Shangri-La Frontier Season 2

Episode 32

It's episodes like this that really test my abilities as an episode reviewer…and my patience. I know that there are a lot of fans out there who probably think this deviation is, at worst, completely fine. At best, there are also probably people out there who think all of this is still in line with the show's appeal. After all, since there aren't any major dramatic stakes, the show is very much just about watching gamer culture evolve through these hyper-interactive video games. Sometimes it's good to change things up for the sake of showcasing other aspects of gamer culture that maybe couldn't be featured in Shangri-La Frontier. After all, that game seems to primarily be based on more of a medieval fantasy setting with a sci-fi backdrop whereas this game is basically a Gundam action game.

The action was definitely thrilling and the studio really doesn't skimp on anything. The CG is clean, the action choreography is great, and there were parts of the episode where I was genuinely curious about where it was going, with the cliffhanger being particularly poignant. The focus on taking down the best playing on the leaderboards was something I've participated in first hand and it's fun trying to find unconventional ways to take down those at the top. I also respect the fact that the show is very much committed to its change in character design and art direction to fit this new game. Again, everyone looks like they were ripped right out of a Gundam show which I'm pretty sure is what this game is trying to emulate.

Here's my problem with this episode though: as engaging as it is, I would rather just be back at Shangri-La Frontier. I'm sure the resolution of this little side story is going to be that Sunraku is going to use his experience operating these mechs to fully understand the mechs that he gained access to in Frontier. The problem is that even if he learns how to use them, he still can't wear them until he gets the curse removed. If this happened after he got the curse removed, or if there was a more organic way that we got here, then maybe I would understand. But as it is, I feel like my favorite Twitch streamer switched to a game that I don't particularly feel like watching them play. There's nothing wrong with that, I just feel stuck in a situation that could've been undoubtedly handled much better than it was.

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