Copyright: © 1995 TV Tokyo / Softx (Japan), © 1996 Software Sculptors (North America)
Length: 30 minutes
Rating: NR, contains violence and mature situations, Parental Guidance Suggested
Format: Subbed (VHS)

Screenplay: Koyama Takashi Director: Watanabe Takashi Producers: Kobayashi Noriko (TV Tokyo) Yazaki Yumiko (Softx) Character Design: Miyata Naomi English Version Executive Producer: John Sirabella Translation by: Neil Nadelman

After a long, hard day looting and pillaging, the members of the Dragon Fangs outlaw bandit gang relax in their mountian hideout. Their R & R break is cut short when a Lina Inverse, spell caster and bandit killer extraordinaire makes a fiery entrance. After dispatching the leader, Lina decides (of course) to keep all the loot for herself. After all, it didn't belong to the bandits in the first place, did it?

Shortly thereafter, Lina finds herself accosted by a former member of the Dragon Fangs, and is made a surprising offer -- to join the outlaw group. When Lina refuses, trouble ensues... or so it would seem. Out of nowhere, a tall, blond and intellectually challenged mercenary appears, making short work of the few remaining members of the gang. Unaware that Lina is more than capable of taking care of herself, the gallant and somewhat clueless Gourry Gabriev decides that the petite sorceress needs protection, and he's just the ticket. Resigned to fate, Lina agrees to allow Gourry to accompany her.

While dining on a small feast in a nearby village, our two heroes are interrupted by a rather troubling development. It seems that the leader of the Dragon Fangs owned a pet dragon. A rather large one. And now ownerless, the dragon's running amuck!

Prepare yourself for half-hour long laughing fits. In the best tradition of Robert Aspirin's Myth-conceptions style humour, Slayers delivers a mile-a-minute romp poking fun at anything and everything. Hayashibara Megumi and Matsumoto Yasunori are as effective as Laurel and Hardy, only our more fanciful pair have a virtual cornicopia of material from the fantasy genre. Nothing is sacred, and the writing team make great use of dialog and visual gags throughout. Of particular note is Neil Nadelman's translation of the series -- I think he had more fun translating than I did watching, if that's at all possible. This is a text-book example of how to translate a series effectively. Intelligent use of our more customary idiomatic expressions, and deft adaptations of Japanese ones let the subtitles keep pace with the Japanese dialog. Great opening episode, catchy opening theme (sung by Hayashibara Megumi), and tight direction translates to one thing: fun, fun, fun! - AN

	Original:	Subbed:	Dubbed:
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Translation:	N/A		N/R
Overall Rating:	N/A		N/A