Hanamaru Kunikida
03-29-2014, 09:40 PM
Hey guys, LOR here! That's Lazy Otaku Reviewer for short. I decided that I'd start posting on anime globe. I really enjoy watching and discussing anime in general and was hoping to start reviewing. Anyways without further ado, let's get to the review (unintentional rhyming!!!).
Introduction
So this review will be covering the recent season anime "Log Horizon". In an anime community where anime revolving around video games are plentiful, especially considering the recently popular Sword Art Online, many saw this series as a rip off, or just not worth watching in light of all the other similar titles in existence. But is it deserving of this judgement, or is there possibly something more to this series. Well that's what we're here to look at.
Log Horizon follows the story of group of people who literally get trapped in the world of an MMORPG game called Elder Tale. People from all around the world that play this game are now trapped in it's world, however the story of course focuses on the players in Japan. After getting their act together and understand that situation they're now stuck in, our trio of heroes, Shiroe the Enchanter, Naotsugu the Guardian and Akatsuki the Assassin, head off to figure what to do now that they're found themselves in this situation. After meeting up with some of Shiroe's old friends, they set out to rescue a player who is stranded in another part of the games world, and possibly in danger. What follows is rather than a story of escaping from the world, a story of adapting to a new world, and dealing with the foreign land they're not trapped in.
Plot and Setting
When the series began I personally found it quite ordinary. A group of gamers are trapped in a game and then go out to find a way to get through this bizarre situation. But the angle that Log horizon decided to look at this situation was something I wasn't expecting at all. The first arc is generic rescue mission that a lot of us have seen a million times over. At first glance this seems like nothing special and possibly a bad decision however what I realized soon after was that this portion of the series acted to introduce the audience to the mechanics of the game that the characters have now been trapped in, giving us insight to what the players of the game knew prior to the starting point of the series. This is a lot more effective than a long spiel of exposition as we get to see the characters interact with the game world, well, like a game world.
This first arc actually gives us information and colours our expectations, especially when you consider that the arc that follows it explores the idea that the game they're trapped in is in fact, not the same as the world of the game that they knew. The players discover new rules and interesting information about the world that wasn't the case when they were playing. This arc sets up for the next arc where they realise that the game is no longer just a game but a living breathing world. I like that the writer of the original story clearly put thought into how they were going to build this complex plot. There are even moments where I expected them to pull the Deus Ex Machina, but instead they resolve the situation using facts and plot points that we already know, or have been foreshadowed in episodes past.
To be honest, this series colourful world was what ended up drawing me in, and the plot that interacts with this world happens at a grand scale. This isn't a self contained story line where for instance, events happen in a school and we never get to see the effects outside. No. Everything that happens, every event, every massive plot twist or storyline, we get to see the consequences of it on the world and the people that inhabit that world. The care and detail put into the world, it's rules and mechanics as well as the plot taking place in it was just unbelievable to me. I was constantly in awe at how well thought out everything was, and when something serious or big was occurring, I honestly couldn't look away from the screen.
Though I'd like to make one thing very clear about this particular series. The action and fights are not what this series is about. Instead, it focuses in on the mind games and tactical warfare, even the politics that are involved in this particular situation. That's not saying there are no fights, or that they suck, just that the series isn't filled to the brim with that kind of content as that's not what the story is about.
Characters
Log Horizon has a large cast of characters. I could sit here and talk about all the great ones but I think I'll focus in on a select few. Shiroe, our main protagonist, is very different to the kind you'd see in this kind of story. In most action adventure series, the main character would be a straightforward, passionate fighter. Conversely, Shiroe is quite the opposite, being a crafty, cool headed tactician. Some of his strong traits are in fact, this you'd usually find in a typical antagonist as his methods could be described as underhanded or sneaky. Because of the way he goes about his business, his reputation amongst the general public begins to plummet. He is however doing this deliberatly becoming the "bad cop" for the betterment of the city and the situation of the city. What's interesting is that when he's asked if the way he's being portrayed bothers him, and replies by saying it's not something he even thought about. This is a great character, he doesn't care what the strangers think of him and works hard for the good of those who he holds dear.
Another character is the loyal ninja Akatsuki who is always at Shiroe's side. She is very much present in the earlier arcs of the story but as the plot goes on she doesn't appear to have any notable impact. She grows a little in that she becomes more capable of interacting with other people, but her affect on the plot is rather minimal. The series actually addresses this and Akatsuki herself feels like she hasn't done anything. I find it even more facinating when she comes to a realization that even though she was the one at Shiroe's side almost 24/7, she had no idea about the problems that Shiroe was going through in regards to his reputation in the eyes of the public. A lot of this left hanging at the end but we do have a season two that we're ramping up to.
The care and detail put into the plot and world has evidently also been applied to the characters. While Shiroe is the star of the show, the series does a good job of allowing other characters a chance in the spotlight. There are even portions of the series where we don't really see Shiroe do all that much, but plan from behind the scenes. This really emphasises a theme that underpins the entire series, the idea of teamwork. A lot of Shiroe's achievements throughout the series are through the work of other people working as a team, which in a sense, perfectly reflects the feeling of what a real MMORPG is like. In any case, this series had a great deal of different characters. There were crafty ones like Shiroe, actual complex female character of ranging types and backgrounds, even character who at the beginning I hated with every fibre of my being, but ended up becoming rather deep and interesting. I could go on about this, but I doubt anyone wants to read me rambling about this for another 5000 words.
Presentation
This series presented the atmosphere of a fantasy world brilliantly. I enjoyed the designs of the different races, classes and even monsters that the world of Elder Tale had to offer. The scenery in this series varies quite a bit, from wide beaches to lush forests, grand castles to barren plains, magical ruins to ancient cities, and the look of each environment look like I was watching something right out of a JRPG world. The soundtrack also fit the mood here. While I agree that the soundtrack didn't bring anything breathtaking for the most part, and to be honest there are only a handful of tracks from it that I truly enjoyed, I felt that it did a good enough job of capturing the feel of an MMORPG much in the same way the aesthetic appearance of the world did.
There was a few instances of recycled footage in this series, especially when it came to some of the actions scenes, but I didn't feel it took me away from enjoying the series too much. The animation wasn't anything grand like that of some of ufotables works, but it did that job and there wasn't any instances where I felt that it looked awkward or out of place. The ending and opening themes were great, which they really have to be if you're keeping them the same for the entire 2 season run, but I will say that maybe having spoilers in the OP animation, probably isn't the best idea in the world.
Final Thoughts
Log Horizon exceeded any expectations I, or from what I gather many other people had for it. Especially when there are so many series that overlap with this series in terms of themes or setting, this series at face value looks quite ordinary. However, with it's well thought out world and detailed and carefully constructed plot, a strong cast of complex and growing characters and a beautiful fantasy setting, this series managed to keep me wanting more all the way through. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a good fantasy or game themed storyline, and hey, the action portions of the series are great as well. However if all you're looking for is a good fight scene then perhaps this isn't exactly for you. If you have the time, I highly recommend checking this series out as it's already become one of my favourite series to date. To conclude, I will simply state that if you are or were ever into MMORPG gaming, you'll definitely find something you can enjoy here. I leave you with a quote that captures what I love about the series:
"Being strong on your own is meaningless. To use your power, you need other people, and they need a world where they can all be at their best." ~Shiroe, Log Horizon
Plot and Setting: 10/10
Characters: 9.5/10
Presentation: 8/10
Final Score: 9/10
If you'd like to see more of me rant on about anime, feel free to visit my little channel that I started. It's small but hey, it's something~
Introduction
So this review will be covering the recent season anime "Log Horizon". In an anime community where anime revolving around video games are plentiful, especially considering the recently popular Sword Art Online, many saw this series as a rip off, or just not worth watching in light of all the other similar titles in existence. But is it deserving of this judgement, or is there possibly something more to this series. Well that's what we're here to look at.
Log Horizon follows the story of group of people who literally get trapped in the world of an MMORPG game called Elder Tale. People from all around the world that play this game are now trapped in it's world, however the story of course focuses on the players in Japan. After getting their act together and understand that situation they're now stuck in, our trio of heroes, Shiroe the Enchanter, Naotsugu the Guardian and Akatsuki the Assassin, head off to figure what to do now that they're found themselves in this situation. After meeting up with some of Shiroe's old friends, they set out to rescue a player who is stranded in another part of the games world, and possibly in danger. What follows is rather than a story of escaping from the world, a story of adapting to a new world, and dealing with the foreign land they're not trapped in.
Plot and Setting
When the series began I personally found it quite ordinary. A group of gamers are trapped in a game and then go out to find a way to get through this bizarre situation. But the angle that Log horizon decided to look at this situation was something I wasn't expecting at all. The first arc is generic rescue mission that a lot of us have seen a million times over. At first glance this seems like nothing special and possibly a bad decision however what I realized soon after was that this portion of the series acted to introduce the audience to the mechanics of the game that the characters have now been trapped in, giving us insight to what the players of the game knew prior to the starting point of the series. This is a lot more effective than a long spiel of exposition as we get to see the characters interact with the game world, well, like a game world.
This first arc actually gives us information and colours our expectations, especially when you consider that the arc that follows it explores the idea that the game they're trapped in is in fact, not the same as the world of the game that they knew. The players discover new rules and interesting information about the world that wasn't the case when they were playing. This arc sets up for the next arc where they realise that the game is no longer just a game but a living breathing world. I like that the writer of the original story clearly put thought into how they were going to build this complex plot. There are even moments where I expected them to pull the Deus Ex Machina, but instead they resolve the situation using facts and plot points that we already know, or have been foreshadowed in episodes past.
To be honest, this series colourful world was what ended up drawing me in, and the plot that interacts with this world happens at a grand scale. This isn't a self contained story line where for instance, events happen in a school and we never get to see the effects outside. No. Everything that happens, every event, every massive plot twist or storyline, we get to see the consequences of it on the world and the people that inhabit that world. The care and detail put into the world, it's rules and mechanics as well as the plot taking place in it was just unbelievable to me. I was constantly in awe at how well thought out everything was, and when something serious or big was occurring, I honestly couldn't look away from the screen.
Though I'd like to make one thing very clear about this particular series. The action and fights are not what this series is about. Instead, it focuses in on the mind games and tactical warfare, even the politics that are involved in this particular situation. That's not saying there are no fights, or that they suck, just that the series isn't filled to the brim with that kind of content as that's not what the story is about.
Characters
Log Horizon has a large cast of characters. I could sit here and talk about all the great ones but I think I'll focus in on a select few. Shiroe, our main protagonist, is very different to the kind you'd see in this kind of story. In most action adventure series, the main character would be a straightforward, passionate fighter. Conversely, Shiroe is quite the opposite, being a crafty, cool headed tactician. Some of his strong traits are in fact, this you'd usually find in a typical antagonist as his methods could be described as underhanded or sneaky. Because of the way he goes about his business, his reputation amongst the general public begins to plummet. He is however doing this deliberatly becoming the "bad cop" for the betterment of the city and the situation of the city. What's interesting is that when he's asked if the way he's being portrayed bothers him, and replies by saying it's not something he even thought about. This is a great character, he doesn't care what the strangers think of him and works hard for the good of those who he holds dear.
Another character is the loyal ninja Akatsuki who is always at Shiroe's side. She is very much present in the earlier arcs of the story but as the plot goes on she doesn't appear to have any notable impact. She grows a little in that she becomes more capable of interacting with other people, but her affect on the plot is rather minimal. The series actually addresses this and Akatsuki herself feels like she hasn't done anything. I find it even more facinating when she comes to a realization that even though she was the one at Shiroe's side almost 24/7, she had no idea about the problems that Shiroe was going through in regards to his reputation in the eyes of the public. A lot of this left hanging at the end but we do have a season two that we're ramping up to.
The care and detail put into the plot and world has evidently also been applied to the characters. While Shiroe is the star of the show, the series does a good job of allowing other characters a chance in the spotlight. There are even portions of the series where we don't really see Shiroe do all that much, but plan from behind the scenes. This really emphasises a theme that underpins the entire series, the idea of teamwork. A lot of Shiroe's achievements throughout the series are through the work of other people working as a team, which in a sense, perfectly reflects the feeling of what a real MMORPG is like. In any case, this series had a great deal of different characters. There were crafty ones like Shiroe, actual complex female character of ranging types and backgrounds, even character who at the beginning I hated with every fibre of my being, but ended up becoming rather deep and interesting. I could go on about this, but I doubt anyone wants to read me rambling about this for another 5000 words.
Presentation
This series presented the atmosphere of a fantasy world brilliantly. I enjoyed the designs of the different races, classes and even monsters that the world of Elder Tale had to offer. The scenery in this series varies quite a bit, from wide beaches to lush forests, grand castles to barren plains, magical ruins to ancient cities, and the look of each environment look like I was watching something right out of a JRPG world. The soundtrack also fit the mood here. While I agree that the soundtrack didn't bring anything breathtaking for the most part, and to be honest there are only a handful of tracks from it that I truly enjoyed, I felt that it did a good enough job of capturing the feel of an MMORPG much in the same way the aesthetic appearance of the world did.
There was a few instances of recycled footage in this series, especially when it came to some of the actions scenes, but I didn't feel it took me away from enjoying the series too much. The animation wasn't anything grand like that of some of ufotables works, but it did that job and there wasn't any instances where I felt that it looked awkward or out of place. The ending and opening themes were great, which they really have to be if you're keeping them the same for the entire 2 season run, but I will say that maybe having spoilers in the OP animation, probably isn't the best idea in the world.
Final Thoughts
Log Horizon exceeded any expectations I, or from what I gather many other people had for it. Especially when there are so many series that overlap with this series in terms of themes or setting, this series at face value looks quite ordinary. However, with it's well thought out world and detailed and carefully constructed plot, a strong cast of complex and growing characters and a beautiful fantasy setting, this series managed to keep me wanting more all the way through. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a good fantasy or game themed storyline, and hey, the action portions of the series are great as well. However if all you're looking for is a good fight scene then perhaps this isn't exactly for you. If you have the time, I highly recommend checking this series out as it's already become one of my favourite series to date. To conclude, I will simply state that if you are or were ever into MMORPG gaming, you'll definitely find something you can enjoy here. I leave you with a quote that captures what I love about the series:
"Being strong on your own is meaningless. To use your power, you need other people, and they need a world where they can all be at their best." ~Shiroe, Log Horizon
Plot and Setting: 10/10
Characters: 9.5/10
Presentation: 8/10
Final Score: 9/10
If you'd like to see more of me rant on about anime, feel free to visit my little channel that I started. It's small but hey, it's something~