Opening Songs
OP 1 - Clattanoia (OxT)
Ending Songs
ED 1 - L.L.L (MYTH&Roid)
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Episodes: 12
Another day, another anime about an MMO sucking players into their game....literally. "Overlord" seems like it was going to set itself up for a rather generic case of "SAO" syndrome at the start, but quickly turns things around. Sure, the start seems eerily similar to the likes of "SAO" and "Log Horizon", but I can tell you this: "Overlord" is on an entire new level of badassery. It doesn't speak of players trapped in an MMORPG trying to escape back into their ordinary lives, "Overlord" tells a tale of a sole player that is trapped in an MMO....and wants to conquer the world within it. How can one think in such a way? Well, that's because said player is one of THE BEST PLAYERS in the game, and just doesn't give a flying f**k. "Overlord" puts a new spin on a rather overused anime setting in current years, and executes it well enough for it to be one of the most entertaining shows of the year. Whether or not you're into the whole MMO setting, "Overlord" is damned sure to impress, seeing as it doesn't really treat itself like a game that much.
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| Albedo may be a demon, but hey! I wouldn't mind getting down with her! |
The opening theme is "Clattanoia" by OxT, which sounds awkwardly a lot like a band that I like a whole lot, Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas. Anyway, its a synth based techno song that sounds pretty freaking epic. Its a little slow, but its great, I'll give it that. The ending theme is "L.L.L" by MYTH&ROID, and its safe to say that in the start of the ending theme, Albedo looks a whole like like Gasai Yuno. Its a decent dance song that works as an ending theme, and thank god that its at least not another slow song.
Rating: 8.5/10
I may be a sucker for animes that tend to go for the virtual MMO world setting, but "Overlord" sucked me in right away. Its a lot more different from the likes of "SAO" or "Log Horizon", in fact, it tries its damn best to not feel like a video game, and it manages to do so successfully. If anything, its like an anime that takes place in a medieval setting, with a modern day character being placed into the body of an overpowering undead lich. Right off the bat the game introduces you to its cast of fairly interesting, funny and varied characters. Being an overlord, our protagonist has his own crew of minions...and oh my are they quite a bunch of...very different fellows. At its best, the bickering of these characters can be hilarious. The action is great, there is a mixture of the sword styled skill system of "SAO" and the more casting based combat in "Log Horizon", where skills come out as their names are muttered. Most of the fighting is visually impressive, that much I can assure you. The show is also well paced with its share of interesting arcs, though there isn't much of a point where the hero is threatened, so if you're the kind that dislikes highly overpowered protagonists, you might not find yourself enjoying the show as much.
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| Yeah, I wouldn't get in this guy's way... |
Momonga is a player of long time MMORPG Elder Tale Online. The game is finally reaching the end of its service and Momonga, the leader of Ainz Ool Goal, one of the strongest guilds in the game, is holding a farewell party to say goodbye to the game he spent so much time on. Out of the guild's 40 members, only 1 turned up, and he only stayed for awhile before logging off. The guild has been inactive for a long time, most members quit the game to continue with their daily lives, unfortunately. Feeling saddened and nostalgic, he decided to roam the halls of Ainz Ool Goal, tempering and rediscovering all the NPCs that he created alongside his former guild mates. He decides to stay logged in to the end, and he accidentally falls asleep doing so. Upon waking up, he realizes that the game...has not shut down. But alas, he cannot log out, and all the NPCs are suddenly speaking to him as if they had their own personalities. Thinking of it as a bug, he leaves his castle only to find out that he had completely been sucked into the world of Elder Tale. Instead of searching for a means of escape, he chooses to explore and exploit the world of Elder Tale, with a vast army of extremely powerful minions at his side and being one of immense power on his own, the possibilities are endless.
"Overlord" is one of the most enjoyable shows of 2015. There are plenty of volumes out already that can easily warrant a second season, and I honestly can't wait for them to do so. It really shows that deviating from the MMO formula a little bit can go a long way, because "Overlord" is quite different from its competition. That's a good thing.
