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
 Alternative Titles Japanese: スレイヤーズ TRY Information Type: TV Episodes: 26 Status: Finished Airing Aired: Apr 4, 1997 to Sep 26, 1997 Premiered: Spring 1997 Broadcast: Fridays at 18:30 (JST) Producers: SoftX Studios: E&G Films Source: Light novel Duration: 23 min. per ep. Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older Statistics Score: 7.821 (scored by 29,934 users) 1 indicates a . Ranked: #9302 2 based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #2956 Members: 55,287 Favorites: 235 Resources |
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