| Slayers Series |
| Which Slayers series is the best and the most moving? This topic may have had the most discussion of all, particularly between Slayers Next and Try. Take a look at my opinions... Note: These ratings are wthin the Slayers series and their comparison to EACH OTHER, not as overall anime. Slayers Special (movies, OVA series)- 6 out of 10. Lina and Naga's adventures are certainly interesting and unusual, but they just don't live up to the 3 main series, in my opinion. Just having Naga isn't enough to make up for Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadis, not to mention Xellos and Filia, even, who appear later on. Besides, many people agree that Naga is "annoying" and "very annoying". Don't flame me, Naga-lovers! I know there are shrines & stuff, but in terms of how affected I was by movies and OVAs, it wasn't much emotionally. I wanted to see what happened next, but that's about it. Slayers TV - 8 out of 10. This was a good way to start off Slayers. From the first episode, it was humor mixed with seriousness. Slapstick comedy melded with the intensity of destroying a dragon. The characters were all introduced in interesting ways, and the battles with the main villains were captivating. However, the animation wasn't that great. And the one thing I really didn't think much of was how Shabranigdo and Zanifar were "suddenly defeated". For example, against Shabranigdo, it was cool how a Dragonslave didn't even affect him. Up to this point, the viewers would think the Dragonslave could kill anything. However, when all things looked hopeless, Lina suddenly used this "Giga Slave", her "most secret of secrets". There was no mention of this in the past, so it was just used on a moment's notice. This didn't impact me much, since it seemed to be out of the blue, although the battle itself was still very good. Against Zanifar/Copy Rezo, the same thing happened, although the battle was far more exciting than the Shabranigdo one (there were lots of maneuvers and tactics). From nowhere, the "Bless Blade" is introduced, since the Giga Slave was stopped by Sylphiel. A few episodes later, Zanifar was defeated. However, the cool ending and battle tactics involved with the ending were enough to make up for this. Copy Rezo's death affected me somewhat; his tragic fate was depicted well. So Slayers earns an 8 out of 10 for this. Slayers Next - 10 out of 10. Yes, this is typically the rating for Slayers Next, isn't it? But it's certainly acceptable. This series was GREAT! There was lots of humor, the introduction of Xellos, and wonderfully captivating villains- Chaos Dragon Gaav & Hellmaster Phibrizzo. The Claire Bible story was very original, and very interesting, causing hilarious side-episodes. And the actual battles against Gaav and Phibrizzo were the best I'd seen in anime so far. The ending of Next really moved me; how Lina risked everything for Gourry and summoned forth the Lord of Nightmares, how Gourry did all he could to bring back Lina; it certainly wasn't a typical love story. This series impressed upon me just how good Slayers was for the first time. Although I thoroughly enjoyed Slayers, I LOVED Slayers Next. Slayers Try - 10 out of 10, or 11 out of 10 if possible. I know, you Next fans are probably cursing about how BAD Slayers Try is, and how all anyone did was talk, how the characters were all OUT of character, and how it was BORING! How could the stupid webmaster make a stupid 11 out of 10 comment? You more compassionate Next fans are nodding your heads somewhat, since you love Try too. And you Slayers Try fans are probably jumping up and down, so GLAD that the webmaster did this! Well, Next and Try fans have been split quite viciously. Some say that Slayers Try SUCKED, and that the "good old days" of the Slayers series ended with Next. Some say that Slayers Try was the beautiful thing they've ever seen. I'm with the latter. Regardless of the comments of angry Next fans, the story of Valgaav's "blood-stained fate" was extremely moving, and Slayers Try actually taught me more about life in general, and how to enjoy it more. First off, the episodes were NOT boring, although Slayers Try DID have a more serious tint. The other two Slayers series didn't start the "serious storyline" until the last 3rd of the series, while Slayers Try had Lina trying to cast the Giga Slave against Darkstar after the 2nd 3rd of the series barely started. As for humor... THERE WAS TOO HUMOR!!! I'd say that crazy wonderland episode Lina got in after she was seperated from her comrades was maybe a bit much, but the Peaceman group when Gourry and Amelia helped the warriors of justice was HILARIOUS, and the one about the cursed jar was real funny too! What about the runaway train to the Fire Dragon King? What about Lina rebuilding the Fire Dragon King temple? You Next fans can't possibly think all that is boring! Another common argument is how Xellos "totally lost his cool" and how "he's a completely different character" once he meets Filia. What happened to Xellos? We got to know more about him! Deep down under his pride and confidence, he still has things that annoy him, just like everyone else. Filia being the lone person to annoy him is merely hinting at their possible relationship (see my other essay for details about that). At the end of Try, in the final episode, WHO WAS NOT MOVED? The music, the tragic story, and the mood were all perfectly depicted, and that was the thing that affected me the most. I even cried a little (but just a bit, so you don't think I'm a wimp or something ^_^). Those of you who don't like Try probably weren't affected by that long string of arguments, but Slayers Try has truly the most beautiful story. The death of the Ancient Dragons, reflected in the demise of the Golden Dragons... an ancient secret... and an accursed life. Slayers Try is the best! |
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