Overlord II Good Set Up, But Underwhelming (SPOILERS Ep. 1)
Nazarick Better Watch Out
The first season of Overlord was all about discovery and an example of power. It was a way to demonstrate the strength of the main character Momonga or Ainz Ooal Gown as he’s now called. It was also a season that left a lot of questions. Where has Nazarick landed? Why are there only elements and hints of Yggdrasil? Are there other players in this world? Who are the real threats to Nazarick? It seems the first episode of season two is only a stepping stone to those answers.One of Ainz’s goals seems to have been reached. Since his last adventure in season one, he has achieved adamantite level as an adventurer. Other warriors believe Momonga to be one of the top three adamantite in the kingdom. The question is who are the other two? If one of them is Brain Unglaus then the only thing to say to that is, *yawn.* It’s a relief to discover, however, that there seem to be strong characters that will challenge Ainz. The opening scene involves a knight explaining past events about “the vampire-like undead” (Shalltear). When the woman with black and white hairs asks who is stronger, “the vampire or me?” The knight confidently replies, “you are.” The woman is disappointed and so begins new questions. Who is she? Is she a player? This will likely be a big component of Overlord II.
Shalltear Drunk With Guilt And A Penguin?
Another notable new character is what seems to be an elderly dragon, a retired warrior and what seems I’m guessing is armor that unifies the two? This scene was noteworthy for a few reasons. First, the woman and the dragon both speak highly of each others worth in battle. Second, there is a flashback scene where the armor and whoever is in it, is battling Shalltear! How is this possible? Was this in the past? Or was that something behind the scenes that we didn’t witness when Shalltear was mind-controlled in season one? Either way, these two new characters are deemed important and should likely play a large role going forward.In accordance with the last episode of season one, Shalltear is alive and well again, sort of. She apparently feels so guilty that she is getting drunk at Nazaricks bar, along with a butler penguin. This felt a bit forced in terms of humor and simply as a way to keep Shalltear out of the picture for awhile. It’s understandable how strong her feelings are and why she feels guilty. She tried to kill her master, the one she loves. It’s suggested by Albedo that if she were to receive a form of punishment her guilt would lift. It seems Ainz accepts this and is likely to act on it in the next episode or two. As always a scene where he’s alone with Albedo ends up being both funny and uncomfortable. That said, I’m not sure how long the show can keep up this dynamic without it becoming tiresome.
Cliffhanger Ending Leaves Us Wanting More
The end of the episode was arguably the most exciting. It’s normal for the first episode of a new season to be tame in terms of action, this one definitely followed suit. It also wasn’t a surprise that it left us with a cliffhanger in the end. We are introduced to a new tribe in the form of anthropomorphic lizards. Before the episode fades out, a dark cloud surfaces over their village. Out of it comes… A giant black ball filled with what looks like screaming faces. It comes as a warning to them, they are doomed and will all die. This made for another scene that left us with no answers and a lot of questions.This episode did a good job of at least letting us know that our protagonists have plenty of tough enemies ahead. It also made the mystery surrounding this land that much more intriguing while creating more questions. However, left a void that was not filled in terms of action and excitement. In the end, it felt like a set up for future episodes with just a hint of what’s to come.