Overlord IV Episode 1

Overlord IV Episode 1

Friends and Equals

Overlord IV (Season 4) Episode 1 was better than I expected. I enjoy the Overlord series. But, I know that it can look pretty horrible. So, the fact that this episode looked fine was a nice surprise. Though, I have to admit that not much happened.

Overlord III (Season 3) aired way back in 2018. So, I don’t exactly remember how everything left off. And one thing I don’t remember is who these maids we see in this episode are. Were these maids in the previous seasons? I can’t say that I remember Fith at all.

Of course, I do remember the Pleiades battle maids. But, these aren’t those maids. I do like these new(?) maids, though. Fith is cute, and so is the blonde maid whose job is to stare at Ainz as he sleeps. If these maids are going to stick around, I hope we get names for them all.

Fith and the other maids from the anime series Overlord IV Episode 1
Fith and the other maids

At the start of the episode, Ainz said (thought) he wanted to live with all his comrades as equals. While I’m pretty sure this is something he’s brought up before, it’s still interesting. He’s under the impression that he has to rule as a supreme leader.

The thing is, that’s likely not the case. If Ainz actually expressed that he wanted to live as equals with his NPC friends, would they say no? Sure, Albedo and a few of the others would say that he’s way above them in status. But, they all treat him pretty casually already.

Albedo begged to sit on Ainz’s lap — and then did sit on his lap — in this episode. That kind of behavior shows me that it would actually be easy for Ainz to get everyone to agree to his wish. They like him.

The Emperor’s New Clothes

When Ainz debuted the new outfit that Fith picked out for him, I thought it was going to be a short-lived gag. I didn’t expect him to actually wear it for the rest of the episode. But, I have to say it grew on me over time.

Ainz’s original outfit is pretty iconic at this point. But, I’m not against him wearing other things. Now, I’m wondering if this red robe will be his outfit for the entire season. Will he go back to his usual clothes? Or, will he perhaps wear more new outfits?

Also, if Ainz can get a new outfit, what about the other characters? I’d like to see all the character designs get refreshed. I mean, do you not want to see Albedo wearing other things? That seems like the perfect opportunity for some fan service to me.

Ainz Ooal Gown wearing some new clothes from the anime series Overlord IV Episode 1
Ainz Ooal Gown wearing some new clothes

And speaking of other characters getting new outfits, what about Pandora’s Actor? In this episode, Ainz told him to stop speaking German and saluting him. Getting rid of Pandora’s Actor’s WWII German soldier outfit should be next. If Ainz wants his guild to have a good name, he should try not to get canceled by association.

At least Ainz shot down Flore’s and Mare’s ideas regarding new outfits. It’s great that those two enjoy cross-dressing. But, I’m not a huge fan of female characters wearing male clothes. Female clothes are cuter. Now, if all the characters wore cute maid outfits, I could get behind that.

Demiurge and Cocytus dressed as maids? Sign me up. Albedo and Shalltear wearing pants? No, thank you.

Unfortunately, Albedo also shot down Ainz’s idea to have everyone wear matching outfits. Imagine the drip when the whole guild shows up wearing matching velour tracksuits

What it Means to Be an Adventurer

At the end of the episode, Ainz decides to perform a hostile takeover of the Adventurers’ Guild. He noticed that there are no more monster hunting and security jobs available in the guild. And that’s because the country is completely safe now that he runs it.

After all, any dangerous monsters in the country are most likely Ainz’s underlings. And in the event one isn’t, his comrades are strong enough to handle it without adventurers. As a result, this lack of jobs means there’s a lack of adventurers in the country currently.

So, what genius idea does Ainz have to fix this? He’s going to put the “adventure” back in “adventurers.” To him, the jobs the adventurers lost weren’t true adventurer jobs anyway. How can someone call themself an adventurer if they aren’t out exploring the unknown?

Ainz Ooal Gown thinking about how to run his country from the anime series Overlord IV Episode 1
Ainz Ooal Gown thinking about how to run his country

At first, the local guild master was skeptical of Ainz. The Adventurers’ Guild operates independently of all the countries it has locations in. This is because the adventurers don’t want various countries dragging them into wars. And, at first, it did seem like Ainz wanted to use the adventurers as scouts for future invasions.

But, after Ainz explained himself more, the guild master agreed to partner with him. And by partner, I mean that Ainz now controls the Adventurers’ Guild within his domain. This could be significant considering Ainz has an alter ego in Momon the adventurer.

Up until this point, Ainz has kept his Momon persona separate from the nation he’s building. But, this could be the perfect opportunity to connect the two. Now, Momon’s exploits could lead back to Ainz’s country via the Adventurers’ Guild.

Though, to be honest, I don’t remember why he’s kept his personas separate so far.

Conclusion

What do you think of Overlord IV Episode 1? Have you watched the previous episodes more recently than I have? If so, you probably remember a lot more than I do. And how do you feel about Ainz’s new outfit? Do you think he should continue wearing it? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 2 is available now.

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