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.
