The Slayers Group Watch Thread

[John]

Give Up - Another great action episode, we introduce a mini-boss and Gourry just blurts out that oh yeah, I've got a lightsaber, no big whoop. The Monster enemy was a neat twist, can't be hurt by normal weapons and magic, only by a Magic Weapon. Wonder why Gourry doesn't just use the light sword every time there's a battle, does it need to recharge in between uses? Or would it just make him a target if people realized he had it.

Help - This was good, but a lot of padding. Even aside from the obvious 2+ minutes of flashback thrown in midway, there were a lot of scenes with static shots to get to the runtime. I was expecting that Rezo would be the vessel for the big bad, but I liked that he had been hosting him for a thousand years without knowing it. Lina being a woman is still a source of "comedy", from Gourry making fat jokes combined with breast shaming, or accidental breast grabbing when levitating up the tower. It was 90's Japan, but it still sucks.

 

[Octopus Prime]

I always assumed that there’s nothing stopping Gourry from using the Sword of Light every battle, except that it would make every fight too easy for him.

 

[Daikaiju]

"Never play an Ace when a Deuce will do"

 

[Torzelbaum]

There is also the possibility that Gourry is so dumb that he forgets about it until he is in mortal danger.

 

[Daikaiju]

Normally i'd agree but the majority of what intelligence Gourry has is hardwired for combat (kinda like a small capacity SSD with only one large AAA game on it. Can't afford room for Bejewelled but man doesn't Jedi: Fallen Order run great?). To wit, fighting smart means you use exactlyh what you need when you need it. You'll note the moment he reveals his blade is when he expressly told that's what will work.

 

[Egarwaen]

Lina being a woman is still a source of "comedy", from Gourry making fat jokes combined with breast shaming, or accidental breast grabbing when levitating up the tower. It was 90's Japan, but it still sucks.

Though she also defeats Berserk Zelgadis by kicking him in the nuts, so I think it’s mostly that the show’s sense of humor is very puerile.

 

[John]

Though she also defeats Berserk Zelgadis by kicking him in the nuts, so I think it’s mostly that the show’s sense of humor is very puerile.

I didn't remember that, so I went back to the episode.

Unless it's something they edited for the dubbed version, she just kicks his back so hard he turns "good" again. The humor was the elbow to the noggin after the spell was already broken, which was a good gag.

Gourry does get a lot of mileage about Lina's "small" chest, which is silly because she's very proportional. It's a little funny that he still just thinks she's a little girl from time to time, but less so if the only reason is because she doesn't have D cups.

 

[Egarwaen]

Nope, it’s the same. I totally misread Zel’s cloak as being Lina’s boot!

 

[Torzelbaum]

You'll note the moment he reveals his blade is when he expressly told that's what will work

So in this case it's his opponent who is the moron. Or at least someone who doesn't realize that they are in a shonen anime.

 

[Octopus Prime]

Gourry does get a lot of mileage about Lina's "small" chest, which is silly because she's very proportional. It's a little funny that he still just thinks she's a little girl from time to time, but less so if the only reason is because she doesn't have D cups.

I swear this has baffled me since I started watching the show decades ago.

The only explanation I can think of is that the animation team missed a memo About her appearance, constantly, for 20 years running.

 

[Egarwaen]

My interpretation has been that Gourry is a goofus who’s got very little idea about women beyond the most shallow concepts.

Most other characters just harp on it because it winds Lina up.

(It’s still awkward)

 

[Daikaiju]

I swear this has baffled me since I started watching the show decades ago.

The only explanation I can think of is that the animation team missed a memo About her appearance, constantly, for 20 years running.

She has an inferiority complex due to her sister, Luna.

 

[SpoonyBard]

Not to mention her former traveling companion, but that's another story.

The humor can most certainly get puerile from time to time (there is a rather epic junk-kicking moment in season 2) but I do wish the show would lay off Lina's chest. I guess it just doesn't land the same now compared to the 90s.

 

[Purple]

I mean if we're REALLY generous the argument can be made that Lina's inferiority complex re: her not-actually-by-any-objective-standard small chest is going for a socially conscious meta joke about how it actually is quite small by the established standards of Women In Fantasy Media. Including several prominent examples in the rest of this show.

Alternatively,

 

[Octopus Prime]

Honestly, that was my other dominant theory

 

[Torzelbaum]

She has an inferiority complex due to her sister, Luna.

There must be something to Luna if she can elicit a reaction like that out of Naga of all people.

 

[Purple]

I'm told she's at least somewhat less "Sir Not Appearing In This Film" in the original light novels... which are still being actively written!? Wow.

Also wow, while I'm poking around Wikipedia:
"In Slayers, it was mentioned that the main characters of that series live on a world that is one of the four created by the mother of all creation, called the Lord of Nightmares. This world was known as the Red World. Lost Universe, however, takes place in a different world, known as the Black World. Whereas the demi gods of the various worlds such as Ruby-Eye Shabranigdo and Dark Star Dugradigdo had physical presence in that world, they appear in the Black World as "Lost Ships", intelligent space ships of unknown origin that have powerful or somewhat divine powers with more advanced technology than any other device in the universe."

... OK I thought Lost Universe was just "Slayers in Space" in the same creative team, similar character archetypes sense. Turns out no, super literally.

 

[SpoonyBard]

The fact that the novels are still being written gives me some hope we might see another series someday. I'd like to see Lina fire off a Dragon Slave one last time.

As for her sister, we will probably never see Luna appear in the main story, maybe if it all finally comes to an end she might drop in during the epilogue, but she's supposedly so dang powerful she'd rob any climax of tension.

Spoiler: My favorite Luna Inverse factoid

In one of the last episodes of Slayers NEXT we'll see this eyecatch during a commercial break:

For a while some in the fandom took Luna's animal companion there to be a representation of one of Shabranigdo's top lieutenants, Great Beast Zelas Metallium (we'll learn more about her later) and thus quite a statement of Luna's power to befriend/subjugate something like her. But the truth is a bit more mundane, but no less hilarious.

It's Dilgear. Yes, THAT Dilgear. Season 1 Dilgear. Dil "Just you wait until I come back to life!" gear. Evidentally in the other media Dilgear DOES revive and returns to fight Lina and co later on in the story, it won't happen in the anime but if it did it would be in the latter half of Season 1. In that other media he loses again, and at least has the good sense to realize "Yeah I don't actually HAVE to keep fighting these guys, I'm out".

At some point after that he gets lost and injured, and Luna comes along and saves his life, and apparently starts treating him like a pet, much to his chagrin. Though he insists he stays with Luna out of honor since she saved his life, if that eyecatch is anything to go by he's enjoying himself.

So Dilgear actually gets a happy ending. Good for you, Dilgear.

 

[Octopus Prime]

I’m delighted to learn that!

I never read any of the novels, but theyre Supposed to flesh out Luna a lot more (all we ever get in the show is a brief appearance in a couple of commercial bumpers, and Linas reaction to her being mentioned)

I think she took out a literal God with her bare hands

 

[Daikaiju]

According to the author he hasn't brought Luna into an active role because she's a walking Deus Ex Machina.

 

[Zef]

Does she show up in the Author's Notes like L-sama does?

 

[Octopus Prime]

Tomorrow we can watch

IMPACT! The Eve of the Great Life or Death Battle!
JACKPOT! The Great Life or Death Gamble

Sounds like we’ve got a lot of life and/or death ahead of us!

 

[Octopus Prime]

IMPACT is another info dumpy episode, and one that establishes that, as God of the Monsters, Shabbydingo is, unsurprisingly, much stronger than that guy from a couple of episodes ago; full on invincible in fact. And just by merit of existing, all the (lowercase) monsters are running wild and attacking at random.

So of course this is also the episode where Lina spends most of the run time trying to boost morale; just because there’s nearly no chance to win that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t act like your going to win regardless.

Also; Zolf and Rodimus died as they lived; idiotically and without consequence.

 

[SpoonyBard]

IMACT!: Everyone say goodbye to Zolf and Rodimus, I don't think they'll ever even be mentioned again!

I like the info-dumpy stuff in this episode, it establishes rules about Monsters that I'm pretty sure persist throughout the series The 'hey you could you help me kill you' explanation as to why Black Magic won't work on Monsters is nice and illustrative. I also like that the Dragon Slave, specifically, is the spell that draws power from Shabranigdo so Lina's big signature move is rendered useless out the gate. Also, is it weird that this episode is the first time we've seen a Dragon Slave since the first episode, and that the very second Dragon Slave cast in the series was done by Zolf? Rodimus may be an also ran (though not fast enough clearly!) but Zolf at least will always be the Buzz Aldrin of Dragon Slaving.

Oh and since the Dragon Slave is Shabranigdo's spell, it should be called the Shabra-cadabra.

This episode does dunk on Lina's appearance some more, but I gotta admit I love the little strut that one Troll does when he hears a cuter girl screaming.

JACKPOT!: Everyone say goodby to Shabranigdo and Rezo, I don't think we'll ever even see them again!

This battle feels like what happens if you had to face a Final Boss too soon in an RPG. Like when Gades first shows up and utterly stomps you in Lufia I and II, except here the party eeks out a win. I guess it's more like using the End of Time bucket to go fight Lavos too early, but somehow winning via mechanics shenanigans. Lina's sitting there with the Giga Slave in her spell list like Tellah has Meteo but doesn't have the MP to cast it, and the Sword of Light gives her a magic buff that allows her to use it without dying. And it kinda shows why Lina can't just break that out whenever she's in a pinch by how much it takes out of her even when she's leaning on some magical help. (and there's another, more accurate reason, why she can't just cast it whenever but that'll be revealed much later)

(also, Lina basically defeats Shabranigdo by going over his head to his boss)

One thing I really like is just how cool Shabby is with being defeated. Like not even in a 'this isn't over I will retuuuuuuuuuuurn' kind of way, he's all like "Oh wow, you guys actually pulled it off! Congrats!". He's just the chillest final boss. (I mean I guess he's not too bent out of shape about it since he knows there are six other pieces of him still, but I just like to think he's cool with it)

Also his dubbed 'what' during this frame gave me the giggles:

 

[Octopus Prime]

Eagle-eared viewers may also notice that the incantation for the Dragon Slave is different in Impact; which is I believe the only time it gets used.

I don’t have the subtitles on so I have no idea if that was a one time error with the dub script, or just specifically a Zolf thing or what. Getting the words wrong explicitly has nothing to do with why the spell had no effect, so I’ve got no idea

 

[Zef]

(also, Lina basically defeats Shabranigdo by going over his head to his boss)

Did Lina just call the manager on Shabby?

 

[Octopus Prime]

It’s every bit as effective at dealing with supernatural monster gods as it is with dealing with long lines at the grocery store

 

[Torzelbaum]

Wait... Would that mean Lina is a dreaded Karen?

 

[Octopus Prime]

She says it right in the theme song;
“One slip up and to hell you go, so you better not get in my way”

 

[John]

Impact: Pretty good, though the loss of a couple rogues from the party doesn't have that big of an impact (heh). It's like if you grabbed the first couple Evil characters in Baldur's Gate, and they got sick of you being all goody-goody after a while and bounced. I really like the character design of Shabby, though when he was speaking without moving his mouth, I got a feeling like "there's a guy in this monster costume who can only see through the mesh in the back of the mouth".

Now to wait and see how long it'll be before Rezo regains some control and helps seal off Shabby again.