What do you get when you cross Lord of the Rings and the movie Gamer? Definitely not Log Horizon. Log Horizon is better.

Log Horizon is a Sci-Fi anime series, actually part of a sub-genre referred to as 'Lost in Game' which is about normal humans transported into a game and trapped there. First there was the Hack-series (.Hack// Sign, .Hack//Roots), then Sword Art Online and now Log Horizon, the third anime that follows the same theme, but where the others are sometimes dark and satirical, Log Horizon is a lot lighter.

In Log Horizon about thirty thousand gamers get trapped inside the very successful MMORPG Elder Tale, when their computers run the newest expansion, Novasphere Pioneers, while they are still playing. They find out that they cannot logout and certain functions in-game do not work as they should. In the Hack anime, as with Sword Art Online, to die in the game meant you died in real life. In Log Horizon if you die in battle, you got ressurected at the Cathedral of the town where you last saved, but there is a twist there as well, but we will not spoil it for you. This is just one of the challenges that Shiroe, a brilliant yet socially awkward gamer and his friends face.

Shiroe, also nicknamed 'Villain in Glasses' (because he is very adept at strategy) starts a guild called 'Log Horizon' as part of a plan to create chaos for all those trapped in the game. He is a sorcerer class gamer and his sub-class is scribe meaning it enables him to draw maps and later on develops spells that are not part of the original game.

Then there is Nyanta, a Catman Swashbuckler, who joins Shiroe in his quest to bring order to the chaos. He is the one that finds a solution for one of the biggest problems in the game-world regarding food thanks to his sub-class chef. He has the adorable quirk of ending every sentence with 'nya', the Japanese equivalent of the word 'meow' and he appears as a quiet noble gentleman in the anime.

These are but two individuals in a long list of great characters, and waiting to see what each one gets up to next proves that this anime is all but boring.

Shiroe, summoning his in-game class abilities

The animation is well-drawn and sometimes makes one forget that these characters are trapped in a game, because the fantasy animation is just so impressive. As for the music, the intro song, 'Database' by Man with a Mission feat. Takuma, is very catchy and the outro 'Your Song' by Yun*Chi is also great along with all the music within the series.

This anime is well-woven, dealing with issues like homesickness, entrapment, social evolution as well as the normal social problems one gets when lost in a strange environment. It is enjoyable and addictive and by all standards Log Horizon is a must see, especially if you like sword and sorcery type stories with a twist. It is also very good to know that the second season is coming later this year.

Satelight Inc

Satelight is a Japanese anime studio which serves as a division of the Sankyo group and founded in December 1995. Some of their notable works are the anime Macross Zero, Noein, Hellsing Ultimate, and the games Persona 2 and Heavy Metal Thunder.

Also Watch: If you liked this anime, also try out Sword Art Online, .Hack//Sign, .Hack//Roots and even Welcome to the NHK.

About our contributor: Allen Simpson is a blogger and a published poet who has a deep passion for anime. He is also co-owner of AnimeFanatika, a reliable source of information on Anime providing fans with the latest news, reviews and goings on in the industry. Visit their website and become a Fanatik today. Sugoi!