Overlord II

Episode 7

If last episode was the setup for the new story arc, then this episode could be subtitled Setup Part 2. The main difference is that Ains actually appears in this episode.

Granted, he's only around long enough to give Narbarel her current orders and lament that sampling materials from many different sources for the construction of the fake Nazarick is expensive, though he's reluctant to push for more capital because he doesn't want to be seen as working only for money. After that, most of the rest of the episode focuses on other cast members, with Ains returning only for a brief speaking part at the end.

However, this is not really a problem given how much else is happening. The only action scene we get is Gazeff's practice session against the princess's bodyguard/pet boy Climb, if you can even say it counts as an action scene. The interesting reveal we get is that Climb is looked down upon by nobles for being a commoner by birth, so it doesn't matter that he's a favorite of the princess. His conversation with one noble also clues us in that not everything is right with “Golden Princess” Renner; you don't call someone like that a monster for no reason. That would seem to suggest that her goodhearted persona is merely an act, though none of her scenes in this episode make her seem disingenuous.

These scenes also reveal that Princess Renner is either a genius at code-breaking or else has some other trick up her sleeve, and the leader of the Blue Rose adventurer company is both a noblewoman herself and a close associate of Renner, potentially working on her orders. The scheme they're brewing to infiltrate a remaining underground brothel sounds promising, both for seeing what kind of mess Climb gets embroiled in and also because it brings Blue Rose one step close to contact with Nazarick.

That takes us to the final juicy subplot of this episode. It comes as no surprise that Solution is flummoxed enough by Sebas's protective behavior toward Tuare to secretly contact Ains, since taking such a fatherly interest in Tuare definitely goes against the grain of Nazrick's normal priorities. But will Ains pick up on this nuance amidst her accusations of treason? Either way, Sebas's exchange with two insidious visitors further confirms my speculation from last episode that Tuare is the bridge that will bring Nazarick into direct opposition with Eight Fingers, as I can't see Sebas backing down even though he knows that it's not in Nazarick's best interests to pursue this. That means we should finally get to see him go into action soon, and I'm really looking forward to that. I also continue to like how they're handling Tuare. Though she's been fully healed, the psychological effects of what she's been through shouldn't go away easily.

With the artistic effort remaining stable, lots of potentially interesting characters, and several meaty story threads in play, the series is humming along quite merrily at this point.

Rating: B+

Overlord II is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.