Log Horizon ログ・ホライズン

2013 fall | Episodes: 25 | Score: 7.9 (595992)

Updated every Saturdays at 17:30 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Producers:NHK

Streaming: Crunchyroll | Netflix

Synopsis

In the blink of an eye, thirty thousand bewildered Japanese gamers are whisked from their everyday lives into the world of the popular MMORPG, Elder Tale, after the game's latest update—unable to log out. Among them is the socially awkward college student Shiroe, whose confusion and shock lasts only a moment as, a veteran of the game, he immediately sets out to explore the limits of his new reality. Shiroe must learn to live in this new world, leading others and negotiating with the NPC "natives" in order to bring stability to the virtual city of Akihabara. He is joined by his unfortunate friend Naotsugu, having logged in for the first time in years only to find himself trapped, and Akatsuki, a petite but fierce assassin who labels Shiroe as her master. A tale of fantasy, adventure, and politics, Log Horizon explores the elements of gaming through the eyes of a master strategist who attempts to make the best of a puzzling situation. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Voice Actors

Katou, Emiri

Maeno, Tomoaki

Terashima, Takuma

News

Reviews

WildNeptune
06/23/2015, 01:52 AM
Log Horizon is an adventure anime where our cast is among the people who have been trapped in an online game representation of Japan. The story is somewhat multi-faceted. It starts with the characters simply trying to figure out the working of their new world into trying to manage it. There are other small arcs that interconnect these things together. At the start of the anime I was very impressed with how it really seemed like they were in a fully functional MMO with rules and teamwork. Almost everything in the anime somehow focuses on different aspects of what you would know from an MMO andhave interesting takes on how the changes would affect them. I was also impressed with how well they built the world. It has all the elements of an MMO and yet they don't neglect the fact that changes are being made within the world and take into account how these changes might affect the rules and characters within the game. The cast is reasonably large but it's really only fair to focus on a few characters, the main Shiro, is a decent male lead who essentially is the gateway for things to happen in the anime. While a lot of the cast is likeable an issue is that a lot of the main characters get almost no development, and this includes Shiro. This is not to say there is no character developmet, it's there... but the side characters get it. Now, again, just about all of their growth is facilitated by Shiro, but I do find it odd that the main cast simply follows their archetype like Shiro is devious and Akatsuki is one of those shy type girls fully devoted to Shiro. While the side characters start to change their stripes and question more than their situation, they question themselves and their character. There is a problem with Log Horizon beyond the weird development imbalance. Honestly, that's not even a huge issue. It's that it seems to dress up what should be a trivial problems and make them much larger than they actually are. The pacing of the show is also somewhat odd since they will often place little fun episodes in for no reason at all, not even fan-service, it's like they are just there. It's not even a filler episode since a lot of them somehow link to the next one, it just has a very different tone. Another problem is that there is a very distinct lack of action as the show begins to take the turn more into the affects of the change in the world versus the world being an MMO itself. Because of this there is a lot of dialogue without much payoff for conversations since everything is building to something else, and a lot of these are not yet realized. The animation is somewhat middling. Not bad mind you, but just not impressive. The OP is great and while the music does take some time to have its full affect in the show, it steps things up along the way. The sound in the anime is impressive. Log Horizon has some amazing world building and an enjoyable cast of characters but fails to capitalize on them beyond a surface level.
densilex
06/02/2015, 06:45 AM
A review for Log Horizon, a show that for a long time has been my favourites, and is currently the only show I've ever fully rewatched. The 2nd season is a different story for me, but this is the first one, and this is the Log Horizon I love. This review includes spoilers from only the early episodes, so I can freely explain the plot of the story. Story: Plot 4/5, Development 5/5, Total 9/10 In the first episode Shiroe, a gamer that has been playing Elder Tale for soon 8 years finds out he is locked inside his game world. He goes on to find his friendNaotsugu and meets up with an assassin called Akatsuki. In hope of finding out more about this world he now lives in, he goes north on a quest to find Serara, a girl from his friend's Marielle's guild. The great thing about the plot is that it is unique, and also not that straight-forward compared to Sword Art Online. What I mean is that you can't see the end of the series in the first episode, and I think that is a great aspect in series. I find motivation to watch the series when I don't know what'll happen and thats why I think the plot of this series is great. Now on to the development - the story goes all different ways. On Shiroe's journey(and in the arcs that don't include Shiroe) you will see all aspects of the Elder Tale community and how it's changed. Shiroe is a man of action, and though there aren't fights all the time Shiroe is always fighting. Some might consider the end of the season weak, but I think it's a great introduction to the second season. Art: Animation 2/5, Design 4/5, Total 6/10 The art of Log Horizon is cheap, and the battle scenes are weak(That's probably why we don't see a lot of them). How ever, some fights are still in battle and though the fights dont bring out a lot of visuals they add to the enjoyment in many different ways. The design is very nice and the Elder Tale world is bright and pretty. Later in the show the art suffers, maybe something like a degradation in production work(maybe because of a small budget?) and the things we liked dissapear. Sound: Voices 3/4, OP/ED 0/2, OST 4/4, Total 7/10 The voices in the show are mostly on-point, though there were some misfits and I notice the voices are sometimes over-done and sound a bit stupid, though were few of these flaws. The opening for this series is a good song, though it's a minus that I can't say "The Openings" since there only is one, and you only like it for a while, since in the beginning you think it's too repetetive and in the end of the show you get tired of it. I dislike Loli(a lot) and though I like some J-pop songs this one didn't cut it for me. For the OST, this is the best part. It's the main OST, the one where you know Shiroe, our MC is going to f*** s*** up, a happy one, and a couple of neutral ones. Some are done by orchestra's and your ears recieve a great massage in every episode. I absolutely loved the OST for this show. Character: 4/5 Design, 5/5 Development, Total 9/10 Some of the characters in Log Horizon might seem like clichè anime characters to some, but they all have their play in the anime and they all add greatly to a nice community of Log Horizon where all the small chit chats add to the enjoyment. Now for the main characters; Shiroe - Our main protagonist, a university student in his middle twenties, also the strategist of the Legendary "Debauchery Tea Party". He is friendly but people call him "The Villain in Glasses" because of his drastic choices and amazing plans. Akatsuki - A loli ninja that includes roleplay in Elder Tale even after the day they all moved into Log Horizon, making Shiroe her master. Naotsugu - A pervert Guardian that used to be a part of Shiroe's party, being on all the big raids. He also knows Shiroe in real life. Nyanta - Also a roleplayer after the Apocalypse, the half-cat man is referred to as "Chief" by Shiroe, Naotsugu and others that used to be a part of the Debauchery Tea Party. Little of his backstory is revealed, though something hints to that he teached Shiroe the game when he was starting out. Now onto the development of the characters, where Log Horizon really outdoes itself. We have development arc's that greatly tell us about the supporting characters and the main characters, we are introduced to traits that we didn't know the characters had and you won't say "That character is normal, just like me" just like you would compare yourself to Kirito of SAO, who only does what is ethically correct. The characters develop and move further as they find out more about this world of Elder Tale, especially Shiroe, as a lot of the story is based on his choices. Enjoyment: 10/10 Though the production is not of the highest quality, I loved this show and I had to rewatch it, since there was so much fuel driving me. All the lovely characters, the story engaging you to go further, episode by episode and the amazing OST of course. Overall: 8/10 I'm putting an 8/10 here since I feel this show deserves it, but I have a 9/10 on my list because Log Horizon really has a soft spot for me. Sorry if the review was a bit one-sided. I'd like to put some recommendations at the bottom; If you've only watched shounen and want to try something new, try "Haikyuu!", a sports anime about volleyball. If you want to watch another great shounen anime, I'd gladly recommend "Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakaritsu", you can read up on the story on another review because it's a bit hard for me to explain. Hope you liked the review!
ggultra2764
05/29/2015, 06:48 PM
Log Horizon follows in the same path as Sword Art Online in being focused on a popular MMORPG game where thousands of its players find themselves incapable of logging off the game under mysterious circumstances. Unlike SAO though, Log Horizon is a bit more light-hearted in its focus on how players handle their rather unique situation and the serious moments are not as heavy-handed, the latter being the major reason why I never got drawn into Sword Art Online. Mainly focused on enchanter Shiroe and the members of his party, our leads strive to restore stability and order to the game as many players areabuse their unique predicament for personal gain to enforce their will on weaker players, steal items and player-killing. The series does a rather great job tackling the normal behavior of players participating in an MMORPG with novices, veterans and rule-breakers. This can involve anything from helping novice players, making friends, actively participating in game activity or actively abusing the unique circumstances of the game. Regular MMORPG activity such as special events, forming guilds, gaining game experience and getting rare items is seen and part of regular social activity within the series. Those that form parties even strategize to develop strategies to fend off enemy threats as they either compete against rogue parties or fend against enemy monsters. In addition, logging out of the game isn't the only bizarre thing affecting players and the gaming environment as other bizarre things pop up that get explored which affect how players deal with their present situation. Gaming isn't the only element addressed within the series either as a good chunk of the anime's plot revolves around Shiroe and his comrades trying to make sense of their current situation in the game and restore order to it. The task isn't an easy one as players are wary of the current gaming environment thanks to guilds and parties reigning control over parts of the game and intimidating other players into joining their ranks or not to put up any resistance. Through extensive knowledge of the game and social interactions between others, Shiroe develops a number of plans throughout the series to deal with rogue guilds, rescuing novice players, dealing with hostilities and bringing some semblance of rules for players to follow that involve some bits of ruthlessness as he exploits unique abilities and game resources to drive off the corrupt elements affecting players within the game. Beyond Shiroe, we do get introduced to a number of other characters who have their personalities and mentalities explored as to why they participate in the game. While a number of them milk character types typical of MMORPG and rom-com titles, they are still a likeable bunch and the majority of characters get enough fleshing out where you can connect with them as they adjust to events that take place throughout the series. Only issues that come up with the series for me are hit-and-miss attempts at comedy coming from typical anime tropes mostly coming from Akatsuki's character in some form, a few rather shallow characters and the series still ongoing into its second season as the mystery surrounding the changes to the game still left unresolved. Still, Log Horizon was an engaging series for the most part as it struck a nice balance between typical MMORPG activity and its plot exploration with Shiroe trying to deal with their unique situation taking place in the gaming world and restoring order to it when chaos breaks out. Fans of MMORPG-based anime titles should give the series a look.
32k
05/25/2015, 09:42 PM
Log Horizon suffers from the problem of being mediocre because of poor writing. Poor for a number of reasons: 1.) It has so many possible elements to explore but capitalizes on none of them because it started off so poorly. 2.) Its lazy in that it leaves the reader to assume much while it explains little. Most other issue I have with it fall under these two reasons. The show is set in the virtual game world of Elder Tale where our cast is trapped in with no known way of escape. And it’s not just them apparently; there are many people from the real worldwho are all trapped in this game for an unknown reason (they are referred to throughout the series as “The Adventurers” in contrast to the NPC’s who are referred to as “The People of the Land”). You’d think that that would be explored more in the series, guess again. Rather than showing even the slightest care as to how or why they are trapped inside virtual reality, they start wandering around getting more involved in the surroundings and politics of the virtual community more than anything else. This brings me to ask, “Why even bother using the whole ‘trapped in a virtual reality’ setting if you aren’t even going to explore the reasons behind why you’re trapped?” Needless to say, this is a big slap in the face as the show continues ignoring that issue even to the end of the season. At best it comes off as, “Oh, that’s being handled off-screen, don’t worry.” That annoys me because I wonder if it’s just being used as bait to keep people who care about plot on board. I think under a different setting the show would’ve had a better chance at success. Rather than a being trapped in a virtual setting I think it would’ve worked better as a real fantasy setting. So yeah, the whole ignoring a big problem like that from the get-go really lost points in my book. Alright, so apart from ignoring an apparent problem without any justification as to why, what else makes this show mediocre? Well, the characters. Because none of the characters throughout the show give a damn about being trapped in a game, it’s hard to take any of them seriously. It makes them shallow and gives little room for uniqueness among them since they all seem to share this common lack of interest in escaping virtual reality, or why they’re even there in the first place. Because they’re shallow, a lot of their interactions between them feel empty and meaningless, nothing more than a convenience to drive (or force) the plot forward. But wait! The plot isn’t being driven forward! Instead the focus is more on dealing with episodic content and small-arcs involving The Adventurer’s relations with the People of the Land and themselves. Which raises another question in the viewer’s mind: “Why care about the NPC’s?” This same question is asked of the MC by a mysterious character that appears at the end of the season. No response is given to it, instead it’s ignored and we’re left with a cliff-hanger episode that raises more questions than answers to bait us in for a second season (as if we needed any more bait considering you haven’t made any significant advancement toward the plot). Ok, on to the characters. There is no real character development throughout the series, everyone is just put into character molds without any justification as to why they are the way they are, and you just have to accept it. You are given very brief explanations about each character (mostly to do with their status in the virtual world and a little about their real selves) and that is all, sometimes you don’t even get that. Also, their development throughout the show is little to nothing. Let’s start with the MC; Shiroe. He is referred to in-series as the “villain in glasses”. He is not exactly evil; his peers just don’t know how to categorize his methods. A lot of his actions come off as inconsiderate or rude in the eyes of those that don’t know him well, and they are to a degree, but we’re supposed to be aware that he does these things to protect people he cares for. This point is not actually made clear until near the end of the season where Minori (a young girl whom Shiroe took under his wing to train in the art of strategy) has a chat with Shiroe about why he does certain things the way he does. I’d compare his character to Hikigaya Hachiman, from Oregairu, but lacking the elaborate character-building of Oregairu. He’s meant to play the cast’s logically brilliant asocial introvert and yet he doesn’t seem to care about the fact that he and many other people are trapped in a virtual world. He seems more focused on solving immediate problems like food, government and societal issues which are all game-related and have little consequence. Forget that you actually exist outside this game and that your body could potentially be starving from a lack of nutrients, forget all of that and just focus on game-related stuff that pales in comparison to actual life itself. This just doesn't fit with the characterization he’s meant to portray. At least give me a reason as to why you don’t care so much about your actual self which is outside of this virtual reality! Akatsuki is pretty much the loyal, unquestioning sidekick to Shiroe. She carries out his orders and is protective of him all because he gave her some potion in the beginning of the show that allowed her to play a character that matched her real-life appearance (since she originally played a male character). There seems to be some chemistry between them but because of the shallowness of the characters it comes off as meaningless. It isn’t until near the end of the season that Akatsuki’s feelings for Shiroe become clearer, however they’re never really addressed by him and we have no insight as to why. Naotsugu is one of Shiroe’s friends from the real world. He’s more of a comic relief character with his openness about being a pervert, which leads to some comical moments between him and Akatsuki. There seems to be some chemistry going on with him and another side character, but again, it’s all very superficial. Nyanta is pretty much the gentle badass of the show. Gentle in that he’s a gentleman and badass in that he dispatches his foes with relative grace and ease. We know even less about him than we do about the others in the main cast. There is plenty more cast to go on about but a lot of them are pretty much filler with even less (or shallower) characterization than the main cast. In summation, the ideas that Log Horizon explored were great ideas but they were severely overshadowed by a major plot hole that also serves as the story’s starting point. This show could’ve worked as episodic content with light plot under a different setting. It seems the writer cares little about world-building and character-building, and cares more about appearing serious by dealing with little dilemmas that arise throughout the series. The ending of the first season pretty much left off where it started from with intrigue about escaping Elder Tales. However, it seemed more focused on a vague new problem that arises within the virtual world. I can only hope that the second season makes an effort at development instead of continuing episodic suspension of disbelief, although i've heard the 2nd season is no better in this department than the first. If you’re ok with watching a show that wants to be serious but totally ignores serious questions along the way, then you may be able to stomach this anime. Regardless, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Blazestar
02/18/2015, 08:49 AM
**The character development part of the review is not good.** Yet another MMORPG anime. People always compare LH with Sword Art Online. For me, I cannot find even the slightest similarity between them. They are two completely different show with distinct objectives and focus. I have not started season two as for the time this review was written thus tis purely based on my impression on the first season. All constructive criticisms are welcomed via PM or comment. They will be greatly appreciated. STORY (Concept 3.5/5, Development 4/5) Rounded down The series starts off with a terribly explained situation: random players get trapped in a fantasy universe.great. massive cliche. In the world of Elder tale, they have absolutely no objective whatsoever and finding a reason to live is extremely challenging. The protagonists along with his companion begin their journey to, uh, no where. Instead of trying their butt off to get back to the reality, they seem to be okay with their dire situation. This lead to a problem since we tend to forget it is a "game", rather than a normal fantasy universe. Yes, things such as game mechanics and the "death's penalty" introduced later in the series do remind us of what is going on, but on a grand scheme of things, it becomes rather confusing and pointless. Rather than action-packed fights and emotional rollercoaster, LH decides to take a intellectual route. The establishment of government and the negotiations with other factions are some interesting plot lines that involves multiple characters and they give people reasons to continue watching this show. Although some of the lines are kind of bad paced (princess arc) and misleading (round table), the curiosity (if you have any) will probably make you wonder what will happen to these characters. Some of the stories are somewhat smart, but none of them really clearly communicate the moral message to the audience which makes the entire series feels like a popcorn show. At the end of the show... it feels like a harem anime but I guess I'll let it slide since the majority of the story is considerable interesting. CHARACTERS (Design 5/5, Development 4/5) Log Horizon does not really follow the general formula of adventure-type stories. The typical Adventure consists of a idiotic protagonist and bunch of followers to help him out. In LH however, the characters play their unique role without a sense of "everybody helps one dude" feeling. The character designs not complete copycat, but they look pretty familiar. Notable Characters include Shiroe the mastermind, Akatsuki the bodyguard/lover, Naotsugu the tank and Nyanta is awesome cat. As a fan of Lelouch and Light Yagami, I can see the shadows of his predecessors in Shiroe's personality. He is clever, but not to the point where the world trembles beneath him. There isn't really too much of development as I can recall (there is, but they are definitely not notable enough to be noticed or cared), but throughout the series we learn about him gradually. I feel like his mind isn't all that clear in the beginning and at the end I do learn more about him as a complete person. Perhaps that counts as development? Ironic enough I don't feel like any other "main characters" have developed at all. Akatsuki changed her opinion toward Shiroe slightly, Naotsugu stays as an dumb tank and Nyanta keeps his image as the big daddy despite how awesome a daddy he is. The three little kids have their cliche development and that's pretty much it. reminds me of third Hokage's son's team in Naruto. The romance between the princess and Krusty was a very interesting touch. I almost felt like he is the hidden protagonist of the show. All in all, the design is quite unique and interesting and the development are scattered all over the place. I personally like that. All of the characters get a little bit of love. GRAPHIC (Art 5/5, Animation 2.5/5) Rounded up The art in the show is considerably unique. Not all characters have the same face (shout out to SAO) and they are quite comfortable to look at. The armors and clothes have different designs on different persons, each guild has its signature color and style. The background is very beautiful. The art focuses on landscape and the 16th century architecture. Each city has its unique building style and the background. You may not like it, but the effort is there for sure. The fan service in the show is very minimal. (Hurray!) Ah... The animation. The animation is shit. It is just so bad. It was made in 2013, and there shouldn't be any excuse to use simple flashy light to represent most if not all super abilities. The skill control menu panels are quite cool but when you compare them with SAO's... uh... not the most exciting animation and action. SOUND (OP/ED 1.5/3, OST 3/3, Voice 2/4) Rounded down DATABASE DATABASE DATABASE. This is one of the openings that I will absolutely skip no matter what happens. I wouldn't even consider listening to it just for the sake of appreciation. No, the opening is a very poorly written song that has no connection to the theme of the anime. I can only think of a person who loves repetitive noise booster who would enjoy the song. The ending is very cute. And that's pretty much it. The OST however is top tier. The majority of the songs are made of various instruments you can find in a traditional orchestra blended with some electronic addons. The heavy metal feelings and the occasional vocals makes great combo. They give a nice sense of glory. I would say the OST is what carries this production without letting it completely overshadowed on the back of SAO. (Yes, the LH OST is better than SAO's in MY opinion. it is just more engaging and stylish.) The dub is plainly average. Every character sound too unemotional and the lack of personal identification fails to give the show a fair atmosphere. That said they are not hard to listen to, it's just not good enough. The Japanese original is actually much better. I personally would recommend sub over dub, but if you hate reading, the dub won't do too much harm on your overall experience. ENJOYMENT (9/10) Despite the problems I pointed out previously, I find some of the elements especially enjoyable. The big cast of character and the unique way of narrative (we don't know what people are actually thinking) along with the glorious OST is beyond my expectation. The story isn't that good, but it is still considered semi-intellectual which I enjoy, very. OVERALL (7.5/10) Rounded up Animation aside, Log Horizon is a very well made SHOUNEN anime. Tho not brilliant in any particular aspect, the plot is very intriguing. Instead of randomly coming up with ideas one after another, the story built upon each other. With that in mind, I kindly overrate this a little bit since I believe it simply isn't fair for the creators since too many shounen shows are full of fillers and misleading plot/characters. This is definitely one of the shows that is worth checking out and I would say it deserves much more attention/credit than what it is got. If you don't find this review helpful, please give me some feed back so I can improve my content and give higher quality contribution to the community, thank you! :D Peace.
Aizen-Dono
01/14/2015, 08:07 AM
Let's speak about Log Horizon: an anime that tells about, for the most part, the adventures of the characters trapped in a virtual world; definitely very pleasant for those who appreciate the genre, but with some underlying defects that can not be ignored ... But let's start, analyzing, specifically, every aspect. STORY 5/10: Unfortunately the story is not the strong point of this anime. In fact, in my opinion, it is a bit abstract and lacking in depth, because this does not seem to have a definite starting point and evolves with a certain repetitiveness and carelessness. It's, essentially, a story based on how the charactersmanage to build a society, to deal with the uncomfortable situation of being trapped in the game; but, indeed, it doesn't give space to something fundamental, or rather to some normal questions that any sane person, in that situation, would pose: '' How can we get back to the real world? Is there a way to do so or not? ''. Perhaps because, knowing that they probably will not be able to get back to normalcy, they make their best efforts, almost exclusively to make their lives in the virtual word work; But this thing is not specified in the anime and it may just be a mere reflection of mine, and therefore can not be attributed as a strong point of the story. ART 8/10: As for the drawings in general, they are very well made and cared for. The environments are very colorful and bright, almost enticing the viewer to dive in; the graphics of the characters are really well done and linear, and even the animations are well cured and sliding. SOUND 7/10: Very interesting regarding the sound level: the openings and endings are beautiful; pleasant are also the various OSTs present in the anime, and finally they also made a not bad dubbing. CHARACTERS: 7/10: In this anime there is a wide range of characters who are more or less useful, but with the almost total lacking of villains, that kind of annoyed me. Let's start from the main protagonist Shiroe, also known by several nicknames because of his personality, he is definitely the cornerstone of the anime, in fact, thanks to his skills as careful strategist, he will manage to put aside the rivalry between the various guilds and create a good basic society. To help him in this endeavor there will be Akatsuki, a ninja that will strongly bind to him, and Naotsugu, his longtime friend. Then there will also be many other secondary characters, such as Nyanta, a catman who will have some merits in the culinary field, Marielle, head of one of the guilds, Henrietta, her second (my favorite), and many others that will contribute to make the watching of the anime sliding and enjoyable. ENJOYMENT 7/10: I didn't mind this anime, because there have been many moments of hilarity and madness, which made me laugh a lot; for example the way how Shiroe used to get annoyed because of his nicknames, or when Akatsuki was teased by Henrietta etc etc ... In conclusion, in my opinion, it is a partially successful anime, apart for the story which is vacuous and baseless. I strongly hope that these flaws will be resolved in the second season, because I think that this anime has a lot of potential and it would be a shame to make it vain because of a dull story. If I were to recommend someone to see whether or not this anime, I would say so, because it is very fun and enjoyable, and it is perhaps this what makes me close one eye on the defect of the story.
Tsugan
11/15/2014, 09:48 PM
This anime is playing second fiddle to SAO in regards to viewership; but can hold its own through thought-out dialogue and a political intrigue filled plot line. Story & Character: The story is carried through several strong characters; and a few side characters that over-shadow some of the leads. I especially did not enjoy Akatsuki the assassin-girl. It seems like she could have had a whole lot more depth to her but they didn't add it in. Shiroe is definitely one of the best male protagonists I've recently seen (much more interesting than Kazuto from SAO), and by the end Minori seems to almost takeover the female lead role from Akatsuki. Art & Sound: Living in the Database, Database, whoa-o. That intro song is hilarious. Enjoyment: Overall, I think that I will definitely be watching the 2nd season once it's completed. Is it "better" than SAO? I think it does a better job of fleshing out the game world they are stuck in than SAO, but does a poor job of explaining the real world situation outside the game, which is where SAO excels. I see no reason for someone not to watch both SAO and this to see which one they prefer, as they both have something to offer.
MAND4
09/14/2014, 05:41 AM
While Log Horizon may not end up being in the list of favorite shows all too many times, and while majority of its characters won't have a long-lasting impact on the audience, it still manages to be a fun ride with occasional fantastic moments as well as some downfalls which all eventually balance themselves out. When I first found out about the show, I, as many probably have, instantly thought "Oh look, carbon copy of SAO. *sigh*". Still, as I scrolled through some opinions, a lot of people have said that Log Horizon plays out as SAO should have. I'll leave that to your own decisionsand instead will focus on Log Horizon as an separate entity in the anime world. LH follows Shioru, our main protagonist who suddenly finds himself locked in a world of "Elder Tale", massively popular MMORPG with over twenty million people worldwide. He soon forms a party of three, with Akatskui, honorable shinobi who shall always follow her lord and knee the pervert, Naotsugu. Fortunately, that is not where the cast ends and we are soon introduced to heavy array of characters, ranging from veterans to beginners, each given enough time so we can learn something about them. Unfortunately, not all of them are that interesting. The story of LH works as a cohesive unit, but what really struck me was the world building. It really did feel as if the author invested a lot of time into making a specific world which does resemble that of MMORPGs - oftentimes, before the OP, we're given some information about the world and its rules which serves its purpose of introducing us, or rather helping us dig further in as to what kind of a world Elder Tale forms. Without spoiling too much, the story of LH is somewhat divided into short arcs, each one way or the other connected to the overall plot which comes into focus later on. Each separate entity is enough fun for itself and the mysteries introduced, especially the characters, are enough to keep your attention on. Overall, story was well above decent, albeit nothing too masterful. It did its job and it did it well. When it comes to production department, I'd call it the weakest part of the anime. Visuals are often stiff, animation often lacks impact and even battles, albeit exciting, aren't as good as in other similar shows. Even though character designs vary, it does feel as if too many characters are similar and/or act in similar fashion which is oftentimes just a sore. Another gripe I have with the show is the sound and all its merits. Some VA did a fine job representing their characters while I wouldn't be so certain when it comes to rest. There are, sometimes, weird pauses during their speeches which don't fit their character. The soundtrack itself was sorely lacking though; there is maybe 1 or 2 memorable themes while others are barely noticeable at best. I do feel that the soundtrack and the sound overall could have been given more time, especially because of the settings. Some spells, for instance, Astral Howl, do have that visual and sound impact while others ... well, don't. They're too generic. The characters of LH are ... well, some are decent, some are rather good and some are just plain unnecessary. Shirou, our main character, is a good spin on the "all powerful MC". Although anime, or rather characters within anime world, try to sell him as this almighty entity, we soon realize that he's just an above-average intelligent student with enough capacity to work with the information he gets. It's a nice spin and I did like his character overall. The other duo, faithful shinobi and open pervert did their job as a good support and humorous pair. Sometimes they'll get at your nerves, but more so than not they're quite likable. When it comes to the rest of the cast, I'll be honest: it's not that great. Especially the children, or the beginners as they call them. They're oftentimes annoying and given too much space and time which they simply seem to misuse to irritate the viewer even more. While there are some interesting characters, you'll simply feel as if the anime would have been better either without them or with them having less screen time. Other characters do have somewhat defined personalities, and are sometimes joy to watch (Crusty and princess come to mind), but even then they don't feel developed enough. Overall, though, given the number of characters with names, faces and personalities, I think they did a fine job representing them. I would lie if I said I didn't enjoy Log Horizon. Was it mind-blowing? No, not really. Was it this epic adventure you'll remember forever? Erm ... no. But it was a fun ride that lasted 25 episodes and I am looking forward to the sequel (mostly because I'm interested about one girl from Shirou's flashbacks. She seems fun). Battles were smart and weren't "oh, I'm this massive dude and my powaaah is bigger than yours" but instead they focused on teamwork of parties, which I found quite intriguing. The touch on politics and economics might put some viewers off but I personally enjoyed them and saw them as another layer of depth to an already established world. So yeah. Me like me some LH. (sorry Star Wars fans :() If you do feel like SAO was lacking something or if you're simply looking for a decent anime, you can't go awry with Log Horizon. It isn't epic, it isn't mind blowing, it won't send you to places that will make you think about your life, but it will provide temporary enjoyment and it won't bore you to death. TL;DR: recommended.
AnimeElitist
07/24/2014, 12:34 AM
At the peak of my disgust of all of RPG Anime things, here comes the Log horizon. Unfortunately not saving the day just making it a bit better but that suffices for now. Let me clear up some things first before I will get to the review itself. Usually RPG Anime genre which is at some point certainly very tempting but nonetheless vastly empty, except the fact that the story is happening in virtual environment nothing new nor awesome is going on by all means. Not mentioning all of the wasting of potential for fun-service which is understandable for the simple reason that most of Animeconsumers are MOE zombies and primal reason of existence of companies is revenue. At the end of the day we don't very often get a quality product. When I started watching LH I almost quit, guess why? I had enough of "This is not SAO" shows. A week later when I cooled down a bit I gave it a second chance. Now I am really happy that I did so. I really wanted to evade comparison between SAO and LH. Actually I do not understand why everyone feels the need to compare these two Animes. The only common element here is that real people get stuck in an MMORPG, the result is different. Unfortunately two of them have been confronted so often, that I don't have a choice. The show started quite slowly with what seemed like typical, hackneyed plot. But later things start to snowball. Problems are getting more serious and world begins to take on dimensions, both growing at a steady pace. The animation is very pleasing for the eye and the music aspect also has a lot of nice "straight out of game" like soundtracks. Action scenes seem to be rather lacking in this kind of genre however the in-show implemented game mechanics explanation is acting like compensation. The imbalance between dialogues {not as important ones} and the action is a con. LH is unfortunately Shounen so we can't evade Cliché and fun service. Constant rubbing of glasses by our smart-ass heroes was pissing me off. The main character, Shiroe, plays both the protagonist and antagonist role. He is behind everything, playing the game, always having some card in his sleeve {NGNL similarity}. Akatsuki aka. Lolininja is a wasted potential. Then we got a pervy guy Naotsugu and antipole gentleman catman Nyanta {WTF}. Even though this Anime certainly has some problems like slow acceleration from the start and cheesy humor the plot is really good and most importantly the RPG element is very well executed. The authors of this elaborate work we're aware of the potential and did not make the same mistake as the SAO, which was mostly about {weakly executed} romance and nothing else. LH truly focuses on the breathing online world where the players are imprisoned, the impact of their actions and choices on the world, communication with the NPC, skills and abilities, magic system, events etc. Unlike in SAO. There is no sense of imminent threat. So whatever is happening its still just a game {little memory loss is nothing compared to death imo} I recommend this show for all the SAO haters out there. Anyway, I am looking forward to the second series.
karamatsuuu
07/15/2014, 03:59 PM
This is not Sword Art Online period. I've decided to write a review because I severely misjudged this anime by assuming it was a cheaply made SAO knock off. Although it has the same premise of players being stuck in a virtual world, Log Horizon approaches the theme in a different direction by mainly focusing on the impact and development the players have on the virtual world of Elder Tale. The author's approach on the subject of assimilation, which I personally felt SAO lacked, left me thoroughly satisfied with political and historical based struggles of settlement, such as laws, and cultural integration between Adventurers (Players) andPeople of the Land (NPC's). Being a fan and enjoying both series, I will confidently state that I honestly enjoyed Log Horizon more than Sword Art Online as a more unique and thoroughly written and well developed storyline.
Lord_Odous
07/09/2014, 10:32 AM
“Hard to believe it all started with a hamburger that has some flavour.” Log Horizon is a surprise package, it began airing not long after the immensely popular Sword Art Online ended, and shares the same concept: players are trapped in a MMORPG and unable to get out, also its animation isn’t as flashy as SAO, causing some may cast their doubts onto Log Horizon, I was one of those viewers. However, things actually turned out rather well here. STORY: 8/10 The story of Log Horizon can be summarized by 3 words: simple, straightforward, sweet. Its plot follows a very clear path and it is not difficult tounderstand what they are trying to convey, and the dialogue is sufficiently added to provide enough explanation for the viewers. I like how Log Horizon gives us a decent insight on how does the MMORPG “Elder Tale” works, from the job system, currency, guild system and many more, so at least you are familiar with the setting and then it will be easier to understand the motive of the characters’ actions. The story of Log Horizon progresses through different arcs, which sort of come off as the different stages of new challenges our protagonists have to go through, although timeskips still occur here, it is merely a tool used to tell a story lasting throughout several years. Politics are actually an important plot point here, so as you can see things can go really far from here. It may be argued that most of the trapped players seen in the anime don’t seem to be so urgently wanting home, but it may be explained as simply they do not know the way, and had grown accustomed to the new world they had no choice but to adapt and inhabit. ART: 7/10 The animation of Log Horizon is one that doesn’t stand out and impress you, causing you to run and catch your dropped jaw rolling all over the floor. However, it is decent enough to be pleasant to the eyes, and the battles showcased are decent. Each character is distinctive from each other, and changes their attire (equipment) to suit their needs. SOUND: 6/10 Nothing too impressive as well in this department, you have background music which always accompany the scenes, but they are hardly memorable. You will hear the same battle track several times as you progress through this anime. The characters voices aren’t that superb either. I actually liked the catchy OP, Database~ Database~ CHARACTERS: 7/10 Log Horizon generally splits their protagonists to 2 groups, Shiroe and the Tea Party gang forms some of the highest level and the strongest members of the show, they are the ones to solve the mysteries of this entrapment and to further explore the world. Minori and her party of lower level characters form the “newbie” characters, who are still learning the basics of the game and showed us more about getting stronger in this world. My biggest gripe with Log Horizon is that we are not given much background regarding our main characters, they are strong just because they are the veterans in the game. We do not know why Akatsuki is so attached to Shiroe, other than he gave her an appearance-changing potion at the start of the series, so sometimes you just have to accept that the characters are what they are shown to you and nothing more. However, all is not unwell here as despite the large cast of characters, each of them are still explored sufficiently, each of them have important roles they have to fulfill, and by the end of the day you will know and remember all or most of them, which is a fine job done by the developers. ENJOYMENT: 8/10 Log Horizon isn’t an anime that will make you utterly depressed and devastated, or will confuse you with its huge collection of jargon words, instead it is a simple and straightforward anime which one can have fun easily. Dialogue may be abundant sometimes but the pacing is fast enough to ensure you won’t get bored too much. If you like gaming, this is definitely a decent anime for you.
sours
04/23/2014, 01:00 AM
Where do I even start with this anime... First of all i am not the most well versed in anime but i do have a long history of playing MMORPG games like the game "Elder Tale" depicted in this anime and most of my issues with this are directed at the game deign because the anime is really just bland and not very good. THE UI: Imagine somebody watched a futureistic movie or something of the sort where holographic menus pop up that you control with your fingers. Now imagine one where everything is the same bland green color and pops up randomly and moves allover the screen like mad. Honestly an eyesore almost everytime it is animated and rather saddened me as a viewer. THE CLASS/SKILL SYSTEM: In the show very few classes are shown to the viewer and even though most of the characters for each class are shown at the Max in game level (90) only like 2 or 3 skills are used by any of them at any given point. However at one point there is another painful to look at menu for some body they are fighting skills and he has many more and refuses to do anything with them instead he just uses the same 3 cool downs. Our MC has a CC spell that does 5x1k damage and binds a target and the main tank for him only has 13k hp meaning there is absolutely no balance in this game and all skills just should be ignored for the most part. THE GUILD/FACTION/PVP: What are the factions in this game you might be wondering? FFA always 24/7 even in towns even on your own party members. None of it makes any sense and should honestly just be ignored because it will hurt you too much as anybody who has played any MMORPG or like game before. Not to mention that healers can heal people while they are dueling and all duels are literally to the death. THE PARTYS: I really don't even want to talk about the party system in the show/LN/game because it makes me so mad. A party in an actual MMORPG style game has these components TANK | DEEPS (x2/x3) | HEALZ This game has OPERATOR | FIELD MONITOR | PATROL FILE I honestly cant even begin to start to describe my frustration watching the party play in this game/show whatever you want to call it. If any single person in this show was in a party of mine in any game instant kick, instant guild removal, muted, banned from vent. Honestly this is really more like LARP the show then a depiction of what an actual game is like and that made me feel physically ill. THE STORY: sucks, read more about what other people had to say I really did not care for it and at no point did it surprise me or have me empathizing with any of the characters. MY CONCLUSION: If you have ever played a MMORPG do not watch this show you will hate yourself for it. If you have ever LARP'd watch this show you will love it. Approach with caution. Do not expect intelligence.
arrazolavguille
04/19/2014, 01:04 AM
People trapped in a MMORPG sounds like something we've seen at times especially recently, we have one of the animes that more polarized as the community:Sword Art Online SAO is a similar premise, but still quite different in their implementation and development and it is not fair to compare one nor to the other. What makes it different, Log Horizon show some implication from the first chapter, which will be the tonic that makes the whole anime, and its they're stuck in the game, what they gonna do now? That's what makes it different, the lack of an objective/specific goal that leads them to be more outstanding fightto survive, from this point that the narrative focuses on present problems of a society, such as abuse of power, disregard, power forces, commerce, social classes and even in some part the migration. Log Horizon complex issues is a pretty nice way, and that is the true subject of the picture, not a villain at first glance, human relations become a sort of villain with which our protagonists struggle, plus some moments that are involved in battles that represent fairly realistic as are the MMORPG The characters are well-drawn, all very good complete its mission within the anime including the one that most stands out is Shiroe strategist, which is one of the best protagonist in a while, in the course of the anime have seen a progress in the character to first costs interact with others to take the risk of being the head of a movement, he understands he has to put aside the passivity, and if you want to improve you have to take initiative, his nickname "the villain with glasses" is that as a strategist knows that there are sometimes you have to push a little more rules on the strings to achieve its mission, which goes beyond normal prototype of the perfect protagonists, which works and gives a perfect theme for anime touch. The art is pretty well done and consistent, good fluidity and the few fight scenes are technically very good, the character design is pretty good too, in part sound also very acceptable nothing extraordinary but pairs well running scenes, what would be the opening database remarkable feat. Takuma ( 10 Feet ) executed by Man With a Mission. Log Horizon is a highly recommended for those who enjoy complex topics anime, the anime has a few action scenes or fights, contains elements of comedy that much lighten the atmosphere , in many chapters the protagonists are caught up in conversations so if 're not the type to enjoy that nearly 80 % of the chapter no action is not an anime for you, but you invite him to give it a try , it's really a good option to see and in October it has been revealed will have a second season.
Edward_Low
04/17/2014, 10:52 AM
Log Horizon has really impressed me. It is a solid 9/10 and possesses a quiet intelligence and maturity that rivals other flashier shows. Any anime about being stuck in a computer game is inevitably compared to Sword Art Online. When Log Horizon made its début on the scene, the most common compliment was that it was ‘more realistic’ than SAO. This didn’t strike me as necessarily a good thing. I don’t want to watch a show just to get lectured on proper MMORPG mechanics. As it turned out, Log Horizon does get the mechanics of MMORPGs right, but what makes it truly great is so muchmore. The problem with SAO was that it was blatant wish-fulfilment. The main protagonist Kirito is a Gary Stu whose only flaw is being so damn good at the game that everyone else is envious of him. Along the way he acquires the trophy wife Asuna (just because a girl can use a sword and is given the label of ‘strong’ does not automatically make her more than a cardboard character) and other female members of his harem. By sheer deus ex machina he is carried along by the plot and saves the day. What makes it worse is that the series never really looks at characters beyond the individual that is Kirito. SAO is less about Sword Art Online, the game that they’re stuck in, and more about Jesus Kirito. In Log Horizon's later episodes, it is highly unlikely that even a third of the frames in the episode contain Shiroe, the main protagonist. Shiroe himself is no self-absorbed prick with delusions about the extent of his powers. Next to Kirito, Shiroe is like an adult, which only makes sense because Shiroe is also a graduate engineering student. Log Horizon is about the trapped gaming community and the political ability of an individual to influence the direction society takes. Shiroe’s only goal, outlined simply, was to ‘improve the mood’ of Akihabara, and he did so by kickstarting the gaming economy through the creation of goods in demand. His meticulous plan to bring the other dominant powers to cooperate with him is not something that can be compared to some flashy sword swings on the part of Kirito. Next to Log Horizon, SAO is purely solipsistic. Log Horizon's cast is diverse, and one character in particular deserves mention. Minori is a young girl also trapped in the game, and spends most of the initial episodes basically performing child labour under the auspices of an exploitative guild. After being liberated by Shiroe, the story focuses on her growth as she eventually assumes roles of greater responsibility while facing ethical decisions. In this case, Shiroe ends up playing the role of a mentor and role-model, and it's fascinating to watch Minori through mimicking him, understand his motivations behind his actions. Of note is also Princess Lenessia, a self-described 'lazy and unmotivated' girl who ends up changing the fate of her country, and playing a key role in a powerful political alliance. It's generally hard to manage a cast of nearly twenty consistently appearing characters, but Log Horizon manages to make them absolutely endearing and sympathetic. More than anything, Log Horizon paints an optimistic and comedic picture of human cooperation while skilfully portraying an intriguing world with shadowy politicking in the backdrop. The one flaw that Log Horizon has is its art and animation. The character designs and backdrops are a bit bland (though charming) at times. Especially because Log Horizon's focus was never on battles - battles being hardly conducive for creating anything constructive - it really isn't that bad not having top notch art. Season two will be airing this fall, and I'm definitely watching.
Deiger
04/04/2014, 01:05 AM
Log Horizon. The basic premise, as is evident in the synopsis, centres around a group of players who by some - as of yet - unexplained phenomenon, got stuck in an online massive multi player role playing game. I can imagine anyone familiar with Sword Art Online doing a double take at this point, obviously comparing the two anime, itching to see how one holds up against the other. SAO lovers and haters alike will travel down this line of thought. To be honest, I was and is one of the latter. Infact, I went into the series hoping to find all I missedin SAO after reading some assuring extracts that put this above Sword Art Online. And it did deliver. I should mention, however, that this anime is not everyone's cup of tea. If you're not the type to sit down and enjoy a dialogue heavy show such as this, the anime will most certainly come off as dry and boring. To be fair, if you're on the extreme end of dialogue-heavy fanaticism, the end-result won't vary. Log Horizon is the kind of anime that sits on the neutral ground - its dialogue heavy, but the concepts are not overly complex, thought provoking or riddled with worldly wise philosophies. That is not to say the show is not intelligent, but nonetheless, if you take the word of Log Horizon fans(a.k.a SAO haters) that judge the show as the intellectual's SAO, then you'll end up sorely let down. Because, at the end of the day, Log Horizon is still a kids show that shows no shame in shying away from the more ugly facets of the scenario, and the devious schemes that characters keep praising as something phenomenal are rather elementary. Not that its a bad thing, the anime itself doesn't go out of its way to show its characters as human super computers or anything. We just get a normal gamer guy with above average intelligence, and one who actually does his homework to get things done. Seeing he's surrounded by other normal people and AI, it might even be a good thing. The situations themselves doesn't call for anything more than some rudimentary marketing and administrative tactics and strategies. The story is in any case, fairly well executed and implemented; you won't find the characters doing utterly pointless actions or going on completely fruitless endeavours. Although, like they say, don't judge a book by its cover, because first arc of Log Horizon can mislead you on the show's main focus. Without spoiling too much, they first go on a rescue mission and the short arc serves as an exposition of sorts to give us a gist of the combat and gameplay mechanics, which while not a central theme, does get some focus later on in the series. Even so, combat is not heavy in Log Horizon. When there is action, it mostly relies on tactics and strategy. There is no one-man show where the mc's love overrides the game mechanics or anything. But, if you forget the two arcs where action is important - Log Horizon is about economics and politics at its core. One significant factor that differentiates Log Horizon from its thematic predecessors like SAO and .hack series is that death in the game does not equate to death in real life. That is, the players can respawn infinitely. It is not without consequence though, as there is something even more terrible than death that await the players who carelessly let their HP bars easily chip away to zero. Oops, I said too much. Maybe you should go watch the anime, because I won't be dropping any more spoilers. Now, onto the sound. The OST at first didn't at all sit well with me. It was sharply contrasting to the shows feel and theme. However, slowly but surely, I ended up loving it and started humming along. I can't honestly speak in-depth about the back-ground score...But they were certainly mood building, though I have my doubts about whether they went overboard with it. Some of the mood-building has gone to water and left me with a facepalm because the epic moments were made epic only because of the soundtracks. Without those, I wouldn't have batted an eye at the game winning strategies the characters employed and would have wrote them off as common sense. Meanwhile, the ending has already found a place in my favorites. Never skipped it, infact, I'm listening to it as I'm typing. The art was quite mediocre. Nothing to speak of. Its not too bad and its not too good. I felt that it didn't quite feel like a game for most part. But you really can't complain, for all we know, they may not even be stuck in a game per se. The character designs were pretty generic and all of anime's usual motifs are used. I particularly liked the mc's design. Characters of Log Horizon are not unique or spectacular in any sense. But they get their job done, and the mc is a wits above fists guy for once, and he's good at it. There is also the charismatic guy who gets all the praise, but luckily, we see him as a side character for the better part of the show. Not really surprising given Log Horizon takes a radically different route than most mainstream shounen shows by focusing on the action behind the scenes far more than the frontline adventures. I have noticed the characters getting blamed for reacting too calmly towards their predicament and this is one of those criticisms I don't understand. If you came across such a criticism, take my word - that is baseless. Completely baseless. One character I was thoroughly disappointed with was the loli assassin, Akatsuki. I actually had high hopes for her. But much to my dismay, her potential as a character was left untapped in terms of both execution and elucidation. I certainly won't condemn her character for development as she seemed to be wallowing in sadness because of her inability to be of sufficient use, and even more her because of her being unable to empathize with the mc towards the end. She still has a lot of potential for development, especially in the light of next season coming shortly. No, my problem is with her lack of chemistry with the mc. The same slap-stick jokes with the show's resident pervert can get old really easily, and the whole cosplay facade she uses to interact with Shiroe doesn't help either. Heck, Shiroe himself thinks her antics are nothing more than cosplaying when her personal monologues shows that she is invested in Shiroe on a more than superficial level. If there was some backstory for such an introverted personality, then I could have let it slip. But sadly, nothing of that sort came up. I'm hoping that the next season will take some time to flesh out her character, seeing she's the main female lead. Rest of the characters were great for the duration of the show and we can hope that they will play more important roles in the upcoming sequel. Some of the secondary cast got a lot more development than the main cast, both a positive and negative point in my books. Another weakness in its character department comes from overuse of certain gags. Shiroe adjusting his glasses when thinking making everyone go 'Ooohh the villain in glasses', Henrietta's obsession with dressing up lolis, Naotsugu's openly showing perverted tendencies only to get interrupted halfway by wrathful Akatsuki etc being only some of the examples. While this is not uncommon or ineffective, too much of these can be frustrating. As I mentioned at the beginning, this anime is not for everyone. For those who like dialogue heavy anime that is not dark or depressing, with some light slapstick comedy thrown in for good measure - this is exactly what you're looking for. As a last note, I must warn anyone who has been pushed onto taking up this anime by SAO haters - Granted, its different from SAO and does decidedly better than SAO on the story department, particularly the pacing. But its not the masterpiece that many of them paint it to be. Log Horizon is a little above the average shounen, however, its still an anime with flaws that cannot be overlooked. My own overall score is a result of the kind of entertainment I derived and not at all reflecting of the show's quality from an objective standpoint.
Calitz
04/02/2014, 02:18 AM
Hello buddies, why don’t we have a little chit chat over Log Horizon. Log Horizon is an adaptation of a manga written by the fabulous Touno Mamare. Maybe you already knew him as the creator of Maoyuu Mao Yuusha, which by the way really is something. The anime adaptation is directed by Ishihira Shinji who works on Fairy Tail’s adaptation, and some Full Metal ’O’ God Alchemist (Brotherhood version of course). Now that the bases are set, let’s start the review. Story: 9 The main lines are pretty simple. Due to the arrival of a new expansion pack, a bunch of players are transported into a gamenamed “Elder Tale”. In this mess, we are following the daily life of Shiroe and his friends through various situations and challenges. Actually these lines could remind you of SAO (Sword Art Online). Buuuut (you should have expected it :D), the story is way more developed. In fact, where SAO was just barely trying to add some depth to the story, Log Horizon is perfectly managing to create plots in plots through other plots. Each episode of Log Horizon adds to the plot, which is mainly about the players adjusting to their new world. There is something you may keep in mind, this anime is made by Touno Mamare and this is what is really making the difference. If you’ve seen “Maoyuu Mao Yuusha” it’s really really similar. We don’t have pretty much action but it’s still intense. This is also reminding me of “Spice & Wolf” (Ookami to Koushinryou) in many ways because it’s not based on pure action but it’s still considered. Art/Sound: 8 The work made on the anime is pretty incredible. Let’s start with the music here. Opening and ending are both quite good, and the background music is a bit repetitive in the second part of the anime. The animations are fluid, but nothing transcendental. In a general manner Art is pretty good but could have it improved a bit. They could have made it more like MMY but whatever. The thing that made my marked it 8 is the work made on the UI they used in the game. When I’m thinking about augmented reality games I imagine it like that and I don’t feel like they are making fun of my gamer side :) Character: 10 The character building is pretty impressive too. All the character have a real personality, even if we found the stereotype of all anime (loli, tsundere,..) each character of this anime is important. Even secondary and supporting characters are important. Each of them gives a little plus to the anime. Moreover Shiroe (the main character) got a really interesting chara design, his personality and action are evolving in an interesting manner. Enjoyment: 10 I feel like I could watch it again and again and I’m eager for the second season which is pretty rare for me. Some moments are really delightful, other tears you in half. I really love anime that make me laugh or make me shed tears. And Log Horizon is one of them. I discovered it by serendipity and after watching I feel like watching “Spice & Wolf” which is one of my favorite anime. Overall: 9,25 I don’t feel like marking it 9 because I really enjoyed watching Log Horizon and I’m really eager for the 2nd season. You should watch it if: -You’ve enjoyed watching SAO -You’ve enjoyed Spice & Wolf and Maoyou Mao Yuusha -You want a SAO like with a real half season :DDD You shouldn’t watch if: -You want only action and to put your brain away -You can’t stand waiting for a 2nd season to come out -You are an alien Thanks for reading my 1st review and have a good time watching anime :)
GonzyChan
03/26/2014, 11:36 PM
A demographic of people love to dabble in the virtual world of Massively Multiplayer Online games (MMO) to achieve escapism from stress and other struggles that plague their nature. Recently, there has been somewhat of a resurgence of interest for anime fans to watch shows that detail the life of gamers who play these sorts of games, with Sword Art Online being at the forefront of it. These shows detail whether the virtual world could become more real to us than what we initially thought of as real from when we were born should be the central theme for these shows to explore and bringa fresh new take on it. It’s just too bad that none of these shows in question ever bothered to in the first place and become generic as a result. A year later, we have Log Horizon, an MMO-inspired anime with the same scenario as Sword Art Online above, with only a few minor iterations here and there. Before I begin, this won’t be a piece where I start to compare or contrast Sword Art Online and Log Horizon, as many people, unfortunately, seem to be inclined to do so. Whether I think Sword Art Online was good or bad should not be a factor in how I feel about Log Horizon. Judging a show by its own merits without any outside influence of another show should be the number one key in critiquing any work. With that said, does Log Horizon hold out on its own? One thing to realize about the plot is the tone of the setting and how it feels very lighthearted despite the dire situation that all of the characters are in. As far as the characters know, they have no way of getting out of the game. Many have criticized this aspect as being somewhat unrealistic in how real people would react to something of this magnitude. It might be an understandable critique to offer at first. However, as the show goes on, it feels fitting based on how the characters think about how they live and survive in the virtual environment. For however long they’ve been trapped in the game for years, at least based on their confusing logic, that virtual world becomes their world, and they get used to it by then. It also helps the show’s credit that they don’t ever show us the real world at all and keep it a mystery as to how things will make the situation from the characters’ perspective feel more apparent to the audience. While this might be one of the more significant points of the show, the story itself, in how it is paced and told, isn’t nail-bitingly intuitive or well thought out. The premise isn’t that complicated, to begin with, as we’ve been shown before, but Log Horizon seems to think that if they throw in multiple subplots into the mix to make it sound complex, it’ll succeed. Unfortunately, those sub-plots I’d mentioned don’t amount to anything special in the long run and aren’t even that memorable because of it. Not only that, but that lack of memorability stems from the fact that all of these political and social constructs that Log Horizon’s world possesses aren’t written clear enough, other than the fact that they’re there to establish some basis for our protagonists to go somewhere. These aspects come into perspective with how many characters there are to follow in Log Horizon, but I’ll get to that later. The problems with world-building might be more apparent after knowing that the original creator, Mamare Touno, was responsible for creating Maoyuu Maou Yuusha, which also had the same problems in its adaptation. These sorts of issues are prevalent in adaptations on this type of scale, but that can’t be an excuse. Though the massive cast of characters might seem like a huge negative, the way I put it, that shouldn’t mean that all of them are mediocre. The main cast of prominent characters throughout the show is exceptionally likable and hilarious to watch due to their numerous escapades with each other. It helps tremendously how they all have unique characteristics that improve the nature of every one of them, rather than making them all generic and uninteresting. The same thing can’t be said for the side characters. With our main cast being Shiroe, Nyanta-nyan, Akatsuki, and Naotsugu, there’s this decent sense of chemistry between these four characters that are ultimately lacking for our side/supporting cast. Their archetypes mainly consist of a trait that tries to make them distinct, such as Henrietta having an obsession with cute things like Akatsuki, and Serara, who has a habit of wanting to clean things to calm down. At first, it’s humorous, but after a while, it becomes redundant, and it doesn’t make them any more meaningful. In an action anime centered around the MMO systems, it would make sense to make the anime feel like you’re really in an MMO game from the gritty details of cool-downs, being a tank, healing your party members equally, and conjuring status effects at the right time. I, myself, am one of these people who enjoy these types of games, and, to me, Log Horizon is probably the only one that gets it right. Usually, something like this would steer off into brainless shounen show cliches, and there are a few here and there. Amazingly, Log Horizon gets the idea of taking its time for the characters to strategize their movements and actions rather than just blindly fighting off monsters without any thought in the world. That might make it seem too slow or methodical to enjoy watching, but in reality, they do an excellent job of pacing these fight scenes and keeping the action flowing seamlessly to give us a clear picture of what’s going on. The art style can be construed as good, just not excellent in quality. The character designs themselves are plain and ordinary enough for me to consider them a triumphant success in artistic merit. Still, we expect that, and for what it’s worth, it handles it decently to where they don’t seem to cut any visible corners in the later episodes. As I’ve mentioned about the action being fast and flawlessly executed, the animation is a big part of why those are the case. The fluid character movements feel nice and kinetic to the cast spells and look pretty good as a result. Voice talents range from relatively unknown voice actors to the familiar ones we’ve grown fans of, giving their artistic liberties to full effect with Log Horizon. Emiri Kato as Akatsuki is devilishly cute, and her being a fellow MMO fan sort of gives her performance an exciting spin. Even though Henrietta wasn’t that special as a character, Ayahi Takabaki manages to pull off the mature woman voice well and gives her voice some new territory for her to explore for her vocal talents rather than a more boyish female character. Takuma Terashima proves himself worthy of being the main protagonist of a show, and I hope to see him do more shortly. Not to mention, I could listen to Jouji Nakata say anything with the word “nyaa” at the end of his sentences and never get tired of it. For some of us fans of the MMO genre, Log Horizon should be the one show to be doing it right, and while it handles the actual MMO aspects brilliantly, the real narrative and storytelling sets itself down from being great. I appreciate the amount of depth it tries to convey that wants us to feel attached to the world, yet I can’t help but wonder if that could’ve been done to better effect had it made the narrative more tightly constructive and less cluttered. The saying, “Too many cooks spoil the broth,” sums up Log Horizon perfectly. Only when the eventual sequel comes out will we know if the journey will be worthwhile enough to experience its next climax. Grade: B-
yahzee
03/24/2014, 06:32 PM
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 with the usual setup of a "no-faults" main character, but with a slight difference. That difference is how the main character, Shiroe, strategically approaches each situation that makes Log Horizon an exciting show to watch. Shiroe isn’t the typical shounen main character that powers up throughout the story and then overpowers his enemies. Rather, he’s the guy in the background, the “villain in glasses” who controls the flow and direction of battle. Overall, LogHorizon is a genuinely fun show without all the pitfalls that we've come to expect from a shounen-type series. The story begins by introducing a set of typical MMORPG rules/restrictions that many viewers are familiar with. But what's not so familiar are the way these rules are manipulated, opening paths to feats that were previously impossible. When one thinks of rules and boundaries, one would assume that it would limit whatever it governs. Ironically, these strict rules expand Log Horizon's story from a generic show to a well thought-out strategic adventure. It's an extremely appealing story given the relatability to many of its viewers. 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 that greatly affect these game mechanics are discovered, Log Horizon truly becomes special. It also feels completely plausible. It is NOT a “power of friendship defeating the boss that was previously kicking your ass.” It’s fundamentally sound and really becomes an intriguing show. Although some 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. To me, 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. Log Horizon also executes its' story quite well. I found the pacing and structure of the arcs to be satisfactory and enjoyable. Art is decent, it's not UFOtable amazing, but not terrible either. It's consistently pretty decent and not "inconsistent" like some other shows. 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, while not bad, is overused. 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 always of the same manner and it gets boring very quickly. It seems that Akatsuki's character is reduced to mere loli humor later in the show. 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 didn't have these elements, I really believe that Log Horizon would not be an exciting show to watch, it would just be another okay show. 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.
Stark700
03/22/2014, 02:27 PM
There are certain degrees to which MMROPG series are adapted these days. While not an original concept, Log Horizon has been unanimously compared to another popular series known as Sword Art Online. It’s almost unavoidable considering both series are based off a light novel and relates to character in an MMORPG setting – an open world based off a video game. But really, that’s all there is to it and the similarities ends there. Log Horizon isn’t a rip off of SAO, .//hack franchise, or anything else relating to the MMOROPG theme. It’s a show that shines in its own way that makes its pointin the horizons. Log Horizon is an anime adapted series based off the light novel of the same name written by Mamare Touno. The setting takes place in a virtual world known as ‘Elder Tale’. Log Horizon follows the story of a young man known as Shiroe who has earned a reputation in the community. His nickname “Shiroe the Strategist” fits his title exactly as such because of his analytical skills and abilities of intellect. Together with his companions, they take on this world that blurs between the lines of fiction and reality. As a MMORPG series, Log Horizon adapts many of its concepts relating to the fantasy realm. Nothing in Elder Tale is real but they have their own mechanics. These include but is not limited to various classes players can adapt their roles in, monster categories, economic/politic aesthetics, and world concepts. In fact, the world that Log Horizon is based on is colored with all sorts of fantasy attributes; goblins, murlocs, gryphons to just name a few. More importantly is the fact that the world itself also has its own rules such as penalties, death/respawns, pking, etc. On many chances, Log Horizon follows a suit of narrative through which mechanics are explained thoroughly to give viewers insights. These narratives often goes over background information and how exactly certain notions function. Log Horizon presents this flawlessly because it both tell and shows its mechanics firsthand. It brings out its best when the show follows the concepts of actual MMORPG mechanics. As a former MMORPG player, I am pleased to see this such concepts being explored. More so, Log Horizon also focuses on world building with its construction of its fictional universe. It aims to inform, presents it, and delivers. Series based off of MMORPG often incorporates a large cast of characters. Log Horizon is no stranger to a large cast. Most prominently however are our main protagonists of the guild – Log Horizon. Shiroe, Naotsugu, Akatsuki, Nyanta, Minori, Tohya, and Isuzu makes up this group of players and together stands as a unity to face their world. Even from the first episode, there’s a sudden degree of chemistry between each member that can attract viewers to see how it develops. On a technical level, each character has their own personalities and more importantly, a class and level. This is important as each class has a skill of its own as well as a sub-class that is imperative for a guild to survive. For example, Akatsuki’s class is ‘assassin’ with a sub-class of ‘tracker’. Both of these functions well in stealth missions where infiltration and gathering information is significant to ensure a guild’s success. Log Horizon demonstrates this well on various degrees by testing the limits of these classes for both its advantages and flaws. The series functions well in terms of storytelling on most parts. Every episode offers something new to the audience with its game mechanics whether it’s combat, politics, or even culinary. While the series does have its concept of survival, it doesn’t just focus on that exclusively. Rather, its formula consists of various degrees of concepts that connects the story as a whole. It focuses on an internal level of struggle and warfare that sets Log Horizon as a unique series. Furthermore, it also engineers the overall theme of the plot and doesn’t go overboard with its comedy, drama, or even romance. Of course, there is also action offered which brings the show to life with its sequences. What makes it more entertaining and attractive is the way characters engage in combat with their skills based off their classes. Even players in a party such as healers play prominent roles and no one is left in the dust. There is also no player that plays the role of an overpowered protagonist or break through impossible circumstances through deus ex machina. The concepts and mechanics are explained beforehand and applies when the time calls for it. Even though Log Horizon is the main guild that is explored throughout the series, it doesn’t just focus on them. Supporting characters also get their spotlights with their own classes, levels, and secrets. There’s a degree of connection that the audience can relate to. There’s no random fan service or the typical cliche of the accidental bath walk-ins that sets no relations. As a fan of MMORPG games, I appreciate its presentation that focuses supporting characters and not just its core players. Even NPCs (non-playable player) gets its exploration that is intuitive. And as a MMORPG based off setting world, it doesn’t forget to add the idea of PKers – player killers. It’s a common sight to see and offers a threat for players to face beyond just the world and its creatures. As fantastic as it sounds, Log Horizon is by no means a perfect series. Fantasy wise, the world of Elder Tale adapts itself well but hard to take it at heart. It quirks into silliness with its high dosage of comedy that makes it hard to take the show seriously on occasions. Demonstrated by its cartoonish designs, most of the characters lacks any features of impressive design. Akatsuki is also advertised as a young girl with a cute face but dangerous nature which is ironic since her age contrasts greatly with her appearance. Her devotion to Shiroe, or rather in her words “protecting her lord” can get repetitive and lacks substance. Essentially, Akatsuki suffers from developments and characterization. And from some flashbacks are shown, most of the main characters’ backgrounds are only briefly touched and vaguely touched upon. It leaves viewers in the dark as to how our characters became the players are they are in Log Horizon. Finally, the connection between the players in the game and their real life counterparts is completely omitted leaving viewers in the dark on their origins. Despite some of these drawbacks, Log Horizon still offers impressive features to take notice of. From minute one, the show focuses on its theme and doesn’t venture far off of it. The world of Elder Tale also presents location that is credible such as the natural mountains, the ruined cities (that resembles past civilization), fresh breathing beaches, and dampening caverns. There’s a sense of reality that the audience might relate to if they have played MMORPG games in the past. It adapts itself based on these themes where Log Horizon and should be endeared. The artwork of Log Horizon strikes as a make or break situation. By credibility, it works out very well with adapting its fantasy style of Elder Tale. Satelite studios previously were involved with other fantasy series such as Guin Saga, Arata Kangatari, and Fairy Tail. Here, they make the show believable with its artwork designs at the surface level. On other hand, character designs sometimes becomes distracting and hard to take seriously with their designs. Akatsuki is perhaps the character that stands out the most with her appearance as an assassin but nothing else strikes more than her as that. This same applies to Shiroe with his geeky like appearance that acts as the brainiac of the group. They just seems to be there with its blend background. However, Nyanta is one character to take notice of because of its feline features that really defines the fantasy atmosphere to what Log Horizon is. Soundtrack wise, Log Horizon strikes as an outstanding feature. Beginning with the OP song, the show defines itself with the theme of “Database” that blurs between lines of fiction and reality. Most characters’ voices fits their roles well with some that defines their characters more than others such as Nyanta. The OST also performs at a level that matches scenes whether it strikes as important, emotional, cinematic, or comical. The ED song also reflects a more innocent theme with Akatsuki as its main mascot. As a former MMORPG player, I appreciate the way Log Horizon presented itself. Rather than just going with a concept of the typical virtual war trope or saving the world, Log Horizon sets its basis on a foundation of mechanics that is presented in an exquisite way. Not only is it accurate to the basis of an MMORPG setting but the characters themselves drives the story with their adequate roles. Log Horizon also likes to focus on various degrees of politics and economics to explore its insight on a more intellectual level. It also adapts world building concepts that becomes a focus to drive the story forward. It explores territory an MMORPG exactly as it should be and doesn’t lose track. On some technical note, it can take some time to get used to the artwork. Comedy can also strike as a hit or miss depending on your preferences. Still, the end game is that Log Horizon is an unique series. It’s not a clone of Sword Art Online or does it leave audience confused. In fact, you’ll likely be forming your own theories as each episode progresses relating to its world and characters. It’s appreciable that Log Horizon can adapts so many concepts into the show as an industrial revolution of success.
Asfaria
03/22/2014, 06:57 AM
Log Horizon is the newest "stuck in a video game world" anime. Many people claimed before it began that it would be just like the extremely popular and hyped up "Sword Art Online." However, the first episode is enough to dispel any kind of belief that these two shows have anything in common. Take away the video-game-style fantasy setting, and comparing these two shows is like comparing an action/romance anime to a slice of life anime. Log Horizon follows more of the slice of life route taking a laid-back and slower pace than many other fantasy anime where people are fighting for survival. In the beginning,the players of a video game called "Elder Tale" are transported into the game world when a new expansion is released. While surprised and worried at first, they cope with this major problem and decide to adjust to their world rather than try to find the exit immediately. Since people do not actually die when they are killed, there's really not much to worry about. The only main problem is that food and water have no taste, that fighting in the actual world is vastly different from fighting from behind a computer screen, and that some guilds are now taking advantage of new players caught up in the confusion. Our main protagonist, Shiroe, is a genius strategist and is at the highest possible level in Elder Tale (as are many elite players). Along with the perverted tank (a person in an RPG who takes hits and protects his allies) Naotsugu and the female assassin Akatsuki, they begin to unravel the mysteries of this world and discover what has changed now in Elder Tale. From saving friends to making hamburgers to protecting entire villages from being pillaged, they are experiencing a whole new world than the one they became so accustomed to playing. But, in my opinion, it's just kind of boring. The story's slow pacing drags on parts I wish had not lasted so long, the characters hardly develop at all aside from a group of novice players, and the show ends announcing a season 2 after an anticlimactic finale. Before I say any more negatives, I should highlight on one aspect this show does well: the NPCs (non-playable characters). This refers to the people known as "People of the Land" in the Elder Tales game. The anime does an excellent job of showing the differences between the "adventurers" (people transported into the game world) and the NPCs and how the NPCs are really an entirely different species than the adventurers. This becomes a major plot point in the second half of the series, which was very nice even though that part did drag a little. It's just something I've never seen done before, nor have I ever really considered before (aside from wondering why people in Pokemon and other games never do anything but say one line and stand still their entire lives occasionally giving you random stuff). The character cast is very large, but hardly anyone gets much screen time. Shiroe is about the only character you can expect to see in even two-thirds of the total episodes doing anything remotely important to the plot. Naotsugu is just kind of there doing nothing, Akatsuki occasionally has some cute moments and does a little spying, and Nyanta's just that guy who ends every sentence the same annoying way. I actually found myself enjoying watching the group of novice players learning to fight together better than I enjoyed watching the main characters and other experienced supporting characters. Aside from Shiroe's planning, the main cast offers hardly anything of interest. The animation is noticeably cheap. Some scenes look great while others are just a mess. The character designs are especially poorly animated most of the time as the animators seemed to prefer to save their budget for the scenes that emphasize the beauty of the fantasy game world instead. Even without the poor animation, I did not care much for the character designs. The facial designs were too sharp with shadows sharply defining the boundaries between different parts of the face. Some of the outfits were interesting, like Akatsuki's and Shiroe's, but most seemed very boring considering the wide variety that should be offered in an MMORPG. The sound is one of the better aspects of the show. It may not be done by Yuki Kajiura like in SAO, but it still fits the fantasy world very well and especially fits the moments when Shiroe is scheming. It mostly consists of different string instruments and a few rock tracks during the action scenes (though there's not too many of those). I did not enjoy Log Horizon as much as I was expecting. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I still stand by it. It's just an average show in almost every way (except the way it portrays NPCs) and is fairly forgettable. Not as much happens over the course of 25 episodes as you might think would happen and the characters really needed some better development (and no, forcing a small amount of romance with 3 episodes to go is not development).

Log Horizon ログ・ホライズン

2013 fall | Episodes: 25 | Score: 7.9 (595992)

Updated every Saturdays at 17:30 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Producers:NHK

Streaming: Crunchyroll | Netflix

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Katou, Emiri

Maeno, Tomoaki

Terashima, Takuma

News

Reviews

WildNeptune
06/23/2015, 01:52 AM
Log Horizon is an adventure anime where our cast is among the people who have been trapped in an online game representation of Japan. The story is somewhat multi-faceted. It starts with the characters simply trying to figure out the working of their new world into trying to manage it. There are other small arcs that interconnect these things together. At the start of the anime I was very impressed with how it really seemed like they were in a fully functional MMO with rules and teamwork. Almost everything in the anime somehow focuses on different aspects of what you would know from an MMO andhave interesting takes on how the changes would affect them. I was also impressed with how well they built the world. It has all the elements of an MMO and yet they don't neglect the fact that changes are being made within the world and take into account how these changes might affect the rules and characters within the game. The cast is reasonably large but it's really only fair to focus on a few characters, the main Shiro, is a decent male lead who essentially is the gateway for things to happen in the anime. While a lot of the cast is likeable an issue is that a lot of the main characters get almost no development, and this includes Shiro. This is not to say there is no character developmet, it's there... but the side characters get it. Now, again, just about all of their growth is facilitated by Shiro, but I do find it odd that the main cast simply follows their archetype like Shiro is devious and Akatsuki is one of those shy type girls fully devoted to Shiro. While the side characters start to change their stripes and question more than their situation, they question themselves and their character. There is a problem with Log Horizon beyond the weird development imbalance. Honestly, that's not even a huge issue. It's that it seems to dress up what should be a trivial problems and make them much larger than they actually are. The pacing of the show is also somewhat odd since they will often place little fun episodes in for no reason at all, not even fan-service, it's like they are just there. It's not even a filler episode since a lot of them somehow link to the next one, it just has a very different tone. Another problem is that there is a very distinct lack of action as the show begins to take the turn more into the affects of the change in the world versus the world being an MMO itself. Because of this there is a lot of dialogue without much payoff for conversations since everything is building to something else, and a lot of these are not yet realized. The animation is somewhat middling. Not bad mind you, but just not impressive. The OP is great and while the music does take some time to have its full affect in the show, it steps things up along the way. The sound in the anime is impressive. Log Horizon has some amazing world building and an enjoyable cast of characters but fails to capitalize on them beyond a surface level.
densilex
06/02/2015, 06:45 AM
A review for Log Horizon, a show that for a long time has been my favourites, and is currently the only show I've ever fully rewatched. The 2nd season is a different story for me, but this is the first one, and this is the Log Horizon I love. This review includes spoilers from only the early episodes, so I can freely explain the plot of the story. Story: Plot 4/5, Development 5/5, Total 9/10 In the first episode Shiroe, a gamer that has been playing Elder Tale for soon 8 years finds out he is locked inside his game world. He goes on to find his friendNaotsugu and meets up with an assassin called Akatsuki. In hope of finding out more about this world he now lives in, he goes north on a quest to find Serara, a girl from his friend's Marielle's guild. The great thing about the plot is that it is unique, and also not that straight-forward compared to Sword Art Online. What I mean is that you can't see the end of the series in the first episode, and I think that is a great aspect in series. I find motivation to watch the series when I don't know what'll happen and thats why I think the plot of this series is great. Now on to the development - the story goes all different ways. On Shiroe's journey(and in the arcs that don't include Shiroe) you will see all aspects of the Elder Tale community and how it's changed. Shiroe is a man of action, and though there aren't fights all the time Shiroe is always fighting. Some might consider the end of the season weak, but I think it's a great introduction to the second season. Art: Animation 2/5, Design 4/5, Total 6/10 The art of Log Horizon is cheap, and the battle scenes are weak(That's probably why we don't see a lot of them). How ever, some fights are still in battle and though the fights dont bring out a lot of visuals they add to the enjoyment in many different ways. The design is very nice and the Elder Tale world is bright and pretty. Later in the show the art suffers, maybe something like a degradation in production work(maybe because of a small budget?) and the things we liked dissapear. Sound: Voices 3/4, OP/ED 0/2, OST 4/4, Total 7/10 The voices in the show are mostly on-point, though there were some misfits and I notice the voices are sometimes over-done and sound a bit stupid, though were few of these flaws. The opening for this series is a good song, though it's a minus that I can't say "The Openings" since there only is one, and you only like it for a while, since in the beginning you think it's too repetetive and in the end of the show you get tired of it. I dislike Loli(a lot) and though I like some J-pop songs this one didn't cut it for me. For the OST, this is the best part. It's the main OST, the one where you know Shiroe, our MC is going to f*** s*** up, a happy one, and a couple of neutral ones. Some are done by orchestra's and your ears recieve a great massage in every episode. I absolutely loved the OST for this show. Character: 4/5 Design, 5/5 Development, Total 9/10 Some of the characters in Log Horizon might seem like clichè anime characters to some, but they all have their play in the anime and they all add greatly to a nice community of Log Horizon where all the small chit chats add to the enjoyment. Now for the main characters; Shiroe - Our main protagonist, a university student in his middle twenties, also the strategist of the Legendary "Debauchery Tea Party". He is friendly but people call him "The Villain in Glasses" because of his drastic choices and amazing plans. Akatsuki - A loli ninja that includes roleplay in Elder Tale even after the day they all moved into Log Horizon, making Shiroe her master. Naotsugu - A pervert Guardian that used to be a part of Shiroe's party, being on all the big raids. He also knows Shiroe in real life. Nyanta - Also a roleplayer after the Apocalypse, the half-cat man is referred to as "Chief" by Shiroe, Naotsugu and others that used to be a part of the Debauchery Tea Party. Little of his backstory is revealed, though something hints to that he teached Shiroe the game when he was starting out. Now onto the development of the characters, where Log Horizon really outdoes itself. We have development arc's that greatly tell us about the supporting characters and the main characters, we are introduced to traits that we didn't know the characters had and you won't say "That character is normal, just like me" just like you would compare yourself to Kirito of SAO, who only does what is ethically correct. The characters develop and move further as they find out more about this world of Elder Tale, especially Shiroe, as a lot of the story is based on his choices. Enjoyment: 10/10 Though the production is not of the highest quality, I loved this show and I had to rewatch it, since there was so much fuel driving me. All the lovely characters, the story engaging you to go further, episode by episode and the amazing OST of course. Overall: 8/10 I'm putting an 8/10 here since I feel this show deserves it, but I have a 9/10 on my list because Log Horizon really has a soft spot for me. Sorry if the review was a bit one-sided. I'd like to put some recommendations at the bottom; If you've only watched shounen and want to try something new, try "Haikyuu!", a sports anime about volleyball. If you want to watch another great shounen anime, I'd gladly recommend "Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakaritsu", you can read up on the story on another review because it's a bit hard for me to explain. Hope you liked the review!
ggultra2764
05/29/2015, 06:48 PM
Log Horizon follows in the same path as Sword Art Online in being focused on a popular MMORPG game where thousands of its players find themselves incapable of logging off the game under mysterious circumstances. Unlike SAO though, Log Horizon is a bit more light-hearted in its focus on how players handle their rather unique situation and the serious moments are not as heavy-handed, the latter being the major reason why I never got drawn into Sword Art Online. Mainly focused on enchanter Shiroe and the members of his party, our leads strive to restore stability and order to the game as many players areabuse their unique predicament for personal gain to enforce their will on weaker players, steal items and player-killing. The series does a rather great job tackling the normal behavior of players participating in an MMORPG with novices, veterans and rule-breakers. This can involve anything from helping novice players, making friends, actively participating in game activity or actively abusing the unique circumstances of the game. Regular MMORPG activity such as special events, forming guilds, gaining game experience and getting rare items is seen and part of regular social activity within the series. Those that form parties even strategize to develop strategies to fend off enemy threats as they either compete against rogue parties or fend against enemy monsters. In addition, logging out of the game isn't the only bizarre thing affecting players and the gaming environment as other bizarre things pop up that get explored which affect how players deal with their present situation. Gaming isn't the only element addressed within the series either as a good chunk of the anime's plot revolves around Shiroe and his comrades trying to make sense of their current situation in the game and restore order to it. The task isn't an easy one as players are wary of the current gaming environment thanks to guilds and parties reigning control over parts of the game and intimidating other players into joining their ranks or not to put up any resistance. Through extensive knowledge of the game and social interactions between others, Shiroe develops a number of plans throughout the series to deal with rogue guilds, rescuing novice players, dealing with hostilities and bringing some semblance of rules for players to follow that involve some bits of ruthlessness as he exploits unique abilities and game resources to drive off the corrupt elements affecting players within the game. Beyond Shiroe, we do get introduced to a number of other characters who have their personalities and mentalities explored as to why they participate in the game. While a number of them milk character types typical of MMORPG and rom-com titles, they are still a likeable bunch and the majority of characters get enough fleshing out where you can connect with them as they adjust to events that take place throughout the series. Only issues that come up with the series for me are hit-and-miss attempts at comedy coming from typical anime tropes mostly coming from Akatsuki's character in some form, a few rather shallow characters and the series still ongoing into its second season as the mystery surrounding the changes to the game still left unresolved. Still, Log Horizon was an engaging series for the most part as it struck a nice balance between typical MMORPG activity and its plot exploration with Shiroe trying to deal with their unique situation taking place in the gaming world and restoring order to it when chaos breaks out. Fans of MMORPG-based anime titles should give the series a look.
32k
05/25/2015, 09:42 PM
Log Horizon suffers from the problem of being mediocre because of poor writing. Poor for a number of reasons: 1.) It has so many possible elements to explore but capitalizes on none of them because it started off so poorly. 2.) Its lazy in that it leaves the reader to assume much while it explains little. Most other issue I have with it fall under these two reasons. The show is set in the virtual game world of Elder Tale where our cast is trapped in with no known way of escape. And it’s not just them apparently; there are many people from the real worldwho are all trapped in this game for an unknown reason (they are referred to throughout the series as “The Adventurers” in contrast to the NPC’s who are referred to as “The People of the Land”). You’d think that that would be explored more in the series, guess again. Rather than showing even the slightest care as to how or why they are trapped inside virtual reality, they start wandering around getting more involved in the surroundings and politics of the virtual community more than anything else. This brings me to ask, “Why even bother using the whole ‘trapped in a virtual reality’ setting if you aren’t even going to explore the reasons behind why you’re trapped?” Needless to say, this is a big slap in the face as the show continues ignoring that issue even to the end of the season. At best it comes off as, “Oh, that’s being handled off-screen, don’t worry.” That annoys me because I wonder if it’s just being used as bait to keep people who care about plot on board. I think under a different setting the show would’ve had a better chance at success. Rather than a being trapped in a virtual setting I think it would’ve worked better as a real fantasy setting. So yeah, the whole ignoring a big problem like that from the get-go really lost points in my book. Alright, so apart from ignoring an apparent problem without any justification as to why, what else makes this show mediocre? Well, the characters. Because none of the characters throughout the show give a damn about being trapped in a game, it’s hard to take any of them seriously. It makes them shallow and gives little room for uniqueness among them since they all seem to share this common lack of interest in escaping virtual reality, or why they’re even there in the first place. Because they’re shallow, a lot of their interactions between them feel empty and meaningless, nothing more than a convenience to drive (or force) the plot forward. But wait! The plot isn’t being driven forward! Instead the focus is more on dealing with episodic content and small-arcs involving The Adventurer’s relations with the People of the Land and themselves. Which raises another question in the viewer’s mind: “Why care about the NPC’s?” This same question is asked of the MC by a mysterious character that appears at the end of the season. No response is given to it, instead it’s ignored and we’re left with a cliff-hanger episode that raises more questions than answers to bait us in for a second season (as if we needed any more bait considering you haven’t made any significant advancement toward the plot). Ok, on to the characters. There is no real character development throughout the series, everyone is just put into character molds without any justification as to why they are the way they are, and you just have to accept it. You are given very brief explanations about each character (mostly to do with their status in the virtual world and a little about their real selves) and that is all, sometimes you don’t even get that. Also, their development throughout the show is little to nothing. Let’s start with the MC; Shiroe. He is referred to in-series as the “villain in glasses”. He is not exactly evil; his peers just don’t know how to categorize his methods. A lot of his actions come off as inconsiderate or rude in the eyes of those that don’t know him well, and they are to a degree, but we’re supposed to be aware that he does these things to protect people he cares for. This point is not actually made clear until near the end of the season where Minori (a young girl whom Shiroe took under his wing to train in the art of strategy) has a chat with Shiroe about why he does certain things the way he does. I’d compare his character to Hikigaya Hachiman, from Oregairu, but lacking the elaborate character-building of Oregairu. He’s meant to play the cast’s logically brilliant asocial introvert and yet he doesn’t seem to care about the fact that he and many other people are trapped in a virtual world. He seems more focused on solving immediate problems like food, government and societal issues which are all game-related and have little consequence. Forget that you actually exist outside this game and that your body could potentially be starving from a lack of nutrients, forget all of that and just focus on game-related stuff that pales in comparison to actual life itself. This just doesn't fit with the characterization he’s meant to portray. At least give me a reason as to why you don’t care so much about your actual self which is outside of this virtual reality! Akatsuki is pretty much the loyal, unquestioning sidekick to Shiroe. She carries out his orders and is protective of him all because he gave her some potion in the beginning of the show that allowed her to play a character that matched her real-life appearance (since she originally played a male character). There seems to be some chemistry between them but because of the shallowness of the characters it comes off as meaningless. It isn’t until near the end of the season that Akatsuki’s feelings for Shiroe become clearer, however they’re never really addressed by him and we have no insight as to why. Naotsugu is one of Shiroe’s friends from the real world. He’s more of a comic relief character with his openness about being a pervert, which leads to some comical moments between him and Akatsuki. There seems to be some chemistry going on with him and another side character, but again, it’s all very superficial. Nyanta is pretty much the gentle badass of the show. Gentle in that he’s a gentleman and badass in that he dispatches his foes with relative grace and ease. We know even less about him than we do about the others in the main cast. There is plenty more cast to go on about but a lot of them are pretty much filler with even less (or shallower) characterization than the main cast. In summation, the ideas that Log Horizon explored were great ideas but they were severely overshadowed by a major plot hole that also serves as the story’s starting point. This show could’ve worked as episodic content with light plot under a different setting. It seems the writer cares little about world-building and character-building, and cares more about appearing serious by dealing with little dilemmas that arise throughout the series. The ending of the first season pretty much left off where it started from with intrigue about escaping Elder Tales. However, it seemed more focused on a vague new problem that arises within the virtual world. I can only hope that the second season makes an effort at development instead of continuing episodic suspension of disbelief, although i've heard the 2nd season is no better in this department than the first. If you’re ok with watching a show that wants to be serious but totally ignores serious questions along the way, then you may be able to stomach this anime. Regardless, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Blazestar
02/18/2015, 08:49 AM
**The character development part of the review is not good.** Yet another MMORPG anime. People always compare LH with Sword Art Online. For me, I cannot find even the slightest similarity between them. They are two completely different show with distinct objectives and focus. I have not started season two as for the time this review was written thus tis purely based on my impression on the first season. All constructive criticisms are welcomed via PM or comment. They will be greatly appreciated. STORY (Concept 3.5/5, Development 4/5) Rounded down The series starts off with a terribly explained situation: random players get trapped in a fantasy universe.great. massive cliche. In the world of Elder tale, they have absolutely no objective whatsoever and finding a reason to live is extremely challenging. The protagonists along with his companion begin their journey to, uh, no where. Instead of trying their butt off to get back to the reality, they seem to be okay with their dire situation. This lead to a problem since we tend to forget it is a "game", rather than a normal fantasy universe. Yes, things such as game mechanics and the "death's penalty" introduced later in the series do remind us of what is going on, but on a grand scheme of things, it becomes rather confusing and pointless. Rather than action-packed fights and emotional rollercoaster, LH decides to take a intellectual route. The establishment of government and the negotiations with other factions are some interesting plot lines that involves multiple characters and they give people reasons to continue watching this show. Although some of the lines are kind of bad paced (princess arc) and misleading (round table), the curiosity (if you have any) will probably make you wonder what will happen to these characters. Some of the stories are somewhat smart, but none of them really clearly communicate the moral message to the audience which makes the entire series feels like a popcorn show. At the end of the show... it feels like a harem anime but I guess I'll let it slide since the majority of the story is considerable interesting. CHARACTERS (Design 5/5, Development 4/5) Log Horizon does not really follow the general formula of adventure-type stories. The typical Adventure consists of a idiotic protagonist and bunch of followers to help him out. In LH however, the characters play their unique role without a sense of "everybody helps one dude" feeling. The character designs not complete copycat, but they look pretty familiar. Notable Characters include Shiroe the mastermind, Akatsuki the bodyguard/lover, Naotsugu the tank and Nyanta is awesome cat. As a fan of Lelouch and Light Yagami, I can see the shadows of his predecessors in Shiroe's personality. He is clever, but not to the point where the world trembles beneath him. There isn't really too much of development as I can recall (there is, but they are definitely not notable enough to be noticed or cared), but throughout the series we learn about him gradually. I feel like his mind isn't all that clear in the beginning and at the end I do learn more about him as a complete person. Perhaps that counts as development? Ironic enough I don't feel like any other "main characters" have developed at all. Akatsuki changed her opinion toward Shiroe slightly, Naotsugu stays as an dumb tank and Nyanta keeps his image as the big daddy despite how awesome a daddy he is. The three little kids have their cliche development and that's pretty much it. reminds me of third Hokage's son's team in Naruto. The romance between the princess and Krusty was a very interesting touch. I almost felt like he is the hidden protagonist of the show. All in all, the design is quite unique and interesting and the development are scattered all over the place. I personally like that. All of the characters get a little bit of love. GRAPHIC (Art 5/5, Animation 2.5/5) Rounded up The art in the show is considerably unique. Not all characters have the same face (shout out to SAO) and they are quite comfortable to look at. The armors and clothes have different designs on different persons, each guild has its signature color and style. The background is very beautiful. The art focuses on landscape and the 16th century architecture. Each city has its unique building style and the background. You may not like it, but the effort is there for sure. The fan service in the show is very minimal. (Hurray!) Ah... The animation. The animation is shit. It is just so bad. It was made in 2013, and there shouldn't be any excuse to use simple flashy light to represent most if not all super abilities. The skill control menu panels are quite cool but when you compare them with SAO's... uh... not the most exciting animation and action. SOUND (OP/ED 1.5/3, OST 3/3, Voice 2/4) Rounded down DATABASE DATABASE DATABASE. This is one of the openings that I will absolutely skip no matter what happens. I wouldn't even consider listening to it just for the sake of appreciation. No, the opening is a very poorly written song that has no connection to the theme of the anime. I can only think of a person who loves repetitive noise booster who would enjoy the song. The ending is very cute. And that's pretty much it. The OST however is top tier. The majority of the songs are made of various instruments you can find in a traditional orchestra blended with some electronic addons. The heavy metal feelings and the occasional vocals makes great combo. They give a nice sense of glory. I would say the OST is what carries this production without letting it completely overshadowed on the back of SAO. (Yes, the LH OST is better than SAO's in MY opinion. it is just more engaging and stylish.) The dub is plainly average. Every character sound too unemotional and the lack of personal identification fails to give the show a fair atmosphere. That said they are not hard to listen to, it's just not good enough. The Japanese original is actually much better. I personally would recommend sub over dub, but if you hate reading, the dub won't do too much harm on your overall experience. ENJOYMENT (9/10) Despite the problems I pointed out previously, I find some of the elements especially enjoyable. The big cast of character and the unique way of narrative (we don't know what people are actually thinking) along with the glorious OST is beyond my expectation. The story isn't that good, but it is still considered semi-intellectual which I enjoy, very. OVERALL (7.5/10) Rounded up Animation aside, Log Horizon is a very well made SHOUNEN anime. Tho not brilliant in any particular aspect, the plot is very intriguing. Instead of randomly coming up with ideas one after another, the story built upon each other. With that in mind, I kindly overrate this a little bit since I believe it simply isn't fair for the creators since too many shounen shows are full of fillers and misleading plot/characters. This is definitely one of the shows that is worth checking out and I would say it deserves much more attention/credit than what it is got. If you don't find this review helpful, please give me some feed back so I can improve my content and give higher quality contribution to the community, thank you! :D Peace.
Aizen-Dono
01/14/2015, 08:07 AM
Let's speak about Log Horizon: an anime that tells about, for the most part, the adventures of the characters trapped in a virtual world; definitely very pleasant for those who appreciate the genre, but with some underlying defects that can not be ignored ... But let's start, analyzing, specifically, every aspect. STORY 5/10: Unfortunately the story is not the strong point of this anime. In fact, in my opinion, it is a bit abstract and lacking in depth, because this does not seem to have a definite starting point and evolves with a certain repetitiveness and carelessness. It's, essentially, a story based on how the charactersmanage to build a society, to deal with the uncomfortable situation of being trapped in the game; but, indeed, it doesn't give space to something fundamental, or rather to some normal questions that any sane person, in that situation, would pose: '' How can we get back to the real world? Is there a way to do so or not? ''. Perhaps because, knowing that they probably will not be able to get back to normalcy, they make their best efforts, almost exclusively to make their lives in the virtual word work; But this thing is not specified in the anime and it may just be a mere reflection of mine, and therefore can not be attributed as a strong point of the story. ART 8/10: As for the drawings in general, they are very well made and cared for. The environments are very colorful and bright, almost enticing the viewer to dive in; the graphics of the characters are really well done and linear, and even the animations are well cured and sliding. SOUND 7/10: Very interesting regarding the sound level: the openings and endings are beautiful; pleasant are also the various OSTs present in the anime, and finally they also made a not bad dubbing. CHARACTERS: 7/10: In this anime there is a wide range of characters who are more or less useful, but with the almost total lacking of villains, that kind of annoyed me. Let's start from the main protagonist Shiroe, also known by several nicknames because of his personality, he is definitely the cornerstone of the anime, in fact, thanks to his skills as careful strategist, he will manage to put aside the rivalry between the various guilds and create a good basic society. To help him in this endeavor there will be Akatsuki, a ninja that will strongly bind to him, and Naotsugu, his longtime friend. Then there will also be many other secondary characters, such as Nyanta, a catman who will have some merits in the culinary field, Marielle, head of one of the guilds, Henrietta, her second (my favorite), and many others that will contribute to make the watching of the anime sliding and enjoyable. ENJOYMENT 7/10: I didn't mind this anime, because there have been many moments of hilarity and madness, which made me laugh a lot; for example the way how Shiroe used to get annoyed because of his nicknames, or when Akatsuki was teased by Henrietta etc etc ... In conclusion, in my opinion, it is a partially successful anime, apart for the story which is vacuous and baseless. I strongly hope that these flaws will be resolved in the second season, because I think that this anime has a lot of potential and it would be a shame to make it vain because of a dull story. If I were to recommend someone to see whether or not this anime, I would say so, because it is very fun and enjoyable, and it is perhaps this what makes me close one eye on the defect of the story.
Tsugan
11/15/2014, 09:48 PM
This anime is playing second fiddle to SAO in regards to viewership; but can hold its own through thought-out dialogue and a political intrigue filled plot line. Story & Character: The story is carried through several strong characters; and a few side characters that over-shadow some of the leads. I especially did not enjoy Akatsuki the assassin-girl. It seems like she could have had a whole lot more depth to her but they didn't add it in. Shiroe is definitely one of the best male protagonists I've recently seen (much more interesting than Kazuto from SAO), and by the end Minori seems to almost takeover the female lead role from Akatsuki. Art & Sound: Living in the Database, Database, whoa-o. That intro song is hilarious. Enjoyment: Overall, I think that I will definitely be watching the 2nd season once it's completed. Is it "better" than SAO? I think it does a better job of fleshing out the game world they are stuck in than SAO, but does a poor job of explaining the real world situation outside the game, which is where SAO excels. I see no reason for someone not to watch both SAO and this to see which one they prefer, as they both have something to offer.
MAND4
09/14/2014, 05:41 AM
While Log Horizon may not end up being in the list of favorite shows all too many times, and while majority of its characters won't have a long-lasting impact on the audience, it still manages to be a fun ride with occasional fantastic moments as well as some downfalls which all eventually balance themselves out. When I first found out about the show, I, as many probably have, instantly thought "Oh look, carbon copy of SAO. *sigh*". Still, as I scrolled through some opinions, a lot of people have said that Log Horizon plays out as SAO should have. I'll leave that to your own decisionsand instead will focus on Log Horizon as an separate entity in the anime world. LH follows Shioru, our main protagonist who suddenly finds himself locked in a world of "Elder Tale", massively popular MMORPG with over twenty million people worldwide. He soon forms a party of three, with Akatskui, honorable shinobi who shall always follow her lord and knee the pervert, Naotsugu. Fortunately, that is not where the cast ends and we are soon introduced to heavy array of characters, ranging from veterans to beginners, each given enough time so we can learn something about them. Unfortunately, not all of them are that interesting. The story of LH works as a cohesive unit, but what really struck me was the world building. It really did feel as if the author invested a lot of time into making a specific world which does resemble that of MMORPGs - oftentimes, before the OP, we're given some information about the world and its rules which serves its purpose of introducing us, or rather helping us dig further in as to what kind of a world Elder Tale forms. Without spoiling too much, the story of LH is somewhat divided into short arcs, each one way or the other connected to the overall plot which comes into focus later on. Each separate entity is enough fun for itself and the mysteries introduced, especially the characters, are enough to keep your attention on. Overall, story was well above decent, albeit nothing too masterful. It did its job and it did it well. When it comes to production department, I'd call it the weakest part of the anime. Visuals are often stiff, animation often lacks impact and even battles, albeit exciting, aren't as good as in other similar shows. Even though character designs vary, it does feel as if too many characters are similar and/or act in similar fashion which is oftentimes just a sore. Another gripe I have with the show is the sound and all its merits. Some VA did a fine job representing their characters while I wouldn't be so certain when it comes to rest. There are, sometimes, weird pauses during their speeches which don't fit their character. The soundtrack itself was sorely lacking though; there is maybe 1 or 2 memorable themes while others are barely noticeable at best. I do feel that the soundtrack and the sound overall could have been given more time, especially because of the settings. Some spells, for instance, Astral Howl, do have that visual and sound impact while others ... well, don't. They're too generic. The characters of LH are ... well, some are decent, some are rather good and some are just plain unnecessary. Shirou, our main character, is a good spin on the "all powerful MC". Although anime, or rather characters within anime world, try to sell him as this almighty entity, we soon realize that he's just an above-average intelligent student with enough capacity to work with the information he gets. It's a nice spin and I did like his character overall. The other duo, faithful shinobi and open pervert did their job as a good support and humorous pair. Sometimes they'll get at your nerves, but more so than not they're quite likable. When it comes to the rest of the cast, I'll be honest: it's not that great. Especially the children, or the beginners as they call them. They're oftentimes annoying and given too much space and time which they simply seem to misuse to irritate the viewer even more. While there are some interesting characters, you'll simply feel as if the anime would have been better either without them or with them having less screen time. Other characters do have somewhat defined personalities, and are sometimes joy to watch (Crusty and princess come to mind), but even then they don't feel developed enough. Overall, though, given the number of characters with names, faces and personalities, I think they did a fine job representing them. I would lie if I said I didn't enjoy Log Horizon. Was it mind-blowing? No, not really. Was it this epic adventure you'll remember forever? Erm ... no. But it was a fun ride that lasted 25 episodes and I am looking forward to the sequel (mostly because I'm interested about one girl from Shirou's flashbacks. She seems fun). Battles were smart and weren't "oh, I'm this massive dude and my powaaah is bigger than yours" but instead they focused on teamwork of parties, which I found quite intriguing. The touch on politics and economics might put some viewers off but I personally enjoyed them and saw them as another layer of depth to an already established world. So yeah. Me like me some LH. (sorry Star Wars fans :() If you do feel like SAO was lacking something or if you're simply looking for a decent anime, you can't go awry with Log Horizon. It isn't epic, it isn't mind blowing, it won't send you to places that will make you think about your life, but it will provide temporary enjoyment and it won't bore you to death. TL;DR: recommended.
AnimeElitist
07/24/2014, 12:34 AM
At the peak of my disgust of all of RPG Anime things, here comes the Log horizon. Unfortunately not saving the day just making it a bit better but that suffices for now. Let me clear up some things first before I will get to the review itself. Usually RPG Anime genre which is at some point certainly very tempting but nonetheless vastly empty, except the fact that the story is happening in virtual environment nothing new nor awesome is going on by all means. Not mentioning all of the wasting of potential for fun-service which is understandable for the simple reason that most of Animeconsumers are MOE zombies and primal reason of existence of companies is revenue. At the end of the day we don't very often get a quality product. When I started watching LH I almost quit, guess why? I had enough of "This is not SAO" shows. A week later when I cooled down a bit I gave it a second chance. Now I am really happy that I did so. I really wanted to evade comparison between SAO and LH. Actually I do not understand why everyone feels the need to compare these two Animes. The only common element here is that real people get stuck in an MMORPG, the result is different. Unfortunately two of them have been confronted so often, that I don't have a choice. The show started quite slowly with what seemed like typical, hackneyed plot. But later things start to snowball. Problems are getting more serious and world begins to take on dimensions, both growing at a steady pace. The animation is very pleasing for the eye and the music aspect also has a lot of nice "straight out of game" like soundtracks. Action scenes seem to be rather lacking in this kind of genre however the in-show implemented game mechanics explanation is acting like compensation. The imbalance between dialogues {not as important ones} and the action is a con. LH is unfortunately Shounen so we can't evade Cliché and fun service. Constant rubbing of glasses by our smart-ass heroes was pissing me off. The main character, Shiroe, plays both the protagonist and antagonist role. He is behind everything, playing the game, always having some card in his sleeve {NGNL similarity}. Akatsuki aka. Lolininja is a wasted potential. Then we got a pervy guy Naotsugu and antipole gentleman catman Nyanta {WTF}. Even though this Anime certainly has some problems like slow acceleration from the start and cheesy humor the plot is really good and most importantly the RPG element is very well executed. The authors of this elaborate work we're aware of the potential and did not make the same mistake as the SAO, which was mostly about {weakly executed} romance and nothing else. LH truly focuses on the breathing online world where the players are imprisoned, the impact of their actions and choices on the world, communication with the NPC, skills and abilities, magic system, events etc. Unlike in SAO. There is no sense of imminent threat. So whatever is happening its still just a game {little memory loss is nothing compared to death imo} I recommend this show for all the SAO haters out there. Anyway, I am looking forward to the second series.
karamatsuuu
07/15/2014, 03:59 PM
This is not Sword Art Online period. I've decided to write a review because I severely misjudged this anime by assuming it was a cheaply made SAO knock off. Although it has the same premise of players being stuck in a virtual world, Log Horizon approaches the theme in a different direction by mainly focusing on the impact and development the players have on the virtual world of Elder Tale. The author's approach on the subject of assimilation, which I personally felt SAO lacked, left me thoroughly satisfied with political and historical based struggles of settlement, such as laws, and cultural integration between Adventurers (Players) andPeople of the Land (NPC's). Being a fan and enjoying both series, I will confidently state that I honestly enjoyed Log Horizon more than Sword Art Online as a more unique and thoroughly written and well developed storyline.
Lord_Odous
07/09/2014, 10:32 AM
“Hard to believe it all started with a hamburger that has some flavour.” Log Horizon is a surprise package, it began airing not long after the immensely popular Sword Art Online ended, and shares the same concept: players are trapped in a MMORPG and unable to get out, also its animation isn’t as flashy as SAO, causing some may cast their doubts onto Log Horizon, I was one of those viewers. However, things actually turned out rather well here. STORY: 8/10 The story of Log Horizon can be summarized by 3 words: simple, straightforward, sweet. Its plot follows a very clear path and it is not difficult tounderstand what they are trying to convey, and the dialogue is sufficiently added to provide enough explanation for the viewers. I like how Log Horizon gives us a decent insight on how does the MMORPG “Elder Tale” works, from the job system, currency, guild system and many more, so at least you are familiar with the setting and then it will be easier to understand the motive of the characters’ actions. The story of Log Horizon progresses through different arcs, which sort of come off as the different stages of new challenges our protagonists have to go through, although timeskips still occur here, it is merely a tool used to tell a story lasting throughout several years. Politics are actually an important plot point here, so as you can see things can go really far from here. It may be argued that most of the trapped players seen in the anime don’t seem to be so urgently wanting home, but it may be explained as simply they do not know the way, and had grown accustomed to the new world they had no choice but to adapt and inhabit. ART: 7/10 The animation of Log Horizon is one that doesn’t stand out and impress you, causing you to run and catch your dropped jaw rolling all over the floor. However, it is decent enough to be pleasant to the eyes, and the battles showcased are decent. Each character is distinctive from each other, and changes their attire (equipment) to suit their needs. SOUND: 6/10 Nothing too impressive as well in this department, you have background music which always accompany the scenes, but they are hardly memorable. You will hear the same battle track several times as you progress through this anime. The characters voices aren’t that superb either. I actually liked the catchy OP, Database~ Database~ CHARACTERS: 7/10 Log Horizon generally splits their protagonists to 2 groups, Shiroe and the Tea Party gang forms some of the highest level and the strongest members of the show, they are the ones to solve the mysteries of this entrapment and to further explore the world. Minori and her party of lower level characters form the “newbie” characters, who are still learning the basics of the game and showed us more about getting stronger in this world. My biggest gripe with Log Horizon is that we are not given much background regarding our main characters, they are strong just because they are the veterans in the game. We do not know why Akatsuki is so attached to Shiroe, other than he gave her an appearance-changing potion at the start of the series, so sometimes you just have to accept that the characters are what they are shown to you and nothing more. However, all is not unwell here as despite the large cast of characters, each of them are still explored sufficiently, each of them have important roles they have to fulfill, and by the end of the day you will know and remember all or most of them, which is a fine job done by the developers. ENJOYMENT: 8/10 Log Horizon isn’t an anime that will make you utterly depressed and devastated, or will confuse you with its huge collection of jargon words, instead it is a simple and straightforward anime which one can have fun easily. Dialogue may be abundant sometimes but the pacing is fast enough to ensure you won’t get bored too much. If you like gaming, this is definitely a decent anime for you.
sours
04/23/2014, 01:00 AM
Where do I even start with this anime... First of all i am not the most well versed in anime but i do have a long history of playing MMORPG games like the game "Elder Tale" depicted in this anime and most of my issues with this are directed at the game deign because the anime is really just bland and not very good. THE UI: Imagine somebody watched a futureistic movie or something of the sort where holographic menus pop up that you control with your fingers. Now imagine one where everything is the same bland green color and pops up randomly and moves allover the screen like mad. Honestly an eyesore almost everytime it is animated and rather saddened me as a viewer. THE CLASS/SKILL SYSTEM: In the show very few classes are shown to the viewer and even though most of the characters for each class are shown at the Max in game level (90) only like 2 or 3 skills are used by any of them at any given point. However at one point there is another painful to look at menu for some body they are fighting skills and he has many more and refuses to do anything with them instead he just uses the same 3 cool downs. Our MC has a CC spell that does 5x1k damage and binds a target and the main tank for him only has 13k hp meaning there is absolutely no balance in this game and all skills just should be ignored for the most part. THE GUILD/FACTION/PVP: What are the factions in this game you might be wondering? FFA always 24/7 even in towns even on your own party members. None of it makes any sense and should honestly just be ignored because it will hurt you too much as anybody who has played any MMORPG or like game before. Not to mention that healers can heal people while they are dueling and all duels are literally to the death. THE PARTYS: I really don't even want to talk about the party system in the show/LN/game because it makes me so mad. A party in an actual MMORPG style game has these components TANK | DEEPS (x2/x3) | HEALZ This game has OPERATOR | FIELD MONITOR | PATROL FILE I honestly cant even begin to start to describe my frustration watching the party play in this game/show whatever you want to call it. If any single person in this show was in a party of mine in any game instant kick, instant guild removal, muted, banned from vent. Honestly this is really more like LARP the show then a depiction of what an actual game is like and that made me feel physically ill. THE STORY: sucks, read more about what other people had to say I really did not care for it and at no point did it surprise me or have me empathizing with any of the characters. MY CONCLUSION: If you have ever played a MMORPG do not watch this show you will hate yourself for it. If you have ever LARP'd watch this show you will love it. Approach with caution. Do not expect intelligence.
arrazolavguille
04/19/2014, 01:04 AM
People trapped in a MMORPG sounds like something we've seen at times especially recently, we have one of the animes that more polarized as the community:Sword Art Online SAO is a similar premise, but still quite different in their implementation and development and it is not fair to compare one nor to the other. What makes it different, Log Horizon show some implication from the first chapter, which will be the tonic that makes the whole anime, and its they're stuck in the game, what they gonna do now? That's what makes it different, the lack of an objective/specific goal that leads them to be more outstanding fightto survive, from this point that the narrative focuses on present problems of a society, such as abuse of power, disregard, power forces, commerce, social classes and even in some part the migration. Log Horizon complex issues is a pretty nice way, and that is the true subject of the picture, not a villain at first glance, human relations become a sort of villain with which our protagonists struggle, plus some moments that are involved in battles that represent fairly realistic as are the MMORPG The characters are well-drawn, all very good complete its mission within the anime including the one that most stands out is Shiroe strategist, which is one of the best protagonist in a while, in the course of the anime have seen a progress in the character to first costs interact with others to take the risk of being the head of a movement, he understands he has to put aside the passivity, and if you want to improve you have to take initiative, his nickname "the villain with glasses" is that as a strategist knows that there are sometimes you have to push a little more rules on the strings to achieve its mission, which goes beyond normal prototype of the perfect protagonists, which works and gives a perfect theme for anime touch. The art is pretty well done and consistent, good fluidity and the few fight scenes are technically very good, the character design is pretty good too, in part sound also very acceptable nothing extraordinary but pairs well running scenes, what would be the opening database remarkable feat. Takuma ( 10 Feet ) executed by Man With a Mission. Log Horizon is a highly recommended for those who enjoy complex topics anime, the anime has a few action scenes or fights, contains elements of comedy that much lighten the atmosphere , in many chapters the protagonists are caught up in conversations so if 're not the type to enjoy that nearly 80 % of the chapter no action is not an anime for you, but you invite him to give it a try , it's really a good option to see and in October it has been revealed will have a second season.
Edward_Low
04/17/2014, 10:52 AM
Log Horizon has really impressed me. It is a solid 9/10 and possesses a quiet intelligence and maturity that rivals other flashier shows. Any anime about being stuck in a computer game is inevitably compared to Sword Art Online. When Log Horizon made its début on the scene, the most common compliment was that it was ‘more realistic’ than SAO. This didn’t strike me as necessarily a good thing. I don’t want to watch a show just to get lectured on proper MMORPG mechanics. As it turned out, Log Horizon does get the mechanics of MMORPGs right, but what makes it truly great is so muchmore. The problem with SAO was that it was blatant wish-fulfilment. The main protagonist Kirito is a Gary Stu whose only flaw is being so damn good at the game that everyone else is envious of him. Along the way he acquires the trophy wife Asuna (just because a girl can use a sword and is given the label of ‘strong’ does not automatically make her more than a cardboard character) and other female members of his harem. By sheer deus ex machina he is carried along by the plot and saves the day. What makes it worse is that the series never really looks at characters beyond the individual that is Kirito. SAO is less about Sword Art Online, the game that they’re stuck in, and more about Jesus Kirito. In Log Horizon's later episodes, it is highly unlikely that even a third of the frames in the episode contain Shiroe, the main protagonist. Shiroe himself is no self-absorbed prick with delusions about the extent of his powers. Next to Kirito, Shiroe is like an adult, which only makes sense because Shiroe is also a graduate engineering student. Log Horizon is about the trapped gaming community and the political ability of an individual to influence the direction society takes. Shiroe’s only goal, outlined simply, was to ‘improve the mood’ of Akihabara, and he did so by kickstarting the gaming economy through the creation of goods in demand. His meticulous plan to bring the other dominant powers to cooperate with him is not something that can be compared to some flashy sword swings on the part of Kirito. Next to Log Horizon, SAO is purely solipsistic. Log Horizon's cast is diverse, and one character in particular deserves mention. Minori is a young girl also trapped in the game, and spends most of the initial episodes basically performing child labour under the auspices of an exploitative guild. After being liberated by Shiroe, the story focuses on her growth as she eventually assumes roles of greater responsibility while facing ethical decisions. In this case, Shiroe ends up playing the role of a mentor and role-model, and it's fascinating to watch Minori through mimicking him, understand his motivations behind his actions. Of note is also Princess Lenessia, a self-described 'lazy and unmotivated' girl who ends up changing the fate of her country, and playing a key role in a powerful political alliance. It's generally hard to manage a cast of nearly twenty consistently appearing characters, but Log Horizon manages to make them absolutely endearing and sympathetic. More than anything, Log Horizon paints an optimistic and comedic picture of human cooperation while skilfully portraying an intriguing world with shadowy politicking in the backdrop. The one flaw that Log Horizon has is its art and animation. The character designs and backdrops are a bit bland (though charming) at times. Especially because Log Horizon's focus was never on battles - battles being hardly conducive for creating anything constructive - it really isn't that bad not having top notch art. Season two will be airing this fall, and I'm definitely watching.
Deiger
04/04/2014, 01:05 AM
Log Horizon. The basic premise, as is evident in the synopsis, centres around a group of players who by some - as of yet - unexplained phenomenon, got stuck in an online massive multi player role playing game. I can imagine anyone familiar with Sword Art Online doing a double take at this point, obviously comparing the two anime, itching to see how one holds up against the other. SAO lovers and haters alike will travel down this line of thought. To be honest, I was and is one of the latter. Infact, I went into the series hoping to find all I missedin SAO after reading some assuring extracts that put this above Sword Art Online. And it did deliver. I should mention, however, that this anime is not everyone's cup of tea. If you're not the type to sit down and enjoy a dialogue heavy show such as this, the anime will most certainly come off as dry and boring. To be fair, if you're on the extreme end of dialogue-heavy fanaticism, the end-result won't vary. Log Horizon is the kind of anime that sits on the neutral ground - its dialogue heavy, but the concepts are not overly complex, thought provoking or riddled with worldly wise philosophies. That is not to say the show is not intelligent, but nonetheless, if you take the word of Log Horizon fans(a.k.a SAO haters) that judge the show as the intellectual's SAO, then you'll end up sorely let down. Because, at the end of the day, Log Horizon is still a kids show that shows no shame in shying away from the more ugly facets of the scenario, and the devious schemes that characters keep praising as something phenomenal are rather elementary. Not that its a bad thing, the anime itself doesn't go out of its way to show its characters as human super computers or anything. We just get a normal gamer guy with above average intelligence, and one who actually does his homework to get things done. Seeing he's surrounded by other normal people and AI, it might even be a good thing. The situations themselves doesn't call for anything more than some rudimentary marketing and administrative tactics and strategies. The story is in any case, fairly well executed and implemented; you won't find the characters doing utterly pointless actions or going on completely fruitless endeavours. Although, like they say, don't judge a book by its cover, because first arc of Log Horizon can mislead you on the show's main focus. Without spoiling too much, they first go on a rescue mission and the short arc serves as an exposition of sorts to give us a gist of the combat and gameplay mechanics, which while not a central theme, does get some focus later on in the series. Even so, combat is not heavy in Log Horizon. When there is action, it mostly relies on tactics and strategy. There is no one-man show where the mc's love overrides the game mechanics or anything. But, if you forget the two arcs where action is important - Log Horizon is about economics and politics at its core. One significant factor that differentiates Log Horizon from its thematic predecessors like SAO and .hack series is that death in the game does not equate to death in real life. That is, the players can respawn infinitely. It is not without consequence though, as there is something even more terrible than death that await the players who carelessly let their HP bars easily chip away to zero. Oops, I said too much. Maybe you should go watch the anime, because I won't be dropping any more spoilers. Now, onto the sound. The OST at first didn't at all sit well with me. It was sharply contrasting to the shows feel and theme. However, slowly but surely, I ended up loving it and started humming along. I can't honestly speak in-depth about the back-ground score...But they were certainly mood building, though I have my doubts about whether they went overboard with it. Some of the mood-building has gone to water and left me with a facepalm because the epic moments were made epic only because of the soundtracks. Without those, I wouldn't have batted an eye at the game winning strategies the characters employed and would have wrote them off as common sense. Meanwhile, the ending has already found a place in my favorites. Never skipped it, infact, I'm listening to it as I'm typing. The art was quite mediocre. Nothing to speak of. Its not too bad and its not too good. I felt that it didn't quite feel like a game for most part. But you really can't complain, for all we know, they may not even be stuck in a game per se. The character designs were pretty generic and all of anime's usual motifs are used. I particularly liked the mc's design. Characters of Log Horizon are not unique or spectacular in any sense. But they get their job done, and the mc is a wits above fists guy for once, and he's good at it. There is also the charismatic guy who gets all the praise, but luckily, we see him as a side character for the better part of the show. Not really surprising given Log Horizon takes a radically different route than most mainstream shounen shows by focusing on the action behind the scenes far more than the frontline adventures. I have noticed the characters getting blamed for reacting too calmly towards their predicament and this is one of those criticisms I don't understand. If you came across such a criticism, take my word - that is baseless. Completely baseless. One character I was thoroughly disappointed with was the loli assassin, Akatsuki. I actually had high hopes for her. But much to my dismay, her potential as a character was left untapped in terms of both execution and elucidation. I certainly won't condemn her character for development as she seemed to be wallowing in sadness because of her inability to be of sufficient use, and even more her because of her being unable to empathize with the mc towards the end. She still has a lot of potential for development, especially in the light of next season coming shortly. No, my problem is with her lack of chemistry with the mc. The same slap-stick jokes with the show's resident pervert can get old really easily, and the whole cosplay facade she uses to interact with Shiroe doesn't help either. Heck, Shiroe himself thinks her antics are nothing more than cosplaying when her personal monologues shows that she is invested in Shiroe on a more than superficial level. If there was some backstory for such an introverted personality, then I could have let it slip. But sadly, nothing of that sort came up. I'm hoping that the next season will take some time to flesh out her character, seeing she's the main female lead. Rest of the characters were great for the duration of the show and we can hope that they will play more important roles in the upcoming sequel. Some of the secondary cast got a lot more development than the main cast, both a positive and negative point in my books. Another weakness in its character department comes from overuse of certain gags. Shiroe adjusting his glasses when thinking making everyone go 'Ooohh the villain in glasses', Henrietta's obsession with dressing up lolis, Naotsugu's openly showing perverted tendencies only to get interrupted halfway by wrathful Akatsuki etc being only some of the examples. While this is not uncommon or ineffective, too much of these can be frustrating. As I mentioned at the beginning, this anime is not for everyone. For those who like dialogue heavy anime that is not dark or depressing, with some light slapstick comedy thrown in for good measure - this is exactly what you're looking for. As a last note, I must warn anyone who has been pushed onto taking up this anime by SAO haters - Granted, its different from SAO and does decidedly better than SAO on the story department, particularly the pacing. But its not the masterpiece that many of them paint it to be. Log Horizon is a little above the average shounen, however, its still an anime with flaws that cannot be overlooked. My own overall score is a result of the kind of entertainment I derived and not at all reflecting of the show's quality from an objective standpoint.
Calitz
04/02/2014, 02:18 AM
Hello buddies, why don’t we have a little chit chat over Log Horizon. Log Horizon is an adaptation of a manga written by the fabulous Touno Mamare. Maybe you already knew him as the creator of Maoyuu Mao Yuusha, which by the way really is something. The anime adaptation is directed by Ishihira Shinji who works on Fairy Tail’s adaptation, and some Full Metal ’O’ God Alchemist (Brotherhood version of course). Now that the bases are set, let’s start the review. Story: 9 The main lines are pretty simple. Due to the arrival of a new expansion pack, a bunch of players are transported into a gamenamed “Elder Tale”. In this mess, we are following the daily life of Shiroe and his friends through various situations and challenges. Actually these lines could remind you of SAO (Sword Art Online). Buuuut (you should have expected it :D), the story is way more developed. In fact, where SAO was just barely trying to add some depth to the story, Log Horizon is perfectly managing to create plots in plots through other plots. Each episode of Log Horizon adds to the plot, which is mainly about the players adjusting to their new world. There is something you may keep in mind, this anime is made by Touno Mamare and this is what is really making the difference. If you’ve seen “Maoyuu Mao Yuusha” it’s really really similar. We don’t have pretty much action but it’s still intense. This is also reminding me of “Spice & Wolf” (Ookami to Koushinryou) in many ways because it’s not based on pure action but it’s still considered. Art/Sound: 8 The work made on the anime is pretty incredible. Let’s start with the music here. Opening and ending are both quite good, and the background music is a bit repetitive in the second part of the anime. The animations are fluid, but nothing transcendental. In a general manner Art is pretty good but could have it improved a bit. They could have made it more like MMY but whatever. The thing that made my marked it 8 is the work made on the UI they used in the game. When I’m thinking about augmented reality games I imagine it like that and I don’t feel like they are making fun of my gamer side :) Character: 10 The character building is pretty impressive too. All the character have a real personality, even if we found the stereotype of all anime (loli, tsundere,..) each character of this anime is important. Even secondary and supporting characters are important. Each of them gives a little plus to the anime. Moreover Shiroe (the main character) got a really interesting chara design, his personality and action are evolving in an interesting manner. Enjoyment: 10 I feel like I could watch it again and again and I’m eager for the second season which is pretty rare for me. Some moments are really delightful, other tears you in half. I really love anime that make me laugh or make me shed tears. And Log Horizon is one of them. I discovered it by serendipity and after watching I feel like watching “Spice & Wolf” which is one of my favorite anime. Overall: 9,25 I don’t feel like marking it 9 because I really enjoyed watching Log Horizon and I’m really eager for the 2nd season. You should watch it if: -You’ve enjoyed watching SAO -You’ve enjoyed Spice & Wolf and Maoyou Mao Yuusha -You want a SAO like with a real half season :DDD You shouldn’t watch if: -You want only action and to put your brain away -You can’t stand waiting for a 2nd season to come out -You are an alien Thanks for reading my 1st review and have a good time watching anime :)
GonzyChan
03/26/2014, 11:36 PM
A demographic of people love to dabble in the virtual world of Massively Multiplayer Online games (MMO) to achieve escapism from stress and other struggles that plague their nature. Recently, there has been somewhat of a resurgence of interest for anime fans to watch shows that detail the life of gamers who play these sorts of games, with Sword Art Online being at the forefront of it. These shows detail whether the virtual world could become more real to us than what we initially thought of as real from when we were born should be the central theme for these shows to explore and bringa fresh new take on it. It’s just too bad that none of these shows in question ever bothered to in the first place and become generic as a result. A year later, we have Log Horizon, an MMO-inspired anime with the same scenario as Sword Art Online above, with only a few minor iterations here and there. Before I begin, this won’t be a piece where I start to compare or contrast Sword Art Online and Log Horizon, as many people, unfortunately, seem to be inclined to do so. Whether I think Sword Art Online was good or bad should not be a factor in how I feel about Log Horizon. Judging a show by its own merits without any outside influence of another show should be the number one key in critiquing any work. With that said, does Log Horizon hold out on its own? One thing to realize about the plot is the tone of the setting and how it feels very lighthearted despite the dire situation that all of the characters are in. As far as the characters know, they have no way of getting out of the game. Many have criticized this aspect as being somewhat unrealistic in how real people would react to something of this magnitude. It might be an understandable critique to offer at first. However, as the show goes on, it feels fitting based on how the characters think about how they live and survive in the virtual environment. For however long they’ve been trapped in the game for years, at least based on their confusing logic, that virtual world becomes their world, and they get used to it by then. It also helps the show’s credit that they don’t ever show us the real world at all and keep it a mystery as to how things will make the situation from the characters’ perspective feel more apparent to the audience. While this might be one of the more significant points of the show, the story itself, in how it is paced and told, isn’t nail-bitingly intuitive or well thought out. The premise isn’t that complicated, to begin with, as we’ve been shown before, but Log Horizon seems to think that if they throw in multiple subplots into the mix to make it sound complex, it’ll succeed. Unfortunately, those sub-plots I’d mentioned don’t amount to anything special in the long run and aren’t even that memorable because of it. Not only that, but that lack of memorability stems from the fact that all of these political and social constructs that Log Horizon’s world possesses aren’t written clear enough, other than the fact that they’re there to establish some basis for our protagonists to go somewhere. These aspects come into perspective with how many characters there are to follow in Log Horizon, but I’ll get to that later. The problems with world-building might be more apparent after knowing that the original creator, Mamare Touno, was responsible for creating Maoyuu Maou Yuusha, which also had the same problems in its adaptation. These sorts of issues are prevalent in adaptations on this type of scale, but that can’t be an excuse. Though the massive cast of characters might seem like a huge negative, the way I put it, that shouldn’t mean that all of them are mediocre. The main cast of prominent characters throughout the show is exceptionally likable and hilarious to watch due to their numerous escapades with each other. It helps tremendously how they all have unique characteristics that improve the nature of every one of them, rather than making them all generic and uninteresting. The same thing can’t be said for the side characters. With our main cast being Shiroe, Nyanta-nyan, Akatsuki, and Naotsugu, there’s this decent sense of chemistry between these four characters that are ultimately lacking for our side/supporting cast. Their archetypes mainly consist of a trait that tries to make them distinct, such as Henrietta having an obsession with cute things like Akatsuki, and Serara, who has a habit of wanting to clean things to calm down. At first, it’s humorous, but after a while, it becomes redundant, and it doesn’t make them any more meaningful. In an action anime centered around the MMO systems, it would make sense to make the anime feel like you’re really in an MMO game from the gritty details of cool-downs, being a tank, healing your party members equally, and conjuring status effects at the right time. I, myself, am one of these people who enjoy these types of games, and, to me, Log Horizon is probably the only one that gets it right. Usually, something like this would steer off into brainless shounen show cliches, and there are a few here and there. Amazingly, Log Horizon gets the idea of taking its time for the characters to strategize their movements and actions rather than just blindly fighting off monsters without any thought in the world. That might make it seem too slow or methodical to enjoy watching, but in reality, they do an excellent job of pacing these fight scenes and keeping the action flowing seamlessly to give us a clear picture of what’s going on. The art style can be construed as good, just not excellent in quality. The character designs themselves are plain and ordinary enough for me to consider them a triumphant success in artistic merit. Still, we expect that, and for what it’s worth, it handles it decently to where they don’t seem to cut any visible corners in the later episodes. As I’ve mentioned about the action being fast and flawlessly executed, the animation is a big part of why those are the case. The fluid character movements feel nice and kinetic to the cast spells and look pretty good as a result. Voice talents range from relatively unknown voice actors to the familiar ones we’ve grown fans of, giving their artistic liberties to full effect with Log Horizon. Emiri Kato as Akatsuki is devilishly cute, and her being a fellow MMO fan sort of gives her performance an exciting spin. Even though Henrietta wasn’t that special as a character, Ayahi Takabaki manages to pull off the mature woman voice well and gives her voice some new territory for her to explore for her vocal talents rather than a more boyish female character. Takuma Terashima proves himself worthy of being the main protagonist of a show, and I hope to see him do more shortly. Not to mention, I could listen to Jouji Nakata say anything with the word “nyaa” at the end of his sentences and never get tired of it. For some of us fans of the MMO genre, Log Horizon should be the one show to be doing it right, and while it handles the actual MMO aspects brilliantly, the real narrative and storytelling sets itself down from being great. I appreciate the amount of depth it tries to convey that wants us to feel attached to the world, yet I can’t help but wonder if that could’ve been done to better effect had it made the narrative more tightly constructive and less cluttered. The saying, “Too many cooks spoil the broth,” sums up Log Horizon perfectly. Only when the eventual sequel comes out will we know if the journey will be worthwhile enough to experience its next climax. Grade: B-
yahzee
03/24/2014, 06:32 PM
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 with the usual setup of a "no-faults" main character, but with a slight difference. That difference is how the main character, Shiroe, strategically approaches each situation that makes Log Horizon an exciting show to watch. Shiroe isn’t the typical shounen main character that powers up throughout the story and then overpowers his enemies. Rather, he’s the guy in the background, the “villain in glasses” who controls the flow and direction of battle. Overall, LogHorizon is a genuinely fun show without all the pitfalls that we've come to expect from a shounen-type series. The story begins by introducing a set of typical MMORPG rules/restrictions that many viewers are familiar with. But what's not so familiar are the way these rules are manipulated, opening paths to feats that were previously impossible. When one thinks of rules and boundaries, one would assume that it would limit whatever it governs. Ironically, these strict rules expand Log Horizon's story from a generic show to a well thought-out strategic adventure. It's an extremely appealing story given the relatability to many of its viewers. 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 that greatly affect these game mechanics are discovered, Log Horizon truly becomes special. It also feels completely plausible. It is NOT a “power of friendship defeating the boss that was previously kicking your ass.” It’s fundamentally sound and really becomes an intriguing show. Although some 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. To me, 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. Log Horizon also executes its' story quite well. I found the pacing and structure of the arcs to be satisfactory and enjoyable. Art is decent, it's not UFOtable amazing, but not terrible either. It's consistently pretty decent and not "inconsistent" like some other shows. 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, while not bad, is overused. 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 always of the same manner and it gets boring very quickly. It seems that Akatsuki's character is reduced to mere loli humor later in the show. 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 didn't have these elements, I really believe that Log Horizon would not be an exciting show to watch, it would just be another okay show. 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.
Stark700
03/22/2014, 02:27 PM
There are certain degrees to which MMROPG series are adapted these days. While not an original concept, Log Horizon has been unanimously compared to another popular series known as Sword Art Online. It’s almost unavoidable considering both series are based off a light novel and relates to character in an MMORPG setting – an open world based off a video game. But really, that’s all there is to it and the similarities ends there. Log Horizon isn’t a rip off of SAO, .//hack franchise, or anything else relating to the MMOROPG theme. It’s a show that shines in its own way that makes its pointin the horizons. Log Horizon is an anime adapted series based off the light novel of the same name written by Mamare Touno. The setting takes place in a virtual world known as ‘Elder Tale’. Log Horizon follows the story of a young man known as Shiroe who has earned a reputation in the community. His nickname “Shiroe the Strategist” fits his title exactly as such because of his analytical skills and abilities of intellect. Together with his companions, they take on this world that blurs between the lines of fiction and reality. As a MMORPG series, Log Horizon adapts many of its concepts relating to the fantasy realm. Nothing in Elder Tale is real but they have their own mechanics. These include but is not limited to various classes players can adapt their roles in, monster categories, economic/politic aesthetics, and world concepts. In fact, the world that Log Horizon is based on is colored with all sorts of fantasy attributes; goblins, murlocs, gryphons to just name a few. More importantly is the fact that the world itself also has its own rules such as penalties, death/respawns, pking, etc. On many chances, Log Horizon follows a suit of narrative through which mechanics are explained thoroughly to give viewers insights. These narratives often goes over background information and how exactly certain notions function. Log Horizon presents this flawlessly because it both tell and shows its mechanics firsthand. It brings out its best when the show follows the concepts of actual MMORPG mechanics. As a former MMORPG player, I am pleased to see this such concepts being explored. More so, Log Horizon also focuses on world building with its construction of its fictional universe. It aims to inform, presents it, and delivers. Series based off of MMORPG often incorporates a large cast of characters. Log Horizon is no stranger to a large cast. Most prominently however are our main protagonists of the guild – Log Horizon. Shiroe, Naotsugu, Akatsuki, Nyanta, Minori, Tohya, and Isuzu makes up this group of players and together stands as a unity to face their world. Even from the first episode, there’s a sudden degree of chemistry between each member that can attract viewers to see how it develops. On a technical level, each character has their own personalities and more importantly, a class and level. This is important as each class has a skill of its own as well as a sub-class that is imperative for a guild to survive. For example, Akatsuki’s class is ‘assassin’ with a sub-class of ‘tracker’. Both of these functions well in stealth missions where infiltration and gathering information is significant to ensure a guild’s success. Log Horizon demonstrates this well on various degrees by testing the limits of these classes for both its advantages and flaws. The series functions well in terms of storytelling on most parts. Every episode offers something new to the audience with its game mechanics whether it’s combat, politics, or even culinary. While the series does have its concept of survival, it doesn’t just focus on that exclusively. Rather, its formula consists of various degrees of concepts that connects the story as a whole. It focuses on an internal level of struggle and warfare that sets Log Horizon as a unique series. Furthermore, it also engineers the overall theme of the plot and doesn’t go overboard with its comedy, drama, or even romance. Of course, there is also action offered which brings the show to life with its sequences. What makes it more entertaining and attractive is the way characters engage in combat with their skills based off their classes. Even players in a party such as healers play prominent roles and no one is left in the dust. There is also no player that plays the role of an overpowered protagonist or break through impossible circumstances through deus ex machina. The concepts and mechanics are explained beforehand and applies when the time calls for it. Even though Log Horizon is the main guild that is explored throughout the series, it doesn’t just focus on them. Supporting characters also get their spotlights with their own classes, levels, and secrets. There’s a degree of connection that the audience can relate to. There’s no random fan service or the typical cliche of the accidental bath walk-ins that sets no relations. As a fan of MMORPG games, I appreciate its presentation that focuses supporting characters and not just its core players. Even NPCs (non-playable player) gets its exploration that is intuitive. And as a MMORPG based off setting world, it doesn’t forget to add the idea of PKers – player killers. It’s a common sight to see and offers a threat for players to face beyond just the world and its creatures. As fantastic as it sounds, Log Horizon is by no means a perfect series. Fantasy wise, the world of Elder Tale adapts itself well but hard to take it at heart. It quirks into silliness with its high dosage of comedy that makes it hard to take the show seriously on occasions. Demonstrated by its cartoonish designs, most of the characters lacks any features of impressive design. Akatsuki is also advertised as a young girl with a cute face but dangerous nature which is ironic since her age contrasts greatly with her appearance. Her devotion to Shiroe, or rather in her words “protecting her lord” can get repetitive and lacks substance. Essentially, Akatsuki suffers from developments and characterization. And from some flashbacks are shown, most of the main characters’ backgrounds are only briefly touched and vaguely touched upon. It leaves viewers in the dark as to how our characters became the players are they are in Log Horizon. Finally, the connection between the players in the game and their real life counterparts is completely omitted leaving viewers in the dark on their origins. Despite some of these drawbacks, Log Horizon still offers impressive features to take notice of. From minute one, the show focuses on its theme and doesn’t venture far off of it. The world of Elder Tale also presents location that is credible such as the natural mountains, the ruined cities (that resembles past civilization), fresh breathing beaches, and dampening caverns. There’s a sense of reality that the audience might relate to if they have played MMORPG games in the past. It adapts itself based on these themes where Log Horizon and should be endeared. The artwork of Log Horizon strikes as a make or break situation. By credibility, it works out very well with adapting its fantasy style of Elder Tale. Satelite studios previously were involved with other fantasy series such as Guin Saga, Arata Kangatari, and Fairy Tail. Here, they make the show believable with its artwork designs at the surface level. On other hand, character designs sometimes becomes distracting and hard to take seriously with their designs. Akatsuki is perhaps the character that stands out the most with her appearance as an assassin but nothing else strikes more than her as that. This same applies to Shiroe with his geeky like appearance that acts as the brainiac of the group. They just seems to be there with its blend background. However, Nyanta is one character to take notice of because of its feline features that really defines the fantasy atmosphere to what Log Horizon is. Soundtrack wise, Log Horizon strikes as an outstanding feature. Beginning with the OP song, the show defines itself with the theme of “Database” that blurs between lines of fiction and reality. Most characters’ voices fits their roles well with some that defines their characters more than others such as Nyanta. The OST also performs at a level that matches scenes whether it strikes as important, emotional, cinematic, or comical. The ED song also reflects a more innocent theme with Akatsuki as its main mascot. As a former MMORPG player, I appreciate the way Log Horizon presented itself. Rather than just going with a concept of the typical virtual war trope or saving the world, Log Horizon sets its basis on a foundation of mechanics that is presented in an exquisite way. Not only is it accurate to the basis of an MMORPG setting but the characters themselves drives the story with their adequate roles. Log Horizon also likes to focus on various degrees of politics and economics to explore its insight on a more intellectual level. It also adapts world building concepts that becomes a focus to drive the story forward. It explores territory an MMORPG exactly as it should be and doesn’t lose track. On some technical note, it can take some time to get used to the artwork. Comedy can also strike as a hit or miss depending on your preferences. Still, the end game is that Log Horizon is an unique series. It’s not a clone of Sword Art Online or does it leave audience confused. In fact, you’ll likely be forming your own theories as each episode progresses relating to its world and characters. It’s appreciable that Log Horizon can adapts so many concepts into the show as an industrial revolution of success.
Asfaria
03/22/2014, 06:57 AM
Log Horizon is the newest "stuck in a video game world" anime. Many people claimed before it began that it would be just like the extremely popular and hyped up "Sword Art Online." However, the first episode is enough to dispel any kind of belief that these two shows have anything in common. Take away the video-game-style fantasy setting, and comparing these two shows is like comparing an action/romance anime to a slice of life anime. Log Horizon follows more of the slice of life route taking a laid-back and slower pace than many other fantasy anime where people are fighting for survival. In the beginning,the players of a video game called "Elder Tale" are transported into the game world when a new expansion is released. While surprised and worried at first, they cope with this major problem and decide to adjust to their world rather than try to find the exit immediately. Since people do not actually die when they are killed, there's really not much to worry about. The only main problem is that food and water have no taste, that fighting in the actual world is vastly different from fighting from behind a computer screen, and that some guilds are now taking advantage of new players caught up in the confusion. Our main protagonist, Shiroe, is a genius strategist and is at the highest possible level in Elder Tale (as are many elite players). Along with the perverted tank (a person in an RPG who takes hits and protects his allies) Naotsugu and the female assassin Akatsuki, they begin to unravel the mysteries of this world and discover what has changed now in Elder Tale. From saving friends to making hamburgers to protecting entire villages from being pillaged, they are experiencing a whole new world than the one they became so accustomed to playing. But, in my opinion, it's just kind of boring. The story's slow pacing drags on parts I wish had not lasted so long, the characters hardly develop at all aside from a group of novice players, and the show ends announcing a season 2 after an anticlimactic finale. Before I say any more negatives, I should highlight on one aspect this show does well: the NPCs (non-playable characters). This refers to the people known as "People of the Land" in the Elder Tales game. The anime does an excellent job of showing the differences between the "adventurers" (people transported into the game world) and the NPCs and how the NPCs are really an entirely different species than the adventurers. This becomes a major plot point in the second half of the series, which was very nice even though that part did drag a little. It's just something I've never seen done before, nor have I ever really considered before (aside from wondering why people in Pokemon and other games never do anything but say one line and stand still their entire lives occasionally giving you random stuff). The character cast is very large, but hardly anyone gets much screen time. Shiroe is about the only character you can expect to see in even two-thirds of the total episodes doing anything remotely important to the plot. Naotsugu is just kind of there doing nothing, Akatsuki occasionally has some cute moments and does a little spying, and Nyanta's just that guy who ends every sentence the same annoying way. I actually found myself enjoying watching the group of novice players learning to fight together better than I enjoyed watching the main characters and other experienced supporting characters. Aside from Shiroe's planning, the main cast offers hardly anything of interest. The animation is noticeably cheap. Some scenes look great while others are just a mess. The character designs are especially poorly animated most of the time as the animators seemed to prefer to save their budget for the scenes that emphasize the beauty of the fantasy game world instead. Even without the poor animation, I did not care much for the character designs. The facial designs were too sharp with shadows sharply defining the boundaries between different parts of the face. Some of the outfits were interesting, like Akatsuki's and Shiroe's, but most seemed very boring considering the wide variety that should be offered in an MMORPG. The sound is one of the better aspects of the show. It may not be done by Yuki Kajiura like in SAO, but it still fits the fantasy world very well and especially fits the moments when Shiroe is scheming. It mostly consists of different string instruments and a few rock tracks during the action scenes (though there's not too many of those). I did not enjoy Log Horizon as much as I was expecting. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I still stand by it. It's just an average show in almost every way (except the way it portrays NPCs) and is fairly forgettable. Not as much happens over the course of 25 episodes as you might think would happen and the characters really needed some better development (and no, forcing a small amount of romance with 3 episodes to go is not development).

Log Horizon ログ・ホライズン

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Q4 2014 Anime Licenses [Update 12/25]

'Log Horizon' 2nd Season Announced to Air Fall 2014

Q4 2013 Anime Licenses [Update 12/26]

Fall 2013 Simulcast List [Update 11/15]

TV Anime of Light Novel 'Log Horizon' Announced

Log Horizon ログ・ホライズン

Q1 2021 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 3/24]

North American Anime & Manga Releases for October

North American Anime & Manga Releases for January

Q4 2014 Anime Licenses [Update 12/25]

'Log Horizon' 2nd Season Announced to Air Fall 2014

Q4 2013 Anime Licenses [Update 12/26]

Fall 2013 Simulcast List [Update 11/15]

TV Anime of Light Novel 'Log Horizon' Announced