7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The magical mayhem of The Slayers Revolution continues in The Slayers Evolution-R! With the original cast of The Slayers back together for the first time in over a decade, Lina Inverse and her crew are reunited and doing what they do best - saving the world by almost destroying it! Lina's gang and their new ally Pokota are hot on the trail of the Hellmaster's Jar! It's no ordinary piece of pottery: it holds the soul of Rezo the Red Priest. Opening the vessel and resurrecting Rezo is the only hope Pokota has of saving his kingdom's people. With masked assassins, headless knights, and shifty Xellos in the mix, one thing is certain: destruction is guaranteed!
Starring: Megumi Hayashibara, Yasunori Matsumoto, Masami Suzuki, Hikaru Midorikawa, Yumiko KobayashiAnime | 100% |
Foreign | 94% |
Fantasy | 25% |
Comedy | 24% |
Action | 23% |
Adventure | 12% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p (upconverted)
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1, 1.33:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Japanese: Dolby TrueHD 2.0
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Most anime fans possess at least fringe knowledge of the Slayers universe, and the myriad of media crossovers the series successfully leaped in the past two decades. Spanning over 45 volumes to date, Slayers began as a light novel series written by Hajime Kanzaka before becoming a three season (78 episodes) anime series produced between 1995 and 1997. The 13-episode set I’m evaluating today (Slayers: Evolution) offers the conclusion of a self-contained story arch that began in the subsequently released Revolution box set. Airing during 2008, this modern 26-episode collection was produced by the same studio that completed the three initial seasons during the 1990’s, inviting a new generation of fans into the Slayers mythology.
"Strike a pose Lina Inverse."
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 21Mbps), Slayers: Evolution arrives on Blu-ray as a high-definition upconvert of non-native source material. As a result, the improvements over the prior DVD versions are subtle in comparison with an HD-produced series, making the appreciable gains minimal. Among the primary upgrades, fans will notice increased strength in the richness of the color spectrum, creating a bold, bright picture that rarely delves into murky territory. Black levels also acquire a reasonable boost in depth (though there are still a handful of shots that appear a bit washed out), and contrast differentiation is respectable through the lion's share of the production. Unfortunately, the area where perfection is destined to elude us is in the appearance of mild stairstepping on diagonal lines and an underlying lack of crisp texturing in the animation. Throw in the occasional appearance of edge enhancement and slight banding, and you'll soon realize this won't be counted among the visual highlights in your growing anime collection.
Regarding the animation itself, Slayers has always incorporated a simplistic formula that screams low-budget television anime. Several updates have been made over the years, but we're still talking about a production that pales in comparison with the growing attention to style and detail often found in modern anime. This works to Slayers advantage when we consider the nature of this upconverted release, since it's easier to forgive source related imperfections when they're not sticking out like a sore thumb. In the end, long-time fans won't find anything off-putting about the animation itself, but newcomers to the world of anime should recognize this is far from the pinnacle of artistic design.
On the audio front we have a lossless rendering of the Japanese stereo mix as well as a lossless surround (5.1) track for the English dub. Both versions offer little room for complaint when it comes to clarity and volume balance, but those hoping for an immersive experience should maintain tempered expectations. This is a given on the Japanese side of the coin, since the original source material is restricted to the primary 2 channels in the front sound stage. There's an effective use of separation between these two channels, but it's impossible not to feel a bit underwhelmed during several of the more robust action sequences. Switching to the English language track, you'll immediately notice a higher degree of open sound design that correlates with the 5.1 split, but unlike some of the more recent dub tracks on FUNimation series, we have an underlying reliance on front channel effects. This isn't as bothersome as it could be on a more impressive anime release (Eden of the East for example), so the presence of an average audio experience isn't likely to frustrate most fans.
The only extras included on the discs are textless opening/closing songs, and a collection of trailers for other releases from FUNimation.
Part two of the 26-episode run takes a dramatic turn for the better, elevating the series much closer to recommended territory. One of my biggest complaints with the 13 episode Revolution set was the reliance on outlandish humor and filler storylines that left little lasting value. During the second half, the series undergoes a dramatic tonal shift into darker territory, presenting two storylines that rarely incorporate much comedy. We still find plenty of wise-cracking remarks courtesy of Lina Inverse, and the occasional episode that ventures closer to light-hearted territory, but the mystery involving Rezo's jar finally provided the lasting value I was hoping for. From a technical standpoint the series falls in line with other upconverted Blu-ray replications, offering a visual experience that demonstrates subtle improvements over the DVD counterpart, but can't approach the proficiency of higher-budget offerings in native HD. As such, a decision to upgrade from the prior DVD release might be difficult for all but the hardcore fans.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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