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Slayers (スレイヤーズ Sureiyāzu?) is a successful and popular comedy and fantasy franchise, which began as light novels, totalling fifteen volumesn written by Hajime Kanzaka and later developing into several manga, three televised anime series, two three-episode OVAs, and five movies. Slayers follows the adventures of the young sorceress Lina Inverse and her various companions as they journey throughought their world and use powerful magic and swordsmanship to battle overreaching wizards, demons seeking to destroy the world, dark lords, and the occasional, happless gang of bandits.
Although released after the anime series aired, the two OVAs and the first four movies depict events that occured early in Lina's career as a bandit-hunting and dragon-spooking adventuress. These installments show her first encounter and subsequent exploits with the White Serpent, Naga. Lina's first partner, while not a great intellect, is a formidable sorceress in her own right, and views herself as Lina's strongest and foremost rival. in which Lina is partnered with the obnoxious and pretentious sorceress Naga; These adventures take place before the events of the three television seasons. The anime ran for three seasons, and its first season bore the franchise's title and established Lina's three principal companions: the swordsman Gourry, the chimera shaman-cum-rouge Zelgadis, and Amelia, the a young princess and warrior of justice. The second season was named Slayers NEXT, and the third season, Slayers TRY. A fourth season, Slayers AGAIN, was rumored following the success of TRY, but early scheduling conflicts caused interest in the project to dissipate.[1] Each anime series begins humorously but builds slowly until the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Throughout each series, Slayers maintains its comedic nature, frequently displaying Lina's ill temper or abuse of her comrades or lesser opponents, using these these as comic relief in later episodes. Use of extremely destructive spells, especially the powerful "Dragon Slave," in inappropriate settings is another frequent gag.
Volumes one through six of the light novels have been translated into English and released in North America by Tokyopop. The anime aired on TV Tokyo from early April to late September in 1995 through 1997, and was released on VHS and DVD in North America by Software Sculptors. In May 2005, at Anime Central in Chicago, FUNimation Entertainment announced they have obtained the license for the TV series, since the previous owner's license expired in Fall 2005. While the previous releases have now been out of print over half a year, FUNimation has not yet released theirs, though they claim to still be working on it.[1] The OVAs and movies were released in Japan between 1996 and 2001, later released in North America and dubbed into English by ADV Films. Enoki Films holds the license to the Slayers television franchise as a middleman.
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[edit] Overview
[edit] Principal protagonists
The protagonist of all instances of Slayers is the teenaged prodigy sorceress Lina Inverse. Born to family of magicians and merchants, she employs her magical skills, as well as her formidable ability with a sword, to hunt bandits, serve as bodyguard to merchants and royalty, and otherwise grow her fortune. A glutton for gourmet foods and avaricious for gold and treasure, Lina is a red-head with a combustible temper, and her comrades fear raising her ire more than they fear any enemy. Although tough and seemingly more interested in her own well-being, Lina is loyal to her companions and unafraid to fight an overpowering foe.
Gourry Zelgadis Amelia Sylphiel Xellos Filia
[edit] Minor characters
[edit] Settings and magic
- Further information: List of Spells in Slayers
In the universe of Slayers, the supreme being and demiurge is called the Lord of Nightmares, who is said to "float like gold on the Sea of Chaos." Four pillars rise out of the Sea of Chaos, and each supports its own world. On each of these worlds, are Gods (親族 shinzoku?, lit. "godly race") and Monsters (魔族 mazoku?, lit. "evil race"), fighting without end. Should the gods win the war in a world, that world will be at peace. Should the demons win, the world will be destroyed and returned to Chaos. In Lina's world, the supreme god is Ceiphied, and the supreme demon is Shabranigdo (the Ruby-Eye). Long ago, Ceiphied won the war, and split Shabranigdo's body in seven to prevent him from coming back to life. However, Ceiphied was so exhausted that he himself sank into the Sea of Chaos, leaving four parts of himself and his soul in the world.
A millennium before the events in Slayers, one of Ruby-Eye's parts (which was sealed in the body of Lei Magnus, a very powerful sorcerer) revived and started the Resurrection War against one of the parts of Ceiphied, the Dragon King of Water (Aqua Lord). Ultimately, the piece of Shabranigdo won, but the Aqua Lord, using the last remnants of her power, froze and sealed him within the Kataart mountains. Nevertheless, Shabranigdo's lieutenants escaped and remained at liberty, sealing much of the world within a magical barrier, through which only they could pass. These leaders and their servants are the principal antagonists throughout the three Slayers anime series. They are intelligent, cunning creatures, often indulging in intrigue amongst themselves, and they feast on human emotion, especially fear and pain. To increase the amount of pain and terror they cause, the most powerful mazoku lend their power to humans in the form of Black Magic spells that call directly on their powers. Such spells include the Fireball and Dragon Slave, and are capable of causing enormous damage and suffering to all things and beings, except the mazoku whose power is invoked for that spell and higher-ranking mazoku.
In contrast to the destructive power of Black Magic are the healing abilities of White Magic, which is drawn from the caster's own life force. Striking a balance between healing and attack is the rare Divine Magic, which only the dragon servants of the shinzoku can channel. Shamanistic Magic is focused on defense and alteration of materials, but includes the Rah Tilt, a spell of devastating power when used against a spiritual being, such as a mazoku. Above all other magic, however, and of its nature used purely for destruction, are spells drawing power from the Lord of Nightmares: The two spells of this class are the Ragna Blade, capable of felling powerful mazoku in a single strike, and the Giga Slave, which calls forth the very Lord of Nightmares into the world, promising certain victory over any opponent, but risking the destruction of the world if the spell should fail.
[edit] Plot synopses
[edit] Movies and OVAs
[edit] First season
The first half of 'The Slayers recounts Lina and Gourry's first meeting and how, after initially fighting him, the two join forces with the shaman-fighter Zelgadis in opposing the plans of the Red Priest Rezo, a great but blind sage. The series reveals that Rezo intends to use the Philosopher's Stone to resurrect part of the Dark Lord Shabranigdo in exchange for his sight. Despite the hero's efforts, Rezo succeeds in releasing Shabranigdo, but he is betrayed and destroyed by the Dark Lord. Lina, Gourry and Zelgadis make a stand against the reborn Shabranigdo, and are nearly defeated, until Lina uses the power of the Sword of Light to call upon the power of the Lord of Nightmares, the Dark Lord of Dark Lords. Her gambit succeeds, and Shabranigdo is destroyed, and Zelgadis parts company with Gourry and Lina.
The series then shows how the duo are retained as bodyguards by the pacifist Prince Philionel, ruler of Seiruun, and his daughter, the champion of justice, Amelia. Upon arriving in Seiruun, the heros are set upon by bounty hunters, whose motivations are unknown, but who intend to take them to the city of Sairaag. Lina and Gourry escape, with Amelia in tow, and make their way--under constant threat of ambush--to Sairaag. There they meet Sylphiel, a powerful priestess, daughter of a local noble, and an old acquaintance of Gourry's. They also learn that the bounty was set by a Eris, a wizardress and disciple of Rezo, and her clone of the Red Pries, in a plan to exact revenge on Lina. The party confronts this pair, but even joined by Sylphiel and rejoined by Zelgadis, they are unable to stop the Copy Rezo's destruction of Sairaag, done to show how he surpassed the original. Eris' ultimate objective proves to be the release of the Dragon Monster Zanafar, to combine it with her Copy Rezo as a means to defeat Lina. She accomplishes this, but is slain by the Copy, to prove his absolutel independence of the original. Lina attempts to use the Giga Slave to defeat the Copy Rezo/Zanafar but is stopped by Sylphiel, who instead provides her a powerful, holy sword, the Bless Blade. Combining the powers of the party to draw Copy Rezo's magic attacks, she impales him with the sword, saving the world and leaving his soul in peace.
[edit] Second season
[edit] Third season
[edit] Production
[Is this possible? Slayers is such an old franchise.]
[edit] International versions
[edit] Reception
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Carvalho, Joshua. Anime primers - Slayers. Anime on DVD. Retrieved on August 18, 2006.
