People getting trapped in videogame. It seems to be a genre of its own. I like to call it the .Hack genre because the .Hack series was my first exposure to this type of story, hence I always though .Hack was the originator of it. I'm pretty sure I'm wrong about this, but .Hack spawned a number of clones, including Real Account, Sword Art Online, and the subject of this post, Log Horizon.
Log Horizon follows a character called Shirou, whom some call the Villain In Glasses. First things first. Shirou is cool. Unlike most main characters in these type of anime, Shirou is a strategist. He's isn't a whiny crybaby or an overpowered douchebag. No, Shirou is a thinker, planner, and master manipulator. He does things in the background and behind the backs of others, showing just enough of his strategy to intrigue while not revealing too much.
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| Shirou, the Villain in Glasses and protagonist of this series. |
That says, he seems to be genuinely concerned about those around him, whether they are other players or NPCs. This is where Log Horizon separates itself from the rest of the pack in the .Hack genre. The characters are divided into two groups. The first are Adventurers, who are the players trapped inside the game. The second are the People of the Land, the NPCs. Shirou's goal isn't too rush people off to his death while hastily trying to find a way out of the game. Instead, he wants to coexist with the People of the Land until he can find a REAL way out.
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| This is a common sight in anime like this. |
How will Shirou accomplish this. By using diplomacy and economics to peacefully live with the People of the Land and Adventurers alike. Yep. He's taking the Star Trek route to deal with the NPCs. There are some massive battles here and there, but for the most part he wants to run the hub town of Akihabara unmolested.
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| Shirou's allies include little girls and... |
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| ...dudes with cat heads who sound like Black guys when they talk. |
The People of the Land, further separate this series from the rest of the pack. NPCs aren't just unthinking lines of code that looks like people, but actually living, breathing beings. The have wants, needs, aspirations, and even families. Simply put, the People of the Land are actually people and are treated as such. To my knowledge, no other anime or manga in the .Hack genre has ever taken this approach and this series is better because of it.
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| Princess Rayneshia, an important NPC. |
Also, death is handled differently in this series. Adventurers can die, but the are resurrected in a cathedral. So they don't actually die, but that doesn't mean there isn't a price paid. Adventurers who die may suffer memory lose, up to the point where to don't remember their real lives any more. The People of the Land, however, will really die, never to be seen again.
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| This guy is important for reasons I can't say. Watch to find out. |
In the end, Log Horizon is the best of the .Hack clones and probably better than even .Hack itself. The usual things (like trying to find a way out of the game) are still present, but element of diplomacy really stands out. It doesn't over rely on battles, providing a nice balance between battles and diplomacy. It's a refreshing change of pace. Don't miss this one.
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