Overlord II

Episode 6

For the second time this season, the titular character doesn't even make a cameo in an episode. The general trend this season – whether intentional or not – has been to relegate Ains to the more traditional role of an Overlord character: a figure who's Large and In Charge but isn't directly involved in most of the story's play-by-play. That may change at some point during this new story arc, but for now it's not a problem because the supporting cast is strong enough to carry the series.

In this episode, the foundation of a new story arc is being planted on four fronts: one concerning Sebas Tian and Solution, one concerning Gazeff and Brain, a third involving the introduction of a band of female adventurers, and the fourth being the Eight Fingers, a criminal organization so powerful that they're considered the “real power” behind the country. Of these, the first and longest segment focuses on Sebas, who encounters a young woman literally being tossed out like garbage and finds himself compelled to get involved because of the words of his creator, Touch Me. He later muses about whether this compulsion might be a curse, and Solution certainly isn't happy about his actions; she furthers the impression that Ains may be alone among Nazarick's denizens in not seeing humans as lesser creatures. However, Sebas' gallant action further cements him as one of anime's great Cool Butlers, especially since there doesn't seem to be any artifice or ulterior motives behind his compassion. I also appreciated that the story didn't pull any punches about Tuare's brutalized state without going too far into tasteless territory, and her reactions upon discovering that she had been saved were very believable. This also raises the interesting question of whether or not healing magic is able to offset drug addiction in this world.

That's not the only strong part of the episode either. The much shorter follow-up involving Gazeff and Brain, a direct follow-up to a brief scene from the last episode of the first season, also impresses with its sincerity over how deeply Brain was shaken by his encounter with the overwhelmingly powerful Shalltear. Brain looked like a disposable villain, but there may be more going on with him now. The third segment features the only real action scene of the episode and the first appearance of the twins shown in the opener. It also strongly suggests that this group of female adventurers might be the Blue Rose mentioned in previous episodes; we see the blue rose in a brief shot of the leader's hair. Their efforts to burn out drug production fields and facilities lead to the fourth segment, which suggests how these threads will tie together: Eight Fingers and Blue Rose are enemies, and Sebas has unwittingly gotten Nazarick involved by helping Tuare.

All in all, it's another solid setup for the next arc, even if the episode's artistic merits are occasionally shaky, keeping the episode just out of A-level territory. I've heard that the lizard man arc is considered one of the weakest by fans of the novels, so if this episode is any indication, then the coming arc should be a step up.

Rating: B+

Overlord II is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.