Also! a 5/10 overall is an average score . I understand sometimes people will see the score and it will put them off. just read the review and try to understand my reasoning. we can always disagree and I enjoy debate. we all love this art form and I am not trying to trash a story you love, believe me i enjoyed it too. I'm just trying to review it objectively as a piece of art, all of this is subjective but i try to use as much grounded knowledge of storytelling as possible to come to my scores.
**STORY( 4/10 DECENT ) _____________________________________________
So just gonna say the story is decent at best. It does switch things up and you see through the perspective of the "bad guy" There are plot holes and you have to really suspend your disbelief ( world is not super consistent and a lot of the factions motives are very strange) There are some shining moments in the story for me. When Ainz does things that I wouldn't expect and for a moment I don't see him as an undead overlord but more of a misunderstood king. The internal conflict of Ainz does add some decent comedic relief because the whole show he is putting on a complete show. He is really a nerdy nobody who just happened to be here, so it makes for some good self deprecating comedy as he struggles with the fact that his comrades may find out he is a fraud. as the show goes on he really grows into his role as Ainz i will admit and it is nice to behold. With all that being said, the character isn't enough to carry the story and it really meanders and struggles to decide what it wants to do. I still enjoyed it , but i cant say it was better than decent as a far as story structures go for these types of MMO anime. It the formula up a little but not enough to be a masterpiece.
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**ART STYLE ( 6/10 FAIR)______________________________________________
This anime was released in 2015 and the animation and art style is definitely showing its age , but it still is not a bad art direction. The main character is designed very well and the aura that he puts off is exactly what is expected of the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. The Floor Guardians ( Ainz's [main character] minions basically) all have amazing art designs and look phenomenal. all in all the art style is fair but not phenomenal. You wont find yourself think that anything is out of place but I don't think it surpasses a 6/10.
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**SOUND ( 7/10 )_____________________________________________________
So I thought the soundtrack and voice acting was good but not great or outstanding. There were quiet a few songs that i still listen to today. I will go into my top 3 and kind of explain the soundtrack as a whole to the best of my abilities.
My favorite song is "オーバーロード 死の支配者 Overlord Ruler Of Death" Very low and orchestral accompanied with angelic choir voices that sound really amazing. My second favorite song is " 至高の四十一人 The 41st Supreme Being" It comes in with an acoustic guitar and it is played very well. This track is almost somber. Which make sense considering as far as we know Ainz is the last supreme being left in the world he inhabits. This is a beautiful song and still brings a tear to my eye. My third favorite song is "至高の御方に忠誠の儀を Oath Of Loyalty To The Supreme Being" This one is kind of similar to the First song I listed but instead has female orchestral/ choir voices. They instruments accompany the vocals perfectly, the song also has a few beat and sound switch ups that are cool and the piano work in the song is pretty spot on. overall a great soundtrack that fits the show perfectly. I could go into more but if you want to listen to the whole soundtrack yourself then here is the link. https://soundcloud.com/fatmanshan/sets/overlord-anime-ost-2015
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**Character (6/10)____________________________________________________
The characters in the show are one of the better parts of the show. The crutch that this show leans on is the main character Ainz Ooal Gown (formerly Momonga). You opinion of the character development as a whole will likely depend on whether you like him or not. Most of the other character in the tomb are not super detailed and mostly just worship and love Ainz and do anything he asks. They view themselves as tools of Ainz and that does change throughout the show. There is a small love interest but Ainz never entertains the guardian that makes passes at him. Later in the series you will be introduced to a few more characters that are at least moderately comparable but overall Ainz is the star. I know you may think this sounds like some kind of power fantasy for the male psyche but looking at the character of Ainz...he views leadership the way it should be viewed, which is as a responsibility to those before him and to those he rules. He is not on a power trip and is just making the best of what he has, he is the last supreme one and the ruler of Nazarick. He never treats his guardians or anyone in his circle as less than and always listens to their advice for the most part. Ainz is a good character but I cant give the show more than a 6/10 because most of the other characters are just kind of mediocre at best.
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**Enjoyment (8/10) ___________________________________________________
This will likely be the most biased section of the review because i really enjoyed this show. As much as a lot of people really hate these type of anime ( sucked into a game) and think its played out , i really think that overlord was a gem for its time and it explores a different perspective than the normal "I'm an invincible hero " trope that most of these type of anime adopt as their shows go on. I was sad when it was over and wanted another season. I think overall this is definitely a classic and while it could have been done much better i think that is function very well on its own. definitely worth a try at least.
