'Shangri-La Frontier: Kusoge Hunter, Kamige ni Idoman to su 3rd Season' Reveals New Staff, Winter 2027 Premiere

Shangri-La Frontier Anime Announces Third Season Staff and 2027 Premiere
The official website for the Shangri-La Frontier anime series has unveiled significant updates regarding its upcoming third season. The series, which adapts Katarina's action fantasy manga, is set to premiere in January 2027. This announcement was accompanied by the release of a new teaser visual and a comprehensive list of staff members, several of whom are taking on new roles for the third installment of the popular animation.
New Leadership in the Production Team
The third season sees a significant restructuring in its directorial team. Toshiyuki Kubooka has been named Chief Director, a new role for him on this project. Kubooka is widely recognized for his work as a director on The Journey of Elaina. Hiro Ooki joins the staff as the new Director for the season. Ooki's previous experience includes serving as an episode director for Moonlit Fantasy.
Kazuyuki Fudeyasu will continue his involvement with the series, handling both Series Composition and Script. Fudeyasu's extensive credits include his work on That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, demonstrating his experience in crafting narratives for popular fantasy series. Naoki Kodani has been appointed Assistant Director, another new addition to the directorial staff. Kodani previously contributed as an episode director for Kingdom Season 3.
Core Creative Roles and Design Teams
Ayumi Kurashima returns to her crucial roles as Character Design and Chief Animation Director for the third season. Kurashima's previous work includes her contributions to Devilman Crybaby, highlighting her expertise in character visualization and animation supervision. Joining the design team is Riku Takizawa, who will serve as Sub Character Design, a new role. Takizawa was an assistant animation director for Reincarnated as a Sword.
The Monster Design team sees a blend of returning talent and new additions. Yoshihiro Nagamori, known for his character design work on Bakugan Battle Brawlers, continues to shape the creatures of Shangri-La Frontier. Hiroshi Arisawa, who also worked on Moonlit Fantasy, contributes to the monster designs. Naoya Sonoda joins this team as a new Monster Design artist, adding fresh perspectives to the series' creature roster. Yuki Yokoyama, recognized for their work on Bucchigiri?!, will be responsible for Prop Design.
Action, Animation, and Visual Effects Supervision
Satoshi Sakai is slated to oversee the action sequences and special effects as the Action and Special Effects Director. Sakai's experience includes his contributions to Attack on Titan The Final Season, indicating the potential for dynamic and high-quality action in the upcoming season.
The Action Animation Director team welcomes several new members. Takeshi Nishino, known for One Piece Film: Z, returns to his role. Kazunori Ozawa, who worked on Clevatess, is a new addition to this team. Rino Isago, who contributed key animation to Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5, also joins as a new Action Animation Director. Kouki Watanabe, previously involved in in-between animation for Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, rounds out the new additions to the action animation directorial staff.
Artistry, Visuals, and Technical Production
The visual presentation of Shangri-La Frontier Season 3 is supported by a robust team. Masato Takagi, from Moonlit Fantasy, continues as part of the Color Design team. Sakiko Teguramori, known for their work on The Journey of Elaina, joins as a new member of the Color Design staff.
Chiho Wada has been appointed as the new Art Director for the series. Wada is known for their work as the Art Director on Reborn as a Villainess: An Old Man's Passionate Quest to Be a Maiden's Favorite. Yuuki Shigekawa joins as the new Art Design specialist. Shigekawa's previous credits include their work on A Workplace Where There Are Never-Ending Smiles.
The production of the series also incorporates advanced computer graphics. Hiromi Kimura, known for their work on So I'm a Spider, So What?, takes on the new role of CG Director. Kiyoshi Nishida has been named the new CG Producer. The 3DCG work for the third season will be handled by HEARTBEAT, a new addition to the production.
Azusa Tamura, who worked on After the Rain, is responsible for 2D Works. Tasuku Ishibashi, known for Wistoria of Wand and Sword, joins as the new Special Effects artist.
Cinematography, Editing, and Sound
The Director of Photography team includes Hikaru Yamamoku, who handled photography for O Maidens in Your Savage Season, and Misako Ootsu, an assistant director of photography for Dead Account. Gou Sadamatsu, recognized for their editing work on Golden Kamuy, is the Editor for the series.
Akiko Fujita, known for her sound direction in Dorohedoro, serves as the Sound Director. The musical composition for the series is provided by Ryuuichi Takada, whose credits include Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song, Keiichi Hirokawa, known for Garo: Vanishing Line, and Kuniyuki Takahashi, who composed for Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody. MONACA is responsible for Music Production.
The animation studio C2C will produce the third season of Shangri-La Frontier.
Series History and Global Reach
Animation studio C2C has been instrumental in the production of the Shangri-La Frontier anime series from its inception. The first season, comprising 25 episodes, aired in Fall 2023. The second season commenced its broadcast in Fall 2024. Crunchyroll has provided streaming services for both previous seasons, offering them with a variety of subtitles and dubs to a global audience.
The original story of Shangri-La Frontier began as a web novel. Author Katarina started writing the narrative, abbreviated as Shanfro, on the Shosetsuka ni Naro website in May 2017. The manga adaptation, illustrated by Ryousuke Fuji, commenced serialization in Weekly Shonen Magazine in July 2020. Kodansha published the 25th volume of the manga in Japan on January 16, with the 26th volume scheduled for release on April 16.
Kodansha USA holds the license for the manga's English release. The digital edition became available in November 2020, followed by the print release in November 2021. The 20th English volume went on sale on January 27, and the 21st volume is set to be released on March 31.