Nov 17, 2020
Isekai is a genre that has somewhat oversaturated the market in recent years. With scores of dime-a-dozen knockoffs of better anime airing on the regular, isekai has garnered a reputation for trashiness. While this is not entirely undeserved, there are several isekai's that are objectively good shows, Overlord chief among them.
While Overlord's premise is far from original (socially awkward average joe gets transported to another world where he instantly becomes a hacker-level player), its execution is far better than most of its ilk. Overlord is not meant to be taken completely seriously, and if you do, you are probably not enjoying it as much as
...
you could be. Instead, one has to watch Overlord as they would any isekai anime.
Overlord's quality lies not in new and interesting ideas, but in its execution of old themes. Despite what some may think, an overpowered MC is not necessarily a bad thing (One Punch Man has proven this). An overpowered main character can serve to juxtapose a person's weakness in real life with their power on screen. In addition, the show is still able to build tension in a number of ways. It often focuses on the backgrounds of the people that the MC is fighting, painting them in shades of grey. This, combined with the MC's overpowered nature helps us go into fights feeling that there are real stakes, instead of just an instant kill.
The main character is arguably the most powerful person on his entire planet, but he lacks most of the necessary social skills to actually believe it. Instead, he is forced to act like a big shot in order to ensure his own safety. This leads to many hilarious situations as his underlings (more on them later) witness unexpectedly positive outcomes, assuming that their leader had planned for them all along. In reality, Overlord's MC is usually just bumbling along trying not to screw up, and as such is just as lost as those around him when plot twists unfold.
This leads into another aspect of Overlord that I believe elevates it above the isekai masses - its protagonist is not an idiot. While this is not a blanket statement, many isekai protagonists are either so dumb that they'd mistake a brick wall for a swimming pool or so idealistic that you wish you could reach through the screen and throw them out a window. Overlord's MC is a bit different. While he isn't always the sharpest tool in the shed, he thinks rationally about what he does and tries to avoid all of the stupid mistakes protagonists (or antagonists) tend to make. He acts realistically in the face of his situation, not trying to save every unfortunate soul that crosses his path. Instead, he actively works to make sure that he and the things/people he cares about are secure.
Speaking of people he cares about, the characters in Overlord are the show's biggest strong point. They all get some sort of development throughout the show, and while I am not going to go into any spoilers, their development enriches the story as a whole. All the characters from the mains to the supporting cast have excellent character designs, showing how much thought the author put into their creation. (It actually makes logical sense, as all of the main cast were the creations of people the MC once knew well). This creates an interesting dynamic, and serves as a clever out in terms of the harem situation. (Aside from the MC being an actual skeleton...).
Another major strength of this show is its world building. It actually goes out of its way to flesh out and immerse the audience in its world, which lends substantial weight to any actions the MC takes. While this happens more in later seasons, it consistenly establishes complex geopolitical relationships, showing us the effects that a god-level creature suddenly dropping by have on the rest of the world.
In terms of art, I'd say that this show is a mixed bag. While the CGI can be a bit dicey at points, its balanced out by excellent character designs and well rendered settings. Its sound is in a similar situation. The opening is average-good, while the ending is rather specific. That being said, the show has a decently good score, helping to enhance its moments of ass whooping.
Overall, I'd say that I greatly enjoyed Overlord. While it isn't for everyone, it was legitimately enjoyable to watch. It's isekai done the right way, something that is lacking nowadays.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
