「計算外の一手」 (Keisangai no Itte)
“An Unexpected Move”

What was that about big battles upcoming in Overlord? Oh yes – big battles are quickly coming down the pipeline. While this season as evidenced already won’t be aiming for any lofty animation heights in the final arc of this season, it also won’t be totally phoning it in considering the key characters at work and the stakes at play. Any time you’re dealing with a royal family who clearly have a few marbles loose you know you’re in for a good time.

Although Overlord has made Ainz’s complete and utter lack of understanding ongoing strategy a running joke, episodes like this serve as good (and hilarious) reminders why it’s a joke which has yet to grow old. You don’t even have to go that far to see why: not only do we get the appetizer of Ainz subtly revealing his grandiose ‘carrot and stick’ plan is basically Albedo’s own, but a full course of Floor Guardian independence transforming an otherwise typical bit of diplomatic give and take into full bore kingdom crushing because bone daddy’s representational fabric saw a little blood and dust. The sheer glee at which Demiurge and Albedo in particular are now picking up on and running with Ainz increasingly hesitant talk is an absolute joy because I know I’m not the only one who can envision where this newfound depth of thought leads. Protagonists getting pushed into world conquest couldn’t be more entertaining, particularly when paired with talks on stupidity.

Part of the fun too comes from the enemies of the moment (or shall we say the unfortunate victims) in Prince Zanac and his father King Ramposa. Outside of Ramposa going all in via offering his own head as recompense for the slight against Ainz (that’s certainly one way to hand over the throne), there’s not much too surprising with these machinations: Renner is effectively setting the situation up (for reasons yet to be fully revealed), poor old Philip is serving as one hell of a useful tool in acting on the situation, and Zanac is unwittingly doing everything needed to ensure the situation does blow up. Of course one can ask how this is ensured given that offering of kingly neck, but we’ll get the details on that soon enough.

After all, any time you pair overeager Floor Guardians with highborn mortals out for their own self-interests, you can expect quite a few fireworks for your trouble.

4 Comments

  1. I wonder if the Floor Guardians will ever find out about Ainz’s complete lack of understandings in any situations, particularly involving planning ‘grandiose’ strategies and what not.

    Cire
  2. I love how the Hilma interrogation was handled, Ainz , the ever benevolent ruler. He practically started a religion for those outside of Nazarick. They food shipment for the Holy Kingdom bearing the Sorcerous Kingdom’s flag is actually well protected. They did not show it here, but it was quite hilarious how due to misunderstanding and self-preservation resulted in Philip being successful in robbing the shipment.

    For those confused by the “Holy Kingdom” and “Draconic Kingdom”, there were 2 volumes worth of story that was skipped due to the Kingdom story being better suited for this season. Apparently they will be adapting the 2 skipped volumes into a movie in a future date.

    Flappy
  3. I love how Ainz is the only one in Nazarick who can understand that people can be stupid cus he’s stupid too when compared to the guardians like Albedo and Demiurge but in their eyes it’s because Ainz is so smart that he can see through everything.

    yodad

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