Slayers Gorgeous

Slayers Gorgeous

Japanese theatrical poster
Directed by Hiroshi Watanabe
Produced by Kiminobu Sato
Written by Hajime Kanzaka
Starring Megumi Hayashibara
Maria Kawamura
Akira Kamiya
Kyoko Hikami
Junpei Takiguchi
Music by Takayuki Hattori
Production
company
Distributed by

Toei Company
Kadokawa Shoten

Release dates
  • August 1, 1998
Running time
 64 minutes
Country Japan
Language Japanese

Slayers Gorgeous (スレイヤーズごうじゃす Sureiyāzu Gōjasu) is a 1998 comic fantasy anime film written by Hajime Kanzaka and directed by Hiroshi Watanabe. Gorgeous is the fourth film in the Slayers saga and the final anime entry in the prequels to the main series. It received mostly favorable reviews, and was followed by the short Slayers Premium in 2001.

In the film, the wandering sorceresses-for-hire Lina Inverse and Naga the Serpent get involved in a war between Lord Calvert and his army and his teenage daughter Marlene and her legion of dragons. Lina sides with Calvert, while Naga joins Marlene's side in a battle over her allowance money.

Cast

Character Japanese voice actor English voice actor
Lina Inverse Megumi Hayashibara Cynthia Martinez
Naga the Serpent Maria Kawamura Kelly Manison
Marlene Kyoko Hikami Laura Scott
Lord Culvert Akira Kamiya John Gremillion
Thornfort Kaneto Shiozawa Paul Hope
Gaizno Junpei Takiguchi Marty Fleck

Release

The film was theatrically released in Japan on August 1, 1998, distributed by Toei Animation. It was screened as a double feature together with Martian Successor Nadesico: The Motion Picture – Prince of Darkness. Kadokawa Shoten's home version was released on the VHS and LaserDisc in April 1999,[1][2] and re-released on the DVD alone in 1999[3] and as part of the EMOTION the Best Slayers Movie Edition DVD-BOX (EMOTION the Best スレイヤーズ 劇場版 DVD-BOX) collection of all Slayers films in 2010.[4] It will be included in the collection of digitally remastered Slayers films and OAV series,[5] to be released on Blu-ray in Japan on February 27, 2015.[6]

The film was released by ADV Films on the DVD in North America on February 17, 2004. Return was later released by ADV with the other four Slayers movies in a "Movie" boxset, and with the other four movies and both OVA series in a "Movies and OVAs" box set. The English dubbing version was directed and produced by Sandra Krasa. The film was also broadcast in the English version by ADV's broadcast on Anime Network and distributed by Madman Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand, by Déclic Images in France, and by ACOG and OVA Films in Germany (dubbed to German by into German by Circle of Arts).

Soundtrack

A 39-track original soundtrack Slayers Great: The Motion Picture "Go" (KICA-415) was composed by Takayuki Hattori and released on CD in Japan on September 9, 1998. It features three songs with vocals by Megumi Hayashibara: "I & Myself", "Raging Waves" and "Raging Waves (Turquoise Mix)". The songs were later included in the CD collection The Best of Slayers Vol. 2 (From OVA, Movie & Game).

Slayers Great: The Motion Picture "Go"
Soundtrack album by Takayuki Hattori
Released September 9, 1998
Recorded 1998
Genre Orchestral, J-pop
Label King Records
No. Title Length
1. "I & myself"   4:32
2. "Raging waves (Turquoise mix)"   5:21
3. "賑わう街で Nigiwau machi de"   0:46
4. "コルドロン・シティ全景 (その1) KORUDORON SHITI zenkei (sono 1)"   0:46
5. "ドラゴンを従えた少女 DORAGON wo shitagaeta shoujo"   2:04
6. "メイン・タイトル (for “ごぅじゃす”) MEIN TAITORU (for "GOUJASU")"   0:31
7. "サーペント のナーガ (for “ごぅじゃす”) SĀPENTO no NĀGA (for "GOUJASU")"   0:35
8. "決戦、おこづかい戦争 Kessen, okozukai sensou"   0:51
9. "領主と黒騎士 Ryoshu to kurokishi"   1:55
10. "恐怖の代名詞 Kyoufu no daimeishi"   0:56
11. "強襲、ソーンフォート Kyuushuu, SŌNFOTŌ"   0:19
12. "謀略のガイズノー (その1) Bouryaku no GAIZUNŌ (sono 1)"   0:14
13. "全軍出撃 Zengun shutsugeki"   1:11
14. "謀略のガイズノー (その2) Bouryaku no GAIZUNŌ (sono 2)"   0:14
15. "一触即発 Isshokusokuhatsu"   1:11
16. "両軍激突 Ryougun gekitotsu"   1:00
17. "必殺ちゃぶ台がえし Hissatsu chabudai gaeshi"   1:04
18. "川の流れに身をまかせ Kawa no nagare ni mi wo makase"   0:38
19. "リナ VS マレーネ RINA VS MARĒNE"   2:34
20. "誇り高き血族 Hokori takaki ketsuzoku"   1:30
21. "ガイズノー、真の姿 GAIZUNŌ, shin no sugata"   2:04
22. "ドラグスレイブごぅじゃす (その1) DORAGU SUREIBU GOUJASU (sono 1)"   0:57
23. "敗れたり、ドラグスレイブ Yaburetari, DORAGU SUREIBU"   0:43
24. "激震のコルドロン・シティ Gekishin no KORUDORON SHITI"   1:16
25. "ドラゴン一進一退 DORAGON isshin'ittai"   1:33
26. "空からの贈り物 Sora kara no okurimono"   0:15
27. "リナ & ナーガ、ダブルアタック RINA & NĀGA, DABURU ATAKKU"   1:34
28. "ドラグスレイブごぅじゃす・ファイナルショット DORAGU SUREIBU GOUJASU FAINARU SHOTTO"   1:29
29. "平和の光 'Heiwa no hikari"   1:21
30. "Raging waves"   5:03
31. "コルドロン・シティ全景 (その2) KORUDORON SHITI zenkei (sono 2)"   0:22
32. "惨劇への予兆 Sangeki e no yochou"   0:13
33. "カルバート家の歴史 (その2) KARUBĀTO ke no reikishi (sono 2)"   1:27
34. "ドラグスレイブごぅじゃす (その2) DORAGU SUREIBU GOUJASU (sono 2)"   1:33
35. "黒と紅の炎 Kuro to kurenai no honou"   0:42
36. "からくり時計 Karakuri dokei"   1:30
37. "I & myself < instrumental version >"   4:32

Other media

A 102-page companion guide book Movie Edition Slayers Gorgeous was published by Fujimi Shobō in the Dragon Magazine Collection in August 1998 (released also in the low-budget "miniartbook" version[7]), followed by Slayers Gorgeous Anime Comic (with a B&W section of production art and character designs) in November 1998. The scripts for Return, Great and Gorgeous were published in the book Slayers Original.

Reception

The film was well received by most Western critics, often regarded as one of the better installments of the franchise. Helen McCarthy included it on her list of essential anime films and gave it a perfect score of A,[8] while Mania.com's Chris Beveridge gave it a B+.[9] According to Fred Patten of Animation World Network, "Slayers Gorgeous is recommended both on its own and as a sample for viewers wondering whether to invest in one of the 26-episode Slayers TV series."[10]

The Video Librarian too recommended this "genuinely funny entry" in the Slayers anime series, awarding it 3 out of 4 stars and adding that "what distinguishes this particular episode is an exquisite sense of comic timing and constantly upended expectations."[11] According to Mania.com's Dani Moure, who gave it a score of B, Gorgeous is "a good fantasy-comedy that isn't going to move any mountains, but it will give a lot of laughs and entertainment."[12] Megan Lavey from that same website scored it a B-.[13] John Huxley of Homemademech favorably compared Slayers Gorgeous to Slayers Great: "Both may be of a similar quality but Gorgeous is Goldeneye to Great's Thunderball. The same but better."[14]

Dan Houston of DVD Talk gave Slayers Gorgeous a more cautiously positive review, writing that "much like Slayers Great, the premise of this release was somewhat limited but I can't deny the appeal of the show," and also noting that having less adult innuendo compared other Slayers films "makes this a better volume for kids or younger audiences."[15] Polish fantasy writer Aleksandra Janusz, writing for the magazine Kawaii, opined it was "good enough", even if somewhat weaker than its predecessors.[16] On the other hand, DVD Verdict's Rob Lineberger gave the film a relatively rare negative review, calling it "bland and downright annoying" despite "some amusing bits in the movie."[17] DVD Verdict's review of The Slayers Movie Box by Brett Cullum, however, opined the set "makes for a giggly good time at an affordable price."[18]

References

  1. ↑ "スレイヤーズ ごうじゃす 【劇場版】 VHS". Amazon.co.jp. 1999-04-25. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  2. ↑ "LD劇場版 スレイヤーズごうじゃす". Suruga-ya.jp. 1999-04-25. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  3. ↑ "スレイヤーズ ごぅじゃす まるみえ! DVD". Amazon.co.jp. 1999-04-25. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  4. ↑ "EMOTION the Best スレイヤーズ 劇場版 DVD-BOX". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  5. ↑
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ Kawaii 34 (October–November 2001), page 20.
  8. ↑ Helen McCarthy, 500 Essential Anime Movies: The Ultimate Guide, page 156.
  9. ↑ "Slayers Gorgeous (Chris Beveridge's review)". Mania.com. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  10. ↑ "New from Japan: Anime Film Reviews | Animation World Network". AWN. Retrieved 2013-09-24.
  11. ↑ The Video Librarian volume 19, page 74.
  12. ↑ "Slayers Gorgeous (Dani Moure's review)". Mania.com. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  13. ↑ "Slayers: Movie Box (Thinpak)". Mania.com. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  14. ↑ "Slayers Gorgeous anime review". Homemademech. Retrieved 2013-09-25.
  15. ↑ "Slayers: Gorgeous : Review of the DVD Video". Dvdtalk.com. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  16. ↑ Aleksandra Janusz (Ina, Błękitna Czarodziejka), "Slayers nie tylko w TV: Filmy kinowe oraz serie OAV." Kawaii 40 (October–November 2002), p. 12-15.
  17. ↑ "DVD Verdict Review - Slayers Gorgeous". Dvdverdict.com. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  18. ↑ "DVD Verdict Review - Slayers Movie Box". Dvdverdict.com. Retrieved 2013-09-22.

External links