Slayers Try

For nearly a millennium, demons have imposed a magical barrier that has impeded the people trapped within it from reaching the outside world. Now that it is broken, several kingdoms seek to explore the lands that were once beyond their grasp. To this end, they establish a peace delegation to make contact with the inhabitants of the new world.

Meanwhile, the young sorceress Lina Inverse receives a message from a mysterious woman named Filia ul Copt. When they meet, Filia expresses interest in hiring Lina and her friends, having heard of their great deeds, for a certain task that will take them to the outside realm. Despite that, Filia feels the need to put their strength to the test and pits them against a dragon in the middle of the city! After proving themselves, the sorceress and her fellow adventurers set off for the unexplored lands, where many adventures and a worrying prophecy await them.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Inverse, Lina Main

Hayashibara, Megumi Japanese

Graywords, Zelgadis Main

Midorikawa, Hikaru Japanese

Gabriev, Gourry Main

Matsumoto, Yasunori Japanese

Saillune, Amelia Wil Tesla Main

Suzuki, Masami Japanese

ul Copt, Filia Main

Kuwashima, Houko Japanese

Xellos Supporting

Ishida, Akira Japanese

Valgaav Supporting

Takagi, Wataru Japanese

Jillas Supporting

Yamazaki, Takumi Japanese

El Di Saillune, Philionel Supporting

Inaba, Minoru Japanese

Gaav Supporting

Nakata, Jouji Japanese

Kobayashi, Noriko Producer

Haigney, Michael Producer

Watanabe, Takashi Director

Fujino, Sadayoshi Sound Director

Reviews

Jan 1, 2016

Luquillo

Recommended

In the world of entertainment in this case anime, it's usually a crime punishable by ridicule to not fall into the hive mind. One may find themselves victim of the hairy eyebrow simply for seeing something from a totally different perspective. In regards to the Slayers series, at least before Slayers Revolution and Slayers Evolution R; it was pretty much mandatory to at least think of Slayers Try as the inferior series of the franchise. Many of the complaints I heard about the series is the unfamiliar feel to its predecessors: "the comedy and silliness simply isn't the same", it's different", and other criticisms of ... that type. This brings me to believe that many people have a big soft spot for redundancy, and evolution can simply take a walk. Slayers needed to stray away from its usual path because its weaknesses really began to show in Slayers Next. Slayers Try has a familiar feel, but there is clearly something different here and it really isn't a bad thing. After this re-watch I firmly believe Slayers Try is the best of the first three seasons.

This story takes place awhile after the battle against Fibrizo the Hellmaster. As a result, a barrier surrounding the island which was put in place by the monsters has been lifted giving access to the outer world. Lina and Gourry encounter Zelgadis, and they're soon greeted by a woman named Filia whom later briefs them about a prophesy that will lead to the world's destruction. The crew gather and go off on this new adventure.

It's very important to mention that Slayers try doesn't feel as madcap as the previous seasons. There definitely is plenty of random comedy to be found, but there's more of a focus on plot progression, story development, and even character development for a new character. Surprisingly, Slayers Try is actually at its absolute weakest when it breaks away from the main story and focuses on the stupidity. Even the characters some times break the fourth wall mentioning the stupidity in a negative way, which can add to the fun.

When Slayers Try is focused, it definitely delivers an engrossing experience with plenty of very interesting back story, and the plot is frequently effected by all of this. The large amounts of story works very well in developing the character Filia and her people, as well as new threat Valgaav. I have to say that Valgaav is by far the most interesting villain in the series at this point, and is far away from the usual cookie cutter type meant only to push the plot. Filia was indeed a surprise and many fans were ticked because she received so much development while Lina and Gourry's budding relationship received no attention. I'm fine with this completely because Filia actually served a purpose, and there was more to her personality. Despite some small missteps in pacing, when compared to the last seasons I was surprised by the steady progression a majority of the time. I also liked the smaller details on how the outside world saw people using magic, with some of the populace seeing Amelia as an angel from heaven as she cured a person from an injury. It would have made for better storytelling had this story element been given more time.

I hope some people don't get things twisted though; there is still some good comedy like one of the early food fights between the crew involving some spaghetti, Lina's angry insults, along with Gourry's classic stupidity, and some in your face parodies that actually work. Also, the action is pretty stable too with some nice encounters against the main threats.

The animation is about on the level of Slayers Next which isn't a bad thing. The high energy attack battles are still just as vibrant, epic, and entertaining, and there's quite a bit of onscreen death. Valgaav has a nice design along with various others clearly indicating that some of these guys are from a different world. The darker settings still look just as great, and the soundtrack still does its job good enough. In regards to voice acting, the English dub continues to shine and Lisa Ortiz simply has Lina Inverse down.

It may be blasphemy to hail Slayers Try as the best of the original series, but swimming against the current has been my style for years; to those whom came into the first two series I highly advise to brace yourself for something kind of different. This series has plenty to offer while still maintaining something from its usual self.

Highs: Much better story and plot development, interesting new characters

Lows: Some weak filler moments, a tad bit of reused jokes

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Luquillo (100)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Sep 4, 2014

angelsreview

Recommended

Alright, they don’t really say this in the show but ‘Seven months later…’ we have the same group pretty much with the same comedy, the same personalities, the same goals and fate has decided once again to make them meet. This is where it gets slightly ridiculous in that nothing seems to stop this bunch from having to be stuck together. I guess the writers found that we were getting tired of the small area that the Slayers was taking place in and decided to open it up a little by saying the area where they lived was in a magical bubble. They now have ... a whole world we now have to learn about after finally maybe understanding the magical area that Slayers was in. I at least like that they give you the information little by little but sometimes it’s a little too late.

These young heros now face an even greater threat… or at least I think so as they take most of all this as a joke and just try to use the time for their own personal gain. Zelgadis wants to find a way to change his body back, Amelia wants to spread justice, Gourry just follows Lina blindly and Lina just tries to get cash. The only reason why Lina is in this new world is because her sister ordered her. They never explain why she is scared of her…. Or why we should even care about her sister, she is just there mentioned and then gone.

All the bitching that I have done now actually is only a small part of the show in some regards but I have to nit pick or I wouldn’t have anything to talk about since the rest of the show is the same as the first two. I mean it, if you liked the first ones, then you would love this one. Filia is interesting, and adds a lot of fun to it.

The art work turned out much better in this version; you can tell they put a lot more money and love into it.

The voices again are really good, though some of the information about the barrier is lost in translation. I don’t get some things about it though it really doesn’t seem to be problematic to the story line. They just talked about it way late in the actual show so I don’t really know much.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by angelsreview (354)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Feb 7, 2010

Archaeon

Recommended

One of the problems with multi series shows, be they anime, live action movie, or TV serial, is that every now and then the creators begin to run out of ideas, regardless of how much promise there was in the first and second series. Shows like Star Wars, Terminator, Prison Break, Heros, Zero no Tsukaima, Dragonball, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu, School Rumble, and more besides, have all suffered from this lack of creative drive at one time or another. However, the reverse is also true, and there are a number of shows that actually get better as more series are added, Aria and Nodame Cantabile ... being great examples of this.

Another good example is Slayers Try.

Unlike the previous iterations in the Slayers franchise, Try is not actually based on a novel by Kanzaka Hajime, however the author did write the basic outline for the series. This meant that there was far more room for the creativity of other writers to come to the fore, and it's actually surprising how well Try follows on from the first two series. However, given that many of the production staff are the same as in the previous two outings, and that director Watanabe Takashi is once again at the helm, it should be no surprise that the writers would have a "passing familiarity" with the content.

The story is set several months after Next. The magical barrier that kept the lands isolated has been destroyed, and various kingdoms have decided to send a group of emmisaries to explore and re-establish relationships with the outside world. Unfortunately, Lina and the gang are taking a break in the port city from which the expedition is leaving...

One thing that really stands out about the plot for Slayers Try is the degree to which it progresses throughout the show. While the series manages to retain much of its irrevent humour (albeit in a punchier form), the story is far more focused than in previous outings, and fans of the series may find themselves surprised by the difference.

One unfortunate side effect of this "change" though (although I consider it more of an evolution), is that certain viewers, especially those who are diehard fans of the original two series, consider Try to be the inferior addition to the franchise, partly because it's not based on an existing novel, but also because of the increase in plot focus.

Whatever the case may be, personally I consider Try to be at least as good as the original series and Next. The plot is well paced and flowing for much of the series, and the increased focus on telling the story only serves to make the humour more precious.

The main aspects that fans of the series will find appealing is the fact that in terms of sound and visuals, Try is without any shadow of a doubt, part of the Slayers franchise. Everything from the character design and animation, to the seiyuu and music are, by and large, the same as in previous outings, and this pays off in a big way in many areas of the show. The animators are far more capable and composed than either of the previous two series, while the voice actors are more self assured than before. The fact that even the same production staff have been used on many aspects of Try gives it an extra dimension that neither the original series nor Next had, and this is because at almost every level of production there is a good deal of experience with the Slayers franchise - and it shows.

In terms of characters, Try is a more than worthy addition to the franchise. After all, the gang's all here, and this time they have a whole world to play with. Lina and Gourry are just as funny as before, even with the noticeable reduction in jokes involving food and/or eating, Zelgadis is just as moody as ever, and Amelia is still heroically gung ho. Try, however, is unlike either of the previous two series in that the characters are more solid, however this is partly due to the more focused plot. That said, while there is a degree of development for most of the characters, the majority of growth occurs on the part of only one character.

Filia ul Copt is, in many respects, a parody of the stereotypical Dungeons & Dragons "Gold Dragon", however she is also the character with the most development in Try. Her background, together with the history of her race, make for a solid platform upon which to develop a character, however this seems to be the biggest area of debate, as many viewers feel that Try should have focused on developing the relationship between Lina and Gourry.

Personally, I don't mind her at all, and I can't really understand what all the fuss is about. Filia's personality works well with the other characters, and the fact that she is oft times portrayed as a parody of the D&D Golden Dragon means that she fits in nicely with the ethos of Slayers.

In terms of its content, Slayers Try is very different to either of the first two series and, in all honesty, the show seems to have "borrowed" some of the best aspects of both. Being a fan of the franchise, I found that I enjoyed Try just as much as I did either of the first two seasons. However, the more focused plot may be disconcerting to purists, however much of the humour is retained throughout the show, and this is the area where the Slayers franchise normally excels.

Granted there will be those who simply don't like Try for one reason or another, and while I can understand the perspective voiced by many nay-sayers, it should be remembered that, like any series, unless there is an effort made to develop the franchise it will simply stagnate. The bigger crime, at least for me, would be to let down the original series and Next by simply re-using the same formula over and over again - such things become tiresome after a while. Granted there is a degree of that in the third series, however Try is also very different to its predecessors because of its tighter story and focused plot.

Try is most definitely a great addition to the Slayers franchise, and while there are those who don't like the series, there are just as many who do. If you're a fan of Slayers but haven't seen Try, then you should definitely mark it as one to watch. The show has all of the appeal of the first two series, yet is unique enough in its own right as well.

That said, newcomers to the franchise are advised to watch the first two series before watching Try, as there are numerous references to previous events and characters.

On the whole, Slayers Try is one of those shows that you should really make your own judgement on. While there is a certain "business as usual" feel to the series, there are plenty of new characters, places and occurences for Lina and the gang to mess with/blow up/steal from, and it's great to see them given a much bigger "playground" this time around.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Archaeon (211)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Nostalgic Retro gold anime

by Hiru_Napyeer

33 Entries · 6 Restacks

Adaptations that are disowned by the creator of the original source material.

by NaruMembrane

21 Entries · 6 Restacks

Slayers Watch Order

by IgorGonLua

13 Entries · 33 Restacks

	Poll: Slayers Try Episode 15 Discussion fedaykin - Mar 29, 2010	19 replies	by LotteGiants »» Today, 4:28 AM
	Poll: Slayers Try Episode 6 Discussion fedaykin - Mar 28, 2010	12 replies	by BettyBalloon »» Dec 12, 12:43 PM
	Poll: Slayers Try Episode 5 Discussion Shinobinomi - Mar 17, 2012	9 replies	by BettyBalloon »» Dec 11, 1:15 PM
	Poll: Slayers Try Episode 1 Discussion Mon_Diamond - Aug 16, 2011	14 replies	by BettyBalloon »» Dec 10, 3:40 PM
	Poll: Slayers Try Episode 26 Discussion kiririnshi - Mar 13, 2010	22 replies	by LotteGiants »» Nov 9, 3:53 AM