Sometimes when I review anime I prematurely celebrate an improvement in the pace because I incorrectly assume I have seen the end of build up. That being said I assumed Overlord was done with its build up and was ready to show me the grand future of this season and show me the majesty of Ains’ next move. Nope! Last week I had to skip reviewing Overlord because the episode was so dull that there was nothing I could say. Wow. There was really nothing to say.
Most of the empires Ains is building outside of his own show off his actual humanity. He’s playing everyone like pieces on a board but with far more dignity. It’s good to see under his clueless over practiced facade he has genuinely clever ideas. This episode he had Enri set up to become chief of Carne village, which is a fine way for things to go. But it took the whole episode of shopping to get there and honestly guys, why? Just why? I had so much hope for episode 3 and had to just stop writing because. . . shopping. Along with nearly getting arrested because “Gee Mister I just carry this magic item everywhere with me for no reason, what’s so suspicious about that??”
In the next episode, however, Ains scolds Lupisregina, because it turns out she just didn’t bother to tell him about 
the other forces moving nearby. Thus begins Ains going on a field trip with Aura to meet the monsters from the West and the East. There is a somewhat creepy part where Ains is thinking about Aura being a small child and how to nurture her, but she definitely interprets it as something romantic. Oh Ains, you just think of these NPCs as your kids but you have to remember they’re all obsessed with you.
Ains started episode four by lying once again to explain his early NPC tests, but he spends much of the rest of the episode absolutely obliterating the monsters that were ‘legendary’ from the area. As always it’s nice to see Ains break out his mage cane and obliterate things as if he were using giant weapons, so I loved watching it. Of course these tend to be preludes to the bosses he actually has to try against, but I don’t care. Beat the trolls some more with your mage cane, you fantastical otaku in a lich body you!
So I can finally say yes, the wait is over, because the episode ends with Carne village being awoken to an alarm and Ains granting Lupisregina permission to enter battle. I love that this is finally happening and I’m pretty sure the Gilgamesh looking guy from the opening is going to be showing up somewhere soon, but I’m ready for it. I want to see some more fighting maids and these four episodes of build up have definitely been enough. If I have to watch one more episode about shopping before Ains breaks out some level eighty spells I will definitely have to drink for it. And it will probably be a drink of my own salty tears.
Next episode, let’s see the defense of Carne Village!
Oki