When you get trapped in a VR MMO game but it’s just you and your NPCs – Overlord Overview

I figured since Overlord just got added into the Crunchyroll library, I should bring it into the light a little. Overlord is a FUNimation licensed anime that I had originally watched on Hulu, so I’m glad to see the CR x FUN connection growing so much. To keep the name drops going even further, this series is also backed by Madhouse Studios. 

Overlord is about a popular VR game, Yggdrasil, that gets shut down. The master of the dark guild “Ainz Ooal Gown”, Momonga, decides to keep his memories alive and stay in the game for the final minutes of the server shutting down. Then he realizes that he didn’t exit the game but instead becomes trapped inside the game. To make matters even more interesting, all the NPCs, that were under the control of his guild, have become imbued with their own personalities.

Now to clarify, there are many NPCs but the most important ones to look at are the Floor Guardians. They can be looked at as mini-bosses that also control their own vast number of NPCs. The most notable would have to be Albedo, an NPC that was originally programmed to be a bitch but Momonga changed her settings to be madly in love with him. Of course, Momonga is pretty much the Dark Lord, so everyone respects and listens to his commands. I’m obligated to mention that Momonga’s personality and what his actual “human personality” is, differs quite a bit based on what the Guardians perceive him as. So essentially, he’s in a role-play predicament with his NPCs but you’re able to discern his human morals and actions throughout the series.

Naturally, when you’re stuck in a game, you wonder about any possible changes or similarities.  Turns out the whole Guild HQ, known as Nazarick, has been displaced into a different world. What else can you do but go out and do some recon? With the help of some magic and his Guardians, Momonga learns of a nearby village getting raided by knights. He takes this opportunity to save the village in order to learn more about this world.

From my standpoint, this show’s plot feels so closely related to actual MMORPG plots. I’ve played many MMO’s personally. There have been numerous times where your character is tossed into a new world and somehow ends up attempting to save a village/city. As the story continues for this series you can feel that relation stand out even more. Momonga eventually joins the Adventurer Guild with one of his Battle Maids, Narberal aka Nabe. It was very obvious to me what they were trying to accomplish and it kept me intrigued throughout.

 

I’ll be ending this one with my overall thoughts and a simple recommendation. This anime was recommended to me by a friend, I didn’t think too much of it at the time based on his description. I took a shot since it was only a 13 episode series. I was pleasantly surprised. I think the most important thing is to connect with our main protagonist, Momonga. We often get an inside listen to his thoughts about the past, present, and future. Overlord is a very solid anime and should be given a look at. Anyone who enjoys MMOs will enjoy seeing and comparing the similarities. Fans are looking forward to season 2 that got announced earlier this year.