In this modern era of trashy power fantasy anime, only one name that shines brighter than the rest is Hizutome Rakuro (gamer-name Sunraku) from Shangri-La Frontier. Now many of you might not have even heard of him, or the anime, so it’s time for you to get out of your rock and give this masterpiece a chance.
In case you’re still not convinced enough then know, that Sunraku is not your typical overpowered protagonist who is a naive newbie trying to find his footing. Instead, he quite literally redefines what it means to become a hero.
He’s a breath of fresh air compared to the typical new-gen heroes like Sung Jinwoo from Solo Leveling. But what exactly makes the hero setting in Shangri-La Frontier so much better than its peers?
What makes Sunraku a better version of Sung Jinwoo
It may sound harsh for Solo Leveling fans, but Sung Jinwoo can often feel like a one-trick pony, where he just levels up, gets stronger, and repeats. But Sunraku from Shangri-La Frontier is a completely different entity! He’s on a whole other level.
What specifically makes Shangri-La Frontier simply better is its attention to the details in the fights and level-up system. The fights in this series are all about skill, strategy, and quick thinking, which is extremely rare in any other popular power fantasy anime! The below fight scene from Season 1 perfectly proves this point as well.
Let Me Solo Him [Shangri-La Frontier]
byu/bandannadann inanime
Sunraku needs to learn enemy attack patterns, exploit their weaknesses, and even use the environment to his advantage. So naturally, it makes it a much more engaging and intense watch for us viewers.
One of the biggest issues with Solo Leveling is the lack of understanding of its power system. Jinwoo just levels up and suddenly becomes overpowered, without much explanation. Sunraku’s growth, on the other hand, feels more earned and satisfying. He puts in the effort, learns from his mistakes, and develops his skills over time, which is much more relatable for the viewers.
Shangri-La Frontier‘s power system has everything that an action fantasy series needs
Sung Jinwoo from Solo Leveling is just a really cool action fantasy series with an oddly overpowered MC, and while that’s cool and all, it’s not exactly the most relatable or engaging character trope. Sunraku from Shangri-La Frontier, however, just hits differently though.
Even after being an experienced gamer, he’s still got to learn the ropes in this new isekai world. He’s not instantly OP; he’s got a lot of things to figure out, and that’s exactly what makes his journey way more interesting.
On top of that, the animation in Shangri-La Frontier is also the chef’s kiss. While Season 1 already had some god-level fight scenes, like the Wethermon the Tombguard battle, and the Lycagoan battle, Season 2 just surpassed all the boundaries with its animation, sometimes even better than in Solo Leveling!
Another thing that sets Shangri-La Frontier apart from others is how the enemies are fully fleshed out in this isekai game world. Even their own backstories and motivations tie into the larger story of the world. They’re not just random mobs for Sunraku to beat up; they’re actual characters with much depth.
Shangri-La Frontier is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
