 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 4:3 FULL SCREEN | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH MONO AND JAPANESE DD 2.0 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 575 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | TV PG | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 12/11/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 02/07/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
SYNOPSIS:
In a land beset by the forces of evil, a solitary light shines forth with the hope of salvation…but that’s a far different story! Meet Lina Inverse, a spunky sorceress with a penchant for fire, who enjoys nothing more than liberating the unearned from t hose less deserving. Teamed up her strapping, yet strapped for brains, faithful sidekick Gourry, her ambitious young protégé, Amelia, and the ever-stoic Zelgadis, this ragtag team of misfit adventurers set out in search of a cure and end up on a quest to save the world. Together they find more trouble than they could possibly hope for, and nowhere near enough plunder!
Contains the entire second season. REVIEW:
They defeated the Lord of the Monsters in the last season but in Next, Lina and her motley crew of misfits have greater perils to face, hardships to suffer, and bigger laughs with the comedy. There are all sorts of madcap adventures as they play bodyguard to two warring royals, deal with botching bandits, and go dragon hunting in hopes of a decent meal. The big adventure however, starts with a mystery and a legendary artifact. The Claire Bible, the lost tome of the Demon Dragon King, is said to hold immeasurable magical power – and Lina wants it badly! Unfortunately for her, she’s not the only one. Hordes of villains and monsters want it too and they don’t mind eating a few people or destroying an entire kingdom to get it! Add a rogue priest with unknown intentions and you have the makings of high fantasy adventure, sword and sorcery swashbuckling and a compelling mystery too. The Claire Bible and those vying for it is the main arc that underlies the entire series. The anime, despite having a number of distracting and enjoyable stand alone episodes, always have an additional clue or added mystery to the ongoing search of the missing manuscript and who is after it. Xellos, the unusual priest who occasionally teams up with Lina, obviously has his own agenda from the star,t but he holds the mystery well until his identity and his agenda are unveiled during the thrilling climax of the series. The main story arc of Slayers Next is a pivotal one for Lina as it shows how she gains some very special gems that she’s seen with ever after, and a new addition to her spell casting: the Ragna Blade. She uncovers the secret behind her massively powerful Giga Slave spell, but that pales in comparison to what surprises the Ragna Blade has in store for her! Lina and her friends end up returning to Seyruun in search of answers, and end up back at the place where they left season one – Sayraag. There they find themselves coming full circle while meeting all new and incredible enemies. When Lina is caught between warring demon lords, dragons, and ghosts, she may have to make the greatest sacrifice of all. It holds over twice the excitement of the first season, even more compelling stories, and many more surprises. This season sees the addition of Martina, a self-centered and ridiculously dressed sorceress who has it in for Lina and provides much of the comedic relief. Any fans familiar with the OVA might find her fairly similar to the companion Lina has in the specials. From the stand alones, a personal favorite was the one where the group has to infiltrate an all-girls compound, meaning the guys have to dress up in drag which is hilarious. But it’s the overall Claire Bible story arc and surprisingly dramatic finale that makes this season my personal favorite out of all the Slayers TV. One of the reasons for this is that the second season is the one that holds the strongest concrete romance between Gourry and Lina than any other seasons, or movie, or special for that matter. Slayers Next has the most serious and captivating moment between these two bickering people and it proves a startling and utterly touching scene between them. The thrilling 2D animation is super. It’s vivid and flashy, perfect for a sword and sorcery series. It’s watching a show like this that makes me nostalgic for more 2D animation. It’s simply the easiest animation on the eyes and remains the most appealing in anime in many ways. It shows a lot of flair when Lina casts her biggest spells and during the final battle. The Ragna Blade spell adds an all new visual repertoire not only to her arsenal, but that of the animators as well. The anime is a joy to watch. EXTRAS:
Bonus features include trailers of other FUNimation titles, clean opening and ending animation, Japanese TV spots, and anime music video to the song “Otomoe no Inori” (“A Maiden’s Prayer”) that includes a karaoke version as well for you to sing along with. IN SUMMARY:
More magic, more mayhem and more danger than ever are barely contained in the exciting and filled to bursting adventure found in the second season of the Slayers!
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