Synopsis:
Sorceress extraordinaire Lina Inverse and her associates are off on a quest to find a legendary book containing the ultimate magic -- the Claire Bible! Lina wants it so she can learn the most powerful spell available; Gourry doesn't really want it; Zelgadis wants it so he can regain his human form; Martina wants it so she can rebuild the kingdom of Xoana... it seems just about everybody is interested in the Claire Bible for their own reasons. The problem is, high-ranking demons are also after the secrets of the Claire Bible... and Lina herself!

Review:
Slayers Next took me by surprise. My initial exposure to Slayers was in the form of a movie and it wasn't anything to get excited about. After watching Slayers Next, however, I finally caught the Slayers fever that has afflicted fans everywhere! Slayers Next is the second season TV series, with Slayers being the first. I skipped that and went straight to Slayers Next, yet I had no problem getting in synch with the characters and events.

Lina and the gang have a knack for putting themselves in the funniest and most amusing situations. They also put on the most hilarious facial expressions this side of anime-dom! A good number of eps had me laughing my butt off, making the entertainment value very high. Aside from the comedy, you get lots of action, magic, adventure, and even a touch of romance.

Characterization is excellent as well. Everyone is distinctly portrayed and given sufficient development, good guys and bad guys alike. The art and animation border on the cutesy side, and aren't really anything special. This would've been a 5-star series had the visuals been more exceptionally done. The English dubbing isn't great, but it's not too shabby either. The dubs cost exactly the same as the subtitled version so I see no reason why one should put up with voice acting that's less than perfect. The original Japanese version features some totally cool seiyuus like Megumi Hayashibara (also Rei Ayanami on EVA) and Hikaru Midorikawa (also Tamahome on Fushigi Yuugi). I've always wanted to know what the fuss is about with regards to Slayers, and if you're like me, this series is as good a place to start as any. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Miscellanies:
The DVD boxed set comes with extras like image galleries, scripts, manga info, character profiles, and lots more.

Screenshots:

Shopping - click on title to purchase: - Out of Print, but will soon be re-released by Funimation.

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