Customer Reviews

Slayers Revolution: The Complete Fourth Season

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's been over a decade since there was a new season of "Slayers," but better late than never.

And "Slayers Revolution" is a solid first half to the long-awaited fourth season, although it suffers from some wobbles in execution (a replica of the Sword of Light?). Not only is it fun to revisit Lina, Gourry and their colorful unruly world, but the writers introduce some clever twists and concepts along the way, while leaving the door open for the second half of the season.

Lina and Gourry have been busy nabbing pirates on the high seas, but they're unexpectedly interrupted by Amelia, Zelgadis, and the Ruvinagald Inspector Wizer, who promptly arrests Lina for "the crime of being Lina Inverse"... and for blowing up some magic tanks with the Dragonslave.

The actual culprit is actually a sort of... flying stuffed bunny thing called Pokota, who can cast almost every spell Lina knows AND has a Sword of Light replica. The gang ends up on the road again, pursuing Pokota and being dogged by Wizer. Of course, they come across new problems on the way -- kidnapped pets, a golem festival, assassins on a ship, and Wizer's attempts to trap Lina in a building full of booby-traps (such as "do not push" buttons).

Pokota also leads the gang into the presumed-lost Taforashia, a ruined city shrouded in mist whose inhabitants are locked in a magical suspended animation... courtesy of the infamous Red Priest Rezo. Unfortunately, a corrupt Ruvinagald marquess and her servants (a ninja, a clockwork robot, and a beastman) are using Taforashia's magical technology to gain power -- and when Lina and her friends try to stop the marquess, a devastating evil is unleashed that could destroy the entire world.

It's a pretty awesome feeling to see the "Slayers" cast in action again, like revisiting old friends whom you haven't seen for a long time. The first few episodes of "Slayers Revolution" are rather weak (seriously, a stuffed toy that can cast the Dragonslave?), only to gain their footing when the Taforashia storyline is woven in. You know what to expect: lots of explosions, arguments, Lina and Gourry gobbling down feasts, and Amelia attacking in the name of justice.

As usual, there's a string of standalone stories interwoven with a solid plot arc, which harkens back to the first season of "Slayers", involving a kingdom locked in a magical barrier, and an elaborate web of lies that lead to a monster being unleashed on the world. There's plenty of hilarious dialogue ("I think it might be edible!"), a hearty dose of comic relief (Gourry's special bond with a jellyfish chimera), and lots of explosive action. The finale is utterly thrilling -- a dramatic three-episode eruption of smashing stones, Dragonslaves, energy blasts, and a giant silver dragon-dog-thing that craves destruction.

Lina is still flat-chested, assertive, hypersensitive and wonderfully bombastic -- and in this one, she encounters someone as crazy and magically-skilled as she is. Gourry is struggling to fight bad guys without a sword that can withstand his strength, Zelgadis has mellowed out somewhat, and Amelia has to grapple with a shocking discovery about her kingdom. And Xellos.... is Xellos. As usual, he's got secrets.And it's worth noting that Funimation (bless 'em) is reuniting almost the entire cast -- Lisa Ortiz, Eric Stuart, Veronica Taylor, and Crispin Freeman. The one change is Michael Sinterklaas as Xellos.

Additionally, Pokota is kind of annoying but gradually becomes likable as we see what drives him, and the tragic past he's trying to correct, while Duclis is the figure of a noble man corrupted by hatred. Wizer seems like an idiot who constantly tries to arrest Lina and impress the ladies, but soon you find that he's almost scarily clever and manipulative. Flan and Zollan are pretty boring, though.

It's not quite revolutionary, but after a bumpy first few episodes "Slayers Revolution" charges along like a runaway magical tank -- and of course, it leaves plot threads dangling for the next half of the season.

It's been over a decade since Slayers ended and now its back with a new season! Things start up with a slam-bang entrance from Lina and Gourry harassing a group of pirates due to a significantly lowered bandit population. However during this attack, the Dynamic Duo re-encounter Amelia and Zelgadis, along with a government agent named Wizer who want to arrest Lina simply for being Lina! Also introduced is a strange creature with amazing power named Pakota who looks like a Pokemon created by Hot Topic. ANYWAY, Ignore all the nay-sayers who don't like this as much as the original 3 seasons. The writing is still great, the animation's better than ever, and the characters are intact with all their original voice actors in both languages (Minus Xellos for English)! No Slayers fan should pass this up, and if you aren't interested in the story then there's one reason that should be enough for any fan: Lina Inverse.

They're back after eleven years, and all slayers fans should be totally stoaked to watch this new season. The same cast (english and japanese) is back. Everyone except for David Moo. Many will applaud this, but I for one miss the voice of Xellos. Michael Sinterniklaas does a pretty good job as Xellos, but gives him sort of a generic "mysterious and Quiet" - type voice that isn't nearly as memorable as David Moo's unique voice that grated on your nerves.

It was fun to see the gang back together. Gourry is still borderline retarded. Amelia still seeks justice. Zelgadis is still ruthless and calculating. And Lina is still an angry hair-trigger sorceress who will blow you up just as soon as look at you. The characters haven't changed at all, which actually seems a little unbelievable. I think Lina should have matured a little bit. Sometimes the characters feel more like caricatures of their former selves rather than the quirky adventurers we know and love, but more on that later. The new character Pokota is annoying as crap. Some say he grows on you, but I disagree. The story tries to develop his personality, but in my opinion, they fail to make me care about him, and so any character development spent on him just feels like a boring waste of time. Had they given a more satisfactory reason for why the Slayers (and I) should care about what happens to him, then I might've liked his personality better. As it is, he turned out the be just what he looks like, a superfluous, annoying puppet.

The other new character, Wizer, actually does grow on you in my opinion. At first, like Pokota, he seems very annoying. But the show does a good job of slowly developing his character, and showing that he isn't just a complete moron, but is actually worthy of his self-appointed title of "Special Investigator" (or whatever it was). Wizer is crafty and can even match wits with Xellos. I think the reason why he was so likeable to me was that, unlike Pokota, the story was not forcing you to like him. Pokota's backstory and the way the Slayers are suddenly helping him out seemed very forced and unbeleivable. But nothing seems forced with Wizer. He's just there. The story simply develops his personality, and gives you the choice of whether you want to like him or not.

The bad guys for this season were a bit of a disappointment. (sorry I feel like I'm being really negative, I really did love this season, but I have a few complaints). To me it was a little incredible that Lina and the Gang would be having trouble with a 50-yr-old hag of marquess, a silly doll, a beast-man with a boring back-story, and a "dangerous" assassin. Compared to badguys of previous seasons (Saygram, Rezo, Gaav, Hellmaster, Valgaav) these guys should have been push-overs. The difficulty level felt very forced. In Slayers Try, when they had trouble with a little dude like Jillas, that was credible, because Jillas was crafty and knew how to turn the slayers against each other. But there was really no satisfactory reason for why Zel and Amelia couldn't just wipe the floor with the doll and help Lina with Zuuma. Zuuma was the worst of all. He felt like a character that was added for the sole purpose of being cool. And his coolness was just a little too forced onto the audience. But he did have some cool fight scenes, so he's forgiven.


For the most part, this series just picks up where Slayers Next left off. I say Slayers Next, because I believe this season largely tries to clone the charm of Slayers Next (the season that most people agree was the best). Unlike Slayers Try, which tried to be something a little different from the previous season, and even tried to have some character development for the main characters, Slayers Revolution does not make any effort to be unique or develop the characters at all. Instead, Revolution falls back hard on the slayers' original personality, and tries to dutifully copy it, rather than developing it. There's nothing wrong with this, but it seems like this season lacks a lot of the uniqueness that the other 3 seasons had. Most Hardcore slayers fans will not care... and they shouldn't care cuz, come on, it's the slayers and they're back!

The season does have some flaws, but I give it a perfect score simply because it is the perfect addition to any Slayers Fan's collection. No Slayers Fan should be without the comeback season. So you should buy this, and not just watch it off youtube. I think it is worth every penny.

For people who haven't seen slayers, what are you thinking? Shame on you! Go watch it now! But I suggest you start with Slayers Next or maybe the original season. Work your way up to Revolution.

I can easily remember watching "The Slayers" when it first appeared on television in Japan, catching the premiere of the series at an anime convention and watching the main Japanese voice actress Megumi Hayashibara promoting the series in America and singing a song from the series. And then the release of the series on VHS and owning multiple copies just to get a subtitled and English dubbed version because I enjoyed the series that much.

It's hard to believe but nearly 14 years later since "The Slayers" debut as a light novel by Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi (which the duo has since released 50 light novels), the series has received a manga treatment, two OAV series, five movies, countless video games and for anime series, there have been a total of five.

With the series having had its release in the US from Software Sculptors and Central Park Media, "The Slayers" series received back in August 2009 with its first major collection from FUNimation Entertainment with "The Slayers: The First Three Seasons" which consists of Season One: The Slayers (April 1995-Sept. 1995, 26 episodes), Season Two: Slayers Next (April 1996-Sept. 1996, 26 episodes) and Season Three: Slayers Try (April 1997-Sept. 1997, 26 episodes) for a total of 78 episodes included in this collection.

Now the fourth season which began 11 years after the third season titled "Slayers Revolution" (which aired between July-September 2008) will be released by FUNimation Entertainment. This fourth season features the first 13-episodes and is continued on "Slayers Evolution-R" (the fifth season) which comprises of the final 13-episodes and aired between January-April 2009 (note: The manga is still ongoing in Japan).

"Slayers Revolution" is directed by Takashi Watanabe ("Casshan: Robot Hunter", "Y's II", "New Fist of the North Star", "Ikki Tousen"), screen composition by Jiro Takayama ("The Slayers" series, "Angel Links", "Wings of Rean", "El Hazard: The Wanderers"), character designs by Naomi Miyata ("Kino's Journey", "Revolutionary Girl Utena", "Sakura Wars") and music by Osamu Tezuka ("Shadow Skill", "Popotan", "Lost Universe, "Akazukin Cha Cha").

The series revolves around the character of Lina Inverse, a powerful sorceress who has a love for money and eating a lot of food. Everytime she tries to help a village (for money), somehow, she ends up destroying it and thus, has a reputation of being a destructive and evil sorceress. She is accompanied by Gourry Gabriev and sometimes by Zelgadis Greyswords and Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun during her adventures for more money, food and fun.

And this time, they discover a creature named Pokota who knows how to use the Dragon Slave and also a man named Wizer who wants to arrest Lina Inverse for being Lina Inverse.

"The Slayers Revolution" comes with the complete season, episodes 1-13 on two DVD discs. Here are the spoiler-less summaries of each episode:

DISC 1:

* EPISODE 1 - Amazing! The Astonishing Dragon Slave?! - Lina confronts a special investigator who wants to arrest her and both Lina and Goury reunite with Zelgadis and Amelia.
* EPISODE 2 - Because! You're Lina Inverse, That's Why? - Lina vs. Pokota.
* EPISODE 3- Chase! The Endless Pursuit! - Lina takes on a man who has magical power over animals.
* EPISODE 4 - Drifter! Who's Chasing Whom?! - Amelia wants to help Pokota.
* EPISODE 5 - Eternal! The Forever-Sleeping Forest! - Lina and friends learn the story behind Pokota and his village.
* EPISODE 6 - Fall On! Strange Festival! Bizarre Festival? Push That Ball Up! - Lina and friends including Pokota become involved with a villages ball pushing contest.
* EPISODE 7 - Gorgeous! The Target Luxury Liner - Lina and friends including Pokota ride on a luxury liner but they don't know that there is a killer(s) in the midst.

DISC 2:

* EPISODE 8 - Hurry Up! Run Through! No, Don't? - Wizer and Xellos team up!
* EPISODE 9 - Insider! The One Who Knows the Truth! - Pokota finds out Duclis's motivation of working with the enemy.
* EPISODE 10 - Judgment! The Silver One Rises Again! - Lina and friends prepare for their big battle.
* EPISODE 11 - Keep Out! The Demon Beast Looms! - The demon beast has awaken!
* EPISODE 12 - Legacy! Decisive Battle in Seyruun! - Lena and Pokota take on the demon beast!
* EPISODE 13 - Misty! The Blades Are Brought Down - Lena and friends take on the demon beast. The battle continues!

VIDEO :

Considering "The Slayers Revolution" was released 11 years after "The Slayers Try" (1997), one would expect a major update to the animation.

The anime series features a much more bolder stroke around the characters, a more vibrant color pallet and better shading and detail. Artistic backgrounds are fine but for a series such as "The Slayers", typically there are a lot of closeup shots of the characters.

Granted, because this is on DVD and the series was shown for television, there are artifacts and even edge enhancement utilized. But if "The Slayers Revolution" does get a Blu-ray release, I wouldn't be surprised if the series looked gorgeous in HD.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

As for the audio, the series is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound, English Stereo and Japanese Stereo. Of course, the English 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound is the better audio choice to listen to, although one who has a receiver that can set their audio to all channels can definitely enjoy the Japanese stereo track as well. Overall, "The Slayers Revolution" sounds good on Dolby Digital 5.1. Japanese voicework is really well-done and the English dub is also quite solid as well.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"The Slayers Revolution" comes with the following special features:

* Textless Songs - Textless Songs for the opening and ending theme.
* Trailers - FUNimation Entertainment trailers

JUDGMENT CALL:

"Slayers" will always be an anime series that I will always enjoy. I was heavily into the series back in the 90's and I know there had been this lull of when I didn't catch anything related to the series but just a few related films. But watching this series again, definitely brought back memories of catching the series at an anime con meeting, an anime convention, buying multiple versions to get the subtitled and English dubbed versions. I really enjoyed this series.

But it takes some dedication. Where a long anime series such as "Dragon Ball Z" can have a conclusion, the fact that this series has literally been on television or released in some format for the last 15 years, you really have to be a dedicated fan to following a series this long.

In fact, each season is a story arc in itself but for the most part, they are stand-alone episodes and typically the final three or four episodes is where everything tends to lead to a major battle. And despite these episodes being over a decade old, the anime still holds up today. And the fact that you can own all three seasons in a single box set for a great price is also another incentive.

"The Slayers Revolution" definitely improves in animation and image clarity. But considering this anime series was released in 2008 and the third season "The Slayers Try" was last aired on television back in 1997, anime quality has changed a lot since then.

It would have been nice if there was a short synopsis for newer viewers not familiar with the past three seasons to know the relationship of all characters but if you haven't seen any of the last three seasons of "The Slayers", I think you can easily get by as the main focus of this fourth season is Lina and the gang going after a creature named Pokota and then finding out his true identity and his background.

Overall, "The Slayers Revolution" is a series that fans of the original series have wanted for a long time. Because the manga series of "The Slayers Evolution-R" is still being published in Japan, fans hoping for some sort of finality or conclusion will probably have to wait even longer. But for those who are in it for the adventure and crazy hi-jinks and of course, more destruction via Lina Inverse will definitely enjoy this latest series.

For fans of "The Slayers", "The Slayers Revolution" is definitely recommended!

I'm a huge fan of this series, and I was ecstatic when I heard it was picking back up after a ten year hiatus. While I realize ten years is quite a long time, and that some change was inevitable, I'm still a bit disappointed with the direction they went with some of the characters:

Lina and Gourry are almost caricatures of themselves. I mean, we all know Lina's got a short fuse, but she was still a smart, insightful character. Gourry was always a dumbass, but his dumbassery always somehow furthered the plot or offered an opportunity for explanation. Now he just seems dumb for the sake of being dumb, and Lina goes off for the sake of going off.

I hate Pokota. He never grew on me.

But character change is, on some level, expected, and can be taken in stride. The hardest thing for me to live with is the animation itself; the characters are. . . well, kind of cartoony. It reminded me of Aladdin 2- it was obvious they didn't hire the same artists, so the characters came out kind of cheesy-looking. I feel like that's what happened with this season of the Slayers, and it makes me a little hesitant to buy season five.

It's not all bad news, though- the stories are still funny, and the series takes jaunts into the ridiculous along with the serious story-line, which was something I always loved about the Slayers. Once I let go of the ole "But it isn't the SAME!" attitude, I enjoyed it.

Pros: Funimation made my day when they retrieved over 90% of the original voice cast from Slayers/Next/Try, & they haven't been assembled in at least 10 years! & even the original Japanese cast is back! So the dub & sub both kick ass. Make sure to watch every episode twice! & they animators were even nice enough to stick with the original art design instead up making it look like a postY2k anime. (Each decade has a destinctive shared style). Despite the manga being way better, I'm giving full stars for the combined efforts of Funimation & JC Staff for not droping a bomb on our nostolgia by alienating a late-come sequal from it's cheriched predecessors.

Cons: The eye shape is a little off, Gourry's last name was changed from Gabriev to Gabrieffe & his voice actor can only seem to pull off the Gourry voice when yelling. The english voice acting of minor unimportant characters is annoying. & the anime itself is a watered-sown variation of the manga (which is way way better) & you get the feeling it's aimed at a younger audience than the manga was. Things happen in the manga that don't happen in the anime & vice versa. That worled fine in Excel Saga, but it's irritating in Slayers.

Other animes you may enjoy: Gokudo, Swordsman Extrordinaire, Sorcerer Hunters, Dragon Half (the much longer manga can only be read online), & Sorcerous Stabber Orphen.

Slayers Revolution is a nice edition to the Slayers universe, thankfully Lina is still Lina <3 along with the respected loveable cast, my only gripe is it's only 13 episodes long.

It is The Slayers. It is fun. It is fast. It is The Slayers. A ten year layoff had no adverse effect on cast or crew. The new story is as fun and entertaining as was the previous three seasons, and better than the five movies between here and there. I place a lot in fun and entertaining because fun and entertaining is why I spend money on pasttimes like this. What do I not like about Revolution? I do not like the fact that this single story was split into "two" seasons, Revolution and Evolution-R. [SPOILER BIT] I do not like the fact that Lina Inverse's older sister does not finally make a live appearance. That is my difference between four stars and five. The Slayers is open for continuation and I really hope They Who Do Such Things considers this franchise worth such an effort. Do I recommend this? Oh, you bet!

Its rather troublesome that they sold this separately from the fifth season, but in general the size of this one (and the other one - they match) is rather slim, regular-movie-DVD size and of good quality.

The series is still excellent, many of the English Dub actors returned, except for Xellos, which is the only one that really shocked me. A faithful continuation.

There really isn't any character development, this season and the next is closer to TRY or the first Season. There never will be a season quite like NEXT.

The artistry is different, more modern, but their attire and the settings are generally the same. She's still the bandit killer. Amazing series.

This is a fantasy-comedy in a world of magic. I'd call it suitable for teens and possibly younger, but parents may want to watch it first.
More original than Evolution-R, it's not quite as good as the original series. Still, that would be hard to do, so I'd say it's worth it if you are a Slayers fan, or just like fantasy or comedy.