It is true that there are still many flaws, but this one is not just wish fulfillment or being dark and such. And I assure you that Overlord is very good. I love to read and I have read many novel before, written by English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, etc. And I mean "novel", not "light novel", since this novel, in my opinion, is qualify as a real novel. This novel is definitely one of the best that I have read in my life. However, I strongly suggest reading from the start as the novel version had a lot of internal monologue and descriptions that adds to the characterization which were glossed over in the anime. For those who want to read more after watching the anime, you can continue from volume 4. It is very well written, though the author can veer off the path considerably for padding material. Renowned warriors, mages, assassins, the theocracy and the royalty, all their scheming and struggles are petty and pointless because they couldn’t comprehend the sheer magnitude in the difference of power.
The main draw of the series is seeing how an overpowered, deity-like being and his cohort of followers crush all those in their way. But then again, the MC himself treats the inhabitants of his new world with as much interest as a kid with an ant-farm. The MC’s subordinates can barely conceal their disgust and disdain for ordinary humans, putting their master in an awkward spot. Minor characters die horribly, casually killed by beings that deemed them as annoying little bugs. The difference is in the writing, which is written in a solemn style that depicts action, violence and black humor.
Remember, the times when you scribble and sketch about yourself being the president of the universe, having your secret base where friends/subordinates with superpowers hang out and an arsenal of ultimate weapons. When we read about his fortress-like sanctuary and his numerous and unique minions, it’s like a chuuni dream come true. His experiences with his subordinates who are overpowered creatures in their own right reminds me of the humorous scene in “Monty Python’s Life of Brian”, where the protagonist yells at the crowd in exasperation at their blind faith in him, only for them to repeat his words as gospel.
Yet on the inside, he still remembers his original human personality and his lack of confidence, especially when dealing with his followers who obey him zealously. On the surface, he plays a coldly calculating and dispassionate immortal being that sees everything else as inferior. The main character himself is a dichotomy, two personalities that seemingly opposing to each other. As it also started off as a VRMMORPG, one can consider Overlord to be one of the first to showcase darker aspects instead of the noble-hearted characters like in Sword Art Online or Accel World (. There haven’t been many LNs and their anime adaptations that describe brutality and disregard for life at the forefront like this, which evokes the images of Light Yagami from Death Note. The memorable thing about this novel for me after the passage of time is the MC’s callous behavior.