In the blink of an eye, thirty thousand bewildered Japanese gamers are whisked from their everyday lives into the world of the popular MMORPG, Elder Tale, after the game’s latest update—unable to log out. Among them is the socially awkward college student Shiroe, whose confusion and shock lasts only a moment as, a veteran of the game, he immediately sets out to explore the limits of his new reality.

Shiroe must learn to live in this new world, leading others and negotiating with the NPC “natives” in order to bring stability to the virtual city of Akihabara. He is joined by his unfortunate friend Naotsugu, having logged in for the first time in years only to find himself trapped, and Akatsuki, a petite but fierce assassin who labels Shiroe as her master. A tale of fantasy, adventure, and politics, Log Horizon explores the elements of gaming through the eyes of a master strategist who attempts to make the best of a puzzling situation.

After being trapped in the world of Elder Tale for six months, Shiroe and the other Adventurers have begun to get the hang of things in their new environment. The Adventurers are starting to gain the trust of the People of the Land, and Akiba has flourished thanks to the law and order established by Shiroe’s Round Table Alliance, regaining its everyday liveliness. Despite this success, however, the Alliance faces a new crisis: they are running out of funds to govern Akiba, and spies from the Minami district have infiltrated the city.

As formidable forces rise in other districts, there is also a need to discover more about the vast new world they are trapped in—leading Shiroe to decide that the time has come to venture outside the city. Accompanied by his friend Naotsugu and the Sage of Mirror Lake Regan, the calculative Shiroe makes his move, hoping to unravel new possibilities and eventually find a way home.

Violence, name-calling, and humiliation are a daily reality for high school student Park Hyung Suk. Chubby and insecure, he is often used as a plaything and punching bag for bullies, which leads him to wish he could just disappear. Unexpectedly, when he transfers schools in the hopes of starting anew, a miraculous opportunity emerges: he awakens in a tall, handsome, and strangely athletic body. Hyung Suk quickly realizes that he is now the owner of two disparate bodies; when one falls asleep, he wakes up in the other.

Feeling like he has won the lottery of life, Hyung Suk enters his new school as this attractive and strong young man. However, it soon becomes evident that being a popular student is not all smooth sailing. From girls wanting him only for his good looks to delinquents picking fights out of jealousy, he can never seem to escape trouble. In trying to balance his two different lives, Hyung Suk may find both of them to be sources of ceaseless challenges.

Fudou Aikawa and Desumi Magahara have just started dating, but no one is allowed to know! Nicknamed “Red Gelato,” Fudou is the leader of “Gelato 5,” a group of heroes dedicated to protecting Japan. On the other hand, the “Reaper Princess” Desumi is one of the combatant leaders of “Gekko,” an evil secret society bent on world domination and considered Gelato 5’s greatest foe. As they pretend to be mortal enemies, Fudou and Desumi sneak away from battle to spend time together.

Despite their inexperience with romance, Fudou and Desumi strive to make their relationship work while avoiding suspicion from their comrades. With their loyalties divided between each other and their respective sides, the couple will have to stay on guard if they want to keep their love a secret from the rest of the world.