Yggdrasil is a virtual reality
MMORPG in the year 2126 in which players can seemingly enter the game for real
and enjoy unusually considerable freedom of interaction within an expansive map
(maybe like a more advanced version of Ready Player One’s OASIS). It has become highly popular in Japan, but after a 12-year run, the servers are
finally scheduled to be shut down.
A max-level player, who has the in-game
name “Momonga” and the avatar of an elder lich, is the last devoted member of Ainz
Ooal Gown, one of the most elite guilds of Yggdrasil. His teammates have already quit the game and moved
on with their lives, and he’s the only one left looking over the guild’s
headquarters – The Great Tomb of Nazarick.
Out of sentimentality, he decides to stay logged in until the game shuts
down.
To his astonishment, the end doesn’t come. The game world doesn’t vanish and he isn’t returned to the real world once the clock hits the shutdown time. Instead, he finds himself, along with The Great Tomb of Nazarick, transported to a fantasy world. He has retained his powerful skeletal appearance, while the fiercely loyal Nazarick NPCs, who are extremely powerful themselves, have suddenly gained sentience. So with immense magic and a mighty undead army at his disposal, Momonga, who soon renames himself Ainz Ooal Gown in honor of his guild, has no other choice but to explore – and invade – the new world before him.
That’s Overlord, an anime which debuted in 2015 but just had its second season this
2018 (it was fortunate that I just got into it as I got the pleasure of watching both seasons immediately instead of waiting three years in between). I decided to pick it up in order to
satisfy my cravings for more No Game No Life due to its somewhat similar premise.
What’s not similar, though, is
the pacing. No Game No Life has a faster pace.
However, since 2014, it’s still stuck at 11 episodes (excluding the OVA). Meanwhile, Overlord now has 23 episodes (excluding the OVAs). Thus, as of writing, I believe the respective
protagonists stand on the same points of their world-domination timetable. But Momonga/Ainz may soon surpass Sora and
Shiro as Overlord’s season 3 is set
later this year; no news yet when’s No
Game No Life season 2.
Anyway, the slow pacing is probably
mostly due to how Ainz would take his time in making moves. His goal is, of course, expand the influence
and control of Nazarick (partly, in the hope of coming into contact with other
Yggdrasil players if ever there such who transitioned to that world as well). Being ridiculously powerful, he can effortlessly
overwhelm his enemies. However, he doesn’t
attack immediately. He is prudent and
very analytical. He always looks at the
bigger picture, and determines what move will yield the most benefits. Therefore, though he also makes missteps,
they rarely occur.
There might as well be a slow
pace since this provides the room for “big story moments” to be built up well and
worldbuilding to be accomplished intricately.
The cost is some boring parts – mostly when the story shifts away from Ainz
– but the payoffs make them worth it and then some. Most importantly, the slow pace is apt to
flesh out a Game of Thrones extent of characters. Yes, aside from Ainz and his Nazarick minions,
the narrative focuses on other characters of that world as well. Hence, there are often multiple arcs to
follow, and they aren’t at all homogeneous.
They come in a variety of forms, from adventuring to political scheming to mentoring. Not all of them are interesting, but no arc is ever pointless. In addition to this, developed characters are
sometimes even killed off.
But the anime’s biggest appeal nevertheless
lies on Ainz and the expansion of his kingdom.
It’s quite absorbing seeing him gradually execute his plans, as he applies the wisdom and skills he has gained through years of gaming experience. He’s also a three-dimensional character. Though he has basically become a lord of the
undead, he is still human inside. He can
be ruthless and will kill without remorse, but he still values compassion and
honor. He performs Machiavellian manipulations
and deceptions, but his endgame is seemingly noble. He will wage war for lasting peace. He’s a character wrapped in ironies. Moreover, there’s also some heartwarming tenderness whenever he begins to miss his friends, reminiscing the joy he felt
when he was still playing with them, especially when he sees their personalities manifest on the NPCs they created or when he decides to apply the principles that he had learned
from them.
Overall, Overlord is a lot of fun. It’s
not exactly a remarkably profound or subversive anime, but the charming worldbuilding, compelling characters, and enjoyable premise do make it a stand-out.
Season 3 is in July!
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