Customer Reviews

The Slayers Next Collection (Episodes 27-52)

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The whole of the Slayers series is built to be more fun and funny than any other anime series that actually involves a plot. Slayers Next (season 2) is the fulfillment of that goal, with infinitely more character development than the original series (season 1) and a far more even storytelling keel than Slayers Try (season 3). The end of the Next storyline is powerful and beautiful without disrupting the flow of the world-building. Their silly "we need to take a break from the drama" episodes in the middle of the series are, as mentioned, fairly even-keeled and continue to flesh out the characters (unlike those in Slayers Try, which were fun and silly, but little else).

This isn't to say that the rest of the Slayers stock is bad -- it's not, they're a whole lot of fun -- it's just that Slayers Next is the best what the Slayers universe has to offer.

Of course, I'm also of the opinion that Slayers Next is the overall single best season of anime available on DVD, perfectly blending character consistency, Camus-style existentialism (which is quite intense in Slayers Try), comedy and action -- even beating out the also-fantastic but not-quite-as-satisfying Trigun. (I also enjoyed Cowboy Bebop and Love Hina; Lain defies comparisons to any type of comprehensible anime, but it's still quite respectable.)

With spiffistical sorceress and flat-chested wonder Lina Inverse meets up with Gourry, Zelgadis, Amielia, and Sylphiel in the first series, there are lots of jokes, wisecracks, and other assorted fun stuff about all the characters, plus a giga-involved plot that is not to be missed, but when the team joins up again for Slayers NEXT, watch out! With all sorts of evil mazoku on their tails, Lina and the gang journey throughout the land, meeting new people and making new friends and enemies. Xelloss, the mysterious trickster-priest, makes the scene and leads the gang on some side-splitting adventures. With a hint of jokery and some slight mature references, it may not be for the weak of heart. But, if you can stand a great mixture of humor and seriousness, some dazzling special effects, which look quite weird sometimes because of the blend of cgi and anime, and a spiffy plot, slayers, next, and try are all for you! Although Software sculptors has done a tremendous job in bringing Slayers to the US, some points should be made. For example, the characters, though they're supposed to be ranging from 14 1000+, sound all wrong in the dub (the english version) as Lina sounds 30, Gourry is played by the man who does Brock in Pokemon, and Xelloss...well, he sounds horrendous. Makes you hate his character. That's why I love this DVD set. With the DVD, you can listen to the japanese or the english, depending if you want to hear pain and agony, or not-quite-so-much pain and agony. however, Software sculptors could have done a bit better on their coverage of what the characters are actually saying with the subtitles, which is another handy dandy option- you can see the basic differences of what the english people are saying and what the original script was written for. However, some words (like mazoku, literally race of evil, translated to monsters...ick.) are done incorrectly, and there are some problems with some things such as "demon dragon king" which is supposed to be something like "chaos-dragon" or something. Not much if you don't really care, the basic laugh-meter and plot is still there, but for hardcore otaku like me, it can be nerve grinding. Another benifit of the DVD, you can turn the subtitles on and off, unlike the sub VHS, where you have to just ignore them, with the DVD you can get the entire experience if you know japanese, and don't start cussing out the TV. The plot is enthralling, leaving you wanting more and more, and cuz' this is the collection, you get it all! That's right, the entire Slayers NEXT series! But, make sure you know what's going on in the original Slayers series before you watch it, or you may become a slight bit lost. Not too badly, though, but it definately adds to the humor and excitement if you know the characters and how they act. Overall, I would definately say that this is a very very very well-put together set, with some slight exceptions, software sculptors did a very nice job. Bravo!

Slayers Next is the second of three Slayers series, and is the best in the eyes of most fans. It has something for nearly everyone: comedy, action, romance, mystery, suspense... the list goes on. I won't go on forever as to why I like the series or what it is about, as most of the other reviewers have also done so. I'm reviewing (for the most part) the DVDs themselves.

Audio:
-Japanese: This time around, Software Sculptors did not make any sound errors, like they did with the first Slayers boxset. The audio is in stereo and it sounds as it's supposed to. The voice acting is magnificent, with some very well known seiyuu such as Megumi Hayashibara and Hikaru Midorikawa lending their voices to main characters.
-English: Slayers has been known for being one of the few anime that actually has a tolerable dub. This holds true for Next, as the voice acting is more polished than in the first series. A lot of fans are turned away by David Moo's interpretation of Xelloss, as well as the voice given to Hellmaster Phibrizzo. In my case, I saw the dub before I saw the original, and as a result I'm used to the strange voices.

Video: The transfer quality is not as good as the remastered first boxset. On many episodes, the animation looks blurry and washed-out. Slayers is not a big-budget series to begin with, but I think Software Sculptors could have done a better job here.

Menus: The menus are simple and easy to navigate. There is no music playing in the background.

Extras: Of all the extras listed, the best feature is the video interview with a few of the dub voice actors (Lisa Ortiz, Crispin Freeman, and Veronica Taylor). It's interesting to hear their interpretations of the series and the characters that they play. The sketch gallery is nothing special, and the graphic novel page is basically an advertisment for the Medieval Mayhem manga. You can't even read the words. I don't have a DVD-ROM, so I don't know about those features.

Content: In my opinion, this is the most well-rounded series of Slayers. It has a good amount of both comedy and drama to satisfy anyone. The relationship between Lina and Gourry progresses and becomes a recurring subplot that kind of has the effect of creeping up on you as the series progresses. The ending is definitely one of the best and most memorable finales in all of anime. Here's how the series goes, plot-wise.

Episodes 1 and 2 introduce the new main characters of Martina and Xelloss. These characters are important and their roles change dramatically as the series progresses.

Episodes 3-5 involve a conspiracy in Atlas City where a deranged man is killing people for immortality research. The ending to this subplot is rather tragic, when we find out what his motive was.

Episodes 6 and 7 are "filler episodes," and they are, of course, hilarious.

Episodes 8-13 involve a plot in Saillune to assasinate Prince Phil and capture the throne. This is the only part in the series that seems to drag on. There are a couple episodes that, while still entertaining, tend to have a little too much battle action (a la Dragonball Z).

Episodes 14-17 are more filler episodes. Again, Slayers continues to see how far it can go with outrageous parodies and stunts. Episode 17 is, of course, a crossdressing episode.

Episodes 18-26 are when all the subplots of the series get woven together so that everything begins to make sense. Phibrizzo wants Lina for a certain task, and Gaav wants to destroy her so that the task isn't performed. This is, in my opinion, the best of Slayers. A few old characters from the first series even make cameos. The climax of the story is absolutely magnificent. It can make you go from sad to happy to sad again in a matter of minutes.

I cannot recommend this series enough. This boxset is a must-have for not just anime fans, but anyone who has a sense of humor and likes an epic storyline. This is entertainment that can appeal to people of all ages and cultures. You don't even need to see any of the other Slayers anime to enjoy this wonderful series.

Despite the mediocre DVD quality, I have to give Slayers Next five stars. If I could, I would give it more.

Slayers rules! This 26-episode DVD gift set is the pinacle of the series, and anime fans have to see this series which is pure gold! Even if you haven't seen the first season(like me), the current one is pretty easy to follow. This season also introduces Xellos, mysterious priest(mysterious ally is more like it), who comes in at different times to aid Lina and the group. Martina, an annoying rival for Lina, also shows up. She's a pain, but you can get used to her. This series is mostly episodic with a few fillers in between. It has a great blend of comedy, fantasy, action, romance, drama, and even has a muscial number or two thrown in for good measure. This is a great TV series, and fans have to see it to see the best adventures of Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis, and Amelia.

I've seen a LOT of anime, and no matter how much I watch, Slayers NEXT still is my favorite. Everything is wonderful; however, a zillion people have written about the good. I'm going to write about the few bits of Bad and Ugly in this otherwise wonderful release.

Worst Part 1: Video Transfer. Ye gods, could the vid transfer get much worse? I've never seen a worse transfer on an anime DVD! It looks like a relatively abused VHS. There's color bleed, lots of line noise, thank goodness there's no rainbows but that's about it that's done right. It's especially noticeable when you use a DVD-ROM drive to watch it.

Equally Worst Part: No chapter stops except at the beginning of an episode. Seriously, guys, could you have at LEAST put in a chapter stop at the eyecatches? We're not expecting Princess Mononoke or anything here but seriously, some decent chapter stops would have been nice.

Other Worst Part: The most strange dub cast ever. Some of the voices are surprisingly good, though not Cowboy Bebop quality. Others, on the other hand, are just horrendous. (Especially Xellos. Poor Xellos with that hack job voice.) The rest of the cast is completely mediocre. Fans of Pokemon might have a bit of a hard time with the dub at first, since Brock's voice actor is the voice actor of the male lead, Gourry. (Some sub fans might get annoyed at the way a few names are pronounced, too.) The best dub guy is for one of the boss villains, Gaav, whose dub voice I like just because of that cool evil laugh. Check that evil laugh out on the dub track; it's realy cool.

Another Bad Part: DVDs are not very Macintosh-friendly (or for that matter DVD-ROM friendly) at ALL. Some older DVD-playing Macs will not even recognize these as DVDs. On every DVD-ROM system I've seen it with, you have to for some reason click on the word "Next" on the main menu in order to use the menu options.

Don't let the bad parts stop you from buying this wonderful series. Slayers NEXT is so good that the completely mediocre job of making it into DVDs can be overlooked. Buy it now, and have a wonderful time!

Slayers Next reunites us with favorite characters Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev, as well as justive obsessed Amelia and stoic and stony Zelgadis.
Our heroes are seeking the Claire Bible this time, a mystic artifact that holds the secrets to magic that surpasses even Lina's most powerful spell, the Dragon Slave.
They are not the only ones seeking the ancient tome. A sorceress named Martine is also seeking the sacred text, and she's got a personal score to settle with Lina.
Also on the trail is a mysterious man known as Xellos. I'd love to tell you what it is he's doing there, but I'm afraid that, to quote Xellos, "That is a secret."
Action, mayhem, swords and sorcery gone horribly awry, and a sorceress with a short fuse and an appetite that would put a restaraunt out of business. All the things that made the first season of Slayers great are here in the second.
There is a problem with the translation. In the Japanese version, there are a race of beings known as Mazoku, quite seperate from Monsters. However, in the English translation, and, unfortunately, subtitles, the term Mazoku is translated as Monster as well. It is, however, a small problem, and one that you can compensate for if you watch with the Japanese audio turned on.

I absolutely LOVE this DVD set. Slayers is my absolute favorite series, and NEXT is definitely something one should not miss out on. There is plenty of bandit-stomping, treasure-looting, food-seeking and more from our band of (anti)heroes out to make some money!

This particular series centers around the search for the Claire Bible, which is said to have unlimited knowledge from ancient times. (Zelgadis, of course, has great reason to look for something like this, what with his Chimeric form...) Along the way, two new main characters are introduced: Martina (who only appears in NEXT) and Xelloss, the Trickster Priest...a mysterious figure with hidden goals (and my favorite of them all ^_^). I highly recommend the Japanese version subtitled in English, as Xelloss sounds absolutely HORRIBLE in the English dub version (Horrible may not even describe the extent of it), and can get you to find the character much more annoying and dislikable than he actually is. The DVD-ROM features are great...love those scripts and large picture gallery! The storyline develops quite nicely with a climatic ending, and even the filler episodes are very enjoyable.

Overall, I highly recommend viewing Slayers NEXT. I assure you, you WON'T be disappointed.

Let me start off by saying that Slayers is truely a work of pure gold. When I began watching the second season I was instantely absorbed in it. With the constant comments being directed to our leading lady Lina Inverse and her brainless body gaurd Goury Gabriev, Slayers is a anime that truely captivates a brilliant mixture of action, comedey and romance and molds these genras into a amazeing work of art. If you have seen the first season or you want to see just a bit of what the slayers anime series is, then I highly suggest Slayers Next. The series is much more fluid and crisp then the first season, but don't get me wrong, the first season was awesome to its just that the second season was better.

All and all the slayer series is just a fun anime that any person can enoy if there into magic, sorcery, and a whole lot of slapstick comdedy that will have you sprawling on the floor gasping for breathe.

If you love anime, and if you love Slayers, I'll let you know that this series is ten times better than the first! Monsters, Hawai'in mobsters, dragon cruisine, the Claire Bible, more bandits, a new version of the "dragon slave" and the search for the perfect all-you-can-eat feast, keep this series on a fast, funny pace. It has all of the original characters as the first series (they appear all over the place), plus revenge-obsessed Martina and the annoying mysterious priest, Xellos! I spent an entire night watching the last DVD disk and was almost late for work--it is amazing. You must own it!! There is more romance here (delightful but not overwhelming) and you wonder just how much Ghourry remembers by the end...

Slayers is the first anime that got my heart. It's funny all around and they have a great development in characters. IF you liked the first series, you'll love this one too. There are some episodes where it kind of skips through a little bit, which is unlike the first series, but it's kind of good since those particular episodes are aimed towards pure comedy and it doesn't really matter how they go there, or where they are heading with it. And best of all, after all that laughing in the series, you get to have the moment of tears in the end as you see your characters hit the drammatic side of the series.

I love this series and highly recommend it after you watch the first one.