Shangri-La

2009

24 min

5.6

Ends at

The story of a young woman fighting for her survival in a real "urban jungle." Only 18 years old, Kuniko Hojo finds herself at the heart of the battle for humanity's future when she discovers that the government which rules Atlas intends to continue marginalising the less-privileged masses outside the tower - by force, if necessary.

Genre

Animation, Drama, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Seasons

1

Country

Japan

Cast & Crew

Mikako Takahashi

Jouji Nakata

Takahiro Sakurai

Daisuke Hirakawa

Hisako Kyoda

Sachika Misawa

Makoto Ishii

Tomoko Kaneda

Fumihiko Tachiki

Yurie Yamashita

Movie Poster

Shangri-La

The story of a young woman fighting for her survival in a real "urban jungle." Only 18 years old, Kuniko Hojo finds herself at the heart of the battle for humanity's future when she discovers that the government which rules Atlas intends to continue marginalising the less-privileged masses outside the tower - by force, if necessary.

  • Mikako Takahashi

  • Jouji Nakata

  • Takahiro Sakurai

  • Daisuke Hirakawa

  • Cursed Sea of Ikebukuro

    Episode 2

    Cursed Sea of Ikebukuro

    The black dots raining down on Duomo lead to everyone fleeing, including Atlas security and military. After the attacks stop, Kuniko and the other Metal Age members perform a search and rescue operation of Duomo's residents. Lady Ryoko is furious on the unknown attack and Leon, one of her men, volunteers to bring a team to investigate the source. Meanwhile, Kuniko, Momoko and Takehiko decide to investigate as well, at the place the attacks supposedly originated from: Ikebukuro. Their team wears protective gear to protect from the dense oxygen and poisonous swamp gas. Karin works with several of her peers to control investments and economy of other countries. However, she goes into a bad mood when one of her peers posts a presumably sarcastic remark. Mikuni punishes one of her retainers for lying by killing her with her psychic powers. Kuniko's team encounter a military squad sent into the Ikebukuro jungle to investigate. They are discovered by Kunihito and flee. Kuniko ambushes Kunihito and interrogates him on the military's presence, and the resonance of their sacred blades. Kunihito claims not to know anything and Kuniko escapes. Ryoko's men find that the artillery attack emitted no carbon dioxide, leading them to wonder if it's nature's punishment on them. Atlas begins the regular ballot to allow Duomo residents to live in the city and Miiko is one of the chosen. Ryoko gets an audience with the lord of Atlas, telling him that the seals have resonated.

    24 min . 2009-04-12

    Butterfly Visions

    Episode 11

    Butterfly Visions

    Karin sings a lullaby but doesn't remember how she knew it. Kunihito remembers the song while dreaming of obtaining the land blade when he was a child. He wakes up to find his remaining crew from the carrier adrift in the ocean. The carbon market is stabilized for the moment and Karin receives a cat for a visitor. Kunihito remembers that the carrier was enveloped by a light emitted from a satellite. Ryoko receives a report that their forces aren't able to close on Medusa's location due to typhoons. Karin receives a message from her parents that they will be back soon, however she laments that she's unable to leave the place, but a long-haired youth trespasses her place and invites her outside. Meanwhile the youth tries to get Karin to come out, but she vehemently refuses. She discovers that the guy wasn't captured by security on camera. Karin knows it wasn't a dream and wishes to see the guy again. True to her words, the youth reappears this time inside her room. He convinces Karin that she can interact with other people despite her protests. He invites her outside to a meeting, claiming she will find what she lost. Leon requests permission from Ryoko to view files pertaining to the Digmas. After days of waiting for help, Kunihito sees a plane headed in their direction. Karin finally leaves her home, which resembles a bird cage. She thanks the youth for helping her remember that her mother sang her the lullaby, and the youth disappears. Leon finds information pertaining to the youth, Digma Zero aka Canary, who supposedly died five years ago without having seen the outside world. As Karin finishes her song, the cat disappears as well. Kunihito as a child releases canaries from a bird cage.

    24 min . 2009-06-14

    Flying Girl

    Episode 13

    Flying Girl

    Kuniko announces the beginning of Metal Age's fight for survival against Atlas government, for the sake of everyone. Talsian makes his first appearance as chairman of Atlas. Kuniko, Takehiko and Momoko go to what remains of Yokota Air Base to meet K.D., who will be providing Metal Age with a gigantic stealth bomber. Meanwhile, construction workers involved in the building of Atlas strongly oppose the inhumane treatment the people outside Atlas receive. The protest turns into a widespread riot against Atlas security. Under Kuniko's command, the stealth bomber carrying Metal Age forces approach Atlas, but are soon attacked by Atlas air force. Karin takes this chance to make money from the war. The air force fires missiles at the bomber but end up hitting Atlas' supports instead. Kuniko goes outside the plane to destroy the remaining missiles with her boomerang. Miiko teaches Mikuni a lesson in fighting for a cause. Under control of Zeus, Atlas sends multiple defense drones that attack both the air force and the bomber. As Kuniko and Momoko try to destroy the drones, the drones are in turn destroyed by the strange artillery strike that hit Duomo earlier. K.D. makes a suicidal attack on a drone after deploying Metal Age forces, who fly off in jet packs. Kuniko destroys the last drone and is rescued by Momoko. As Kuniko watches K.D. parachute himself to safety, she notices a hole in one of Atlas' supports created by an explosion that has disappeared.

    24 min . 2009-06-28

    Transfiguration City

    Episode 14

    Transfiguration City

    Many parts of Duomo are being attacked by the unknown firepower coming from Ikebukuro. Night falls and Kuniko and Momoko try to find their way in. Although the Metal Age forces are scattered around, they manage to break through the interior wall of the city. However they are shortly thrust into different environments and attacked by mimic armored security drones. Kuniko realizes that all the environments seen by the Metal Age forces are holographs. She orders the rest of the Metal Age forces to rendezvous at City Hall. As Kuniko and Momoko make their way through a holograph depicting the old landmarks of Tokyo, they discuss the history of the Atlas Project. Atlas was created using funds donated by Sergei Talsian, after Japan experiences the Second Great Kanto earthquake that destroyed Tokyo. Karin continues to play the market even though Zhang warns her about Medusa's self-individuality. Talsian and Ryoko are waiting for Atlas' completion for the Sun, Moon and Land digmas to fulfil their destinies. Meanwhile, an imprisoned Sayoko wakes up to find her cell door ripped open and she escapes. Numerous squads of Metal Age are killed by the illusions of the holograph. Kuniko causes mayhem throughout the landscape, eventually crossing paths with Kunihito once again, who has just arrived at the scene. However before they can argue further, they are separated once again. Kuniko moves through a path and eventually reaches the Diet. Metal Age forces are poisoned by gases emitted from the artillery strike that hit Atlas. Kuniko enters the building to hear a woman's voice talking about the creation of Atlas. Through photos shown in the building, Kuniko discovers that her grandmother, Nagiko, was the first CEO of Atlas Corporation.

    24 min . 2009-07-05

    Straying and Defeat

    Episode 15

    Straying and Defeat

    Zhang continues to warn Karin of her country's status but Medusa limits his access privileges. Ryoko talks to Kuniko about the gas, but find neither of them involved with the gas attack. Ryoko threatens to blow the entire floor where Kuniko's forces are if they don't surrender, but Talsian offers protection for them if they agree to ceasefire. Kuniko shocks the rest by agreeing to the truce, as she doesn't want Metal Age to defy the orders of the United Nations and result in the isolation of Japan. As Metal Age give up their fight, Takehiko sees a ghostly white girl entering an old shrine inside the Atlas complex. He walks through a surreal landscape and finds his missing sister, Yasuko's shoes and cries. Karin discovers Zhang messing with her head leases and she vows to play his game and win. Kuniko secretly visits Atlas' residential area with Momoko but is chased by security. However, they end up trespassing Kunihito's mother's house and ask for help. Kunihito tries to look for his surviving mates on board the carrier and was told their records are not found. Karin is informed by Medusa that her company is now bankrupt. Nagiko is found to be assisting Zhang, who knows nothing of her identity, of the takeover in the leases. Karin sets Medusa to steal Atlas' treasury under Zeus' control. Talsian suggests reformatting Zeus, but Ryoko's group knows that once the AI is formatted, all critical systems will be shut down, and places him under arrest for suspicion of conspiring sabotage. Leon and his men arrive to arrest Karin but she manages to escape. Kunihito is shocked to see Kuniko and Momoko in his house with his mother, but does nothing. Later he returns Kuniko's old boomerang to her. Leon and his men goes to Mikuni's palace to arrest Miiko.

    24 min . 2009-07-12

    Frenzy Wood Prison

    Episode 16

    Frenzy Wood Prison

    Ryoko decides to make Miiko the next vessel for Lord Hiruko. Kuniko returns with Momoko back to Duomo to think of their next step. After being welcomed back by the citizens, Kuniko goes to confront Nagiko about her role as first governor of Atlas. When she gets no answer, Kuniko has no choice but to banish her grandmother from Duomo. Before leaving, Nagiko informs her about Takehiko's disappearance after returning to the town. Miiko is forcibly turned into Hiruko's new vessel. Furukawa shares Kuniko his discovery that the artillery attacks came from a genetically modified plant called Daedalus. Ryoko also discovers this fact, but ignores the plant's threat as it will not be able to harm Atlas, but the same could not be said for Duomo and the rest living below. Kunihito makes his decision to leave the military. Mikuni pulls herself together and plans to attack Atlas to rescue Miiko. Kuniko and her team make their way to the forest to burn down Daedalus, but it retaliates against them. Mikuni fails to have her people kill Ryoko, but the woman brings her to see Miiko, who has turned into Hiruko's vessel. As Miiko's personality fights against Hiruko to speak with Mikuni, Ryoko has security surround Mikuni. Sayoko arrives to take Miiko/Hiruko hostage and leaves Atlas together with Mikuni. Momoko tells Kuniko that Daedalus will one day overwhelm and create a forest full of its plants, due to the bomb shower. As Kuniko contemplates this alone, Takehiko attempts to kill her.

    24 min . 2009-07-20

    Collapse's Prelude

    Episode 23

    Collapse's Prelude

    Kunihito apologizes to Kuniko for his apparent betrayal, holding her off while Ryoko escapes to the Eternal Forest with Mikuni. Enraged, Kuniko attacks Kunihito, only to be stopped by Momoko who arrives to tell Kuniko of Kunihito's true motives. It's revealed that Sayoko survived her fall from the upper deck because Momoko intercepted her descent. Ryoko arrives in the chamber once occupied by Hiruko, revealing a hidden passageway into the bowels of Atlas itself. Shogo, Leon, and Sion attempt to stop her, but she eludes them and they descend down through the shaft. Sayoko is quick to follow. She voices Ryoko's motives in forcing Mikuni to become the successor. She attacks Ryoko, but is ultimtely knocked off the descending platform, presumably falling to her death. Nagiko and Talsian are seek talking about the hidden catacombs they discovered during Atlas's construction and the secret behind the forbidden relics they uncovered down there. The secret behind Zeus's creation is finally revealed, as well as the system protecting Atlas from violent oscillations and tremors. Back up in the ceremonial chamber, Kuniko and Kunihito finally manage to break through the barrier to the elevator shaft Ryoko took. Kuniko hugs Momoko and Kunihito apologizes for his actions. Kuniko playfully scolds him, saying he apologizes too much, before leaving down the shaft. Meanwhile, Karin is desperately struggling to stop MEDUSA's rampage across the economic markets. Talsian appears on the terminal and declares a way to stop MEDUSA. A rather comical chibi battle ensues and Karin is knocked into a separate field, greeted by the teddy forms of her parents, who reveal the real reason as to their extended absence. It's only a virtual program operated by Ryoko, but it turns out that Karin's parents had died three years before. Karin suffers a breakdown and Ryoko returns to reality to command Mikuni to draw the bejeweled spear and assume her role as successor. Mikuni, however, refuses, but after threats from Ryoko, obliges reluctantly. By now, MEDUSA is about to decimate the world's economy and Kuniko arrives just in time to stop Mikuni from pulling out the spear.

    24 min . 2009-09-06

    Shangri-La

    Episode 24

    Shangri-La

    Kuniko's arrival stops Mikuni from drawing the bejeweled spear and Ryoko states how impressed she is that Kuniko made it this far. She challenges Kuniko to pull the spear out herself. When Kuniko refuses, Ryoko takes Mikuni hostage and threatens to kill her, forcing Kuniko's hand and revealing that Kuniko and Mikuni are actually sisters and that their birth mother is no longer alive, but not exactly dead either. It is revealed that Kuniko and Mikuni were artificially created and that Kuniko is in fact a clone of Himiko, the mummy of the goddess discovered beneath Atlas. It turns out that Ryoko's body is failing her and she intends to invade the body of the new successor. Outside, a figure resembling Takehito expresses his disgust at the use of human lives to construct Atlas just before setting off a chain of chemical bombs. MEDUSA has gained complete control of the computer systems. Kuniko is forced to draw the spear in an attempt to stop MEDUSA from starting a nuclear war, but she's too late, as nuclear missiles are launched all across the world, launching incomparable amounts of dust into the already weakened atmosphere. MEDUSA himself predicts a nuclear winter with dropping water levels and temperatures everywhere and finally relaxes, convinced that he's safe at last. But his plans are breached when he opens the floodgates of the islands, thinking them useless and releases a tidal wave crashing toward him. It turns out that the missiles launched were a ruse to get MEDUSA's guard down and release the floodgates holding the water back. MEDUSA drowns in the rising floodwaters and Karin mourns his and her parents' deaths. Angered at the breach in her plan, Ryoko attempts to take over Kuniko, but Kuniko mocks her and a brief skirmish ensues, ending with Kuniko impaling Ryoko on the spear. Ryoko perishes and her life energy is absorbed by Zeus trying to revive Himiko. Sayoko appears in the catacombs, shaken but unharmed. Kuniko is carried away by the spear to the heart of Zeus where she meets Himiko, a duplicate of herself. Himiko plans to use all ten million citizens of earth to revive herself. Kuniko and Himiko face off, fighting for the future of the world. Kuniko's boomerang slices through the heart of Zeus, shutting the system down and banishing Himiko. Down in the catacombs, Miiko appears to Mikuni with the spirits of Hiruko and all of the sacrificed children. Miiko tells Sayoko to take care of Mikuni and then removes Mikuni's cursed power, as well as her illness. Karin laments the loss of her money, of MEDUSA and of her parents and Klaris and Zhang make their first appearances, claiming to have been worried about their friend, Karin. Karin brings out the microchip that was MEDUSA and it suddenly manifests as a miniature version of the previous program, which Karin reveals as MEDUSA's baby. It quickly recognizes her as 'mommy'. Zhang says that this time, they'll raise it properly. Atlas is destroyed and Kuniko and Kunihito gaze out over the horizon. Kuniko states her dream of creating a Shangri La.

    24 min . 2009-09-13

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