Slayers Special Book 3: Lesser of Two Evils 2001 CPM Press   Buy It Now

I've never quite understood what everyone's fixation and love of the Slayers anime is. Okay, I've never actually seen it, but it also was something that never quite appealed to me since for the most part, the whole fantasy anime genre has never been something that I clamor to get a hold of. Give me a comedy that's placed in the real word, or what passes as it, give me mechas, or even give me a dose of horror and I'm good. However, not actually having seen the series presents itself as the prefect opportunity to get a look at the Slayers manga, the obvious source of influence and creative template for the series itself, especially since I've always had a problem reading an anime after having seen the series previously.

The Slayers Special, this one being the third volume, isn't quite your usual variety of manga, Fro starters, CPM has done what is quickly becoming the new trend with translated manga, and that is placing it in the original format that it should be, and that's right to left. This means that the cover is on the opposite side of what we're used to, and the panels themselves are done in Japanese style as well, something that at first is a bit strange, but no harder to read through once you get used to it.

Slayers follows the adventures, or rather, misadventures of two rival sorceresses, who occasionally end up working together as well. Lina Inverse and Naga the White Serpent, and while the two may have similar powers, that's really the extent of it. Naga is the busty one and always manages to catch the eye of many men for obvious reasons, and it's not her charm. Lina on the other hand is always cooking up some sort of scheme, usually to get food and gold, but where the two go, chaos and random destruction seem to follow right along with them.

While the manga is fairly long, the general case with Japanese imports, and stays away from that usual 64-page US variety filled with ads on just about every page. However, the good thing is that Slayers is comprised of short stories, with the only interconnection being our two main characters. Since this is fantasy, you'd think that there would be a degree of seriousness, but this isn't Lord of the Rings. Slayers may belong in the fantasy genre, but it also perfectly blends in comedy. We find our two sorceresses in such predicaments as chasing criminals, dealing with out of control beast masters, and even fighting zombies on occasion for a scared necromancer. It's the sort of weirdness that brings to mind other series like Jungle wa Itsumo Harenochiguu, a series I'm still waiting for someone to pick up, or even Excel Saga, minus all the weirdness of course.

The artwork is very well done, and never tends to go for the overcomplicated look. It's not a simple manga either however, and you'll find plenty of eye-catching artwork that's a feast for the eyes, and comedy that's borderline crude at times, but hilarious none the less, and often times, we find Lina at the butt of some joke about small breasts. Think of it as being similar to the same situation that Mahoro from Mahoromatic faces constantly.

This may not be the sort of thing to immediately spark my interest in the anime, but I'm still a bit more intrigued by the series. It is great to see some of the anime that's been well-loved by fans in the United States for years suddenly getting translated and showing up in the domestic manga market, a growing trend that seems to be quickly threatening to dethrone the comic market itself. Fans of the series obviously are going to eat this one up, love it, and pass well worn and read copies along to their friends that have never read it and those that have never read a manga before may find that this one is harmless enough, for the most part, although there are a few more risqué pictures, but never any real nudity. It's an obvious play on words, but Slayers will slay you.

- mike -