Great episode of Log Horizon this week – there were some silly gags and not much animation, but the important thing was that we’re back into compelling ideas again. That one scene at the Round Table basically made the episode – dealing with income disparities within Akihabara is such a smart elaboration on both Log Horizon’s worldbuilding and the issues of gamer psychology it gestured at during the William Massachusetts speech that I really just can’t think of something I’d rather have the show explore. And the other stuff it’s exploring is also interesting! The kids’ story is actually coming together, and introducing multiple interesting variables! Including Nureha, who’s easily one of the most intriguing characters in the overall cast. Nice work Log Horizon, we’re back on solid ground again.

My supersized episodic post is available over at ANN. All my notes are below!

Checking in with Nureha’s death-train

Episode title: “Odyssey Knights”

Roe 2 doesn’t seem to know whatever her own relation to Shiroe is

“My subclass is Vampire”

Vampires are damaged by healing spells

“Where did I come from, and where am I going?”

Their horse-calling whistle was damaged in the fight. They need someone with woodworking points to repair it

Monsters are being displaced, moving to different areas. This world is always pretty interesting

The Odyssey Knights are helping with monsters. Shiroe describes them as a “nostalgia group,” aka a group focused on returning to the real world. Interesting that that’s a unique enough attribute that you’d actually describe groups that way specifically – it shows how much most people have come to accept their lives here. You can’t be chasing a way home all the time if you have no direction – you just gotta live eventually

Talking about castling, that summoner servant-switch skill that whatshisface used in China

Lots of world stuff here. Honesty is apparently investigating the Fairy Rings?

“I don’t know if ‘servant’ or ‘brother’ is better…” Alright, getting closer, I guess

Roe 2 really likes being called a sister. Uh oh

Apparently Adventurer bodies heal fast and self-clean? Weird to have the show acknowledge all the strange little elements of living in avatar bodies

Boxurt, the town they’re approaching, is apparently a mess

“He’s my puppy, and I go on walks with him.” Isuzu telling it like it is

Oh my god Serara

Checking in with Shiroe’s scouts, Nyanta and Akatsuki

Oh shit, the Round Table’s discussing the income disparities within Akihabara

And yeah, this all makes sense. Skills and powers in videogames may try to superficially simulate meritocracy, but in a world like this, some skills are far more valuable than others. The problems of the real world creep in, and are amplified by the rigid have/have-not dichotomy of gaming skills and proficiencies

Honesty demanding Teachings and crafting recipes be made public, saying there’s danger of monopolies. The large crafting guilds disagreeing, arguing that the time investment of development must be rewarded

The big crafting guilds are essentially arguing libertarian talking points here – redistribution won’t make people work harder, you have to reward society’s hardest workers, great things will only be accomplished if people know they’re secure in what they earn. It’s simplistic politics, but given they’re just a bunch of gamers who’re creating an entirely new world, it makes sense that things would turn out this way. They’re just a loose collective of guild leaders, not historians and politicians.

Roe 2’s moe skeletons

And they meet “Dariella,” who calls herself a traveling writer and Person of the Land. But it seems to be the woman Nureha transformed into

Tohya’s in love

Oh shit, a raid team from Minami is here. And they look crazy

The Odyssey Knights. Carrying the Mobile Temple of Boreas

Ah, it allows instant revives anywhere

“I’m told it disturbs the voices of Adventurers’ hearts.” Oh jeez. So they keep dying, and have lost all their memories, and maybe even personalities? We’re going in some interesting directions