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Overlord IV Episode 4 Review – Quick Summary
In Overlord IV episode 4, “The Ruler of Conspiracy,” Ainz Ooal Gown secretly entered into the kingdom of Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix for a very good reason: he had no idea how to act at a state-level formal greeting. But he was anxious to move forward his plan to recruit adventurers. That explained why he showed up at the arena. The Warrior King, Go Gin, stood ready to do battle. How would Ainz Ooal Gown do against this massive warrior? Could Ains Ooal Gown win over the crowd? And why was Jircniv cheering so loudly for Go Gin?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Overlord IV Episode 4
Far from being insulted, Ains Ooal Gown was happy that Pluton was honest with him. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Overlord has a knack for presenting secondary characters who seem alive. I’m thinking about Pluton Ainzach in this case. When we met him, he seemed to capitulate too easily to Ainz Ooal Gown. But our favorite undead overlord saw through his deception.
Maybe that’s why these characters seem multidimensional – part of Overlord’s DNA is dancing in the ambiguity between a character’s thoughts and their actions. It makes watching the show a lot of fun.
Consider the carriage ride, where Ains Ooal Gown rode with Pluton. Ains Ooal Gown really wants to get his adventurer idea off the ground, and he kicked some ideas around with Pluton. Pluton pushed back against one of the sorcerer king’s ideas. In fact, he said the idea probably wouldn’t work.
Did Ains Ooal Gown take offense? Not even close!
“It’s really refreshing to get such a negative response,” he thought (04:07).
That dichotomy between Ains Ooal Gown, the uncertain kid trying to do his best, and the overlord of the dead, is a source of endless entertainment!
Best in Show Moment for Overlord IV Episode 4
Ains Ooal Gown making quite the public statement. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Setup: The Joys of Character Ambiguity
Am I the only one who thought that Go Gin in his armor looked like the Mondoshawan from The Fifth Element? Now I want to rewatch that movie again.
Is Ains Ooal Gown a mass murderer? In Season III, he killed tens of thousands of people with a single strike. He showed no remorse. That argues in favor of cold-blooded killer, doesn’t it?
Or is he a kind, beneficial leader? He’s concerned about nurturing young adventurers. He delighted Fith by telling her he wanted to create a kingdom of “milk and honey.” Is he actually a kind man?
I’m not talking about his actions alone. Certainly, a ruler, through his actions or orders, can be responsible for death on a large scale. But I wonder about Momonga, the man trapped in a video game. Who is he, really?
Ains Ooal Gown’s own goals inspired this reaction from Fith. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Even though I still don’t feel like I have a handle on his character, I can see some actions that seem out of sync. I’ve gotten to know Momonga over the previous seasons of Overlord, and I’ve developed enough trust in the writer, Kugane Maruyama, to know that those moments aren’t mistakes. They’re setting up something cool. One of those moments turned out to be my favorite from this episode.
Ains Ooal Gown could have just beat down Go Gin. It could have been a wish-fulfillment kind of battle. But it wasn’t. Go Gin turned out to be a warrior seeking greater heights. He also extended respect to his opponent. The conversation between the two really drew me into the scene and made Go Gin very sympathetic.
So much so that when he asked (19:23), “Am I really that weak,” it hit me hard. I had to wonder if he’d experienced Imposter Syndrome all these years. Or was his question really a challenge? Either would have fit the moment and the character.
Delivery: Ains Ooal Gown and the Slow Blade
This led up to the moment when Ains Ooal Gown, after withstanding Go Gin’s blows without so much as a stagger, simply walked up to Go Gin. And stabbed him in the heart.
That felt wrong to me. The undead overlord had expressed respect for Go Gin. Would he really just put him down like that?
It almost seemed anti-climatic – but it was leading up to something important. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Nope. This is Overlord. This is Kugane Maruyama’s work. Ains Ooal Gown projected his voice to all those in the stadium. He said that he’d just demonstrated his strength and that he wanted adventurers to join him in his kingdom. He said he’d give them resources to help them succeed.
“I can even go against the absoluteness of death,” he announced (21:35), and suddenly, I knew what Go Gin’s death meant. Sure enough, Ains Ooal Gown produced a wand, pointed it at Go Gin, and revived him. His death hadn’t been a callous act, at least from the overlord’s perspective. It had been a prelude to something greater. And come to think of it, isn’t that consistent with the ambiguity of Momonga’s character? Is he a monster? A kind man?
Or he is simply the Overlord?
Did I mention that before the fight, Go Gin said that if he lost, he agreed to become Ains Ooal Gown’s subject? I’m glad it looks like we’ll see more of our defeated Warrior King!
What did you think of Ains’ reaction to Jircniv wanting his kingdom to become a vassal state to Ains Ooal Gown? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
Overlord IV Episode 4: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Overlord Season 4 – Episode 4 discussion
- RABUJOI: Overlord IV – 04 – Away Game
- Random Curiosity: Overlord IV – 04
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Overlord IV Episode 1: Ains Ooal Gown Nation of Leading Darkness
- Overlord IV Episode 2: Re-Estize Kingdom
- Overlord IV Episode 3: Baharuth Empire
- Overlord IV Episode 4: The Ruler of Conspiracy
- Overlord IV Episode 5: In Pursuit of the Land of Dwarves
- Overlord IV Episode 6: The Impending Crisis
- Overlord IV Episode 7: In Pursuit of the Land of Dwarves
- Overlord IV Episode 8: An Unexpected Move
- Overlord IV Episode 9: Countdown to Extinction
- Overlord IV Episode 10: The Last King
- Overlord IV Episode 11: Well-Prepared Traps
- Overlord IV Episode 12: Invasion of the Royal Capital
- Overlord IV Episode 13: The Witch of the Falling Kingdom
Jircniv’s paranoia and complete misunderstanding of Overlord’s intentions rebounded to Overlord’s benefit. A battle won that he didn’t even realize was happening.
There is a difference between say, trampling a city and trampling troops arrayed to make war against you. They’d be just as dead if they’d been killed by the sword.
I’ve not read the LNs, so I wonder if at some point, he becomes aware of this stuff and consciously manipulates events. That would almost be disappointing — he’s so good at it accidentally and it’s so much fun to watch this way!