With the Sword of Light lost during the events of Slayers Try, Lina and Gourry are on the lookout for a new weapon for the hapless swordsman- but as so often seems to happen, trouble gets stirred up along the way. Whilst Lina’s destructive ways finally draw the attention of the authorities, she also finds herself having to contend with a prince turned furry animal named Pocota, whose agenda will draw our intrepid heroes into yet another battle of good, evil and overpowered spell-casting.
Having devoured all of the earlier Slayers series with a healthy appetite for its old school presentation and irreverent sense of humour, it would seem as if a brand new series would be just what the doctor ordered- but as always, I couldn’t help but be apprehensive. Was 2008 simply too modern and sophisticated an era to try to bring back something that so firmly belonged in the 90s?
Unfortunately, whilst the series was reasonably enjoyable, it was clear that being dragged out of its natural environment did little to help Revolution live up to its predecessors. An attempt to give the series a bit of polish simply removed the rough around the edges charm that made Slayers so endearing in the first place, whilst the plot, jokes, spells and bad guys were nothing we hadn’t seen before- the only difference being that it seemed funnier back then.
Similarly, even the characters themselves can’t quite raise the laughs that they used to; whilst it’s impossible to ever dislike the legendary Lina Inverse, Zelgadis, Xellos and the gang, this series doesn’t really do anything to further them, instead falling back on the same old gags. This wouldn’t really matter too much if the new characters at least brought a fresh perspective to the plot, but they all prove to be tiresome rather than acting as welcome additions to the series.
Visually, Slayers Revolution is average at best, with simplistic animation and, as with the story, an attempt at polish that takes away the rough old school charm. Music is much as it always was, whilst the voice actors are now able to add a bit more maturity to their roles. Overall, however, the series is rather forgettable presentation-wise.
Final Thoughts
Although reasonably entertaining, Slayers Revolution fails to live up to its predecessors, proving that some experiences are best left in the past. Still, with thirteen more episodes following on in Evolution-R, it is clear that the franchise stands to be flogged that bit more.
Tier: Bronze-
I stopped watching this cause I found the animation bad and it looking worse than it did when I was watching Slayers Try and the earlier series.
Having Pocota being able to throw the Dragon Slave was a big misstake. Lina should be the only one to being able to use it.
But with this I think I have to give it a chance. Have to watch trough it once anyway, cause as you say: It is Lina and the gang again.
As a fan of Slayers it saddens me that Revolution was kinda “meh-ish” and Evolution-R isn’t shaping up to be much of a improvement, but who knows. Like you mentioned, the older series had something that made them special.
I also agree that the animation is far from being great… A clear example is when Lina summons the Ragna Blade: in Next/Try it looked badass, but in these new series it looks so… cheap.
IMO, nothing beats Next in terms of quality and enjoyment. I still think it’s great, even after all this years.