‘Log Horizon’ Volume 11 Release Date Set For 2018: Will The Anime ‘Log Horizon’ Season 3 Continue The Novels?
Years after the last light novel was released, the Log Horizon book series is finally making a comeback. Japanese light novel publisher Kadokawa has officially confirmed that Log Horizon Volume 11, Krusty, Typhoon Lord, will be released on March 20, 2018. This is the first new Log Horizon light novel to be released in Japan since September of 2015. The illustrator is listed as Kazuhiro Hara and the author is Mamare Touno, whose real name is Umezu Daisuke.
Unfortunately, fans desiring the English version may have to wait a while longer. The English translation of Log Horizon Volume 10 by Yen Press is scheduled to release on February 27, 2018. So far, Yen Press has not made any announcements regarding an English translation of Log Horizon Volume 11. There are fan translation projects, but they stopped being updated in 2016 after Yen Press announced the official English translation.
Fans who can read Japanese can jump straight to the Log Horizon web novel that is self-published by Touno. The web novel is several volumes ahead of the official light novel series, but the difference between the two versions are usually minor revisions. The web novel is currently on hiatus, but as of August of 2017, the author is halfway complete with Volume 14, Twilight Orphan. Volume 12, Collapse of the Round Table, and Volume 13, Nightingale’s Song are also already completed.
What Happened To Log Horizon Season 3
Anime fans were eagerly looking ahead to Log Horizon Season 3, but then Mamare Touno was found guilty of tax evasion in 2016. The author’s legal problems put an immediate stop to the light novel series, but it’s not like the series ended completely. Various Log Horizon manga continues to be published by Enterbrain. For example, the West Wind Brigade manga will be ending in several chapters and is expected to finish with Volume 11. The Nyanta’s Fortune Recipes manga is also still ongoing in 2018.
The reason that Log Horizon Volume 11 is such a big deal is that it’s the first time that fans will have a chance to find out what happened after the ending of the anime Log Horizon Season 2. The first anime season covered the events of the first five volumes, while the second season ended at the same point as Log Horizon Volume 10, Homesteading Of The Noosphere. If Log Horizon Season 3 were to be produced as a single-cour season, then there is currently enough source material to greenlight production.
The fact that Kadokawa is finally publishing the Log Horizon light novel series again may give hope to anime fans that Log Horizon Season 3 may eventually be announced. However, the primary producer of the Log Horizon anime was NHK, the government of Japan’s national public broadcasting organization. While Kadokawa has decided to move forward, it’s uncertain whether NHK or another anime producer would be willing to work on a project whose author is associated with tax evasion.
Anime fans will probably just be happy that the story is officially being continued at all. While Log Horizon Season 3 will remain high on wish lists, let’s just hope Yen Press announces the English translation of Log Horizon Volume 11 soon.
