in Shangri-La, visits Firstia hoping to encounter Rakuro when he starts the game. She is disappointed when he does not appear and assumes Rakuro already visited Firstia and left before she arrived. Despite his expertise of boss fights Rakuro almost dies, not having known the snake boss usually requires at least three players. His victory promotes him to level 14 but his health continues to drop from the snake venom. He is forced to run all the way to Secondil where veteran player Reiji helps him register a respawn point before he dies so he will not have to start the game over. After respawning Rakuro realises his swimming shorts make him stand out, and not in a good way, forcing him to buy normal armour, though he keeps the bird mask. Requiring new weapons the blacksmith sends him to Diremarsh swamp to mine ore, which is more difficult then Rakuro first assumed as the realistic swamp mud slows his movement. Now equipped with Marsh Daggers Rakuro ignores the Blacksmiths warnings and goes hunting monsters at night. Rei decides to search for Rakuro in Secondil, despite the unlikelihood of a new player making it that far alone. Rakuro encounters Lycagon Nightslayer, a completely unique monster which is so high level not one of the games 30million players have ever defeated it.
3"Black Wolf Nightslayer"
Transcription: "Kuro Ōkami Yashū" (Japanese: 黒狼夜襲)		Hiro ŌkiKazuyuki FudeyasuMichio FukudaOctober 15, 2023 (2023-10-15)
Rei learns Rakuro has already reached Secondil. Other players notice Rei belongs to one of the seven clans formed to hunt the seven unique beasts, in Rei’s case her clan hunts Lycagon. Despite executing perfect strikes on Lycagon’s critical weak points Rakuro’s legs are bitten off but he swears to find and defeat Lycagon before he completes anymore of the game. Respawning he finds himself afflicted with Lycagon’s Curse; he cannot equip armour to his legs or body, though they are now immune to magic, he can no longer fight monsters weaker than himself and NPC’s will treat him differently. Plus the curse is permanent unless removed by a Saint or killing Lycagon. Forced to return to his swim shorts Rakuro suddenly encounters a Unique Scenario, an invitation to the rabbit city Rabituza which he accepts, unaware the recommended skill level is 80. Inside the scenario he is congratulated by white rabbit Emul for embodying the spirit of the Vorpal Rabbit; willingly attacking a superior enemy while hitting only the weak points. For Lycagon to curse him was actually Lycagon marking him as a worthy opponent, as such, Rakuro is the first player ever invited to meet Rabbit King Vysache. A brief flashback shows Rei started playing the game on Mana’s advice, on the promise Mana would also have Rakuro start playing so Rei could get close to him.
4"A Trash Game Realignment of Elevated Tastes"
Transcription: "Koeta Kachikan o Kusogē de Sosogu" (Japanese: 肥えた価値観をクソゲーで濯ぐ)		Katsuyuki KomaiKazuyuki FudeyasuNoriaki Saitō, Toshiyuki Kubooka,
Hiroki Ikeshita		October 22, 2023 (2023-10-22)
Rei still cannot locate Rakuro but Mana convinces her to keep trying. Rakuro reads online walkthroughs and confirms he is definitely the first to meet Vysache. Vysache offers him Vorpal training and equips him with a collar that reduces his experience gains by 50% but increases his status gains by 250%. Rakuro is unexpectedly invited to BERP, an old trash game used as a meeting spot for hardcore trash hunters, by his online friend Katzo. Katzo is confused Rakuro would play a mainstream game, until Rakuro explains his rivalry with Lycagon. Katzo considers playing Shangri-La too, as does Arthur Pencilgon, another trash hunter and fan of Rakuro. Due to many new players over summer break Rakuro temporarily leaves the Unique Vorpal Scenario to focus on reaching the next town, Thirdrema. Emul accompanies him as an NPC follower so they can teleport back to Rabituza at any time. Unfortunately, having never been seen before, players quickly take pictures wanting to know how they can get an Emul NPC. Rakuro confirms weak monsters now flee from him. He chooses to instead defeat the area boss, Mud Digger, so he can travel to Thirdrema. Unfortunately Mud Digger lives in a swamp which slows Rakuro’s movements again. That night Rakuro has a nightmare Emul is a demon eating his character when he logs out.
5"Lo, Thou Art Assailed on All Sides"
Transcription: "Kakute Nanji, Sōdō no Yaribusuma ni Kakomaren" (Japanese: かくて汝、騒動の槍衾に囲まれん)		Yoshitaka NagaokaKazuyuki FudeyasuTakebumi AnzaiOctober 29, 2023 (2023-10-29)
Rakuro tries to rely on skills but almost dies, until Emul saves him, Rakuro being so used to solo playing he forgot Emul was his party member and can help fight. After dealing Mud-Digger a lot of damage Rakuro is thrown into the air to die from the extreme fall which can’t be avoided by any skill. Luckily, Emul teleports him on top of Mud-Digger, turning his fall into an overpowered headbutt that kills Mud-Digger instantly. Rakuro is pleased by the victory but disappointed in himself for using Emul since she is stronger than him. Approaching Thirdrema Emul disguises as a human girl, though Rakuro only wearing shorts still draws unwanted attention. Unfortunately the photograph of him has spread and players now know he has a unique NPC and has fought Lycagon, bringing him to the attention of Psyger, a member of Rei’s Lycagon hunter clan, as well as many members of Ashura Kai, an assassin clan that kill other players for fun. Rakuro is accosted by Animalia, an animal obsessed player who wants her own vorpal rabbit NPC. Distracted by her Rakuro is almost killed by Arthur Pencilgon, a level 99 player killer.
6"The Writing Tool Knight Queen"
Transcription: "Hikkiyōgu no Kishi-ō" (Japanese: 筆記用具の騎士王)		Takaaki NaganoKazuyuki FudeyasuTakayuki InagakiNovember 5, 2023 (2023-11-05)
Rakuro recognises Arthur as a fellow trash game hunter. They met in a post-apocalyptic trash game where gamers often ignored the impossible main quests to focus on fighting each other for resources. Arthur fought her way to becoming queen and the games unofficial final boss, the Dystopian Empress. In the end Rakuro killed her in a suicide mission, beginning their unusual friendship/rivalry. Arthur has travelled all the way from the 50th city Fifticia to kill him. Animalia reveals Arthur is the level 99 second-in-command of Ashura Kai, specialising in assassinating player’s even higher level than herself. As they fight Arthur passes a demand from Ashura Kai’s leader to publicly share how to access the unique scenario for vorpal rabbit NPC’s. Emul can’t sustain her human form and reverts back to a rabbit. To protect Emul Animalia attacks Arthur, allowing Rakuro to dash for Thirdrema’s gate to establish a respawn point but is stopped by Arthur’s fellow assassins. Animalia is defeated and begins dying of poison magic. From nowhere, Rakuro is rescued by Rei, having finally learned his location from her sister, Psyger-100, from the photograph of him with Lycagon’s mark. Arthur is delighted to see Rei, whom she knows in-game as Psyger-0, but the distraction lets Animalia attack her with magic.
7"Remnant of the Divinity: The Aberrant Loser"
Transcription: "Jindai no Zanshi, Mōshū no Haisha" (Japanese: 神代の残滓、妄執の敗者)		Hiroyuki MoritaKazuyuki FudeyasuYoshimasa HiraikeNovember 12, 2023 (2023-11-12)
Animalia’s spell kills both herself and Arthur, surprising the assassins so much Rakuro is able to escape into Thirdrema. Rei is ecstatic Rakuro briefly spoke to her, but blames the assassins for the conversation not lasting longer, and kills them all. Arthur takes her loss good naturedly and invites Rakuro to talk later in the post-apocalyptic game, along with his other online friend Katzo. Rakuro teleports to Rabituza to begin playing the unique scenario. For his first training session he is forced to fight a group of Packhounds, all level 65 or higher. Rei decides next time she sees Rakuro in-game she will send him a friend request. After dying seven times in a row Rakuro figures out the Packhounds attack patterns and kills them. His opponents grow progressively stronger; a Tentacle Parasite, a Goblin Berserker, a Dino-boar, a Toxic Eagle, an Armoured Larva, an Execu-panther, a Twinhead Tiger and a Golem. This only promotes him to level 31 due to the reduced experience points of the vorpal collar. Vysache turns up to watch the tenth fight against a monster he caught just for Rakuro, Aberrant Woodmage level 120, a tree-type sorcerer so strong Vysache only demands Rakuro survive 5 minutes in order to win the round.
8"The 300-Limit Pandemonium"
Transcription: "Sanbyaku Rimitto Kyōsō Kyoku" (Japanese: 300リミット狂騒曲)		Akihiko ŌtaKazuyuki FudeyasuShinji IshihiraNovember 19, 2023 (2023-11-19)
Rakuro discovers the Woodmage is impervious to physical attacks, so all he can do is dodge the attacks. After 2 minutes Rakuro starts to suffer mental strain and considers just dying as there are no penalties for dying in training matches. He then feels disgust at himself, having grown used to always taking the easiest path to victory in trash games. He successfully steals Woodmage’s staff, removing his ability to use spells. Dodging until the time expires becomes easier and Rakuro wins. Woodmage angrily breaks the rules and tries to kill him, but Vysache kills Woodmage and gives Rakuro his reward, a title as an honorary Rabituzan citizen and removal of the troublesome vorpal collar. Rakuro is disappointed, until his citizenship unlocks another unique scenario, the Vorpal Epic. As it has complicated instructions that require researching Shangri-La’s highly detailed world history, Rakuro decides to play the main game and go exploring for a while. While unable to equip clothes to his torso Emul’s brother Peatz gives Rakuro a Keffiyeh headdress with full body robe, so assassins won’t recognise him. While deciding which city to visit next; Fourfolkshire, Fivelle or Sixenveldt, Rakuro spots Rei watching him ominously.
9"A Dazzling Sea of Trees"
Transcription: "Hanayaka Naru Ki no Umi" (Japanese: 華やかなる樹の海)		Mitsutoshi SatōKazuyuki FudeyasuTakayuki InagakiNovember 26, 2023 (2023-11-26)
Arthur is disgusted by the weakness of Ashura Kai and their leader Orcelott; they used to be proud assassins until the game began applying penalties to murderers. Now they are just another clan collecting experience and hoarding equipment. Ashura Kai is also the only clan who know the location of unique monster Wethermon Tombguard, but daren’t attack him in case they lose their valuable equipment. Arthur decides to kill Wethermon herself. Rei surprises Rakuro with a friend request. Still unaware Psyger-0 is Rei Rakuro assumes she is trying to manipulate him for access to the unique scenario and accepts the request, planning to manipulate her instead. Having become online friends Rei accepts he prefers to play solo and lets him travel to Fourfolkshire alone, planning to talk to him later now she has his contact information. Passing through the Prismatic Forest with Emul Rakuro is amazed by the variety of insect type monsters, even witnessing a battle between Empire Bees and a Quad Beetle. After killing the weakened Beetle for its drop items Rakuro sets out to find the area boss, Crown Spider.

Video game

On July 7, 2022, a video game of the same name developed by Netmarble Nexus and published by Netmarble was announced.[2][71]

Reception

The manga series ranked eleventh on the "Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2021" by the Honya Club website.[72][73] The series placed fifth in the 2021 Next Manga Award in the print category.[74] The manga was nominated for the 46th Kodansha Manga Award in the shōnen category in 2022;[75] it won the 47th edition in the same category in 2023.[76][77]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: シャングリラ・フロンティア～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～, Hepburn: Shangurira Furontia ~ Kusogē hantā, Kamigē ni Idoman to su ~, lit. "Shangri-La Frontier: Crappy Game Hunter Challenges God-Tier Game"
  2. 1 2 3 Information is taken from the ending credits of each episode.

References

  1. 1 2 "Video game Action/Fantasy Shangri-La Frontier Debuts!". Kodansha USA. December 8, 2020. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Loo, Egan (July 7, 2022). "Shangri-La Frontier Web Novel Gets TV Anime in 2023, Game". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Dempsey, Liam (October 14, 2023). "Shangri-La Frontier English Dub Reveals Cast and Crew, Release Date". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  4. ↑ Katarina [@BOSH_JP060] (August 22, 2023). サイガ-100の読み (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved September 8, 2023 – via Twitter.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Mateo, Alex (August 22, 2023). "Shangri-La Frontier Anime Reveals Theme Song Artists, Additional Cast, October 1 Premiere". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Cayanan, Joanna (November 27, 2023). "Shangri-La Frontier Anime's Video Unveils More Cast for New Arc". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  7. ↑ 特別対談！ 『シャングリラ・フロンティア』原作、硬梨菜先生特別対談!! WEB小説から広がる世界!! (in Japanese). Kodansha. October 14, 2020. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  8. ↑ 『シャングリラ・フロンティア シャンフロチャンネル』 ＃49 (2022.7.19配信)／パーソナリティー：和氣あず未. Magazine Channel (YouTube) (in Japanese). July 19, 2022. Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  9. ↑ Mateo, Alex (July 8, 2020). "Ryōsuke Fuji Launches Shangri-La Frontier Manga on July 15". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  10. ↑ 最強クソゲーマーが神ゲームに挑む冒険譚「シャングリラ・フロンティア」週マガで. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 15, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  11. 1 2 シャングリラ・フロンティア（１）エキスパンションパス ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  12. ↑ Mateo, Alex (July 7, 2021). "Shangri-La Frontier Manga Streams Anime Promotional Video". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  13. 1 2 シャングリラ・フロンティア（１５） ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  14. ↑ Hazra, Adriana (November 13, 2020). "Kodansha Comics Licenses New Manga by Ema Toyama, Kaori Yuki, More". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  15. ↑ Hazra, Adriana (November 21, 2021). "Kodansha Comics Announces 14 Manga Titles for Next Fall". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  16. 1 2 "Shangri-La Frontier, Volume 1". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on September 6, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  17. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（１）エキスパンションパス ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  18. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（２） ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  19. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（２）エキスパンションパス ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Shangri-La Frontier, Volume 2". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  21. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（３） ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  22. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（３）エキスパンションパス ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Shangri-La Frontier, Volume 3". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  24. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（４） ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  25. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（４）エキスパンションパス ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Shangri-La Frontier, Volume 4". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  27. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（５） ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on September 4, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  28. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（５）エキスパンションパス ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Shangri-La Frontier, Volume 5". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  30. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（６） ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  31. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（６）エキスパンションパス ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Shangri-La Frontier, Volume 6". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  33. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（７） ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on July 13, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  34. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（７）エキスパンションパス ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on January 8, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  35. ↑ "Shangri-La Frontier, Volume 7". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  36. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（８） ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  37. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（８）エキスパンションパス ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  38. ↑ "Shangri-La Frontier, Volume 8". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  39. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（９） ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  40. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（９）エキスパンションパス ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  41. ↑ "Shangri-La Frontier, Volume 9". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on January 1, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  42. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（１０） ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  43. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（１０）エキスパンションパス ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  44. ↑ "Shangri-La Frontier, Volume 10". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  45. ↑ "Shangri-La Frontier 10". Penguin Random House. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  46. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（１１） ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  47. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（１１）エキスパンションパス ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  48. ↑ "Shangri-La Frontier, Volume 11". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  49. ↑ "Shangri-La Frontier 11". Penguin Random House. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  50. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（１２） ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  51. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（１２）エキスパンションパス ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  52. ↑ "Shangri-La Frontier, Volume 12". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on August 20, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  53. ↑ "Shangri-La Frontier 12". Penguin Random House. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  54. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（１３） ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  55. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（１３）エキスパンションパス ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  56. ↑ "Shangri-La Frontier, Volume 13". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  57. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（１４） ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  58. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（１４）エキスパンションパス ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  59. ↑ シャングリラ・フロンティア（１５）エキスパンションパス ～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on October 12, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
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  66. ↑ Loo, Egan (July 17, 2022). "Crunchyroll to Stream Shangri-La Frontier, Skip and Loafer Anime (Updated)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  67. ↑ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (September 4, 2023). "Muse Asia Licenses Shangri-la Frontier, A Returner's Magic Should Be Special Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  68. ↑ "Arasuji｜"Shangurira Furontia"" あらすじ｜『シャングリラ・フロンティア』 [Synopsis｜"Shangri-La Frontier"]. anime.shangrilafrontier.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  69. ↑ "Watch Shangri-La Frontier - Crunchyroll". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  70. ↑ "Hōsō Haishin Jōhō｜"Shangurira Furontia"" 放送・配信情報｜『シャングリラ・フロンティア』 [Broadcast/Distribution Information｜"Shangri-La Frontier"]. anime.shangrilafrontier.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
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  72. ↑ 全国書店員が選んだおすすめコミック2021. Honya Club. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  73. ↑ 全国書店員が選んだおすすめマンガ、今年の1位は「わたしの幸せな結婚」. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. January 29, 2021. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  74. ↑ Loveridge, Lynzee (August 24, 2021). "Kaiju No. 8, Oshi no Ko Win Next Manga Awards Web, Print Categories". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 24, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  75. ↑ 第46回講談社漫画賞の最終候補作14作品が決定. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 7, 2022. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  76. ↑ 第47回講談社漫画賞は「シャンフロ」「あの子の子ども」「スキップとローファー」. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. May 10, 2023. Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  77. ↑ Mateo, Alex (May 10, 2023). "47th Annual Kodansha Manga Awards' Winners Announced". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
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