| Leading the Slayers pack is the utterly cute, utterly charming, and diminutive yet powerful sorceress, Lina Inverse. She is, without a doubt, one of my favorite anime characters (and one of the cutest to boot). Of course, it doesn't hurt that she's superbly voiced by Megumi Hayashibara, either. Whether making wisecracks or raining destruction upon her foes, Lina is simply loads of fun to watch. Her sidekick, the dimwitted Gourry, is also funny at times, but I think the jokes about his slow nature were a tad overdone. I didn't much care for Zelgadis, a sorcerer with deformed blue skin. His personality was rather somber, and as a result, he was a bit dull. Amelia is another leading character, although she doesn't show up until a bit later in the series. She's even cuter than Lina, and the combination of her ridiculous over-posturing and zealous do-gooder attitude makes her a barrel of laughs. The villains were a bit on the comical side (naturally), but even the nefarious Rezo the Red Priest wouldn't be out of place in a serious fantasy title. Everyone is fleshed out nicely, and it's easy to cheer for the heroes and despise the villains.
Story-wise, things are pretty much on par with the fantasy genre. While events aren't *too* predictable, the plot does follow the basic "bad-guy-threatening-the-world- so-let's-go-stop-him" formula. And naturally, with a plot like this, the action gets served up by the bowlful. There are lots of spells chucked around, complete with the requisite mass destruction and pyrotechnic flashbangs. I must admit I never got tired of watching Lina wreak havoc with her Dragon Slave or Fireball spells. It's just so much fun! |
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