First Impressions / Log Horizon

「アイザックとイセルス」 (Aizakku to Iserusu)
“Isaac and Iselus”

The lights in the sky are stars … not.

To Go Home, Or To Stay

With the strong exception of Rudy, the young’uns continue to be the weakest members of the cast. I really feel like they’ve suffered this season, when they should have been ascendant, or at least catching up. Take Tohya’s declaration that he would go back to the real world. All well and good, and noble, but did it smack false to anyone else? I would think if he had the chance to continue living in a world where he’s not paralysed, there would be some doubt there, not this self-assured tranquility that feels a little too perfect. Isuzu’s uncertainty was a nice touch (stay, Isuzu! Stay with Rudy!), as was Rudy’s acknowledgement of their right to choose. If anyone would understand the desire to choose for one’s self, it’d be Rudy.

Personally, I favor Isaac’s way: Don’t think about it until it actually comes to pass. Okay, maybe think about it a little, but certainly don’t dwell. That decision will only be important when the time comes. Until then, there’s work to do.

The Boy King

Not much to say on the Isaac x Iselus battle shota bromance, save that the kid is a good prince, and oughta be a good king (as good as any hereditary, absolute ruler can be, at least). It’s a simple story, encapsulated primarily in this episode and told well, if predictably. Which is fine! Not everything needs to be innovative, and in fact, this could be considered the misdirection that made later events work. Solid work is appreciated, even when it’s hard to blog about.

Looking Ahead – That’s No Moon Those Aren’t Stars

It was a good little move to show us the sky with its moving stars a mere two minutes (episode time) before people started collapsing. That ought to have kept many a person from thinking about the moving stars too much, which preserved some of the cliffhanger’s shock without it coming from nowhere. Plus, anything that gives me a use to use a Gurren Lagann and a (classic) Star Wars reference in the same post is okay by me.

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – 30% talk of going home, 70% Isaac’s shotacon combat adventures #loghora s2e23

Random thoughts:

  • Lenessia is the middle child. That explains so much.
  • Monsters and villains! Poor megane. They are much maligned.
  • Stilts note: I’ll be overseas for the next two weeks. I should be able to post like normal, but if something happens, I’ll try to let you know. Thank you for your understanding. I should be back to my usual posting speed next season.

My first novel, Wage Slave Rebellion, is available now. (More info—now available in paperback!) Sign up for my email list for a FREE sequel short story. Over at stephenwgee.com, the last four posts: From LEGO to author, RIP Sir Terry, The formula for achieving your dream, Break-even.

Full-length images: 02.

 

Preview

30 Comments

  1. https://randomc.net/image/Log%20Horizon/Log%20Horizon%202%20-%2023%20-%20Large%2033.jpg
    OMG, so much technology is left around then I guess three years is possibly the biggest miracle; if this was set Completely in a “medieval game setting” you would need 1,000 years to actually communicate with the moon. *sigh* someone needs to see if they can go to America, maybe some NASA technology is still around just waiting to be used (technically, just trying to contact America seems more feasible as compared to the moon)

    https://randomc.net/image/Log%20Horizon/Log%20Horizon%202%20-%2023%20-%20Large%20Preview%2001.jpg
    And wha? Bunnies, from the moon possibly? *sigh* I don’t suppose these are the decedents of Goku’s old enemy, Monster Carrot, and anyone they touch will be turned into a carrot.

    https://randomc.net/image/Log%20Horizon/Log%20Horizon%202%20-%2023%20-%20Large%2016.jpg
    Has anyone gave their evaluation on our idol’s singing yet -_-

    https://randomc.net/image/Log%20Horizon/Log%20Horizon%202%20-%2023%20-%20Large%2019.jpg
    And cute, Isaac, please make him a good king. I am wondering if the other unseen princess was there, I mean, it is her brother’s birthday.

    https://randomc.net/image/Log%20Horizon/Log%20Horizon%202%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2015.jpg
    Please more “Tomoko Kuroki” (WataMote), she finally made friends in a game.

    L002
    Reply

    1. Love the cameo of Tomoko Kuroki. Wonder why she ended up looking somewhat like herself I would have though her game avatar would be a tall big breasted beautiful blonde. Of course so we could recognize her but I could see her trying to the drastically different look and then reverting to something close to herself as it just made her too uncomfortable. After all she has never rolled up her skirt like all the other girls even though that is an easy fit in move. Shiro she has friends your going to have to drag her back to earth screaming now. I wonder what class she is?

      RedRocket
      Reply

  2. Now that we’re out of the published LN material (not the webnovel though), I find that I’m enjoying not knowing what’ll happen :3

    This episode, the interaction between Iselus and Isaac-kun vewwwwwwwy adorable :3 Reminiscent to Gurren Lagann :3 The GARRRRRRRRRRRR! Heh~ Having said that, I do understand why some people would be put off by the “slowish” pace of the last couple of episodes, but then again, Log Horizon shines brightest when its unique characters are featured prominently. I, for one, am not disappointed with this Isaac-kun centric episode and hope that one day we get to see the other “suave dude” soon (kaibutsu megane).

    Now that the season is winding to the climax, I wonder what’ll happen next >:3 Can’t wait.

    Ddadain
    Reply

      2. She can tell her brother in a “positive manner” such as saying “There is an unmatched dark beauty among adventuers whose stature ‘literally stands above’ that of the Villian in Glasses.”

        L002
        Reply

    1. Nonsense, NHK Eductional TV wouldn’t order 50 episodes(Over two seasons) and then say no thanks to more. Log Horizon isn’t a hit series when you look at the sales, but something is getting it made, so I’m just relying on that to continue.

      Lyfe
      Reply

  5. this week in LH:
    an adventurer befriends Lander prince, an assassination goes awry due to piece of jewelry and big crisis erupts!

    Seriously though the idea of returning to our world makes for all kind of difficult choices… most of the adventurers have family and friends to return to, but most of them have made new friends in Yamato… while the adventurers friends would only need to meet offline as it was for example, in SAO, there is possibility they would never see Landers again (most impacting Rudy and Isuzu!)

    ewok40k
    Reply

    2. I found perhaps a good solution for an Possible Ending, with Cliffhanger for 3rd Season

      Some MC’s here…

      Well.. something like SAO. The MC’s found his Way out in RL, but then he want to join the Server again to save the Others trapped inside.

      or

      They really give the Adventures the free will to Log Out. But then what will happen with the real Addicts, that lost in the VR World. They need to take care of their RL Body. So give them a Log out and Log In, would be a good solution.

      But then, if they log out, and found out the Truth about why the Apocalypse happen, will they want to return to this “cursed” game? Afraid of Brain damage?

      Ignorance can be a bliss, but how do the Real Bodys outside the game? Perhaps they successful use an Admin Command to get a peek outside the World, with a Life feed or something “Hurray, we have a contact with the Persons inside the Server!”

      WorldwideDepp
      Reply

      2. No evidence there is any body back on Earth we don’t have virtual reality headset technology. Sword Art Online is set in the future so headset technology can exist Log Horizon is set in the present. Yes they bodies could have been beamed onto the Alien mothership but the body being held in the teleport matrix right now is more believable to me than being kept on life support if technology is involved. But Roe 2 has confirmed that the world of Log Horizon is a real alternate universe. With the world being real magic becomes a real thing and it makes way more sense for the players to have been magically transformed and recreated in the Log Horizon world. As Roe 2 as a non body intelligence being took over a body of a unplayed at that moment character the players could also be non body spirits now. Right now I am assuming that if they are not all dead now the people left behind think these people disappeared. It’s just all the ruins laying around make me worry that the world of Log Horizon is actually our future earth transformed by magic so going home is a travel back in time to a doomed planet.

        RedRocket
        Reply

  8. Did anyone else think the animation quality went very badly downhill in the 2nd half of the episode? Or was that a product of the terrible streaming that I was getting at the time?

    Riktol
    Reply

  10. I am assuming Shiro is showing his youth and lack of historical study for the all of a sudden going totally idiot mode. Shiro likes to think he can solve all problems but preventing war is not one he is going to do by leaving. No the adventures leaving will not prevent a People of the Land war. The adventures leaving just means the next time the goblins eat everyone and take over as the powerful NPC’s are not around. Plus the People of the Land are set up as a medical society with a warrior class they are going to war as normal part of life. One of the reasons writers especially for MMO’s like to put adventures in war like situations like the past, future continuous war visions or civ has fallen stories is that in such situations war is part of life and so the conflict goes on and on and a lasting peace is not possible maybe for hundreds if not thousands of years.

    The only way a lasting peace could be established is the adventurers working out their issues so that then the adventurers prevent People of the Land wars long enough for education about the Enlightenment and later philosophy and social ideas can be learned. Then maybe converting the People of the Land to democracy and peaceful coexistence is possible. But that approach is a work of life time so a good number of adventures have to stay. And that approach is sort of the colonial powers reason for occupations, but the the colonial period most often it was just an excuse an the actual objective was exploitation.

    Also even though it was just as a game these Adventures have been a part of society for centuries just pulling out leaves a vacuum and new cities and territory to fight over. I believe leaving is the best way the Adventures could make sure the People of the Land have a major war fighting over the formally Adventurer territories.

    Well I hope this is just a believable moment of stupid on the part of the characters as I would be extremely disappointed in the author if he falls into the the people have to all go home just because no good reason type of story. Of course few even know Earth history stories about people stuck in strange lands and cultures ether by shipwreck, impoundment or kidnaping. If they did they would know that many chose not to return having made their home in their new culture even though others went back home with relish.

    RedRocket
    Reply

  11. More than Tohya’s nobility or whatever it should be called, I was alarmed that Minori was more concerned about him than herself. That combined with everything she’s done before, she really seems to be selfless to the point of it being a fault and unhealthy. At least when it comes to Tohya and with the definite exception of Shiroe.
    I was surprised by Tohya’s opinion though.

    Also, I found Serara’s comment to be refreshing in how normal it was. I guess it could be called boring too though. All in all it’s so her

    As someone who wears glasses, I’m both hurt and proud by Lenessia’s comment.

    Erimaki
    Reply

  12. So the ‘millennia (or two) in the future’ setting of the Elder Tales world is actually plot relevant. It makes you wonder if the Alv’s are supposed to represent future humans.

    Longhaul
    Reply

  15. Ep 24: (Still watching)

    Why this Outside of the Box Scenes? This is the first time that the Anime Introduce us the Raid Team Members with Pictures. What did i just watch? And of all things, why now?

    WorldwideDepp
    Reply

    1. Is it really the Log Horizon we know? What happed? i do not recognize it anymore. So many new faces appear. Did they switch the Director? Log Horizon with episode 24, you confuses me

      WorldwideDepp
      Reply

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