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Log Horizon 2
Episode 24

by Nick Creamer,

Alright, I stand corrected, Log Horizon. You're not just going to quietly tiptoe into the night - you're going to go out in energetic fireworks, laughing at the very idea that this story might be ending. Unlike the last few, this week's Log Horizon was fantastic, full of the show's greatest strengths and just plain better-composed than the vast majority of its episodes. I was already going to miss this show, but I won't complain about another episode or two demonstrating why.

The big conflict this week was the one baited at the end of the last episode - a strange flight of moths that descend every night and send some People of the Land (and eventually Adventurers too) into an unending, MP-draining sleep. What with war coming, Genius monsters appearing, shifts in how the world works, and the growing desperation of many Adventurers, these moths seem like just one more step in Elder Tale's slow combustion, and their appearance leaves Shiroe at a crossroads. Does he try to save this world, even as it's falling apart around him? Or does he simply channel all his resources towards escaping this place - towards contacting the moon and possibly getting his people home?

This question is made explicit when it's revealed that the moths are apparently attracted to the Shibuya broadcast tower, meaning defeating them might require destroying his best chance of making contact with the moon. It weighs on him all through the raid he leads to reach the tower, keeping him from really being himself, and it ultimately results in a total wipe as his lack of leadership brings his team down around him. But in the end, Shiroe is brought back to himself in classic Log Horizon fashion. Having spent two seasons helping to build up the people around him, in his moment of self-doubt, they return the favor - Henrietta and Akatsuki and minori's whole group rally behind him, with characters like minori and Tohya demonstrating their own growth in the way they accept the consequences of destroying the tower. Going home might sound great, but they shouldn't even think of returning to the real world until they've defended this home. This is a real place, full of people they've come to know, and they can't abandon it. The possibility of returning home turns out to be something of a red herring - an escape that in truth would amount to giving up. But Shiroe and his friends are not going to give up on this world.

That all covers this episode's central character journey, but there was a whole lot else on display here. There were a bunch of moments that rewarded our investment in this world, starting with the early pans across all the characters we've come to know fighting for their cities. It was nice to see William and Demi working together, and even to see that the Minami leaders are taking this situation seriously. Though the various cities of this world are divided by politics, all of them are ultimately working to defend their homes. minori also got to shine this week, as the raid on Shibuya gave her her first opportunity to call shots in a full raid situation. And the Shibuya raid also marked the first time we got to see virtually the entire main cast fighting together - from Shiroe and Nyanta to Marielle and Henrietta to minori's team to the West Wing brigade, it was great to see these characters all working together.

Even the execution was far above the usual Log Horizon level this week. The episode's pacing and composition just felt much more focused than many other episodes, and the fights were brought to life with some real dynamic direction and even some standout cuts of animation. One sequence in particular where several members of the team fell into a pit as a new plant monster rose up is definitely up there among the show's best setpieces, with its only competition being the Nyanta train fight. This episode was high-quality Log Horizon all around, an unexpected gift as the show draws to a close.

Rating: A

Log Horizon 2 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Nick writes about anime, storytelling, and the meaning of life at Wrong Every Time.


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