There’s always time for more Log Horizon! That said, I think I might be ready to take a slight break from Log Horizon. Pretty happy with this review, though – I think I covered the compelling stuff more gracefully than I did in the first one, and even got in a bit about Log Horizon’s politics. Having just rewatched all of season one, I think can solidly confirm that season two has just been a step up for the series – the original had highlights, but it also had plenty of slow stretches, and Log Horizon 2 has been stellar for a long time now. But who knows – we’re still in 2’s hot streak, so I might just be misremembering how interminable the Akatsuki arc in the first half was.
Anyway. My full review is available here. Notes below!
Episode 14
And now we finally got to the Sage of Mirror Lake episode
The Sage knows quest requirements from among the Adventurers
Still got those ugly Sentai subs. Price of doing business, I guess
Still friction in Minori’s group
“Magician” of Mirror Lake here. Regan
He shows up in a lot of quest descriptions. Nice worldbuilding
Lots of internal monologue to explain stuff, as always
“World-Class Magics and Enchantments”
They haven’t translated any of the in-show HUD displays. A shame
Regan classifies spells by how much/many people they affect
Regan says world magic has been cast three times – “World Fraction” is the name of the spell
The Apocalypse itself is classified as one of these spells
Minori’s group explores this world on the most basic, gameplay/action-focused level while Shiroe’s narrative explores the foundations of the world
350 years ago, there was great prosperity and four major races. The Alves had great magical technology, but few numbers, and were eventually turned on by the other races
Six princesses took revenge for the Alves, and cast the first world fraction spell – the spell that brought about the demi-humans, or mobs
The surplus souls of an age of war were used to create the demi-humans
Looots of exposition, but it’s interesting stuff
“Spiritual Theory” – discussion on souls
All of the terms of games – respawns, the races, etc – are put in terms of history or lore. It’s a great idea to see the explanations of game design from the perspective of someone who sees it not as design for gaming, but as a lived experience
The Adventurers arrived 240 years ago, the second fraction
“Our history books started detailing the events of the master mage Shiroe 98 years ago.”
Five minutes of play time is an hour of the gametime clock. Another great bit of worldbuilding
Worrying about the People of the Land stealing Adventurers tech secrets
The soul is made of Psyche and Anima – Psyche is energy of the mind, called MP. Anima is the energy of the body – HP, or ki. More great worldbuilding
Your energy disperses upon death, and resurrection doesn’t gather everything back – thus you lose XP
Now we’re getting to people losing memories from dying
The real-world disconnect meant memories were safe before – now even their minds are subject to the rules of the game
Shiroe decides to sit on this information
Rudy’s training. He rarely lets others see his seriousness
Rudy still doesn’t really match his Japanese VA
Rudy and Isuzu are cute, as always
“Miss Isuzu please, my parents call me Rundel Haus. Just call me Rudy.”
Minori’s finally taking a stand on strategy
Episode 15
The sound levels seem a bit off – sound effects and music are a bit over-emphasized compared to the dialogue
Isuzu’s VA is kinda stiff
Minori saying they have to reintroduce themselves, legitimately learning about each other and what they can offer the party
“Why do you use the Orb of Lava instead of anything else? Why do you keep using it instead of any of your other attack spells?”
And Rudy finally gives her useful information – short cast time, short cooldown, high damage
Tohya talking about taunts – covering how each of them need to manage their ranges and cooldowns to make best use of their abilities and complement each other
Isuzu has a skill that lowers the aggro generated by attacks
Lol, this show’s excuse for animation
Oh hey, Tohya actually got a nice cut
Minori performs the “operator” role, managing everyone’s status and position
“Field monitor” manages the general field, making sure they don’t end up with more adds
No, it’s actually the general volume – too much distance between the low dialogue and the high action moments
Just like last time, this whole arc feels aimed at such a younger audience than Shiroe’s stuff
Shiroe working on his scribe skills
And now Minori’s going over this stuff with Shiroe. This is sloooow
“Either a hot sandwich, or a hot sandwich, or a… sandwich.” Rudy
Isuzu realizes Rudy is a golden retriever
Isuzu’s VA is nailing this bit
And the interface doesn’t let her add Rudy to her friends’ list. DUN DUN DUN
Fishmen attack!
Episode 16
“This is a dookie sandwich.” Alright writers
Lots of goblins coming
Shiroe creates a relay for conference calls to discuss the crisis
Now they explain the Goblin King’s Return. More worldbuilding resulting in natural conflict
Talking about the Izumo Knights – the alleged guardians of this land. But they don’t know if they exist
They have to fight for the sake of the People of the Land. It’s a strange power dynamic
Lenessia’s father talking about preparing for the war
Lenessia’s now been left at the conference as her father returns home
The goblins approach Naotsugu’s group!
Nice tension in this buildup
The People of the Land town on the coast is in the goblins’ targets. Once again, Minori’s narrative is the micro version of Shiroe’s narrative
Minori wants to volunteer the group to support Chousha. Rudy obviously is also fighting for that. Isuzu’s hesitant
Shiroe’s now revealing the cost of death to his council
Crusty admits he’s lost memories already, and keeps cool about it
All of Crusty’s lost memories are from the real world
“You’re talking about falling completely out of touch with the world you came from.” But that’s kind of what happens here anyway
Crusty’s VA was a very good choice. He sounds like a natural leader, and works as both scholar and warrior
“This is going to affect relationships between Adventurers and People of the Land for a long, long time.” You said it, Nyanta
So Minori’s group goes out as a scouting party
Aaand the goblins have the little girl’s doll
Minori’s a solid and unusual lead. She works very well for this show as a diplomat/strategist while still being very different from Shiroe
Episode 17
They’re gonna go on the offensive
Minori finally looks totally in control
Teamwork and camaraderie are big themes. Friendship, I guess
Shiroe articulates the truth that they can’t just act solo – they have to engage the People of the Land, and make this a politically open issue
And the People of the Land distrust the Adventurers, of course
The Izumo Knights have disappeared
The People of the Land are running into internal disagreement. Proposing a city is sacrificed in order to surround the goblins
Nice seeing the kids team totally confident in combat
A good contrast between the immediate fights of Minori’s team and the politics of Shiroe’s
Shiroe telling them they need to discuss who plays good cop and bad cop in their debates with the Adventurers
Lenessia sneakin’ on these jerkass lords
Jeeez sound mixing. These ad break music jumps are a bear
“I know, why don’t we give the offensive mage gauntlets to Rudy?” these kids
It’s cute though, even if their game understanding is lol. It’s relationship-building
Isuzu’s hesitance is partially based in her realization that Rudy is mortal. It’s nice that a conflict between them is built out of this
Shit gets heated in Shiroe’s conference
Shiroe’s combined attack has them on the ropes. Forcing honesty from the People of the Land
Their “bad cop” played so “against” that they’re actually trapped
And then Lenessia arrives!
Lenessia announces she’s going to Akihabara to raise a volunteer army
Lenessia plays the Adventurers’ fetishizing of freedom against them – they may have no sense of duty, but that makes them possible allies
LENESSIA DROPS THE MIC
Episode 18
Lenessia in Akihabara
Nice music track for Lenessia staring at the wacky Akihabarans
And now there’s an equally appropriate string piece for her being all proper
Lenessia puts on her silly adventure costume for the propaganda speech
Shiroe sets up the speech at the festival, arranges it like a quest
All the Adventurers are used to immediately accepting quests, deciding their own strategies. They’re totally independent, which has pluses and minuses. But they can be controlled in their own way
“What does that make nobles and serfs?” Lenessia seeing how the gamer cultural system is totally foreign to the world she knows, which may have dangerous consequences
Using spotlights and stagecraft to light up Lenessia. Shiroe and Crusty get out their most impressive-looking weapons
The setup is perfect. She looks fragile but determined. “I will fight. Please, help me.”
And the crowd roars
Crusty and Shiroe take the lead, bringing in their confidence and legitimacy
“A noble shouldn’t stand up in front of a bunch of people, telling everyone her weaknesses
They’re using a steamship to get the first soldiers out
Lenessia’s grandfather bringing up how the league of free cities’ other members think Lenessia’s action is a power play based in a preexisting hidden alliance. He then backhandedly makes that exact proposition, but Henrietta’s having none of it
“I understand now that the Round Table and the community of Akihabara are forces that rival the forces of Eastal.”
So he wants to make a nonaggression pact and trade treaty, as opposed to trying to incorporate them as nobles
“Lenessia can take responsibility for the negotiations moving forward.” So he essentially gets what he wants anyway – stability, and his own granddaughter as the central lever
Crusty’s dialogue simplifies his relationship with Lenessia in a really unfortunate way. He’s shifted from basically seeing her as the person he admits common grievances to to the little girl he picks on. Lenessia is supposed to bring out his own less proper side
“Where I come from, women don’t have any political power to speak of”
At least Crusty tries to comfort her at the end here
Marielle and Naotsugu talking about adjusting to the People of the Land – the kids had an easier time adjusting. This is becoming their reality more quickly
Crusty’s getting into battle mode
Episode 19
Opening with a really nice shot of Isuzu and Minori. The lighting and shot framing seems to have improved a bit in this half – shots are staged with a little more emotional flare and eye for beauty. Still not, you know, GOOD, but better
Still no animation at all, of course
CG goblins look like… well, like videogame goblins
Crusty gets an okay cut
Synthy battle music for Crusty! Good stuff
Love that shot of Crusty directing the lasers
Explaining their communication network. Only leaders of squads talk to the larger groups
Chousha becomes strategically important because a loss there could destroy their larger formation. Keeping the kids relevant
Another great shot – Rudy and Isuzu separated by boxes and shadows
The atmosphere’s great for this ominous moment as well
And there’s way too many enemies approaching
GET THE STEAMSHIP INTO THE FIGHT!
Yeah, this episode specifically has solid framing and animation
Minori’s doing the Shiroe thing now
Shiroe fights by looking thirty seconds into the future
“FULL CONTROL ENCOUNTER” lol
Minori’s confident now. Maybe too confident
“You’ve got an hour until the Okapyte gets over to you”
Shit, here it is. The bridge scene
Rain starts falling. They’re setting it up so well
Then you hear the wolf cry
Good sound design here. Some well-chosen silence, the heavy rain
Music’s gone for Rudy’s counter
Revives aren’t working
Great Isuzu work
And the call to Shiroe goes out
Episode 20
This is the first time Minori’s really asked for help
Decent animation on Shiroe’s gryphon-call
Keeping Rudy’s anima in the area by continuously casting revival spells
He’s still unconscious, meaning his psyche is dispersing
Shiroe’s flashing back to his old guild master again
Now thinking of world-class magic. You can do it, Shiroe!
Aw jeez Crustyservice
Wow, the water looks so bad
Crusty lookin’ pretty bloodthirsty
“I’m going to cast a new magic spell. Tell no one about this.”
He used a spell to redistribute MP in order to return some MP to Rudy. Classic MMO skills applied to the worldbuilding fundamentals they’ve established
Now he brings him back to life as a zombie temporarily, abusing another item he possesses
“Please don’t blame Isuzu” RUDYYYY
Shiroe’s VA’s delivery here is… ehhh
Shiroe offers a contract – sign it and he’ll become a member of Log Horizon, complete their missions in a manner befitting his status, and become an Adventurer
As Shiroe articulates, this is an elaboration on what Nyanta discovers – treating the world as an actual world results in true world manipulation
“I don’t want the glory, I want to help people.” Ruuuudy
And the Sage even sees it. Shit’s changing
Crusty’s crushing
Not much drama to the Crusty sequences. I get the feeling some nuance was lost in the transition to anime here
Aw, Isuzu
These two
These two are one of the best parts of this show
“Give me your paw” lol
Episode 21
Everyone’s back at the capitol for a ball, with Shiroe avoiding the dance and Akatsuki trying to prod him into it. Catching up with everyone’s status. Silly Lenessia faces etc
A little more awkward exposition
Crusty’s the social charmer
Nureha gets an early preview moment here
Nureha somehow knows about Rudy
“Soon after, something happened to the wizard.” Nureha trolling
The Sage reveals he also knows about the new magic
Someone in the West has also created new magic. More Nureha baiting
The show has definitely slowed down now. It’s starting to lay threads for the next season
William still hasn’t taken over Susukino
First mention of Manami
“They call me the dishwashing fox of high society” Rudy you’re amazing
“This was Elder Tale’s theme song when it was a game.” Really sad given what we know from season two
Lenessia’s grandfather states that it was her, not Eastal, that requested help from the Adventurers. And now he assigns her to be their ambassador in Akihabara
Crusty and Lenessia get a nice moment
Shiroe’s apparently got a pretty evil reputation
The lack of animation is occasionally distracting
Shiroe consoling Akatsuki on her feelings of uselessness
So much of the voice acting is just slightly stiff. The leads are actually sometimes worse – Shiroe is still awkward, Akatsuki has issues. Crusty and the kids are better
The memory announcement apparently goes off okay
This episode’s just a bunch of stuff happening
Episode 22
Festival time
Oh god, this is one of those derp episodes, isn’t it
Henrietta keeping an eye on Shiroe
I feel like the dub has just lost key character points – Henrietta’s relationship with Shiroe, the mid-level merchant guild dude’s importance, etc
Shiroe’s outfit is so dorky. What the hell is his belt-jumpsuit?
Shiroe’s VA seems to do the best in his random asides. The big lines are more awkward
Yeeeaaaah, Akatsuki-Minori nonsense
Minori’s thinking about Shiroe’s reputation
Akatsuki being silly
Merchant dude is managing everything
“Man, that is a lot of crap” nice line
“I must acquire fashion” nice, Akatsuki
Their banter is pretty great
All these goddamn cakes
Shiroe’s VA is owning this scene
Getting all strategic on the cake nonsense
This scene is actually better in english
“For the love of god, stop the cake”
Shiroe just fucking with Soujiro now
The idea of romance in this world has a bit of actual intrigue because the world feels like a legitimately real and alternate place
“It’s not like you give me a lot to work with, Akatsuki.” This is definitely a situation
Ono Minori saw random drama onooooo
This is some dumb crap
It’s pretty obvious the show has little interest in exploring the internal lives of these characters in any way beyond “she likes him, I like him,” and so this just comes across as the transparent nonsense it is
Episode 23
Looks like it’s a Minori solo drama episode. Great
Naotsugu handling disputes while doing food inspections
Gotta visit stands to fill out your stamp card. Man, these last few episodes really have nothing going on
Nureha randomly showing up at the festival for one shot. Lol
Shiroe is oblivious to Akatsuki’s nice new hairpin
Kerashin (the mid-level merchant guy) is swamped. Minori offers to help, demonstrating her strengths
More disputes between Adventurers and People of the Land. Building it up over time
“You’re only being such a jerk because…” said by a middle-aged Person of the Land. Not the best script
Even Henrietta’s into Shiroe now
Henrietta using everyone’s crushes to keep them working
Crusty and Lenessia have a nice moment
Minori’s subclass is “Apprentice” – Shiroe suggested it. It allows her to become a student of other people and copy their skills
Minori shredding those documents
People of the Land getting into status disputes in the wrong neighborhood
Nyanta tosses the noble out of the bar. Don’t give a fuck
“Is the guy a strategist, or is he just a gambler? I don’t know if he feels dead or alive in this world.”
Crusty thinks Shiroe’s at his best when forced into action. Which is true
Shiroe’s finally sensing something wrong. Too many small-scale disputes, too many People of the Land starting pointless trouble
Again, Shiroe’s emotional intonation just isn’t quite there. He undersells the wrong lines
Episode 24
They’re trying to destroy the reputation of the Round Table, apparently
They deliberately turned in faulty paperwork to confuse Akihabara
Lord Malvis is approaching
The danger of the West is again being highlighted. More Nureha foreshadowing
“Let’s give them a counterattack.” Akatsuki takes out her knives. Oh Akatsuki
Minori taking control of the paperwork into her own hands, applying the lessons of party combat to city management
Talking about the flow of battle
“It’s almost like Shiroe himself is here with us.” More bits of awkward, on-the-nose dialogue
Shiroe can’t see any strategy in their random attacks
“To be honest, relationships… well, gamers aren’t very good at dealing with that sort of stuff.” Nyanta calls it like he sees it
Shiroe finally realizes their attacks are just random nonsense
“He fought them off by bringing in a bunch of girls?”
“In reality, that might have been the perfect counterattack to the cake girl’s sinister plans.” Quite a sentence
“I’ve got a bunch of obliviousness that can beat their randomness”
Malvis has Adventurers guarding him
Malvis just being a general asshole
“Soujiro is currently in the town square on a hot date with ten different girls, sir.” ahaha
“Straight pimpin’.” “Could you please not put it that way.” Goddamnit
Episode 25
Shiroe arrives to rescue Lenessia
And then Mishitaka and Crusty also arrive
The Round Table crushes Malvis as expected
And now a fashion show! Hurray filler episodes
Akatsuki in twintails
Lenessia meets her adoring public
Minori pushing Shiroe to greet the princess, but Shiroe wants to hide away
Shiroe’s deliberately souring his own reputation for political reasons. Minori’s not a fan
“Being strong on your own is meaningless. You need people around you.” Yeah, there’s one of the themes
Akatsuki was snooping, and now realizes she doesn’t really know anything about him
And Nureha arrives!
Nureha’s disguise spell is unknown to Shiroe, but he sees through it
“Overlay” is the power
Plant Hwyaden gets introduced
Shiroe monologuing her exposition
She bought the cathedral, dang
Trying to convince Shiroe to join her
“In Elder Tale, someone might need me. But it was no different here.”
“Is it not true that you’re on the verge of finding it? Finding the fraction. Finding a way home.”
“A means of going back to our own world has indeed been discovered.”
A nice detail of lip animation for Nureha
This episode’s aesthetics in general are great
“Make me your reason to achieve all your desires. Make me your excuse” daaaang
Shiroe is held back by his thought of his friends. Frieeends
“If I were to do that, it would make everything I’ve done a lie.”
“I can give you what you want more effectively as a foe than as a friend.”
“Now I think I want you even more.” Oh Nureha
And it ends with Shiroe hanging out with his friends and eating. Classic Log Horizon
And everyone’s on his side. Fuzzy times for everyone
And we get a silly montage of everyone attacking a monster
“But now, this is our world. It is our reality. And we will change it however we want.” Also a big one