Hail Ainz Ooal Gown!
The Overlord of the Great Tomb of Nazarick has finally proven himself. Before his subjects and the one he let down, Ainz has claimed total victory. Shalltear Bloodfallen may be no more, but Ainz fully intended to bring her back. Although the Floor Guardians were uneasy about the situation, Shalltear returned to her normal self. Unfortunately, her memories of what led to her being mind controlled were lost. Despite what had transpired, Ainz was simply happy to see his family fully intact. His friends may no longer be around, but their children stand proudly in his sight. Additionally, Ainz won’t allow Shalltear to take any blame. Ainz has taken full responsibility, and now knows a credible threat to Nazarick is out there. The Great Tomb of Nazarick now works to bolster its power for the conflicts ahead. Elsewhere, the captain of the Black Scripture returned to the Slane Theocracy with grim news. The Six Cardinals were given a full report of what took place with a certain vampire. With two dead and the wielder of Downfall of Castle and Country on her way out, the Slane Theocracy’s strongest group was forced to retreat. Upon learning all this, the Six Cardinals now fear what may come. If any individual is able to beat that vampire, they may be in serious trouble.
While this is the end of season one, it set up multiple stories for the future. Most notably, Momon is now an adamantite ranked adventurer. Darkness has joined two other teams that stand at the top of the Adventurer’s Guild. Meanwhile, the Bareare family was relocated to Carne Village as part of Lizzie’s agreement with Momon. They’ll now be under Lupusregina Beta’s watchful eye. Over at Re-Estize Kingdom’s capital city, Re-Estize, Sebas and Solution are currently acting as bait. As Ainz still doesn’t know who mind controlled Shalltear, he believes these two may be next. Elsewhere in the capital, Gazef discovered a shaken Brain Unglaus. It wasn’t so long ago that Brain stood behind Gazef in strength. Last but not least, the Great Tomb of Nazarick has set their eyes on a village of lizardmen. These demi-humans will soon put a certain Floor Guardian to the test, though also bring in additional forces.
Story: 9/10
What sets Overlord apart from similar titles is its world building. The New World is more than just Ainz. Every character we meet contributes to the story in their own unique way. While I went over the major story lines each week, know that there are many minor details happening all the time. These characters are more than just one tricks or plot devices. They’re actually alive and have their own motives, too. The only real knock against Overlord is the forces of Nazarick are fairly stacked against their surroundings. Even with that said, it’s always great to see a powerful being like Ainz take precautions. Nazarick’s path to glory may be written in the stars, but there’s no need to have unnecessary losses. Through their ever-growing intelligence network and their raw power, Nazarick will one day conquer this world.
Art/Animation: 7/10
This is perhaps where Overlord struggled the most. It’s understandable that they’ll have some art inconsistencies with this line up. Drawing a diverse cast of monsters living and dead is no small feat. The major problems arose when Madhouse had to animate them doing anything. Overlord has an incredible amount of panning shots. Sometimes it felt like they were sliding the show away. The icing on the cake was when Madhouse used any CG. Episode 8 showed me something I had never seen before. We quite literately had CG skeletons disappearing into nothingness. I even checked the televised airing of that episode. Madhouse either never noticed it or didn’t care to fix it. In all honesty, Madhouse’s usage of CG never improves in future seasons. The story is without a doubt excellent, but don’t expect a lot when it comes to action.
Enjoyment: 10/10
Do I need to say anything other than, all hail Ainz Ooal Gown! Ainz may be traveling down a path he didn’t intend, but the ride it started is a blast to witness. Surrounded by a stellar cast from near and afar, there’s a lot to be excited about Overlord. This is a rich world with so much going on at all times. I, for one, welcome our new undead masters.
If you loved what you saw here, then know that there’s two more seasons of Ovelord. Seasons two and three were covered here in the past, so you won’t have to wait to see that media. Unfortunately, there’s been no word of a season four yet. I wouldn’t doubt to see it one day, though. Overlord definitely has the support to make it all the way to the end. Anyhow, I’ll be rewarding this season of Overlord with a solid 8.5. Enjoy setting the stones for the future!
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And thus our time in the New World comes to a close. Join us for a few more endings real soon.
