May 30, 2015
The second season of Log Horizon brought more enjoyment to me than the last season. Sure, there were episodes that didn't contribute all that much to the storyline, and there is much less character development than I would have liked, but the character struggles are realistic and well placed. Very few times have I seen an anime that is as genuine as this one; most of the characters have something to fight for (which isn't the case for many anime).
The following may contain spoilers!
"it’s natural to want all of humanity to be happy, but that, in the end, is the beginning of sorrow". This
...
powerful line illustrates one of the major thoughts brought up throughout the course of the episodes. Unlike the first season, where everybody seems to be content with the new world, season 2 introduces the dissatisfaction from many players about living in the world. The desire to return to the old world is contrasted with the desire to stay with the new friends made in the game world. In terms of new ideas, the second season does a fantastic job of introducing them at well placed intervals. 8/10
The story lags when the low level characters are sent to level up; for whatever reason, there is a focus on them that indicates their importance later on in Log Horizon. However, their importance was not revealed in this season, even with their participation in the final battle. The main story arcs (Akatsuki's teachings, the gold raid, and the radio tower raid) are fun to watch and somewhat advance the plot, but don't give a clear direction for the anime. The final battle leaves much to be desired, as the viewer may be left wondering what the past 25 episodes were even for. Story: 6/10
The art in this season is the same as the art in the first season, and is nothing spectacular (but also not bad). Art: 7/10
The soundtrack to the second season was quite powerful in some parts, and managed to give me chills on some occasions. Better than most anime soundtracks and appropriately timed, sound: 8/10
Character development is lacking. In my opinion, this is the biggest problem with Log Horizon: the character development. Firstly, how can one be attached to the characters if they aren't developed? Secondly, it is hard to see how one can be concerned for the characters when they cannot be killed. The battles are not as intense as say, Sword Art Online simply due to the fact that nobody cares if the characters die. They simply come back as if nothing happened. This is made worse by the fact that the characters are poorly developed, and thus makes the players actually seem like NPCs. Characters: 5/10
I enjoyed the second season of Log Horizon. However, the season is lacking in both story and character, both of which are vital parts of a good anime. My enjoyment peaked when Shiroe acted indecisively during the tower raid and Henriette slapped him; that's exactly what I wanted to do at that point. There was a level of satisfaction that was fulfilled in that moment, and that certainly gave me more reason to give a higher score to this season. Enjoyment: 6/10
Overall, this season is better than the first; however, it still lacks in important areas. If there is a season 3, the story and character development must improve else I may just end up falling asleep in the 10-13 episode range. Glad that Akatsuki did better than the middle school girl with Shiroe. Overall: 6/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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