The story of two unstoppable pro gamers, or NEETS (Not in Education Employment or Training), named Shiro and Sora are transported into a virtual world by the 'Game God' himself in which every dispute is settled through games. Winning almost every game under the alias, 'Blank', the two venture into this new heaven stomp out any obstacles that get in their way in order to defeat the Game God, a challenge Shiro and Sora strive to win together.
Now this synopsis itself should tell you many things:
1. "Unstoppable gamers put into a world of games? This is going to be epic"
2. "I love games! This is definitely my kind of anime"
If these are the things you had in mind before watching this anime, then you are indeed correct. NGNL is definitely for you. I will do my best to outline this anime and hopefully give you a good idea on what there is to expect in this well-hyped TV series.
In order of importance:
Story - The story for NGNL is very typical. Gamers getting stuck in a gamer world? Yeah, we've seen that in Log Horizon. We've seen that in SAO. What makes NGNL so different?
What makes this anime much more different is that its main focus is not on the situation of being "trapped" but more on how the protagonists are going to progress through being trapped. The main protagonists of NGNL embrace being stuck in a world where they specialize in and don't seem to want to leave. This makes the story much more interesting because not only is the series going to be much more unpredictable, but also very character-oriented. What's also very unique is how the story does not have a main antagonist and that the pacing is much more straight-forward. Every episode has something surprising to show.
(Spoiler)
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The creators of the anime introduced more than half of the most important characters for the entire series within the first episode and also had Shiro and Sora reveal the objective of the whole anime: Defeat the Game God.
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One big complaint of this anime that I do warn critical viewers about is the amount of distracting ecchi that is involved.
Sure, boobs and ass are great. But sometimes this anime takes the ecchi scenes to a point where it's actually important to the story. It's something that you can't just skip over it like nothing. The reason why this is distracting is because it happens way too often at times you would not expect it. It's even more awkward because the ecchi scenes include the eleven year old Shiro as well. I mean, did they really think that no one's going to bat an eye when a naked Shiro sits on Sora's lap? (which actually does happen in the anime) No, they probably knew. It's just something you're going to have to deal with. If you can deal with the ecchi, then this would not be much of a bother to you.
Characters - Shiro and Sora are a badass duo that deserves the attention they get. Both of the main protagonists approach the world with confidence and ambition and have no complaints of being stuck in a virtual world for the rest of their life. Out of all these traits, their cockiness is probably the most important trait in this whole anime. Despite being unpredictable as it is, there is one thing that this anime cannot stress over when it comes to the protagonist's abilities and that is "Blank NEVER loses". And they will continue to win as long as Shiro and Sora stays together, which is actually a cute and funny thing in this anime. Shiro and Sora cannot be separated no matter what because of the anxiety attack each of them gets when they are not accompanying each other. Though it may seem weird, it is actually a siblinghood that is meant to be. Shiro's specialty is her superintelligence that surpasses any computing device and her reaction time to certain problems. I don't want to say she is a tool, but she does play the tool when it comes to carrying out Sora's master plans. Sora is slick and deceitful in the way he achieves victory. It's his wittiness and ability to trick others that makes him a remarkable character. It is this relationship that Shiro and Sora have that makes them the perfect team. Without each other, they cannot function, literally.
Although they seem very admirable, what makes them much more fun to watch is the fact that they have a lot of weaknesses. Sora is a perverted 18 year old boy who cannot stress about getting a girlfriend and spends most a good portion of the anime pulling some perverted stunt in an attempt to satisfy his lust. Eleven year old Shiro, on the other hand, is vulnerable in a childish way. She is the typical little sister that needs to get fed, bathed, and tended to in order to keep her in line with what's going on. Shiro and Sora do almost everything together, which plays to be another weakness when they get separated as mentioned before.
As for the side characters, there is nothing much to say other than that they were victimized to the power of Blank. Blank's influence in the anime is so strong that it's impact on other characters add on to how awesome they are. Stephanie Dole is probably one of the most useful characters in the anime. She plays the commentator and is most likely playing the role FOR the audience. She asks questions that eventually get answered, expresses doubt when the impossible situation comes, and reacts to each situation is in just as we would. I won't go in depth as to how, you're just going to have to watch it yourself. Side characters that represent each part of this virtual world including Jibril the Flugel and Izuna the Werebeast are also entertaining for their differences and unique powers. You cannot wait for Blank to meet more people, not only to kick their ass in a game, but to also explore this virtual world that they know little about.
Art - The art is very colorful and loud. I have never seen such complex colorations in an anime except in Miyazaki's films. The art is significant for its stereotypical representation of a the gaming world - a wide range of hues and coloration adding onto the dream-like fantasy of a new world. One thing that is truly bothersome for me was that the colors were too bright. I found it very difficult to watch the bright colorations. It just wasn't my cup of tea. However, it truly is a distinctive style that stands out as an anime. It's overused pallette of bright purple, blue, yellow, and red suggest that dream-like world that digresses well with the previous world they lived in which was so bland and boring. As for the looks of each character, it does a good job in making every character stand out in their own way. Shiro's white hair, Sora's yellow shirt and spikey red hair, Izuna's werebeast tail, and Jibril's wings all play as signatures of difference. Overall, it's not the best art, but it is REALLY different.
Sound - The music is probably one of the best I've ever heard. The whole techno, orchestra combination truly fits that game-themed virtual world. It also does its best to match the intensity of each scene. It's not only catchy, but also intensifying to the gaming experience. Fast paced Like any movie, game, and especially an anime, the sound makes up the experience. There's more I can say but listen to it for yourself. Words cannot really explain how great it sounds.
Enjoyment - This anime got me so hyped because it's so intense. Every episode had me going and had the right amount of action, drama, and plot progression that makes it so addicting. Not only that, some of the games they play in this anime is also really creative and unique. It makes you want to enter the anime and play the games with them. I liked animes like Code Geass and Death Note because of the intense strategy battles that take place. Likewise, whenever Sora comes up with a plan, you know it's going to be really complicated and brilliant.
Overall - (TL;DR) Story is very unique and full of twists and impracticality. You will constantly be surprised what happens next each episode. The characters all serve a good purpose. Shiro and Sora are wonderful protagonists because they make such a great team when it comes to solving their problems. Their interactions with each other and side characters serve to progress the story in an enjoyable manner where one is able to truly delve into the virtual world. The art is very distinct and intense. Likewise, the sound does not fail to impress with its distinct techno, orchestra combination. It is truly an anime worth watching to those who enjoy distinct character development, unconventional story progression, and bad ass characters pwning noobs.
