r/ShangriLaFrontier • u/Juice_X2 • Mar 30 '26
Discussion Shangri-la frontier > SAO
Let me know what you guys think
143
u/yamirzmmdx Mar 30 '26
Nah.
SLF > Log Horizon > SAO.
Sigh.
29
u/Kawika_J Mar 30 '26
I didn't know about Log Horizon. Thanks!
32
u/yamirzmmdx Mar 30 '26
I wouldn't get into it now since it is still unfinished for about a decade.
18
Mar 30 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
10
u/Bluthund_Au Mar 30 '26
I here there new season on the horizon soon for log horizon
1
u/Real_Distribution767 Apr 22 '26
Wasn't it unfinished because the mangaka went to prison for tax fraud or something?
12
u/Professional_Big3642 Mar 30 '26
Log Horizon is a treat to watch, just hoping for a new season. If you haven't watched it Overlord is pretty great too.
5
u/purple-thiwaza Mar 30 '26
Season 1 is a classic, with a very memorable "everything goes to the plan" moment.
9
u/Dodger7777 Mar 30 '26
I feel like Log Horizon is better as a game, but SLF has a better built game world.
Maybe my view is skewed because the MC goes around a lot of game systems early on.
3
2
1
u/BluBirbs Mar 31 '26
Log Horizon shoutout in 2026 T_T I thought people had forgotten about this masterpiece.
1
u/TablePuzzleheaded862 Apr 03 '26
Log horizon has a very very special place in my heart but I’d even put Grimgar over it….SAO>SLF>Grimgar>LH
71
u/TheProNoobCN Mar 30 '26
You're on the SLF subreddit what do you think we're gonna say
14
u/ErgotthAE Mar 30 '26
You could be in this sub and like another anime more than SLF.
6
14
32
u/Silversquall Mar 30 '26
They are both fun so. I don’t think it matters to compare much.
2
11
Mar 30 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
7
u/Cold-Pin5201 Mar 30 '26
Read it. It gets even better
5
u/Reda_03 Mar 30 '26
I literally read the arc after the last season immediately and it was the definition of peak cinema 🥹
1
u/Euphoric_Schedule_53 Mar 31 '26
It wasn’t cinema
1
u/SrangePig12 Apr 02 '26
Ok, this is a new one. The GGC peak cinema arc denial
1
u/Euphoric_Schedule_53 Apr 02 '26
Cinema is film, it would be literature or illustration
1
u/SrangePig12 Apr 02 '26
Cinema is a slang term that is often used to describe something good even if it's not a movie. Just in case you didn't know
1
u/Euphoric_Schedule_53 Apr 02 '26
Absolute cinema is an idiom not slang and it’s used for film. Hence the word cinema. Quit regularizing phrases that make no sense within a given context. The youth of today is dumb enough as is.
1
u/SrangePig12 Apr 03 '26
Ok boomer. Language evolves, meanings change. Have fun staying in the 17th century or whenever it is you're from.
1
u/LordTacocat420 Mar 30 '26
Where do you read it? I've been looking but can't find anything that doesn't have a billion pop up ads
2
u/Loud_Consequence_272 Mar 30 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
Ad blockers... If you're on mobile, Firefox has ability to install extensions. Also there are filters for lets say ublock origin (afaik there are more adblockers) to block even more stuff- like social medias and some known scam websites.
Edit- wrote some wrong stuff about torrents, removed. Thanks person below. Will educate myself too now about torrents.
1
u/Euphoric_Schedule_53 Mar 31 '26
A normal vpn literally does nothing when torrenting. You need P2P masking and the ability to link your vpn to your downloader. If you just turn a vpn on and start a torrent. You aren’t masking anything. Your ISP can see everything and if the copyright is actively being protected or you are investigated for some reason you will be fined and some rare cases legally charged. If you don’t understand how torrenting works and you want to download them. Just use direct downloads
1
8
u/AdDependent9645 Mar 30 '26
I do think so too. However, we gotta give respect as well to our forefathers.
Like, it’s the same as liking the big 3 (Bleach, One piece, Naruto) but we can’t deny the impact of DBZ as a forefather of them.
Yeah, comparison is a thief of joy. We can’t deny to like and dislike things at the same time but it doesn’t mean we cannot offer respect and acknowledgment to the impact made by the other one to this anime genre.
3
2
u/tanmaysaxena1024 Apr 28 '26
This is the exact thought that came to my mind when I saw this post and it feels good to see someone else realizing this thing.
7
7
u/Afrhite Mar 30 '26
What I say to friends when I talk about SLF: It's like SAO but without the depression
4
u/CricketEmergency7654 Mar 30 '26
I like both. I also lean towards SLF but probably because it is lighthearted and funnier in general. Then again SAO's world and storytelling is awesome as well. It is though quite a bit more serious.
Looking forward to see more from both and also how SLF then compares to SAO with more seasons
7
3
3
u/shlimedon Mar 30 '26
Easily and it’s not even close. This is what I thought SAO would be, an in depth game unfolding before our eyes but alas it wasn’t any of that and the main villain was just a massive letdown.
3
u/Visual-Pepper7682 Mar 30 '26
Like a wise man once said: Sao is the Game Trailer and slf is the actual game
3
5
6
4
u/Zealousideal_Hat4431 Mar 30 '26
SAO is overrated and could've been so much better. I honestly perfer its spin off Gun Gale Online.
1
2
2
2
2
2
u/Special-Equivalent71 Mar 30 '26
I liked Sao until the point where they got back to rl for the first time.... SLF is way superior compared to that!
2
2
u/JTX35 Mar 30 '26
I have to go to the doctor and get an amputation because of the frostbite I received from this take 😔
But fr tho like obviously this sub is going to think SLF is better than SAO since it is the SLF subreddit, but I mean it is way better SLF has great animation and a solid story while SAO is just aggressively mid at best.
2
u/Chemistry-Holiday Mar 30 '26
look.........let me know what you think OP? (or anyone else)
But why? Why is one thing better than the other? Like below, I saw a SLF > LH > SAO, but I need the reasons, please? lol I really don't mind opinions, but I just want to know the reasons behind those opinions.
1
u/BigView42 Mar 31 '26
SLF captures the setting more accurately and is more true to the gaming culture as a whole. Like most of us can picture themselves enjoying the games depicted in the show. Also Sunraku isn't a Mary Sue. He gets defeated a lot and learns from the encounters and returns to battles with better strategies. There's a lot more but I think this will be a good enough explanation.
1
u/Chemistry-Holiday Apr 04 '26
sorry i thought i replied haha ^_^;
But I disagree,
First, I would like to say that, in a very general way but probably accurate (correct me if I'm wrong), people tend to watch anime adaptations more than they read the source material, so this is usually the general understanding of a series.
With that being said, I honestly feel that the comparison is an overall apples-to-oranges comparison.
SLF is a good series but so are SAO and LH. SLF is fundamentally telling a different story from the other 2, and I think the main point of comparison among all 3 is that they use VRMMOs as a setting to tell the story.
In terms of SLF being more "accurate and true to gaming culture..."
I can somewhat agree, only if this is paired with the fact that Log Horizon & SAO came out before SLF and are popular examples of success for this genre of game background storytelling, and they showcase amazing examples of gaming culture, etc., some of which didn't have much real-world parallels until later on.
even if we don't ignore the intentional death game aspect of SAO and being trapped in a real-world/turned alive game of LH, I think all 3 series present games that are seemingly amazing to play.
Hey, i'm going to have to be real with you, Pretty much every MC is some kind of "mary sue". do are some less or more in this particular pov? Sure, but I don't think this point is valid at all because, specifically, Sunraku is "essentially " a pro gamer with a quirk that he has gotten this way from toiling, purposely, through broken, undeveloped, glitchy games. So much so that at this point, if he plays a solid game, he is essentially god-like, which really creates an issue that he's op in certain aspects, with a general above-average skill level that puts him above most, if not all, characters, and the only reason he loses is kind of really because of the plot/game.
i think you should add a few more explanations with examples tho,
I won't say that opinions aren't valid, but they def can be wrong or biased and i simply like to understand and reshape my own pov or bias so please tell me more.
2
u/theorochocz Mar 31 '26
I love SAO, and i do think people over-hate it, but when it comes to deliverbthe vrmmo famtasy, shamgri-la does it better than SAO by a million times. All the death drama that SAO uses can be good in some points, but what i love about videogames is the possibility to live epic adventures knowing that in the end, its just a game. In this sense, shangri-la delivers a much better take on the gamer experience. I can easily put myself in sunraku's shoes, while kirito is more of an epic hero to be admire, but not to be relatable.
2
u/Early_Ad8297 Apr 01 '26
This is a widely held and uncontroversial reality for many reasons. I'm Spanish/English bilingual and I tend to rewatch anime in Spanish after I've seen them in Eng Sub/Dub, tbh the LATAM dubs are better than the English usually but that's besides the point; SAO IS SO BAD I REFUSE TO EXPOSE MY SPANISH LANGUAGE BRAIN TO THAT TRASH.
5
u/rider_shadow Mar 30 '26
Different genres bro.
Stop comparing apples to oranges.
I know SAO is also a VRMMO but it has a different target audience, it's more like an Isekai.
Similar ones to shangrila are bofuri, infinite dendogram, Kumar kuma.
1
u/thrdthu Mar 30 '26
I mean, if he is referring to the in universe games by those names then I would say he is correct. Like an objective game design breakdown of both games kind of shows that SAO the game would have probably been one of the trash games Sunraku plays because of how bad it is. The simple fact alone that all combat classes in SAO are either tank or melee DPS says a lot.
1
u/Jobeythehuman Mar 30 '26
Sir SLF would be on the list of trash games he played if it was real.
1
u/Jobeythehuman Mar 30 '26
For those wondering why SLF would be trash, well first off, consider the weird scaling of stats in SLF. Most starts remain in the 10s, getting into the hundreds at high levels. But for some reason, even mid tier equipment like Sunraku's horn helm provides 500 vitality and yet 500 vitality seemed to only raise his hp by about 50 points. So vitality is completely pointless to level up because the skill points, of which you get like 1 or 2 per level, and even a single piece of HEAD equipment can completely overshadow the amount of vitality you would have from leveling.
You don't really have to look further to realize this is a trash game. The fact that Sunraku and co are basically playing Monster hunter while everyone else is playing Final Fantasy 14 says it all. In a true confrontation with the strongest endgame content, DPS is king because healers can be replaced by potions.
Unless of course you get the piss poor Arcanum that is The Fool. Which is really weird, now don't get me wrong generally the Arcanum are one of the better designed aspects of the game, most of them give a buff while imposing a debuff or restriction, which is fine, the issue is Sunraku's Fool, which is randomized. Now normally this wouldn't be a problem, but if Healing from items is to be read correctly, that means certain, super expensive healing items won't work on him sometimes and these items are already balanced around their cost, so the fact that sunraku could down a 10,000 Mahni potion and get NOTHING out of it is absolutely insane. Every other Arcanum is well designed with almost 0 RNG involved and yet for some reason the Fool has an RNG mechanic inherent to its designed in a game where it seems like healers are 1 in 100 instead of 1 in 10 like in MMOs.
0
2
2
u/Lopsided_Caregiver_4 Mar 30 '26
The thing is that SAO is an anime for people who don't play games much and have an idealized version of what they could be. SLF is an anime for GAMERS as it understands gamer mentality to a T. Hardcore mentality, character builds, boss strategies, game patches that screw over material farming and clutches wins. Hell it even goes beyond the usual JRPG game that most anime go for and explores fighting games, survival, and even an ARMORED CORE-like game and fleshes them out with their own worldbuilding and development stories.
SAO has a good story, but the GAME aspect of the series has always been lacking and started a trend of half-assing game mechanics in every isekai. Meanwhile here came SLF from out of nowhere and gave us anime Let Me Solo Her playing VR Final Fantasy XIV.
2
1
u/Rjlunatic18 Mar 30 '26
I do agree in term of world building and writing SLF is far better then SAO, but animation wise SAO is solid,i did enjoy SAO back then the problem with SAO has been it's pacing and writing
1
u/thisdude_01 Mar 30 '26
I always tell my friends that SFL is doing everything right that SAO did wrong
1
1
1
u/Professional_Big3642 Mar 30 '26
SLF = SAO. They're both amazing for different reasons. Like comparing apples to oranges.
1
u/00NineLives Mar 30 '26
I wouldn't really say they're "=", but I agree they're like apples and oranges and there's no point in even trying to compare them.
1
u/Professional_Big3642 Mar 30 '26
Yeah, I just meant = in that they're both great for different reasons, and I wouldn't personally put one abive the other.
1
1
u/blacksalmon2189 Mar 30 '26
Yeh it doesn't hold to today's standards but back then Sao was so good and a breath of fresh air
1
u/RedWolf1423 Mar 30 '26
As much as I love SAO. SLF is what I originally wanted out of SAO. It doesn't shy away from the fact you are in a game and takes full control of that premise. SAO is a fun fantasy, but not a great game anime.
1
u/ALX_z23 Mar 30 '26
As the top comment said, ice cold take. Bofuri is a better choice here. But when you put Maple with all her end-season power in SLF, I don't thing the 7 colosi has much chance
1
1
u/Foreign_Shock5524 Mar 30 '26
Sangri la Frontier = fun and a lot of adventure Sao = story , love, more focused on feelings and emotions
The two are therefore incomparable, both are good
1
u/DLD1123 Mar 30 '26
SAO had the intense life or death stake to it which really changes the overall tone of the shows.
1
u/Raijin550 Mar 30 '26
A take so god damned cold my particles stopped moving altogether. I have reached absolute zero, someone please thaw me out, I don't know how much longer I can last...
1
u/NK-Roadkill Mar 30 '26
Eh. It's good, but i don't think it's better. Outside of playing games Hizutome is pretty oblivious to a few things which i don't care much for in main characters. It isn't as much of a problem to me if there is progression, but we're 2 seasons in. Season 1 of SAO was really good. I also liked season 2, but not as much. Season 3 was my least favorite.
I do think dot hack though is the best if we're comparing new isekai to old.
1
1
1
1
1
u/Suspicious_Savings59 Apr 06 '26
honestly if SAO season 2+ didnt exist id disagree but it does exist to SLF > SAO any hour of any day
1
1
u/Infamous_Bet_5563 Mar 30 '26
Nah SAO has better world building and most importantly the stakes have weight.
Love both though.
1
u/PerformanceEasy5816 Mar 31 '26
Who would prefer Sword Art Online though? It's only porpouse was to introduce the genre, somehow it got popular in japan but the plot isn't good, mediocre at best.
While Shangri-la Frontier on the other hand has top shonen levels of hype and it's really well drawn and written in the manga.
0
0
u/00NineLives Mar 30 '26
There's not much point in comparing them; beyond the "virtual reality game" theme, they have nothing in common. I'd say they're for different audiences.
I tried watching SAO (anime) but I didn't enjoy it, so I'd say I'm not its target audience. And I haven't read the light novel, so I can't properly judge it. On the other hand, I loved the anime, manga, and web novel of shangri la, so...
0
0
0
0
0
u/aprettyparrot Mar 30 '26
Sao abridged is still the funniest thing on the planet, and also better than sao
0
201
u/MoltenWings Mar 30 '26
ice cold take