Slayers

Powerful, avaricious sorceress Lina Inverse travels around the world, stealing treasures from bandits who cross her path. Her latest victims, a band of thieves, wait in ambush in a forest, thirsting for revenge. When Lina is about to effortlessly pummel her would-be attackers, the swordsman Gourry Gabriev suddenly announces his presence. Assuming Lina to be a damsel in distress, the foolish yet magnanimous man confronts the brigands in order to rescue her. After defeating them posthaste, the oblivious cavalier decides to escort Lina to Atlas City. Though not very keen on this idea, she ends up accepting his offer.

However, without realizing it, Lina has chanced upon a mighty magical item among her most recent spoils. Now two mysterious men are hunting the young magician and her self-proclaimed guardian to obtain this powerful object for apparently nefarious purposes. This way they begin their adventure, one where the fate of the world itself may be at stake.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Inverse, Lina Main

Hayashibara, Megumi Japanese

Graywords, Zelgadis Main

Midorikawa, Hikaru Japanese

Gabriev, Gourry Main

Matsumoto, Yasunori Japanese

Saillune, Amelia Wil Tesla Main

Suzuki, Masami Japanese

Nels Laada, Sylphiel Supporting

Touma, Yumi Japanese

Rezo Supporting

Koyasu, Takehito Japanese

El Di Saillune, Philionel Supporting

Anzai, Masahiro Japanese

Zangulus Supporting

Shimada, Bin Japanese

Noonsa Supporting

Shioya, Kouzou Japanese

Dilgear Supporting

Kakegawa, Hirohiko Japanese

Kobayashi, Noriko Producer, Associate Producer

Haigney, Michael Producer, Script

Watanabe, Takashi Director

Iwasaki, Yoshiaki Episode Director, Storyboard

Reviews

Oct 16, 2009

Archaeon

Recommended

The mid 1990s were a bit of a special time for anime, kind of like a mini golden age. Akira had opened the doors to the West and, after a taking a little rest, the second great expansion of anime began to gather pace. Titles like Ghost in the Shell, Martian Successor NADESICO, Fushigi Yuugi, Golden Boy, Escaflowne, Macross Plus, Giant Robo, and the ever contentious Neon Genesis Evangelion became firm fan favourites and cemented the media's place as a viable form of entertainment in the West.

In amongst all these great shows came a fantasy series that would literally change the way studios would approach ... the genre for years to come. With its irreverent humour, memorable characters, and a story that was more about getting rich than going on quests, it possessed an appeal that was almost universal.

I am, of course, talking about Slayers.

The saga began as a series of light novels written by Kanzaka Hajime (with illustrations by Araizumi Rui), which were adapted for manga from 1990 onwards. In 1995 the series was then re-adapted for anime, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The series follows the adventures of the notorious Lina Inverse, a young sorceress whose name strikes fear into the hearts of, well, pretty much everyone (even though she's petrified of slugs and her older sister). She is joined in the first episode by a wandering swordsman named Gourry Gabriev, the wielder of the Sword of Light (which Lina wants for herself), who initially believes Lina to be a lost little girl and decides to become her bodyguard.

Many shenanigans ensue from that fateful meeting, and things only get worse when the pair are joined by princess and perpetual justice freak Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune, and the man with a huge chimera chip on his shoulder, Zelgadis Graywords.

The story is, at heart, a fantasy adventure that on the surface resembles many other sword and sorcery romps. The big difference though, is that Slayers doesn't take itself too seriously, mainly because of the characters themselves. Although the plot follows a pretty straightforward route through the series, there are many occasions where the narrative plays second fiddle to the comedy, especially where Lina and Gourry are concerned. Whilst there are some obvious holes in the story, the comedy more than makes up for it, and more often than not the viewer will find that they simply ignore any inconsistencies just so they can see Lina lose her temper and destroy something else.

The humour is pretty formulaic for the most part, however that doesn't mean that it's bad. The comedy sequences are actually very good throughout the series, and some of the running gags are well thought out and executed. It's strange, but there are very few comic fantasies out there, especially those of the sword and sorcery type, and most of the shows that include a degree of comedy often treat it as an afterthought to the main, and often serious, storyline. Slayers approaches things from the other direction, and the main aim of Lina and Gourry isn't to save the world, but to get as rich as possible for the least amount of effort (and we won't even mention how much food the pair can put away).

This is perhaps the main reason why the franchise has become a benchmark for the fantasy genre, and many shows will, either fairly or unfairly, be compared to Slayers. It would be fair to say that the most common question asked about almost every fantasy anime since is "Is it as good as Slayers?". The uniquely defined characters, the lack of any real "quest", the explosive humour, and the underlying tone of sheer anarchy all serve to separate this show from the rest of the pack.

It's the characters in particular that draw people into the series though. Lina Inverse is, without doubt, the most notorious female lead in fantasy anime, and one of the most well known in the entire medium. Her vivacity and explosive (and often destructive), temperament, together with her streetwise savvy and tremendously powerful magical ability, all serve to provide the viewer with all manner of entertainment. Gourry is very much like Lina in that he provides the audience with much of the physical humour whilst never becoming a part of the visual "furniture". An added bonus is that he is also a play on the stereotypical knight, being handsome, brave, strong, virtuous, and as dumb as a brick.

That said, some may find Amelia and Zelgadis to be annoying at first, but due to the combative relationship they have with both Lina and Gourry (and with each other), viewers may find themselves warming to the pair. It should also be noted that because Slayers tries to avoid the inclusion of stereotypical fantasy characters, the writers had far more freedom to make trouble for Lina and the gang to get into, and they seem to have approached this task with some enthusiasm.

As the series progresses the characters do actually develop to a degree, however this is usually masked by some action or comedy so it doesn't really get pushed to the fore. This may seem a bit odd at first, but given the nature of the plot, this method is actually better for the franchise as a whole. This may not sit too well with some viewers though, especially those who believe that character development is one of the most important aspects of a show. That said, Slayers has some particularly strong and complex characterisations, in particular Lina herself. Because of this, the series doesn't actually need any unnecessary development, and the door is left open for the characters to go off and do other things (like arguing, eating, destroying monsters/bandits/towns/mountains, trying to kill each other (only as a joke - honest), looting treasure, etc).

Given that the series is from 1995, it's actually aged pretty well. The colours are bright and bold, especially with backgrounds and settings. The characters themselves are designed to be unique and expressive, although much of this comes from their actions rather than their faces. Animation is a big plus for the show, and it's to the credit of J.C Staff and SoftX that the series has held up rather well over the years. The animation by modern standards may not be exceptional, especially as it tends to add a more cartoon-like quality to movements, but it is extremely well choreographed for it's time and genre.

Sound is another big plus for Slayers, especially the fact that the series has been dubbed into over seven different languages (including Japanese and English). In all honesty I prefer the Japanese dub, however that is no reflection on the quality of the English version, and is nothing more than a personal preference. The Japanese seiyuu are very good on the whole, and are able to express a wide range of basic emotions, as well as humour. The English cast are pretty good as well, however I did find Lisa Ortiz' voice to be a little too high pitched for my tastes.

The music is pretty decent throughout the series, and while the pieces generally work well with the on screen action, there is a degree of repetition that can become annoying for some viewers. The sound effects are well timed and choreographed, however the more complex combinations can become a little too heavy on the ears.

Even with its age and obvious flaws Slayers is an absolute joy to watch, and it's truly rare to find a fantasy series that has such memorable characters or humour. There is a certain amount of formula to the plot, however the blend of comedy and action, together with the unique take on the characters, ensure that cliches don't feel out of place in the story.

This is a series that is worth watching by, well, everyone, especially those who prefer fantasy and comedy. There are very few shows around even today that can be called comic fantasies, and most of those have the name "Slayers" somewhere in the title.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Apr 29, 2021

Monchimon

Mixed Feelings

I thought, “why don’t we watch some anime classics?”, and slayers popped up as a good option for a chill anime to watch after Evangelion (my god lord, that one was deep). So let’s start with the review, keeping in mind that this anime is indeed from the 90th (1995), period when the people wanted long, auto-conclusive stories type series, which is why slayers may be quite boring between arc one and two for some people (me included, I’m not going to lie). Yet, the age when it was release is not an excuse, since auto-conclusive type anime can be both good and bad, and ... it depends a lot on how the story is made and expressed to the audience.

The story:
We don’t get too much here, since the main plot is simple: The adventures of Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev, a pair who will find more people through the episodes to join their group. The series can be divided in two arcs: Arc one, with the real Rezo, the debut of Zelgadis, and it ends with the defeat of Shabranigdo and Rezo; Arc two, starting when they get to Sairaag, with Rezo’s copy and the resuscitation of the beast Zanaffar as the main villains. I don’t have too much to complain with these two arcs, the reason being how well-organized were the climax, the battles and how they managed (thank God) to not fall in a deus ex machina, which happens way too much in some fantasy themed animes. HOWEVER, I surely have some important problems in the intermediate of arc one and two, because they were literally all fillers, which were quite boring to watch. There was no character development, main plot development, neither important character interactions, making it a waste of 7 episodes. We will talk about this more in the characters section. Excluding the filler, the plot is enjoyable and quite funny (though it is true that some jokes have aged badly), and you can feel that they gave time to think about the climax and to develop it, which is appreciated given the actual isekai animes.
The only problem that I can point out is how the world is presented. There is not really a line or an organisation to follow when it comes to this matter. Moreover, it feels like all the places, names and lore is thrown to your face. There’s no continuity feeling (especially in the filler, adventure part), which, again, can make Slayers a little boring because it looks like there is no end nor start.

The Art:
I, as a personal and subjective opinion, like the art a lot. It is the classic style anime art, with some rough lines, saturated colors and big eyes design. I’m a classic style lover. It is true that it is not the best animation you can find in the industry, but keeping in mind that the anime is from 1995, the animation looks pretty good, and fits pretty well with the lack of seriousness the anime gives most of the time.

The sound:
How can I say this… (I’m actually listening to the ost while writing this). The soundtrack is the same as the art, good old classics, memorable ones that when you hear them your first though is “Oh, wait, that’s slayers!”. Some are funny, others are perfect as battle theme. They are in general quite happy, and upbeat, I like them quite much too.

The characters:
OHOHOHO, here we go again. I have a lot to complain in this area, mainly because the anime lost seven chapters in fillers, and I was quite angry because of it.

Let’s start with Lina Inverse. Lina Inverse is an upbeat, confident girl. Confident because she is an amazing sorceress since the start of the anime (one of the reasons we don’t get too much character development from her, since there is not that much to develop). She likes food a lot, and she likes money and… Well, you know there’s not too much more to say. I mean, the audience get to see a little of another face of her at the climax of the two arcs: in the first, you see how determined she is to finished with Shabranigdo, and the phrase “I don’t want to die” makes you think a little about how would her past be; in the second arc, you see how she cares about her teammates and even almost die to save Sylphiel. There’s more character development in the second arc: how she acts when Sylphiel blame herself about Lina’s wound, how they make us see that Lina is the pillar, the leader that keep the team united and organized. Nevertheless, the problem with Lina is the problem I have with most of the characters: We don’t have a clue of how her past is. We don’t know what made her be what she is today, how she became powerful and why is she doing what she is doing. Most of the other characters (villains included) sins with the same problem, which makes them look more paper-thin people than realistic ones. Some examples are:

> Amelia Will, the childe sorceress that fights for justice and is scared of bad-looking monsters and is extremely clumsy (yep, that’s all, she don’t have other personality than that).
> Gourry Gabriev, the bucket-head swordsman, probably the main comic relieve of the anime. He is REALLY forgetful, but a good person (one that don’t lie and acts good with people). And that’s all.
> Rezo, the priest and main villain of the first arc, wants to use the power of one of the post powerful and dangerous demons to get back his sight. I’m sorry, there’s not more development than that (maybe I can let this one go a little since Rezo looks like he was controlled by Shabranigdo).

It is a red flag when a character who appeared in the last 6 episodes have way more development than one that have been in the anime since the start (yes, I’m comparing Sylphiel with Gourry here). And Slayers actually has a BIG RED FLAG in how awful the characters are managed. Some characters, like Zelgadis, managed to get somehow a bit of personality, since we can see small flashbacks about his past him wanting to be strong (why? We don’t know), and we notice that he actually trains with the sword the day before confronting Shabranigdo. Should we also mention how he reacted when his two friends (more friends than subordinates) die? Zelgadis is the only character that is not a happy flower and have his own flaws (he’s straight and indifferent about Sylphiel father’s dead) and has one and determined goal (getting his old body back; Sadly, again we don’t really know why he is that obsessed and the series doesn’t give us any hint). Sylphiel, on the other side, doesn’t have any past stories about her introduced, but the dead of her father can be taken perfectly as a point of start to feel how she gets to grow a little. After six chapters, the audience can see that she is now a slightly braver and committed to protect her team.

Overall, Slayers is a good if you want to pass the time watching fantasy, adventure anime with a D&D style. Plus points if you like classic art style and want to laugh a little.
People say that the second season is better and faster when ti comes to plot, so I’m giving all my hope to it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Mar 26, 2018

Imaishi

Not Recommended

As a person who is actually quite a lot into old anime, in fact even stuff much older than Slayers, I'm honestly bewildered by the amount of praise this show gets, and I think its status of an old classic might be heavily influenced by nostalgia. The anime is severely lacking in multiple areas, most of all it's just boring and completely devoid of anything unique.


Slayers tells a story of Lina Inverse, a powerful yet inconspicuous magician who travels around, kills monsters, fights bandits and robs them of their treasure. Over the course of the show, new adventurers, starting with a travelling swordsman Gourry, join ... her party and together they explore the fantasy world. You know the drill, and have probably heard something similar many times, because this is nothing new. Nevertheless, this extremely popular idea can definitely turn out very nice and become its own thing, if the authors bring their new twists and details to it. Sadly, this is not the case with Slayers.

Everything, starting with the setting, is bare of nuances and unique ideas. The anime is set in a generic medieval-fantasy world, with magic, creatures like trolls and dragons, princes, knights and the like. Philosopher stone and sword of light. Old and boring. There is also the demon-king sealed long ago and sought to be revived by his followers. You have never heard of something like that, have you?
While this could still allow for a great and compelling story, with brilliant and interesting characters, Slayers definitely doesn't deliver, it actually doesn't even seem to try.

The plot progresses in a pretty messy pattern, and despite not being very long, brings to mind 300+ episode shounens. It randomly jumps back and forth between important events revealing old mysteries, and completely meaningless, inconsequential fillers that shouldn't even be there, because they are neither interesting nor funny.
The story just lacks direction. The characters don't pursue any real goal to drive the plot. Something is happening, our adventurers just get dragged into it, do their job to solve the problems, rinse and repeat. Some of it can be pretty cool , but it all feels kind of pointless.
The mood and atmosphere also swing in completely unnatural manner, and it does stand out sometimes. Two characters are killed shortly after finally uniting with the main party, and you know what? Not even a minute later, the main trio is back at an inn, stuffing themselves and laughing out loud joking. There is not even a moment of grief or sadness, just a few shocked faces for a second.

Speaking of jokes, the humour is one of the weakest points of Slayers. It's extremely repetitive, childish and ham-fisted, appearing regardless of danger or situation at hand, and is at fault in the show rarely having the proper atmosphere. Lina has small breasts. That is the joke, hahaha... I won't be discussing wether this alone is funny or not, as that's purely subjective, but repeating this time and time again, episode after episode, is definitely boring and actually gets quite annoying, even if it could be funny at first. Gourry is stupid and doesn't understand the simplest of explanations, Amelia is clumsy, trips over and falls on her face. Oh, there was another joke with Lina, you know, she's on her period and can't cast powerful spells then, isn't that funny? You know, it's THAT time of the month, wink wink, haha...

This humour is also detrimental to characters themselves, because it's all around, and in fact pretty much defines them.
While there is focus on Lina, and she does get enough screen time and characterization to be more than just her breast size, it's a real problem with other characters. It's hard to say anything meaningful about Gourry other than that he's stupid and has bad memory, and Amelia being also silly and clumsy, because most of their scenes are either fighting or reusing the old jokes. Most of the characters are just very poorly characterized and thus it's hard to truly care for them. They're not unlikeable, but they definitely are forgettable and undeveloped. This should never happen in a show that wants to be more than a silly comedy.

The arstyle is mediocre, and character designs, save for Lina and Zelgadis, seem effortless. The animation is poor even considering the time it was made, and just screams low budget. Overall the anime doesn't look terrible, even if it's aged, but the visuals definitely don't help to make up for other aspects of the show either.

The music is actually pretty good and fitting, and few of the tracks are especially good and memorable. It's nothing spectacular, but it does its job well, and in my opinion, is the strongest aspect of the show.

Overall, Slayers is a very disappointing experience. It's a huge cluster of overused ideas and tropes. The story has weird pace and goes nowhere, the characters are basically running jokes, and at times just annoying. It's full of bad, repetitive humour and lacks fresh air, making the whole show pretty boring.
It's not the worst watch ever, it's not offensively bad at anything, but it doesn't really have anything going for it either, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, because there are shows better at everything Slayers does. It's just completely mediocre.
I really can't see why it achieved the status it has now, and personally see it as just another, uninspired fantasy adventure, severely lacking in character. I would only watch it if you want to see what one of the most popular 90s anime is all about.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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