Overlord (Season One)

Momonga was still logged in when the Yggdrasil servers were shut down. However, the game continued. Well, it looked like the game except all of the NPCs were acting like real characters. What was going on?

What did you watch?

I first watched Overlord back in 2018 and never got around to reviewing it. I enjoyed it immensely so it seemed like a great candidate for me to revisit and document my thoughts on. I’ve just finished the first season, having looked at each of the episodes in detail. I think I’ve made some interesting observations so I’m very happy I took the time to come back to this series. Anyhow, let’s get on with the review!

What happened?

Momonga was the guild leader of Ainz Ooal Gown, a guild made up entirely of non-human characters. They had been incredibly successful in the first full dive VRMMORPG, Yggdrasil, however, the servers were about to be shut down. All that time and effort, gone. Momonga was sad to see that only one other member dropped in to see its final moments, but he was more disappointed that it was coming to an end. He walked through the halls, admiring their trophies and legendary artefacts. He stopped in the throne room and took his place on the throne. The great hall was empty but for NPCs. He watched a countdown creeping towards zero and closed his eyes.

When he opened them, he was still there. The game had not shut down as expected. He tried to work through what was happening and his confused expression was noted by Albedo, leader of the floor guardians, NPC. She leaned in and asked if he was all right. His confusion turned to stunned silence. The NPCs were acting like living people. He asked her to summon the other guardians to the training floor and hurried there himself. It was just like the game, but more realistic. He could smell and taste. This wasn’t a game. It was real and he was now living as a lich wizard in a strange world with an abundance of power. What should he do?

What did you think?

I still love this series. I can, however, see why some people don’t. Momonga’s character is not exactly a dynamic character. Therefore, there are large parts of the show with very little in the way of animation. We spend a lot of time in Momonga’s head as he tries to work out how he’s going to survive in this world. It is slow at times, but the payoff is always worth it. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as seeing someone underestimate Momonga and instantly regretting it. The flip side of that is that Momonga goes into every battle being extra cautious and then once he realises it was a big waste of time, we can feel his disappointment. If that doesn’t entertain you, then you may find it dull. Personally, I love that sort of thing.

Overlord Episode 4 Albedo was impressed by Ainz Ooal Gown

What was your favourite moment?

As much as I love the reactions, my favourite part of the season was when Momonga became an adventure with Nabe. He was such an over-the-top badass in his black plate armour and two ridiculously large broadswords. The adventure was fun and I enjoyed all of the banter with the Swords of Darkness. It was tragic when they were mercilessly killed and Ninya turned out to be a girl. That set up the most entertaining fight in the season as Momonga tracked down Clementine and enacted his revenge. Well, was it revenge or was he just mad at her for destroying his assets?

I loved Clementine as a character because she was wild and unpredictable, but she was also a monster. She got what she deserved, even if it was horrendously brutal. It was particularly shocking when she realised who Momonga really was and tried to break free of his grasp. She broke her own teeth as she struggled. Momonga showed how much of his humanity he had lost in that moment.

What was your least favourite moment?

I think the moment that probably shocked me the most was when Momonga revealed to Nfirea’s grandmother that he had been kidnapped for his ability. Rather than earning her goodwill and convincing them to move to Carne Village, he went full demon on her and made her basically sell her soul in order for him to save Nfirea. It was a great moment in the story, but I remembered sitting up and being quite disturbed by the way he forced her to submit.

Overlord Episode 8 Momon tells Lizzie his price

Who was your favourite character?

There are an abundance of fun characters in this series and this season delivered a whole host of them. Some didn’t get nearly enough time, but that will be corrected in the coming season. Nabe was one of my favourites and not just because she was in the adventurer arc. I loved the way she scornfully looked a the humans and shot down their advances with a sinister death stare. She also showed how overpowered Momonga’s underlings were when she defeated the two undead dragons with ease. I was also intrigued by Gazef Stronoff and Sebas. Of course, it’s hard to ignore Albedo too. There’s something for everyone!

Overlord Episode 9 Nabe fighting Skeletal Dragon

Who was your least favourite character?

I found Nfirea to be strangely underwhelming. His character failed to grab any attention when he was on the screen. I also read that originally, Nfirea’s character was written as a girl. I think that would have worked better. Anyhow, it would appear that he’s here to stay now that he’s relocated to Carne Village with his grandmother so that he can be closer to Enri. At one point, he said he wanted to be Momonga’s apprentice, but the difference between the two is astronomical. At least, he has lots of room to grow…

Would you like some more?

Originally, I had planned on going through all four seasons, however, after one I am reminded of the time I reviewed Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and how that took over a year to do. That is a little too demanding and I don’t want to burn out on Overlord either. So, I am going to take a short break, probably a season in length and then come back for season two. I am a little wary of season two as I remember not enjoying the first half and absolutely loving the second half.

Overlord Episode 7 Clementine welcomes Nfirea home

What have you learned?

Giving us access to Momonga’s thoughts makes this series ten times more interesting. Ultimately, this is a story about someone losing their humanity and giving in to the character. We get to see his emotions slipping away when it concerns anything other than his guild. He is absolutely ruthless when it comes to protecting his guild and all of his underlings. I’m also loving this approach to exploring this new world and testing the limits of its power. So far, it has been found wanting, but there have been glimmers of more going on. That’s not good news for anyone living there, because Momonga is a bonafide evil overlord! Unless you are of use to him, you might as well not exist.

Overlord (Season One)