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{{Short description|Japanese light novel series and its franchise}} | |||
{{infobox television | | |||
{{About|the Japanese light novel and media franchise|the American rugby league team|Washington D.C. Slayers|other uses|Slayer (disambiguation)}} | |||
| show_name = Slayers | |||
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}} | |||
| image = ] | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Header | |||
| caption = Major characters of ''Slayers''. From left to right: Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, Gourry Gabriev, Xellos (top), Lina Inverse (bottom) and Zelgadis Greywords. | |||
| image = Slayers light novel vol 1.jpg | |||
| format = ] | |||
| caption = First light novel volume cover, featuring ] | |||
| runtime = 25 minutes per episode | |||
| ja_kanji = スレイヤーズ | |||
| creator = ] | |||
| ja_romaji = Sureiyāzu | |||
| starring = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>] | |||
| genre = {{ubl|]<ref>{{cite web|title=The Slayers|url=https://www.funimation.com/shows/the-slayers/|publisher=]|access-date=August 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812181749/https://www.funimation.com/shows/the-slayers/|archive-date=August 12, 2018}}</ref>|]<ref name="about.com"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Yegulalp|first=Serdar|title=Anime 102: Course of Anime For Newcomers|url=https://www.thoughtco.com/course-of-anime-for-newcomers-145007|website=]|access-date=24 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014124501/https://www.thoughtco.com/course-of-anime-for-newcomers-145007|archive-date=14 October 2017|date=21 March 2017}}</ref>|]<ref name="about.com">{{cite web|url=http://anime.about.com/od/toppicks/tp/Best-Sword-Sorcery-Anime.htm|title=Sword & Sorcery Fantasy Anime (Top Best List)|first=Serdar|last=Yegulalp|website=]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140812195120/http://anime.about.com/od/toppicks/tp/Best-Sword-Sorcery-Anime.htm|archive-date=August 12, 2014|date=May 28, 2014|access-date=August 12, 2014}}</ref>}}<!-- Genres should be based on what reliable sources list them as and not on personal interpretations. Limit of the three most relevant genres in accordance with ]. --> | |||
| country = ] | |||
}} | |||
| network = ] | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Print | |||
| first_aired = ], ] | |||
| type = light novel | |||
| last_aired = ], ] | |||
| author = ] | |||
| num_episodes = 78 | |||
| illustrator = Rui Araizumi | |||
|}} | |||
| publisher = ] | |||
| publisher_en = {{English manga publisher| NA = {{ubl|] (former)|]}}}} | |||
| demographic = Male | |||
| imprint = ] | |||
| magazine = ] | |||
| first = 1989 | |||
| last = | |||
| volumes = 17 | |||
| volume_list = List of Slayers light novels | |||
}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Video | |||
| type = tv series | |||
| director = ] | |||
| producer = {{ubl|Noriko Kobayashi ({{Abbr|S1–3|Seasons 1–3}})|Yumiko Yazaki ({{Abbr|S1–3|Seasons 1–3}})|Yuji Matsukura ({{Abbr|S4 & 5|Seasons 4 and 5}})|Go Shukuri ({{Abbr|S4 & 5|Seasons 4 and 5}})}} | |||
| writer = {{ubl|] ({{Abbr|S1|Season 1}})|Jiro Takayama ({{Abbr|S2–5|Seasons 2–5}})}} | |||
| music = Ozamu Tezuka | |||
| studio = {{ubl|E&G Films ({{Abbr|S1–3|Seasons 1–3}})|] ({{Abbr|S4 & 5|Seasons 4 and 5}})}} | |||
| licensee = ] {{English anime licensee| UK = ]}} | |||
| network = ] (]) | |||
| network_en = {{English anime network| US = ], Colours TV ({{Abbr|S1|Season 1}}), ] ({{Abbr|S1–3|Seasons 1–3}})}} | |||
| first = April 7, 1995 | |||
| last = April 6, 2009 | |||
| episodes = 104 | |||
| episode_list = List of Slayers episodes | |||
}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Other | |||
| title = Anime series seasons | |||
| content = | |||
# ''Slayers'' (1995, 26 episodes) | |||
# ''Slayers Next'' (1996, 26 episodes) | |||
# ''Slayers Try'' (1997, 26 episodes) | |||
# ''Slayers Revolution'' (2008, 13 episodes) | |||
# ''Slayers Evolution-R'' (2009, 13 episodes) | |||
}} | |||
{{Collapsed infobox section begin}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Print | |||
| type = light novel | |||
| title = Slayers Special | |||
| author = Hajime Kanzaka | |||
| illustrator = Rui Araizumi | |||
| publisher = Fujimi Shobo | |||
| publisher_en = | |||
| demographic = Male | |||
| imprint = Fujimi Fantasia Bunko | |||
| magazine = Dragon Magazine | |||
| first = 1991 | |||
| last = 2008 | |||
| volumes = 30 | |||
| volume_list = List of Slayers light novels#Slayers Special | |||
}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Print | |||
| type = manga | |||
| title = Slayers: Medieval Mayhem | |||
| author = Hajime Kanzaka | |||
| illustrator = Rui Araizumi | |||
| publisher = Fujimi Shobo | |||
| publisher_en = {{English manga publisher| NA = ]}} | |||
| demographic = {{Transliteration|ja|]}} | |||
| magazine = Dragon Magazine | |||
| published = 1995 | |||
| volumes = 1 | |||
| volume_list = | |||
}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Print | |||
| type = manga | |||
| title = Slayers: Super-Explosive Demon Story | |||
| author = Hajime Kanzaka | |||
| illustrator = Shoko Yoshinaka | |||
| publisher = Fujimi Shobo | |||
| publisher_en ={{English manga publisher| AUS = ]|NA = Central Park Media}} | |||
| demographic = {{Transliteration|ja|]}} | |||
| magazine = Comic Dragon, Dragon Junior | |||
| first = 1995 | |||
| last = 2001 | |||
| volumes = 8 | |||
| volume_list = | |||
}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Print | |||
| type = light novel | |||
| title = Slayers Delicious | |||
| author = Hajime Kanzaka | |||
| illustrator = Rui Araizumi | |||
| publisher = Fujimi Shobo | |||
| publisher_en = | |||
| demographic = Male | |||
| imprint = Fujimi Fantasia Bunko | |||
| magazine = Dragon Magazine | |||
| first = 1997 | |||
| last = 1999 | |||
| volumes = 4 | |||
| volume_list = List of Slayers light novels#Slayers Delicious | |||
}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Print | |||
| type = manga | |||
| title = Slayers Special | |||
| author = Tommy Ohtsuka | |||
| illustrator = | |||
| publisher = Fujimi Shobo | |||
| publisher_en = {{English manga publisher| AUS = Madman Entertainment}} | |||
| demographic = {{Transliteration|ja|Shōnen}} | |||
| magazine = Dragon Junior | |||
| first = 2000 | |||
| last = 2001 | |||
| volumes = 4 | |||
| volume_list = | |||
}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Print | |||
| type = manga | |||
| title = Slayers Knight of the Aqualord | |||
| author = Tommy Ohtsuka | |||
| illustrator = | |||
| publisher = Fujimi Shobo | |||
| demographic = {{Transliteration|ja|Shōnen}} | |||
| magazine = {{ubl|Dragon Junior|Monthly Dragon Age}} | |||
| first = 2003 | |||
| last = 2005 | |||
| volumes = 6 | |||
| volume_list = | |||
}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Print | |||
| type = manga | |||
| title = Slayers Premium | |||
| author = Tommy Ohtsuka | |||
| illustrator = | |||
| publisher = Fujimi Shobo | |||
| publisher_en = {{English manga publisher| AUS = Madman Entertainment}} | |||
| demographic = {{Transliteration|ja|Shōnen}} | |||
| magazine = Dragon Junior | |||
| first = 2004 | |||
| last = 2005 | |||
| volumes = 1 | |||
| volume_list = | |||
}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Print | |||
| type = light novel | |||
| title = Slayers VS ] | |||
| author = {{ubl|Hajime Kanzaka|Yoshinobu Akita}} | |||
| illustrator = {{ubl|Rui Araizumi|Yuuya Kusaka}} | |||
| publisher = Fujimi Shobo | |||
| publisher_en = | |||
| demographic = Male | |||
| imprint = Fujimi Fantasia Bunko | |||
| magazine = Dragon Magazine | |||
| published = 2005 | |||
| volumes = | |||
| volume_list = | |||
}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Print | |||
| type = light novel | |||
| title = Slayers Smash | |||
| author = Hajime Kanzaka | |||
| illustrator = Rui Araizumi | |||
| publisher = Fujimi Shobo | |||
| publisher_en = | |||
| demographic = Male | |||
| imprint = | |||
| magazine = Dragon Magazine | |||
| first = 2008 | |||
| last = 2011 | |||
| volumes = 5 | |||
| volume_list = List of Slayers light novels#Slayers Smash. | |||
}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Print | |||
| type = manga | |||
| title = Slayers Legend | |||
| author = Issei Hyōji | |||
| illustrator = | |||
| publisher = Fujimi Shobo | |||
| demographic = {{Transliteration|ja|Shōnen}} | |||
| magazine = Monthly Dragon Age | |||
| first = 2008 | |||
| last = 2009 | |||
| volumes = 2 | |||
| volume_list = | |||
}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Print | |||
| type = manga | |||
| title = Slayers Light Magic | |||
| author = ] | |||
| illustrator = ] | |||
| publisher = ] | |||
| demographic = {{Transliteration|ja|Shōnen}} | |||
| magazine = ] | |||
| first = July 26, 2008 | |||
| last = April 26, 2009 | |||
| volumes = 2 | |||
| volume_list = | |||
}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Print | |||
| type = manga | |||
| title = Slayers Revolution | |||
| author = Issei Hyōji | |||
| illustrator = | |||
| publisher = Fujimi Shobo | |||
| demographic = {{Transliteration|ja|Shōnen}} | |||
| magazine = ] | |||
| published = 2008 | |||
| volumes = 1 | |||
| volume_list = | |||
}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Print | |||
| type = manga | |||
| title = Slayers Evolution-R | |||
| author = Issei Hyōji | |||
| illustrator = | |||
| publisher = Fujimi Shobo | |||
| demographic = {{Transliteration|ja|Shōnen}} | |||
| magazine = Monthly Dragon Age | |||
| published = 2009 | |||
| volumes = 1 | |||
| volume_list = | |||
}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Other | |||
| title = Related works | |||
| content = | |||
* '']'' (1995 film) | |||
* '']'' (1996 film) | |||
* '']'' (1996 OVA) | |||
* '']'' (1997 film) | |||
* '']'' (1998 OVA) | |||
* '']'' (1998 film) | |||
* '']'' (2001 short film) | |||
}} | |||
{{Collapsed infobox section end}} | |||
{{Infobox animanga/Footer|portal=yes}} | |||
{{nihongo|'''''Slayers'''''|スレイヤーズ|Sureiyāzu|lead=yes}} is a Japanese ] series written by ] and illustrated by Rui Araizumi. The novels have been serialized in '']'' since 1989, before being published into individual volumes. They follow the adventures of teenage sorceress ] and her companions as they journey through their world.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Slayers DVD Collection|id={{ASIN|1578004861|country=ca}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.explodedgoat.com/animereview.php?num=9|title=Anime Review|access-date=May 1, 2007|publisher=Exploded goat|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927042521/http://www.explodedgoat.com/animereview.php?num=9|archive-date=September 27, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Using powerful magic and swordsmanship they battle overreaching wizards, demons seeking to destroy the world, and an occasional hapless gang of bandits. | |||
{{nihongo|'''''Slayers'''''|スレイヤーズ|''Sureiyāzu''}} is an ] and ] series based on a series of ]s written by ] that parodies ]s with the story of Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev. Some of the novels, of which there are fifteen in the series, have only recently been released in English in North America; the rest are scheduled to be released in the future. | |||
''Slayers'' inspired several spin-off novel series and has been adapted into numerous ] titles, ] television series, anime films, ] series, role-playing video games, and other media. Including the spin-off series, the novels have over 20 million copies in print. The anime series is considered to be one of the most popular of the 1990s.<ref name="Anime encyclopedia" /> | |||
The stories take place in a mostly ] style world, with ]. The TV show is organized into cycles starting out humorous, then slowly working towards serious until at the end of the cycle the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Until the very end of each of these cycles though, even the most serious moments will usually have a few short ] moments. | |||
==Plot== | |||
''Slayers'' ran for three seasons. The second season goes by the name ''Slayers Next'', and the third season is called ''Slayers Try''. There are also numerous ]s and movies 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 ] takes place in another dimension of the Slayers universe. There are also a few manga series based on the Slayers universe. | |||
===Setting=== | |||
In the ''Slayers'' universe, the ultimate being is the ], the creator of at least four parallel worlds. An artifact known as the Claire Bible contains information about the Lord of Nightmares' task to regain its "true form",<ref>Episode 21 of ''Slayers NEXT''.</ref> which is only attainable by destroying these worlds and returning them to the chaos (sea of darkness) that it itself is. For unexplained reasons, though, the Lord of Nightmares has not acted upon this desire by itself so far. On each of these worlds are gods (''shinzoku'', lit. "godly race") and demons ('']'', lit. "demon race"), fighting without end. Should the gods win the war in a world, that world will be at peace. Should the monsters win, the world will be destroyed and returned to the Sea of Chaos. | |||
In the world where the ''Slayers'' takes place, ] and the ] are, respectively, the supreme god and demon. Long ago, their war ended more or less in a stalemate, when Ceifeed was able to split Shabranigdu's existence into seven pieces in order to prevent him from coming back to life, then seal them within human souls. As the souls are reincarnated, the individual fragments would wear down until Shabranigdu himself would be destroyed. However, Ceifeed was so exhausted by this that he himself sank into the Sea of Chaos, leaving behind four parts of himself in the world. A millennium before the events in ''Slayers'', one of Ruby-Eye's fragments (which was sealed in the body of Lei Magnus, a very powerful sorcerer) revived and began the {{nihongo|Resurrection War|降魔戦争|Kōma-sensō|alternately "War of Demon Conquering"}} against one of the parts of Ceifeed, the Water Dragon King, also known as Aqualord Ragradia. Ultimately, the piece of Shabranigdu won, but Aqualord, using the last remnants of her power, sealed him into a block of magical ice within the Kataart Mountains. Nevertheless, Shabranigdu's lieutenants remained at liberty, sealing a part of the world within a magical barrier, through which only demons could pass.<ref>''Slayers'' novel 7, ] translation, pp. 137–138.</ref> | |||
The ] series was previously released on ] and ] in ] by ]. In May 2005, at Anime Central in Chicago, ] announced they are obtaining the license for the TV series in Fall 2005 when the previous owners' license expires. The OVAs and movies were released in North America by ]. ] held the license to '''''The Slayers''''' TV series. | |||
There are four types of magic within the ''Slayers'' universe: Black, White, Shamanistic, and Holy. Black magic spells, such as the famous Dragon Slave, call directly on the powers of the demons and are capable of causing enormous damage. White magic spells are of an obscure origin and are used for healing or protection. Shamanistic magic is focused on manipulation and alteration of the basic elements of the natural world (earth, wind, fire, water and spirit) and contains spells for both offense and convenience, such as Lei Wing, Fireball, or Elemekia Lance. Holy magic uses the power of the gods, but the aforementioned barrier made its usage impossible for anyone inside before the death of the demon Hellmaster Phibrizzo. As a rule, demons can only be harmed by astral shamanistic magic, holy magic, or black magic which draws power from another demon with greater might than the target. | |||
{{spoiler}} | |||
Above all other magic, however, are the immensely destructive spells drawing power from the Lord of Nightmares. The two spells of this class are the Ragna Blade, capable of cutting through any obstacle or being, and the Giga Slave, which can kill any opponent, but which could also destroy the world itself if the spell is miscast. Some have claimed that these terrible spells, drawing their power directly from the Lord of Nightmares, constitute a fifth form of magic: Chaos magic. | |||
==Characters== <!-- Let's put characters here that were in Lina's group through a whole series/OVA/Movie. --> | |||
===Lina Inverse=== | |||
{{main|Lina Inverse}} | |||
===Story=== | |||
Lina appears in all incarnations of Slayers. She is a young but very powerful sorceress, who has a great love of money, food, and casting Fireball on people at very little provocation. She has an older sister, Luna, who is apparently even more powerful. ''Voices'': ] (Jap), ] (Eng; TV), ] (Eng; Movies/OAV) | |||
{{Further|List of Slayers characters}} | |||
{{More plot|date=January 2021}} <!-- In particular there's literally nothing about plot of the novel series in its supposedly dedicated articles that contain only listings of titles and the release dates, the only resemblance of plot of these can be found scattered in character articles. --> | |||
The protagonist of ''Slayers'' is ], a teenage wandering genius sorceress with many nicknames and much infamy attached to her that she refuses to acknowledge. Lina narrates (within the novels) the history of her various adventures, ranging from whimsical and silly to dramatic to even outright world-threatening crises, in which she becomes involved along with her traveling companions everywhere she goes. | |||
Lina Inverse, the heroine of the series, is a reckless young sorceress with an eye for treasure. Like ], she steals from the rich (often bandits and robbers and such), but keeps it herself instead of giving it to the poor. Her reputation as a she-devil of nigh-unstoppable power has spread far and wide, leading Lina to believe wholeheartedly in it herself. If one thing disturbs her, however, it is her mysterious older sister Luna -- the very mention of whom terrifies Lina. | |||
==Production== | |||
In the first episode, she introduces herself by destroying a gang of bandits known as the Dragon Fangs. She steals a large portion of their treasure, then sets off towards the nearest town to cash it in for a sizeable profit. On the way to the town she is ambushed by the remainder of the Dragon Fangs. Mere seconds before she would have blasted them to bits, Gourry Gabriev valiantly comes to her "rescue", beginning their adventures together. Though she is loath to admit it, Lina eventually falls in love with Gourry. | |||
The first ''Slayers'' light novel was written by ] for entrance into ]'s first annual {{ill|Fantasia Chōhen Shōsetsu Awards|ja|ファンタジア大賞}} in 1989.<ref name="afterwords">{{cite book|title=Slayers: Collector's Edition Volume 1|year=2021|last=Kanzaka|first=Hajime|author-link=Hajime Kanzaka|publisher=]|pages=137–139, 268–270, 396–398|isbn=978-1-7183-7510-9}}</ref> After it won, the new author was asked to create a follow-up. Kanzaka initially thought this was an impossible task as the characters had already defeated the Dark Lord. He called the second book a turning point for him and said it was initially very difficult to write. However, as soon as he added the "spike-wolves and stuff", from his love of ] and ], the "words just flew off the page". Kanzaka set the second book in a city so that Lina could not solve the story by simply casting one big spell. He said that this taught him how using circumstances and setting could change the "flavor" of a story. The author also said that the second book is intentionally "heavier" than the first.<ref name="afterwords"/> | |||
Kanzaka described his writing process as like trying to put together puzzle pieces that have been scattered about, figuring stuff out as he goes instead of following an outline written beforehand.<ref name="afterwords"/> As a new author, he said he was not good at submitting plot summaries to his supervisor, who wanted them before he started writing. When the supervisor passively accepted the plot summary of the third ''Slayers'' novel, but was then ecstatic with the finished book, he stopped asking for plot summaries. Kanzaka assumed that he had finally realized that the finished story was always going to widely diverge from the initial summary. The first three books were written as the author thought up stories, but volume four on tell a grander epic. Because the first novel was written as a one-off before evolving into a series, there are some inconsistencies with the later installments. A few of these inconsistencies were corrected in the 2008 reprints.<ref name="afterwords"/> | |||
Lina has many different nick-names, one of them being 'Dragon Spooker', which she hates. (This isn't quite correct, but is how it is translated. The ] stands for "Dragons step past out of sheer revulsion"; the /spoo/ syllable is correct, but /s*r/ was changed to /k*r/ to translate better into English), This is rumored to have appeared because of an incident in the first episode, in which the Leader of the Dragon Fangs's pet black dragon escapes. Just when it appears that the beast is going to crush Lina (and Gourry, who was knocked out on top of her in a... compromised position) it blanches in disgust and steps over her, a blush along it's snout, much to her shock, and thereafter rage. | |||
Kanzaka stated the reason Zelgadis and Amelia do not appear in "part 2" is because of the plot point concerning a character's death. Although he speculated he could have written around the healing spells, it would have taken a lot of extra steps to get there and dragged everything out a lot longer than necessary.<ref name="5afterwords">{{cite book|title=Slayers: Collector's Edition Volume 5|year=2024|last=Kanzaka|first=Hajime|publisher=J-Novel Club|pages=216–218, 319–321|isbn=978-1-7183-7514-7}}</ref> In the afterward of the fifteenth novel, the original final installment of the series, Kanzaka said he wanted to end the story in an open-ended way in order to allow readers to imagine what happens next to Lina and Gourry. He also described the ''Slayers'' video games, television shows, and comics as "parallel part 3 stories".<ref name="5afterwords"/> | |||
Another nickname Lina encounters is the "Dragon Nester." This comes from a rhyme: "Little girl with little breasts, scares the dragon from its nest." This takes off from a running gag, in which characters constantly comment on the small size of Lina's breasts. She generally takes offense to these comments, and often responds with violence. | |||
Kanzaka makes references to people and events not depicted in the novels, such as Lina's older sister and ]'s first visit to Sairaag, which he referred to as "flavor" to stimulate the reader's imagination and clarified that they are not ].<ref name="afterwords"/> He explained that the fictional world would feel smaller if everything that appears in the story is explained; something he learned from a teacher's comment in design school. Although some of these he has not even thought about, like Gourry's visit to Sairaag, others he has created a backstory to, such as Lina's sister. Zuma's backstory was omitted because the novels are told from Lina's ], but Kanzaka gave some of the material to the staff of ''Slayers Revolution'' so it could be included in the anime.<ref name="afterwords"/> | |||
===Gourry Gabriev=== | |||
A wandering swordsman who meets up with Lina in the first episode of the television series and accompanies her from then on. Carries the fabled Sword of Light, originally known as Goru Nova before it came to the Slayers world. ''Voices'': ] (Jap), ] (Eng), Christopher Patton (''Slayers Premium'' movie) | |||
==Media== | |||
Gourry Gabriev is somewhat less than scholarly, but his skills as a swordsman go nearly unrivalled throughout the series, making him something of an ]. At first, he seems a shallow pretty-boy only willing to fight for his own gain -- which is why he "saved" Lina from the bandits, hoping for a damsel in distress. But when he insists on becoming Lina's unpaid bodyguard, and they slowly get to know one another, Gourry's kindness, loyalty and consideration for others becomes clear. He unknowingly annoys Lina when he calls her a little girl in mockery of her underdeveloped breasts, which becomes a ] in the series. | |||
===Light novels=== | |||
While Gourry is deadly with plain steel, he becomes the stuff of legends when armed with his family's magic blade. He is the keeper of the Sword of Light, a mystic weapon whose steel blade can be detached allowing the use of an alternate blade made of pure, destructive light at the incantation, "Light, come forth!". Gourry takes great care of the Sword of Light, and watches it especially carefully to protect the valuable relic from the thieving hands of Lina herself. She often tries to trick him into giving it to her, but he never caves in. He is introduced in episode 1. Considering the trials and tribulation the two brave together, it is little surprise that Gourry eventually falls in love with Lina. He is, however, less averse to the notion than the young sorceress. | |||
{{See also|List of Slayers light novels}} | |||
''Slayers'' began serialization in '']'' in 1989 as a short story series written by Hajime Kanzaka and with artwork by Rui Araizumi.<ref name="Anime encyclopedia">{{cite book|title=The Anime Encyclopedia, Revised and Expanded Edition|last1=Clements|first1=Jonathan|last2=McCarthy|first2=Helen|year=2006|page=591|publisher=Stone Bridge Press|isbn=1-933330-10-4}}</ref> The chapters were then published as ]s under the ] imprint across 15 volumes from January 17, 1990 to May 10, 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fantasiabunko.jp/product/slayers/199998202001.html|title=スレイヤーズ!|date=January 17, 1990|language=ja|publisher=]|access-date=July 8, 2020|archive-date=July 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708041947/https://fantasiabunko.jp/product/slayers/199998202001.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fantasiabunko.jp/product/slayers/199998202034.html|title=スレイヤーズ(15) デモン・スレイヤーズ!|date=May 10, 2000|language=ja|publisher=]|access-date=July 8, 2020|archive-date=July 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708092143/https://fantasiabunko.jp/product/slayers/199998202034.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Although the original story ended with the 15th volume in 2000, Kanzaka began a new arc 18 years later in the May 2018 issue of ''Dragon Magazine'', which was published in March 2018, to celebrate the magazine and Fujimi Fantasia Bunko's 30th anniversary.<ref name="20million">{{cite news|last1=Komatsu|first1=Mikikazu|title=Slayers Novel Original Series' Long-Awaited 16th Volume Set for Release on October 20|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2018/08/31/slayers-novel-original-series-long-awaited-16th-volume-set-for-release-on-october-20|access-date=February 10, 2019|work=]|date=August 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212130724/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2018/08/31/slayers-novel-original-series-long-awaited-16th-volume-set-for-release-on-october-20|archive-date=February 12, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> He described it as "kind of a reunion" and said he had not decided to relaunch the series yet.<ref name="reunion">{{cite web|last1=Komatsu|first1=Mikikazu|title=Slayers Fantasy Light Novel's Next 17th Volume to be Released on October 19|url=http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2019/09/19/slayers-fantasy-light-novels-next-17th-volume-to-be-released-on-october-19|website=]|access-date=December 8, 2019|date=September 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191201140041/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2019/09/19/slayers-fantasy-light-novels-next-17th-volume-to-be-released-on-october-19|archive-date=December 1, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Volume 16 was published on October 20, 2018.<ref>{{cite web|title=Slayers Novel's Latest 16th Volume Immediately Gets Reprints|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2018/10/26/slayers-novels-latest-16th-volume-immediately-gets-reprints|website=Crunchyroll|access-date=November 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181109024819/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2018/10/26/slayers-novels-latest-16th-volume-immediately-gets-reprints|archive-date=November 9, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> A third story arc began in the November 2019 issue of the magazine, released in September 2019.<ref name="reunion"/> The author described this as "Rather than an official history, the third arc is going to be more like one of the possibilities, a parallel existence to the TRY TV anime and the Water Dragon King manga, I guess."<ref>{{cite web|title=Hajime Kanzaka's Slayers Novel Confirmed to Return with Its Third Arc|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2019/05/16/hajime-kanzakas-slayers-novel-confirmed-to-return-with-its-third-arc|website=Crunchyroll|access-date=July 5, 2020|archive-date=July 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705212050/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2019/05/16/hajime-kanzakas-slayers-novel-confirmed-to-return-with-its-third-arc|url-status=live}}</ref> Volume 17 was published on October 19, 2019.<ref name="reunion"/> | |||
On September 7, 2004, ] began publishing the novels in English,<ref>{{cite book|title=Slayers Text, Vol. 1: The Ruby Eye (Paperback)|isbn=1595320946|last1=Kanzaka|first1=Hajime|date=September 7, 2004|publisher=TokyoPop}}</ref> ending with the release of volume 8 on January 2, 2008.<ref>{{cite book|title=Slayers Volume 8: King of the City of Ghosts (Paperback)|isbn=978-1427805058|last1=Kanzaka|first1=Hajime|last2=Araizumi|first2=Rui|date=January 2, 2008|publisher=TokyoPop}}</ref> On July 3, 2020, ] announced their rescue license of the series at ] Lite. They first release the novels digitally, with the first chapter uploaded to their website that day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-07-03/j-novel-club-licenses-slayers-novels-8-other-novels-4-new-manga/.161388|title=J-Novel Club Licenses Slayers Novels, 8 Other Novels, 4 New Manga|website=Anime News Network|access-date=July 4, 2020|archive-date=May 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220501132106/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-07-03/j-novel-club-licenses-slayers-novels-8-other-novels-4-new-manga/.161388|url-status=live}}</ref> Their physical release of ''Slayers'' began in July 2021 and is a 3-1 hardcover omnibus edition based on Japan's 2008 revised edition that featured new illustrations and covers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-07-03/j-novel-club-releases-slayers-novels-in-both-print-digital/.161424|title=J-Novel Club Releases Slayers Novels in Both Print, Digital|website=Anime News Network|access-date=July 4, 2020|archive-date=July 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200704104413/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-07-03/j-novel-club-releases-slayers-novels-in-both-print-digital/.161424|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theoasg.com/articles/j-novel-club-on-publishing-slayers-a-light-novel-that-literally-defines-an-era/20401|title=J-Novel Club on Publishing Slayers, a Light Novel 'that literally defines an era'|date=July 4, 2020|access-date=July 5, 2020|archive-date=July 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707031737/https://www.theoasg.com/articles/j-novel-club-on-publishing-slayers-a-light-novel-that-literally-defines-an-era/20401|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
===Naga the White Serpent=== | |||
A buxom sorceress with an obnoxious laugh (similar to Ayeka's in ] and Kodachi's in ]) who is Lina's partner in the movies and OVAs. It is often implied that she is Amelia's long lost older sister. ''Voices'': ] (Jap), ] (Eng) | |||
*{{Nihongo|''Slayers Special''|スレイヤーズ すぺしゃる}} is a spin-off prequel series of 30 novels published from 1991 to 2008. Each consisting of one-shot stories (sometimes, two-chapter stories) chronicling the exploits of ] and ] before the events in ''Slayers''. Five additional volumes were released under a new series title, {{Nihongo|''Slayers Smash.''|スレイヤーズ すまっしゅ。}} between July 2008 and November 2011. | |||
Naga was often found hanging around Lina Inverse during Lina's earlier adventures, but the two had later parted company under unknown circumstances. During the time that they were together, whenever Naga was around, she was either working together with Lina or against her, all the while irritating the red-headed sorceress to no end. | |||
*{{Nihongo|''Slayers Delicious''|スレイヤーズ でりしゃす}}, a four volume prequel featuring Lina and Naga, was released between 1997 and 1999. These four stories were originally published separately by Fujimi Fantasia in mini-] format, and later they were included in different Special novels. A one volume crossover between ''Slayers'' and the series '']'' was published in 2005 under the title ''Slayers VS Orphen'' and was later reprinted in 2013. | |||
*{{Nihongo|''Slayers Select''|スレイヤーズ せれくと}} is a best-of compilation of ''Slayers Special''. Its five volumes were published in August 2008, September 2008, June 2009, February 2010, and March 2010. | |||
*''Slayers Anthology'' was released to mark the 25th anniversary of ''Slayers'' novels in January 2015. It is a compilation of six stories, one of which was written by Kanzaka and five by fan writers. It is illustrated with previously unpublished pictures by Araizumi and contributing artists.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://misiontokyo.com/noticias/cultura-otaku/novelas/25-aniversario-de-slayers|title=¡25 aniversario de Slayers!|language=es|website=Mision Tokyo|date=January 21, 2015|access-date=February 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216062253/http://misiontokyo.com/noticias/cultura-otaku/novelas/25-aniversario-de-slayers|archive-date=February 16, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
===Manga=== | |||
Naga, claims she is Lina's only serious rival. Lina calls her 'goldfish faeces' - as in, she trails after Lina. Like Lina, she has a massive appetite in addition to being excessively alcoholic. She is extremely well-endowed, much to Lina's disgust and jealousy, and wears very little. | |||
*''Slayers'' (one volume, illustrated by Rui Araizumi, original story, published in 1995, reedited in 2001, also known as ''Slayers Medieval Mayhem'') | |||
*{{Nihongo|''Chōbaku Madōden Slayers''|超爆魔道伝スレイヤーズ}} (eight volumes, illustrated by Shoko Yoshinaka, adapted from ''Slayers'' main novels volumes 1–8, fourth volume adapted from ''Slayers Return'' movie, 1995–2001, also known as ''Super Explosive Demon Story Slayers'') | |||
*''Slayers Special'' (four volumes, illustrated by Tommy Ohtsuka and Yoshimiro Kamada, adapted from ''Slayers Special'' novels, 2000–2001) | |||
*''Slayers Premium'' (one volume, illustrated by Tommy Ohtsuka, adapted from the movie of the same name, 2002) | |||
*''Slayers Knight of the Aqualord'' (six volumes, illustrated by Tommy Ohtsuka and Yoshimiro Kamada, original storyline, 2003–2005) | |||
*''Slayers Revolution'' (one volume, illustrated by Issei Hyouji, adapted from the anime series of the same name, 2008) | |||
*{{Nihongo|''Shin Slayers: Falces no Sunadokei''|新スレイヤーズ:ファルシェスの砂時計}} / ''New Slayers: The Hourglass of Falces'') (three volumes, illustrated by Asashi, 2008) | |||
*''Slayers Legend'' (two-volume compilation from old ''Slayers'' manga, with chapters from ''Slayers'' and ''Chōbaku Mahōden Slayers'') | |||
*''Slayers Evolution-R'' (one volume, published in '']'', illustrated by Issei Hyouji, adapted from the anime series of the same name, 2009) | |||
Between July 26, 2008 and March 2009, a new manga series entitled {{Nihongo|''Slayers Light Magic''|スレイヤーズ ライト・マジック}} was serialised in ]'s '']''. The series was written by Yoshijirō Muramatsu and illustrated Shin Sasaki, and set in a technological world instead of a fantasy world.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-07-02/kerokero-ace-slayers-future-manga-to-start-in-july|title=Kerokero Ace's Slayers Future Manga to Start in July|work=]|access-date=June 24, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829225711/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-07-02/kerokero-ace-slayers-future-manga-to-start-in-july|archive-date=August 29, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-03-27/slayers-light-magic-manga-ends-in-kerokero-ace-mag|title=Slayers Light Magic Manga Ends in Kerokero Ace Mag|work=]|access-date=June 24, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090606050633/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-03-27/slayers-light-magic-manga-ends-in-kerokero-ace-mag|archive-date=June 6, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
It is rumored and hinted at through out the different Slayers series that Naga is really the daughter of Prince Philionel El Di Saillune, and the oldest sister to Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune. | |||
In July 1998, ] announced they had licensed the manga for distribution in North America.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/1998-09-21/cpm-comics-gearing-up-to-release-slayers-manga|title=CPM Comics gearing up to release Slayers manga|work=]|access-date=May 18, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091110142326/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/1998-09-21/cpm-comics-gearing-up-to-release-slayers-manga|archive-date=November 10, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> On June 15, 1999, ''Slayers: Medieval Mayhem'' was released.<ref>{{cite book|title=Slayers Book 1: Medieval Mayhem (Slayers (Graphic Novels)) (Paperback)|isbn=1562199137|last1=Kanzaka|first1=Hajime|last2=Araizumi|first2=Rui|year=1999|publisher=CPM Manga}}</ref> The four-volume series ''Slayers Special'' was published between October 12, 2002, and June 25, 2003.<ref>{{cite book|title=Slayers Special: Touch Of Evil (Slayers (Graphic Novels)) (Paperback)|isbn=1586648659|last1=Kanzaka|first1=Hajime|last2=Araizumi|first2=Rui|date=October 2002|publisher=CPM Manga}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Slayers Special: Notorious (Paperback)|isbn=1586649027|last1=Kanzaka|first1=Hajime|last2=Ohtsuka|first2=Tommy|last3=Araizumi|first3=Rui|year=2003|publisher=CPM Manga}}</ref> A seven-volume series ''Super-Explosive Demon Story'' followed between July 9, 2002 and December 1, 2004.<ref>{{cite book|title=Slayers Super-Explosive Demon Story Volume 1: Legend Of Darkness (Slayers (Graphic Novels)) (Paperback)|isbn=1586648667|last1=Kanzaka|first1=Hajime|last2=Yoshinaka|first2=Shoko|year=2002|publisher=CPM Manga}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Slayers Super-Explosive Demon Story Volume 7 (Paperback)|isbn=158664937X|last1=Kanzaka|first1=Hajime|year=2004|publisher=CPM Manga}}</ref> Finally, ''Slayers Premium'' was published in North America on July 5, 2005.<ref>{{cite book|title=Slayers Premium (Slayers (Graphic Novels)) (Paperback)|isbn=1586649736|last1=Kanzaka|first1=Hajime|date=January 2005|publisher=CPM Manga}}</ref> | |||
===Zelgadis Greywords=== | |||
A sorcerer who begins the TV series as a mercenary, opposed to Lina, but ends up in Lina and Gourry's group. A ] of golem, brow demon, and human. ''Voices'': ] (Jap), ] (Eng) | |||
===Anime television series=== | |||
Zelgadis Graywords tends to become something of an enigma to his comrades, due to his quiet and asocial nature. As a boy, he was transformed by Rezo, the red priest -- who is both Zel's grandfather and great grandfather -- into a three-part chimera. One third is golem, one third is human, and the last third is brau-demon (a being neither demon nor ''mazoku''). The golem third turned him into stone, and no sword but the Sword of Light can hurt him, making Zelgadis nearly unstoppable in a physical fight. The demon third enables him run faster than the eye can see, and granted him great power in Shamanist magic. The human third was simply a remnant of the old Zelgadis, before Rezo changed him. | |||
{{See also|List of Slayers episodes}} | |||
The self-titled first season of the anime adapts volumes 1 and 3 of the light novels. | |||
The second season, ''Slayers Next'', adapts volumes 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8 of the light novels. | |||
The third season, ''Slayers Try'', is an original story. | |||
However, a fourth season, ''Slayers AGAIN'', was rumored following the success of ''Try'', but early scheduling conflicts caused interest in the project to dissipate.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.animeondvd.com/specials/primers/slayers.php| title=Anime primers - Slayers| first=Joshua| last=Carvalho| publisher=Anime on DVD| access-date=May 25, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021019152008/http://www.animeondvd.com/specials/primers/slayers.php|archive-date=October 19, 2002}}</ref> | |||
A fourth anime series, ''Slayers Revolution'', premiered in Japan on July 2, 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-06-28/enoki-films-seeks-licensors-for-slayers-revolution|title=Enoki Films Seeks Licensors for Slayers Revolution|work=]|access-date=May 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003104333/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-06-28/enoki-films-seeks-licensors-for-slayers-revolution|archive-date=October 3, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> ], the voice actress for main character Lina Inverse, performed both the opening and ending theme songs.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-04-28/megumi-hayashibara-to-sing-slayers-revolution-themes|title=Megumi Hayashibara to Sing Slayers Revolution's Themes|work=]|access-date=May 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122121033/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-04-28/megumi-hayashibara-to-sing-slayers-revolution-themes|archive-date=January 22, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> The new plot is told across two 13-episode arcs and follows an original storyline that has subplots based on events in the novels, with series director ] and production studio J.C.Staff reprising their duties from the three original TV series.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-02-27/new-slayers-tv-anime-series-in-the-works|title=New Slayers TV anime series in the works|work=]|access-date=February 28, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229001431/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-02-27/new-slayers-tv-anime-series-in-the-works|archive-date=February 29, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> A fifth ''Slayers'' series titled ''Slayers Evolution-R'' is the second 13-episode arc of ''Slayers Revolution'' and was aired on ] starting on January 12, 2009 in Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/slayers_revolution/er/index.html|title=スレイヤーズEVOLUTION-R|publisher=StarChild|access-date=September 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016031220/http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/slayers_revolution/er/index.html|archive-date=October 16, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
Zelgadis specializes in Shamanistic magic, which pulls it's power from the Astral, or spiritual, Plane. His elemental spells are formidable, and include Stone Spiker, a modified version of Ray Wing, and his trump card, the mighty Ra-Tilt. Though he is not as learned in the art as Lina, Zelgadis's even combination of physical brunt and magical finesse render him among the most fearsome of mortal warriors. | |||
<!--The order and dates for the first series should be checked with printed material of the time. These are temporary references until those are found. Better references do exist, I have some for some of the volumes somewhere--> | |||
Zelgadis travels with Lina because he wants to find a spell that can change him back into a human. Despite the incredible abilities bestowed upon him by Rezo in the transformation, he always views the change as a curse, and wishes more than anything to be rid of it and return to a normal life. His unofficial alias is "The heartless sorcerer swordsman", to which he accepts with a smirk. Amelia seems to have a crush on him, and he seems feel the same way about her, though he refuses to admit it, even to himself. | |||
Central Park Media licensed and distributed the anime in North America under the Software Sculptors label on ] and ] between 1996 and 1998, collected in eight volumes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.software-sculptors.com/slayers.htm|title=The Slayers|publisher=Software Sculptors|access-date=June 11, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961128093159/http://www.software-sculptors.com/slayers.htm|archive-date=November 28, 1996}}</ref> It was a commercial success for Central Park, which led them to license ''Slayers Next'' and ''Slayers Try''; ''Next'' was first shipped from April 1999 in a similar format;<ref>{{cite web|title=The Slayers Next: The Sudden Pinch (dub)|url=http://www.centralparkmedia.com/cpmdb/cfcpm.cfm?Cat=SSVD_6050|publisher=]|access-date=September 17, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040415202047/http://www.centralparkmedia.com/cpmdb/cfcpm.cfm?Cat=SSVD_6050|archive-date=April 15, 2004}}</ref> a box set of the first four volumes was released in July of that same year, and a box set of the second four volumes in October.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Slayers Next Collector's Boxed Set 1 (dub)|url=http://www.centralparkmedia.com/cpmdb/cfcpm.cfm?Cat=SPVD_6058|publisher=]|access-date=September 17, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001121015000/http://www.centralparkmedia.com/cpmdb/cfcpm.cfm?Cat=SPVD_6058|archive-date=November 21, 2000}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Slayers Next Collector's Boxed Set 2 (dub)|url=http://www.centralparkmedia.com/cpmdb/cfcpm.cfm?Cat=SPVD_6068|publisher=]|access-date=September 17, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040227182452/http://www.centralparkmedia.com/cpmdb/cfcpm.cfm?Cat=SPVD_6068|archive-date=February 27, 2004}}</ref> ''Slayers Try'' was released later in 2000. The first three seasons were subsequently re-released on DVD (in season box sets). Months before Central Park's license for the anime properties expired, ] was able to obtain the license and it aired as part of the new owner's programming block on CoLours TV, as well as the ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-09-07/funimation-channel-on-colours-update|title=Funimation Channel on Colours Update|work=]|access-date=May 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309092003/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-09-07/funimation-channel-on-colours-update|archive-date=March 9, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> The first bilingual DVD box set after Funimation's rescue of the license was released on August 21, 2007, retaining the Software Sculptors-produced English dub.<ref>{{cite web|last=Leary|first=Ben|title=Slayers Season 1 Set|url=http://www.mania.com/slayers-season-1-set_article_79404.html|website=Mania.com|access-date=September 17, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417095228/http://www.mania.com/slayers-season-1-set_article_79404.html|archive-date=April 17, 2010|date=February 21, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> A boxset of ''Slayers'', ''Next'' and ''Try'' was released by Funimation on August 4, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mania.com/slayers-seasons-13-collection_article_115501.html|title=Slayers Seasons 1-3 Collection|publisher=Mania.com|access-date=June 11, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090814074448/http://www.mania.com/slayers-seasons-13-collection_article_115501.html|archive-date=August 14, 2009}}</ref> | |||
] won the rights to broadcast ''Slayers'' but eventually did not air the anime since it would be too heavy to edit it for content. The first North American television broadcast of ''The Slayers'' was February 17, 2002 on the ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2002-01-31/slayers-to-debut-on-the-international-channel|title=Slayers to Debut on the International Channel - News|work=Anime News Network|date=January 31, 2002|access-date=September 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231161538/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2002-01-31/slayers-to-debut-on-the-international-channel|archive-date=December 31, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2009, ] began releasing the series in the United Kingdom on a monthly basis. The first series was released on four DVDs between January 5, and April 6, 2009. The first volume of ''Slayers Next'' was released on May 11, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mvm-films.com/catalogue/letters.htm|title=MVM Films Catalog - Letter S|publisher=]|access-date=June 11, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225064429/http://www.mvm-films.com/catalogue/letters.htm|archive-date=February 25, 2009}}</ref> Episodes have also been made available on the streaming video sites ], ], ], ], ], and Funimation's website.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-11-07/funimation-adds-shuffle-peach-girl-slayers-to-hulu|title=Funimation Adds Shuffle, Peach Girl, Slayers to Hulu|work=]|access-date=May 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527094604/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-11-07/funimation-adds-shuffle-peach-girl-slayers-to-hulu|archive-date=May 27, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
===Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune=== | |||
A young cleric and the princess of Saillune with an unwavering belief in justice, who joins Lina's group during the first TV series. ''Voices'': ] (Jap), ] (Eng), ] (Eng; eps. 11-13), ] (''Slayers Premium'' movie) | |||
Funimation licensed both ''Slayers Revolution'' and ''Slayers Evolution-R'' for American release; the episodes in Japanese with English subtitles were uploaded to YouTube, as well as Funimation's website in July 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-12-29/funimation-adds-slayers-revolution-fantasy-anime-sequel|title=Funimation adds Slayers Revolution, Evolution-R Fantasy Sequels|work=]|access-date=December 29, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090101140507/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-12-29/funimation-adds-slayers-revolution-fantasy-anime-sequel|archive-date=January 1, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> Funimation contracted ] to produce the English version of the series, with dialogue being recorded in both New York City and Los Angeles. NYAV Post was able to reunite most of the original Central Park Media main character cast for the new season. However, ] replaced ] as ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-07-04/funimation-to-release-sengoku-basara|title=Funimation Adds Sengoku Basara TV Anime Series (Update 2)|work=]|access-date=July 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705171550/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-07-04/funimation-to-release-sengoku-basara|archive-date=July 5, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> Other notable characters, such as Sylphiel, Prince Phil, and Naga the Serpent were also recast with new voice actors. Funimation released the first ''Slayers Revolution'' boxset on March 16, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|last=Beveridge|first=Chris|title=Slayers Revolution Complete Set|url=http://www.mania.com/slayers-revolution-complete-set_article_119769.html|website=Mania.com|access-date=September 17, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423132606/http://www.mania.com/slayers-revolution-complete-set_article_119769.html|archive-date=April 23, 2010|date=April 19, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> Funimation released the first four English-dubbed episodes of ''Slayers Revolution'' to YouTube on January 19, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.funimation.com/2010/01/slayers-revolution-dubbed-preview-episodes-and-trailer/|title=Slayers Revolution – Dubbed Preview Episodes and Trailer | The Official Funimation Blog – Anime News, DVD & Blu-ray Previews, and a Generally Good Time|publisher=Blog.funimation.com|date=January 22, 2010|access-date=September 26, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222152935/http://blog.funimation.com/2010/01/slayers-revolution-dubbed-preview-episodes-and-trailer/|archive-date=February 22, 2012}}</ref> They have also uploaded the first two English-dubbed episodes of ''Evolution-R'' to YouTube and released ''Evolution-R'' on DVD in June 2010. Funimation released both ''Slayers Revolution'' and ''Evolution-R'' on ] on October 26, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|last=Beveridge|first=Chris|title=Slayers Season 4 Set (Slayers Revolution)|url=http://www.mania.com/slayers-season-4-set-slayers-revolution_article_123238.html|website=Mania.com|access-date=September 17, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012013139/http://www.mania.com/slayers-season-4-set-slayers-revolution_article_123238.html|archive-date=October 12, 2012|date=September 29, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Beveridge|first=Chris|title=Slayers Season 5 Set (Slayers Evolution-R)|url=http://www.mania.com/slayers-season-5-set-slayers-evolutionr_article_123239.html|website=Mania.com|access-date=September 17, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012060815/http://www.mania.com/slayers-season-5-set-slayers-evolutionr_article_123239.html|archive-date=October 12, 2012|date=October 8, 2010}}</ref> Both ''Revolution'' and ''Evolution-R'' made their North American television debut when they began airing on the Funimation Channel on September 6, 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-09-07/funimation-channel-adds-high-definition-feed|title=Funimation Channel Adds High-Definition Feed|date=September 7, 2010|access-date=October 25, 2022|archive-date=June 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605025301/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-09-07/funimation-channel-adds-high-definition-feed|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
Where ever there's a crime, you'll find Amelia tripping close behind. A helpful little princess thats always either in the way or flat on her face (or in a headlock from Lina). She initially comes across as a very dense little kid who really can't tell the good guys from the bad guys. Lina often gets annoyed with Amelia for her wide eyed naivete, and was excessively annoyed by Amelia wanting to learn the Dragon Slave, and extremely annoyed with the fact that Amelia's bust size is more developed at her younger age, but eventually comes to accept her as a friend. Most of Amelia's lessons in justice came from her father Prince Philionel of Seyruun, the "ultimate pacifist" armed with a variety of oxymoronic but very effective attacks, whom Lina once mistook for a bandit. It is rumored that Naga the White Serpent might be Amelia's long lost older sister, the crown princess Gracia. After the murder of her mother, Amelia has vowed never to use blades, but once used the Sword of Light to channel the Ra Tilt. Amelia also seems to have a crush on Zelgadis. | |||
=== |
===Original video animations=== | ||
*The first ] series, {{nihongo|'']''|スレイヤーズスペシャル}}, consists of three individual episodes directed by ]. The first episode was released in Japan on July 25, 1996 by Kadokowa Shoten and ], approximately 10 months following broadcast of the final episode of the original anime series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ex.org/1.1/18-releases_japan.html|title=Releases:Japan|publisher=ex.org|access-date=June 11, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729142846/http://www.ex.org/1.1/18-releases_japan.html|archive-date=July 29, 2012}}</ref> | |||
A lovely young cleric who, upon meeting Lina and friends, becomes infatuated with Gourry, who remains oblivious. She is weak in most magical areas aside from healing (her attack spells are especially unimpressive), but due to her profession she has studied extensively in white magic and can cast a ludicrously powerful version of Recovery. Surprisingly, she also manages to get the hang of Lina's signature spell, the Dragon Slave. She joins the group for the end of the first series and again near the end of the second series. | |||
*A second three-episode OVA series, {{nihongo|'']''|スレイヤーズエクセレント}} followed in 1998, also directed by Watanabe and produced by J.C.Staff. | |||
In North America, ''Slayers Special'' was initially sold as two separate titles, ''Slayers: Dragon Slave'' and ''Slayers: Explosion Array'' on VHS by licensee ].<ref name="Anime encyclopedia"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Slayers: Dragon Slave!|url=http://www.advfilms.com/advhome/catalog/catitem.html?c=all&k=sl002|publisher=]|access-date=September 17, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990909182355/http://www.advfilms.com/advhome/catalog/catitem.html?c=all&k=sl002|archive-date=September 9, 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Slayers: Explosion Array!|url=http://www.advfilms.com/advhome/catalog/catitem.html?c=all&k=sl003|publisher=]|access-date=September 17, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990909183323/http://www.advfilms.com/advhome/catalog/catitem.html?c=all&k=sl003|archive-date=September 9, 1999}}</ref> All three episodes were later compiled into ''Slayers: The Book of Spells'', shipped on November 21, 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mania.com/slayers-book-spells_article_73956.html|title=Slayers:The Book of Spells - Mania.com|publisher=Mania.com|access-date=June 10, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628090546/http://www.mania.com/slayers-book-spells_article_73956.html|archive-date=June 28, 2009}}</ref> | |||
===Filia Ul Copt=== | |||
A Priestess of the Fire Dragon King. Being a Golden Dragon, she has a huge sense of honor and "fulfulling her duties to the temple." She is annoyed to great extents by any monster who crosses her path. She carries a large mace, affectionately dubbed Mace-sama, in her garter and uses it to end many of her arguments. First appears in Slayers Try. ''Voices'': ] (Jap), ] (Eng) | |||
===Films=== | |||
Filia, at the end of Try, accepts the egg of the reborn Valgaav in repentance to what her ansestors did to his kind. In the ending credits, you see the glowing see-through egg nestled in a warm basket with Filia yelling something at Gravos and Jillas while they are polishing her pottery. | |||
* '']'', also known as ''Slayers Perfect'' (or ''Slayers the Movie: Perfect Edition'') and originally released in Japan simply as ''Slayers'' (スレイヤーズ), is a 1995 film written by Kazuo Yamazaki, based on an original story by Hajime Kanzaka, and directed by Yamazaki and Hiroshi Watanabe. | |||
* {{Nihongo|'']''|スレイヤーズ RETURN|Sureiyāzu ritān}}, also known as ''Slayers Movie 2 - The Return'', is a 1996 film written by Kanzaka and directed by ] and Hiroshi Watanabe. It was adapted into a standalone manga. | |||
* {{Nihongo|'']''|スレイヤーズ ぐれえと|Sureiyāzu gurēto}} is a 1997 film written by Kanzaka and directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, Hiroshi Watanabe and Yoshimatsu Takahiro. | |||
* {{Nihongo|'']''|スレイヤーズごうじゃす|Sureiyāzu gōjasu}} is a 1998 film written by Kanzaka and directed by Hiroshi Watanabe. | |||
* {{nihongo|'']''|スレイヤーズぷれみあむ|Sureiyāzu puremiamu}} is a 2001 short film written and directed by ]. | |||
Most of the films were produced by J.C.Staff and licensed for home video release in North America by ADV Films. ''Slayers Premium'' was animated by ]. | |||
===Xellos=== | |||
A high level Mazoku who assisted Hellmaster Phibrizzo. His true master is Beastmaster Zelas-Metallium, one of the 5 highest ranking Mazoku who were created by Shabranigdu. One reason Xellos is so powerful, even amongst the Mazoku, is that while the other 4 highest ranking Mazoku created by Shabranigdu have a general and a priest, Zelas has only Xellos as her general-priest, makeing him likely to be the 6th most powerful Mazoku. Contrary to what some say, Xellos does not use the "last name" of his master. He is simply Xellos. Called "the trickster priest" by many (including himself) and "namagomi" (raw garbage) by Filia, he is a hindrance as much as a help to Lina and her friends. He gets what he wants in the easiest way; even if it means tricking his friends. His trademark response to any important question is, "that is a secret." A constant duel goes on between fans whether there is a love or hate, or even a love-hate relationship between Xellos and Filia. First appears in Slayers Next. ''Voices'': ] (Jap), David Moo (Eng), Kurt Stoll (''Slayers Premium'' movie) | |||
=== |
===Radio dramas=== | ||
* ''Slayers Extra'' aka ''Slayers EX'' (four episodes, loosely (with Gourry replacing Naga and set after the first season of the anime television series) adapted from ''Slayers Special'' novels, 1995–1996) | |||
Different translators have rendered character names differently. These are all valid ]s of the original Japanese names. | |||
* ''Slayers N'extra'' (four episodes, adapted from ''Slayers Special'' novels, 1997) | |||
* ''Slayers Premium'' (one episode, prologue and epilogue to ''Slayers Premium'' movie, 2002) | |||
* ''Slayers VS Orphen'' (one episode, adapted from ''Slayers VS Orphen'' novel, 2005) | |||
* {{nihongo|''The Return of Slayers EX''|帰って来たスレイヤーズエクス|Kaette Kita Slayers EX}} (three episodes, 2006) | |||
===Games=== | |||
*Naga, Nahga | |||
*Amelia, Ameria | |||
*Filia, Firia, Philia, Fillia | |||
*Sylphiel, Sylpheel | |||
*Xellos, Xelloss | |||
*Zelgadis, Zelgadiss | |||
*Zelas (Metallium), Zellas, Xelas, Xellas | |||
====Role-playing games==== | |||
==The Universe== | |||
The series was adapted for two role-playing games (RPGs): | |||
*''Slayers'' became an add-on for the Japanese role-playing game system ''MAGIUS'' (''Slayers MAGIUS RPG'').<ref name="Anime encyclopedia"/> | |||
*In 2003, ] published a licensed role-playing game, '']'', using the ] rules.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2003-07-11/besm|title=BESM News|work=]|access-date=June 24, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100607152530/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2003-07-11/besm|archive-date=June 7, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> Guardians also released three guidebooks for their '']'' (''BESM'') game system that included game statistics for the TV series' major characters, spells and weapons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guardiansorder.com/games/anime/|title=Guardians Of Order - Licensed Anime Products|publisher=]|access-date=June 24, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812000527/http://www.guardiansorder.com/games/anime/|archive-date=August 12, 2007}}</ref> | |||
====Collectible card game==== | |||
In the universe of Slayers, there is a supreme being, neither good nor evil, called ], L-sama or ''Sea of Chaos'', who created everything. Four known pillars rise out of the Sea of Chaos, each supporting one of the four worlds. On each world, there are gods (''shinzoku'') and demons (''Mazoku''), fighting without end. Should the gods win the war in a world, that world will be at peace. Should the demons win, it will be destroyed and returned to Chaos. | |||
A ] (CCG), ''Slayers Fight'' (スレイヤーズふぁいと), was developed by ORG and published by Kadokawa Shoten between 1999 and 2001. | |||
====Video games==== | |||
In Lina's world, the supreme god is ], and the supreme demon is ] (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 sank into the Sea of Chaos, leaving four parts of himself and his soul in the world. | |||
{{main|List of Slayers video games}} | |||
A series of five ''Slayers'' role-playing video games were released exclusively in Japan between 1994 and 1998. Two different 16-bit games titled simply ''Slayers'' (including ]) were released in 1994. Three 32-bit / CD-ROM games followed in the late 1990s: '']'' in 1997 and '']'' and '']'' in 1998. In addition, Lina and other ''Slayers'' main characters have been featured in several other video games in crossover and guest appearances, in particular in mobile games since the late 2010s. | |||
==Reception== | |||
A ] before the events in ''Slayers'', one of Ruby-Eye's parts (which was sealed in the body of Lei Magnus, a very powerful ]) 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. | |||
] in ], Spain. Along with '']'' and '']'', ''Slayers'' was one of the most popular anime series in the country during the 1990s<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hobbyconsolas.com/reportajes/magia-slayers-82602|title=La magia de Slayers: Reena y Gaudy|first=Thais|last=Valdivia|date=August 17, 2014|website=HobbyConsolas|access-date=January 31, 2021|archive-date=May 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508162522/https://www.hobbyconsolas.com/reportajes/magia-slayers-82602|url-status=live}}</ref>]] | |||
Including the spin-off series, the ''Slayers'' novels had 18 million copies in print by 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2015/07/03/slayers-25th-anniversary-art-exhibition-to-be-held-this-summer|title="Slayers" 25th Anniversary Art Exhibition to be Held This Summer|access-date=May 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901023105/http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2015/07/03/slayers-25th-anniversary-art-exhibition-to-be-held-this-summer|archive-date=September 1, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2018, this number had grown to over 20{{nbsp}}million copies.<ref name="20million"/> Writing in 2020, Iyane Agossah from DualShockers opined ''Slayers'' "is still rarely equaled 30 years later, with an incredible mix of comedy and tragedy, an intricate amount of world-building, great story developments and iconic characters."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dualshockers.com/slayers-tales-of-the-rays-crossover-lina-inverse/|title=Slayers, The GOAT Anime Better Than Anything You're Watching Right Now, Joins Tales of the Rays|date=November 17, 2020|access-date=January 31, 2021|archive-date=February 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206202323/https://www.dualshockers.com/slayers-tales-of-the-rays-crossover-lina-inverse/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
''More to be added'' | |||
Of the various media which make up the ''Slayers'' franchise, the anime has by far reached the largest audience and is considered to be one of the most popular series of the 1990s, both in Japan and abroad.<ref name="Anime encyclopedia" /> As it is a parody of the ] genre, the series' driving force lies in comic scenarios alluding to other specific anime, or more general genre ] and ]s. Its focus on humor and entertainment and "old school" anime feel make it a nostalgic classic to many.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/anime/6487-Anime-Review-The-Slayers|title=The Escapist Anime Reviews: The Slayers|publisher=www.escapistmagazine.com|access-date=February 3, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710082200/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/anime/6487-Anime-Review-The-Slayers|archive-date=July 10, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to ]'s Daryl Surat, 1996 was the best year of ''Slayers'' anime with the releases of ''Next'' and ''Return''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2016-10-21/twenty-years-ago-the-best-anime-of-1996/.107944|title=Twenty Years Ago: The Best Anime of 1996 (And Some Others Too)|website=Anime News Network|access-date=January 31, 2021|archive-date=February 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205061736/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2016-10-21/twenty-years-ago-the-best-anime-of-1996/.107944|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Slayers Next'' took the third place as the overall best anime of 1996 in the ] '97 awards (in addition to winning in the category best female character), while the next year's series ''Slayers Try'' placed second but technically also third (the first place was a tie between the films '']'' and '']'') in 1998. | |||
==Spells== | |||
There are a wide variety of magical spells in the world of ''Slayers'', categorized by the origin of their power. Following are some of the more important ones: | |||
''Slayers'' was sometimes compared with '']'', another hit Japanese fantasy franchise that began around the same time. In ''Anime Essentials: Every Thing a Fan Needs to Know'', ] wrote: "More humorous and less serious looking than the characters in the '']'' series, the stars of ''Slayers'' provide action and laughs."<ref>{{Cite book|title=Anime Essentials: Every Thing a Fan Needs to Know|last=Poitras|first=Gilles|year=2001|page=40|publisher=]|isbn=978-1-880656-53-2}}</ref> In '']'', ] similarly called it "the antidote to the deadly serious ''Record of Lodoss War'', with a cynical cast modeled on argumentative role-players. (...) Ridiculing its own shortcomings, ''Slayers'' has successfully kept a strong following that watches for what some might call biting satire, and others bad workmen blaming their tools."<ref name=tae>], '']'', p.591.</ref> Joseph Luster of '']'' called it "the very definition of an all-encompassing media franchise. (...) ''Slayers'' certainly has that in its memorable lineup, and they'll likely cast some sort of spell on you, regardless of age."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.otakuusamagazine.com/SearchAudience/News1/The_Slayers_The_First_Three_Seasons_1698.aspx|title=The Slayers: The First Three Seasons|date=December 17, 2009|publisher=Otakuusamagazine.com|access-date=December 18, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219003244/http://www.otakuusamagazine.com/SearchAudience/News1/The_Slayers_The_First_Three_Seasons_1698.aspx|archive-date=December 19, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Paul Thomas Chapman from the same magazine voiced a more reserved opinion on the "franchise whose remarkable longevity and popularity is matched only by its remarkable averageness," especially regarding various aspects of the TV series, to which nevertheless he returned for "light entertainment".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.otakuusamagazine.com/SearchAudience/News1/Slayers_A_Retrospective_1215.aspx|title=Slayers: A Retrospective|publisher=Otakuusamagazine.com|date=January 9, 2008|access-date=December 18, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219004431/http://www.otakuusamagazine.com/SearchAudience/News1/Slayers_A_Retrospective_1215.aspx|archive-date=December 19, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> {{clear left}} | |||
===Black Magic=== | |||
These spells borrow their power from the ''Mazoku''. If the particular ''Mazoku'' lending power to the spell is killed, the spell becomes unusable. The exception is Dragon Slave, because fragments of Ruby Eye, its source, still remain. | |||
* Dragon Slave: Lina's favourite high-profile spell. It creates an enormous blast that consumes everything in its range, often used by Lina to destroy enemies, monsters, and the occasional building or two. As its original name, ''Dragon Slayer'', suggests, it is an excellent choice for killing dragons. The name became corrupted over time to its more commonly-used modern name, Dragon Slave. Its power comes from Shabranigdo. | |||
''"Power beyond the twilight, crimson blood that flows, buried in the stream of time is were your power grows, I pledge my self to conquer all foes who stand against the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hands- Dragon Slave!"'' | |||
==See also== | |||
The original Japanese incantation is: | |||
*] | |||
:黄昏よりも昏きもの 血の流れより紅きもの 時の流れに埋もれし偉大なる汝の名において 我ここに、闇に誓わん 我等が前に立ち塞がりし 全ての愚かなる者に 我と汝が力もて 等しく滅びを与えんことを!! ドラグ・・・スレ~~~イブ!! | |||
*'']'', a science fiction comedy series set in one of the dimensions parallel to that of ''Slayers'' | |||
==References== | |||
which reads as: | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
''tasogare yori mo kuraki mono, chi no nagare yori akakimono, toki no nagare ni umoreshi idai naru nanji no na ni oite, ware koko ni yami ni chikawan, warera ga mae ni tachifusagarishi subete no oroka naru mono ni ware to nanji ga chikara mote hitoshiku horobi wo ataen koto wo! doragu... sure---ibu!!'' | |||
The translation used in Slayers: The Motion Picture, however is as follows. | |||
''"Heed me thou who is darker than dusk, he who is more red than blood. In the name of that which has been buried in the bottomless abyss of time eternal, I summon thee, Master of the Ultimate Darkness. Infuse me with power, let your strength become mine to wipe these fools who stand before us from the face of this earth, and deliver unto them the ultimate doom! Dragon Slave!"'' | |||
Although if you look in a Japanese dictionary the spell is actually a combo of the two and you actually get a very close translation. | |||
"Darkness beyond the twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows. Buried in the flow of time, in your great name here I make a vow to darkness. To the fools who stand before us, merge thine strength and mine to deliver destruction to all equally!! DRAGON SLAVE!!" | |||
* '''Gaav Flare''': A very powerful, piercing fireball. Its power is borrowed from Gaav, the Demon-Dragon King. | |||
===Chaos Magic=== | |||
These spells borrow their power from the Lord of Nightmares herself. They are so exhausting that only can be cast by very powerful humans (i.e. Lina), and can be cataclysmic if misused. | |||
* '''Giga Slave''': Lina Inverse's original spell. It is so powerful that the Dragon Slave cannot even be compared to it. If the caster loses control, the spell may return the world to the Sea of Chaos. It does more than calling upon the power of the Lord of Nightmares; it is said that the Giga Slave is actually the Lord of Nightmares itself. | |||
''Darkness beyond blackest pitch, deeper than the deepest night. King of Darkness who shines like gold upon the Sea of Chaos; I call upon thee, swear myself to thee. Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess...GIGA SLAVE!'' | |||
* '''Ragna Blade''': Creates a sword made of pure chaos that can cut through to the alternate dimensions used by Mazoku. Drains an incredible amount of the caster's power to use. | |||
''Lord of the dreams that terrify. Sword of cold and darkness, free yourself from the heaven's bonds! Become one with my power, one with my body, and let us walk the path of destruction together! Sword that can smash even the souls of the Gods! Ragna Blade!'' | |||
===Divine Magic=== | |||
These spells would borrow their power from ''Shinzoku'', but the divine magic was lost during the Resurrection war, a thousand years ago. However, some priests can use a bit of that lost power. | |||
* '''Ray Freeze''': An ancient holy spell, it paralyzes the body of targets so the caster can escape or keep the victim in place. | |||
* '''Chaotic Disintegrate''': Filia uses this spell against Valgaav in hopes of destroying him before Dark Star possessed the power of the Ancient Dragons. She was too late however, and though the spell caused an enormous show of power on Filia's part, it all came to nothing. At one point of time, she attempted to use it against Xellos, but he actually absorbed the magic (much to her shock), combining it with his own, and succeeded in destroying the powerful Anchent Dragon's shield around the Galvayra, or Bow of Light. | |||
* '''Teleport''': It is unclear whether it's a real spell or not. Filia uses this to teleport the group to the location of the final battle. It exhausts her, just like other spells, but she never says the name of the spell, nor any Chaos Words. | |||
===Shamanistic Magic=== | |||
] spells are spells whose power comes from the sorcerer: they don't borrow power from any god/demon. They are the ''every-day'' spells, and their power depends on the sorcerer's conditions (e.g. a sorceress can't cast powerful spells in her ]). Shamanistic magic is divided into various types, which are given in parentheses next to each spell's name. | |||
* '''Astral Vine''' (Spirit): A spell which enchants a sword, axe, or other weapon with magic. A weapon enchanted in this way makes it possible to deal damage to Mazoku and becomes as powerful as the Sword of Light. However, this enchantment is only temporary. | |||
* '''Balus Wall''' (Air): Also known as: Valis Wall, this spell is effective against flaming attacks (fire-shamanism, dragon's breath, and normal fire). Flames heading towards the caster would, instead of striking, would be diverted to the left and right of the spellcaster. | |||
* '''Bephis Bring''' (Earth): Causes the ground under the caster to riot and break (i.e. allowing to access an underground passage). | |||
* '''Bram Blazer''' (Spirit) | |||
* '''Burst Rondo''' (Fire): Causes an explosion originating from the caster without injuring him/her. | |||
* '''Dill Brand''' (Earth): Causes the ground under a target to erupt, usually launching anyone in the affected area. | |||
* '''Elmekia Flame''' (Spirit): A more powerful version of the Elmekia Lance. | |||
* '''Elmekia Lance''' (Spirit): Creates a light lance that damages the target's spirit. Causes great damage to Mazoku. | |||
* '''Fireball''' (Fire): Lina's favourite low-profile spell. Creates a ball of flames that explodes in contact with anything. It can cause a lot of havoc, especially when cast by Lina. | |||
* '''Flare Arrow''' (Fire): Forms a series of arrows made of fire, to be thrown or shot from a temporary magical bow. | |||
* '''Freeze Arrow''' (Water): The ice equivalent of the Flare Arrow spell. Creates a magical arrow made of ice that can freeze targets. | |||
* '''Freeze Britz''' (Water): The ice equivalent of the Fireball spell. Instantly encloses a victim in ice, or creates ice rocks or icicles when casted towards the sky. | |||
* '''Levitation''' (Air): Allows flight. | |||
* '''Ra Tilt''' (Spirit): The most powerful spell of Shamanistic magic. Can even destroy a pure Mazoku. Only affects those who have astral bodies. Those are probably Mazoku, but it's possible to kill some of the party just entering/exiting the Astral Plane. | |||
* '''Raywing''' (Air): Also allows flight. Much faster, but also more energy-draining. Also provides an air bubble when used under water. In addition, Raywing can carry about three passengers. | |||
* '''Visfan Rank''' (Spirit): Concentrates spiritual power into the fists of the user, allowing them to ] with evil spirits. A specialty of Amelia's. | |||
===White Magic=== | |||
These spells are intended to cure and purify people. They are similar to Spirit Shamanism in that all of them draw upon the power of the caster. They aren't related to gods in the same way that Black Magic is related to demons - see ''Divine Magic'' above. | |||
* '''Recovery''': Boosts the target's regeneration abilities. It's useful to cure little wounds, but it must not be used to cure big wounds because the target could die of exhaustion. Furthermore, if the target is infected with any kind of ], those bacteria would also receive the regenerative boost and multiply rapidly, killing the target. | |||
* '''Resurrection''': Takes the vital energy from nearby life forms to cure the target. It is a lot harder than Recovery, and usually only priests can cast it. | |||
==List of Slayers Anime== | |||
* ''Slayers'' (TV series, 26 episodes) | |||
* ''Slayers Next'' (TV series, 26 episodes) | |||
* ''Slayers Try'' (TV series, 26 episodes) | |||
* ''Slayers The Motion Picture'' (Movie) (also known as ''Slayers Perfect'', although this is just a fan-made name) | |||
* ''Slayers Return'' (Movie) | |||
* ''Slayers Great'' (Movie) | |||
* ''Slayers Gorgeous'' (Movie) | |||
* ''Slayers Premium'' (Short movie) | |||
* ''Slayers: The Book of Spells'' (], 3 episodes) | |||
* ''Slayers Excellent'' (], 3 episodes) | |||
==List of Slayers Light Novels== | |||
* ''Slayers'' (15 Volumes, 1990-2000) | |||
* ''Slayers Special'' (24 Volumes, prequel to Slayers series, on going) | |||
* ''Slayers Delicious'' (4 Volumes, prequel to Slayers series, 1997-1999) | |||
* ''Slayers VS Orphen'' (1 Volume, crossover between ''Slayers'' and ], 2005) | |||
==List of Slayers Manga (comic)== | |||
* ''Slayers'' (1 Volume, 1995, reedited in 2001) | |||
* ''Chou-baku Madou-den Slayers'' (8 Volumes, adapted from ''Slayers'' main novels 1-8, 1995-2001) | |||
* ''Slayers Special'' (4 Volumes, 2000-2001) | |||
* ''Slayers Knight of AquaLord'' (6 Volumes, 2003-2005) | |||
* ''Slayers Premium'' (1 Volume, adapted from ''Slayers Premium'' movie, 2002) | |||
==List of Slayers Radio-Drama== | |||
* ''Slayers Extra'' (4 episodes, adapted from ''Slayers Special'' novels, 1995-1996) | |||
* ''Slayers N'extra'' (4 episodes, adapted from ''Slayers Special'' novels, 1997) | |||
* ''Slayers Premium'' (1 episode, extra story to ''Slayers Premium'' movie, 2002) | |||
* ''Slayers VS Orphen'' (1 episode, adapted from ''Slayers VS Orphen'' novel, 2005) | |||
==List of Slayers Video-Games== | |||
* '']'' (PSX & Sega Saturn) | |||
* ''Slayers Royal 2'' (PSX & Sega Saturn) | |||
* ''Slayers Wonderful'' (PSX) | |||
* ''Slayers'' (SFC) | |||
* ''Slayers'' (PC98) | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
{{Commons category}} | |||
* | |||
* {{Official website|https://fantasiabunko.jp/sp/slayers/}} (Fujimi Shobo) {{in lang|ja}} | |||
* | |||
* {{Official website|https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/contents/slayers/}} (TV Tokyo) {{in lang|ja}} | |||
* | |||
* {{Official website|https://www.funimation.com/shows/the-slayers/}} (Funimation) | |||
* | |||
* {{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20030720131257/http://enokifilmsusa.com/library/slayers.htm}} (Enoki Films USA; archived) | |||
* | |||
* {{Ann|light novel|12993}} | |||
* | |||
* | |||
* | |||
* | |||
===Character Links=== | |||
* Zelgadiss Greywords | |||
* Valgarv | |||
* Xelloss | |||
{{Slayers}} | {{Slayers}} | ||
{{Takashi Watanabe}} | |||
{{J.C.Staff}} | |||
{{Monthly Dragon Age}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 17:14, 14 November 2024
Japanese light novel series and its franchise This article is about the Japanese light novel and media franchise. For the American rugby league team, see Washington D.C. Slayers. For other uses, see Slayer (disambiguation).
Slayers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Light novel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Written by | Hajime Kanzaka | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Illustrated by | Rui Araizumi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Published by | Fujimi Shobo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
English publisher |
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Imprint | Fujimi Fantasia Bunko | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Magazine | Dragon Magazine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Demographic | Male | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Original run | 1989 – present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Volumes | 17 (List of volumes) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Directed by | Takashi Watanabe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Music by | Ozamu Tezuka | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Original network | TXN (TV Tokyo) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Episodes | 104 (List of episodes) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Anime and manga portal |
Slayers (Japanese: スレイヤーズ, Hepburn: Sureiyāzu) is a Japanese light novel series written by Hajime Kanzaka and illustrated by Rui Araizumi. The novels have been serialized in Dragon Magazine since 1989, before being published into individual volumes. They follow the adventures of teenage sorceress Lina Inverse and her companions as they journey through their world. Using powerful magic and swordsmanship they battle overreaching wizards, demons seeking to destroy the world, and an occasional hapless gang of bandits.
Slayers inspired several spin-off novel series and has been adapted into numerous manga titles, anime television series, anime films, OVA series, role-playing video games, and other media. Including the spin-off series, the novels have over 20 million copies in print. The anime series is considered to be one of the most popular of the 1990s.
Plot
Setting
In the Slayers universe, the ultimate being is the Lord of Nightmares, the creator of at least four parallel worlds. An artifact known as the Claire Bible contains information about the Lord of Nightmares' task to regain its "true form", which is only attainable by destroying these worlds and returning them to the chaos (sea of darkness) that it itself is. For unexplained reasons, though, the Lord of Nightmares has not acted upon this desire by itself so far. On each of these worlds are gods (shinzoku, lit. "godly race") and demons (mazoku, lit. "demon race"), fighting without end. Should the gods win the war in a world, that world will be at peace. Should the monsters win, the world will be destroyed and returned to the Sea of Chaos.
In the world where the Slayers takes place, Flare Dragon Ceifeed and the Ruby-Eye Shabranigdu are, respectively, the supreme god and demon. Long ago, their war ended more or less in a stalemate, when Ceifeed was able to split Shabranigdu's existence into seven pieces in order to prevent him from coming back to life, then seal them within human souls. As the souls are reincarnated, the individual fragments would wear down until Shabranigdu himself would be destroyed. However, Ceifeed was so exhausted by this that he himself sank into the Sea of Chaos, leaving behind four parts of himself in the world. A millennium before the events in Slayers, one of Ruby-Eye's fragments (which was sealed in the body of Lei Magnus, a very powerful sorcerer) revived and began the Resurrection War (降魔戦争, Kōma-sensō, alternately "War of Demon Conquering") against one of the parts of Ceifeed, the Water Dragon King, also known as Aqualord Ragradia. Ultimately, the piece of Shabranigdu won, but Aqualord, using the last remnants of her power, sealed him into a block of magical ice within the Kataart Mountains. Nevertheless, Shabranigdu's lieutenants remained at liberty, sealing a part of the world within a magical barrier, through which only demons could pass.
There are four types of magic within the Slayers universe: Black, White, Shamanistic, and Holy. Black magic spells, such as the famous Dragon Slave, call directly on the powers of the demons and are capable of causing enormous damage. White magic spells are of an obscure origin and are used for healing or protection. Shamanistic magic is focused on manipulation and alteration of the basic elements of the natural world (earth, wind, fire, water and spirit) and contains spells for both offense and convenience, such as Lei Wing, Fireball, or Elemekia Lance. Holy magic uses the power of the gods, but the aforementioned barrier made its usage impossible for anyone inside before the death of the demon Hellmaster Phibrizzo. As a rule, demons can only be harmed by astral shamanistic magic, holy magic, or black magic which draws power from another demon with greater might than the target.
Above all other magic, however, are the immensely destructive spells drawing power from the Lord of Nightmares. The two spells of this class are the Ragna Blade, capable of cutting through any obstacle or being, and the Giga Slave, which can kill any opponent, but which could also destroy the world itself if the spell is miscast. Some have claimed that these terrible spells, drawing their power directly from the Lord of Nightmares, constitute a fifth form of magic: Chaos magic.
Story
Further information: List of Slayers charactersThis article needs an improved plot summary. Please help improve the plot summary. (January 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The protagonist of Slayers is Lina Inverse, a teenage wandering genius sorceress with many nicknames and much infamy attached to her that she refuses to acknowledge. Lina narrates (within the novels) the history of her various adventures, ranging from whimsical and silly to dramatic to even outright world-threatening crises, in which she becomes involved along with her traveling companions everywhere she goes.
Production
The first Slayers light novel was written by Hajime Kanzaka for entrance into Fujimi Fantasia Bunko's first annual Fantasia Chōhen Shōsetsu Awards [ja] in 1989. After it won, the new author was asked to create a follow-up. Kanzaka initially thought this was an impossible task as the characters had already defeated the Dark Lord. He called the second book a turning point for him and said it was initially very difficult to write. However, as soon as he added the "spike-wolves and stuff", from his love of yōkai and kaiju, the "words just flew off the page". Kanzaka set the second book in a city so that Lina could not solve the story by simply casting one big spell. He said that this taught him how using circumstances and setting could change the "flavor" of a story. The author also said that the second book is intentionally "heavier" than the first.
Kanzaka described his writing process as like trying to put together puzzle pieces that have been scattered about, figuring stuff out as he goes instead of following an outline written beforehand. As a new author, he said he was not good at submitting plot summaries to his supervisor, who wanted them before he started writing. When the supervisor passively accepted the plot summary of the third Slayers novel, but was then ecstatic with the finished book, he stopped asking for plot summaries. Kanzaka assumed that he had finally realized that the finished story was always going to widely diverge from the initial summary. The first three books were written as the author thought up stories, but volume four on tell a grander epic. Because the first novel was written as a one-off before evolving into a series, there are some inconsistencies with the later installments. A few of these inconsistencies were corrected in the 2008 reprints.
Kanzaka stated the reason Zelgadis and Amelia do not appear in "part 2" is because of the plot point concerning a character's death. Although he speculated he could have written around the healing spells, it would have taken a lot of extra steps to get there and dragged everything out a lot longer than necessary. In the afterward of the fifteenth novel, the original final installment of the series, Kanzaka said he wanted to end the story in an open-ended way in order to allow readers to imagine what happens next to Lina and Gourry. He also described the Slayers video games, television shows, and comics as "parallel part 3 stories".
Kanzaka makes references to people and events not depicted in the novels, such as Lina's older sister and Gourry Gabriev's first visit to Sairaag, which he referred to as "flavor" to stimulate the reader's imagination and clarified that they are not foreshadowing. He explained that the fictional world would feel smaller if everything that appears in the story is explained; something he learned from a teacher's comment in design school. Although some of these he has not even thought about, like Gourry's visit to Sairaag, others he has created a backstory to, such as Lina's sister. Zuma's backstory was omitted because the novels are told from Lina's first-person perspective, but Kanzaka gave some of the material to the staff of Slayers Revolution so it could be included in the anime.
Media
Light novels
See also: List of Slayers light novelsSlayers began serialization in Dragon Magazine in 1989 as a short story series written by Hajime Kanzaka and with artwork by Rui Araizumi. The chapters were then published as light novels under the Fujimi Fantasia Bunko imprint across 15 volumes from January 17, 1990 to May 10, 2000. Although the original story ended with the 15th volume in 2000, Kanzaka began a new arc 18 years later in the May 2018 issue of Dragon Magazine, which was published in March 2018, to celebrate the magazine and Fujimi Fantasia Bunko's 30th anniversary. He described it as "kind of a reunion" and said he had not decided to relaunch the series yet. Volume 16 was published on October 20, 2018. A third story arc began in the November 2019 issue of the magazine, released in September 2019. The author described this as "Rather than an official history, the third arc is going to be more like one of the possibilities, a parallel existence to the TRY TV anime and the Water Dragon King manga, I guess." Volume 17 was published on October 19, 2019.
On September 7, 2004, Tokyopop began publishing the novels in English, ending with the release of volume 8 on January 2, 2008. On July 3, 2020, J-Novel Club announced their rescue license of the series at Anime Expo Lite. They first release the novels digitally, with the first chapter uploaded to their website that day. Their physical release of Slayers began in July 2021 and is a 3-1 hardcover omnibus edition based on Japan's 2008 revised edition that featured new illustrations and covers.
- Slayers Special (スレイヤーズ すぺしゃる) is a spin-off prequel series of 30 novels published from 1991 to 2008. Each consisting of one-shot stories (sometimes, two-chapter stories) chronicling the exploits of Lina Inverse and Naga the Serpent before the events in Slayers. Five additional volumes were released under a new series title, Slayers Smash. (スレイヤーズ すまっしゅ。) between July 2008 and November 2011.
- Slayers Delicious (スレイヤーズ でりしゃす), a four volume prequel featuring Lina and Naga, was released between 1997 and 1999. These four stories were originally published separately by Fujimi Fantasia in mini-bunko format, and later they were included in different Special novels. A one volume crossover between Slayers and the series Sorcerous Stabber Orphen was published in 2005 under the title Slayers VS Orphen and was later reprinted in 2013.
- Slayers Select (スレイヤーズ せれくと) is a best-of compilation of Slayers Special. Its five volumes were published in August 2008, September 2008, June 2009, February 2010, and March 2010.
- Slayers Anthology was released to mark the 25th anniversary of Slayers novels in January 2015. It is a compilation of six stories, one of which was written by Kanzaka and five by fan writers. It is illustrated with previously unpublished pictures by Araizumi and contributing artists.
Manga
- Slayers (one volume, illustrated by Rui Araizumi, original story, published in 1995, reedited in 2001, also known as Slayers Medieval Mayhem)
- Chōbaku Madōden Slayers (超爆魔道伝スレイヤーズ) (eight volumes, illustrated by Shoko Yoshinaka, adapted from Slayers main novels volumes 1–8, fourth volume adapted from Slayers Return movie, 1995–2001, also known as Super Explosive Demon Story Slayers)
- Slayers Special (four volumes, illustrated by Tommy Ohtsuka and Yoshimiro Kamada, adapted from Slayers Special novels, 2000–2001)
- Slayers Premium (one volume, illustrated by Tommy Ohtsuka, adapted from the movie of the same name, 2002)
- Slayers Knight of the Aqualord (six volumes, illustrated by Tommy Ohtsuka and Yoshimiro Kamada, original storyline, 2003–2005)
- Slayers Revolution (one volume, illustrated by Issei Hyouji, adapted from the anime series of the same name, 2008)
- Shin Slayers: Falces no Sunadokei (新スレイヤーズ:ファルシェスの砂時計) / New Slayers: The Hourglass of Falces) (three volumes, illustrated by Asashi, 2008)
- Slayers Legend (two-volume compilation from old Slayers manga, with chapters from Slayers and Chōbaku Mahōden Slayers)
- Slayers Evolution-R (one volume, published in Monthly Dragon Age, illustrated by Issei Hyouji, adapted from the anime series of the same name, 2009)
Between July 26, 2008 and March 2009, a new manga series entitled Slayers Light Magic (スレイヤーズ ライト・マジック) was serialised in Kadokawa Shoten's Kerokero Ace. The series was written by Yoshijirō Muramatsu and illustrated Shin Sasaki, and set in a technological world instead of a fantasy world.
In July 1998, Central Park Media announced they had licensed the manga for distribution in North America. On June 15, 1999, Slayers: Medieval Mayhem was released. The four-volume series Slayers Special was published between October 12, 2002, and June 25, 2003. A seven-volume series Super-Explosive Demon Story followed between July 9, 2002 and December 1, 2004. Finally, Slayers Premium was published in North America on July 5, 2005.
Anime television series
See also: List of Slayers episodesThe self-titled first season of the anime adapts volumes 1 and 3 of the light novels. The second season, Slayers Next, adapts volumes 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8 of the light novels. The third season, Slayers Try, is an original story. However, a fourth season, Slayers AGAIN, was rumored following the success of Try, but early scheduling conflicts caused interest in the project to dissipate.
A fourth anime series, Slayers Revolution, premiered in Japan on July 2, 2008. Megumi Hayashibara, the voice actress for main character Lina Inverse, performed both the opening and ending theme songs. The new plot is told across two 13-episode arcs and follows an original storyline that has subplots based on events in the novels, with series director Takashi Watanabe and production studio J.C.Staff reprising their duties from the three original TV series. A fifth Slayers series titled Slayers Evolution-R is the second 13-episode arc of Slayers Revolution and was aired on AT-X starting on January 12, 2009 in Japan.
Central Park Media licensed and distributed the anime in North America under the Software Sculptors label on VHS and Laserdisc between 1996 and 1998, collected in eight volumes. It was a commercial success for Central Park, which led them to license Slayers Next and Slayers Try; Next was first shipped from April 1999 in a similar format; a box set of the first four volumes was released in July of that same year, and a box set of the second four volumes in October. Slayers Try was released later in 2000. The first three seasons were subsequently re-released on DVD (in season box sets). Months before Central Park's license for the anime properties expired, Funimation Entertainment was able to obtain the license and it aired as part of the new owner's programming block on CoLours TV, as well as the Funimation Channel. The first bilingual DVD box set after Funimation's rescue of the license was released on August 21, 2007, retaining the Software Sculptors-produced English dub. A boxset of Slayers, Next and Try was released by Funimation on August 4, 2009.
Fox Kids won the rights to broadcast Slayers but eventually did not air the anime since it would be too heavy to edit it for content. The first North American television broadcast of The Slayers was February 17, 2002 on the International Channel. In 2009, MVM Films began releasing the series in the United Kingdom on a monthly basis. The first series was released on four DVDs between January 5, and April 6, 2009. The first volume of Slayers Next was released on May 11, 2009. Episodes have also been made available on the streaming video sites Hulu, YouTube, Crackle, Anime News Network, Netflix, and Funimation's website.
Funimation licensed both Slayers Revolution and Slayers Evolution-R for American release; the episodes in Japanese with English subtitles were uploaded to YouTube, as well as Funimation's website in July 2009. Funimation contracted NYAV Post to produce the English version of the series, with dialogue being recorded in both New York City and Los Angeles. NYAV Post was able to reunite most of the original Central Park Media main character cast for the new season. However, Michael Sinterniklaas replaced David Moo as Xellos. Other notable characters, such as Sylphiel, Prince Phil, and Naga the Serpent were also recast with new voice actors. Funimation released the first Slayers Revolution boxset on March 16, 2010. Funimation released the first four English-dubbed episodes of Slayers Revolution to YouTube on January 19, 2010. They have also uploaded the first two English-dubbed episodes of Evolution-R to YouTube and released Evolution-R on DVD in June 2010. Funimation released both Slayers Revolution and Evolution-R on Blu-ray on October 26, 2010. Both Revolution and Evolution-R made their North American television debut when they began airing on the Funimation Channel on September 6, 2010.
Original video animations
- The first OVA series, Slayers Special (スレイヤーズスペシャル), consists of three individual episodes directed by Hiroshi Watanabe. The first episode was released in Japan on July 25, 1996 by Kadokowa Shoten and J.C.Staff, approximately 10 months following broadcast of the final episode of the original anime series.
- A second three-episode OVA series, Slayers Excellent (スレイヤーズエクセレント) followed in 1998, also directed by Watanabe and produced by J.C.Staff.
In North America, Slayers Special was initially sold as two separate titles, Slayers: Dragon Slave and Slayers: Explosion Array on VHS by licensee ADV Films. All three episodes were later compiled into Slayers: The Book of Spells, shipped on November 21, 2000.
Films
- Slayers The Motion Picture, also known as Slayers Perfect (or Slayers the Movie: Perfect Edition) and originally released in Japan simply as Slayers (スレイヤーズ), is a 1995 film written by Kazuo Yamazaki, based on an original story by Hajime Kanzaka, and directed by Yamazaki and Hiroshi Watanabe.
- Slayers Return (スレイヤーズ RETURN, Sureiyāzu ritān), also known as Slayers Movie 2 - The Return, is a 1996 film written by Kanzaka and directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and Hiroshi Watanabe. It was adapted into a standalone manga.
- Slayers Great (スレイヤーズ ぐれえと, Sureiyāzu gurēto) is a 1997 film written by Kanzaka and directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, Hiroshi Watanabe and Yoshimatsu Takahiro.
- Slayers Gorgeous (スレイヤーズごうじゃす, Sureiyāzu gōjasu) is a 1998 film written by Kanzaka and directed by Hiroshi Watanabe.
- Slayers Premium (スレイヤーズぷれみあむ, Sureiyāzu puremiamu) is a 2001 short film written and directed by Junichi Satō.
Most of the films were produced by J.C.Staff and licensed for home video release in North America by ADV Films. Slayers Premium was animated by Hal Film Maker.
Radio dramas
- Slayers Extra aka Slayers EX (four episodes, loosely (with Gourry replacing Naga and set after the first season of the anime television series) adapted from Slayers Special novels, 1995–1996)
- Slayers N'extra (four episodes, adapted from Slayers Special novels, 1997)
- Slayers Premium (one episode, prologue and epilogue to Slayers Premium movie, 2002)
- Slayers VS Orphen (one episode, adapted from Slayers VS Orphen novel, 2005)
- The Return of Slayers EX (帰って来たスレイヤーズエクス, Kaette Kita Slayers EX) (three episodes, 2006)
Games
Role-playing games
The series was adapted for two role-playing games (RPGs):
- Slayers became an add-on for the Japanese role-playing game system MAGIUS (Slayers MAGIUS RPG).
- In 2003, Guardians of Order published a licensed role-playing game, The Slayers d20, using the d20 System rules. Guardians also released three guidebooks for their Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM) game system that included game statistics for the TV series' major characters, spells and weapons.
Collectible card game
A collectible card game (CCG), Slayers Fight (スレイヤーズふぁいと), was developed by ORG and published by Kadokawa Shoten between 1999 and 2001.
Video games
Main article: List of Slayers video gamesA series of five Slayers role-playing video games were released exclusively in Japan between 1994 and 1998. Two different 16-bit games titled simply Slayers (including the one for the Super Famicom) were released in 1994. Three 32-bit / CD-ROM games followed in the late 1990s: Slayers Royal in 1997 and Slayers Royal 2 and Slayers Wonderful in 1998. In addition, Lina and other Slayers main characters have been featured in several other video games in crossover and guest appearances, in particular in mobile games since the late 2010s.
Reception
Including the spin-off series, the Slayers novels had 18 million copies in print by 2015. As of 2018, this number had grown to over 20 million copies. Writing in 2020, Iyane Agossah from DualShockers opined Slayers "is still rarely equaled 30 years later, with an incredible mix of comedy and tragedy, an intricate amount of world-building, great story developments and iconic characters."
Of the various media which make up the Slayers franchise, the anime has by far reached the largest audience and is considered to be one of the most popular series of the 1990s, both in Japan and abroad. As it is a parody of the high fantasy genre, the series' driving force lies in comic scenarios alluding to other specific anime, or more general genre tropes and clichés. Its focus on humor and entertainment and "old school" anime feel make it a nostalgic classic to many. According to Anime News Network's Daryl Surat, 1996 was the best year of Slayers anime with the releases of Next and Return. Slayers Next took the third place as the overall best anime of 1996 in the Anime Grand Prix '97 awards (in addition to winning in the category best female character), while the next year's series Slayers Try placed second but technically also third (the first place was a tie between the films Mononoke Hime and The End of Evangelion) in 1998.
Slayers was sometimes compared with Record of Lodoss War, another hit Japanese fantasy franchise that began around the same time. In Anime Essentials: Every Thing a Fan Needs to Know, Gilles Poitras wrote: "More humorous and less serious looking than the characters in the Lodoss War series, the stars of Slayers provide action and laughs." In The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917, Helen McCarthy similarly called it "the antidote to the deadly serious Record of Lodoss War, with a cynical cast modeled on argumentative role-players. (...) Ridiculing its own shortcomings, Slayers has successfully kept a strong following that watches for what some might call biting satire, and others bad workmen blaming their tools." Joseph Luster of Otaku USA called it "the very definition of an all-encompassing media franchise. (...) Slayers certainly has that in its memorable lineup, and they'll likely cast some sort of spell on you, regardless of age." Paul Thomas Chapman from the same magazine voiced a more reserved opinion on the "franchise whose remarkable longevity and popularity is matched only by its remarkable averageness," especially regarding various aspects of the TV series, to which nevertheless he returned for "light entertainment".
See also
- List of Slayers songs
- Lost Universe, a science fiction comedy series set in one of the dimensions parallel to that of Slayers
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External links
- Official website (Fujimi Shobo) (in Japanese)
- Official website (TV Tokyo) (in Japanese)
- Official website (Funimation)
- Official website (Enoki Films USA; archived)
- Slayers (light novel) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
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