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Shangri-La Frontier is a popular Japanese light novel series that has been adapted into an anime. It centers on Rakuro Hizutome, a skilled gamer known for mastering difficult and glitchy "trash games." In the series, he takes on the best-selling VR game, Shangri-La Frontier, using his exceptional gaming skills honed from his experience with challenging games
Fans who enjoyed watching Shangri-La Frontier have been looking for a similar anime to fill the void after having finished bingeing it. There is good news for them as there are multiple anime that cover similar ground in terms of trapped-in-a-game plots, expansive fantasy game worlds, RPG mechanics, and action-packed adventures.
Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinion and is not ranked in any particular order.
Sword Art Online and eight other anime similar to Shangri-La Frontier
1) Sword Art Online
When it comes to the trapped-in-a-game genre, Sword Art Online is one of the most well-known and seminal examples. In this series, players log into the VRMMORPG Sword Art Online only to find that they are unable to log back out. They are informed that the only way out is to beat all 100 floors of the fantasy game world.
With its heavy RPG mechanics and a sprawling game world filled with dungeons and boss battles, Sword Art Online will appeal to Shangri-La Frontier fans. The protagonist Kirito will also remind viewers of Shangri-La Frontier’s Kyouya as an aloof loner who is extremely skilled at gaming.
2) Overlord
Overlord provides an interesting twist on the trapped-in-a-game premise by putting players in the roles of the villains. When the popular DMMO-RPG Yggdrasil shuts down, the player controlling the max-level overlord Momonga finds himself transported to a real fantasy world transformed into his avatar.
With Momonga wielding devastating magic powers and commanding armies of loyal NPC monsters, Overlord depicts him conquering this new game-like fantasy realm. Fans of Shangri-La Frontier’s game mechanics and battles may enjoy Overlord’s imaginative takes depicting high-level abilities against lower-level foes.
3) .hack//Sign
As one of the first anime to explore the premise of characters trapped inside an MMORPG, .hack//Sign is considered a classic of the genre. It follows Tsukasa, a player unable to log out of The World game who wanders aimlessly not remembering how he started playing.
While light on combat and mechanics, this brooding atmospheric series focuses more on exploring Tsukasa’s mysterious situation and the relationships he forms with other players. For viewers looking for trapped-in-a-game plots similar to Shangri-La Frontier, .hack//Sign is one of the key pioneering shows of this concept.
4) Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
Also abbreviated as DanMachi, this fantasy adventure anime is set in the city of Orario whose main attraction is the Dungeon filled with monsters that adventurers explore and battle. The series follows the novice adventurer Bell Cranel who strives to get stronger while also catching the eye of beautiful female adventurers.
With its heavy RPG mechanics and focus on adventuring parties battling their way through monster-filled dungeons, DanMachi emulates many key MMORPG tropes. Bell Cranel’s rags-to-riches progression as an aspiring adventurer should also appeal to viewers who enjoyed the gaming progression in Shangri-La Frontier.
5) Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World
While not set inside a video game world, Re:ZERO’s premise of an ordinary teenager Subaru Natsuki transported to a fantasy realm mirrors many trapped-in-another-world anime. Subaru must use his wits, allies, and special ability to rewind time after dying to unravel the mysteries of this strange world.
With its expansive fantasy setting filled with magic and supernatural forces, Re:ZERO should greatly appeal to Shangri-La Frontier fans. Additionally, Subaru’s frequent painful deaths followed by restarts echo the difficulty of mastering games, highlighting the challenges of respawning and retrying after defeat.
6) Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash
While it’s not explicitly confirmed, subtle clues hint that the characters of Grimgar may have been transported inside a fantasy game world akin to Shangri-La Frontier. Struggling with amnesia, the protagonist Haruhiro must join other youths to battle goblins and survive this harsh game-like world focused on RPG mechanics like classes, skills, loot, and more.
Viewers who enjoyed Shangri-La Frontier’s gaming progression and challenging gameplay should appreciate Grimgar’s gritty struggles. Moreover, teamwork proves essential as the crew must coordinate tactics and roles to overcome ruthless enemies.
7) Log Horizon
When the highly popular MMORPG Elder Tale gets its latest expansion, thirty thousand Japanese gamers are transported inside the game world and transformed into their avatars. With no means to log out, the socially awkward raiding guild strategist Shiroe must learn to survive in this real fantasy realm.
Log Horizon heavily focuses on RPG mechanics, as Shiroe and his comrades must master skills, classes, magic, crafting, and more to thrive. Its expansive world, filled with guild politics, raids against legendary beasts, and the unlocking of chef skills, offers great appeal for gamers who delighted in Shangri-La Frontier’s rich virtual realm.
8) Btooom!
For viewers who enjoyed the realism of virtual reality combat depicted in Shangri-La Frontier, Btooom! dials that danger factor up to the extreme. The series follows Ryota Sakamoto, Japan’s top player of the popular online video game Btooom! However, Ryota suddenly finds himself transported to a mysterious island and forced to fight for his life by using explosives and tactics from the actual game.
With its life-or-death battles playing out video game mechanics in a realistic fashion, Btooom! may appeal to fans who relished Shangri-La Frontier’s dangerous, high-risk combat. Just be ready for violence cranked up several levels!
9) No Game No Life
While the premise may seem silly on the surface, No Game No Life offers a wildly creative take on the concept of characters trapped inside a virtual gaming world. Hardcore gamer siblings Sora and Shiro are transported to the world of Disboard ruled by games. In that world, they must utilize their gaming genius to defeat sixteen ranked chess masters to challenge the enigmatic god Tet for control of this realm.
Fans of Shangri-La Frontier’s mind games and strategic gameplay should find appeal in No Game No Life’s inventive depictions of battles, races, and competitions all centered around gaming prowess. Moreover, Sora and Shiro’s cunning and analytical ability to find loopholes and new winning strategies echo Kyouya’s constant striving for the optimal solution.
Conclusion
In conclusion, for fans who blasted their way through Shangri-La Frontier’s riveting virtual realm, there are plenty more anime out there to scratch that gaming itch. From pioneers of trapped-in-a-game plots like .hack//Sign to gritty RPG-like struggles in Grimgar, there should be something here to appeal to all gamers.
Just be ready to drop back into expansive, imaginative gaming worlds filled with high-risk battles, compelling magic systems, and mysteries to unravel. So log into any of these titles, create an adventuring party, and let the gaming commence!
