Log Horizon

My Favourite Anime <(^-^)>

Log Horizon

 

By its eleventh expansion pack, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Elder Tale has become a global success, having a following of millions of players. However, during the release of its twelfth expansion pack: Novasphere Pioneers, thirty thousand Japanese gamers who are all logged on at the time of the update, suddenly find themselves transported inside the game world and donning their in-game avatars. In the midst of the event, a socially awkward gamer called Shiroe along with his friends Naotsugu and Akatsuki decide to team up so that they may face this world which has now become their reality along with the challenges which lie ahead.

What started off as what seemed to be a bland-version of Sword Art Online turned out to be one of the hidden gems of anime shows. Log Horizon starts off slow and has the usual setup of a badass main character, only in a slightly different way. It's the way the main character, Shiroe, strategically plans his and his friends' actions that makes it a much more exciting show than one would expect. Shiroe isn’t the typical shounen main character that powers up throughout the show and then subsequently overpowers his enemies. Instead, he’s the guy in the background, the “villain in glasses,” that controls the flow and direction of battle. Overall, Log Horizon is a genuinely fun show without all the pitfalls that shounen shows come with.

 

The story begins by introducing a set of typical MMORPG rules/restrictions that many viewers including myself are familiar with. But what's not so familiar is the way these rules are bent/bypassed which then becomes one of the most exciting parts of the show. These strict rules of a MMORPG end up leading the story of Log Horizon to new paths and really keeps you hooked. It’ll make you go: “Oh wow, that’s really cool,” and any show that can do that is certainly doing something right. Having played games like World of Warcraft, I and many other viewers understand how the core mechanics of questing, leveling, raiding and more work. That’s why when other possibilities, which I won’t say for the sake of not spoiling, are discovered in a way that makes you feel like it’s completely plausible, Log Horizon truly becomes an exciting show. It isn’t a “power of friendship that makes you able to defeat the main boss that was previously kicking your ass.” It’s actually fundamentally sound and it really becomes a fun “shounen-type” show without all the usual BS that we come to expect from it.

 

Although some people may disagree, I really thought that one of the show’s biggest strength is how the characters all have defined, unique roles. Where Shiroe is the leader in the shadows, Crusty is the leader in the spotlight. Where Akatsuki is loyal, quiet and small, Naotsugu is the loud, pervy and funny big guy. And you also have... Rundelhaus, who's in a category of his own when it comes to goofiness. These kinds of distinctions allow Log Horizon to have all kinds of interactions between characters and the possibilities become endless. Overall, the characters are one of the biggest strengths of the show.

 

The story is what makes Log Horizon quite different from a typical shounen show. It has heavy political/economical themes that tie well into one of the show’s biggest points: building a world. In fact, there are a few episodes where the dialogue gets quite heavy and may not be everyone’s cup of tea. With that being said, I genuinely enjoyed the dialogue and found the story to be engaging and something that I can relate to. Log Horizon also executes its' story quite well. I found the pacing and structure of the arcs to be satisfactory and enjoyable. 

 

Art is good, not UFOtable amazing, but not terrible either. It's consistently pretty decent and not "inconsistent" like some other shows, *cough* Shinsekai Yori *cough*. Nothing else to be said here.

 

Sound is decent as well, the opening and ending songs are quite good, but take time to get used to. The background music is not bad, although it is overused a tad bit. You'll know what I mean when you get halfway through the season.

 

With all that being said, Log Horizon is not a perfect show. For example, why does no one care about what's happening to their bodies in the real world? You'll find yourself asking this question as you watch the show. It's almost as if the topic of what's going on in the real world is completely forgotten. Also, some people may find that the interactions between the characters become quite repetitive, especially with Henrietta, who has a loli fetish for Akatsuki. Her interactions with Akatsuki are incredibly repetitive and gets boring very quickly. It seems that Akatsuki's character is reduced to just loli humor later in the show. This is mostly my nit-picking and other people may actually enjoy these interactions.

 

On a side note, I really feel that it's important to point out that Log Horizon is not a combat-heavy show. That in itself already distinguishes itself from other shounen shows. But what's really important is how the show focuses on actual strategy and manipulating the rules within the game world that the characters live in. If Log Horizon's story did not have any elements of its manipulation of the rules within the game, I really do not think that Log Horizon would be an exciting show to watch, it would just be another "OK" show.

 

Overall, Log Horizon is not your typical show. It has firm grounded roots of realism in a world of fantasy that is genuinely exciting to watch. From diverse characters, to bending the rules in a world most of us are accustomed to, Log Horizon is a good show and is worth your time. With that being said, it is by no means a perfect show. It's a rather simple show in terms of concepts, as well as having plot holes in the overall story. But Log Horizon more than makes up for it in terms of its pure enjoyability (isn't that why we watch anime in the first place?) and execution of its story.

Rating: 9 / 10
-Kaito