Does it pick up? I've watched the first 5 episodes and there really doesn't seem to be much of a plot developing yet, beyond the stereotypical rescue mission and the subgenre's traditional explanation of RPG mechanics for the two people watching that didn't pick the show up because it's a trapped-in-game-world story. I mean, I like what was hinted at--the insidious nature of life in an MMO without the threat of death, the whole idea of the only meaning being that which you make for yourself--but ultimately philosophical navel-gazing and fights explained (poorly) in terms of game mechanics doesn't make for a whole lot of content.
The main plot develops after they get back from the rescue mission. I guess that was a warm up plot to get the "action" side of things out of the way. They really don't do any typical "quest" type stuff after that.
My impressions so far are pretty much the opposite of Taz's. I really am not really enjoying Kill La Kill (well the recent part is better since they're kicking off for the finale), I'm finishing that for completeness, but I'm having no trouble watching Log Horizon. I guess I like dialogue / politics based anime more that random violence.
Pretty much this for me. Uh except the Kill La Kill part. I'm enjoying Kill La Kill but I really like Log Horizon too. Years of reading fanfiction and 1632 have given me a love of fish out of water politics/inventing stories, and so I was pleasantly surprised to find that shortly after the point FD dropped it the plot turned into one of those. Its really turned into being about them being in a fantasy world that happens to follow RPG mechanics and their interactions with the natives.
Kill La Kill vs Log Horizon - I like em both for what they are. They are different beasts under the same category, anime.
Sure, the setting for Log Horizon versus what people are doing may not seem... 'important', like in SAO.
In SAO, the theme is about... getting out and surviving. The characters are shown a clear way out, they gotta beat the tower to escape.
While in Log Horizon, the characters simply just got dumped into the world, no explanation or anything and left to their own devices. There are no clues or anything to grasp at in-game, for em to get out. Cause ya know, the only in-game way anyone knows how to get out is the logout button. (I reckon they just skimmed over people beating their heads at the wall portion of it, cause it would end up getting nowhere anyways and it really isn't needed for the anime.)
Log Horizon's theme is more about making do with what you got dealt and making a place for yourself/adventurer-kind in a whole new world that noone understands and the inhabitants(NPC) of the new world have agency... it does not understand the Adventurers either.
While in SAO, yea... it shows that there are people who have given up. These other side characters who are not part of the 'vanguard' have decided to settle down and make a life for themselves one way or another. The NPC are just that, NPC.
Log Horizon does not suffer from uber powerful protagonist syndrome...