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War always bring forth the potential for an interesting story. Between battle decisions, political maneuvers, individual's motivations mixed with the history of the battling countries or organizations, war has so many avenues to tell a story. In Madan no Ou to Vanadis we are confronted with that same potential at the beginning.

I'm normally very into the shows that have a fantasy setting and while the fantasy setting shown here had a lot of promise, I felt that the show never talked about the lore, explained the lore or even made it clear why everything was going on. Sure I can connect the ... dots for the basic reasons people go after individuals, but the best part of the fantasy setting is that you never know which way the story will turn. Unfortunately the lore is never clarified and it remains a fog that hovers around the story.

Despite the lack of development with dragon's and war maidens and why other people can harness powers, the actual war campaign is done well. It is original and at times slightly predictable but overall it was executed well. The explanations around battle plans was a nice change of pace and the use of chess like pieces simulated a war room or a war council meeting. It provided a more holistic view of the battle and it allowed me to view certain parts of the show through a different lens. The show does, however, make some dramatic jumps and at times does not explain all the places that are mentioned. I still couldn't tell you where some of the places were despite all the maps I viewed during the show.

Most of the characters are fun, but they are not developed, similar to the lore. The story is written during an age with counts, kings and nobles, so if you dislike people being loyal and polite for the sake of it this show might not be for you. The partnership that develops between the two main characters is fun, in a silly type of way, but not meaningful. There is also your dash of fan-service mixed in with the classic focus on breasts as the comedic relief.

Overall I enjoyed the show. It definitely had some flaws, and I wish the show developed the characters backstory and the lore more, but I looked passed them as I watched the show to see the construction and deconstruction of war. If you're into medieval war, which some special powers and you enjoy watching someone skilled with a bow (I know I do), then you should try this show out. If you get frustrated when lore is not thoroughly explained or when characters are superficial this show is probably not for you.

I have a bias towards shows that fall under the stuck in a game genre, but even more so towards fantasy. So please understand, I thoroughly enjoyed this show.

While the concept of being stuck in a game has been seen more frequently, I enjoyed the approach Overlord took. In the past, all shows involved people becoming stuck in the game and the main goal is always survival and returning home. Overlord took a different approach. Sure anyone stuck in a game has hopes and desires to return to the real world, but it is definitely not the overarching theme in Overlord. ... Instead we find ourselves in a world where there might be nobody from the original game. This allows us to learn about the, main character, the main character's friends and his former allies from the personalities of the floor guardians and every other NPC created by his guild. The approach is different too because with his overwhelming power, the main character views the former NPCs more so as children and representations of his friends.

For some people the blinding loyalty each floor guardian has towards the main character is extreme, but given the circumstances that he is the only remaining creator it is understandable where the NPC's are coming from. It also can be hilarious, if you can relate to the concept of watching over and teaching children, for their arguments and decisions mirror the actions of loyal children. Maybe too an extreme, but that ridiculous adds to the hilarity. However, I can see this being one of the biggest obstacles for many people. I believe that if your truly understand the situation and really think about the relationship between creator and created it adds a unique element to the story. If you cannot do that I foresee many characters falling short of expectations for some.

The setting also sets the show apart as instead of the classic, fight, power level up we see across many animes, this setting the character is not only already extremely powerful, but he has a gigantic fortress and equally powerful allies right at the start. This allows for a different avenue to learn about the world and a different lens through which we view the world.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Overlord, laughed at the ridiculous comments made by the created, and enjoyed watching an overpowered mage dismantle the obstacles that appeared before him. I would recommend Overlord to anyone who likes the fantasy genre (more so magic or undead) or the trapped in a game genre. I myself found the show, and finished the 13th episode a few hours later. Hopefully you will feel the same jubilation.