© Karina, Ryosuke Fuji, Kodansha/”Shangri-La Frontier” Production Committee/MBS
Episodes like this really test my abilities as an episode reviewer…and my patience. I know there are a lot of fans out there who probably think this deviation is totally fine at worst. At best, one might argue that all of this still fits the show’s appeal. After all, without any major dramatic stakes, the show is largely just about watching gamer culture evolve through these hyper-interactive video games. Sometimes it’s good to make changes in order to showcase other aspects of gamer culture that might not be represented in the game. Shangri-La border. After all, the game seems to be mostly based on more of a medieval fantasy setting with a sci-fi background, while this game is basically a Gundam Action game.
The action is absolutely thrilling and the studio really didn’t skimp on anything. The CG is clean, the action choreography is great, and there are parts of the episode where I’m really curious about where it’s going, with the cliffhanger being particularly poignant. I’ve personally been involved in things that focus on beating the best competition on the leaderboards, and it’s fun to try to find non-traditional ways to beat those at the top of the rankings. I also respect the fact that the show is very committed to changing character designs and art direction to fit this new game. Once again, everyone looks like they came from a Gundam I’m pretty sure that’s what this game is trying to emulate.
But here’s my problem with this episode: As gripping as it is, I’d rather go back to Shangri-La border. I’m sure the solution to this little side story is that Sunraku will use his experience operating these mechas to fully understand the mechas he gets in Frontier. The problem is, even if he learns how to use them, he still won’t be able to wear them until the curse is lifted. If this happened after he lifted the curse, or if we had a more organic way of getting here, then maybe I’d understand. But actually, I think I like it the most twitch The streamer switched to a game that I didn’t really enjoy watching them play. There’s nothing wrong with that, I just feel like I’ve been thrown into a situation that I undoubtedly could have handled better than I currently do.
grade:
AJ is also regularly at twitch As an independent Vtuber bolt machinist They’re there to talk and play retro media!
Shangri-La border Currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
