Log Horizon Season 2 Episode 20 – Desires are Hearts Under Blades

(Note: Episodic notes are still mostly to be found on the Episodics Notes’ page. For those who don’t know, I take the notes as I watch the episode, and merely re-order them afterwards.)

Last episode’s moments and the preview made it seem as if it’d be about Nyanta facing off against Londark, and more importantly, the person of the land noble who wishes to kill the adventurers, perhaps in order to take energy from them. Maybe we’ll even see more of what Roe 2 is up to, or what the Round Table is dealing with in Akihabara.

Thoughts and Notes:

1) Just Doing My Job – I Hate This World:

1) “Do you know what you’re doing?!” – “I’m doing a job and getting paid.” :P

2) “I never received a manual for this world.” – Meaning, he can’t be held accountable. He doesn’t know what his actions will result in, no one knows. Same situation as us and many of our inventions, such as pesticides where the benefits are immediately seen, but the downsides may take decades to manifest. Being immortal, the adventurers might have said decades, unless they can now age and grow old.

Top Ten Anime Series of 2014

Another year came to an end, I’ve sampled nearly 60 shows, watched about half to completion, and it’s time to see which shows stood out (in a good way). If we’re frank, this year hasn’t been nearly as good as 2013. Had I used the cut-off criteria of 2013, only the top 7 shows would’ve made it in, compared to 12 that passed that bar in 2013 (and Aku no Hana that passed using different criteria). But even if the year as a whole was weak, the top shows were still worthy of your time. There’d be “Notable Absentees” and “Honourable Mentions” at the end of the post, so if you don’t see a show, keep reading!

Only full series had been considered, no OVAs or movies of any sort. The names link to the show’s description and information on My Anime List (MAL).

10. Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis (Rage of Bahamut: Genesis)

One of my favourite films is the first Pirates of the Carribean film, which I describe as a 10/10 performance by Johnny Depp, lifting a 5/10 film to the realm of 7/10. The show had a great sense of action and fun going for it early on, which in the second half all but abandoned it for slow and tepid non-action weighed down by a non-character taking center stage. The first half of the show and the finale though are more than worth the price of entry. Just like Pirates of the Carribean, loveable rascals with an extreme penchant for getting in trouble and over the top facial expressions while swashbuckling dominate the show. Zombies join on our crusade to bring down a CG dragon, as we cross against angels, demons, drunk gods, and inflatable ducks. How can you not love a show so in love with its own irreverence?

Log Horizon Season 2 Episode 12 – Economy and Friends

(Note: Episodic notes are still mostly to be found on the Episodics Notes’ page. For those who don’t know, I take the notes as I watch the episode, and merely re-order them afterwards.)

So, Shiroe and Kinjou (Golden) of the Kunie clan. Time to see what Shiroe’s goal is, and how he manages to convince someone, by being honest. Well, let us see what it’s all been for (my money is on money to invest in innovation and personal businesses, to get people moving, and creating).

Thoughts and Notes:

Screenshot Album.

1) It’s The Economy, Stupid!:

Money, so great, so terrible.

1) Ha! Things were getting a bit too serious for a moment there. I like how Shiro is looking outside himself, seeing how the adventurers must appear to the People of the Land – implacable, they go in, knowing they will die, and then they come again. Just as them fighting so recklessly, which is only made possible by their effective immortality, and their glee in fighting, which came from them playing this as a gamefrightened Lenessia so much last season – berserker zombies, that’s what our protagonists effectively are.

Log Horizon Season 2 Episode 10 – “I am a Gamer!” – A political speech mass.

(This episode’s write-up is extra-long and in-depth, and I think it’s worth reading even if you don’t follow the series. Note: Episodic notes are still mostly to be found on the Episodics Notes’ page. For those who don’t know, I take the notes as I watch the episode, and merely re-order them afterwards.)

So, our party wiped last week, and Shiroe mused, mused on his past mistakes, and on learning from them, that the problem is distancing himself from others, and not trusting in them enough. So, let’s see how things work out this week around, when he shares. Also, an impossible game? That can’t be right, but this is no longer a game, so the rules may no longer apply.

Thoughts and Notes:

Screenshot album.

1) The Voice of Despair:

Mirroring the situation in Akihabara early on in season 1.

1) “I lost” – this seems to “strangely” mirror Shiroe’s words from last week, and Akatsuki, but Shiroe thought of these words to a degree because of a recollection of a past conversation with William – dying reminds you that you’re bad, and still need to improve. That’s what losing means.

Log Horizon Episode 25 (Finale!) Notes – A Dark Mirror, A Narcissistic Invitation

(Note: Episodic notes are still mostly to be found on the Episodics Notes’ page, but 0-2 episodes per week will have their write-up appear on the main page, when I think they warrant it. For those who don’t know, I take the notes as I watch the episode, and merely re-order them afterwards.)

Welp, this is the final episode, right? First things first, while this show had fights, it always purported to be more about community, about society. In this show fights had always been to make a point – that Nyanta, Shiroe and Naotsogu understand one another, that their control of the game is good enough to leave an enemy with just one hitpoint, that Crusty and the other adventurers are crazy berserkers… right?

So, it doesn’t matter if the fight is physical or strategic, it’s all there to make a point. Shiroe is the main character in this show, and this is his fight (sorry, senpai!), so we’re at the final episode, and we’re going to have a show-down! And yet, I don’t really think this story will be concluded here. This is about people’s lives, and they keep on going, and the wheels of diplomacy keep on turning.

Finally, last episode’s preview, they’re really going to finish on a cliff-hanger, it feels like. Evil! Well, the Light Novels await, almost done with Mahouka.

Thoughts and Notes:

1) Dealing with Others:

Shiroe is such a dork.

1) Three leaders of Log Horizon, one standing for the small guilds, one for the mercantile guilds, and one for the combat guilds. The decision-think tank is here. Time to get serious.

Winter 2014 Weeks 8-9 Overview – (Anime Power Ranking)

Was tired last week, and didn’t feel like making that post, so this is a double-feature, for two weeks. Some shows will only have my thoughts for them stated in the second week, and a note in the first week noting so.

Anime Power Ranking is no longer held, so here are the shows I’ve watched this past week and how I order them. Each link leads to my episodic write-up of the relevant show. In parenthesis the score relative to last week’s placement.

(Shows Covered, in alphabetical order -Chuunibyou Ren (2nd Season), ‘Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha’, Kill la Kill, Log Horizon, Nagi no Asukara, Nisekoi, Nobunagun, The Pilot’s Love Song (Koiuta), Sekai Seifuku ( World Conquest Zvezda Plot), and Tokyo Ravens.)

Week 8:

1) Kill la Kill Episode 19 (+0) – The spectacle of the side-characters being badasses was nice, but this episode was a study in self-revulsion, in hating yourself, heck, it was pretty short, but it was great scaffolding for next episode.

Winter 2014 Week 7 Overview – (Anime Power Ranking)

This week I posted my Mid-season anime impressions. There’s only so much time I can spend on the currently airing shows without burning out about talking about currently airing shows, so I’m going to be succinct about every single entry this time.

Anime Power Ranking is no longer held, so here are the shows I’ve watched this past week and how I order them. Each link leads to my episodic write-up of the relevant show. In parenthesis the score relative to last week’s placement.

(Shows Covered – Gin no Saji (Silver Spoon 2nd Season, Nagi no Asukara, Sekai Seifuku (World Conquest Zvezda Plot), Nobunagun, Chuunibyou Ren, Kill la Kill, The Pilot’s Love Song, Log Horizon, ‘Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha’, Nisekoi, and Noragami)

1) Kill la Kill Episode 18 (+0)

Winter 2014 Week 6 Overview – (Anime Power Ranking)

The best way to describe this season is “Shows that are just good enough to not get dropped, and Fall 2013 carry-overs.” I enjoy these shows just enough to not drop them, but most are hardly exciting, or have me eagerly awaiting the next episode.

I predict multiple shows will be dropped next week. I’m also going to move to a new format, this will be the APR+ format, meaning I pick 1-4 shows I have a lot to say about, and say it all. The other shows are going to get like… one sentence.

Anime Power Ranking is no longer held, so here are the shows I’ve watched this past week and how I order them. Each link leads to my episodic write-up of the relevant show. In parenthesis the score relative to last week’s placement.

(Shows Covered – Nagi no Asukara, Sekai Seifuku (Zvezda), Nobunagun, Chuunibyou Ren, Kill la Kill, The Pilot’s Love Song, Log Horizon, ‘Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha’, Nisekoi, Tokyo Ravens, Noragami, and Pupipo!)

1) Kill la Kill Episode 17 (+0)

Winter 2014 Week 5 Overview – (Anime Power Ranking)

This week I actually wrote as close as you’ll get to editorials on several episodes, so just head to the main post to see my thoughts on the shows that interest you, and how they stacked up this past week.

Anime Power Ranking is no longer held, so here are the shows I’ve watched this past week and how I order them. Each link leads to my episodic write-up of the relevant show. Since I missed the post on Saturday, and all the shows from last Thursday to yesterday are in one post, there’s no relative placement this time around.

(Shows Covered – Nagi no Asukara, Sekai Seifuku (Zvezda), Nobunagun, Chuunibyou Ren, Kill la Kill, The Pilot’s Love Song, Log Horizon, ‘Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha’, Nisekoi, Tokyo Ravens, Noragami, Buddy Complex, Pupipo! and Pupa)

1) Kill la Kill Episode 16 (+4)

There’s tension, and then there’s Mako.

Winter 2014 Week 4 Overview – (Anime Power Ranking)

(Shows Covered -Nagi no Asukara, Sekai Seifuku, Nobunagun, Gin no Saji, Kill la Kill, The Pilot’s Love Song, Log Horizon, ‘Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha’, Nisekoi,  Tonari no Seki-kun, Tokyo Ravens, Noragami, Buddy Complex, and Pupa)

This week I actually wrote as close as you’ll get to editorials on several episodes, so just head to the main post to see my thoughts on the shows that interest you, and how they stacked up this past week.

Anime Power Ranking is no longer held, so here are the shows I’ve watched this past week and how I order them. Each link leads to my episodic write-up of the relevant show. Since I missed the post on Saturday, and all the shows from last Thursday to yesterday are in one post, there’s no relative placement this time around.

1) Nagi no Asukara Episode 16