Lina Inverse, sorceress extraordinaire, fresh from destroying the enemy in SLAYERS, is cheerfully traveling the country with her self-proclaimed protector, Gourry Gabriev. Traveling, however, is not all they're doing - she is avidly (and brutally) searching for a particular object - the Claire Bible, source of infinite knowledge. She and Gourry are not the only ones looking for it - so are their friends, Zelgadis and Amelia, princess of Seyruun. Indeed, if it were just these four searching for the Claire Bible, the plot would be as simple as Gourry's mind. But two of the Mazoku [demon] lords are warring, each plotting ways to destroy the other. And it seems that both are quite fascinated by Lina, due to her acts in SLAYERS - or, more specifically, her ability to perform a particular spell called the Giga Slave…
This is without a doubt one of the oddest things I've ever watched. In a good way, too. Slayers NEXT cheerfully bounces back and forth from comedy to action - and sometimes drama - usually four times within an episode. Truthfully, even though this show has a tendency to get slightly cheesy when it does go dramatic, it nevertheless pulls it off with a humorously fun twist (except when the situation calls for drama, which it does as well).
One of the greatest things about SLAYERS and all of its accompanying seasons are the fighting scenes. In NEXT, there are some particular ones that I enjoyed (especially the final battle), but the real reason for them comes from the spells. As stated in my SLAYERS review, this is a show where one fights through swords or magic spells - basically, blasting or frying or zapping the opponent. The attacks themselves are interesting, without Lina and the others melodramatically gaining power-ups. (Lina does, I admit, hunt for a spell in this, although I doubt anyone would consider the Ragna Blade to be a power-up.) With the spells and swords as groundwork for the battles, the action turns out to be quick and colorful. Very colorful. The recitations for the more powerful spells sound a bit over-dramatic (in particular Ragna Blade & Giga Slave), but could equally sound very neat (those two spells are particular favorites of mine). Perhaps it's not quite realistic for FIREBALLS and BURST RANDO to be thrown at enemies, but it's certainly entertaining (and who really wants realistic?). A favorite battle of mine is carried through episodes 25-26 (the finale). It's dark and quite unhappy, with Lina experiencing some emotional angst due to Giga Slave's effects if it's not performed properly and the alternate of not performing it.
NEXT characters are not meant to be very serious. This is a comedy show - certain things are greatly exaggerated. In real life, I seriously doubt a group of four would have a great war between them just because they disagree on what place to eat. In the show, it's absolutely hilarious, what with the results of that. When the characters do become serious, it has one of the following two effects: A) it's made all the more poignant by its rarity or B) it just seems very, very cheesy. It's not a formula that works well for all shows, but NEXT pulls it off well. (And who can be truly serious when one is in an Iron Chef-esque cooking contest that, if lost, you get turned into a disturbingly cute doll?) The addition of several new characters, Martina and Xelloss (the latter of which stuck around for TRY), help keep the life of NEXT jumping.
The characterization in this show isn't really a growth in this. Much of the time is spent with the characters acting fairly wacky; when the lives of themselves and others is at stake, the characters bring out their serious side. They mostly bury it underneath humor until it's needed. Growth being thrown out the window, the actual depth of the characters at this point is mostly very sweet - and often humorous. Gourry's occasional odd bit of seriousness helps bring out his and Lina's relationship (she blushes at least three times in this show, which is actually quite a bit considering Lina), and the strength of this pair is impressive. I'm a romantic at heart, and despite the casual, I'll-give-him-to-you-for-money relationship that the two typically have, the lengths that Gourry and Lina will go to for each other (as shown in the final battle) are very, very sweet and fluffy. As for the other characters, they fight just as doggedly (the final battle is extremely heart wrenching due to all of this going on) - even Martina, who was once declared by Lina as "nothing but comic relief", gets a shining moment in 25. Oddly enough, two characters from SLAYERS are randomly brought in for the last episodes of NEXT - and despite the fact that they hadn't been there for twenty-four episodes, they get their own moments, too. (I'd say most of these characters do.) As for when the cast isn't being serious, changes in attitude since SLAYERS are evident. Zelgadis acquires a dry, sarcastic sense of humor in this - which he sorely needs, what with Lina using him as an anchor on a ship. To be noted is that it is here in NEXT where the beginnings of the Zelgadis-Amelia romance come - completely out of the blue, but sweet, nevertheless.
Skipping to the plot… There are a lot of fillers in here. A lot. Although I enjoyed most of them, the diversion from the main story might annoy some - to really enjoy this, one has to understand that SLAYERS and all of its attachments is 90% filler. Over fifteen episodes in this are devoted to simply searching for the Claire Bible - and this journey has a lot of detours. One episode is when the group goes hunting for a dragon - why? Because Lina wants to eat it, of course! When it does get back onto the main track, it's flatly laid out. Even though it possesses a fairly simple plot, it has holes in it here and there. After all, who does Xelloss really work for? That's never clearly stated in NEXT, and he seems to hover more as an omniscient presence most of the time. It also has the holes left over from the first season - evidently, no one is meant to know how Lina learned a spell like Giga Slave - and other minor, random details scattered through out NEXT. Other things turn out odd - especially the transitions between seasons. I would truly like to know why at the end of SLAYERS and NEXT the characters feel a need to disperse for no reason in particular - at the beginning of this season, Sylphiel is nowhere to be seen, nor is Amelia or Zelgadis. It begins with simply Lina and Gourry, and the other characters slowly make their own returns. Although this doesn't present a problem during the show, it seems odd in retrospect. (Although this problem is fixed in TRY.)
Overall, Slayers NEXT is one of the most amusing shows I've ever watched. The humor isn't always sophisticated - in fact, rarely is - and is often times slapstick rather than witty. But it's funny, and the characters are admirable and amusing - if I tried to pick one I loved best, I'd fail (although I could pick ones that annoyed me). No one is typical; nothing is typical. And there's everything, from action to adventure to romance to plain chaos. And yes, comedy.
[ TV Season 3: Try ]
* Light Spoilers for end of NEXT *
No, it was never mentioned in the first two seasons of SLAYERS and NEXT, but evidently, the land in which our group lives in was apparently surrounded by a great barrier, put up by the great Mazoku lords that served under the Ruby-Eyed Lord. In the end of NEXT, Gaav was killed by Hellmaster Phillbrizzo; in turn, the Lord of Nightmares killed Hellmaster. Because two of the Mazoku lords are gone, the barrier has vanished. Lina, planning a voyage to the outside world, is abruptly accosted by a gold dragon named Filia ul Copt - a dragon who happens to be a priestess of the dragons that serve the gods. Instructed to do a mission, Lina initially refuses, but is convinced to see the benefits of the matter by a letter from her beloved older sister. Dragging Princess Amelia, Zelgadis, and her ever-hovering protector Gourry Gabriev, Lina Inverse sets off to the outside world. But even in this outside world where no one from her lands has set foot in for over a thousand years, trouble lurks. From another dimension arrives Dark Star, the Ruby-Eyed Lord's greatest opponent - and with him, people from that same dimension which have a duty to fulfill. But they are not the only ones - the pie of TRY has fingers poking into it belonging to Xelloss as well, along with a young Mazoku named Valgaav - who is seeking revenge for his master, Gaav. Even with this many people, the plot seems simple. But truly, deceptions and genocide run thick with blood…
Well, it's not quite as dark as that, but it certainly is dark. People are often at debate as to what season of Slayers is better, NEXT or TRY - in my opinion, both are equally good. NEXT is certainly funnier, but TRY is bursting of more characters, better plot, and the darkness of murder. For some odd reason, though, the animators decided to overlook a few plotholes. As I stated before, this barrier is a newly mentioned thing - I suppose it was created merely for the sake of TRY's plot. Let it be noted that Valgaav is after Lina for revenge, as he says that she killed Gaav - which she acknowledges with no thought to the otherwise. Actually, it was Hellmaster that killed Gaav, but since Lina easily picks up the blame, it is of no great concern - just odd. (It could be explained that Lina technically killed Hellmaster, but how she assumes the blame of those she has destroyed makes little sense.) As with the beginning of NEXT, the start of TRY is also slightly odd - the characters have once again separated, leaving Lina with only Gourry. (This always requires time for the characters to once again meet up, conveniently.) No reasons for why the group always breaks apart (although they are fairly obvious, true), but they are easily put together - and with a few additions.
The characters in this are really quite interesting, as well as unique (I doubt anyone could call Xelloss anything but). For once, there comes a person who can truly aggravate Xelloss, who was fairly unflappable during NEXT - Fila ul Copt, who is a rather bright, odd type of dragon who annoys Xelloss nearly as much as he annoys her. (It would be why they're one of my favorite couples.) The focus is not so much on Lina here as it was during NEXT; indeed, the final battle is a fantastic joint effort with both gods and demons on the same side. Nothing is as it seems - is Xelloss really as evil as Filia says he is? Or truly, are they all equally cruel? The lines between good and evil blur exceedingly well, making some disturbing experiences for some of the characters. The characterizations in this are thus more spread out - Xelloss opens his eyes quite often in TRY, which is a slightly disturbing fact - while all the characters experience some humorous insights into their own selves - Lina is violent and bright as always.
TRY contains some filler episodes that are particularly amusing - the "justice warriors" are absolutely hilarious (the women wearing outfits that reminded me of Sailor Moon), showing that the animators have not forgotten the humor that makes SLAYERS known as a comedy. The fish episode, with Kereru and his girlfriend was absolutely hilarious - is there any particular reason why Gourry keeps having his hair put up in odangos?
By the end of TRY, I felt a deep sadness, as this is really the last place one will ever see Gourry, Zelgadis, Amelia, Filia, and Xelloss, as the other movies and OVA's center around Lina in years before SLAYERS. They're a hilarious, wonderful cast that are incredibly likable - I didn't want the end of TRY to truly come, as I would miss them dearly. It makes it a good thing that movie five, Slayers PREMIUM, came out with Sakura Taisen; that movie is the last time one will ever see the majority of the cast. It had a good, solid ending - not as heartbreaking as NEXT, but good - along with credits that show a bit of what life is like for the characters as they once again separate. (We actually see Xelloss' master's legs! Her name is Xellass [Zelas], for the record, although that's not stated in the show.)
