This review is a restructuring of a review I did a while ago. I had zero idea how to format text on AL so when I initially released it I got flak for it being hard to read. So I figured Id redo it and add some things while making it easy to read. Personal Experience Ive been into Overlord for years and have rewatched the anime multiple times and reread the novel a few times. So I felt that writing a review on it was fitting since Ive probably studied it more thoroughly than any other series that Ive seen. I first got into Overlord through watching the anime. At the time I was relatively new to anime I think it was probably one of the first 15 or so shows I saw and being completely honest I just watched it to see the power flexes and didnt care about anything else. I know thats absolutely monkey brain but I was 13 or something so cut me some slack guys. I liked Overlord so much that prior to S3 coming out I read up to date in the light novel. And I discovered something I did not expect to find...the anime is absolute garbage compared to the novel. The amount of cut plot points and worldbuilding altered or removed character interactions and foreshadowing and the garbage CGI made me realize the anime is a dumpster fire in comparison to the novel. Note that though I do not like the anime anywhere near as much as the novel as a standalone its pretty okay ignoring the CGI. Voice acting is really good and the openings and endings are amazing. I would recommend the anime as a taste of the series but if you dislike it and write off the series as generic garbage or whatever buzzword you choose I think you should be aware its not anywhere near the real Overlord experience. Overall Plot Main Premise The plot of Overlord focuses on the conquest and domination of the New World by the protagonist Momonga aka Ainz Ooal Gown. The series starts with him playing his favorite VR game Yggdrasil for the last time before the servers shut down for good. But when the game shuts down nothing happens and the timer that monitored the time till shutdown begins counting up from zero. The NPCs have become sentient and he is unable to communicate with the admins. He has transformed into his ingame character which is an advanced species of Elder Lich called an Overlord. He then decides to explore and evaluate his new situation with the help of the NPCs who appear to be completely loyal to him. The start is your typical isekai video game power fantasy beginning but it immediately takes a very different turn than power fantasies like SAO. The world of Overlord is cruel and unforgiving with violent and gory deaths being extremely common throughout the story. It is not a heros journey or anything close to it as time and time again Ainz stomps on the dreams and lives of people who were either peaceful or good in order to achieve his goals. Worldbuilding Overlord excels in worldbuilding with dozens of locations and areas fleshed out and explored throughout the story. The New World is a massive mixing pot of game mechanics Ainz remembers from the former Yggdrasil but is full of entirely new civilizations magics and skills that did not exist before. The Great Tomb of Nazarick that Ainz and his servants live in is an extremely welldeveloped place with various levels that are each unique in design and purpose such as the forest level that the twin elves Aura and Mare guard or the fire level that the devil Demiurge guards. The Tomb has ten large levels each with a completely different design and residents so just the protagonists home base already feels like its own world. The books sometimes include maps that let you get a good view of the various nations and areas which is very interesting as they all are relevant in the story. Map of the Great Tomb of Nazarick https://i.ur.com/tmd1Zc2.png Map of the New World https://i.ur.com/pNRY3EW.jpg This map was put together using an official map from the novel. Explaining most of the map would be spoilers so I wont get into that. Politics Another area Overlord excels in is politics. The dynamics between the various kingdoms and territories like the ReEstize Kingdom and the Baharuth Empire are well developed and show you negotiations between royalty but also touches on economics agriculture and military needs that really make the world feel real and alive. The world is ever expanding and with every volume we get to see more and more of the world through Ainzs conquest coupled with perspectives from side characters. One aspect I think adds a lot to the world of Overlord is the political intrigue of superhuman figures. In a world with mechanics that allow an individual to have the power to rival a small country it follows that those people would be constantly sought after by governments and would have huge political sway. In Overlord a single top ranked adventurer could topple an entire nation so the Adventurers Guild has set in place restrictions on what adventurers can do and has placed the adventurers outside of the governments jurisdiction for conscription. The primary drive of the plot is Ainz and his manipulation and domination of key figures in various governments as he slowly gains control of everything. However the world moves without him which is key to the good worldbuilding and I would compare how things happen to something like One Piece where the cogs move regardless of Luffys actions. Overall Characters Protagonist Ainz The protagonist of Overlord is in appearance a threatening looking skeleton known as an Overlord which is a more advanced form of the Elder Lich. After becoming an Overlord upon arriving in the New World Ainz gains all of the skills and powers he had with his previous game character and becomes what is more or less a god in the world. It should be noted that though Ainz is incredibly powerful many of the NPCs under him are stronger than him which makes him nervous. He feels he needs to be a good ruler and keep them loyal because if they revolt he would most likely be unable to stop them. This concept is explored in volume three. He struggles with a key part of his species which is that his emotions are forcefully suppressed which makes him more logical but also more unfeeling. As the story goes on he gradually becomes more manipulative and more inhuman as opposed to the beginning. At the start he saves some people even though it was for personal reasons but by the Dwarf Kingdom hes committed war crimes and extreme acts that I will not specify due to spoilers. As a character I find Ainz very interesting as you get a deep look into his psyche through his inner monologues much of which are cut in the anime making his character worse which reveal how he feels and thinks about everything. Due to his overworked life prior to being sucked into the New World and his depressing childhood where his mom died from overwork he became completely and totally emotionally reliant on his friends in the videogame and the game itself. Because of this he cares for the NPCs as if they were his children since his friends made them. He only cares about his friends legacy and the NPCs and therefore he gradually becomes willing to do anything to protect them and further the reputation of his guild. Side Characters The NPCs under Ainz are all very interesting and get their own monologues and portions where they develop. All of the NPCs are devoted to Ainz but express it in different ways and to different degrees. Albedo loves Ainz romantically and is devoted to him to the point of seeking to kill all of his enemies. Sebas is devoted but is also guided by his own ideals and the ideals of his original creator one of Ainzs guildmates like the the rest of the NPCs so he occasionally will go against what may be the best course of action to help Ainz and instead do what he feels is right. This clash within the NPCs between their ideals and their devotion to Ainz is always interesting to see and helps to develop them all further. Overlord also focuses on side characters besides the NPCs often and uses them to flesh out the world while also creating additional character interactions and dynamics. Unlike the anime the light novel fleshes out the side characters to the point you actually care about them and you hope they do not clash with Ainz because if they oppose him then it is highly likely theyll be dead soon. A good example of a side character that reflects the world of Overlord is Climb. Climb is a knight who serves the princess of the ReEstize Kingdom. He wants to be strong to protect others and is generally good and brash in personality. He is very much the shounen protagonist archetype. But the world of Overlord spits on him and tells him he has no talent and therefore no matter how hard he works he cannot succeed. This is hammered in by his repeated failures and inability to defeat any truly strong opponents by himself. Overall the story does a great job of fleshing out characters and making them interesting and I think Ainz is by far one of the best isekai protagonists and just a great protagonist in general. Artwork Since it is a novel there is not a ton of artwork but when it is there it is absolutely breathtaking. Each volume has cover art pullout art sheets in the front and artwork between and during certain chapters. The art is done by sobin and I have so much respect for how beautiful it looks. His skills have only been getting better with each volume and continually impress me https://ur.com/xi25ruq.jpg https://i.ur.com/iVtChJp.png Summary In conclusion I think Overlord is a masterpiece in the isekai genre and a fantastic read for anyone who loves fantasy. Both the worldbuilding and plot are fantastic the characters are awesome and the artwork is beautiful. I highly recommend it to anyone especially if you liked the anime and even if you didnt like the anime Id still recommend it. If you have any interest in reading Overlord I recommend visiting the r/overlord subreddit FAQ herehttps://www.reddit.com/r/overlord/wiki/faq and checking out their resources. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions or comments feel free to message me and Ill respond as quickly as I can. Also consider dropping a like if you enjoyed the review or are an Overlord fan who saw the perfect score and scrolled down without reading to hit like I dont mind Ill take your like anyway