2022 summer | Episodes: 13 | Score: 8.1 (297038)
Updated every Tuesdays at 22:00 | Status: Finished Airing
Type: TV
Producers:AT-X | Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures | NTT Plala | Kadokawa
Streaming: Crunchyroll | Disney+ | Ani-One Asia | Anime Digital Network | Aniplus TV | Aniverse | Bahamut Anime Crazy | Bilibili Global | Selecta Visión | Shahid | iQIYI
Synopsis
E-Rantel, the capital city of the newly established Sorcerer Kingdom, suffers from a dire shortage of goods. Once a prosperous city known for its trade, it now faces a crisis due to its caution—or even fear—of its king, Ainz Ooal Gown. To make amends, Ainz sends Albedo to the city as a diplomatic envoy. Meanwhile, the cardinals of the Slane Theocracy discuss how to retaliate against Ainz after his attack crippled the Re-Estize Kingdom's army, plotting for the Baharuth Empire to take over the Sorcerer Kingdom. However, when Emperor Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix arranges a meeting with the Theocracy's messengers at a colosseum, he is confronted by none other than Ainz himself. With their secret gathering now out in the open, the emperor and his guests learn that Ainz has challenged the Warrior King, the empire's greatest fighter, to a duel. With Ainz's motivations beyond his comprehension, Jircniv can do nothing but watch as humanity's future changes before his very eyes. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Voice Actors
Hino, Satoshi
News
10/10/2023, 06:34 AM
Here are the North American anime, manga, and light novel releases for October. Week 1: October 3 - 9 Anime Releases Cowboy Bebop Complete Series Blu-ray [SteelBook ...
![Summer 2022 Simulcast List [Update 8/25]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.myanimelist.net%2Fs%2Fcommon%2Fuploaded_files%2F1656792829-378da557c881f3742f4a328ecc1a2a7c.jpeg%3Fs%3Df3ad7b73cb0a0bf10c9cc3d6d8c6e8d1&w=640&q=75)
07/02/2022, 01:16 PM
In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of television anime acquired for simulcast release during the Summer 2022 season. Anime series licensed for hom...
06/27/2022, 03:11 AM
Here is a collection of promotional videos (PV), television ads (CM), and trailers for the last week. This thread excludes videos that have already been featured in ...
06/20/2022, 12:14 PM
In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of Summer 2022 titles with an accompanying promotional video, commercial, teaser, or trailer. This post will be...
06/19/2022, 03:50 PM
Here is a collection of promotional videos (PV), television ads (CM), and trailers for the last week. This thread excludes videos that have already been featured in ...
03/14/2022, 12:25 AM
Here is a collection of promotional videos (PV), television ads (CM), and trailers for the last week. This thread excludes videos that have already been featured in ...
12/19/2021, 11:51 PM
Here is a collection of promotional videos (PV), television ads (CM), and trailers for the last week. This thread excludes videos that have already been featured in ...
05/08/2021, 05:11 AM
The Overlord broadcast commemorative special program on streaming platform Niconico announced a fourth season and an anime film for Kugane Maruyama's light nove...
Reviews
AnimeKeeper420
Overlord IV is, without a doubt, one of the greatest anime ever made—right up there with Redo of Healer in my eyes. This season is a jaw-dropping 19/10, and I’m not exaggerating. Whether you’re an anime diehard or someone who’s never touched the genre, you need to watch this. It’s that phenomenal. It takes the isekai formula, flips it upside down, and leaves other shows in the dust. This is anime done right—pure and simple. Story: A Fresh Twist on Isekai Is the story unique? Hell yes, it is. Overlord IV doesn’t mess around with the tired “hero defeats evil” trope. Instead, we follow Ainz Ooal Gown,a ruthless, overpowered skeleton lord who’s more villain than savior. This season ramps up his domination of the New World, blending brutal conquest with clever political maneuvering. Take the Re-Estize Kingdom arc—watching Ainz dismantle an entire nation through strategy, not just raw power, is gripping. It’s unpredictable, dark, and keeps you hooked because it dares to be different. Art Style: A Visual Feast The art style fits the story like a glove. The animation pops, especially during the epic battles—like when Ainz casts The Goal of All Life is Death and wipes out armies in seconds. The dark, gothic tones match the sinister vibe perfectly, while the detailed character designs (think Albedo’s menacing elegance or Demiurge’s sly grin) bring the world to life. Even the backgrounds, from crumbling castles to eerie forests, scream atmosphere. It’s not just pretty—it’s purposeful, amplifying every moment. Characters: Complex and Captivating Are the characters well-rounded? Absolutely. Ainz is the star—unstoppable yet paranoid, a god-like figure who’s still figuring things out. His mix of confidence and quiet panic (like when he improvises plans on the fly) makes him fascinating. The guardians steal the show too—Albedo’s obsessive devotion and Demiurge’s chilling intellect give them depth beyond just being Ainz’s minions. Even side characters, like Princess Renner or the doomed knights, have strengths, flaws, and motives that make them feel real. No one’s a cartoonish stereotype here. Realism in Reactions: Believable and Intense The way characters react to events is spot-on. When Ainz flexes his power, people don’t just shrug it off—they freak out, grovel, or plot in desperation. Look at the kingdom’s soldiers facing his undead army: their terror feels raw and human, not forced. It’s a stark contrast to other isekai where enemies are unrealistically brave or dumb. This realism adds weight to every clash and makes Ainz’s dominance even more satisfying. Why Everyone Should Watch It Even if you hate isekai, Overlord IV will win you over. The world-building is insane—every episode peels back more of this twisted fantasy realm, from its lore to its politics. The action is thrilling, but it’s the quieter moments—like Ainz reflecting on his choices—that hit just as hard. Tired of goody-two-shoes protagonists? Ainz is the ultimate anti-hero, and you’ll root for him despite (or because of) his villainy. It’s a rare gem that appeals to newbies and veterans alike. Final Verdict: An Unmissable Triumph Overlord IV is perfection—unique story, killer art, deep characters, and reactions that feel alive. It shames lesser isekai and proves what anime can achieve. Watch it. Love it. Then join me in praying for more. This isn’t just a show; it’s a masterpiece.
Momnga_Ainz
This is not a full review, but rather explanation why I feel Overlord stands above the standard. Something are good because they are good, and somethings are good because they are something that others are not. For me, Overlord is good not because I feel it objectively shines above all other in terms of story and characters (though I feel they are certainly above average), but because it scratches a very specific craving I've developed over the years with excessive anime consumption. To put it short, I've had my fill of holy savior protagonists, the messiahs, the good boys, the infallible morally just protagonists. I am alsosick to death of the edgelords that talk all dark and edgy, yet also never do no actual harm to anyone who isn't literally so evil they eat babies for breakfast. Also I am sick of settings that make antagonists facing these protagonists so reprehensible that killing them is a just act and their assets spoils of war for the side of justice. In short, black and white morality in all aspects. What I wanted, was either a pragmatist or a hedonist who, upon given powers far greater than those around them, would act as I would assume most people would act if they had the chance: self-servingly. Source: History of the humankind. Overlord is not perfect, but it scratched that itch of mine that has been growing for years now. Here we finally have a protagonist that does not act as would be morally good, but as how he will reap the greatest rewards. And the world around him does not conveniently make all of his opponents so cartoonishly evil that him killing them and taking all they have defaults to just actions.
hexashadow13
tl;dr: Another solid season of Overlord with all that entails. Welcome back to the story of a man completely out of his depth that is very much the living embodiment of ‘fake it till you make it’. Though as an undead lich he’s not exactly “living”. This season follows him as he continues to try to bullshit his way through pretending to be much smarter and in control than he is. Though his absurdly good luck and his subordinated lack of ability to even consider Ainz as imperfect seem to be the reasons it all manages to work out. Nazarick continues to get involved with allsorts of situations where they completely overpower any opposition, often in incredibly evil ways. It’s not dramatically different to previous seasons, but there’s enough new going on it doesn’t feel repetitive. If you liked previous seasons, you’ll probably like this one. If not, then probably not. To get more into the nitty gritty and nit pick for a bit, the overpowered moments in this were weaker than in previous seasons. I suppose that it’d be hard to to hit the level the finale to the third season hit. But it kind of felt like it wasn’t even trying and was just glossing over the overpowered moments as if they were a matter of course and not worth spending much time on. Which is probably true. But I kind of wish there was at least one moment that was genuinely surprising. In terms of the evil, it was actually pretty light on it for most of the season. However, the last arc goes all in on it and Renner gives us some of the most deliciously evil scenes in the series. And everyone being deathly afraid of Nazarick is still really fun, with Hilma probably being the highlight. There were also a lot of smaller plot threads focusing on side characters floating around. Though at the same time, there were also loads of characters that noticeably had no presence whatsoever, most notably Enri and her village. It kind of feels like the reoccurring cast is getting somewhat overcrowded, but I suppose that’s unavoidable. There was also quite a lot of world building including quite a lot of subtle world building, though there were some very noticeable issues. Each of the previous seasons adapted three consecutive volumes of the novels. This adapts volume 10-11, but then skips volumes 12-13 and goes directly to adapting volume 14. It’s not like the events of volumes 12-13 are self contained or don’t matter. Rather, they directly lead up to the impetus for what occurs in volume 14. As such, it can definitely feel like there’s things that should have been explained and shown that are missing. They’re making a movie that adapts volumes 12-13 so the recommended watch order will probably put that between episodes 7 and 8 of this season. Art and animation are similar to previous seasons, for better or worse. Overall decent enough but some really awful CGI. There are some great designs but also a lot of boring ones. There were a couple interesting designs for new characters, but nothing worth mentioning in particular. The OP was fine visually but I found the songs not as good as previous seasons. The ED was pretty good in both regards. The soundtrack was fine but not particularly memorable. The Pleiades extras were pretty amusing.
Drakestalker
The remarkable thing about the Overlord franchise is that it just gets better and better with every season, which is why, at this point, I am saying that you absolutely must watch this show, void of any and all reservations. Everything I said I liked about its previous seasons still holds true, but it comes with the added bonus of Ainz truly coming into his own as a villain in this latest installment. I did not believe the franchise could top the dramatic ending of season 3, but it did, and then some. There was just such a sheer amount of “HOLY SHIT!” moments this timearound, that it took me some 7 hours to get through 13 episodes, because I kept rewatching spectacular parts and scenes, of which there was no shortage. I simply cannot wait for the Sacred Kingdom movie!
LibrarianJukka
This season of Overlord is reflective of a large shift in tone and philosophy, and it's one I'm not fully satisfied by, as a fan of the previous three seasons. What I enjoyed about those three seasons was the comedy inherent in the premise, of an extremely self-serious fantasy world butting heads with Ainz, who is the most powerful being in the world despite not even really trying or caring, and, of course, the action sequences. Unfortunately, these are both aspects which have taken a backseat in this new season. The order of the day is politics: in showing Ainz's efforts in building his ownkingdom, as well as the reactions of other empires to those efforts, as shown through conversations in palace rooms. There is a lot of talking, and not a lot of action; I don't think there was a single fight scene until episode 4. (Disappointingly, they've continued to rely on 3D CG much as in season 3 for these sequences.) But more importantly, it seems that Ainz, having lived in this world for years by now, has begun to see it just as seriously as everyone else, and has lost that amused detachment I enjoyed so much; he's just as self-serious as the rest of the world now. To be clear, the political intrigue is fairly well done, but it's just not what I expected or wanted from this series. Perhaps you feel differently, but for me, this was a real disappointment.
grr_mal
Complete waste of time. I really can't imagine how this season can claim to cover 3 whole volumes of the source light novel when all its content boils down to a showoff joke of a "war" and little else. I guess it just means the light novels are not any good either. There is only one noteworthy event in all of it, the so to say "origin story" of a potentially interesting character combo in the future, Princess Renner and her pet. There are also a few other countries which the MC accidentally conquers as he stumbles around, but that feels just like a sidestory, completely not serious and not worth mention. The whole season could've been reduced to one or two episodes for the "main" war+origin story event and one other episode for the accidental side dishes and nothing would've been lost.
Ainosora
For those who may not have been fans of Overlord's previous seasons, rejoice, for this season makes it all worthwhile. A culmination of everything that been built up so far, and actual plot progression is what this season entails. It is sublime. Story While previous seasons were focused on world and character building, this season is focused on plot. Everything that has happened so far feels like it is finally given purpose beyond raw enjoyment of the world and characters. I can confidently say anyone that had this problem with past seasons will enjoy this. It feels like the series is all coming together now. Characters The charactersseem more charismatic this season, however if one's problem with Overlord's past seasons are about the characters, then this probably won't be a selling point. In short, the characters are mostly the same as ever but better than they've ever been. Art and sound are excellent as well, this season has been a step up in all regards. Overlord season 4 has turned me from finding the series boring, into a huge fan. I believe anyone that had a problem with the series being slow and not having enough plot progression will find Overlord now to be worthwhile with this latest installment.
kinshi-sutaro
I am one of the biggest fans of this work.. overlord 4 gave me what I wanted The story..The animation and mystery element And also the audio was and still what makes this anime great The story was also great, For this season, he presented a lot of surprising things and secrets that needed an answer, but not all of them, of course. I wish there were more episodes I think this anime deserves more than 13 But anyway, as long as the episodes are perfect, that's the most important. Anime is one of my favorite anime in this year and Without much talk, I hope there will bea fifth season because this anime is in one word masterpiece
Soulmask
Since this season got 8/10, I felt like I'd give Overlord a go since I stopped watching season 1 due to nonsensical plot. I was wrong. There is no redeeming value, simply the people who continued to watch season 4 are the people who enjoyed the first 3 seasons, so of course they would rate it high. Towards the end of season 4, I was really rooting for the antagonist to kill Ainz. Ainz is singlehandledly the most boring MC I ever had the mispleasure of watching, and the pain continued for 4 whole seasons. This is a power fantasy for people who enjoy beating singleplayer games with cheat codes. Now not only do we jump into the "game" in episode one, but Ainz does not react at all from being stuck in the game except a few sentences like "the server didnt shut down in the end" and "wow the NPCs talk now". Apart from that, he's all in for living inside the game, forgetting his real life which we don't see at all. How much sense does this make? None. None at all. The person behind Ainz would need to be a sociopath doubled with sudden amnesia for this reaction to make any sense. Basically the maker of this show wanted to surf the Isekai wave, so they made the minimum amount of effort so that this is considered an Isekai, and thats it. The overpoweredness is overbearing. There is no tension. We see the antagonists, or NPCs, talk to each other most of the time without Ainz. But this is senseless, because Ainz just comes in and sweeps them with one move. The humor not only falls flat, but I fail to even understand it, not because it's too complex, but because the humor is just weird. Like most of the jokes is Ainz inward monologue saying to himself "omg! why did this NPC react like this!" It's not funny. He has multiple female NPCs in love with him but is too much of a virgin to do anything. NPCs keep telling him how wise and machievelian he is, that he's the most intelligent supreme being. Then sometimes he's modest, sometimes he's not. Sometimes he's lenient and spares lives, sometimes he's ruthless and kills people. Why? No fucking idea. No explanation. He's just the best and knows everything, so I guess that's the explanation? No even that doesnt make sense. Ainz's minions keep sucking his dick throughout the show. "You're the best supreme being!" "Please sit on me Supreme Being!" Yes I'm not kidding, a supposedly honor-bound warrior lieutenant begs to be sat on. Then a young boy elf begs to sit on his lap, which is pretty damn weird, and then his right hand girl Albedo is jealous and wants to sit on his lap too. It's so cringe. Also, the dialogue when Ainz is not there and the NPCs are mostly boring. You really don't give a damn whether or not they're going to die or get conquered, and ultimately they get owned by Ainz in one move. The politics are boring and very surface level. Theres an empire and a kingdom. They both have multiple characters that are all less powerful than Ainz and all the characters of this show are either boring or mid as fuck. My favourite character was the Butler, and he is the focus of only one or two episodes which were the best ones, but considering this show has like 20 characters more important than him, it's simply not worth it. Clearly, this show must be for people who never got any respect their whole lives and have a deep fantasy of being a Mary Sue. Because that's what Ainz is, a Mary Sue that can't do anything wrong ever, even when it doesnt make any sense at all.
CHALOKLAM
after watching the 12 ep , I gave a nice 3 ... it 's a nice notation because I really liked the 3 seasons. BUT AFTER THE FINAL episode I changed for a 2 ... I dunno what happened to this anime, it completely changed in the very bad way... humour is gone, characters profils are ultra basic, the balance blabla /action became blabla only. it's now a very very bad anime. You have news characters coming from nowhere without any explain and next episode forgot them and move to any other arc in the season.flet like 4 teams worked at the same time on 3 episodes without any link and they mixed it in a thing they named overlord4. and one bonus ep at the end to end the season and maybe the all overlord anime. It's more a spin off or a Reboot of Overlord and I can"t consider this is overlord4 has a sequel of Overlord 1, 2 , 3 ... it's a new serie who use the design of Overlord cast ( in fact no , even this changed for Ainz...) They forget Overlord is a human player trapped in his MMORPG. It's now a real Maou sama ( seem like) it also deleted most of the casts who had a story development during season 1 to 3 ... it spent 80% of the time following the opposite side 4th level support cast, with endless blabla ( and you know how it will end when you have such an overpowered MC and his team) it remind me the feeling I had hen I watched OnePunch S2 ... you barely see the mains characters ( 30 sec at beginning episode and that's it) . The Art changed, it became The ultra generic shiny graphic we see in every jap-anim this year. It lost his specific pattern. Almost every episodes are full with useless blabla of characters you don't give a F ... I'm sure the all season4 could fit in 3 episodes of old style. Way to much episodes without a single action moment, following ONLY different groups of 4th level of supports characters ... in most anime those characters don't even have face and name because they are so not important. And This is what other Overlord viewers like because it got a 8.3 MAL notation !!!! I know I've different taste but common !!! 8.3 for this ???? it kept his 8,3 since ep 1 who is very bad start after the wonderfull final of season 3... no more comment on this ... The story lost itself completely goes every directions to end nowhere so even for a fantasy anime this is very bad, plus no action agin 8.3 seem impossible !!!! no spoil, but the ep13 is a concentrate and confirmation of the massive fail of this overlord4 as a sequel. Only 2 passables ep and all the rest was boring as hell and as a big fan of overlord, it was really painful to see my fav serie getting raped this way ... I kept hope until episode 4 ... and I'm glad I lost all hope this quick because after ep4 It's getting worst and reach the level of unwatchable. it's not a game anime or even a isekai type anymore, it s a fantasy anime but a really bad one. I didn't want to see the last ep13 but as a fan I had to. I expected nothing good from it and even without any expectation I was very disappointed. ( how can you like this final ??? humm ok maybe those who gave 9 and 10 to the 12st ep can ... ) Exemple of the change : fight with a super-overpowered character vs regular: it lost the fun, use the same instant death attack 95%of the season ... fight are way way to fast and basic for a pinacle moment you were waiting after 3 or more boring episodes. ep 11 was insult to the original Overlord character and still waiting where those characters came from ? ( and see this mix of style in many anime. I'm not a big fan of this mix of games univers but if it well made It's can be funny. this time it wasn't funny and the worst is : It was by far the best fight of the season4 and one of the passable episode, SIC... Overlord4 don't respect what made the success of this anime. Compare final of season 3 , the epic fight and the one of season 4 ... cry cry cry ( maybe they had no budget for it ... spend all the money of actors endless talk ) We are very far from season 1, 2 and 3 ( full of stories dev, lots of absurdes unbalanced fights but super funny, even the supports casts were nice to follow etc) conclusion : I'll consider Overlord stopped at season3. This time, I'll not be in hurry to see the overlord5 . But I'll watch it if it's free ... ( as a fan of the 3 seasons, prefer to see this show canceled , SIC )
SleepingSoMuch
The 4th season of Overlord did what the 3rd season couldn't, they finally made every single episode interesting, memorable, and exciting like they did with seasons 1 and 2. Don't get me wrong, I still loved season 3 for its own high points that got sprinkled throughout the season, but it was so far and in between that it eventually left a sour taste in my mouth and I never got the urge to rewatch it. Now what got me addicted to this show in the first place was obviously the first 2 seasons. They were complete masterpieces from start to finish and I've rewatchedthem both at least 5 times now. After waiting YEARS and finally getting to watch Overlord season 4 it completely satisfied that true overlord craving and I can't wait until the movie comes out!
R1D2MP
First, I don't judge who criticizes blindly or doesn't like this style of anime. I just don't like hypocrites writing something they haven't seen, or doing the "rule of 3" (watching the first three episodes and already wanting to criticize without even watching the whole thing). In my opinion, anime still has a lot of potentials to be one of the top global animes. However, I don't want that to happen, lest I end up being "overrated", and accidentally ruining the original context of the anime. Many animes that try to "reinvent" themselves or just satisfy the audience, end up being the ones I least recommendto acquaintances and friends, such as, for example, one of the most recent "Isekai Meikyuu de Harem wo", which tried to instigate the lascivious act after the episode 3. Nothing against classification, but when you try to instigate or force something, you end up pushing it away, or even creating repulsion. From Ainz's (Momonga's) perspective, it's what he avoids as much as he can, something forced that treats him like a soulless tyrant. Overlord doesn't try to get users/viewers to accept one side, but it does show a different perspective from the various Isekais shown, the "antagonism" side in the human perspective, and that part that made me become a fan of Overlord. In my current view (of myself), I similarly see myself with the Garou perspective of OPM, where I can understand both sides of the view between monsters and humans, and then decide which side I want to be on. My personal opinion of Anime vs the Real World: Seeing how the (real) world is in its current state, I feel it wouldn't be a bad idea to have an Ainz (like in the anime) rule over humans, humanoids, and non-humanoids alike. It's better than having multiple global (and national) "leaders" who fail to bring happiness (as addressed this season) to their people, and other humans, in a satisfying way. World peace (in the anime), depends on the perspective of each living being. In other words, it's the same thing Ainz addressed to Guildmaster Ainzach in the first episode. If humans saw and learned from these types of anime, maybe the world would be less bad to live in, for all species in our world. Anyway, I look forward to the next seasons of Overlord. And with that, I'll rerun each season again, so I'll see how much effort the development team put into bringing Overlord into our world.
Mega_Mega
Overlord's main issues are that it's unpleasant and boring. There are no stakes because we know Ainz and his minions are insanely OP and are going to win every fight. Everything almost always goes according to plan, and if it doesn't it goes even better than expected for our villain protagonist. Speaking of our villain protagonist, let's talk about the characters. Most of the Nazarick crew are entirely flat and static when it comes to character development, especially when it comes the past 2 seasons. Ainz somehow does whatever the opposite of character development is, having less and less of a personality over time. After how decentthe first 2 seasons were, I really wanted to believe that this story was going somewhere interesting, but, at least so far, Overlord has been yet another generic power fantasy. If you find the idea of an infinitely powerful skeleton slaughtering thousands of innocent people for dozens of episodes to be appealing, then you'd probably enjoy this. If you're looking for any kind of depth or substance, I'd recommend watching pretty much anything else.
Chief_AJ
Bone Daddy and his goons are back, and they are twisted as ever. This season had a much slower-paced set of events, which was actually a nice change as we got to see the story conclusions of multiple characters. I also think that this season had easily the darkest tone out of all of them up to date, as we saw a ruthless side of Ainz that was teased, but not shown to this amount before. It's another solid season in the books for Overlord. Art: 7 The art was good, it's nothing groundbreaking, but I'm willing to give that a pass since this season seemedmore political. The character designs are still fun and creative, and the music absolutely SMACKS, but overall it was good, but not great. Characters: 9 In my opinion, this was the best part of this season we got to see some more points of view for each character. We got to see more development for Ainz as well, whether it be good or bad, but what really carries this is the Princess. What they did with her character is great, and the way they concluded her story was even better. It was very enjoyable from a watcher's perspective. The reason it is not a 10 is that I felt like they built up some characters that were going to have a bigger role, but in reality, had one episode to shine(pandoras actor). Story: 7 Like I said before, this season was much slower-paced, in my opinion, is focused more on the characters than the actual set of events that happened, which is perfectly fine, but on the flip side that also means when there are characters on the screen that dont really do much to contribute, watching it can be boring at times. However, overall this season was still very enjoyable. I’d give it 8 Bone Daddy’s out of 10.
otherdummy
Very slight spoilers below. If there was a World Item that would magically turn Summer 2022 into an actually good season, I would do anything to obtain it. I would set up a tent under the nearby bridge and never worry about the real estate market again if it meant I didn’t have to see people raving about a 35-year old grooming a 14-year old. I would create an OnlyFans and join the bottom 99.5% of small, unsuccessful accounts if it meant that uninitiated watchers didn’t look to an emotionless pseudo-intelligent high-schooler as a flawless role model. I would become the world’s most authentic Indian sword-swallowerif I could have walked up to an incel character, complete with four cardboard wish-fulfillment girlfriends, and erased them off the character sheet. And if I could find any reason to care the slightest fuck about Overlord IV and its myriad of predictable events and hollow characters, I would gladly swim all the way to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and consume every last piece of debris until all the fishies and sea turtles from Kamchatka to Baja California can stay happy and clean. Overlord IV is the season where Overlord has finally run out of steam. Overlord I and II were pretty bad, but they did introduce characters or something. And Overlord III at least introduced the “MC might actually be kinda evil” schtick. But every joke, story, or plot twist in Overlord IV can be traced to one of the past 3 seasons. Still pining for old guild members? Been there. Bluffing that he knows everything to his subordinates? Done that. What about having the Pandora dude do some crazy big-brain pretend-to-be-someone-else thing or having Nazarick be evil and kill a bunch of people? Don’t worry, Season 3’s got that covered for you. Character development? Novelty? What’s that? Just feed the fans the exact same Nestle Baby Formula you’ve always been feeding them and the stream of money is guaranteed! It’s honestly not that surprising nowadays when authors go “Fuck it, coming up with new ideas is too hard, my franchise might get flamed, better reuse all the same shit” and squeeze every last bit of milk out of those who stay. Everything else about the anime can pretty much be copy-pasted from any other bad anime. Pacing is unbearably slow, characters never develop, CGI is bad (but better than before), baddies always act the same, backgrounds are generic, OST is kinda fine but doesn’t stand out, etc etc. Overlord IV looks identical to a low-effort moneygrab, and that is because it is one. The opportunity for passion and invigoration has long gone, and all the decisions are dictated by the dollar (or yen). There isn’t much more to say about Overlord IV. I hope that if you liked the previous seasons of Overlord, you will like this one. To everyone else, I can confidently state that Season 4 is exactly like the other seasons. If you gave S1 a shot and liked it, then sure, why not. But if you didn’t like it, or haven’t watched the first season yet, then I’d recommend choosing something else to spend your precious time on.
SpRayquaza11
Overlord is undoubtedly one of the best-built worlds, and has a great cast each with their own screentime all of which only make the world and story richer but many fail to realize that overlord as a whole is a story just about one often overlooked and trivial thing….. It's the story of a guy who is just lonely. “Death was sitting on that throne”~Jircniv s3 "Each move he made had meaning-"~also Jircniv s3 But the actual Ainz is…… “They hurt a man I liked for 5 mins, torture them, and make sure their death is painful!”~ Ainz The way overlord carries comedy with it is how ainz issupposed to be benevolent the all-knowing the all-seeing yet inside, he is the most confused person in the room! Overlord delves more into the character of ainz, he is now thoroughly bored of the Yss sir attitude and since he finally had a taste of meaningful intellectual conversation and debate, expressing his opinion and even negating some of ainz's statement was a great touch, he misses it dearly and Ainzach was able to tickle this bone of bone daddy and had managed to gather his respect this development of ainz and how he has changed and he still has a bit of his humanity left (solely due to his human origins his empathy is completely erased) The emotion suppression system forced on Ainz was not able to calm him on certain occasions, he liked conversation because sometimes, he just wishes to talk as equals and even wants to be reprimanded when being close-minded (Which ainz realizes he is being at one point).It was also a great touch, where this person who made such bold conversations with the sorcerer king is the only one who hears of the true dream of ainz. Ainz doesn't hold back anymore and any power fantasy kid will melt hearing him admit with overwhelming confidence that yes he is probably the strongest in this world right now. He doesn't do it for flaunting either, he does it out of respect for a warrior king The true despair that jirciniv goes into is a matter of both hilarity and pity. Because the lines of one his guards sum it up perfectly “Maybe he wasnt thinking of anything?” ~ demiurge thought that ainz led him to make that plan. KEKW these elements of both hopeless pity and hilarity as well as the combination of genuine storytelling told from the eyes of an overlord who just wants to make friends is a genius touch on the isekai gamer genre. this plot does not make the loner gain a harem or doesn't make him grind like a shield hero either, it is the irony of being a successful overlord and yet still being the loneliest soul even with the thousands who follow every one of your commands without question. The whole animation budget for this season was a real improvement, The CG while present is not horrible like s2 or s3 level.The fight scenes are some of the best any D&D nerd can get, with each move and spell adding up to lead to the true outcome of the battle. The fight against the warrior king had much better animation than much of s2 and 3. and so did the fight between the teased armor guy and the guardians from the OP. The sound and VA of overlord are top-notch as always, the VA of AInz really shows that beneath this overlord personality is just one lonely confused man with a huge responsibility. The ED is an absolute banger and so is the OP , the ED is simple images but they have the mindblowing level of detail and are cued rather well acc to audio, the OP is also another fan favorite and these are the department's overlord never misses a mark. THIS IS A MUST WATCH FOR ANY OVERLORD FAN, there is no doubt about it , since its way better than the previous installments which by themselves were quite well received.
Snapshot426
Papa Bone Daddy is back ladies and gentlemen. After 4 years, two seasons and a movie of Isekai Quartet and watching so many clips of the first three seasons, Overlord is indeed back. Now it goes without saying that I freaking love Overlord. I love how it constructs its world, it makes a story about overpowered characters enjoyable and is fleshed out by a large yet distinct cast of characters that are capable and have a purpose. It also is one of the best villain centric anime and makes them interesting and entertaining. Now sure, it ain’t perfect. Not every arc in the series hitsequal highs, not all characters are interesting and the animation seems to get worse with every season. But Overlord gets what it does right so damn well. It makes for a really good anime in my opinion. So much so that it has become a top 5 favourite anime of mine. I even started listening to the Light Novels on Audible; currently on Volume 3 at the time of writing this review. So it’s fair to say that Overlord IV was my most anticipated anime this season. Now, there were some things I wanted to see in this season in particular which I will tell as the review comes goes on, but I also didn’t want it to lose sight at what makes this series enjoyable for me, especially since it has been a long wait. So let’s bow TO THE GREAT SORCERER KING HIMSELF, AINZ OOAL GOWN as I present my review for Overlord season four. Let’s begin, shall we? Story: 7.5/10 I will keep spoilers to a bare minimum but I imagine those reading this review are along for the ride like I am. But to summarize the setup, the sorcerer kingdom has been established and Ainz is looking to attract adventurers and traders to the kingdom and to patch up things with the Re-Estize kingdom. He also wants to look for the Dwarven kingdom for his curiosity of rune smithing and the resources the trade agreements will bring. As is tradition when it comes to Overlord, world building takes top priority. Now that Nazerick and its denizens are more well known now, we need to see how the rest of the world reacts and responds. You obviously have the Re-Estize kingdom trying to maintain stability after what happened in season three, the Baramuth Empire and it trying to keep it’s relations between the Sorcerer kingdom and the Slane Theocracy balanced on good terms and the Slane Theocracy watching from the sidelines figuring how to deal with Ainz and his forces. The Slane Theocracy is the one that has gotten the least attention over the past three seasons and little has changed, although we find out more about their leaders, how they deal with things and their relation to the Empire, but I was hoping we could see more, especially with the two characters that were introduced at the beginning of season two and we still know nothing about them. To be fair though, it does sound like the Slane Theocracy will get more focus in the movie so that’s a wait and see. For now though, while it’s nice we got to know more about them, it just doesn’t feel like it’s enough. As for the arcs, there are three this season. The first arc is a nice continuation from the last arc of season three and seeing how these nations reacted to the might of Nazerick and the establishment of the Sorcerer Kingdom. The second arc is focused on the dwarvern kingdoms and it’s honestly the weakest part of the season for me. Finally, the last arc addresses one of my expectations that I will get into. Starting with the dwarven arc, it does continue to show one of Overlord’s biggest strengths, it’s world building and giving it the time to let us see this world more and giving us good reasons for doing so. But in execution, it’s not done as well as previous arcs in the series. It’s mainly because of how it establishes these new characters. Overlord has a large cast but why that is hardly a problem is because of how they make use of their screentime by picking up things from their personality and thoughts without dragging it on and using them in the right moment to help establish them and giving them their own moment to shine, regardless of it being brief or not, to make them memorable and recognisable when they are on screen. For example, while Zaryusu Shasha has hardly appeared after the Lizardmen arc in season two, he still had his moment to shine when he fought against Cocytus to make him memorable and recognisable in later seasons. This arc lacks that, it lacks that kind of character moment that makes them recognisable. Not to say there aren’t any, probably the closest would be the leader of the Quagoa (a subterrian race at war with the dwarfs), Pe Riyuro and his tough decision he had to make for the sake of his people. But the dwarves don’t have that really, even though the focus is on them. Despite it being paced well and having some nice brief character moments, mainly with the denizens of Nazerick, it is an arc that doesn’t reach the highs of the series best due to it lacking that moment to make the characters stand out. Not to say they aren’t memorable, but given how Overlord operates, they might not get the time they need. That also doesn’t mean I don’t think they can’t get their moment to shine. This season has proved it can happen with Prince Zanac. But for now, you can recognise them but they lack a compelling moment to make them truly stand out. As for the other two arcs, they both address one of the things I wanted to see this season do and that was give a sense of payoff to all of this world building. This is because this series is focusing on building its world and has nothing really to make use of all this world building The second arc was obviously to continue that world building but the first and third arc this season was more focused on delivering that payoff. We now see how the main three human nations react to a force that is overwhelming and what their best course of action is and does this by using its established characters while giving us some new ones and see what the next course of action is. This is what makes these two arcs work because of those characters and world it developed and uses them to make a big impact on the plot. Even more smaller details like how Ainz (not Momon) uses Clementine’ Stilettos in a gladiatorial fight. It takes its world building, characters and story moments and uses it in exciting ways to make these arcs fun to watch because now you are just seeing this all unfold and because it took its time to show it, it leaves a more lasting impact. (This is going to be a long review for me to do, isn’t it?) Characters: 9/10 Overlord’s other main strength has always been its characters. Overlord has never always focused on Ainz and likes to showcase the other characters of this world as well to help establish what this world is like and it has always been for the better. It helps change perspective on things from a different pair of eyes as to how they would react to a force that is beyond them and wonder if they will make out of this unscathed and wish the bad people get f**ked up for something we know they shouldn’t have. Following overpowered characters everywhere will eventually get boring so how about we look at it from another perspective, get to know them better and pray for their lives or wish they were killed if they deserved it What also helps is that they don’t throw everything at you, so you know they still have tricks up their sleeves. It what keeps Overlord’s overpowered characters refreshing and doesn’t fall into the traps of other power fantasy Isekai. Season four is no different. It still follows other perspectives as you will see but now the situation is on thin ice as anything could happen to provoke the Sorcerer Kingdom. One spark could set up a bomb that would annihilate everyone and now you see some characters trying to think their way around this, while others are just f**king things up for themselves and the people around them. The three main characters that stood out this season was also the standout character from each arc. Like I didn’t do it on purpose, it just kind of went that way. So the first standout character from the first arc is easily Emperor Jircniv mainly because of his growing paranoia. It was very funny seeing him losing his mind due to him being downright terrified of the might of Ainz and the rest of the Socerer Kingdom. It was also a good continuation point after season three as to how he would react to what happened at the end of last season. Seeing a man who was prideful and smartly aware now has been reduced to the opposite of that was very entertaining as you now see how the power of Ainz Ooal Gown is affecting people who have lived to tell the tale. It addresses another thing I wanted to see this season is how will the people of this world who don’t bow down to Ainz react to a force that is seemingly way stronger than them and seeing Jircniv losing his mind to fear and paranoia is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Even if the truth would be muttered, he would still doubt it to be true and it’s nice to see one of my favourite characters from season three continue to be one of my favourites. The second arc’s standout to me was Shalltear. After her blunder in season one that turned her into a glorified chair in season two, seeing her trying to redeem herself was really the main selling point of this arc for me. You could tell that she really is trying to take note of everything Ainz does to make up for her mistakes but also do what Ainz wants his subordinates to do and that’s think freely for themselves, which Shalltear also takes to heart. It just goes to show that its not just the characters outside of Nazerick that makes this cast feel lively but also the residents of Nazerick as well that help round out this cast and actually gives them excuse to have reasonable character development to monsters who don’t need to get any stronger and need other ways to give them growth. The third arc’s standout is Zanac, prince of the Re-Estize kingdom and is probably the most distinct character this season because my word, there has been a complete 180 turnaround of his character. In season two, we were introduced to him as a snobby, greedy, fat b**terd of a Prince that you wouldn’t mind seeing perishing. This season though, a completely different perspective of his character, showcasing that he is a dauntless man that when push comes to shove, he will do what is right. It shows why the show’s focus on its supporting cast is just as important because without, you wouldn’t really care what happened to him and he would just be another name for Ainz and co. to roll over. But the fact we are given the time this season; we see his resolve, it changes your outlook on not just him, but all characters like Brain Unglass starting out as a thief in season one to a fearless warrior by the end of this season. Zanac is a prime example of this season however and is one of the highlights of this season as one of its standout characters. That’s not to say the rest of the cast wasn’t enjoyable. Hell, for the criticism I had for the second arc, I still liked the characters that were introduced with the standout being Hejinmal, a bloated frost dragon who was smart enough to know that he didn’t stand a chance against Ainz and co. And then there is Philip, a poor noble and a complete delusional and cocky b**terd who thinks he can eventually get what he wants, even trying to win the favour of Albedo when we all know that he essentially planting his own death flag. Characters that have already been established get good moments. Albedo seems to get thirstier with each season and it’s very cool to see her and princess Renner hit it off. Ainz still seems to be winging it and it seems to get funnier with each passing moment when the situation gets bigger and more complex with the usual, “SASUGA, AINZ-SAMA,” to top it off. I could go on and on about other characters like the members of the Blue Roses, the Dwarfs, the other floor guardians of Nazerick, Pandora’s actor, but I think you get my point. All characters, no matter how relevant to the plot, can leave a lasting impression that will make them recognisable later down the line. While Ainz is the central character in all this and still easily stands out as one of, if not, the best Isekai protagonist in anime, it’s the cast around them that helps make this truly special. But like I said a couple of sentences ago, what makes Ainz just as good in this season as in previous seasons is that now that the situation is escalating, him basically going along with it is causing him more trouble than its worth and actually gives him a new different kind of challenge, rather than a straight up fight because we will know who would win. Animation: 6.5/10 (Yep, it’s going to be a long review) Animation was going to be interesting to watch because Overlord was slowly dipping in that aspect due to the increase use of CG that looked like ass. It was one of things I wanted to see this season was were they going to improve the CG? I can say though they have improved in some aspects in the CG department but in other ways, it looks like they’ve gone back to things we hated about it. Some of the CG problems last season had reared its ugly head here as well, with same face soldier syndrome that plagued last season has also appeared this season as well, although less egregious than last time thankfully. But there are some notable scenes in this show where the CG has improved when its less focused on massive blobs and more individual characters. The big fight in episode twelve is the big standout here where it has noticeably improved so it is actually a fun fight to watch. In terms of traditional animation, Overlord as always been solid in that department with the character designs as well helping them be more distinct from one another, although drawing them at a distance has not yielded best results. In summery there have been some improvements in the animation department but some things still hold them back. Sound: 7.5/10 Soundtrack pretty much remains the same, being a grandiose feeling ost that can really sell a scene but also stand out in its own way. Here, it’s no different, it’s still used well and it still does well to enhance the scene its being used. It just sells the might of Nazerick by having something loud to tell you who is the real power here. But also have more light hearted soundtrack when it wants to step back and relax for a bit. One of my criticisms in season three though was the lack of standout new tracks. Here, it’s no different because the ones I remember being used this season, were the ones that were being used in previous seasons. Well, besides the one that played in the final episode. It’s still a great OST, don’t get me wrong, but it is still a gripe. In terms of OP and ED, unfortunately, MYTH & ROID are absent this season which feels like a crime if you ask me. Their EDs were good while the opening from last season, “Voracity” was the best Overlord OP out of the three. Thankfully though, OxT makes their return with their best OP for Overlord to date. Titled “HOLLOW HUNGER,” this is probably the best I’ve heard from Oxt and I like it over the other two they’ve done because they don’t over rely on using vocaloid when singing the lyrics to the point you don’t know what they are saying like in OP 1. Listen, I like “Clattanoia” but that OP is starting to age quite badly in my opinion. And I think it’s used at the right tone, unlike OP 2, “Go Cry Go.” It strikes a nice balance if you ask me. I also love the instrumentals here because it’s pumping you up but also sound like something you would not usually hear from OxT. It’s smooth, it’s cool, it’s something that you want to learn how to tango under. This is something I can listen to again and again and not be fed up with. In fact, I have. Visuals as well are solid, showcasing its cast in fun ways and provides some brief but good action. If Yofukashi no Uta’s OP didn’t exist, this would be my OP of the season. Is it better than season three’s, “Voracity”? That’s up to debate really because it’s damn close. Okay, so technically MYTH & ROID are not doing the ED but we do have a consolation prize with Mayu Maeshima, the original singer of MYTH & ROID and did the first ED for Overlord. Now she has done the performance for this this ED, titled "No Man's Dawn". Honestly though, I think It’s the weakest ED in the series. I’m not saying it’s bad but compared to the other EDs, I enjoyed this one the least. The artwork is still gorgeous to look at but that is a given at this point. I just feel like they ain’t creative with this one, showcasing the members of Nazerick in expressions that we already know what they are like, but does it in a way that feels plain. It lacks a bit of chaotic energy, or in the case of season three’s ED, a foreboding feeling (God that ED was so good). Maeshima puts in a good performance but the lack of creativity in the visuals hurts the performance more than it helps honestly. But it is paced and timed well to help make it better. Like I said, it isn’t a bad ED, far from it, but compared to the others, it feels like the weakest. I didn’t think they were going to top season three anyway. To me, they peaked there. Conclusion: Season four of Overlord provided me with what I was looking for this season. Some needed payoff, the continued world building filled with interesting characters and some improvement over the CG. The only thing I would say is a miss is probably new pieces for the OST. It did stumble in the second arc but was still solid and the other two arcs were really enjoyable and reminded me why I loved Overlord, it’s world and the characters in it. They really are the main selling points and there are few shows that will take their time to get to know their large cast of characters and give them some depth and character development. It makes what happens to them more meaningful and provides a bigger impact than it normally would. It just makes me happy as a big fan that Overlord is back and also maintains the quality of enjoyment that was also provided in previous seasons. It really puts a smile on my face that we got more when it seemed like it wouldn’t happen, considering it was a rarity for Madhouse to do more than one season. The question is now is where do we go from here? Well there is a movie scheduled to be coming later down the line that will cover volumes 12 & 13, whereas this season covered volumes 10, 11 and 14. Side note, they better up the animation again for the movie. They can’t expect to get away with that quality. Then we may get an announcement of a possible season five two or three years down the line, since there are more volumes to cover but only two haven’t been covered yet. They might just wait until the light novel is finished to wrap it all up. Honestly, I’m not going to say where this one ranks among the rest of them, because it’s right to treat them one collective package that is needed to understand the whole picture that this series provides. One aspect briefly touched on one season could be expanded in another. Overlord still remains one of my favourite anime of all time and I fully believe in saying that this season is worth a watch for people who like this show. Sure, it won’t change people’s minds that already down on this series but to each their own. I liked it and that is what matters to me. My Personal Enjoyment: 10/10 Overall Score: 8.1/10 Recommendation: Watch It (Jesus Christ that took a while to do. This is actually my longest review now. Editing going to be a pain in the ass isn’t it?) (Update: Not as bad as I thought it would be.)
Marinate1016
Overlord has been one of the most beloved and popular isekai series of this generation, and for good reason. A “villainous” MC, dark fantasy setting and a really interesting RPG like game world that only grows more and more mysterious with each episode. Season 1 was amazing, season 2 was a regression and season 3 a borderline abomination in terms of pacing, animation and direction. Fortunately, season 4 has really been a return to form for one of this generation’s most popular fantasy franchises. When seasons 2 and 3 of overlord dropped, Madhouse were in the midst of a bankruptcy that saw massive changes at thestudio. Thoese changes were very apparent in the poor CGI, rushed story and questionable direction of the two seasons. It was really a shame since the volumes those seasons covered had some really important information. I highly recommend going back to check those out. Fortunately, there’s no such issues this time around. Overlord IV not only faithfully adapts volume 10, 11 and 14, but in some cases even surpasses the source material. Truly the highest praise that can be given to a Light Novel adaptation. The only complaint I have with the adaptation is how this season covers 10, 11 and 14 and the upcoming movie will be 12 and 13. Seems a bit odd to do things that way, but if anyone has earned the benefit of the doubt, it’s Madhouse. The volumes that this season covers are highly political and strategic. There’s not a lot of battles or physical action, instead the excitement comes from the back room deals being made and political negotiations between Nazerick and the Re-Estize Kingdom. The series appeal has always been Ainz’ morally grey nature and it’s on full display here. Wiping an entire nation off the face of the earth purely because they stole some supplies from you? Sign me up. That’s exactly the type of dark villainous actions that made me fall in love with this franchise. As the saying goes, “it’s good to be bad”. Seeing a character not bound by the same moral code that most people are accustomed to seeing from protagonists is so refreshing. If you’re a God with all the power in the world, why wouldn’t you do what you want? As I touched on earlier, the direction in Overlord IV is the best it’s ever been in the series. Madhouse really took their time slowly but surely crafting a compelling narrative and leading up to an insane climax. There were several episodes that were legitimately just characters at a table talking, but it felt like they went by in the blink of an eye because of how well directed they were. When it was necesarry to use CGI, it was actually really good. But for the most part the hand-drawn action scenes made up the bulk of the big set pieces and they were great. Production wise, the only thing that really disappointed me is the fact we didn’t get Myth and Roid back for the OP or ED. I really hope that they come back for the movie as they’re dark melancholic sound is perfect for this world. Overlord IV is an awesome come back story for Madhouse Studio and for this franchise. The source material is just too good for it to not get love like this. I certainly hope that this trend continues into the movie and additional seasons of the anime Overlord IV gets 9 world items out of 10.
KANLen09
SASUGA AINZ-SAMA! For the 4th (and possibly the final) time. It's been a long while since we've ever anticipated anything new about Overlord...well, ANYTHING besides the Isekai Quartet "spin-off" chibi series that for some reason, has progressed much faster in the 4-year gap since Season 3 came out. YES, you heard me right. Season 1 came out in Summer 2015, EXACTLY 7 years ago, and then Seasons 2 and 3 in quick succession in Winter and Summer 2018, which was a terrible mistake for Madhouse since it was basically crunch time that ultimately landed on subpar production values that are abysmal for Overlord standards. The SorcererKing Ains Ooal Gown ONLY demands the best of the best, and thankfully, after 4 long years of abstinence that Madhouse is entering a new revival, the production team has pulled a 180 on us to say that "Thou aren't gonna be on par with You-Zitsu Season 2's standards where all mistakes shall dolt continue!" and learnt from their missteps to finally give us Season 4, which could arguably be the most important and exhilarating season of Overlord to date. So, with Season 4, we enter Volumes 10 (The Ruler of Conspiracy), 11 (The Craftsman of Dwarf) and 14 (The Witch of the Falling Kingdom) of novelist Kugane Maruyama's LN with Ains Ooal Gown's coronation as the Sorcerer Kingdom's Sorcerer King, ready to transform his kingdom into a utopia, a thriving world with various races that will submit to his authority. On that note, you might be wondering why Volumes 12 and 13 were skipped entirely, and that's because both volumes focus on The Paladin of the Holy Kingdom arc, which was announced last year that alongside Season 4, the series would get its 3rd film that would adapt both volumes. So, think of it as sorta like a canon event that happened before the 2nd half of Season 4, but again like the actual season itself, has been some of the most brutal and devilish moments of the source material yet. Nevertheless, it's pretty much assumed that LN readers were dying to see these moments animated as the Sorcerer King Ains lays his plan of his own ideal utopia, seeing that his own Sorcerer Kingdom was severely lacking resources and adventurers. And the next target he's locking his eyes onto are those that aren't seen by the wayside (the creatures not yet tapped upon) to the bigger fish that is the Re-Estize Holy Kingdom (not the Slane Theocracy as Crunchyroll somehow messed up the translation). The return of Ains and his Floor Guardians are always the highlights of Overlord, but also not forgetting people like the Blue Rose adventurers and the people of the Holy Kingdom as they play a part on Ains's puzzle-piecing plan to make his name known all over the world. Failure to do so, then death is imminent either way. This is truly Overlord at its best, and it's a great return to form. That return to form is supported by Madhouse getting better at their craft, especially on the CGI front that after Season 3's heinous job done, it becomes more tolerable and isn't jarring to look at, a good job on that. Also, Season 4 has just about the improvement made back to the usual Overlord standards of visually looking at its very best. It's the same story on the musical front as OxT is back for another OP, and it sounds just as fantastic as it should be. Things get more impressive for former MYTH & ROID member Mayu Maeshima, as "No Man's Dawn" could potentially be the best ED ever in Overlord's entire OST. It's a no-brainer at this point if you're already deeply ingrained into the Overlord franchise that's now 3 seasons and 2 movies in, plus the Isekai Quartet chibi series. Every season feels like a bloodbath, and it only gets bigger and better one after the another, all culminating into a huge battle fest that is Season 4. Ainz Ooal Gown's story is badder than life, and glory to Nazarick and the Sorcerer King.
Mcsuper
Fans and haters of Overlord all know that Ainz is probably one of the most overpowered isekai protagonists out there. In this season, that is no exception. This series follows a similar formula throughout its run, and that formula is “People underestimate Ainz, and then get slaughtered”. This time around, the characters are actually somewhat catching on that, yes, Ainz is nearly unbeatable, so maybe we should work with him instead. To me, I think that the change in formula made the series a bit boring, but there were also quite a few other issues that presented themselves in this season. My grading criteria: Story: /25Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 11.2/25 The story isn’t by any means messy, it’s just that I struggled to care about the plot this season. In the previous seasons, we saw a whole lot more emphasis on side characters and their developments, which was great. From the Lizardmen arc in Season 2, to the Two Leaders arc with Enri and Nphirea in Season 3, say what you will about the arcs, but personally, they just felt way more impactful than whatever what shown in this season. This season focused a lot on Ainz taking over kingdoms and empires, for his goal of destroying the Re-Estize kingdom. There were a lot of political strifes and discussions sprinkled throughout as well, but it felt so insignificant. The jump from arc to arc felt very self-contained and not connected enough, which really lowered the significance of Ainz’s opposition throughout the series. Sure, there are some plot twists, and some rather satisfying and shocking moments, but I didn’t take much away from the plot this season compared to the other three seasons. ART: 7/10 This show still looks a tad mediocre, but the CGI was slightly less prevalent, although clearly present. Not as jarring, but not the best still. MUSIC: 8.4/10 The one thing that Overlord has kept consistent throughout the years was its music. The OP and ED were pretty solid once again, and worth listening to over and over. CHARACTERS: 10/20 The characters from Nazarick never really intrigued me a whole lot, and with the focus being on them a bit more this season, it felt much more boring to me. Ainz is still the same as over, though he seemed more cold this season, Albedo is still her same fun self, Aura and Mare are still powerful, overall just much of the same. One key difference which felt a bit shocking to me was how “childish” Shalltear felt in this season. At some points, she felt like a newcomer learning the ropes of how the Nazarick group functioned, which was kind of weird. It was great to see Pandora’s Actor getting a chance to shine this season though. Once again, I found the side characters and opposition of Nazarick more interesting, from Jircniv, Zanac, and many more, it’s always fun to see the futile schemes of Ainz’s opposition. ENJOYMENT: 9.5/15 There were some exciting moments, but a lot of it was boring, which was unfortunate. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 9/20 A key element in Overlord is how they execute Ainz’s supremacy over every other group in the world, and this time around, it felt really flat. The deaths that Ainz caused felt too quick and easy, and lacking in intrigue. Didn’t really feel for anyone, since the characters weren’t exactly developed very well. OVERALL: 55.1/100 It’s always fun to watch the futile struggles of Ainz’s opposition, but I wished they focused on the opposition more to be honest. We know how powerful Ainz is, so I’m ok with him getting less screen time. The side characters are in my opinion what makes this show more compelling, and I felt considerably more bored of this season than any other. The movie will be coming out later on, so I’ll be sure to give that a watch when it comes out.
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