Slayers

Publisher
ADV
Director
Hiroshi Watanabe
Production
Bandai, Kadokawa Shoten, King Records
Country of origin
Japan
Format
OVA
Running time
60 minutes
Year
1996

Slayers Gorgeous

By John Huxley
27th Sep 04

This being my second foray into the world of Slayers, I'm starting to feel a little more qualified to rate and review this franchise. But in all probability most of you reading this have had more experience than myself and will already know exactly what to expect from the latest Slayers DVD release from ADV, Slayers Gorgeous. Much like Tenchi, Ranma and Dragonball, Slayers is (or was) a franchise that milked a proven successful formula as long as it was still selling copies and bringing in the cash. That's not to say that Slayers is little more than a callous attempt to rid anime fans of their hard earned readies; much like the James Bond films there's certainly something present in each and every Slayers instalment that made it such a successful formula in the first place. Of course, not everything is created equal and inevitably quality will vary from episode to episode. So, is Slayers Gorgeous a Goldeneye or another Thunderball?

The story will be immediately familiar to any Slayers fans. Sorceresses extraordinare Lina Inverse and Naga the Serpent arrive in a seemingly sleepy tow with an eye for making a quick buck or two. However, their plan is turned on its head when they discover that this town is in the midst of a rather unusual civil war. The Culvert clan have ruled this land for centuries, their long illustrious history being founded upon their unique ability to communicate with dragons. However, the latest in Culvert line is more than a little distressed by her daughters rebellious attitude - he refuses to raise her pocket money allowance so his daughter Marlene has declared war on her father, relocated to their summer home on the other side of town and taken all the dragons with her! Refusing to give in to such unreasonable demands Culvert senior hires Lina's renowned skills as a sorceress to hopefully teach the little brat a few manners. But Marlene won't give in without a fight and soon acquires the invaluable assistance of none other than Naga the Serpent (for a hefty fee, of course) to challenge her father's authority.

The narrative is wholly unremarkable and arguably derivative of the fantasy genre, yet the slightly satirical overtones (such as Lina's mock surprise when she learns of Naga's allegiance) help to disguise this particular shortcoming. Outside of Lina and Naga (who are lively as usual) the majority of the cast probably won't hold much interest, their sole purpose seemingly little more than to provide the script writers ammunition for the puns and gags. Which is really the big difference between Slayers Gorgeous and the earlier Slayers Great. Where Slayers Great relied too heavily on the juvenile, timeworn breast gags, Gorgeous adds some much needed variety to the Slayers' repertoire of jokes with some sharp scripting that's executed with faultless timing. There are funnier anime series to be sure, but Slayers Gorgeous should be credited for offering the best the franchise has had to offer thus far (keeping in mind that I've only seen two!).

And although it's not the focus of Slayers Gorgeous, the action is no slouch either. Mostly consisting of magical projectiles and the occasional sword fight, these action scenes are enhanced by the consistent flow of jokes and gags that help to keep the atmosphere lighthearted. Slayers never assumes that it can entertain an audience through dramatics alone, something which I for one am very grateful for. Shows of this ilk that erroneously attempt to put all their eggs in one basket rarely (if ever) succeed and Slayers Gorgeous is testament this fact. Its mix of comedy, comedy, a little action and more comedy may not be the most sophisticated on the block but it's certainly a entertaining combination.

If I were forced at gunpoint to buy only one Slayers DVD I'd have to go for Slayers Gorgeous over Slayers Great. Both may be of a similar quality but Gorgeous is Goldeneye to Great's Thunderball. The same but better.

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English 2.0 & Japanese 2.0 audio, English subtitles, Slayers trailers, ADV previews

Release information: UK: 20th September 2004, ADV

Notes: Unsurprisingly the cover artwork retains a similar layout to Slayers Great, although I think this particular montage is the better of the two. It's much less fussy with only the two main characters to divert your attention (not to mention that striking focal point!). The same image can be found on the single sheet leaflet packaged inside the box with a chapter listing on the reverse. Unfortunately the extras are more than a little disappointing with only a few ADV previews and four Slayers trailers to support the main feature. If you're buying into Slayers for the first time this is easily your best option considering the superior video and audio quality of DVD but those of you upgrading from a VHS copy will want to consider their options carefully before handing over the cash.

-- John Huxley 27th Sep 04

Slayers Images