Log Horizon Review

Log Horizon, the series that definitively captures what a video game would be like if you were trapped inside.

With season two of Log Horizon right around the corner; it seemed like a great time to review one of the best series of 2014.

If you remember my First Impression post about Log Horizon, I was rather impressed by the first few episodes and the rest of the series certainly did not disappoint as it became more complex and deeper in both characters and story. Not only does Log Horizon perfectly capture the feel of a video game, it is an intelligent work of science fiction and fantasy set in a medieval world that is familiar, yet original thanks to the introduction of the MMORPG (Massively multiplayer online role-playing games) mechanics. For those not familiar, MMORPGs are video games that thousands of people play online at the same time, and teamwork and forming groups and guilds is an important aspect of any MMO. Some examples of MMORPGs include, Star Wars: The Old Republic, World of Warcraft, and Guild Wars 2. As a player and fan of the genre, I loved the setting and the accuracy in which Log Horizon portrays the gaming experience.

The Good: Lovable cast of characters, Perfect tone, Never overly dramatic, Intelligent story, Perfectly captures video games, Unexpected twists and turns, Hilarious sense of humor, My type of series, Epic strategy battles, Develops rules and follows them,

The Bad:

Yes, there is a cat guy in the series, and he is awesome!

Plot: 9.8/10- One day thousands of players happen to wake up in the video game Elder Tale, but no knows why or how that happened. Unlike another MMO set series, like Sword Art Online where players use virtual reality helmets, Elder Tale is just a standard video game that players play with a keyboard and mouse, just like the ones that I play, which makes why or how the players are trapped all the more mysterious.
Another thing that sets the series apart from others is that *Episode 1 Spoiler* when you die in the game, you do not die in real life; you respawn at the closest spawn point just like a video game. One would think that, without the risk of death, Log Horizon would lose tension and a sense of importance, but that is far from the case.  In the Elder Tale world, the players are immortals who are far stronger than the NPCs (non-player-characters), which are the characters that inhabit the world, and are thus perceived as superhumans (think of Asgardians coming to Earth in the Marvel universe). Basically, Log Horizon is an exploration of a world where people from our world become immortals and are placed in a familiar high-fantasy setting where the NPCs are the equivalent of people. One minor thing that felt odd is that no one panicked when they realized that were trapped in the game. While it was great seeing that most everyone just accepted what was happening, at least a few would have tried to kill themselves to get back to the world. Also, the characters in the series are not particularly concerned with getting back to the real world. In fact, their main goal is to make the world that they live in a better place.

Trying to explain Log Horizon's plot is difficult because it is so complex. Due to the complexity, there is a lot of exposition throughout the series, which explains many of the game's mechanics. Because of this, viewers that prefer their fiction light on exposition and heavy on action will be disappointed. In fact, while there are some great action scenes, Log Horizon is much more a political/economic thriller and strategy series that focuses on how to strategically create peace in the lawless world, and when the need arises, uses strategy, rather than "Willpower," to win battles. In many ways, the series reminds me of Code Geass with the strategy, but also Spice and Wolf since the characters use economic to gain power. Because of these factors, I loved the series' way of doing things! Also, Log Horizon's tone is surprisingly fun and lighthearted. There is quite a lot humor and since no one dies (there are significant penalties though), the series is never melodramatic, and remains fun throughout. There are two minor problems with the series. One is that, in the final three episodes, the tone leans towards a romantic comedy, albeit a very well executed one. The other problem is that the series does not have a definitive conclusion. Fortunately however, a second season will be coming this Fall.
*End Spoiler*

Characterization: 9.7/10- Log Horizon has a large cast of characters, yet it manages to give the audience enough screen-time with each character to the point where you feel as though you know these characters. The series is very character driven, and even some of the NPCs are given well thought-out characterization.
Shiroe: Shiroe is the main character of the series. Unlike basically all other protagonists in similar stories, Shiroe is not a lone-wolf, because, as anyone that plays MMOs knows, playing solo is virtually suicide unless you stick to low-level dungeons. Instead, Shiroe is a master strategic and an experienced player. In the game, he is a mage support-class, which is my preferred class in MMOs, which uses abilities to aid allies and hider opponents in battle rather than dealing damage directly. In many ways, as many viewers have cited, Shiroe is much like Light Yagami from Death Note or Lelouch from Code Geass, except he is a good guy, who has the best interest of everyone in mind, which makes him a very likable character. Also, he wears glasses, and is referred to as "The Villain in Glass" because of his cunning wits and no one has ever pushed up their more epically than Shiroe.

Akatsuki: Akatsuki is the group's assassin (DPS in gamer lingo). She is heavy into role-playing as the faithful ninja to her master Shiroe. There is some fun romantic tension between Akatsuki and Shiroe. Even though Akatsuki has elements of anime archetypes like tsundere, she does not fit into any one archetype, which is good.

Naotsugu: Naotsugu is an experienced player that Shiroe has known for some time. He is a tank class, and because of this, he actually reminds me of my friend, and leader of my guild, Buruk (character name not real name), which is cool.
These are just the first few characters that the series revolves around, but many more are introduced, and considering the sheer volume of characters, the series does an excellent job of giving each character the perfect amount of time to develop.

Action: 7.8/10- Log Horizon is not a particularly action heavy series. Despite this, there are some impressive large scale battles that remind me of the Lord of the Rings, or massive raids in MMOs. Also, all of the action scenes actually follow the rules of the world that have been meticulously set up and explained. Do not expect characters to use game breaking powers to win battles, (looking at you Sword Art Online) but rather strategy, just like in a real video game. 

Acting: 9.1/10- Being that Log Horizon has recently concluded, the English dub is not currently produced; however, a dub is set to be released sometime in November. That being said, the Japanese cast is superb! Everyone does a fine job at portraying their characters.

Art Style: 8.9/10- Studio Satellite’s animation for Log Horizon's is unique. While not necessarily the most fluid and detailed animation ever, I found it to be particularly appealing and easy on the eyes. When the series makes to be serious, the animation remains constant. Conversely, when the series wants be humorous and lighthearted, the animation can change to chibi or generally comedic, which is surprisingly effective. Also, fanservice in Log Horizon is virtually non-existence.

Soundtrack: 9.4/10- Log Horizon’s score perfectly fits the high-fantasy setting, and the other tracks compliment the mood very well.

Humor: 8.9/10- While Log Horizon is not comedy, there is plenty of great humor throughout the series. Fortunately, the comedy is never misplaced nor encroaches in on the serious aspects of the series.

This is an excellent example of the series' change in animation for comedic effect.

Opening and Ending: 9.3/10- "Database," the opening song, annoyed me at first because I hate any all things that resembling rap, but I really ended up loving it by the fifth episode. Seriously, I listen to the song on a loop all the time. Thankfully, the opening does not change throughout the entire series. The ending theme is somewhat generic, but still worth listening to sometimes.

Non-Otaku Appeal: If you are a gamer, particularly a MMO gamer, Log Horizon is the best gateway anime providing that you prefer a smarter strategic based series opposed to an action-packed. Also, if you are into character driven sci-fi/fantasy with world building, Log Horizon is perfect.

Entertainment Value: 10/10- Log Horizon is my type of series. It has everything from the smart strategy, to the world building, to the humor, and all of it entertains me.

Gotta love the transitions and the fact that Log Horizon has the best most awesome glasses wearing characters ever.

Personal/Gamer Rating: 9.6/10- Log Horizon successfully merges my love of videogames and Tolkien's exposition heavy style of fantasy storytelling to near perfection. It is fun, smart, and one more the unique experiences you will have.

Non-Gamer Rating: 8.7/10- While accurately rating Log Horizon from a non-gamer is difficult, I do believe that if viewers do not mind the exposition parts that explain the game mechanics, you should be able to find a lot of entertainment.

Closing comments: Season 2 of Log Horizon cannot come soon enough! 

Note: Unlike some other series, Log Horizon is rather tame in terms of content. There is nothing that I would not show to a young teenager, except for the fact that Log Horizon is probably too slow and dialogue driven to hold younger audience's attention.

Recommended for: Gamers, Fantasy fans, Science Fiction fans, MMORPG players, If you wear glasses,

To read more of my anime reviews, you can click here.
Also, if you have reviewed this anime, leave a comment with a link to your review and I will post it here (providing it does not contain any explicit content).

Below is a review by my favorite critic, GRArkada, aka Tristan. I actually watched the series based on his recommendation in one of the PodTaku a while back, but I actually watched the series before he posted a full review it. Also, our opinion of the series is virtually identical in many respects, which seems to happen often with our opinions. 

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Kill la Kill Review

From the creators of FLCL and Gurren Lagann comes Kill la Kill, a series loaded is absurd amount of hype with some even claiming is "the savior of anime." Does it live up to the insane hype? In many ways, it actually does. 

Kill la Kill follows Ryuko Matoi as she attempts to avenge her father's death. However, she does not know exactly who killed her father, but only that the assailant has the second half of a giant scissor blade that has special powers. For a continued spoiler-free description of the plot, you can read my First Impression post by clicking here.

First off, Kill la Kill is insanely awesome at times. It is the type of series that can make me pumped up and excited, especially when amazing music kicks in. On the flipside, the series can be insanely dumb at times, but thankfully the series does not take itself too seriously during the dumber parts. However, when the series is more serious, it is at its best with some surprisingly likable characters that you really begin to care about, as well as some unexpected twists. 

Kill la Kill comes from studio Trigger as their first full anime series. Considering that this is a freshman effort, it is a rather impressive one at that. Trigger is comprised of animators from Studio Gainax, who is responsible for classics such as the aforementioned Gurren Lagann and FLCL, as well as Neon Genesis Evangelion (my review here). Also, the director of Kill la Kill, Hiroyuki Imaishi, directed both Gurren Lagann and FLCL. While I had not seen Gurren Lagann at the time of watching Kill la Kill (I have just finished it), I did watch FLCL (aka Fooly Cooly) not long before watching Kill la Kill, and it certainly prepared me for the absurd weirdness and insanity to the point that Kill la Kill rarely phased me in the craziness department, although many viewers would certainly be off-put by the series.

The Good: Awesome action, Sometimes amazing animation, Likable cast of characters, Some great humor, Epic final episodes, Ryuko is a cool protagonist, Strong villains, Fantastic soundtrack, Several unexpected twists, Absurd amount fun throughout, Over-the-top insanity, Somewhat understandable reasoning for fan-service, Mako is freaking hilarious, Some interesting metaphors (others did not work),

The Bad: Inconsistent animation, Absurd amount of fanservice, Sometimes too dumb and ridiculous, A few annoying moments early on, Middle-section falters some,

Plot: 7.2/10- Kill la Kill's plot ranges from utterly stupid to insanely fun to surprisingly smart (on a few occasions). However, from what I understand, it takes many cues from Gurren Lagann (I haven’t gotten that into it yet). Many parts of Kill la Kill parody other anime in a very self aware manor. It is technically set in highschool, and it almost makes fun of this fact since very little about the story feels like it is set in highschool or needs to be, which is good. Much of the series is like that of a shounen except without being childish like a shounen due to the mature themes that are not suitable for a younger audience.

Early on, the series is very lighthearted and non-serious, but it becomes darker and more serious as the plot progresses while still maintaining its fun and entertaining feel. In fact, the last quarter of the series is the best part, since the middle portion begins to meander a little too much. There are some interesting plot twists and turns that are mostly unexpected. The big explanation of how and why the Goku uniforms have special powers is explained with typical anime BS in a such a way that I believe it was more parody than anything. Also, the series does throw around some interesting and humorous metaphors, some of which are interesting and fun, while others miss the mark. In addition to the metaphors, there is some thematic depth that some will argue is there, while others will write it off as stupidity.

Characterization: 8.6/10- Surprisingly, Kill la Kill's characters might be the best aspect of the entire series with a large cast of likable characters. Some of the characters that, at first, seem like only side-characters are given interesting, and often humorous, backstories that flesh out the character to the point where you really end up liking the character. Also, the villains in the series are top notch. One interesting factor is that all of the main characters are female. In many ways, the female characters are not written as female characters, but more in a gender neutral way, except for the moments of massive fanservice. Honestly though, I do not care either way if the main characters are male or female, they are just main characters that the plot follows, as characters, they are fun to watch and are interesting, so I did not even think about this observation until writing this review and reading other reviews. My only complaint with the characters is that there is a random, out of character, and poorly executed attempt at romance in the final episode, but that may have been a joke considering how the series ended.

Ryuko Matoi: Ryuko is the main protagonist of the story. She has some clichéd shounen qualities, but ultimately comes off as cool and bada** most of the time.
Senketsu: Senketsu is actually Ryuko's sailor uniform that gives her superhuman abilities, but he actually has a personality and develops a friendship with Ryuko, which is the best aspect of his character.
Mako Mankanshoku: Mako is the comic relief character, and she has to be one of the best comic relief characters I have ever seen. As any Star Wars fan knows, comic relief characters can go horribly wrong (Jar Jar), almost to the point of ruining a work of fiction, but Mako only adds to it. In fact, she might be my favorite character from the series! She is so much fun to watch in all of her comedic insanity.
Satsuki Kiryuin: Satsuki is the main antagonist of the series, and as a character, she is easily one of the best parts of the series. She is a menacing villain and leader of her forces. At first, she seems rather onenote, but without spoiling any, she turns into a great character by the end.

Action: 9.5/10- The action is one of the best parts of Kill la Kill. It is really freaking awesome most of the time. While it can be a little slideshow-ish with some unnecessary still frames, for the most part, the action is thrilling! During many of the action scenes, I got a real rush of excitement.

Acting: 8.3/10- Kill la Kill has no English dub as of now being that it has just finished airing, but the Japanese cast is very strong, and I doubt that any English cast can give the proper insane feel to the series. 

Art Style: 8.1/10- Kill la Kill's animation is somewhat inconsistent, but overall very well done. Due to how stylized and unrealistic the art-style was, it took a couple of episodes before I really started liking it, but in the end, I liked it a lot. Despite some parts being a little low quality, they rarely stand out due to the wacky nature of the series. Also, there is some unnecessary 3D animation mixed with the 2D. Since there is no better place than the animation to discuss it, let's talk about the fanservice. Wow, Kill la Kill is packed with fanservice. It is not the worst ever since the detailing of the body is very rudimentary, but from Ryuko's impractical outfit to a couple of disturbingly odd scenes, the fanservice runs rampant in the series. Unlike a lot of fanservice however, the series does justify it to a degree with some plot points trying to explain it, and the characters are actually self-aware of it, with Ryuko being embarrassed of her outfit several times. However, the fanservice is not all one sided with a surprising amount of female oriented fanservice. For me personally, the fanservice got to the point where I did not even notice after a while due to the shear amount of it, so it was not a major drawback for me. On the other hand, if you have any aversion to fanservice, Kill la Kill is not the series for you.  

Soundtrack: 9.8/10- Kill la Kill's soundtrack is fantastic! The use of the score during key points of the series, particularly the action scenes, works to great effect in making the viewer pumped up and even inspired. "Blumenkranz" has to be one of the best villain themes in quite some time and the song "Don't Lose Your Way" never gets old, particularly the orchestral version that is used throughout the series. Also, each of the character themes is fantastic! In fact, the soundtrack deserves an entire post, which will be coming this weekend.

Humor: 9.1/10- Kill la Kill is probably the funniest action comedy that I have seen since Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and that is mostly thanks to Mako's comedic brilliance. Some of the comedy is hit or miss, particularly with Mako's family, but it made me laugh quite many times throughout the series.

Opening and Ending: 7.9/10- The first opening is opening nothing special, and first ending is quite good. On the other hand, the second opening, while not amazing, is very strong and worth listening on its own.

Non-Otaku Appeal: Unless you want to watch a great example of how crazy anime can be, this is not a good gateway series by any means.

Entertainment Value: 9.5/10- Kill la Kill rarely creased to entertain with its over-the-top fun style. I was almost never bored and often glued to the screen to see what insane thing was going to happen next to the likable characters.

Overall: 8.4/10- Kill la Kill takes the insanity of FLCL, the over-the-topness of Gurren Lagann, a lot of fanservice, and mixed it all together for one unique and entertaining ride. However, Kill la Kill is difficult to rate. Due to how dumb and clichéd the plot can be at points, actually saying that Kill la Kill is a "great" series is difficult, but thanks to the likable characters, shear entertainment value, and arguable amounts of depth, I have to say that I enjoyed it a lot, even if I can see why others might call it stupid.

Closing comments: While some might hate the series due to the hype and large fanbase, Kill la Kill gave me exactly what I was expecting from the series, as well as some unexpectedly strong characters.

Update Side Note: Since writing this review, I have finished Gurren Lagann, and its influence on Kill la Kill clearly evident. While Kill la Kill is great, Gurren Lagann is definitely my favorite between the two due to the last third of Gurren Lagann being possibly the most epic thing I have seen in anime and because of the superior emotional impact, which Kill la Kill was lacking in comparison. 

Recommended for *Mature*: Action fans, Fanservice fans, FLCL fans, Gurren Lagann fans,

To read more of my anime reviews, you can click here.

Here are other reviews of Kill la Kill for alternate opinions:
Review by Crescent Reviews
Review by Meeping Anime
Review by Nigma Box

Also, if you have reviewed this anime, leave a comment with a link to your review and I will post it here (providing it does not contain any explicit content).

You don't like Kill la Kill? Well....

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Gravity Review is Coming and Posting Schedule

Well, I watched the highly acclaimed movie, Gravity, and my review for that will be coming on Wednesday, but I shall be holding my opinion of the film for my full review. In addition to announcing my review, I will be adding a new rating to my review system that I have been planning for a while, as well as maybe changing some other things, all of which will be explained on Tuesday. Later this week I will also be posting some interesting facts about Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but it will not include any spoilers, as well as a full review for the popular Kill la Kill. Also, I watched Captain Phillips last night and a full review for that will be coming next week.

Posting Schedule:

Monday: Agents of SHIELD: Providence Review

Tuesday: New Rating: Entertainment Value and More

Wednesday: Gravity Review

Thursday: Kill la Kill Review

Friday: Captain America Watches Sherlock?

Below are some reviews for Gravity by fellow bloggers. Please let me know if you have reviewed the film so that I can comment on your review. As soon as I finish writing my review, I will comment on everyone's reviews.
Gravity Review by Jordan at Rath Reviews
Gravity Review by Sarah at How to Watch a Movie

Gravity Review by Daniel at Random Mexican's Movie Reviews

Gravity Review by Rick at Rick's Cafe Texan

Oddly enough, I actually thought about Life of Pi while watching Gravity.

Also, happy Resurrection Day everyone!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Kill la Kill First Impression

Kill la Kill is an extremely popular over-the-top action series that has recently concluded. 

In a fictional future where Hitler and the Nazis won World War II, there is a Honnouji Academy where the students of the academy wear uniforms called "Goku Uniforms." These Goku uniforms give the wearer superhuman abilities. The student council president and main antagonist of the story, Satsuki Kiryuin, rules with an iron fist. She gives out the Goku Uniforms to her most trusted underlings to help her rule the school. Also, Goku uniforms are designed by a Star-Class-System with higher stars meaning a more powerful suit.

The main story follows Ryuko Matoi, a 17-year-old that wants revenge for the death of her father and she believes that Satsuki may be the one responsible. In short, stuff happens and then she finds a special Goku uniform named Senketsu that uses the wearer's blood to give them incredible power that exceeds that of all others. This plot summery makes the series seem significantly more serious than it actually is, but trust me, it is rarely serious.

After watching three episodes of Kill la Kill, I have to say that I am enjoying watching the series. However, this is the type of series that you basically have to turn-off your brain to enjoy. Typically, I do not enjoy series such as this, but Kill la Kill is certainly an exception. While far from amazing, it is fun and action packed.

Mako Mankanshoku is another character from the series and her primary purpose is to be comedic relief as Ryuko's sidekick, and she certainly fulfills the role effectively. Unfortunately, her family plays a supporting role, and basically all of her family's scenes in the series are so utterly stupid and annoying that they are nearly unwatchable for me. Thankfully, they are only in a few scenes, and so far, Mako is the best comedic relief character I have seen in a very long time.

The animation style of Kill la Kill is unique. However, this should be no surprise since it comes from Studio Trigger, which is comprised of animators of series such as Gurren Lagann and FLCL. In fact, Kill la Kill reminds me quite a bit of the insanity that is FLCL in many regards. If you are a fan of either Gurren Lagann or FLCL, chances are, you will find something to enjoy with Kill la Kill. The only real problem with the animation is that it is occasionally inconsistent, particularly during the aforementioned scenes with Mako's family. The other possible issue is the copious abundance of fan-service. Seriously, there is quite a lot of fan-service. There is kind of a purpose to the fan-service and the series is self-aware of it, but it makes it no less fan-service. It is definitely not a deal breaker for me, but it is something to know in advance.

Not entirely true, but that's what the series wants you to think.

After watching three episodes, Kill la Kill is definitely a series that I am going to finish watching mostly because it is so popular. The best parts about the series are the comedy, action, and that Ryuko and Mako are actually likable characters. Kill la Kill is not is amazing so far, but it is fun and entertaining enough if you turn your brain off and enjoy the madness.

A full review of Kill la Kill will be coming at some point, and if there is any currently airing anime that you want me to give my first impression of, please comment below and let me. Also, have you seen Kill la Kill? What did you think of it? Are you interested in watching it?

For other First Impression of the series, you can check out Arvin Saints's First Impression here.

Side note: Sorry if there are any mistakes in the writing. I injured my right hand so I have been typing with my left hand.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.