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JESUS CHRIST, IT'S THE BOARD GAME "CLUE", with an ADRENALINE ENEMA!

Rokka no Yuusha has a cast of unique but generally unexplored characters playing a high stakes game of "Who da' fuq are you??" with the world at stake. While trying to kill the "Demon King", seven champions show up where there should only be six. So who is the turd in the salad?

WELL THAT'S EASY! Professor Plum did it, in the enchanted fog forest, with a mutha' fuckin' DIABOLICAL PLOT TWIST! Watch and behold, lowly peons, as your childhood board game turns waaaaaaay more interesting.

In an effort to not give away the ... characters, I'll sum them up as FIND OUT YOUR GODDAMN SELF. This show is all about motivation. While the characters' histories remain mysteries (RHYMING YOU FUCKS), they're individual goals eventually spell out the loser. Get ready for a fast paced game of "one of these things is not like the others" while you subtly ponder where the initial premise of this show went.

Because this is how reviews work...
STORY: 9 - I FUCKING LOVE CLUE! and demon kings I guess...
SOUND: 8 - Good voice acting, can't remember the bloody songs.
ART: 9 - Except for white haired bitch's eyebrows, which piss me off.
CHARACTERS: 7 - Mysteries and shit. Who the hell knows?
ENJOYMENT: 10 - The pace is amazing, plot twists, betrayals, action, orgasms.
OVERALL: 9 - Just watch it for Christ's sake, it's short as hell.

It ends where you thought the show would begin. DEAL WITH IT. Second season should be great. I'll go buy more lube.

A different approach to the "trapped in a videogame" genre that is rapidly gaining popularity, Log Horizon serves as a refreshing, albeit somewhat underdeveloped alternative to Sword Art Online. Whereas Sword Art Online focuses on the challenges of gaming with higher stakes, Log Horizon revolves around creating and managing the social infrastructure of a fledgling world. A unique story that deals in both fanciful dilemmas and real-world issues, Log Horizon presents itself as a dual-threat of escapism and introspection. However, despite flashing several moments of brilliance, the series ultimately concludes with an unfinished feel and sense of unrealized potential.

Story: 5
The story of Log ... Horizon begins as one of its greatest strengths, but eventually turns into the most glaring issue in the series. The decision to avoid the overused "dungeon-clearing" and "boss battle" motifs was inspired. The focus instead on social interactions and infrastructure following the trauma of becoming stuck in a videogame was what originally drew my attention to the show. The first third of the story expands upon this with several excellent twists and one of the true gems of Log Horizon. The rest of the show fails to keep up this pace, however, leading to a sense of frustration and disappointment from the viewer. There were several promising points in the middle section of the series where the story could have branched off, often with exciting prospects and the opportunity to further develop characters or storyline. These points were ignored, however, yielding several important confrontations brushed past with only a vague Band-Aid type fix. This trend continued to the end of the season, where the conclusion of the show appears intentionally vague, despite numerous simmering problems that have been pushed to the back-burner. While the ending appears open enough to support further redress of these issues in following seasons, the lack of determination to follow any one direction leaves the plot mediocre at best.

Characters: 6
Similarly, the characters of Log Horizon all flare with brilliant emotional potential, but end with only one bulletproof and intriguing character. The main protagonist, Shiroe -colloquially referred to a the "Villain in Glasses"- is a solid and ever-intriguing anchor for the show. A strategic genius with a penchant for surprise, he is a director-in-the-shadows and a joy to watch when placed in the spotlight. The supporting cast, while initially interesting, falls flat as the story progresses, with little to no effort placed into learning their backstories or motivations. While one exception is the goofy and unexpected Rundelhaus, the supporting crew is overshadowed by Shiroe, and in the end serve only to bog the story down rather than expand it. The lack of any specific or significant antagonists only emphasizes the dearth of meaningful interactions between supporting characters.

Art: 7
The art is nothing to write home about, but is adequate and does not detract from the show. Character design is generic, while environment design is slightly above average.

Sound: 9
The sound was surprisingly my favorite part of Log Horizon. A very different and surprisingly catchy intro theme had me bobbing my head even as I made food while waiting for the episode to start. The English in the intro is surprisingly clear, although not devoid of accent, and demonstrates a clear grammatical fluency. The lyrics are simple, yet synergistic with the feel of the show. The ending song, while less impressive, still shines. Sound effects are generally discreet, with good synergy during crucial points in the story.

Enjoyment: 7
While not heavy on battle or "action" per se, Log Horizon excelled at engendering interest for the diplomatic crises scattered throughout it. An ability to surprise the viewer with unexpected story progression kept me interested throughout, despite the subpar closure following each conflict. Near the end my interest waned, as I realized it was too late to follow several of the story branches I was hoping to see. A vague and open story ending is intriguing, although the various plot errors amassed to create an average viewing experience from my standpoint.

Overall: 7
Log Horizon stands as a notable counterpoint to Sword Art Online, but overall fails to adhere to a single storyline long enough to develop its wide array of characters. This is a good anime for intellectuals interested in government, politics, diplomacy and strategy, but is unable to provide viewers with memorable character interactions or satisfactory story.