Slayers Great

While being a little uncertain of what to expect from Slayers Great, my fears were quickly settled within the first 5 minutes of this short movie. It quickly becomes apparent that this is a fun, fast moving comedy; set in an alternative medieval universe, where spells and magic tricks are rampant.

Lina and Naga are the unknowing heroes of Slayers Great. Expert magic users with a sharp dress sense– these 2 girls, who travel together, also happen to be the fiercest of rivals.
One day, they wander into the ‘City of Stoner’, a place famous for producing exquisite golems (giant clay figures equipped magical powers).
With the girls being as they are (a penchant for attracting trouble), Lina and Naga are soon caught in the middle of a bitter family feud– forced to control giant golems (modelled on themselves) and wage war!

Coming into this with no prior knowledge of the Slayers universe, I was expecting to be baffled by a few things. However, this didn’t happen.
The humour is very basic and relies more on physical gags (“Ha ha! Flat chest!”). And while I wouldn’t go as far as to say this movie made me laugh out loud, the humour works well within the context of the show. The banter between Lina and Naga, while increasingly repetitive, is fun to watch.

Similarly, many of the action sequences have been doused with some really nice little touches of humour. A giant golem (modelled on the vivacious Naga) with jiggling breasts’ the size of houses may sound incredibly crude, but it’s made to be really amusing thanks to the sheer shock and reaction from the surrounding crowds.

Another positive factor is that the story never attempts to take itself too seriously. So instead of having to invest heavy thought into the symbolism of what is being said; you can just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Doing a bit more research into Slayers, I found that this is a very prolific franchise; 78 TV episodes, and ton more short films (like this).
I must admit I’m intrigued to see how these other variations are presented– the Slayers formula is fun, but rather predictable and repetitive. Sitting through 76 episodes just like this and I’d probably begin regressing into a monkey-like state.

In Summary

Taking cues from Tenchi Muyo! with it’s observational humour and bizarre situations; Slayers Great is a fun little watch, rounded off by a likable pair of main characters and a story that never takes itself too seriously. It’s never outstandingly funny, but an occasional smile is guaranteed.

Having no prior knowledge of Slayers was not a problem for me either; I was able to slip right into this movie without feeling out of my depth or just uninterested.

While certainly one for the fans, even a Slayers newcomer like myself could illicit some enjoyment from this.