Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top of the Line Swords & Sorcery, November 17, 2003
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.)
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20 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sugoi! The Slayers series is possibly the best anime ever, July 29, 2000
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!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Slayers are back!, March 21, 2003
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.
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