DESCRIPTION

CAST

NOVEL ActionLog Horizon
ANIME ActionLog Horizon 2
MANGA ActionLog Horizon

REVIEWS

• 

  TK8878

  63/100
  A video game isekai with a true, well-used MMO setting, though it forgets other things along the way.

  

  Spoiler-free review

  Review in brief:

  Season 1 of Log Horizon presents a truly faithful rendition of the "trapped in an MMO" setting and provides an interesting story to go with it but suffers from slow progression and predictability. Your enjoyment will hinge on how well you stay immersed in the world of Elder Tale and while this anime does a good job of getting you to enter there's no guarantee that it will hold you in.

  Review in full:

  When it comes to engagement, Log Horizon places heavy focus on just one aspect: immersion. It wants you to enter its world, explore both its realms and game-like mechanics, experience the cultures of the pre-existing NPCs and the newly trapped gamers, and ultimately feel like you're on an adventure in the world of Elder Tale yourself. This is accomplished quite well. Right from the get-go the characters realize that they must use the mechanics of the game (including classes, cool-down abilities, and now-telepathic voice chat) to thrive, but they are all still gamers at heart and also start developing new strategies to handle everything from cooking to spell-casting.

  While this is going on there are bigger implications that are explored in a game world made real. What happens when NPCs are no longer just walking dialogue boxes but living, breathing beings? Or when magic is no longer just game code and becomes a real form of energy? Even politics and the economy become major issues as time goes on. Being trapped in a video game isn't just a gimmick or plot device in Log Horizon, it's the very essence of everything it is and does. Together with the well-established setting (which is continuously being fleshed out) it creates the captivating sense that the story is much bigger than just what we see the characters going though. Even when Log Horizon wasn’t enjoyable for me, this sense gave me reason to believe that something more was just an episode away.

  _Maybe I just have a high tolerance for CG? I could see this being a video game._

  As far as production values go, the animation does a great job of displaying both the world and the video game elements without either looking out of place. This is including the CG, as even though it stands out compared to the animation at times it still feels like it belongs in the context of how it’s being used. The familiar yet fantastical designs of the environments and the characters also do a remarkable job of making it all feel like its own world as well as its own game, cultivating strong visual immersion to complement its narrative immersion. Meanwhile the music, sound effects, and voice-work (I watched in Japanese) is good (but not great) all around. It does its job and there isn't anything to complain about but not much of it is memorable either (aside from the oddly catchy OP).

  Sadly, beyond that Log Horizon's presentation transforms the story from an intricate exercise in how a world can be built from the mechanics that drive it into a lazy shounen adventure adaptation where the premise is only used as a hook to get you to watch the next episode each week. It's as though the story is being held hostage by the producers, demanding that you watch more than what's necessary to continue. This is largely due to the show’s slow progression. It's not much of an issue early on since there's initially quite a bit that the anime has to and does explain, but after the first third of the season it finds itself with too little to explain to justify the pace and starts spacing itself out instead.

  After the world is established each subsequent arc features a barrage of recaps, which not only include the typical beginning-of-the-episode refreshers but also many mid-episode reminders, cues, and hints; so many in fact that by the time each arc comes to a head so many hints have been dropped that you know how the arc ends before it even reaches a climax, destroying the dramatic build-up of tension the intricate story naturally contains. It's like reading a good book next to an acquaintance who is constantly asking if you've reached the next big spoilery event, with no attempt to mask the spoiler itself. These are then interlaced with so much shallow comedy (especially with the pervert jokes and ship-teases that you'd have to be blind to not see coming) and boring filler (such as pointless side plots and clearly one-sided battles) that it all takes up more time than the serious moments that progress the plot. Everything that actually matters could have been covered in 13 episodes with room to spare, but Log Horizon doesn't trust its viewers to understand or remember anything that takes more than two sentences to explain.

  _Beach episode? Check. Culture festival episode? Check. Wait, what do you mean this isn't a school anime?_

  In addition, while Log Horizon's characters are utilized well by the story, the characters themselves are mostly nothing special. The majority of them fill a role, perform that role, and nothing more, while most of the rest don’t even manage that. Development and backstories beyond a few bullet-points (predictable clichés included) are for but a select few characters. You'll likely find two or three of them to be particularly interesting, but many of them are easily forgettable. There is even a plot development tied to the game's XP system that offers a great opportunity to take a closer look at the characters in that moment before things change for them, but nothing substantial was done with it and it passed with just a brief mention. It also doesn't help that there's very little that is able to challenge them. The fact that the trapped gamers are overpowered even becomes a plot point, though again it’s merely stated rather than addressed. Regardless it doesn’t help that few characters have any real reason to develop when all they have to do is listen to Shiroe for everything to turn out okay (or if they’re one of the handful of cookie-cutter villains, wait for Shiroe to defeat them because they had no chance to win in the first place).

  Verdict:

  Log Horizon’s first season could have easily been great, in fact it definitely was for the first third, but its faults severely damage the majority of the show. Even then I could almost still say it’s good because underneath all of the mindless filler & overused tropes lies an interesting concept, quality production values, and the beginnings of an amazing plot. Unfortunately, the product as a whole just isn’t entertaining or intricate enough to cope with its faults. I can’t recommend Log Horizon to a general audience, though if you’re a big fan of isekai or anime about video games you may find enough to enjoy here to make it all worthwhile.

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• 

  biogundam

  74/100
  one of the few anime video games i like

  Warning: this review contains mild spoilers.

  First impressions:
  So, we got another show about people being trapped in a video game. Man, where have I heard that before?

  Story: 7/10
  Log Horizon is about a group of people who get mysteriously transported into the MMORPG known as Elder Tales, after they have the final DLC patch for it. With people now trapped in Elder Tales, it's up to the main character, Shiroe, to try to figure out what to do in this new world, and how to get home.
  You can tell that this show has a very overused idea, that’s been milked to death in recent years, with most shows of its ilk being gamer-empowerment and otaku-pandering crap, that became boring and uninteresting after the first five-ish times this idea got put into practice. Suffice it to say, I didn’t go into this show with high expectations. I must say, though, that upon watching Log Horizon, I was pleasantly surprised to see that presentation and execution of its basic idea was done pretty decently. Not only do they actually focus on the RPG elements and not just on beta males getting lots of pussy or Jesus-kun with hack powers, but they also actually focus on what would happen if you were trapped in your average MMORPG.
  The story line itself it's pretty interesting. While the idea of people being trapped in a video game is fairly standard, the idea of trying to establish a basic government and build a community is extremely unconventional. As a bonus, the idea of not having much interest in escaping the game and returning to their (presumably crappy) lives, but rather staying in the game and making the best of it, is a nice touch. The story and presentation were handled quite well, especially in regard to the sociopolitics between the different guilds and the game’s NPCs, and the psychological issues that may arise from being transported to the game world, after all the initial dust has settled. Another thing that really helped sell the story’s believability as a whole is the way the cast treat the former game as their new reality, especially regarding how they try to solve the problems that plague their new society, as you’d imagine people would in real life. One of the most memorable incidents of something like this happening being the extermination of a faction that practiced slavery and extortion against lower level players.
  Perhaps one of the fascinating aspects of Log Horizon is the way it deals with the idea of characters’ purpose for living. One of the big problems early in the series is the general public’s boredom and lack of motivation to do anything, as they don’t really have anything to live for or do. This problem is only heightened by the fact that all they have to do to live in the game world is kill a few entry level monsters for gold coins, and use that gold to pay for a inn and food. As a result, due to the lack of structure, to absotutely nobody’s shock, a lot people start destroying shit and killing other players, with next-to-no consequences, with death being a non-issue.
  Now a few negatives I. One of the primary factors that prevented me from enjoying the show was the significant lack of tension, especially that resulting from the more prominent character’s immortality, rendering the concept of death semi-meaningless. This problem I have with the show is slightly alleviated by the fact that characters lose some of their memories when they die, but not much. Unfortunately, since this mechanism never gets put to any use, it’s doesn’t really serve any purpose other than to create artificial tension. Another problem I have with Log Horizon is that even though there are tactics involved, there are some parts where the main characters, particularly Shiroe, pull solutions to problems straight out of their asses, under the guise of experience. Because of this, a lot of the encounters felt very one-sided and the feeling of tension was undercut for me even more than with just the previous problem, and it took away from the experience quite a bit. Something that I’m kind of on the fence about is the fact that there are a few romantic moments between some of the characters. While they don’t exactly feel unnatural and I don't find them too bad, they just don't seem to go anywhere, and I feel that they don't add much to the character or story, anyway. The final negative is that it feels like you would have to be a gamer to fully enjoy it, limiting it’s accessibility. Other than that, Log Horizon is pretty much a slice of life trapped in a video game with romcom elements and good pacing.

  Characters: 6/10
  The main character, Shiroe(real name Kei Shirogane), was somewhat interesting to me. His strategist appeal, as well as his use of the ruthless tactics that earned him the nickname “the villain behind the glasses”, being more than enough to prompt the growth of my initial interest. My favourite display of this trait is probably when he purchases the main hall, where both the bank and a lot of the local guild's’ headquarters are, and strongarms the local guild leaders into conforming to his plan, and forming a government, or else. This action speaks volumes about his character, as it not only displays his level of cunning and tact, but also how meticulous he can be when pulling off a plan on that scale. In fact, this plan is highly reminiscent of something you would find in Niccolò Machiavelli's book ‘The Prince’, so props for that. Despite the machiavellian schemer front he puts on though, it’s been shown that Shiroe has the best intentions in mind with every action he takes, and just doesn’t care about the way he’s perceived by the general public. Besides which, while he may have a somewhat antisocial and reclusive exterior, he’s surprisingly kind to those that he’s close to. My favourite part of the story, where this aspect of his personality is highlighted, is probably when he takes them time to assume a mentor role for some of the community’s younger low-level players, as he not only goes out of his way to protect them, but also takes the time to teach them to defend themselves. This showcases that he does actually have some people skills, even if he mostly prefers to work by himself, but can also have actual comrades that he legitimately cares for.
  The side characters are two-dimensional, at best. Some of the series’ ever so lovably trophy characters include the goofball, the tsundere and the gentlemen badass. You can easily tell how stereotypical they are because of how little they deviate from their stereotypes, with the exception of how good they are at being them. However, even though the characters are so cliched, they actually have some pretty fun character interactions, and have their own role to play in the grand scheme of things. It’s made abundantly clear that this isn't just your lord and savior jesus-kun type of character doing almost everything, and the vast majority of the rest of the cast doing absolutely nothing (other that looking pretty, that is) type of story. Every character, and I mean EVERY character, plays some sort of part in the story, and it doesn't come off as disjointed, like a lot of series with such a big cast do, but rather, very organic. The major problem with the side characters, though, is that not all of them get the necessary amount of screen time to flesh them out. This not only stretches the narrative too thin, but also makes the characters kinda suffer a result. Suffice it to say, though, most of the characters are more than fun and cool enough for that not to be a major problem. Their ample amount of energy and personality also really helps gloss over the aforementioned problem. Unfortunately, there are a few character arcs that are still in progress, so while they may go somewhere in the light novels, as it stands, a sizable proportion of the cast ramain lukewarm and undercooked.
  Side note: I found a decent number of the characters relatable, in some way or form, as quite a few of them remind me either myself or people I know in real life, which I find pretty cool.

  Art: 6/10
  The animation was, for the most part, fine. The backgrounds were alright, but nothing really to write home about, as more often than not they’d look unfocused and sometimes even kinda fuzzy, with there only being a few shots in the entire show that looked decent. They’d have these very bright color schemes, which looked nice and all, but were kinda an eyesore at times and could have used some dimming down. The character designs were pretty basic and definitely inferior to the standard for anime of this genre. The most underwhelming thing about the designs being how lacking they were in the cool factor that you’d expect from videos game avatars, specially for the high level characters the show mostly focuses on. I was kinda expecting their outfits or tools to look cooler and more detailed, when compared to everyone under level 50, as in RPGs you generally get better and cooler looking gear the more you level up, but nope, none of that here.

  Sound: 6/10
  I found the opening and ending songs really annoying at first, but after a while, they kind of grew on me a bit, growing on me so much that now I have both songs downloaded on my PC. Other than that, though, the OST is kind of bland and generic at times, even if it fits with what's going on. (The OST was done by Yasuharu Takanashi.) As for the dub and sub, they were descent, with Nyanta’s dub and sub voice actors being exceptional, as they both do a very good job of capturing the character’s mature, swagger, gentleman badass appeal.

  Enjoyment: 7/10
  There were a few things I liked about this show, mostly revolving around the way they tap into some of the potential that this kind of setting can have. I liked the political dealings, the more comedic moments and also the fact that every character has their role to play in the newly formed community. I admit, though, that I also like it for the simple reason that it takes place in a video game and I happen to be a massive RPG fa[n].

  Overall: 7/10
  If you are looking for a trapped in a video game anime that isn't just otaku-pandering and gamer-empowerment, and are satisfied with the kiddie-pool level of psychology, politics and social issues that the show presents, then Log Horizon is definitely for you. However, if you’ve experienced a lot of the tropes typically used in this type of show and you're not into video games, then Log Horizon will probably become a tedious watch very quickly.

  Special thanks to my paid in Yu-gi-oh cards script editor, Lonecrit.

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• 

  YourAvgOtaku

  80/100
  An isekai done right - Filled with action, adventure, plot twists and more.

  Name: Log Horizon – SPOILER FREE REVIEW
  Season 1
  Episodes: 25
  Premiered: Fall 2013
  Studios: Satelight
  Source: Novel
  Genres: Action, Game, Adventure, Magic, Fantasy

  Log Horizon – An isekai with a true MMORPG setting.
  The story begins in the midst of action with our main characters fighting off monsters and then quickly cuts off to present time, this was probably done to quickly catch the attention of the viewer as I’ve seen most times that even good anime don’t usually bother with any dramatic stuff in the first few episodes which often leads to people putting it off despite it being good. That being said the start wasn’t bad, it was good enough.

  Much like the “game-themed” isekai of recent times, Log Horizon starts with the protagonist, Shiroe realizing he has been transported to another world which at first looks very similar to the game he played “Elder Tales” or so he thought and has the same looks and abilities of his character as in the game, but worry not he wasn’t one of those OP main characters (actually no one was) or “I have to win because friends” kinda guy. He was a strategist he won his battles with the help of his teammates as you would see in any MMORPG by using very clever and thought-out tactics and strategies for which he was already famous among the other players before the game turned into reality for all of them.

  The whole story or concept wasn’t that complex it was simple and easy to understand as you would expect from a MMORPG, players leveling up through battles, questing, exploring the new world, establishing a base but that doesn’t mean it was any less entertaining – No, it always had a trick or plot twist hidden up its sleeves which was a pleasant surprise. Though at times it would get dialogue heavy, because Log Horizon isn’t an isekai focused mainly on action, it had its battles with the sword but it was more focused on the battles of the minds, rather than some flashy battles on the battlefield we got the battles behind the scenes, the mechanics of battles you could say. It was a lawless world where any option could be opted for victory.

  I would say one thing that Log Horizon is an isekai done right by that I mean it takes on the whole spirit of MMORPGs right down to the core mechanics and follows and implements the rules as one would expect in a game. Like, for example the difference of classes and levels, the use of spells and skills with cool down time or MP drain, tanks and healers etc (probably easier to understand if you have played some similar games). There wasn’t a moment where a character would bend the rules of the world because of his feelings or something, just some good’ol skills and tactics. They did a pretty good job of keeping it as close to a MMORPG as they could, definitely a plus in my book.

  Now for the characters, the main characters other than Shiroe weren’t too bad, but some of them felt unused in the latter half of Season 1. This was a shame because they had potential as shown in the beginning but were mostly used in some comical stuff or minor roles later on like Akatsuki and Naotsugu. Though the side characters were good enough as side characters can be, they had their roles in the plot progression, had good interactions with the main characters.

  The anime mainly focused on Shiroe and honestly I don’t think it would matter that much if the other characters were involved because Shiroe was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes. His plans though simple to understand when explained were executed complexly and in ways you’d mostly be unable to see for the most part. Don’t wanna spoil so, what do you think you could do with the knowledge of being able to make some tasty food? Make some profit? Shiroe had a keen sense of observation and picked up on small details others missed. He wasn’t all that powerful but he was more intelligent than the average person. His devious plans earned him the title of “The Villain in Glasses”. Oh on that note there were a lot of those “adjusting your glasses in success” moments, would’ve liked to tone them down a bit.

  The animation, the character designs, close-ups and expressions were good. The background was detailed and perfectly showed the fantasy-game like world setting. Though the character animation would become lazy at times and the action sequences felt short (I did say it wasn’t all that on the action part) but nothing that would come in the way of watching the anime, the animation was good enough considering this is an anime from 2013 we’re talking about. Again I am not usually big on judging OSTs very much but I think it was lacking on the OST part, the OST was good don’t get me wrong but that single OST was used a lot I guess it didn’t have that diversity in OSTs. The Opening had that Lets- Go vibe but I absolutely loved the Ending it was fun, cute and relaxing, the kinda music I’d like to end my episodes on, keeps reminding me of kawai ninja Akatsuki.

  I’d give it a RATING of a solid 8/10
  It’s been a LONG time since I’ve enjoyed an isekai as much as this and with some good plot twists.
  FUN FACT: Took me almost a week to complete it and in that time its MAL rating went up from 7.98 to 8.07, which was nice to see as it at least deserved an 8. I'll be saving its Season 2 for later, hoping that's a good watch as well.

  If you’re a fantasy or adventure fan then this anime is a good choice for your next watch or if you’re just looking for a fun watch which keeps you entertained with decent plot twists then pick this up as well.
  Oh, and best girls Serara the Maid Healer and Akatsuki the Kawai Ninja.

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