The greatest allure and strength of the Overlord narrative has always been Ainz’s delicate dance between the ordinary dime-a-dozen salary man of Earth and his Overlord status in this other world. His utterly devoted fanatical underlings treat him like that of a god who can do no wrong. He can’t afford to make mistakes because his servants cannot imagine him making one. To make one is to not be a god. And he intends to keep that image because anything else might disrupt the equilibrium of Nazarick and, more importantly, jeopardize his safety and base of operations. In the strange world he finds himself in,
...
the most powerful known beings who can threaten his safety are those under him. On and on, his everyman impulses struggles with what he thinks a supreme ruler should act. He must pretend to be prescient when he knows next to nothing and carefully delegate his subordinates in a way that gets his wishes done without revealing that he knows less than them on how to carry it out.
He’s a man trapped in a situation that already slipped out of his control, propelled by his ever-faithful minions’ tendency misconstrue his words as gospel, his musings as genius, and his luck as omniscience, as well as their fear that he would leave them as his guildmates already have. He’s all they have left of the great beings they worship, and by jove they will raze the world to the ground in his name if that’s what it takes to keep him by their side.
Everything else about Overlord is just barely decent. The problem with the anime series is that it fails so hard to translate and convey the strongest core selling point of Overlord.
What Overlord S2 is trying to sell now is the idea of a world bigger than its protagonist and that one fails too on two fronts: the core idea itself and the execution of that idea.
Overlord, due to the nature of the LN, is a series that adds and adds, but rarely expands. You might wonder how can adding more and more detracts from a narrative. It does when you keep adding without expanding on what is already established. Overlord has multiple plot points and threads hanging in the air, the energy and time establishing them being wasted away. We’re not going to tackle the source materials here though because it is a review of the anime adaptation so let’s keep it to the anime adaptation.
Suffice is it to say that the way Overlord is setup forces a quandary on the series. The first season does not easily expand into this second season and the first arc of this season does not expand into the second arc. You could say that they are merely individual build-ups sections – badly done build-ups at that, not because there is no immediate pay-off but because they feel like (and probably are) build-up to different things. It’s risking the fact that you may not get invested in the flow of the story because there is really no smooth flow of the story yet. Again, this isn’t a fault of the adaptation and it can very easily be rectified by solid execution. It starts off with a little bit of disadvantage but just really needs to present itself right and everything will fall into place.
Does it?
Season 2 is an adaptation of Volumes 4, 5, and 6 of the light novel. Volumes 5 and 6 are two continuous stories, a mega-arc if you will. Volume 4, however, connects to Volume 5 with only the barest, thinnest of threads. These are two very different arcs with vastly different locales, (massive) set of characters, and conflicts that need to be established all under 13 episodes. That’s simply not enough time for two different stories (with at least two different storylines running in parallel.) in two different types of settings. That is insane.
The characters could have been the saving grace in the transition but here’s the thing: Overlord S2 sidelines the Season 1 characters with significant screentime to side character status. That’s not a bad thing. Heck, done well it could have been a good thing. The problem is that the new season starts with a new set of characters you don’t really care about and then the show botched its attempt at making you care about them and then uses them for only five episodes before they are then discarded to introduce yet another fresh batch of characters. The problem here isn’t even in you losing track of who they all are. The problem here is if you even care at all who they are. It’s a large mess that frankly is easier to follow than to care about.
Madhouse forgot one simple Ron Swanson principle: never half-ass two things; whole-ass one thing. You can feel the oozing, overpowering, rank mediocrity as the studio rushes through the Lizardman Arc to get to the next arc. Rather than skip the first arc to focus on the next or give the first arc justice, they decide to do the first arc but do it in such a way that they get to the next arc faster, a decision that they didn’t even do justice come the next arc. This decision gives us a lot of hastened info dumps, uninspired character designs, insipid backdrops, and budget fight scenes.
What few genuinely strong moments it could have had, it squanders for lack of pacing. A painful example of this is Zaryusu's rather interesting and compelling argument (on why they should fight) that lost every sense of impact possible due to the fact that it was said immediately with nary a proper establishment of the Lizardmen economy and culture or Zaryusu's place in all that. It was pulled out of the hat and we're supposed to just accept it because it was said so without planting the seeds of ideas first in the viewers (sadly this isn’t an isolated case or adaptation specific failure even). It didn't even need to go to great lengths for its setting. It just needs to establish the setting enough to ground the arc's main character in it. It failed. It simply did not have the luxury of time for the size of the story it attempted to tell.
Imagine if it developed that. Imagine a tribal setting, a rarity in anime, with Lizardmen instead of humans as the main characters, which is even rarer. Imagine how much it could have had expanded on what little the LN established. Imagine the different tribal colors and patterns depending on the locale of a specific tribe: say solid, blocky lines for the mountainous, flowing curves for the lake-bound. Paint a picture in your mind’s eyes, a cacophony of colors and patterns anime never tackled before. Imagine the new-ness, the fresh-ness of it all. Can you see it? It’s only a simple scenario of how they could have gone with the series if they focused on one arc and did it justice.
To be frank, Overlord S2 is boring. Not because it’s too slow but because it’s too fast. The entire season feels like it’s just a pure un-distilled fan-service for the LN readers. It’s a chance for them to see their favourite scenes and characters animated and acted out. If you’re an anime-only watcher, expect not to care about anything because this show is the equivalent of you in a tour through a safari/wildlife preserve and your tour vehicle is moving at 100km/h. There’s something out there, you just can’t savour it.
In fact, the second season seemed like it was made just to keep the Overlord flame going. The studio realized they have a popular IP and they need to keep what little hype was left from the first season two+ years ago so that they can revisit the idea of another season down the road if they need to. And it shows. This is as cheap, as rushed, and as unimaginative as they can make it. Frankly you should ask yourself this: if Madhouse couldn’t be arsed enough to care, why should you?
Alternative Titles
Japanese: オーバーロードⅡ
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
13
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Jan 9, 2018 to Apr 3, 2018
Premiered:
Winter 2018
Broadcast:
Tuesdays at 22:30 (JST)
Licensors:
Funimation
Studios:
Madhouse
Source:
Light novel
Theme:
Isekai
Duration:
23 min. per ep.
Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
Statistics
Ranked:
#11472
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#154
Members:
1,062,178
Favorites:
4,579
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 93 / 96
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Your Feelings Categories Apr 3, 2018
The greatest allure and strength of the Overlord narrative has always been Ainz’s delicate dance between the ordinary dime-a-dozen salary man of Earth and his Overlord status in this other world. His utterly devoted fanatical underlings treat him like that of a god who can do no wrong. He can’t afford to make mistakes because his servants cannot imagine him making one. To make one is to not be a god. And he intends to keep that image because anything else might disrupt the equilibrium of Nazarick and, more importantly, jeopardize his safety and base of operations. In the strange world he finds himself in,
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Apr 7, 2018
Overlord 2, written by Kugane Maruyama, Illustrated by So-bin.
My Review About Overlord Season 2 (Winter 2018) (Sorry for my bad english :( ) It contains some spoiler, Read with your own risk ^_^ . - Story 8/10 - : Overlord Season 2, comes with 13 Episode, Animated by Studio Madhouse. First Episode you can say it as Introduction about Overlord Season 2, Flashback about what is happening in Previous season, and preparation for the next Arc. Overlord Season 2, contain a "World Building Arc", where the side characters spawn more than the Main Characters and explain what happening with this Side Characters and their Story (it's kinda like every human ... Apr 3, 2018
Sequels based on light novels aren’t too common but for a series like Overlord, it felt like it was inevitable. The meme of “Madhouse not making sequels” got flushed down the toilet when Overlord II became a reality. As someone who has read part of the novel and seen the first season, I’m sad to say that Overlord II didn’t manage to step up the plate. What could have been a chance for the series to improve itself and set new bar instead is met with a step back. If you’re expecting the second season to be a glorious showstopper, then I’m afraid I got
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Jan 30, 2018
If you don't like fantasy or magic or like a human being stuck in a game/world... this anime is not for you.
Overlord - an anime that is able to portray a wonderful story through interactions of other characters in a unknown world despite the fact that the MC is not "human". After watching Overlord I, many people were awaiting for the sequel... and the wait is over. And I gotta say, the plot of this anime and how it's portrayed is superb. ... Mar 1, 2018
I would like to start with my first time, when I started watching first season (that was my first mmorpg anime show before sao and other similar shows) and after the first series I right away put in Overall 11/11 masterpiece, I know ppl want to now why? and srsly why masterpiece??? the answer is simple- My first mmorpg game was World of warcraft and all fandom wow players (and other mmorpg) players know, that feel when you reach max game level+ almost best gear and with that you can start boast the low level players and show yours overpowered spells/skills. As example now- I
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Feb 4, 2018
Review written at episode 4. I have not read the light novel. Will update nearer the end of the season.
tl;dr: So far, worthless. Whether it be because the manga went through a slump, or whether Madhouse simply didn't try with this arc, the end result is terrible. The character designs are uninspiring, the plot is boring, and the character interactions felt as though they'd been lifted from a template. Compared to the first season, which I loved every moment of, this is abysmal. Is there anything that Madhouse did right? Yes. The moments where it paid attention to Shalltear's inner turmoil about what ... Apr 5, 2018
Overlord is a Japanese light novel series that was written by Kugane Maruyama and illustrated by so-bin. It began serialization online in 2010, before being acquired by Enterbrain. Twelve volumes have been published since July 30, 2012. A manga adaptation by Satoshi Oushio, with art by Hugin Miyama, began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's manga magazine Comp Ace from November 26, 2014. A 13-episode anime television series adaptation by Madhouse aired between July 7 and September 29, 2015. The second season ran from January 9 to April 3, 2018. A third season is planned for July 2018.
Overlord is back. Now with 100% more lizard porn, a ... Mar 27, 2018
The story is great, full of adventures and characters well done. The art is wonderful, good and with a style of its own that is not like any other anime of the genre. The characters are the best are very well done. Wonderful anime, the best anime I've ever seen. The story is incredible.
The animations are of a wonderful quality, the soundtrack is flawless. The art of animation is really good. The best I've ever seen. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My congratulations to all involved in the production, audio, animation and voice. They did an EXCELLENT job. OVERLORD is the best anime I've ever seen. Apr 4, 2018
I've not read the manga so i had no idea really what to expect from this show for the second season, and well it definitely surprised me
Now although the first season was better, I believe this season has done its purpose really well in terms of building the world and characters, and has got me really pumped for another season! Story - 8 You can't say they haven't tried do something interesting and change it from the normal It's not often I can say I watched an anime where the main character barely graces us with his presence yet i still thoroughly enjoyed the show In the first season ... Mar 20, 2018
Ok, so most of the reviews here are based on only 4 episode out of the 11 episodes available, so that is why a lot of people are giving such bad reviews, which i think is not fair for this Awesome Anime.
Story: Just as the first Overlord, the story is all about Momon-san, our protaginist, trying to conquer the new universe and trying to find Ydragsil players, if any, on the new universe. As you watch this Anime you would be asking: Why cant he wiped out everyone and that's it? since our protagonist and their crew are like the strongest beings in there? However ... Apr 3, 2018
I can't say enough amazing things about this anime! I'm constantly at the edge of my seat watching this show and love how each episode develops into a truly masterpiece of a world. The stuck in the game plot gets so much better with this smart and heart throbbing action packed anime. Every character in this show has something to give and they all shine in their own unique ways.
I definitely recommend this anime for anyone who enjoys the OP Stuck in the game theme. Also if you enjoyed the show I highly recommend the Light Novel series as well!~ - 10/10 Bloo Feb 24, 2018
The best anime this season. Not really a fan of the character's art but I have to admit, this series really gets you to care about all the characters. I love the storytelling and yes, not everything is about the mighty lord. I have nothing else to say about this anime, it's just good. Without spoiling anything, the second season actually focuses on side characters, to show their individual storylines. Though the mighty lord may have little influence on these characters, the show shows their personal experiences and what everyone is thinking about. This game is not just a game, it's really strategic and even
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Apr 4, 2018
a simple review about Overlord Season 2.
Overlord Season 2 come into 3 Arch, Each arch have a different story & characters, not only focusing on Ainz-sama or his Guardian Floor. If you said that all of them are unneeded character then its a big mistakes. Later all of this arch will be connected each other(if you read the LN or if they make it into another season), and ofc there is no harem or something like that in this second season. Maybe Overlord is the only Isekai with a Anti-Hero/villain protagonist. and if you are a gamer you will know the ... Apr 4, 2018
Start slow and boring, but gradually getting more interesting towards the end. As a fans of 1st season of overlord, that's my impression after watching this.
Without spoil anything, overlord II consists of 2 arcs (just like the prequel). and I will tell you that first arc are slow and not so good, either story or action-wise. But it's building and contributing something to the plot, and one of them I've seen it already at 2nd arc. And maybe there are more to come in the next season (I really hope there will be 3rd season). But still, it would be better if they shorten ... Mar 17, 2018
This is my first review ever on MyAnimeList.
I am going to keep this review brief and cover the key points of Overlord II. Overlord II is almost the opposite of what the original was all about, instead of being very action based and based on Lord Ainz, Overlord II takes a different approach with more world building, development and different perspectives in an Isekai. The animation, although good doesn't really stand out in any way with the art style being the same as the original and the OST and OP being slightly worse in Overlord II than in the original. If you prefer action-packed and fast paced anime ... Apr 3, 2018
There are some minor spoilers within from Overlord (season 1 and 2). It's nigh impossible to talk about it without giving away spoilers...
Be warned please... Another review of another anime but this time about Overlord - one of my favourite series of 2015. With was my sixth anime since my return to anime world I really enjoy it. It was what I wanted. A series that connected to me since I read a lot of Warhammer & 40K. I wanted to watch some anime that focus on an evil character and this was it. I love it so much that I even bought the Light Novel ... Apr 3, 2018
After Overlord's first season, full of badass characters and shows of power by Ainz, second season had a pretty rough start. Focus shifted from Nazarick to side characters, with Ainz and co. taking a back seat. Without a doubt, such change will disappoint people who watched this anime because of OP main cast.
Still, it doesn't mean second season itself is bad. It's just different. Story moves from introducing Nazarick faction (first season) to outside world. Now we see lives of humans (and lizards) of Yggdrasil and Nazarick's actions from their perspective. And it rather is nice thing to see, especially when they actually show their ... Apr 6, 2018
While I enjoyed this season of Overlord, I did not like it as much as I did season 1. While the beginning story of the Lizardmen was the usual quality that comes from Overlord, especially the final battle, it was the transition into the Eight Finger's storyline that brought this season down a few notches.
The primary problem is that too much attention was focused on Climb and Tuare, who were easily the most vanilla characters in the entire anime. A young earnest boy who wants to be stronger and an innocent girl traumatized by the brutality of her world. These ... Apr 3, 2018
That OP song is wonderful though.
Story: Overlord’s story is, in my opinion, one of the better isekai genre stories of recent years. It manages to not fall into too many unbearable clichés and the few that it does have are played off well enough to feel enjoyable, and at times as if a fresh take was applied to the same old idea. Overlord II is no different, as we see the return of our villains in the long-anticipated sequel. The story of Overlord II manages to improve on its predecessor by speeding up the pacing, and taking a step back from the main character, Ainz. ... Apr 4, 2018
About a year ago, the anime community and myself were both surprised and glad that Overlord was getting a second season. This was shocking because Madhouse, the studio behind the first season, has a track record for creating one and done seasons that leave us wanting more, encouraging us to seek out and read the original material. Now with this sequel and another season of One Punch Man yet to come, it looks like Madhouse are starting to break their own tradition and create additional seasons. The question is though, was it worth it? It has been two and a half years since the first
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