Review for Slayers: Revolution

Introduction

It's been quite a wait for Slayers Revolution to get to the UK, especially given that when MVM licensed it, they licensed the whole of the Slayers television franchise in one go. Of course it's never that easy, and even if they did take a year out to finally bring Slayers, Slayers Next and Slayers Try to the UK, we have still had to wait the better part of a year since then for the fourth series to be released. That's down to the perennial problem of waiting for it to be dubbed into English, courtesy of whichever US company licensed it there, in this case Funimation. But consider the poor US and Japanese audiences. Slayers is a vintage DVD release in the US, and Slayers Try was first released there by CPM back in 2001. US fans have had to wait 9 years to get their next fix of Lina Inverse, OVAs and movie spin-offs notwithstanding. For the Japanese it was worse, as they had to wait 11 years following the conclusion of Slayers Try till the debut of Slayers Revolution.


11 years is a long time, and the world of anime has changed dramatically since then, exploding into a rainbow of genres, catering for wider audiences, with a commensurate advancement in animation techniques, depth of writing, and simple audience fashion. Can Slayers' in-your-face comedy still work after all this time? Will audiences still accept the older and rougher character designs? Will the casts still sound the same after all this time, indeed will the same cast even be available? Of course some changes are inevitable, and the first thing you notice about Slayers Revolution is that it is in glorious widescreen now, with the cleaner, better defined animation that comes from computers rather than cels and inks. But both J.C Staff and Funimation have scored coups in retaining most of the original voice casts. After all, without Megumi Hayashibara there is no Lina Inverse, and the same can be said for Crispin Freeman as Zelgadis. But will Slayers still work in this modern, more cynical and demanding age?


Lina Inverse is a powerful sorceress in a pint-sized package. She's into wealth redistribution. She takes on the toughest of bandits, the meanest of monsters, with an arsenal of powerful and destructive spells, and then liberates them from their gold, gems and magical artefacts, redistributing it into her own pocket. Somehow though, she's become one of a group of adventurers, working together to fight evil, defeat monsters, and make enough money to fill their stomachs. After all, fighting the Dark sorcerer Rezo, and the resurrected Shabranigdo tends to unite people against adversity. And if that isn't enough, searching for the Clare Bible and defeating the nefarious plans of the Monsters, taking down the Dark Demon King Gaav in the process ought to suffice, and then getting in the middle of the battle between Gods and Monsters and taking on the Dragon Race in the process really ought to make an impact. Gourry Gabriev is the heroic figure, who is a dab hand with a sword, if not too bright of intellect. Zelgadis is a powerful warrior/magic user, who in the pursuit of more power was cursed so that his skin turned to stone, and is now looking for a cure. Amelia is a trainee sorceress, and heir to the throne of Seyruun, who has an unwavering belief in goodness and justice, and who as an apprentice, continually manages to rub Lina the wrong way. Their misadventures resume after a well-earned break in the fourth series, Slayers Revolution.


What next for Lina Inverse following such death defying feats? Well, she and Gourry are back at their day job of liberating bandits from their loot, or they would be if bandits weren't an endangered species courtesy of Lina's depredations. They've turned their attention to the high seas and pirates instead. Which is where Amelia and Zelgadis are tracking her down to introduce her to a 'fan'. Except this fan wants to arrest Lina. Her crime? Being Lina Inverse. Her guilt is self-evident, but unbelievably, she's being framed. There isn't another Lina Inverse, but there is another magic user who can cast Lina's trademark Dragon Slave spell. Pokota is a particularly disagreeable little stuffed toy with a massive grudge and a whole lot of magic. Mostly that grudge comes from being a stuffed toy, but when Lina encounters the be-zippered one, a whole new adventure awaits.

Thirteen episodes are presented across two discs by MVM, and you can read the synopses on the next page, or skip forward to the conclusion.

Picture

Slayers Revolution gets a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer. It's an NTSC-PAL conversion, and with it comes the softer image, the blended frames, and the juddering pans typical of such conversions, and easy to put out of your mind unless you look for them. There are also some compression artefacts around frenetic motion, again easy to miss unless you pause playback and skip forward frame by frame. But it is a fairly run of the mill transfer. Slayers still gets the bright and colourful image as in the earlier series. The character designs aren't much altered, Zelgadis is a little bluer, lines are cleaner, and consistency greater courtesy of modern animation techniques. The world design is also recognisable from the earlier incarnation, but there is a tad more detail this time around. Where Slayers Revolution really shows its youth is in the actual animation, which has an energy, vibrancy, and more importantly scope and imagination that the earlier series simply couldn't afford. It's still a simpler animation compared to its contemporaries though, and it is still recognisably Slayers.

Sound

You have a choice between DD 5.1 English and DD 2.0 Japanese with optional translated subtitles and a signs only track. It's a comfortable zone of familiarity if you have experienced the original Slayers. Both the majority of the English and Japanese casts return, and both dubs are like welcoming old friends. The audio in both versions is fine, with an upgrade in terms of clarity and fidelity down to modern technology. The music of Slayers makes a welcome return, but somehow sounds grander and fuller. The dialogue is clear in both versions, but I did have to turn the volume up a tad on the Japanese version. To be honest, what little I sampled of the English dub didn't immediately impress me with its surround presence, and it may as well have just been a stereo track.

The Episodes

Disc 1

1. Amazing! The Astonishing Dragon Slave?!
The pirates haven't heard of the amazing, stunning, smart, beautiful, lethal, skilled sword swinger and sorceress Lina Inverse, which is why they foolishly make a stand when she and Gourry attack their ship. Now it would have been another matter entirely if she had introduced herself as the gluttonous, flat-chested, Armageddon wielding, devil in disguise Lina Inverse, but all of that is put to one side as the raid is interrupted by the arrival of Zelgadis and Amelia with the Seyruun fleet. They have with them representative of the Ruvinagald Kingdom, Inspector Wizer Freion, on a mission from Amelia's father. What only Wizer Freion knows is that the mission is to arrest Lina Inverse. Someone's been casting the Dragon Slave, and destroying Ruvinagald's magic army.

2. Because! You're Lina Inverse, That's Why!
Wizer's gonna need a bigger army if he's going to arrest Lina, but there's more going on here than just a few stray Dragon Slaves destroying Ruvinagald's magic tanks. Besides, Lina's noticed that the last Dragon Slave didn't come from her, it came from a strange big-eared, soft toy looking critter, and of course she isn't too keen on being framed. The chase begins, and even Gourry gets interested when they see the odd fellow wielding what looks like the Sword of Light. Ever since he lost the Sword of Light, Gourry has been looking for a suitable replacement; normal swords just don't measure up. A magical battle ensues, but the weird rabbit thing, Pokota has an astounding claim; the magical tanks belonged to him in the first place.


3. Chase! The Endless Pursuit!
Wizer is back on Lina's tail once more, armed with an arrest warrant, and a pair of handcuffs impervious to magic or force. Lina's coming with him whether she wants to or not. This time, she's charged with the heinous crime of pet-napping. Yes, someone is targeting the rich aristocracy and stealing their finest pedigree best friends. Surely Wizer isn't that stupid. What would Lina want with fine animals… unless they were roasted and served with a rich sauce? It isn't long before she's busy, earning the reward, I mean trying to clear her name.

4. Drifter! Who's Chasing Whom?!
How dare he keep trading on her reputation? Lina's on the warpath, tracking down the little sprite Pokota. She could use a little help, but persuading the others isn't easy. A little reverse psychology works on Zelgadis though, reminding him that such a powerful sorcerer, capable of replicating the Sword of Light, may just be able to reverse the curse. It isn't long before Amelia has to protect Pokota from an over-eager Zelgadis. Actually it isn't long before Amelia learns more of Pokota's mission to destroy the magical tanks, and she soon has a new mission of peace and justice to pursue. Meanwhile, Lina's come up with a sure-fire way to draw Pokota to her, as long as Gourry keeps pedalling.


5. Eternal! The Forever Sleeping Forest!
Still chasing Pokota, Lina and the others wander into a strange, fog shrouded forest. There they meet the last person they expect, Xellos. As usual he's keeping his motives a secret. Deep within the forest they discover a ruined city, beneath which lie the population of the city in suspended animation. The city of Taforashia was threatened by a plague, and a kindly passing sorcerer helped the citizens by putting them to sleep until a cure could be found. But all these years later, they need the sorcerer to come back and lift the seal, hence their prince going to seek them out, although for some reason he's in the form of the stuffed toy Pokota. The trouble is that one of Pokota's men, Duclis has betrayed him by selling the city's defence technology, the magic tanks and Zanaffar armour to Gioconda, the Marquess of Ruvinagald. And guess who's working with the Marquess… yup, Xellos. By the way, the sorcerer who cast the seal… Rezo. Of course Pokota can't believe that he is dead, or that Lina killed him. For one thing, if he were dead, the seal would have lifted automatically.

6. Fall On! Strange Festival! Bizarre Festival? Push That Ball Up!
The pesky exposition episode out of the way, we're back to the daftness, and it doesn't get dafter than this. Lina and the others pursue Pokota to an odd village where they get invited to the local festival. What started as a simple harvest festival has turned into a three-way rivalry, where three villages compete to push massive stone balls to the top of a mountain using magically created Golems. In exchange for food, Lina helps one village, while the same reward tempts Pokota to help another. Meanwhile, the Marquess of Ruvinagald has sent a couple of petty sorcerers, Flan and Zollan to steal the Sword of Light from Pokota, but they wind up helping the third village. The race to the top of the mountain is on!


7. Gorgeous! The Targeted Luxury Liner?
Lina and Pokota have finally teamed up to deal with Gioconda, Pokota to stop her nefarious arms dealing, and Lina to stop her reputation from being besmirched. It's a long voyage ahead, and rather than stress about the situation, Lina takes advantage of a cruise liner heading in their direction. They don't get much of a chance to relax though, as there might just be an assassin aboard. They are in for the shock of their lives when Lina and Pokota try and smoke him out. For Gioconda has hired the lethal Zuuma, and he can cast a barrier where magic doesn't work.

Disc 2

8. Hurry Up! Run Through! No, Don't?
The group arrive at the border of Ruvinagald, only to be stymied by a hastily erected fortress. Wizer has been anticipating their arrival, and is brandishing an arrest warrant with Lina's name on. Lina decides to use her usual tactic of barrelling on through, but she hasn't counted on Wizer's new adviser, Xellos. With the massive fortress, full of traps and pitfalls, and with Xellos there backing Wizer, it looks like the end of the road for Lina. But it's okay, as she has a plan… She surrenders.


9. Insider! The One Who Knows The Truth!
It makes all the sense in the world. They want to see Gioconda about her plans, and Wizer will provide a prison wagon straight to the castle. On top of that, they don't even have to pay for their meals. All they have to do is to escape from the castle dungeon when the time comes. You have to feel sorry for poor Pokota who has to stay at large long enough, and make his way sneakily to the castle to help them escape. Gioconda would like nothing more than to have Lina executed, but the Ruvinagald government want to test their magic tanks against the sorceress. At the same time they get a visit in their cell from Gioconda's lady in waiting Ozzel. Ozzel's head falls off, then she asks them for a favour.

10. Judgement! The Silver One Rises Again!
The fights continue, Gourry faces Gioconda, Amelia and Zelgadis face Ozzel, and Zuuma outclasses Lina. Meanwhile Pokota is having a showdown with his former friend Duclis, when Wizer falls into the middle of their battle with some uncomfortable truths to share, truths that change everything. Duclis learns of the betrayal of his supposed ally, and his need for retribution takes over. Gioconda may think that she's safe behind the supposedly impervious Zanaffar armour, but she's really just marked herself as the first morsel on the menu. For the demon beast Zanaffar has been reborn!


11. Keep Out! The Demon Beast Looms
The thing about Zanaffar is, is that he is immune to magic, including the Dragon Slave. In fact the only thing that can stop him is the Sword of Light. The problem is that Pokota's is only a replica, and the batteries have just run out. Now that Zanaffar is loose, Duclis' plan can come to pass. He and the demon beast will wreak vengeance on all the nations that turned away during Taforashia's hour of need, starting with Ruvinagald. Lina and the others follow a trail of destruction as it destroys city after city, but to Amelia's horror, the trail leads inexorably in one direction, her home Seyruun.

12. Legacy! Decisive Battle In Seyruun
Zanaffar arrives in Seyruun, but there's an army of defenders standing in its way led by none other than Sylphiel. Of course magic has no effect on the demon, but it does buy enough time for Lina and her friends to catch up. Pokota is all fired up to carry the battle forward, but he's been riding on Lina's head the whole way. Everyone else needs to eat. But with Zanaffar and Duclis withdrawing temporarily it does give them time to deliver a proper warning and enlist Prince Philionel's aid. With the demon immune to magic, it will boil down to whoever can wield the Sword of Light against it. But that still leaves Duclis to be dealt with.

13. Misty! The Blades Are Brought Down!
The conclusion… for now.

Extras

The extras are on disc 2, but only amount to the textless credits and trailers for Rozen Maiden and Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit.

Conclusion

Slayers is back! And I don't quite know what to make of it. I enjoyed Slayers Revolution most certainly, it's great to have the familiar characters back on screen, even if we've only had to wait a year in the UK, as opposed to eleven as in Japan. The major differences are the animation quality and the widescreen ratio, but at first glance it's still the same old Slayers. We have the same wacky characters, the same tried and trusted tropes, and generally the same entertaining silliness as before. And I have to admit that there were odd moments in this series that I actually found funnier than anything in Slayers, Slayers Next or Slayers Try.


Yet there was something about this series that just didn't click. Perversely, I think it's because it was trying too hard to be like Slayers, which is an odd thing to say, I'm sure. The characters we all know and love are there, the world is the same, the humour is the same, the story is brand new, and we get a host of new characters as well to go on with. Yet as it ploughs its new furrow, I feel that Slayers Revolution is somehow obligated to referencing what has come before. Even the staple gluttony scenes that typify Lina and Gourry, which are all present and correct, sometimes seem overblown as if the creators have to remind us forcefully of that which we already know. It's a fine line between familiar touchstone and blunt mallet to the head, but it's a line that this series crosses on more than one occasion. It's not so bad seeing Xellos back being sneaky as usual, but references to Rezo feel shoehorned in, and really go nowhere in this series. Of course the whole plot will be revealed in Slayers Evolution-R, but the set-up here has the elegance of a foghorn and a scriptwriter with a loudhailer yelling 'Essential Plot Point Here! Take Note!' There also appears to be no real point to seeing Sylphiel again at the close of the series, other than as another gift to fans. Time and again there will be little points that remind us of what has come before, but precious little new that expands on the Slayers universe and its characters. That makes it feel stale at times. But, stale funny is still funny regardless. Surprisingly, there is no 'Gourry in drag' episode this series, which would have been the recycled cherry on the mouldy cake.


It is fun though, seeing the familiar characters on yet another quest, getting into all sorts of comic mayhem in the process. It does take an episode or two for the characters to settle, with Lina particularly off character at the start. The writers somehow manage to make her unintentionally mean-spirited and violent, with the characters around her surprisingly quick to cower in terror of her. It feels a bit like a parody of itself before the characters settle back down to how we remember them. The new element this time is the little fuzzball, Pokota and his quest to reawaken his nation, Taforashia, in suspended animation hoping to survive a plague. He's just as adept at magic as Lina, with a similarly fiery temperament. But the most striking things about him, and his cohort Duclis are their appearances. Duclis is some sort of tigerman, while Pokota appears to be a cuddly toy. In terms of personality though, there's nothing immediately striking about any of the new characters, aside that is for Inspector Wizer, the canny lawman who keeps trying to arrest Lina through the series. Initially clown like and dense, there is a lot more going on under the surface, and I did wish that we'd had more of him in this series.


Once again with Slayers, I find that the ongoing story is never as interesting as the stand-alone episodes. It follows the usual format of a quest, plenty of travelling, mysteries and enigmas, plot twists and reversals, and the spectre of a big villain or monster to fight at the end. In that respect it is typical Slayers. The early episodes are great fun, with the quest yet to be revealed, and with Wizer's attempts to arrest Lina at the forefront. Episode 4 where they try to capture Pokota is a lot of fun, as the four heroes go their separate way in the pursuit, and wind up colliding. It's also fun for the unrepeatable spectacle of seeing Gourry try to think! But then, episode 5 is where we get the exposition, and the reasons behind the quest and the story, and the series starts easing back on the mayhem from there. Still, there are funny episodes such as the ball rolling festival, the luxury cruise full of assassins, and Wizer's ultimate attempt to apprehend Lina, with the questionable advice of Xellos. I also appreciated a great Star Wars reference around the time the plot started to coalesce.


Slayers Revolution is the same old Slayers, but it's self-conscious about it, which does make it feel awkward at times. But it is funny with that, and anime that make me laugh out loud aren't exactly overflowing on UK shop shelves. It may be thirteen episodes of an anime classic trying to find its identity again, but it manages to entertain through those thirteen episodes. The end result for me was that even though I enjoyed this series, it kept reminding me of Slayers, Slayers Next, and Slayers Try, instead of announcing proudly that this is Slayers Revolution! But if it makes me want to watch those old series again, where's the harm in that? Hopefully by the time Slayers Evolution-R gets here next spring, it will have found its groove.