Story: 5
The story of Log Horizon begins as one of its greatest strengths, but eventually turns into the most glaring issue in the series. The decision to avoid the overused "dungeon-clearing" and "boss battle" motifs was inspired. The focus instead on social interactions and infrastructure following the trauma of becoming stuck in a videogame was what originally drew my attention to the show. The first third of the story expands upon this with several excellent twists and one of the true gems of Log Horizon. The rest of the show fails to keep up this pace, however, leading to a sense of frustration and disappointment from the viewer. There were several promising points in the middle section of the series where the story could have branched off, often with exciting prospects and the opportunity to further develop characters or storyline. These points were ignored, however, yielding several important confrontations brushed past with only a vague Band-Aid type fix. This trend continued to the end of the season, where the conclusion of the show appears intentionally vague, despite numerous simmering problems that have been pushed to the back-burner. While the ending appears open enough to support further redress of these issues in following seasons, the lack of determination to follow any one direction leaves the plot mediocre at best.
Characters: 6
Similarly, the characters of Log Horizon all flare with brilliant emotional potential, but end with only one bulletproof and intriguing character. The main protagonist, Shiroe -colloquially referred to a the "Villain in Glasses"- is a solid and ever-intriguing anchor for the show. A strategic genius with a penchant for surprise, he is a director-in-the-shadows and a joy to watch when placed in the spotlight. The supporting cast, while initially interesting, falls flat as the story progresses, with little to no effort placed into learning their backstories or motivations. While one exception is the goofy and unexpected Rundelhaus, the supporting crew is overshadowed by Shiroe, and in the end serve only to bog the story down rather than expand it. The lack of any specific or significant antagonists only emphasizes the dearth of meaningful interactions between supporting characters.
Art: 7
The art is nothing to write home about, but is adequate and does not detract from the show. Character design is generic, while environment design is slightly above average.
Sound: 9
The sound was surprisingly my favorite part of Log Horizon. A very different and surprisingly catchy intro theme had me bobbing my head even as I made food while waiting for the episode to start. The English in the intro is surprisingly clear, although not devoid of accent, and demonstrates a clear grammatical fluency. The lyrics are simple, yet synergistic with the feel of the show. The ending song, while less impressive, still shines. Sound effects are generally discreet, with good synergy during crucial points in the story.
Enjoyment: 7
While not heavy on battle or "action" per se, Log Horizon excelled at engendering interest for the diplomatic crises scattered throughout it. An ability to surprise the viewer with unexpected story progression kept me interested throughout, despite the subpar closure following each conflict. Near the end my interest waned, as I realized it was too late to follow several of the story branches I was hoping to see. A vague and open story ending is intriguing, although the various plot errors amassed to create an average viewing experience from my standpoint.
Overall: 7
Log Horizon stands as a notable counterpoint to Sword Art Online, but overall fails to adhere to a single storyline long enough to develop its wide array of characters. This is a good anime for intellectuals interested in government, politics, diplomacy and strategy, but is unable to provide viewers with memorable character interactions or satisfactory story.
