Monday, February 11, 2019

Slayers Next Part 6 Episodes 23-26


The Slayers have suffered their worst defeat.  Though Demon Dragon Lord Gaav is dead, the Hellmaster Phibrizzo has captured Gourry, Lina’s bodyguard and closest friend.  The truth of Xellos’ mission to guide The Slayers is revealed and Lina discovers her magic might hold the key to Phibrizzo’s greatest aspirations: the end of the world.  Unfortunately for Phibrizzo, he just pissed off the wrong Sorceress.  Lina, Zel, Amelia and Martina join forces with some old friends for the most important battle to date.  But The Slayers could barely survive Gaav, what chance do they have against the Demon Lord of the Underworld himself?  What role will the wild card Xellos play in this fight?  And just how far will Lina go to save the person she holds in her heart most dear?  The Slayers have their game faces on for this one, it’s time to save the world…again.

This is the kind of finale where, after the final seconds have passed, you need to sit down and let it all sink in, wash over and pass through like a nice gentle breeze.  It wasn’t perfect and it definitely felt like I was watching a totally different show for a little bit, but damn if Slayers Next didn’t deliver one helluva photo finish as only Lina Inverse could.

My concerns about Phibrizzo held up for the most part.  Though I don’t know if him being a kid either amplified his despicable acts or not.  Either way, resurrecting an entire city to be his soulless soldiers and actually killing each of The Slayers was as low as you could possibly go for a villain (don’t worry, everyone was revived and ok).  So I guess when you hit said lows, the comeuppance youre going to get is going to be…well biblical.  And biblical it was…but I think im jumping ahead a bit.  I guess to finish my thoughts on Phibrizzo…he, like many other foes in Slayers Next, never measured up to the bar set by Rezo 2.0 in Season One, which is definitely going to knock off a point or two in my final grading.

But let’s backtrack and try and break down all the epic and dramatic (shocking) twists of the Slayers Next finale.  Im glad that though Lina tried to fake happy her way past Gourry’s abduction, the others didn’t let her forget it and all helped her get her mind set for the final battle.  These last four episodes were certainly a test of Lina and Gourry’s deep bond over the last two seasons and how far either would go for one another.  Lina ended up almost destroying the world and Gourry leapt into the hole of oblivion to bring Lina back as a result.  Which gave us a much deserved and awesome kiss…which was promptly forgotten by both and suddenly things got back to normal. 

What’s more, Lina and company weren’t alone in their final battle with Phibrizzo.  Zangulus made an overdue but welcome return to square off against a possessed Gourry and continue his underrated streak of being awesome.  It’s a shame he only showed up now and subsequently became Martina’s final main squeeze…cause I could actually do with a whole subplot of Martina and Zangulus or a side series cause they made a great pair, even if they only met in the last couple of episodes and got married…happy endings all around I guess.  Sylphiel also returned…and she was not missed at all.  Not only did she really not serve much purpose in the last act (then again neither did Zangulus but I will always welcome his appearances) but they still didn’t change her voice actress in the English dub.  Sylphiel admittedly does get some big dramatic moments in the finale (gotta talk about drama in a bit too) but the effect feels lost because her voice is one note, one tone, all boring, all the time.  I was really hoping that if she did come back they would amend this cause the rest of the voice acting this season has been stellar.  This goes double for Lisa Ortiz as Lina, who did an amazing job giving Lina some dramatic depth as the sorceress was pushed to the breaking point but never truly broken.  Her voice work is one of the main reasons I love Lina Inverse as a whole.

Let’s talk about the tone of these last 8 episodes.  Balancing the trademark humor of the series and the new, darker storytelling approach was a tough battle for Slayers Next to figure out.  Several early episodes attempted to be more serious with sprinkles of humor but, in my opinion, some of the seasons best episodes were in the middle when it was back to the feel good journeys we found in Season One.  That said, Phibrizzo’s level of ruthlessness left little room for humor.  As I said above, we had to watch each of The Slayers die by his hand before Lina was pushed to unleashing the Giga Slave.  It wasn’t unfamiliar territory for Slayers Next but it also ran the risk of totally evaporating the feel good vibes that made the show so special.  Thankfully, the drama did come with great payoff.  Martina especially gets MVP of this set, even the season as a whole.  She finally put aside her petty rivalry and gave Lina the courage to act and save Gourry even if it meant the end of the world.  And when Lina finally unleashed the Giga Slave and became the Lord of Nightmares…WOW.  Not only did Lina look like a legit Super Saiyan but she gave Phibrizzo exactly what was coming to him…his own death but the rest of the world wasn’t coming with him.  The payoff was great even if the villain was uneven.  And in the end, a win is a win.  Everything that makes the Slayers great came through in the end, that being the unbreakable bond between Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis and Amelia.  No matter how dark this show wants to try and go, that will always be the shining star of this franchise.

Guess it’s time for final thoughts.  Slayers Next tried some different approaches from its rough draft first season.  The animation got a major upgrade.  The Villains might not have had a lot of depth but they brought the menace in spades.  The stand alone adventures were more hilarious than anything in Slayers so far and The Slayers themselves brought all of the comedic gold.  Whether its fighting over food or working as a well oiled machine against monsters, the core quartet of heroes endured it all and grew in their friendships (though I doubt they’ll do more with the Lina/Gourry romantic angle anymore, at least for now).  Slayers Next also gets bonus points for fun new cast additions.  Martina and Xellos were incredibly likeable and brought their own crazy and mystery that helped them fit right in with the core team.  I have a feeling we’ll see Xellos again down the line but I also hope Martina returns as her rivalry with Lina was a big highlight of the season.  While not every episode was a total win, I can tell you there was at least one thing to like about every story.  And if you can stand some of the darker moments that both equally shocked and worked, you’ll find yourself enjoying a sequel that definitely surpasses its predecessor.  I knew the best was yet to come…and maybe it still is with Season 3.

9/10

And with that, I’m Katsucon bound.  I’ll be back in two weeks for a new series before we head into the Anime Corner’s 5th Anniversary.  Don’t think we’re done with Lina Inverse yet either.  I’ll just announce it here that my big Anniversary review for Year 5 is going to be Slayers: The Motion Picture.  After that you can expect the return of The Slayers in May when I review the third season of this epic fantasy comedy, Slayers Try.  I told ya 2019 was going to be the Year of The Slayers.  See ya in a couple of weeks everyone.

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