Light Novel Thursday: Log Horizon by Mamare Touno

For this week’s Light Novel Thursday I’m reviewing Log Horizon by Mamare Touno. It’s an amazing series that explores the political and social ramifications of being stuck in a video game, specifically a MMO.

Summary: By its eleventh expansion pack, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Elder Tale (エルダー・テイル Erudā Teiru) has become a global success, having a following of millions of players. However, during the release of its twelfth expansion pack: Novasphere Pioneers (ノウアスフィアの開墾 Nōasufia no Kaikon), thirty thousand Japanese gamers who are all logged on at the time of the update, suddenly find themselves transported inside the game world and donning their in-game avatars. In the midst of the event, a socially awkward gamer called Shiroe along with his friends Naotsugu and Akatsuki decide to team up so that they may face this world which has now become their reality along with the challenges which lie ahead.

Characters: Shiroe isn’t like most protaganists, he knows what the hell is going on most of the time, and when he doesn’t it means something is really wrong. He used to be the strategist for a group of people who cleared some of the games hardest stuff.  The rest of the cast is awesome as well, without going into too many spoilers it’s just a fun filled cast.

Plot: Like his other work Maoyuu Maou Yuusha, Mamare Touno takes a typical setting and turns it on it’s side and makes it into a story about political factions warring for power and control. It’s well done, but it also has enough action in it to make it good for those wanting a bit more action than they may think is in this series.

Should you read it?: Yes absolutely. You can find it translated on Baka-Tsuki.

Hate reading, but love watching stuff?: You are in luck, the anime is well done and is available to watch on the standard sites.

For those who like: Typical settings made into something more amazing, comedy, drama, deep plot, a thinking hero.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.