This actually does take place in a similar (if not the same) universe as Slayers, with most of the voice cast also being the same. Not surprisingly, a lot of the humor style was the same but there was a lot more emphasis on an underlying story which is emphasized more later. It reminded me a bit of a Slayers Next style where bits and pieces are planted here and there while hijicks run awry...at least until near the end. One thing Lost Universe does better than Slayers though is it shows more sides to the characters.
The main characters are pretty well rounded out, except Millie but most of what you need to know happens later anyway. You start feeling for some of the characters though, and by the end of the series I starting getting kind of attached to some of the characters. The antagonists on the other hand range from dull to pretty messed up.
One big determining factor of how much a series impacts me is the ending. Lost Universe does a great job cleaning up all the loose ends and making the story and characters make sense. The ending is very bittersweet, while leaves questions, they're not ones that you need answers to. It's nice to see series that doesn't make you wonder if there might be a sequel or not.
What bugs me if anything is the art. The art is pretty rough, similar to Slayers but sometimes felt inconsistent. Sometimes I can't tell if there's more Yashigani than just ep. 4. I might just be bothered by the way the eyes are drawn. Of course, the CG sequences are dated, but can't be helped.
Another annoying factor is the voice acting, particularly for Kain. He sounds like a choked chicken and at times it gets grating to the ears, especially how many times he yells throughout the series.
Little nitpicks aside, I very much enjoyed the series. Check it out especially if you've seen and enjoyed Slayers Next and Try.
