Lina Inverse

Zelgadis Graywords

Rezo

Copy Rezo

Volun

Gourry Gabriev

Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune

Sylphiel Nels Laada

Vrumugun

Zangulus

Ruby Eye Shabranigdo

Noonsa

Innkeeper

Saman

Philionel El Di Saillune

Rodimus

Zorom

Dilgear

Shopkeeper

Eris

Shopkeeper's wife

Rahanimu

Welcome to a world where magic reigns and monsters lurk behind every corner. Into his land of deadly dragons and menacing magicians comes our heroine -- Lina Inverse, a cute, fireball-throwing sorceress who steals from the wicked and gives to herself! Along with Gourry, a handsome but dumb-as-a-rock swordsman, Lina challenges the forces of not-so-goodness as she seeks truth, justice, fame and gold! Well, mostly fame and gold... Grab your pack and join the wackiest bunch of misfits ever to embark on a quest!<br>
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(Source: Software Sculptors)

Every genre has a series that stands out as its veteran representative. Magical girl shows have Sailor Moon, martial arts anime has Fist of the North Star, and swords and sorcery has Slayers. It may not be the best show to ever come out of the genre, but it defined an era... the era of VHS anime. When downloading didn't exist, when adult jokes eeped into dubs they knew would never make it to TV, when hentai had to come with a big, bold label making it clear that even though it was animated, it was "absolutely NOT for kids." It's fun to reminisce.

...

__Story:__ Slayers is a somewhat slow, meandering series with a lot of fillery content. Unlike most shows, however, the fillery stuff is what most of the fans come for. If you've ever seen the Slayers OVA's, which are adapted from the short novels and are entirely canon, you'd know that the franchise has an inclination towards goofy humor and ridiculous situations over any real dramatic plot. This first season of the Slayers TV anime, however, delivers on both fronts, mixing the Rumiko Takahashi-ish comical shenanigans with a cohesive plot pitting Lina Inverse and company against the demon lord, Shabranigdo, among other villains. This first season is much slower and more relaxed than later ones, which makes it a bit less entertaining to watch, but it gets from point A to point B with a few amusing pit stops along the way, and ends with a satisfying conclusion to the overarching plot.

__Art:__ Being an older series, it should be no surprise that the art is a bit dated. For its time, though, its production values are not bad, perhaps even exemplary in some shots. Animation is pretty fluid and character designs consistent. No meaningful complaints to be had here, it's simply a product of its time.

__Sound:__ Japanese viewers, rest easy, but English fans, be warned: the dub of the first season of Slayers is not a strong one, something I'll once again attribute to its time of production. The two leads, Lina and Gourry, get off to a slightly rocky start but grow into their roles nicely as time goes on. Other characters change their voice actors completely partway through the season (both for the better), while others still are just stuck with their mediocre voices beginning to barely-audible end (Rezo). Though an average dub for the time, it sadly does not hold up today. On the music front, Slayers hits it home with a recognizable soundtrack that boasts a distinct style, setting the pace for the rest of the series to follow.

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Slayers is a classic series that should be on the watchlist of any dedicated anime fan looking for the complete, historical anime experience. Like many of its classic acquaintances, it's not the best show by modern standards, but it's still a fun ride from beginning to end, and the first stepping stone in what will become a strongly-written series with some great characters and a lot of fun to be had... but that's not 'til later seasons.

Slayers isn't the best anime ever made, but it's a fun ride, a historical classic, and the start of some great sequels.

~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/Imz9Iw5.jpeg)

Since the first episode of the series I saw potential. I liked the protagonist and was about to embark on a fun little adventure world. But the thing is, I didn't know that this same protagonist was going to become one of my favorite female protagonist ever.

~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/PGOHjF8.jpeg)~~~

About the anime, the soundtrack is spectacular. The worldbuilding is soooo well done at Light Novel (where the story shines), it looks like a dazzling light, it shines too much. The cast has become one of my 10 favorites of all time. A good cast with a well-built world.

Slayers' story takes place in a world created entirely from scratch by the author and I imagine the work and effort of having built something so well done. You can tell by the size of the story (there are almost 50 volumes)

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~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/o0wW0LZ.jpeg)

~~~In addition to the very well built world, the cast is awesome.

img(https://i.imgur.com/RfjIPCE.jpeg)

It had been a while since I fell in love with characters in a series. The passion is so great that I could rewatch Slayers again and again, just to see them, but this is personal, subjective, my own opinion, 'cause if you like the characters or not, that's up to you. And it's with them that the comedy works very well.

The chemistry of the characters works very well.~~~

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~~~__Attention: Slayers anime is 90% filler__~~~


~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/KSQQccl.jpeg)

I would say it's more of an inspiration than an adaptation, because the anime manages to stand alone. Proof? From the third season it's all filler, S1 almost everything filler and S2 has until the end filler. 

Slayers (anime) has more focus on comedy; 

Slayers (Novel) is more serious, seeks to further develop and build the universe.

There are several changes from the anime to Light Novel, it can be said that they're very different.

__So, Slayers (anime) will have an open ending, a world that may not have been properly explored to its fullest, and pretty original content.__ 


The decision in the end will be yours. If you enjoyed the series as much as I did, go and read the Light Novel. It's already "finished" - the author recently returned with the series to celebrate the 30th anniversary with a new Arc.~~~

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~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/oYCtZdS.jpeg)


I watched Slayers' first two seasons and loved it. The series as an anime is very funny, where I met all the characters and created love for the series as a whole. Lina is a self-confident, proud and very cheerful protagonist, she's one of the most positive points of Slayers.

__Out of curiosity: Slayers is one of the 3 best selling LNs of all time.__

It was one of the best series I watched and read in 2019.~~~ 


aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Phenomenal cast, amazing protagonist - and is an anime with almost 90% filler content

The Slayers Series Watch Order

Slayers OVAs/Movies

Slayers

Slayers NEXT

Slayers TRY

Slayers REVOLUTION

Slayers EVOLUTION-R