Log Horizon

[shinta|hikari]

Why isn't anyone talking about Akatsuki?

Her attempt to learn and practice dancing made me moemelt. I think it is pretty clear that Akatsuki is in love with Shiroe, and that if she actually gave a real push, Shiroe would fall easily (to her legal loli ultimate appeal!!!).

I don't think there will be any NPC to PC transfers. I think this episode just showed that NPCs in this show are intelligent beings. The princess made me LOL so much from her reactions. She is so unique as a court princess that I think an entire show can be devoted to her and Crusty (WTF is that name. It does not match his personality or appearance at all).

[David75]

Truth behind the adventurers real bodies:
For some reason they are in a stasis and the game was adapted as to preserve their brain functions during that stasis.
It can be a local disaster, some interstellar travel or anything needing a stasis of some kind.
But it does not really matter anymore, does it?

[MFauli]

Another possible outcome: Shiroe´s real body wakes up. "Ugh, it´s that late already?" Looks up the date. "Oh, finally, the new Sword Art Online-game is released! Gotta go fast!". And thus, Shiroe finished dreaming of a secure version of SAO and proceeded to waste his time staring at Asuna´s tits. The end.

@Akatsuki: I have no interest in her for as long as she´s so hesitant towards Shiroe. We got it, she likes him. Now stop blushing everytime something happens, and instead wall up to him, confess, or better, just kiss him. And then become a proper couple, yada yada.

[Kraco]

Why isn't anyone talking about Akatsuki?

@Akatsuki: I have no interest in her for as long as she´s so hesitant towards Shiroe. We got it, she likes him. Now stop blushing everytime something happens, and instead wall up to him, confess, or better, just kiss him. And then become a proper couple, yada yada.

Yeah, as much as I like Akatsuki and call this show Akatsuki Horizon, the truth is that her case kind of clashes with the rest of the story, in some ways. This series is more like Maoyuu Maou Yuusha, Spice and Wolf, etc than something overly light in the depth department like SAO, for example. The sheer lack of fighting and on the other hand the emphasis on the importance of tactics when the little fighting does happen also speaks for it. Instead we have psychology, economics, diplomacy, politics, and other such seinen stuff.

Considering all that, I find the immature relationship between Shiroe and Akatsuki a bit out of place. Perhaps Shiroe is held back by Akatsuki's childish appearance, rendering him passive. Akatsuki, however, naturally herself knows she's not some underage kid but just a naturally petite adult. If she's truly interested in Shiroe, she should help him get over his restraints (assuming he doesn't only like big boobs). It's not like there wouldn't be such adults, especially women, in this world, and many of them get happily married.

[MFauli]

btw. shinta, if you cant find a hot picture of neferpitou, id also take a sig with some hot akatsuki-picture. just to make you happy :P

[Ryllharu]

Also recognize that Shiroe has known Akatsuki for a considerable length of time as a man, then finds out she's a loli, then finds out they are the same age and actually still is a loli. The number of shocks is bound to make him a bit standoffish.

Compounding that is that he is a little put off by her hardcore ninja roleplay and mildly creepy devotion to him.

Then add on that he is very likely deeply in love with the monk leader of Debauchery Tea Party, before she either left the game to get married herself, he found out she is a middle schooler or she's an old lady like Marielle and Henrietta, she quit the game, or betrayed them somehow (only if she is still in the game, maybe rolling a new character to get away from them), etc.

If Akatsuki and Shiroe get together, it's not going to be for a long time.


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Also, I forgot Marielle was an elf until this episode when you could actually see her ears.

[Buffalobiian]

HS - Episode 14

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World magic shouldn't be something that an in-game character is able to do. It's just a theory made up by the mage to explain the actions of game-changing phenomenon that happened externally.

The memory degrading thing darkens things up a bit, but like Shiroe said, no one's made a big deal of it so far so it may not amount to anything in the end. More importantly though, it supports the idea that the players are in fact some sort of in-game psyche now (eg their personalities have been copied into the game as digital data).

[Kraco]

I bet it felt good to be called an archmage, haha. Although Akatsuki's reactions were what really made those scenes. She's made a bit too foolish, though. The sage wasn't really talking about anything overly difficult. Being so airheaded will only make Shiroe consider her a kid, so she should train her brain more and act like an adult if she insists she's one.

The memory loss is more nefarious than you give it credit for, Bill. It would be even logical it began the memory erosion from those that aren't overly relevant to the game world. Pretty much like Shiroe mused. It could take a while before anybody noticed, as I don't expect the players to be talking that much about their RL issues in game, and if they happened to talk, somebody not remembering something would be just shrugged off. However, ultimately it would lead to the affected players not being players anymore but in game demi-humans, having forgotten they once were merely sitting in front of a computer. At that point those who had respawned less would surely be acutely aware of it, witnessing the fate of other players.

Shiroe might need to visit again the wretched city up north and interview some of the poor bastards who get killed repeatedly by the scumbags who turned the place into a hellhole.

[MFauli]

havent seen the new ep yet, but had to say something.

the line "it doesnt even matter if there is no hope, as the madness of the system grows" is the best single text line ive heard in a song in a long time. it´s just so ... thought-provoking, exciting.

and now watching.

edit:

watched it.
very interesting episode.
im actually not sure what to make of it. the way these world-changing events were described, it doesnt seem like world-class magic is something anyone can use, but is the consequence of the game developer instating an update/patch to the game. Now, if world-class magic could be achieved by an adventurer, that would be a complete game-changer and a possible route towards escaping this virtual world.

[Ryllharu]

World magic shouldn't be something that an in-game character is able to do. It's just a theory made up by the mage to explain the actions of game-changing phenomenon that happened externally.

im actually not sure what to make of it. the way these world-changing events were described, it doesnt seem like world-class magic is something anyone can use, but is the consequence of the game developer instating an update/patch to the game. Now, if world-class magic could be achieved by an adventurer, that would be a complete game-changer and a possible route towards escaping this virtual world.

I wonder if World Class Magic really is something cooked up by the "in-game" world. I think the real hint was from the mage's description of the first time it was used, not the second or the third (the Apocalypse).

Consider this scenario:
The in-game world is a mirror universe to our own. Time runs faster, the world isn't quite as big, active energy manipulation is possible (magic and MP).

Humanity and the other races in this world nearly obliterated the Alv race. Through the six cursed women, they took their revenge, as described in this episode. Now you have millions of cursed souls, constantly resurrecting over and over again, generating their own anima over and over. Like as if every person who died in our own recent world wars soul was trapped in limbo, then pulled from there and used to create regenerating rabid animals.

With the second World Class magic use, the perpetrator opted to link our world with the world of Elder Tale. Either through inspiration to a developer, or something less subtle, the elder tale RPG was created in our world, acting as a gateway for psyche in our world to possess regenerating anima in the world of Elder Tale. This was done as a "last hope" type of counter to the first use of World Class Magic.

Over the course of about 100 years, the Elder Tale world was beginning to stabilize, meeting a balance between the demonic curse and the divine blessing (first and second World Class magic uses). The need for the MMO gateway was starting to wane. Someone new decided that they'd rather not doom these divine souls to permanent enslavement, and "rescued" them. This is the Apocalypse, severing the link between our world and Elder Tale's. Any psyches (souls) linked to Elder Tale at the time were dragged into Elder Tale (copied or otherwise), and anyone not logged in at the time the magic was activated (the update in our world) can simply play the game as normal.

tldr;
What I'm saying is that perhaps their world was never a game to begin with. The MMO was created on our side as an effect of the Second World Class Magic by linking our world to their own, though subtly. The Apocalypse has slammed that gateway shut, taking in or copying the psyche of anyone who was logged in at the time.

It remains to be seen whether or not there are a few million braindead people in our world, or if a copy was simply made.

[David75]

I liked the anima explanation, difference between NPC, Adventurers and demi-humans.
Seems to me like after getting killed a number of times, an adventurer might become an NPC. If said NPC dies, he becomes a demi-human.
That would give some insecurity to everyone, at least if it's true and the info is spread. I wonder how PKing rates would progress though.

[Kraco]

I wonder how PKing rates would progress though.

Who knows. Scumbags would still kill anybody for opposing or bothering them, and in fact they might kill even more willingly if they knew there are adverse effects and the only thing the victim loses is not simple possessions on their person (those in a bank would still be safe, after all). Those with a real purpose would also PK opponents regardless, since they have a purpose requiring it, like during the mission to save the friends from the wretched city in the north, or just like people are killed in RL in wars, police raids, or gang fights. The one thing that might lose numbers is a voluntary duel for sport (we haven't seen such, I believe, but they must exist, even now).

[Kraco]

Episode 15 - HS





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What was the deal with the Dog Prince? Have we seen players add new contacts to their lists? Are the lists frozen? For technical issues like the guild building management they certainly do work. The dude's face did look like he actually knew what was going on. At first I thought he's a fricking NPC, but that would be quite impossible.

This ep was a bit boring all in all. To be honest I don't care about the brats to this extent. It was fine when we got short glimpses of them, but I don't think we need to see them grind and train to gain a low level or two... Fortunately the massive attack interrupts that.

I suppose we will see now a bit more action and thrill and a bit less politics and talks. Marie is the first one who should get her shit together. Isn't she level 90 as well? Why was she just sitting there?

[Buffalobiian]

She didn't have any of her equipment. Whether it can be summoned in an instant (or if she took it off physically) I'm not sure. It made little sense if you remember that they're there for the safety of the little ones, but she's in holiday mode through and through.

I don't know what the deal with Rudy is, except that the option to toggle "add friends" is only available when you log out (which is weird).

[David75]

It might be that Rudy is at the end of his number of resurections... and it shows in such bugs where his data is corrupted enough he can not be added to friend lists or guilds...
It might even be that bad, that he's already showing signs of what he'll be the next time he's resurected: a labrador...

Just saying, in case my hunch about the transitions in that world is correct. Just that Rudy going from Adventurer to animal isn't like Adventurer->NPC. Unless there are some rules about levels, like Adventurer->NPC if level>50 else animal

[Kraco]

I think you took the dog comparison a little too seriously, David...

[Ryllharu]

My guess he's a Person of the Land who converted to Adventurer, mostly due to his sudden appearance in Akibahara after Shiroe cleaned it out.

On the other hand, we don't really know if Friend Lists even work anymore. Everyone we know already had other people they needed to contact on their friend's lists. As far as I know, Serara never added Nyanta.

I was really disappointed that we didn't see Maryelle fight (yet). She's a cleric, right? That means she's more than capable of fighting. They're the most combat-oriented healers.

[Kraco]

My guess he's a Person of the Land who converted to Adventurer, mostly due to his sudden appearance in Akibahara after Shiroe cleaned it out.

He wouldn't know anything if he was a person of the land. Even if he was a faker and could somehow keep the act up, you'd think the others had noticed, no matter if they are still kids. That's why I rejected the idea. Well, I suppose there is a theoretical possibility for it, but I'd consider it a weakness in this otherwise solid enough story. Maybe it would be a little more plausible if he had spent a long time indeed in Akiba listening to the incomprehensible (to an NPC) prattle of the players, so that he could superficially act like one and offhandedly mention stuff from RL even though he had no idea what he's talking about. But that would make him a genius (as a conman), not an idiot like he is otherwise.

[MFauli]

Rudy´s definitely either a person from the land or an adventurer that died too many times. Can´t see how it´s anything but. The former would explain his style of speech. The latter would make for a more tragic twist (the always cheery guy who´s acting tough actually is the biggest loser and close to real death/memory loss/whatever).

Also, I enjoy watching the low level-group find their way.

What Im really disappointed by, though, is the lack of Shiroe fighting. I want to watch him do crazy strategist stuff like you can see in the intro, when dozens of holographic screens are popping up all around him.

[Archangel]

I was really disappointed that we didn't see Maryelle fight (yet). She's a cleric, right? That means she's more than capable of fighting. They're the most combat-oriented healers.

Titties McGee is clearly just there to look pretty, she prob sucks at actual combat.

I like the idea that Rudy is a NPC but he's in the ED along with freckles so that tells me he's joining Log Horizon eventually and it would be weird to be able to add non player characters to your guild. I don't know of an alternative explanation though.

This ep was a bit boring all in all. To be honest I don't care about the brats to this extent. It was fine when we got short glimpses of them, but I don't think we need to see them grind and train to gain a low level or two... Fortunately the massive attack interrupts that.

I care about them a hell of a lot more than i cared about that bitch face princess last episode, that one was way worse. Still needs more Akatsuki though, and Shiroe being is clever bastard self.