Log Horizon

First off, this anime is NOTHING LIKE SAO, other than the fact that they are stuck in an MMORPG. Despite that, SAO was the main reason why I tried Log Horizon out in the first place, so that's what I'll be comparing it to.
Being a MMORPG player and a person who likes to excessively ponder in my free time, I was very intrigued by the premise of SAO and dove straight into it, expecting some serious social evolution, teamwork, and philosophical ideas tied around the game rules and the death mechanic. Suffice to say, I was sorely disappointed. This is where Log Horizon comes in.

The ... Focus
While SAO focused on action scenes and the harem-esque romance, Log Horizon focuses on pure world building and social evolution. SAO was a fight to the death, LH is more of a social experiment. In LH you can't do much by yourself, so you must help each other in order to overcome the challenges thrown at you. This is just so much more enjoyable to watch then one person who can overcome all conflict by just trying hard enough.
Another major difference is how both anime handle death. In SAO, you die, no questions asked (unless you're the main character). In Log Horizon, you respawn at the city cathedral. While this doesn't give a sense of fear and anxiety like SAO, it is not Log Horizon's focus and so takes away nothing from its core concepts. If you like the suspense and finality of death in SAO, you won't find it here in LH. (To be perfectly honest SAO didn't do so well with that either. By ep. 8 I had assumed that all the important characters would survive).

The World
The world LH creates just breathes with life, from the 'enhanced' game mechanics to the NPCs... the NPCs!!! I cannot express the brilliance of how they made the NPCs work. There is a sense of scale to the world, and the upcoming episodes look very promising for an all out war. The guilds show the development of a community and is a much more realistic way of how players would react when thrown into a situation like this. Sure there were guilds in SAO, but they really didn't do anything and didn't mean anything in the long run. In LH you cannot hope to achieve anything unless you work together. The combat system heavily reflects on this, with tanks, damage dealers, support, healing, etc... Teamwork, not solo double hack-n-slash.

The Characters
I found the characters in LH much easier to like and relate to. In SAO it's either Kirito or Asuna, maybe Suguha or Yui too. I ended up disliking all four of them (one was a generic OP hero, two were generic harem partners, and the last sadly wasn't developed quite enough), and none of the other characters showed up on the screen enough for me to personally understand them.
In LH, there is a lot more to choose from, as every character continues to keep doing things as time goes on. That's another thing that bugged me. In SAO (if they didn't die), once the character goes off screen after the 3 episodes they were in, it's like time stopped for them, and they were never seen again, unless they were evil and needed to be killed by a certain duel-wielding super soldier or it was because it's the final battle. Every character in LH does something, and continues to do so even when the main characters are off on diplomatic summits or negotiating trade prices. It's a much richer experience and helps provide the feeling of constant action, especially during the would-be slower parts.

Conclusion
Log Horizon is a solid piece of work which strives to give a vastly different experience and feel compared to SAO. If you've watched SAO and have felt like it could have done better with its MMORPG premise, I would highly recommend Log Horizon. As it stands right now, I cannot wait for the next episode.

Hi there guys! Don't worry about spoiler, I won't do spoilers. (and excuse me for my poor english ^^ i'm working on it)

I'm going to tell you my opinion about Log horizon, what I think and some points about it.

Log horizon; imagine, You buy a new expansion for your favorite MMORPG, You run it and then... YOU ARE IN THE GAME! you wake up inside the game, YOU are extremly scared, confused, LOST! What are you doing there? WHY are you there? HELP ME ! I need go outside back to my life!!! Indeed, you will be stunned. however, you can't be without doing ... nothing for all your life, you must continue your life even if you are traped in a game.


Shiroe (the protagonist) is not the only traped. ALL the players that tried playing with the expansion (when it came out) are confined.


Log horizon tells the story of what the players do to survive and all the problems that appears. The problems are things that you don't imagine when you are playing an MMORPG... but... wait.. they are logical, and... IT MAY BE TRUE! Who thinks when is playing a game that an NPC has feelings?

I must say some negative points aswell. For example, people can't die. HMMM! I don't like it at all, I mean, if i'm having a battle against a monster and i can't die... what's the emotion there? Kill him. if you die, do it again. you have time (REMEMBER ~ you are confined ;) ).


Another annoying part is the innocence of the characters. I never liked it in anime. PEOPLE, this is a game, YOU CAN KILL, NOTHING WILL HAPPEN! (IF he is a human, he will revive!) Or when they are CRYING saying '' OH NOOO, I'M GOING TO DIE!'', and then i think: ''so what?''

Anyway, if you liked SAO (as i did), and you want more of it (although very different in some points), this is your anime.

Approach (8/10)

About the music. It has a great music and they know exactly when to put it to convert a stupid moment into a sad one (for example).

Music (8/10)

When you come to speak about characters, some of them are extremly cool, original and special although others are boring, repetitive and... the anime doesn't need them.

characters (5/10)

About filler... it has some moments I'd call filler... and it is very annoying although it is really easy to difference and you can just leave that part.

Being 0 too much filler and 10 nothing;

filler (5/10)

did i enjoy it? OH yeah, i did, more the beginning than the middle-end but i'm glad of have seen it. I would call this anime a basic shonen for those people which call themselves ''veteran'' of anime.

funny (8/10)

Finally, Is this anime worth? Well, after all and comparating with other animes I think it is worth, but if you are asking if it is better than most anime, I guess this is just a good one, not a master piece.

Worth (7/10)


General mark 7/10 (I may be too hard with it :P)

As someone who has played MMO's for awhile, this had to be the most enjoyable anime I've watched in a very long time. As for the SAO vs Log Horizion debate, the only clear cut way i can put it is if you have played MMO's a long time, you'll fall more in the Log Horizion than SAO (and yes SAO is a master piece as well)

Story:
Besides a few moments here and there, this is pure adventure for a story. The pace kept up and kept you entertained.

Art:
Very good, especially with the interface of the game.

Sound:
... Very good as well, kept in well with the mood of the anime.

Character: You could not ask for a better group of people to blend in and compliment each other. It's a lot of people but all of them have ties to the next, the smallest thing can turn into the largest.

Enjoyment/Overall:
I could not recommend this more. I had to stop myself from marathoning it.

I really liked Log Horizon season 1's story because there is a very stead y progression of the narrative. What may seem to be a filler episode never fails to remind us that Shiro has something planned or the enemies are plotting something. The show also had an excellent balance of humor and drama.

The art was nothing special for me but it was above average. Scenes were well animated.

The opening song, goddamn, that was one of the best I've heard in a while. Gets you really pumped up. The ending song was not bad as well.

Shiro was a 10/10 for me. I can empathize with ... the socially awkward aspect. But his shrewd and cunning and how he used it in the show was amazing. Minori was too irritating that's why I can't give character aspect a perfect score. Damn she is obnoxious as hell.

This is a solid series in the trapped-in-an-MMORPG genre. Give it a try and it won't disappoint.

*Note This is basically a re-post modified to be a full review of the series since it's already finished airing and the last one was written halfway through the series.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty I'll just get one thing out of the way: I'm a fan of both Mamare Touno and Kawahara Reki and no one (not even the zealous hardliners from both camps) can make me feel otherwise. W/ that said let's get it on shall we?

Log Horizon is about thousands of players of an internationally acclaimed Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) Elder Tales suddenly find themselves trapped inside ... a world eerily similar to that of the game w/ them looking like their in-game avatars.

I imagine a lot of people unconsciously muttering "SAO clone" after that first paragraph and turn themselves away from their monitors at breakneck speed changing the web page afterwards. I don't exactly blame them seeing as how horribly SAO was adapted. But that's an entirely different issue. Anyway it's not like SAO and LH were the first series to use MMOs as a theme. There are countless other works both in the West and in Asia (the Koreans love this stuff) w/c have similar themes. That and comparing SAO and LH is like comparing apples and oranges. Both are fruits. I find them both tasty. But they're not entirely similar that trying to justify w/c one is better than the other is an act of futility. People like different stuff. And I admit that my scoring is based on my preferences but I'll still endeavor to cover the various elements of this series objectively.

Oh, and cause some are a bit miffed that I didn't mention .hack// I'll put it in here too. And, no, this isn't just a "spur of the moment" thing. No, seriously. Guys I love Kite, Haseo and the gang too. You've gotta believe me...

(Story/Characters)
That said LH has quite a different feel from other series w/c use the said theme. For one if you know Mamare Touno then you most likely agree that he is one of the reigning kings when it comes to world building and character development (at least that's what I'd like to believe). If you are familiar w/ his other work (Maou Maoyuu Yuusha) or another series w/ a similar feel (Spice and Wolf) then chances are you already have a good idea what to expect. The series has heavy socio-political undertones coupled w/ economics and lot's of interesting and colorful characters (in my book). It also takes its sweet time in developing the plot and characters so those who are expecting a brisker pacing may be turned off at a couple of eps featuring almost nothing but dialogue (albeit greatly presented).

Shiroe (MC) is one of the more interesting MCs I've come across in that he's not exactly the brute force of the party but the brains w/c is rare for a Shounen series (although one can argue the novels can actually be classified as Seinen but we're talking about the adaptation here). What makes him so interesting for me is that in order to realize his goals and protect those dear to him he has no qualms about using more "underhanded" or "villainous" methods to get things done. He also has no problem playing "bad cop" and ruining his public image if it is for the benefit of the greater whole. His nick 'Villain in Glasses" (Black-heart glasses in the novel translations) describes him to a tee. He does have genuinely good intentions but just like any good zealot he lives to the idea "The ends justify the means". Those close to him trust him enough to believe in whatever decision he makes but those unfamiliar w/ him just view him as a dangerous element.

And Shiroe is just one of the relatively large cast of characters LH has. Almost every one from the open pervert Naotsugu, cute loli assasin Akatsuki, gentle-cat-person and superb chef Nyanta, lovable big breasted kansaiben oneesan Marielle, amazing megane accountant and Akatsukis number 1 fan Henrietta...... I could go on forever w/ this but yeah almost all of the characters are interesting and chances you'll find someone you'll love.

Some may complain about some scenes that feel "off" or seem like a departure from what was established in the first few eps. While I'll refrain from debating whether these scenarios are better off being included or not I'll just say that LH is over all a multi-layered series. It isn't purely about action, political maneuvering and economic ploys. Nor is it purely about romance (Did people just cringe there?...). It has a story w/c is a mesh of different elements and, if it's any consolation, no detail is left out to be irrelevant. All come together as the plot advances. Even "those" scenes.

(Art/Sound)
I'd always liked the novel illustrations and am very satisfied at the fact that the characters do look like their novel illustration selves. The animation could have used a bit more work though but seeing as it's NHK I'm not really complaining that much. Lenessia and Akatsuki are ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!!!... Uuuh... yeah. Sorry bout that. Anyway, as for the music, there are some stand out themes here and there and they fit well into the scenes they play in. The OP can be a mixed bag. Some (myself included) may love it so much that they find themselves humming "Database! Database!" all over the place. And some would rather listen to Frank Sinatra (I don't have anything against mister Sinatra mind you. Really. Don't flame me.). The ED is ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!!! Yeah, can't help it. Sorry. The OP and ED don't change throughout the series run so that in itself can be a testament to their quality. Either that or NHK-E just doesn't have the budget for another OP/ED. We may never know...

(Overall)
All in all LH has superb word building, and expansive and engaging cast and an interesting MC to keep you hooked. It's one of those series w/c actually makes you use your noggin a bit and this makes you understand why it's aired on a government sponsored edutainment channel aimed at kids despite being Shounen. Oh, and yeah, there are action scenes too but they're only a part of the narrative. But they are well placed.

Also if you're looking for a series that evokes nostalgia for the old school MMOs that took over our misspent youths look no further. LH has that in spades considering that it was based on Everquest and the key here is not "trapped in a virtual MMO" but "transported to an alternate world resembling our favorite desktop/console MMO played w/ mouse and keyboard".

*Do note that the MMO theme might be a mixed bag (Some would like the explanations about MMO gaming in general and some may feel annoyed since they already know the stuff and feel like they're being treated like noobs.) and the MMO feel kinda tapers off towards the end of the series. But, again, remember that LH is a multi layered series. The story shifting from world building to character-centric is part of the overall package. It's up to you guys if you'll like the transition or not.

While it may have its slightly annoying moments I find it an honestly enjoyable series. But it's not for everyone.

*P.S. I, being the shameless fanboy that I am, will take this chance to encourage you guys to read the novels. You'll find a lot of things that were not included in the TV adaptation (since it's NHK-E and the censoring is unavoidable) and you'll get to enjoy another aspect of the series. Thanks for reading the review guys.

Log Horizon is what SAO wants to be when it grows up. The hero doesn't conquer the other guilds; he does a leveraged buyout to take them over. The crafting guilds realize they can build new technology on top of the game mechanics. With careful contract drafting, some of the game's rules can be overridden. This is way beyond the hack and slash of SAO.

Looking forward to Season 2. Season 1 ends with a clear indication of a next phase.

The cast of Log Horizon seemed kind of ... how should i put it "Stupid" and started as more comedy oriented than straight out getting to the point, HOWEVER when it gets to the action scenes and some story telling / turning points it shows how its done.
the visuals during some parts may not be as good as the previous MMO-related anime which was a catastrophy from start to end Sword Art Online
But of course music and visuals don't always make the best thing, yes?
The well written story and fact that no one knows why is it happening why are ... they there? what is the reason? it's all a mystery which you feel apart of and not just to be there as a story element which you would forget after you end the animation and will totally forget what is going on, the "penalties of death" are quite severe if you think about them in-depth
Log Horizon is an adventure telling story which will be remembered until something better releases.

Here goes yet another of my really dislikeable reviews... Yay!
I´ll be honest with you, I was disappointed with this anime, quite a lot. Firstly, the premise is not much innovative, even though the way it was done was different than other animes of the sort (SAO, Accel World, etc.). My disappointment came from the fact that, even when not being a bad anime, I ended up waiting for something to happen for weeks in a row. It was something like "Yeah! this time something WILL happen... Maybe?... Maybe not?... Perhaps next week!". And the real problem is that I was expecting Log Horizon to ... be an action anime or an adventure anime, when it all ended up being a Slice of Life. This could have been fine, if it weren't for so many episodes plagued with absolutely obvious facts, as if, rather than an anime, I was watching an MMO's beginners tutorial coupled up with "Economics 101".

Story: 7

I think I'm being very generous here for an anime I almost quit on over the exasperation of episode after episode of announcing somehting important happening that didn't even come up after all, summed up with those chapters where somehting DID happen, but it was made to be felt as tiny and unimportant as possible due to the 10 minute explanation of how a horde of trolls (goblins, whatever) is stronger than an unwalled village of puny townsmen.

Art: 8

The art wasn't compelling, but there were no uncomfing reductions in quality all throughout. There WERE times when it was noticeable how budget was saved by not showing talking mouths and so, but such things are acceptable, although at times it made it hard to tell whether the characters were talking out loud or thinking.

Sound: 8

Sound was decent. I liked the OP and the ED, but the overall soundtrack within the chapters was nothing to praise, as weren't the sound effects used through the course of the sreies.

Character: 7

Again, I feel like I'm being too generous on this. Let it be like this, though. Characters were not impressive at all, not even the good kind of cliché. But what I found unstandable was the fact that EVERY SINGLE ONE of the characters HAD to do somehting that at the very least appeared important, as well as praising Shiroe for his "brilliant" ideas, as if he were Yagami Light or Lelouch.

Enjoyment: 7

It's a seven just to be fair, and only because I've rated "worse" anime better than this on the enjoyment. It's not heartfelt, though, as, just the way I said, I was just about to drop LH by episode 20 or so (if I can recall it caorrectly).

Overall: 7.4

I had high hopes with this anime. I heard from other people that it was totally worth checking out. And they were right.

Lets start with the story.

While I cannot spoil anything, I will say that the story does take some time to get going, and I can see why people get turned off by that. But to really see that greatness of this anime, you have to at least see 7 episodes. You then see how clever everything hangs together.

The world is also great. This is an MMORPG, and you really notice it. It actually has a lot of MMORPG elements in them, ... and the world cannot simply be traded with another fantasy world (which is one of my main complaints with Sword Art Online)

The art is lesser then in other anime's. Mostly with fight scenes, its very noticable. This could have been way better

Another great thing about this anime are the characters. The characters are really build up, with multiple layers in their personality. Every character is different. (unlike in Sword Art Online)

A thing that's also not that good, is the really cheesy humor. There is a lot of them. There were times that I really thought: ''why am I watching this?''

FINAL VERDICT:

Even though this anime has some problems (slow buildup, art style could be better, cheesy humor) the story is really good. None of the characters are alike, the world really feels like an MMORPG, and the show has really big payoffs. Really reccomend it

Let me say this straight off the bat, this is not going to be an argument about why Log Horizon is better than Sword Art Online. It is going to be solely focused on the story of Log Horizon and how it is presented.

Okay, let's first talk about the anime itself. The plot is every video gamer's dream and nightmare rolled into one, more on the side of the dream over the nightmare as there is (little) penalty for death unlike similar stories with this. The story plays out more like a fantasy genre anime than that of a video game, with some interesting developments ... that make you think that it wasn't a game world but an entire fantasy universe that they were transported to (...I hope I didn't spoil anything unintentionally),

The thing about Log Horizon is that they drip feed you important pieces of lore about the anime world as a rate that makes you know the next big plot point without actually spoiling the surprise and impact that it has. Everything has a place within this universe (Chekhov's Gun at work) and nothing feels wasted.

The art style is quite interesting. It has something about it that is unique while feeling similar as well. Sort of trying to create their own style of art while not going full blown unique like Zankyou no Terror or Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis (neither of which i had a problem with art wise). The art is pleasing to the eye.

The opening theme is... again unique for lack of a better word. I like it, but it takes some getting used to. It is quite memorable and bizarre in a way that you just want to sing along. The backing music is also quite nice, with the main theme tune of the song used quite well throughout the anime. The only thing is the end theme. It's kinda forgettable, but it's still nice to listen to. It's what I've kinda come to expect of end themes, but it still surprised me that it was nice and hinted to a major plot point.

Also, let me just say that practically every five seconds of the opening animation is a massive spoiler, but they do it in such a way that you only realise after watching that part of the anime. Seriously, I thought Fairy Tail's OPs were good at that and then this happened.

If I had to compare the characters to anything else it would be Code Geass. The reason is that, with the exception of the most minor of characters, all the characters are fleshed out in a way that you care about them. Even the characters who you originally find unlikable will make you care about them.

I enjoyed the anime a fair amount. I wouldn't absolutely binge watch it, but it constantly kept me intrigued. I'll say the last episode has the qualities of one of those, 'don't worry, we are making a second season so this will all make more sense' vibes to it, but at least there was a second season unlike other animes...

I recommend this anime to anyone who is looking for a lighthearted anime to watch, but especially gamers.

Also, please, stop arguing over whether SAO or Log Horizon is better people. They are only connected by their genre, otherwise they are COMPLETELY different shows.

*SPOILER FREE REVIEW*

In October of 2013 to the March of 2014 an anime was released, named Log Horizon. At first people took it for a mere clone of the .hack franchise and Sword Art Online, but what they didn't know, was that it was so much more.


Story:- 7.8
The story of Log Horizon is nothing special or unique. It is basically what we have seen before in Sword Art Online and the .Hack franchise. People get stuck in a MMORPG video game, that’s the most basic way to explain this type of show. But unlike other shows with this type of plot, in Log Horizon, if ... our characters die in this game, they respawn like they would in a real video game. This changes everything drastically since now our characters will not die. The entire concept is now unique from other shows who have followed this "stuck in a game" route.

This allows the story to have a much less serious tone and thus allows for the viewer to have a good time with the anime. Instead of focusing on how to get out of the game, the anime focuses on how to adapt to the characters new "home".

The only negative point about the story is that is a bit formulaic and cliché as well as the fact that for now the anime doesn't has no real or satisfying ending. But this can easily be fixed by the second season which comes out in the Fall of 2014. Another thing that this anime had in the negative side was the lack of much suspense. There were cliffhangers, but very few of them.


Art:- 7.2
The art and animation in the story was great while not being perfect. The scenery was good but nothing to write home about. The main focus, as one would expect, is the fights. But the flaw with this is that the fight scenes aren't focused on the actual fighting and the camera is usually focused on strategic aspects of the story.


Sound:- 7.0
The sound of this anime is one of the lower points of the show. There aren’t any really brilliant songs in the soundtrack. The opening song “Database” is a completely different beast altogether. It’s a brilliant song which many will shun on their first listen but as the anime continues, the song will definitely grow on you and will possibly get stuck in your head. Not too fond of the rap section though.

The anime as of now doesn’t have a dub and will probably not have one in the coming years, but the Japanese dub of the show is pretty good.

Overall the soundtrack is merely average or at best good, the opening and ending are both very good, and the voice acting is good.


Characters:- 8.0
The characters are the best part of this anime. Each character has a specific personality, including both the main and supporting characters.

Shiroe is our main protagonist throughout the story. While seen as “evil” or “cunning” by the many people present in the game, but the people who are close to him know that he’s a kind hearted person. To state his place in battles, you can call him a Tactician who doesn’t lead the army, but passes strategic orders that help him and his friends to win in battle.

Naotsugu is the stock “best friend pervert” of the story. He’s mainly used as a comic relief character, but in battle he is used in a much better way, being the “tank” of the group.

Akatsuki can be described as a classic tsundere. Her character does gain depth throughout the story but not by much. There are many running gags with her like her actual age, and her kicking Naotsugu and later asking permission to do so from Shiroe. These gags do get stale very soon, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get a few laughs from it. Her place in the battle is to kill opponents swiftly and gather information secretly as her class, assassin, allows her to do.

Though the main characters are nothing brilliant on their own, what really makes the show shine is the gigantic list of supporting cast. Each and every side character has a backstory , and is overall well designed. The characters range from a flamboyant mage to a cat chef, and if I tried to define each character in detail, then I would be here for months.


Enjoyment: 7.5
If you want to know whether Log Horizon is better than Sword Art Online or the .Hack franchise, then yes, it’s much better.

The main attraction about the anime, is that it actually feels like a game with the respawning, NPCs, classes, shops, guild etc. While other anime that follow this concept feel much more “serious”, Log Horizon takes itself much less seriously. It knows what it is and doesn’t try to act serious.
It’s a light hearted anime with fun moments scattered throughout it, and decent action scenes when the action is actually shown.

Overall I got a lot of fun out of Log Horizon, the story was nothing special , nor was the concept. But the execution of the concept is what really hits the ball out of the park. The characters are well designed, and each one has an intriguing personality, and is actually useful in the story. It’s a simple story, but it has its own charm about it.


Overall=7.5

The anime is very similar to Sword Art Online, and both have great sounds and music. However there are some upsides and downsides here and there:

I liked the sense that Shiroe, a strategist and the protagonist of the story, uses tactics as a way to win fights more often than he use force. It adds more attractiveness and appreciation to the enjoyment of Log Horizon. (Shiroe + Ryouta Sakamoto, the protagonist of Btooom!, have similar ways on handing things; which is a thing I like in both animes)

However, in Sword Art Online what kept players from returning back to real world is that Nerve Gear, ... the head piece technology used to play the game, was altered so that when a player dies he dies in real world too. But in Log Horizon, what makes players stay in the game? (unable to logout is not an enough reason to add sense to the story in my humble opinion). The series did not answer this question in its 1st season, but things might probably be more clear in the 2nd season to be aired next October.

Overall, I enjoyed watching the anime especially the way the story builds up the way makes Log Horizon the kind of anime that you eager for the coming next episode to watch. Among animes aired on the same October 2013 season, Log Horizon is one of my recommended series. And, the ending theme song is spectacular!

The story is ok but there is a problem in plot. I did not sense anything on which plot is built. You know what am I trying to say.
[spoiler]
I think the plot must be built on how they ended up in virtual reality game and what are they trying to do.
[/spoiler]
It would be better if they had a great plot. Setting for plot is ok but there is plot missing there.
Art is as good as any other game genre anime can have. Character development is pretty decent.

In the end I really did get disappointed by watching it. It is just so so game genre ... anime. I thought it would be more good.

The premise intrigued me and I was pretty much hooked from episode 1. This is an interesting show, not quite what I expected it to be from the early episodes going in.
Those early episodes introduce our main characters and have them set out on quite an exciting quest. This is how I thought the show would pan out but it totally went against my expectations and for the next few episodes the show slowed down and had our characters discuss what their purpose was in this new reality. From there the show focuses more on politics and strategy than just action and adventure.
This isn't ... a complaint, in fact I found it quite refreshing that the show would take such a mature approach to its subject. The show still has room for plenty of comic moments and our band of heroes are all likeable and relatable.

The animation is pretty good, shining especially during the action scenes. The music is also nice too (I loved the end theme and though the Japanese/English nu-metal opening makes me laugh, it got me pumped every time).

I was pleased to hear there will be a second season. There's plenty of more the show can do and there is also room for improvement. If it's another full 25 episode season then I think the show could more fast paced. Plot-wise I'd liked to see more focus on the characters past lives in the real which the show barely touched on.

Something tells though that Log Horizon has set its sights high and overall this solid season gives me hope that the show will achieve epic things.

Elder Tale, an MMORPG becomes real life from one second to the next. What has changed into this new reality? What will be everybody's goal now that questing is pointless? Who will take charge of the community?
Log Horizon gives the answers and this adventure of discovering this new worlds' rules and limits while showing some exceptional MMORPG strategies and skills. As a MMORPG gamer I found Shiroi's strategy in battle and off battle to be awesome!!!The intro soundtrack could have been better...

All hail the anime gods and goddesses that Log Horizon was a double course anime because this anime both ended a year and started a year on a high note. Its amazing rendition of the video game player absorbtion genre (worst description ever?) brought back the true elements of a game-based anime. Please note that i am NOT comparing this to series such as .hack or SAO because Log Horizon is its own series and has created its own world, both literally and figuratively.

By this point, you should have read the synopsis far above and are really reading this review with the most common question ... in your mind;
"Do I watch this series or not?".

Easy answer.

No freaking s***.

Theres a reason that in its few months of airing its practically in the top 200 and has a rating of 8/10 (at the time I write this review anyway). LH brings anything you can ask for: asskicking, romance, politics, friendship, beautiful artwork, stragedy, catchy music, character development, interesting storyline and a diversity of charismatic characters. Every episode in this anime has something interesting that will entertain you.

And if you read that long list and thought "this is just going to be that gross milkshake thats a blend of everything and anything I saw in the fridge last night", then don't worry. It might seem like a lot, but LH blends it all brilliantly together. From Shiroe thinking of battle and political stragedies, Marie being hilariously lazy, Nyanta-san being a swashbuckling cat or Akatsuki being the cute yet reliable ninja; this series will please you to no end. It even has a second season announced that will be coming this fall. That should be a blinking sign the size of a whale that its that good.

And for those of you who do play strategic MMORPGs, this has something for you too. LH incorperates true-to-the-core game mechanics into its world. Shiroe is not powerful and respected for his brawn, but his brains and the way he manipulates the game to how he wishes it.

So what are you waiting for. Get off this review and haul yourself off to watch Log Horizon. You won't regret it.

Seriously. Go do it. Now. You can thank me later.

-Pironkon

I've been meaning to watch this series but haven't the chance yet. Taking the time, I gave it the benefit of the doubt, to no surprise, it became a gem of an anime. If you are into the kind of anime that has the MMORPG aspect to it, then you'll like this for sure.

Story: 8

Without any spoilers, the plot develops and has different arcs in it. It has many different classes in the anime, hince being an MMORPG anime.

Art: 8

The visuals are beautiful. I love how they did the artwork in this anime.

... Sound: 10

The sound was perfect to say the least.

Character: 9

I enjoyed how the characters grew through the series, they were dynamic which made the anime even more fun to watch.

Enjoyment: 8

There are different emotions throughout this anime but it was fun and I loved it.

Overall: 8

In my opinion, I enjoyed watching it. I always hear people saying Sword Art Online is better but you can't compare these two anime. That's like comparing an apple and an orange. You just can't do it. I would rewatch it. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I hope others find it as well!

This review will be for both season one and two, for I watched both seasons back to back so I'll be reviewing the show as the entirety of the story. The show was pretty interesting, when you go in when you're watching it keep in mind the aspects of the story isn't told mainly through the combat. The beginning of the show was a little slow, but still necessary to set up the environment and characters. The characters were written pretty nicely, they each had a personality that they stuck to all throughout the show. There wasn't that much character development, except for maybe a ... few characters. What makes the show pull through was how the characters handled their new environment, setting up laws and rebuilding a livable world. A few things I was pretty impressed with was the way the show explained functions and terms of a video game. So a viewer who doesn't play many games can go in and not be too confused. Another thing would be that they included NPCs (non playable characters) in the show. One thing I didn't like was how open the end was, it seemed like they left the show open for a third season. Sadly I don't think the show will have a third season.

When Log Horizon wasn't getting on my nerves it was putting me to sleep, it was sold to me as a fantasy world anime done right, with excellent world building, and a vast cast of interesting and likeable characters. Sadly I found this couldn't be further from the truth.

The first issue is that Log Horizon makes up its rules not on what logically makes sense, but what's convenient for its narrative. First of, in this fantasy world you can make food from a drop down menu or buy some made from an NPC, however these foods have no taste, now raw ingredients have taste, ... and so do meals made in the same way you would do so in the real world, though you need the chef subclass to do so. The reason why this is the case is never explained and is merely a contrivance to set up a major sub-plot early into the show. If the logic is that the menu made food doesn't have any taste because it goes through an "unnatural" creation process, why is NPC made food also effected by this. If you need the chef subclass to make food with flavor, why does everyone have the power to make food via a menu, also on that note why there is a chef class is never explained either and have a maid subclass come up later makes even less sense.

Early on we find out that all the characters take on the appearance of their in game avatars, Log Horizon really wanted to have it's cake and eat it too in this instance. All the low level players happen to be children, who all coincidentally made child avatars, which look similar to their real life selves, and everyone elses appearance match both their personality, and gender. Knowing this it would make a whole lot more sense if you simply took on your real life appearance, however then the show wouldn't have an excuse to have some players be cat people, who all coincidentally are fine with no longer being human and even love to role play twenty four seven. One could argue for suspension of disbelief here I agree, though it didn't need to be written in such a way. It could be that you take on your real life appearance, with the exception of specific non-human traits and it would of worked just fine. Even so these other races and traits never really add anything to the show and are never really explored, so I have to wonder what the point was.

Log Horizon isn't even consistent with its rules, it's established that if you attempt to fight inside a city, incredibly powerful guardians will spawn until you cease fighting, outside of cities you can kill other players however, they will merely infinitely re-spawn back in the city. It's also established that a guild exists that forces inexperienced players (who all happen to be children for some reason) to give their experience potions that they receive daily, to the high level players within said guild, of course this brings up just how exactly they could force them to do anything, considering they could just leave to the areas were the guardians spawn. The show attempts to explain this away by saying the guild members could simply kill them when they leave the city, though this implies they have enough people to keep the entire area covered for every time one of the children tries to leave, who are also totally okay with child abuse. At one point on of these guild members physically restrains one of the children, however the guardians don't spawn because it isn't technically 'combat', but this seems to imply that you could physically unarm someone and drag them out of the city, but not have the guardians spawn on you because you have technically started combat. This as well as the food having no taste and the physical appearance of the characters, are just three of the many issues I had with Log Horizons world building, as it feels as if the rules are made up merely as it goes along.

Annoyingly, Log Horizon doesn't even feel as if it accurately portrays MMO's how ether, in most of the battles only one or two ability is used per character, and apparently there's no default attack for most of the classes.I cannot comprehend who would want to play an MMO in which you can only make one action every five teen or so seconds, it also doesn't help that we never learn the variety of class options or if there exists a form of meta game present before the game is made real.

Moving on, the characters are a horrible detriment to the show, which all feel one note and completely uninteresting. We have our main character Shiroe, who doesn't really have much of a personality other than being somewhat reserved. The show wants us to believe he is a master strategist, apparently not by actually showing him do anything impressive but by having the characters constantly riding his dick about how great a strategist he is, remember don't show, tell tell and tell some more. Speaking of riding Shrioe's dick, what better way to describe Akatsuki, a 20 year old women with the appearance of a twelve year old (which is based off her actual appearance mind you) for some reason, not that it matters because she acts like a child, loving to constantly role play as her class, and refer to Shrio as her lord, it is unbearable as it sounds. She isn't the worst however as after her you have Naotsugu, his entire character is basically that he's a pervert, he exemplifies the worst of Log Horizon's attempt at humor, it wasn't funny when Akatsuki hit him the first time for being a pervert nor the other twenty times after that. Aside from that you have a group of annoying children who take several days to grasp the basic concepts of an MMO, some people who take things far too seriously, and a princess that everyone seems to love for no real reason.

The aesthetic of Log Horizon also feels uninspired, you'd think there would be some disquisition between high level and low level characters, considering that higher level players would have stronger equipment, but apparently not, you would also think people would look rather unique considering how much time people put into character customization but this isn't the case either. It makes it hard to wonder why people would play an MMO that looks so generic, and just because a narrative is based on an MMO it doesn't mean it has to conform to such a generic looking standard.

I'll end on a positive note by saying the sound track for this show is decent, and also feels as if it would be in place inside of a video game, whilst also fitting the scene in general. The intro theme is also pretty good, aside from being a tad cringey with lines such as "We've got the antidote for the jammed and hypnotized." Unfortunately this isn't enough to salvage Log Horizon, and I certainly wont be continuing on to season two.

I watched this as a recommendation. I didn't expect much. And I was blown away. In many pieces.

This anime has a kick-ass theme song, great humor, amazing story, bad-ass MC, great and unique characters and I was hooked on fast. And I remained hooked until I watched it all. Can't say I liked season 2, but the first 25 episodes were superb. Some pointless filler here and there, but nothing too much to call it bad.


"The Villain in Glasses" or Shiroe, is a main character presented in a different way. While still dense about intimacy, relationships and love - he is the superb tactician ... that everybody in the anime know. His reputation is scary even though he isn't a scary guy. But unlike in other anime where the MC is this dense brute going through endless ranks of enemies, proving how overpowered he is. Shiroe however is a strategist that stays in the shadows and unfolds his mad genius plans of anything that simply fall into place and leaves everyone with the jaws on the floor. That's his skill - his analytical planning and prediction. If Log Horizon was World of Warcraft, then Shiroe would be the support/healer type standing in the back of the fight, and giving instructions to a full 40 man raids.

IMO Log Horizon beats SAO in their own game-like anime concept. Take this as my opinion, but Log Horizon is also what SAO wasn't. The story dwells on the entire world and goes to great lengths to explore the interactions between players and "People of the Land" or NPC's that are no longer just NPC's. There is a ton of lore, myths, flavor text and sheer lunacy of content that is about the world the characters are in. If I would compare them both now after I watched Log Horizon, I can safely assume that they did what SAO couldn't - an amazing exploration of the game world WITH the main characters in it. Not just another raid, another quest, another NPC that nobody would remember. My only regret is that there isn't any relationship that becomes "public". In that respect, SAO did better. Much better.

This anime is magnificent. At least, the first season.
I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone. Especially those that liked SAO. You will be amazed by this one. I guarantee it.