If ever there was a truth in anime though, it's that you can always rely on Lina Inverse and her gang (including everyone involved with the making of anything to do with Slayers), to complicate matters.
Having had a rest period of seven years following the end of Slayers Premium (the fifth movie), anime's flagship fantasy comedy roared back into life in 2008 with the release of Slayers Revolution, and to the legions of fans around the world the news that a new series of medieval mischief making was on the horizon was met with huge amounts of expectation.
The only question was, could the franchise go toe-to-toe with the post millennium big guns.
Slayers Revolution begins with Lina and Gourry doing what they do best - wreaking havoc. Having made bandits an endangered species on land the pair have taken to the high seas to hunt pirates (until the bandit population recovers that is). Meanwhile, Amelia and Zelgadis are escorting someone who wishes to meet with Lina ...
The first thing that one can say about the story is that it is Slayers through and through. The plot is pretty straight forward for the most part, although there are a few detours over the course of the 13 episodes. The storyline is predictable in a number of areas, and the somewhat simplistic approach to storytelling can sometimes be a little childish.
Probably the biggest criticism though, is that the formula used for both the plot and storyline is relatively unchanged from that used in the first three series. During the seven year absence of Lina and her friends the medium of anime has become more mature in many aspects, and given this fact one has to question the reasoning behind using the old formula, even if it is tried and tested.
That said, probably the biggest surprise is that there's still life in the method and approach adopted by director Watanabe Takashi, and it's his experience as the director of the original three seasons of Slayers that really shows in Revolution. The old tricks, plot devices and techniques used by the production team, especially the writers, are all on display, and while there are perfectly valid criticisms that can be levelled at the series, fans of the franchise will find the story not only understandable, but very, very familiar.
It's not only the storyline that is pure Slayers. Everything from the characters to the scenery follow the designs from the original three series, and while Revolution may not look as appealing as many modern shows, what it lacks in style it more than makes up for in attention to detail.
Now some may consider the design principle in Slayers to be dated, and to be honest, it is. It should be noted though, that while Revolution is open to new viewers of the franchise, it's not actually geared towards them. Slayers has always resisted the common urge to reinvent itself in order to appeal to a younger audience, and it's this dedication to the spirit and ethos of the franchise that really stands out with Revolution, especially after a gap of so many years.
The big plus for fans is that while the overall look of the show is exactly what one would expect from Slayers, the character designs are ever so subtly sharper and more detailed. In addition to this the series really benefits from the use of modern animation techniques, and it's to the credit of J.C. staff that they continue to maintain the standards they set in the first three series.
The other major bonus for fans is that the gang really are all here. Any fan of Slayers will immediately recognise the seiyuu in the roles of Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, and even Xellos and Sylphie. The production team have spared no effort in their attempts to maintain continuity, even going so far as to have the same actors and actresses reprise their roles from the original three series. It's this attention to detail that sets Slayers apart from most other shows, especially as the franchise could very easily have gone down the path of Sakura Taisen (i.e. each series had a different studio, cast and director).
The music is a bit strange though, but not in a bad way. There are some very good pieces that are suitably over the top when necessary, and many of the other tracks are well chosen, although the timing is sometimes a little off in certain scenes. The OP is a fairly typical beats-per-minute dance track by Hayashibara Megumi (the actress who plays Lina Inverse), called "Plenty of Grit" that seems a bit of an odd choice for the beginning of a fantasy anime. The ED, "Revolution", is your common or garden J-Pop song that is also by the same artist. The weird thing is that both tracks seem to work, but also seem a little out of place where the franchise is concerned.
Maybe it's just me though ...
Moving on, one of the things that has long been a hallmark of Slayers are the strong characterisations associated with each of the lead roles, and Revolution is no exception to this. Unfortunately, because this is only a 13 episode series there's not as much room for the characters to breathe and grow, especially when the show detours from the main storyline for one reason or another.
The upside though, is that the characters are exactly what those familiar with the franchise would expect. Lina is still as bad tempered as ever, Gourry is still as dumb as a brick, Zelgadis continues to be the cleverest member of the gang, and Amelia remains a justice freak. The new characters are a pretty mixed bunch, with Pokota leading the field when it comes to weird. Probably the most interesting addition is Wizer Freion, who at first appears to be a typical bumbling detective, but may or may not be almost as smart as Xellos - the series is never quite clear on that point.
As I said before, Slayers Revolution is mainly geared towards fans of the franchise, and as a card carrying member it's pretty obvious that I'd have high expectations of the series, and I wasn't disappointed ... much. The series is fun, sometimes inventive and original (Pokota, for example), and as action packed and humourous as the original three seasons, but there's something ... not quite right about it.
Prior to the seven year break Lina, as a character, had a degree of charm about her that prevented her from becoming annoying. The problem is that Watanabe tries to apply some of anime's current maturity to Revolution's characters, and the results are a bit of a mixed bag. Everyone is as goofy, charming, secretive, and downright bad tempered as ever, but there's an edge to them now that wasn't there before, and while it does give the viewer a new perspective on the characters, it also takes away a little bit of what made Slayers great in the first place.
This series may not sit well with some people but the majority of fans might generally be pleased with this addition to the franchise. From the character designs and rather simple plot, to the combative relationships and over the top hi-jinks, Slayers Revolution does a surprisingly decent job of living up to the standards set by the first three seasons. While it may have lost a little something along the way, it may have also gained something as rather than changing everything about the show in one fell swoop, it looks as though Watanabe and J.C. Staff are taking a more subtle approach to bringing the franchise into the 21st century.
We shall have to wait and see ...
