Slayers: The Motion Picture

As someone who was a big fan of the anime show.... It was alright. It was reluctant to watch it, because to me, Slayers ain't Slayers without Lina's familiar companions (Gourry, Zelgadis, Amelia, etc.), but I decided to bite the bullet and give it a try anyway, and I was positively surprised. It was alright. Not as outstandingly amazing as the anime show, but neither particularly bad.

If you want to get into Slayers, maybe start with this instead of the anime show, because this is a prequel to the anime show.

Animation is good (peak 90s animation), voice acting is good, the story is okay, but ... overall, it's nothing to write home about.

I've been a big fan of Slayers since discovering the TV series in the late '90s, which I've seen the first 3 seasons of. I always enjoyed it for how entertaining and humorous it was, a sort of diametrically opposed companion to The Record of Lodoss War, another favorite of mine growing up. Oddly enough, I have never seen any of the films or OVAs, so having decided to go back and revisit the TV series for a blast of nostalgia, I figured now was the time to check them out. First off, the animation here of the first film is just great. Anyone that ... is familiar with the original 3 seasons of the TV series knows for whatever reason, the quality of releases over the years in regards to PQ isn't the best (why I couldn't say), making the show look far older than it actually is and sort of paling in comparison to the preservation of other anime series released around the same time. So seeing Lina and her universe in such clear, nice quality was a joy. Just like the series, the story is a light affair, with copious amounts of comedy, oddball villains, and a quick pace. I will say that I thought the story being told came off a bit on the unimportant side overall, for some reason. Sure, as I've said, the series is definitely light-hearted, but this comes off even less weighty than the TV series. It's certainly still a fun little romp, though.

The biggest thing to mention here though is the introduction of Naga, Lina's sidekick/rival/tag-along, or whatever you'd like to call her. As all of the movies and OVAs take place before the start of the series, this was my first introduction to her, and boy is she a ton of fun. She's a great companion for Lina on her travels, their interactions with one another are well-done, and their relationship dynamic feels different than that of Line and her travelling buddies in the TV series. And then there's Naga's laugh, which is over-the-top, borderline annoying, but kept making me grin like an idiot. It fits the tone of the Slayers universe perfectly. If I was subjected to that cackle in any other form of media, I'd probably have a whole different take on the subject.

So yeah, I'm glad I'm finally getting a chance to see this side of the Slayers franchise that I never have before. And hey, if you've never seen ANY of this series, this is actually a perfect place to start. As a prequel, you don't need to know anything going in, and could probably just stick with the movies and OVAs if 100+ episodes of a TV series looks a little too daunting. But trust me, if you end up enjoying this, you'll want to check out the TV series, as it's just as zany and as much of a blast as this. Slayers is sorta like a bag of super sugary candy; sure, it's bad for you and you'll probably get a cavity or two, but it's hard to say no to just one more piece.

This movie, while it does have great visuals and animation, is not that interesting story wise. Lina bumbles around for most of the movie until she stumbles upon plot but by then movie is almost over. I think pacing like this would be fine if it was in TV series, but it doesn't fit standalone movie.
Nevertheless, if you are fan of Slayers, it's a serviceable prequel that is kinda fun. If you are new to the series, please start with TV series, manga or light novels. And even if you are fan, there is better Slayers Movies and OVA's.