Review of Overlord II

No fear, no spoilers are here. When I heard that a second season for Overlord was coming to town I was nothing short of overjoyed, because I did not really think that I would get another chance of seeing Ainz Ooal Gown in action unless I wanted to resort to the manga. In addition to the fact that Madhouse, at the time that Overlord was produced, wasn’t exactly known for creating follow up seasons for some of their titles. Hence, my optimism regarding another season of Overlord popping up was rather low, and that’s putting it mildly. Though, at the time, I reveled in the factthat I was proven wrong and the anime was given a chance to continue. The thought of seeing Ainz and the bunch on screen put a huge smile on my face, that is until the show actually began.

Let me ask you this, what drew you to the show? What made you like Overlord to begin with? On the surface it is just another Isekai. A show about some random otaku who gets sucked into a role-playing game and is thrust directly into battle as some overpowered character. So, what made it so attractive? Sure, the world was interesting because it was filled with mystery and exploring what secrets are hidden within this new environment, along with understanding the economic and political systems that govern this land are all great prospects on their own. However, I loved the show because the main character (AINZ OOAL GOWN), along with his lovable bunch, were so unique and enjoyable. They were the prime reason that made this anime stand out from other Isekai for me. Ainz's monologues made him seem relatable, human, funny, and above all normal. I loved the fact that he was ambitious and was portrayed as an antihero, but at the same time maintained a sense of morality, plus he didn’t let things get to his head too quickly. You can see him testing what he can and cannot do or what can and cannot get away with, and you can visibly notice the conflict that is occurring inside him, having to continuously keep up this undead supreme ruler persona in front of his servants, which obviously differs from what his true personality is like. Moreover, his character seems far different from that of normal Isekai protagonists; he never goes about creating a harem and never prioritizes his love affairs (though this might have to do with the fact he is an undead, though I am not quite sure). Add to that a group of wacky, funny, and compulsive set of servants, whom were all interesting in their own right, and you get a show that was capable of being entertaining, engaging, and comical all at the same time.

Now mind you, most of these elements continue to exist throughout this second season, though at very scarce amounts. The screen time for all these characters gets cut down substantially, to the point that I began wondering if Ainz, Albedo, and the other guardians like Demiurge and Shalltear were actually still the main characters. What ticked me off the most was that, whenever you would think that the show had finally shifted its focus onto one of the original cast, it would almost instantly switch its attention to somewhere or someone else. This occurred whenever Ainz or one of the original cast members entered combat with another person; the footage would be abruptly interrupted and would be diverted somewhere else only to return when the fight was almost done. The only exception to this was Sebas who actually had more time dedicated to him than almost all other guardians combined, hell maybe even more than Ainz himself. Now he isn’t a bad character of course and I felt that through him we got a glimpse of the potential that all guardians have to develop and evolve into unique and interesting characters that would make the show even more engaging in the future. In addition to the fact that we got to experience how the values of the original creator of each guardian continue to persist within them and help shape them into who they are. They no longer feel the same as the servants displayed in season 1 who follow their master without second thought or are devoid of any features asides from the ones that their creators had transcribed to them. It felt at times as though I am watching a show about the development of artificially intelligent beings and how they may perhaps eventually break free of their makers whom they had previously revered or worshiped as gods. However, to be frank, for me, Sebas is probably the least interesting character out of all of guardians, which diluted the excitement for me, and the characters that were around him were devoid of any significance and were simply plain or perhaps even awful. This second season was so oversaturated with side characters who I didn’t care for, that I thought I was watching Fate/Aporcypha; and to make matters worse you are never given a chance to actually get invested in them anyways, since both arcs felt half-baked. For example, the show never goes back to revisit the characters who were introduced in the lizard arc, which diminishes the significance of their existence.

Hence, the major issues with this sequel occurred because far too many characters were introduced for the sake of expanding the show beyond Nazarick, causing the anime to transition at a very quick rate. Introducing new characters and expanding upon the secrets of Yggdrasil was something that was going to occur eventually and was something I was excited for, but the way it was executed felt rushed and left a lot to be desired. I simply did not see enough of the outside world or leant enough about the people with in it to truly care. The show for me shined whenever the focus shifted from the lackluster political game that was shown, to the original cast. I personally could never get enough of Ainz, Albedo, Shalltear, Cocytus, and the twins Aura and Mare.

The quality of the animations remains, for the most part, unchanged from the first season and has perhaps slightly improved, though CGI elements were introduced to the show; something which is perhaps becoming the new norm. The OST of the show was fine overall, with the best piece of music in the show being the ending, which I never skipped. Though, the opening of the first season was far superior to this.

I truely hope that season 3 capitalizes on the potential that this show has to offer, because, despite being disappointed, my affinity and enthusiasm for this show has yet to vanish.