Shangri-La Frontier - Episode 10

Now that we're almost at the midpoint of the season, we need a definitive, climactic high point.

The past episodes can be seen as training and world-building – we could have actually jumped straight to this episode a while ago without losing too much in the process.

I wonder if the writers were trying to create a narrative arc where Sunraku manages to overcome the challenges alone, or if his fight with the spider boss was simply meant as a display of power. Either way, it was odd, though incredibly well animated.

Arthur finally connects all the previously sown hints and wants to recruit Sunraku to help her with an extraordinary encounter. At the same time, she also asks for Katzzo's support – the character Sunraku frequently communicates with and who competes in other games. It turns out they were a pro-gamer, and their avatar matches the other female character in the opening credits.

I didn't expect them to be integrated into the main cast, as their rather casual inclusion felt like a "side character" role, but it's pleasing that everything seems to be coming together towards the end.

Sunraku's unique encounter at the start of the show served as a trigger for almost everything he has had to deal with.

I doubt our protagonists will win this upcoming fight – plus, the reasons why they are taking on this new being remain shrouded in mystery.

There's no doubt Arthur is hiding something. While the end of this episode is interesting, it wouldn't be surprising if it ultimately doesn't amount to much.

In this game, players respawn after death like in any other video game, but NPCs do not. While this might make sense to some extent, it also makes me wonder what the consequences will be. There have already been numerous hints that the AI in this game is far more sophisticated than in other games.

Given their actions and behavior patterns, I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out they are sentient. So, will there be a dramatic revelation that links all these elements together? That remains the big question I'll be asking myself in the coming episodes.