Finally...
I've waited since November and it was only a couple of days ago that this movie was released officially in my local cinema.
For reference, I read Volumes 12 and 13 which are the source material for this movie, back in January 2020, 5 whole years ago, or half a decade if you will...
IF you look at my profile and banner, you'd be right to assume that I'm a huge Overlord fan, and while I admit I am biased, I can assure you this movie is far from perfect!
The Main Characters
However, first I'd really love to rejoice! Seeing Ainz Ooal Gown in a theatre with all
...
his Glory is a true spectacle, and it felt like a dream come true to finally see Neia Baraja, animated, moving and talking... It's actually surreal, she's as adorable and lovable as I imagined her to be. I daresay one of my favourite characters outside of Nazarick! On that note, the movie did her character arc total justice. Completely. As an animated medium, this is as good as it gets, anything more can really only be achieved through text-based media or a shitton of exposition had the movie attempted to convey all her thoughts and monologue from the LN. Though if you did read them, I'll assure you, this girl is a precious one :) Additionally, the number 1 most hated character of the arc, Remedios Custodio AKA Retardio~as the fandom calls her is just as annoying and aggravating as she is in the LN.
Grand Scheme
The Sacred Kingdom is yet another expansion project that Demiurge and Albedo have set their eyes on for Nazarick's conquest of World Domination.
If you remember the 'carrot and stick' analogy for their plan, you'd realize that the Sacred Kingdom is the recipient of the so-called 'carrot' whereas Re-Estize is the unfortunate recipient of the 'stick' of which is the catalyst for their total annihilation, In contrast, The Sacred Kingdom was saved by the Sorceror Kingdom's Supreme Wizard King, Ainz.
Of course, it goes without saying that all of the Sacred Kingdom's and Re-Estize Kingdom's issues were a grand scheme, a farce, fabricated incidences that'd turn the Sacred Kingdom into the Sorceror Kingom's ally. Different from the Baharuth Empire which is a vassal state, but it doesn't matter since The Northern Sacred Kingdom's ruler, Caspond, is a doppelganger pawn with absolute loyalty towards Demiurge and Nazarick's vision as a whole.
Adaptation and Pacing
For how ambitious in scale this whole arc is, the run time of 2 hours and 15 minutes, in my opinion, is barely enough to cover 2 whole volumes which should translate to around 2 hours and 40 minutes if we assume the usual 4 eps per 1 volume, minus 5 minutes for OP and ED. I felt like while they more or less cover many of the relevant scenes and events which includes the rescue mission that Neia and CZ did which I don't particularly like as a whole, I do love seeing Neia and this is CZ's first real solo-mission. Still... Even as an anime-only you might notice how frantic the pacing is and it's all the more true for the light novel readers, DAMN was it blazingly quick. Massive props to the director for having the comedic scenes play out as well as they did, Ainz's constant desire to market the rune-scribed weapons that he now sells was hilarious, especially when Neia is facing off the twin-headed demons, lol.
Battles-or the lack thereof
This is the single most BIGGEST issue that I have in the movie. None of the 'fights' that Ainz did in this arc are real, so it won't be as crazy as his fight against Shalltear. Then again, I DISTINCTIVELY remember the whole fight scenes being played out in great depth in the Light Novel. Especially the final battle to kill this 'Jaldabaoth' character. I was honestly shocked they cheaped out on the Ainz fight which I presume would be what most of the audiences' wanted to see, Ainz being a supreme badass. But all we got are some sparks, explosions and a final fireworks. It's disheartening... There was even a whole sequence involving Alpha, Beta and CZ supporting Jaldabaoth's fight against Ainz and Ainz's overreliance on [Perfect Unknowable]. A 9th-tier spell that he spammed the hell out of in that fight, it was as funny as it is epic, but alas... That never made its way into the movie.
The only notable battle aside from the opening invasion was Neia's last stand against the demi-humans with the other soldiers. She fought "to the tooth and nail" and the brief fight was awesome to see, albeit the only fight that you can even call a fight scene really, aside from the opening invasion. By the way, SHE FUCKING DIED! And were then resurrected by Ainz. Which in turn allows her to reach a certainty in her philosophy of Justice, leading to her becoming an evangelist.
Conclusion
Overall if you are expecting Ainz or any of the Nazarick casts to be in the spotlight for any significant period in time, YOU'LL BE DISSAPOINTED.
You won't see him casting any super tier spells, or even any iconic spells, not even when he's using [Aura of Despair] skill. Hell, he wasn't even shown to clash aside from the streaks of lights in the stratosphere.
This is an arc solely focused on the portrayal of the 'carrot and stick' initiative, and how Ainz managed to make a name for himself as a hero and saviour unintentionally. (When he was waving at the crowds, he was doing so thinking it was some sort of custom). The biggest aspect that the movie did well in is Neia, a central character in this arc. Her story is akin to the rise of an underdog story, from a nameless squire lamenting her weakness and constantly being chewed by her superior, to experiencing a phase where she's trying to ascertain what justice is to her, and eventually becoming a charismatic cult leader, preaching and enthralling their citizens en-masse with an infallible level of adoration and devotion for her saviour, his supreme highness Ainz Ooal Gown.
I love best girl Neia❤️ and her supportive CZ-senpai, and I love Overlord. This movie? Hey, for better or worse, I enjoyed it! OxT's Wheeler Dealer music is worth listening to in the credits.
Story 8/10
Characters 9/10
Animation & Art 7/10
Sound 8/10
Enjoyment 7/10
Overall 7,8/10
All (6)BadgesMAL×entine Secret Santa Exchange 20th Anniversary Fantasy Anime League Ode to MALentine A Summer Out of This World All (75)FriendsStewedBeefHaunchSciADV_ManiacimLiberiusWesker_020phantom346BeelzebubJiRexnihiloqweaenrarc1onlyspiritdudegamer
Also Available atRSS Feeds |
Jan 23, 2025
Overlord Movie 3: Sei Oukoku-hen
(Anime)
add
Finally...
I've waited since November and it was only a couple of days ago that this movie was released officially in my local cinema. For reference, I read Volumes 12 and 13 which are the source material for this movie, back in January 2020, 5 whole years ago, or half a decade if you will... IF you look at my profile and banner, you'd be right to assume that I'm a huge Overlord fan, and while I admit I am biased, I can assure you this movie is far from perfect! The Main Characters However, first I'd really love to rejoice! Seeing Ainz Ooal Gown in a theatre with all ... |
