The introduction of Mazinger Z in 1972 was what created the start of a brand new genre of anime known today as ‘Mecha’. From the first Mobile Suit Gundam anime to the first season of Full Metal Panic, many Mecha themed anime enjoyed considerable success, from both within Japan and worldwide.
However when the first episode of Log Horizon (LH) come out, hoards of user’s on MAL began comparing the series to Sword Art Online. Understandably so as the setting of the two series are remarkably familiar, but this created a question. Is Log Horizon a simply rip off of SAO or is it a start to a new genre of anime? Before I answer that question let’s review the first few episodes of Log Horizon.
Plot: Much like SAO the main characters of the series are stuck in an MMORPG called Elder Tale, when after the recent expansion pack 30,000 Japanese gamers who updated found themselves trapped inside an Elder Tale version of Japan.
The first episode immediately throws us in the heat of the action. With Shiroe desperately selecting through a menu whilst he gets chased by a mob of rat/possum looking creatures. Eventually he casts a spell called ‘Electrical Fuzz!’ which seemingly seems to obliterate the creatures. However it was revealed a second later that the act was meant to light up the area to confirm the creatures they were up against and to also stun them. This scene does a decent job in introducing the strategy minded aspect of the game, something that will be further emphasised in future episodes.
The plot for the past 5 episodes gradually consisted of a search and rescue mission of another loli Serara. Which was nothing really special but it does reveal the strong teamwork, and knowledge between Shiroe, Nyanta and Naotsugu.
Another thing that the series should be praised of is it’s wiliness to explain the mechanics of how the game worked, this really gives the feeling of an RPG game something that SAO really lacked, and is one of the greatest features that this series has to offer.
On episode 6 is where the real plot of series is introduced, with Marielle telling Shiroe the horrible exploitation of the younger players who are forced to give up their ‘EXP pots’, to a guild called Hamelin.
The plot is now starting to show a lot of promise for the future episodes, as the mechanics and settings of the games are now firmly established, and the direction of future episodes are clearly shown.
Characters: The interactions of the two main characters Akatsuki and Naotsugu are possibly the only let-downs of the series. The repetitive and cliched joke of the female hitting the perverted male after he said something grotesque, is a joke used once too many. However given the circumstances after episode 6, it is unlikely that this joke will ever arise again (hopefully).
I guess LH too sufferers from Unnecessary Love Syndrome.
For the most part, the main character Shiroe is a very realistic gamer. He is not some OP good-looking teenager who happens to know martial arts, but is more mature and lanker man, with strategy oriented mind-set. Which is great as most ‘pro-gramers’ are a lot like this in real life.
Nyanta is the unexpected bad-ass of the series, his cat face and peculiar low toned accented speech makes him one of the unique characters I have ever seen. His flamboyant suit and tie, brings out a sense of mystery as well as giving an strangely mature presence around him. The fact his HP went down almost 30% during his fight with Demikas, shows that his isn’t some overpowered character, but a rather logical and mature one.
You can’t get more classy than Nyanta
The supporting characters play quite a significant role, as they are the catalysts to the ever expanding plot of the series and the ones that Shiroe have to rely on in order to gain more information about the world he is living in. Their natural interactions between the main characters, and especially Akatsuki is always pleasant to see.
Sound: The opening theme was rather unexpected for series like this. Normally you’ll expect pop-rock genre song, but instead you are greeted with a borderline Hard Rock type of a song. Not necessary bad thing, or a good thing either, but it is something I’ll be skipping at the start of each episode. The soundtrack is also nothing worth noting, its action scenes are composed of genetic rock riffs, and the track during the explanations intermissions is just as good as the track commonly heard in Vsauce.
Art and animation: Like the soundtrack it is nothing worth talking about either, no complex lighting is used, and still cuts are used in the climax of the action scenes, which is rather disappointing.
Final thoughts: Log Horizon is definitely the better series of this season, its firmly established plot and relate-able characters gives the whole series a very genuine RPG feel towards it.
As to answer the questions in title. The answers are simply no, and no. This anime is leagues above the incoherent mumblings of SAO. Not only that but it also takes an completely different angle of attack towards the whole trapped in a MMORPG thing. The introduction of flavorless food, and the fact you can respawn in an cathedral, already allows a new direction of social dynamics to take place within the story. Thus LH is definitely not an copy SAO, but simply a anime with similar settings and situation.
As for the second question, the reason why I answered no, is simply because this setting is far too restrictive for the creators to come up with anything unique, or creative, unlike Mecha or school based anime. However I would love to be proven wrong on this subject sometime in the future.
All in all this anime has a very promising start, and definitely has the potential to do very well in upcoming episodes and arc. Highly recommended that you start watching this anime immediately.
Quick start watching Log Horizon before Akatsuki gets raped by pretty dresses. =O
I admit this news is rather late as the anime was released a week ago, however if you just stumbled upon this then without further ado here is the video:
LucidHorizon 
Recent Comments