Slayers Gorgeous

This film marks the final misadventures of the comical duo Lina and Naga. In similar fashion to the previous films, the pair end up on opposite sides yet again for the promise of gold. Lina's patron is a local king who promises riches for quelling his daughter Marlene's sudden rebellion. Meanwhile, Naga's patron is Marlene herself, who promises Naga much the same in return for winning over her father. In classic Slayers fashion, their reasoning is petty: Marlene wants a raise in her allowance and her father refused. Needless to say, wacky hijinks ensue.

Unfortunately, the biggest weakness of this film is how it rehashes the same story beats as the previous film. Slayers Great featured a father-son duo that built golems for opposing lords in a bitter dispute with Lina and Naga on opposing sides. This is essentially the same, but only slightly different. To this film's credit, the reasons for the squabbles and the way their dynamics play out end up remarkably different. However, it's still worth pointing out how the stories end up hitting much the same few notes. The ending credits also feature a similar segment where Lina flips a coin and runs away from a chasing Naga.

My favorite aspect of the prequel installments has been Lina and Naga's dynamic. They are so incredibly similar yet distinct enough that it's perfectly understandable why they keep each other's company. It's hard not to see them as friends, even though their constant bickering might suggest otherwise. This dynamic really shines in this film, such as the various instances where they work together in-combination and communicate their future actions without saying a word.

The side characters are also pretty fun in their own right. They're not particularly complex, but their general goofiness shines enough with well-timed visual gags and playful banter. For example, the film consistently plays with the expectations regarding the central cast. In one scene, you are led to believe that Marlene successfully staged a rebellion against her father. However, a later scene will acknowledge that they supported her cause because they prefer serving a cute girl over an old man. Marlene herself is also initially suggested to be a skilled warrior for attempting a coup with an army of dragons. However, the film later acknowledges that her oversized sword is made of soft lumber and her armor is akin to cardboard. It's arguably less comedic compared to preceding films and specials, but the occasional seriousness of events do not undercut the largely comedic undertones.

It's also worth noting that the production quality has somewhat dipped in comparison to the previous film. The characters remain well-drawn with strong visual gags. Unfortunately, the action sequences don't flow nearly as well as they could. In various scenes, fights occur, quiet down, and end with various ill-timed pauses. However, this shouldn't be a huge problem for devoted fans of the franchise. The ending theme song, Raging Waves, deserves special mention for being yet another banger by Hayashibara Megumi.

Ultimately, this is a pretty decent film that definitely deserves recognition. It may not be the best entry in the Slayers franchise, but it is certainly gorgeous enough to lighten your day.