Ranked #184

Slayers Next

One of my pet gripes with multi series anime is the tendency to make major production changes from one season to the next. The main issue I have with this is simply that there is a lack of continuity in the look and feel of the show once this has been done, even if the different series are equally as good as each other (Top wo Nerae 1 & 2 are great examples of two equally good shows that look and feel completely different).

Thankfully, Slayers Next doesn't suffer from any of those problems, and it's great to see chief director Watanabe Takashi (who also directed both seasons of Shakugan no Shana, Shin Hokuto no Ken, Boogiepop Phantom, and almost all the Slayers anime series and movies), continue to work his magic with the show.

Slayers Next is a little different from the first series in that the show has a bit more bite to it than before. This time around Lina and the gang are searching for an item called the Claire Bible, a book that supposedly contains knowledge imparted to man by the Mazoku, and that Zelgadis believes has information on how to return him to normal. Aside from that Lina, Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis spend their time fighting, playing tennis, getting kidnapped, destroying castles/towns/anything that makes Lina angry, dressing in drag, and generally making nuisances of themselves.

The "bite" that I referred to stems primarily from the fact that all of the character and scenario introductions were done in the first series, so Next can simply crack on with the story. As with the first series, there are some pretty obvious holes in the plot, but once again the comedy comes to the rescue, and while the humour will be familiar to anyone who's watched the first series, it retains a degree of freshness thanks to the overall feeling of continuity and the acting talents of the seiyuu. The one area where the plot is actually better than the first season though, is in it's development of Lina.

As a character, Lina Inverse was pretty one dimensional in the first series. That's not to say she isn't fun and approachable, especially in terms of female leads. During the course of the first season though, there was very little in the way of development for her, and while she and the other characters had some very good characterisations, the development on her part doesn't really begin until Next. While she remains as happy-go-lucky as she was before, certain events in Next serve to temper her personality and actions, giving her character a more rounded persona. That said, these changes are also the cue for some laughs, and become an important factor to the climax of the series, so it was nice to see this tempering process handled in a manner befitting the show.

I will be honest though. As much as I love the characters it should be noted that Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis receive only token development, however in the case of Gourry this can be forgiven since he's an idiot (all brawn and very little brains, like any good fantasy "hero"). However, the characters remain as good as they were in the first series, and fans will find that they like them even more come the end of Next.

After all, character development isn't always necessary, and can sometimes ruin a great show, especially one as action oriented as this is.

In terms of art and sound, there's very little that's different from the first series - both have aged fairly well. The biggest plus points are that Next retains the whole cast from the original TV show, and that the director and production company are the same as before. This gives the show feeling of continuity in terms of how it looks and sounds, and while one can watch Next as a completely separate entity, it's advisable to watch the first season of Slayers in order to fully appreciate the second.

Slayers Next is a little different from the original series, but only in terms of how focused the show is this time around. However, the series retains all the charm, humour, action and adventure that made the first season great. Next takes the adventure one step further, and where the first series liked to show Lina as almost god-like at times, Next isn't afraid to show some of her weaknesses (slugs, for example). While the characters are as likeable as ever, Next gives them a little more room to get themselves into trouble.

Suffice to say that Slayers Next is at least equal to the original Slayers, and is one of the few occasions where the sequel not only adds to the whole, but also improves it (much like Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2nd Gig, and the Aria: The Natural & Origination).

If you're a fan of Slayers, then this is a must. If you're a fan of wanton magical destruction, then this is a must. If you're a fan characters getting into trouble just because they have "a bit of a bad temper and a complex about their breast size", then this is a must.

If you're a fan of action, adventure, romance (the off-the-wall kind that sometimes involves crossdressing), tennis, and magical hijinks and shenanigans, then Slayers Next may be up your street. read more

Note this is reviewing season two of slayers.

Slayers Next continues on after the happenings of Slayers. We have our returning cast of amazing characters, but we are also introduced to some new ones that do not disappoint. Again the character section gets a 10 because of the witty, comical, and entertaining personalities that all the cast possess.

The story of Next is (in my opinion) far surpassing of that from the original series which is one overall Next scores a 9. As the plot develops, we are faced with mysteries and adventures that lead to new and exciting revelations. Along the way, we get a good dose of back story and lots of made of mythology, which i believe to be one of the most interesting aspects of Slayers.

The artwork is the same as season one, although there is improvements in colors and other small details. It probably doesn't deserve a 9 but again I am biased towards the hand drawn/colored style so that is why.

Sound is pretty good again, with the introduction of new characters and magic, we get some pretty nice tunes and effects so its definitely a plus.

i've seen both the sub and dub of it, and i have to say i think the dub is done very well, each voice fits perfectly, it was just kinda hard to get over listening to Gourry at first since he is voiced by the same person that does Brock from Pokemon, but its all good. The sub is great too, but i think its funnier to hear a lot of the puns and jokes in english as opposed to reading them.

Excellent series. if you like it, there is a third and final season afterwards that you can look forward to.
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