English Dub Review: Overlord “A Ruler’s Melancholy”

Overlord’s back! And it only took four months this time!

Overview (Spoilers Below)

Its a lazy day for the Tomb of Nazarick, and with no immediate enemies to worry about or plots to endeavor, Momonga and the rest of Ainz Ooal Gown are going about their business, trying to prepare for things to come.

Ainz rewards Sebas and Solution Epsilon for their excellent work in Re-Estize, and even tries to set up Sebas to have something of a date with Tuare, though Sebas is far too composed to admit her feelings for her. As the day goes on, we see the goings on of the Homunculus Maids, who have lunch and are soon joined by CZ2128, newcomer to our cast of misfit monster lords.

Meanwhile, Shalltear and Albedo are outside the tomb, and summon Albedo’s bicorn for her to ride. Unfortunately, Albedo is still a virgin, and thus a “Pure Maiden”, unfit to ride the bicorn, a mount for only the impure. Albedo despairs at this to comedic effect, but doubles her resolve to finally seduce Lord Ainz.

Meanwhile, Ainz is having trouble with the management of the tomb’s denizens, lamenting that they worship him so much that they won’t rest unless he tells them to. He ends up counseling with Mare, who tells Ainz how cool he thinks he is, which brings out his inner confidence. He proudly proclaims his dignity and pride as their ruler, which supercharges Albedo’s passions, leaving Ainz in a compromising situation.

After its all said and done, the floor masters retire for a night at the bath house, but are interrupted when Lucifer arrives to make trouble for the ladies bath. I guess there’s no rest for the weary, after all.

Our Take:

It was quite a surprise to me when I first heard that Overlord would be coming back for a third season so soon after the ending of season two. After the long, long three years between seasons one and two, I was even amazed that Overlord was actually going to be a thing and not just a flash in the pan drowning in the over saturated market of anime MMO power fantasies that have become so popular lately. I’m enlivened to say, though, that Overlord‘s third go at things is out to a solid start. Its an enjoyable opener that, while a little light on plot, is entertaining, energetic, and involving.

So, this episode veers pretty hard to the right on the “Slice of life” scale that Overlord tends to straddle, being a sweet-and-sour cocktail of quirky monster superfriends and fantasy political drama. If you’re expecting Overlord to come in fast and hard, following up on the now numerous plot threads that have been hinting towards this show’s larger plot, you’ll definitely be disappointed. But, if you’re able to settle down and take what we’ve got at face value, then this episode will probably win you over with its charming character interactions and good humor, which actually made my snobby-ass let out a good chuckle.

The Tomb of Nazarick has never felt more alive as a place where people actually live and not just a plot device. We get to see cameo appearances from the extensive cast that the show has picked up thus far and that helps instill a relationship between the denizens of Nazarick and the audience. This is a welcome change of pace, since the last season had such a narrow focus on events that it almost felt like certain characters just didn’t exist anymore. In particular, getting to see the maids all chilling out with each other in the cafeteria was a nice scene to remind us that its not just floor masters living in the tomb, but an entire army of monsters and servants making their home here.

The vocal performances are strong here, too, a necessity for this kind of comedy-heavy episode. I have to give special credit to Elizabeth Maxwell as Albedo, who completely sold me on Albedo’s desperate thirst as she jumps Momonga’s bones (Literally) in the final moments of the episode.

With a whimsical energy and a kickass new opening, Overlord season three is off to a great start. We’ve got a lot to look forward to in the episodes to come, and I’ve little doubt that Overlord will continue to impress as the weeks go on.