Shangri-la Frontier follows trash game enthusiast, Rokuro Hizutome, aka Sunraku, as he attempts to conquer the titular god-tier VRMMO game. This anime comes off as a giant love letter to the gaming community. The story is so well crafted around the fictional video game that every gamer in the audience will find something to relate to. One of those core experiences is boss battles. Whether it’s against a difficult end-game enemy, or an exceptionally skilled player, combat encounters in games offer a rush like no other. Shangri-la Frontier has some fantastic fight scenes that any gamer would want to challenge themselves. Here are the Top 10 Best Fight Scenes from the anime so far!
SPOILER WARNING for seasons 1 and 2 of the anime.
#10 Vs Overdress Golem (S2, Ep 34-35)
There’s a certain satisfaction in exploiting the weak spot of a boss and to turn the tables on it. The Overdress Golem’s body consists of discarded machinery, including a giant saw blade suspended above its head. Hit it just right, and the blade comes crashing down, dealing massive damage. It’s practically a one-hit-KO. Sunraku taps into his competitive spirit to beat this boss as fast as possible using this exploit. It’s a fun hommage to the speed running community and shows how gamers will turn anything into a challenge.
#9 Vs Nu2meg in Galaxia Heroes: Chaos (S2, Ep 47)
Player-Vs-Player (PvP) fights require different strategies from Player-Vs-Environment (PvE) enemies. To prepare for an exhibition match of the new fighting game, “Galaxia Heroes: Chaos,” Sunraku trains with esports gamer Megumi Natsume, aka Nu2meg. Each game is a clash of wits and skill as they analyze each other’s playstyles to get the upper hand. We get to see a more analytical side of Sunraku, even when he’s smack talking his opponent. Great fight choreography, with a subtle halftone texture, really heightens the comic book hero fantasy.
#8 Vs Rust in Nephilim Hollow (S2, Ep 32-33)
Another PvP fight scene, and this time, with giant robots! In the game “Nephilim Hollow,” a player’s combat capabilities are tied to the customizable robot they pilot. Sunraku builds one to counter the number one ranked player Rust and her robot, “Crimson Twinewing.” Sunraku catches Rust off guard multiple times with his off-meta build and just barely manages to take her down. While not as flashy as some other fight scenes, the camera work and special effects were very well done. Animating the robots using 3D CGI helped the sci-fi elements stand out even more.
#7 Vs Lycagon; 1st Encounter (S1, Ep 3)
After only a few hours of playing the game, Sunraku encounters one of the 7 Colossi, unique boss monsters scattered throughout “Shangri-la Frontier.” Lycagon, the Nightslayer, is a gigantic wolf, able to melt into the shadows and attack from anywhere. Every gamer can relate to facing impossible odds when fighting a boss clearly out of their league. However, that doesn’t stop them from trying! In Sunraku’s case, he manages to land over 200 critical hits before being chomped on. This encounter sets in motion his eternal rivalry with the the Nightslayer beast.
#6 Vs Aberrant Wood Mage (S1, Ep 8)
In games, many magic oriented enemies like to sit back and blast the player from afar. Sunraku is tasked with surviving 5 minutes against such an opponent, during his training with Vysache, the boss of Rabituza. Time trials like this are a dime a dozen in video games and really test the player’s reflexes. Sunraku makes a mad dash to avoid the enemy’s area of effect (AOE) spells and debuffs. At one point, he steals the Wood Mage’s staff, a feature modern games can only dream of incorporating. It’s a fun encounter that shows off Sunraku’s agility and ingenuity.
#5 Vs Pencilgon and Ashura Kai (S1, Ep 6-7)
In some MMORPGs, massive multiplayer online role playing games, it’s common to encounter player killers (PKers) who enjoy beating other players. Sunraku attracts the attention of Ashura Kai, a guild of PKers, and one of their top members Pencilgon. They ambush Sunraku outside a city until more players get involved. The altercation is a hectic 1v1, that turns into a 1v4, with another 1v1 in the background. Ultimately, a 2v4 until Sunraku makes a swift exit. This fight scene perfectly encapsulates the chaotic nature of MMORPGs.
#4 Vs Humming Lich (S1, Ep 23)
With his Rabituza envoy, Emul and the resident craftsman, Beelach, in tow, Sunraku fights an undead enemy with a frustrating strategy. The “Humming Lich’s” miasma cripples the player, while its six clones launch the assault, each with their own unique attack patterns. Sunraku synergizes his special skills to stall the skeletal spectres while Beelach prepares a weapon to perfectly counter the boss. NPCs, non-playable-characters, are usually meat shields at best, but Emul and Beelach really carried their weight in this fight.
#3 Vs Golden Scorpion (S2, Ep 30)
It’s typical for gamers to spend hours hunting enemies to farm their materials. In certain games, players need to break a specific part of the monster’s body to collect more rare materials. This gives the fight an extra layer of difficulty, something Sunraku welcomes against this aggressive arthropod. The fight lasts for hours. He carefully balances survival with severing the boss’ stinger. His gamer greed almost becomes his undoing when the “Golden Scorpion” enters an enraged state. In the end, the struggle makes the satisfaction all the sweeter.
#2 Vs Lycagon; 2nd Encounter (S2, Ep 36-39)
The fated rematch with Lycagon the Nighslayer comes sooner than expected. This time, Sunraku is joined by Psyger-0, the player with the highest attack capabilities, Akitsuakane, a player bearing a scar from one of the 7 Colossi, Emul and her older brother Ceecrue. As the fight drags on, Sunraku gets wise to Lycagon’s abilities and executes counter measures, but it’s still not enough. Lycagon’s tenacity and advanced AI keep the party on its toes, struggling to control the fight. There are countless gaming anecdotes about hard to predict bosses like Lycagon. The best strategies rely on adaptability, mastery of skills, and pressing the advantage. For Sunraku and his party, the key is manipulating Lycagon’s movements so it’s in position to bear the brunt of Pysger-0’s most powerful skill. Despite their best efforts, Lycagon gets the last laugh and Sunraku’s vendetta persists.
#1 Vs Wethermon the Tomb Guard (S1, Ep 15-18)
Sunraku teams up with Pencilgon, the former player killer, and Oikatzo, the esports gamer, to defeat one of the 7 Colossi, Wethermon the Tomb Guard. Not only does he have multiple phases, several one-hit-kill moves, AI that adapts to the battlefield, and an extra boss-level companion, but he also imposes a level cap, putting the players at a disadvantage. Taking on a boss enemy of this caliber with only three party members is unthinkable, but skill, teamwork, and lots of luck win the day. This fight scene has everything a gamer could ever want. Juggling aggro, consumable management, striking weak points, reading attack patterns, timing counters, dodging areas of effect, the list goes on. This truly feels like what a fully immersive VR boss fight would be like. Paired with jaw-dropping animation, this fight scene will go down in anime history as one of the greats.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Shangri-la Frontier is available to stream through Crunchyroll in sub and dub formats. The manga can be purchased through Kodansha’s official website.
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