Overlord II

Ainz Ooal Gown, the undead sorcerer formerly known as Momonga, has accepted his place in this new world. Though it bears similarities to his beloved virtual reality game Yggdrasil, it still holds many mysteries which he intends to uncover, by utilizing his power as ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. However, ever since the disastrous brainwashing of one of his subordinates, Ainz has become wary of the impending dangers of the Slane Theocracy, as well as the possible existence of other former Yggdrasil players. Meanwhile, Albedo, Demiurge and the rest of Ainz's loyal guardians set out to prepare for the next step in their campaign: Nazarick's first war…

Overlord II picks up immediately after its prequel, continuing the story of Ainz Ooal Gown, his eclectic army of human-hating guardians, and the many hapless humans affected by the Overlord's arrival.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Momonga Main

Hino, Satoshi Japanese

Albedo Supporting

Hara, Yumi Japanese

Bloodfallen, Shalltear Supporting

Uesaka, Sumire Japanese

Gamma, Narberal Supporting

Numakura, Manami Japanese

Demiurge Supporting

Katou, Masayuki Japanese

Sebas Tian Supporting

Chiba, Shigeru Japanese

Zeta, Entoma Vasilissa Supporting

Shindou, Kei Japanese

Beta, Lupusregina Supporting

Komatsu, Mikako Japanese

CZ2128 Delta Supporting

Seto, Asami Japanese

Evileye Supporting

Hanamori, Yumiri Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Kikushima, Kazufumi Producer

Fukao, Satoshi Producer

Isogai, Noritomo Producer

Reviews

May 10, 2025

Orangzer

Recommended

Just as I predicted in the first season, the underdeveloped story has grown significantly in Season 2, making it clearly better than Season 1. Let’s keep this review short but (I ended up making it longer again!)

Story :
Overlord II adapts Volumes 4, 5, and 6 of the light novel. The first arc focuses on the Lizardmen and presents the story largely from their perspective. Ainz, in his goal to expand Nazarick’s power, plans to conquer the Lizardmen in order to raise an undead army from their corpses.

The "protagonist" of this arc is Zaryusu, a brave and clever warrior. He takes it upon ... himself to unite the scattered Lizardman tribes, who had previously fought among themselves over limited resources and food. Through diplomacy and strength, Zaryusu succeeds in bringing the tribes together. During this journey, he also falls in love with Crusch Lulu, a female Lizardman and fellow warrior. Together, they face Ainz’s overwhelming forces. Though they fight valiantly and ultimately fall in battle, Ainz chooses to revive Zaryusu thus allowing him to remain with Crusch and giving the story a somewhat hopeful conclusion. The arc also highlights the strong bond between Zaryusu and his brother, Shasuryu, adding emotional depth to the narrative.
At the end of this arc, Ainz tells Cocytus that everyone can make mistakes, and instead of punishing him, he praises Cocytus for showing judgment and initiative—offering him merit to grow and evolve as a leader.

The second half of the season adapts Volumes 5 and 6 and shifts focus to a much larger and more complex arc involving the Kingdom of Re-Estize. While the pacing feels slightly rushed at times due to the sheer number of characters and events covering in only few episodes, though the world building, emotional stakes, action sequences, and character development are all significantly stronger than in previous arcs.

This part of the story introduces Sebas Tian, the head butler of Nazarick, who finds himself torn between loyalty to Ainz and his growing concern for a human girl named Tuare. Meanwhile, the Pleiades battle maids and the powerful warrior Climb play crucial roles as tensions rise within the corrupt aristocracy of the kingdom. Behind the scenes, Demiurge enacts a secret plan that demonstrates the frightening extent of Nazarick’s power and intelligence, adding layers of political intrigue and moral ambiguity.
Here too, Ainz reminds his followers that mistakes are part of growth. He gives Sebastian credit for showing compassion, encouraging him to continue developing his own judgment, thus pushing even the most powerful of his servants to evolve in their roles.

One small issue is that, even though both arcs were really well done, they were barely connected to each other & the lores were not expanded much.

Characters :

We already talked about characters like Zaryusu and his fellow Lizardmen, each with their own distinct personalities, in the story section. Now let’s focus on the second arc, which introduces a large number of new characters while giving more screen time to important guardians. Just like Cocytus was highlighted in the first arc, Demiurge and Sebas get their moments in the second. I had been hoping for more development not only for Sebas but also for Demiurge and the other Floor Guardians since the first season, so I really enjoyed this.
We see strong character development in figures like Brain Unglaus, whose growth and renewed resolve continue to stand out. The guardians of Nazarick, especially those mentioned earlier, are shown in more detail with added depth. The interactions between Climb, the mysterious and intense Princess Renner, and Brain brought more emotion and tension to the arc. In a humorous moment, Brain even managed to slice off one of Shalltear’s fingernails, which was both surprising and memorable. The introduction of Blue Rose and Evil Eye, the mysterious girl who unexpectedly falls for Momon (Ainz), added even more color to the cast.
Another interesting element is how Ainz maintains multiple personas, similar to Cid Kagenou from The Eminence in Shadow. He plays the role of Momon, the dark warrior hero; Ainz Ooal Gown, the all-powerful magic caster; and Ainz, the cold and calculating overlord of Nazarick. Each identity serves a different purpose, and watching him shift between them adds a unique dynamic to his character, even if his direct development this season was more limited.
The only drawback was the reduced focus on Ainz himself and limited screen time for Shalltear. While Albedo also had less presence this season, I personally didn’t mind since I find Demiurge and Shalltear more interesting as characters.
Overall, the variety of characters and their development made this season feel full and rewarding.

Animation & Music :

The animation was decent, but the use of CGI didn’t work well and ended up looking somewhat bad. Other than that, I wouldn’t say the animation was terrible, but it wasn’t particularly good either. Though I don't why but I ended up liking the overall animation more than season 1.

As for the music, it easily surpassed the first season by a wide margin. The opening song was better than Season 1’s, and the OSTs were solid. While they were really good, they weren’t quite special or memorable overall. However, the background scores in the final three episodes stood out by effectively building tension and were somewhat memorable.

The highlight in terms of music was definitely the ending theme, HYDRA by Myth & Roid. Once again, they delivered an amazing track. In my opinion, this is their second-best work after Styx Helix from Re:Zero. I absolutely love this song and have already listened to it many times.


Other Factors :

The hype, the fights, and the buildup of tension in the last three episodes deliver a huge dose of dopamine. The voice acting was solid, and I found the character designs and overall art style quite good. I don’t have many complaints in this section.

In terms of accessibility and getting into the story, it was a clear improvement over Season 1. The pacing, structure, and character focus made it easier to engage with.

Some of the most notable fights include Brain Unglaus's battles—especially his encounters with Shalltear and the Six Arms membe, as well as the clash between Blue Rose and Evil Eye versus Entoma. Of course, Demiurge vs. Ainz, even though more of a staged fight, was still entertaining.

The only thing I wanted more of was a deeper look into the power system and more expansion on the lore. I’m really looking forward to seeing that in Season 3.


Enjoyment & Impact :

I really, really enjoyed this season much more than Season 1, and it left a decent impact on me. If you liked Season 1, you’ll definitely enjoy this season as well, if not even more. As for me, I’m giving it a higher rating than Season 1.


Story : 3.75 to 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Animation & Music : 4/5
Other Factors: 4.25/5
Enjoyment & Impact : 4.25/5
Total Score : 20.25 to 20.5/25 (81% to 82%)

Overall : 8 to 8.5/10 (A- to A)

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Apr 26, 2025

HolyPanther

Mixed Feelings

I liked the first season of overlord, so i thought the 2nd season will be like wise. But I am really disappointed. They spend 4 episodes on some lizards, man i don't think who will be willing to watch some lizards blushing over each other. After the lizards, they spent 15 minutes of the episode on unimportant character talking to each other. The undeveloped character like Climb who has no depth, just Bragg about working hard without any sense of reality has more screen time than the mc Ainz. I think there are some people who might enjoy the romance between Sebas and the girl ... he saved. But i think most of the people in this world are not pedophile who won't enjoy a old geezer kissing and blushing with a girl of her granddaughter's age. Although it has a good climax and i think season 3 will be better that's the only reason I am rating it 5 otherwise it would be 3 for me.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Dec 22, 2022

RebelPanda

Not Recommended

I have never understood why Overlord receives so much praise.

It is practically a generic isekai light novel adaptation, but with older characters, giving it the illusion of maturity. Overlord is not mature, it's not remotely well written, its visuals don't even look good. The character designs look cool, and all but that isn't enough to carry a boatload of mediocrity. Both this season and the first were at best disposable entertainment, like any other isekai light novel adaptation. What's the appeal of it? Is it that Momonga is a ridiculously overpowered self-insert protagonist and his legion of ladies all want him?

Momonga is a typical isekai ... protagonist. An overpowered character doesn't become good just by not being a teenage boy. Skeleton or kid, there is no difference. Skeletons are cool and all. I like them as much as the next guy, but he's not a very interesting character beyond his intimidating design. He is entirely devoid of substance, only existing to continue the story. Even his character art fails at conveying the intimidation. The light novel's designs look amazing—but this adaptation's art lacks detail. His skeleton face remains unanimated in conversations; his voice is undeniably booming, the actor puts on a fantastic show, but there's no impact.

Momonga being a villain changes almost nothing. Everyone still loves him anyway, and he acts like the generic 'nice guy' harem protagonist. He's always speaking in his friendly guy voice in his head to remind us, he's not actually a real villain. It's lovely how nice of a guy he is really–wait, stop right there... If the villain protagonist isn't even a villain, then this show is literally just the same as anything else… Like the meek voice hiding behind the intimidating demonic skeleton exterior, Overlord masquerades as something far better and more original than it actually is. The philosophy of: "How can I self-insert if my main character isn't a good guy?" breaks any potential this show had to become something original.

It's funny how Overlord shamelessly admits that its female characters are coded to love Momonga, but that doesn't make it better writing. A story's world should ebb and flow without the audience needing to be there. Here it feels like a pandering fest; the characters bend over backward to praise Mr. Skeletor, he wins nearly every fight, and there is no substance.

This new season of Overlord isn't all harem bullshit; it tries a few new things… and fails at all of them. For some reason, whenever the story follows any character other than Momonga, it becomes insufferably dull. We got classic stories to be loved for ages, like the tribe of lizard idiots who inevitably get taken over by Momonga, the compelling backstory for Momonga's butler (aka Plank of Wood), some random knight guy, and a princess with a dark secret! Remember how Overlord's first season had somewhat slow pacing at times? This is 10 times worse! Entire episodes are dedicated to characters that we don't have a reason to care about. We're forced to watch them fighting in their stupid battles and their boring melodrama, and all of it barely connected to the characters introduced in the first season. In the end, the stories come together, but does the moderately entertaining end justify the tiresome means? Not at all.

It's rare for anime to put me to sleep, but Overlord's first three (lizard-focused) episodes truly tested my fortitude. The only plausible reason for the story breaking off from Ainz to follow the lizard people is to keep his harem junk from becoming too repetitive. The thing is, Overlord will be redundant no matter what crap they shove down our throats during the filler episodes. Isekai anime are so oversaturated that only making more of the same isn't enough these days. I've seen so many of these isekai power fantasies—perhaps Overlord was more original when the light novel first began publication, but today it's trite, overdone, a waste of time.

At least the few episodes Momonga gets are slightly more entertaining than the filler ones. He and the people around him have eye-catching character designs, wacky personalities, and enjoyably overdone voice acting. There's almost no substance to any of them, but at least they're fun to watch in small doses. The thing is, this new season is barely about the actually exciting characters. The only one in Momonga's legion who gets a backstory is his butler (the blandest of them all). He has an even intimidating personality but none of the charisma necessary to hold up entire episodes independently. There was a small amount of development seen for a few members of the enormous cast, but it's for the boring ones that no one is watching the show for. An occasional twist in a character's personality following a surprising betrayal may offer some fleeting intrigue, but you will quickly realize that all those twists exist. To momentarily add a fresh coat of paint to a cast of rotting cardboard cutouts.

Momga's episodes were at least better than those about random bland side characters, especially during the last three episodes of this season. We see all-out violence using nonsensical magic to create exciting gorefests and lots of angry expressions. It's still never what I'd call good, but it's passable entertainment. Momonga's storylines do tend to get repetitive quickly. An issue arises among his legion or in the world; he is literally the most powerful being in the universe and kills shit, then gives us a comment on it in his 'nice guy' voice, rinse and repeat. The only reprieve from the mind-numbing formula is the final few episodes, full of gory action, plot twists, and even betrayals that actually had me surprised. Although I struggled to care about the turns the plot took or the characters who took radical changes, it provided a fresh perspective on the tired story, even if for a moment. Sadly, the action-packed moments weren't much better than what we've seen before from Overlord, plagued with issues caused by a rushed production.

The action scenes are lackluster at best. Madhouse is airing three anime just this season alone, so it would be unreasonable to expect flawless quality, but this is just flat out the same mediocre visuals as the first season. Action scenes rely on zoom in on still shots, unanimated motion tweens, and jarring CGI. Environments are dreadfully ugly to look at; dull colors, low res repeated textures, a lack of detail, and defining traits. It all feels so lifeless and flat. It's the kind of show I would have forgotten entirely if I wasn't reviewing it.

The soundtrack is equally mediocre, totally forgettable. The bog-standard sort of booming orchestral music fades into the background. The opening was ok; a generic rock song. The ending track "Hydra" was wonderfully wispy with haunting vocals. It was the best part of the show, the only reason why I was hesitant to drop it all season.

Anything separating Overlord from the hordes of low effort isekai adaptations we see every season is only superficial; neither the audiovisual nor writing are above average. The main character being a 'villain' is just a cheap facade, the setting is lifeless, and even the cool designs are diminished by lackluster visuals. Overlord is overrated. It's just more of the same boring isekai drivel.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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