Overlord IV

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]

Momonga Main

Hino, Satoshi Japanese

Albedo Supporting

Hara, Yumi Japanese

Bloodfallen, Shalltear Supporting

Uesaka, Sumire Japanese

Gamma, Narberal Supporting

Numakura, Manami Japanese

Demiurge Supporting

Katou, Masayuki Japanese

Sebas Tian Supporting

Chiba, Shigeru Japanese

Pandora's Actor Supporting

Miyano, Mamoru Japanese

Zeta, Entoma Vasilissa Supporting

Shindou, Kei Japanese

Evileye Supporting

Hanamori, Yumiri Japanese

Fiora, Aura Bella Supporting

Katou, Emiri Japanese

Kikushima, Kazufumi Producer

Yoshida, Yuuki Producer

Isogai, Noritomo Producer

Nakahigashi, Toyokazu Producer

Reviews

Jul 1, 2024

Momnga_Ainz

Recommended

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 also ... sick 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.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Aug 13, 2024

MatthewTCG

Mixed Feelings

**Overlord Season 4: A Complex Journey with a Divisive Protagonist**

*Overlord* Season 4 is a season that left me with conflicting emotions, largely due to the direction taken with its central character, Ainz Ooal Gown. While the series continues to deliver on its dark fantasy premise with rich world-building and intricate political maneuvering, my growing discomfort with Ainz as a protagonist made this season a more challenging watch.

From the beginning, Ainz has always been a morally ambiguous character, but in Season 4, this ambiguity tipped more toward outright villainy. His decisions and actions throughout the season made it increasingly difficult for me to root for him. ... Instead of cheering for his success, I often found myself hoping he would fail or be thwarted by those opposing him. This shift in my perspective was unexpected and left me feeling disconnected from the story's intended trajectory.

The narrative pushes Ainz further down a path of conquest and domination, showcasing his strategic brilliance but also his ruthless disregard for anyone standing in his way. While this is consistent with the dark tone of the series, it also made me question whether I wanted to continue following a character whose goals and methods I no longer supported. The moments where Ainz’s cold, calculated nature overshadowed any hint of humanity or empathy were particularly unsettling, making it hard to stay invested in his journey.

The season’s pacing exacerbated this disconnect. Key events unfolded with a sense of inevitability, as if Ainz’s success was a foregone conclusion, leaving little room for tension or doubt. This made the narrative feel somewhat one-sided, with Ainz's victories coming at the cost of any real challenge or opposition that could have added depth to his character arc.

Despite these issues, there were still aspects of the season that I appreciated. The animation quality was solid, and the world-building continued to expand in interesting ways. The supporting characters, while not always fully developed, provided some respite from Ainz's increasingly dark path. However, these positives were overshadowed by my growing discomfort with Ainz as the focal point of the series.

In the end, *Overlord* Season 4 left me with mixed feelings. While I can appreciate the series' commitment to its dark themes and complex storytelling, my disconnect with Ainz as a protagonist made it difficult to fully enjoy this season. For those who revel in the darker aspects of the story, this season will likely satisfy, but for me, it marked a turning point where I found myself questioning my investment in Ainz’s journey.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Aug 2, 2024

MatzoiWu

Not Recommended

ah yes, the plague of most fantasy anime nowadays:
S1: lots of fun, lots of thing happening, lots of development
S2: it gets toned down a bit but still fun
S3: stale, slow, gets political
S4: goes full political and boring. Forget all the fun, all the action, all the development and all the things happening. Here are some episode-long dialogues that nobody cares about, here are some antagonists making sophisticated plans that have absolutely no value to the fun factor of the show and no weight because you already know that the god almighty protagonist will whipe them out in a second, so why waste screen time with ... that. Ah, and remember those well developed characters from the first seasons? well, now they're just hollow shells of what they used to be. This season could have been a 90 min movie.

Reviewer’s Rating: 1

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	Poll: Overlord IV Episode 10 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Sep 6, 2022	322 replies	by TheOtherJN »» Oct 4, 8:58 PM
	Poll: Overlord IV Episode 8 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) Stark700 - Aug 23, 2022	205 replies	by TheOtherJN »» Oct 4, 7:55 PM
	Poll: Overlord IV Episode 3 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 ) Stark700 - Jul 19, 2022	157 replies	by RodxD »» Oct 2, 5:05 AM