天下制覇

Freeter says:

So no Valgaav cameo? Glad I dropped this when Naga bounced.

Andoresu says:

I just wnt to kno WHERE IS ZELGADISS in the last shots? where is he…they show lina gourry phil amelia even weiser and that girl that likes gourry but wheres zel is it in Seyrunn or not he cant find his cure anymore we all know that someone help me plz

MikeW says:

Maybe they would’ve been better off hiring a new staff to do Revolution/Evolution-R.

On one hand, it seems reasonable to recall the original writer (who should know the series and adaptation methodology inside out). However, he hasn’t written much of anything in the past decade, and it certainly feels as if he’s struggling to get into the swing of things.

Abelardo says:

Also does not make sense Xellos fighting Shabranigdo, did he not receive the ruby jewels because of being of one of its top mazokus.

Next, I highly doubt Rezo to be more powerful that Xellos, considering Xellos is close to just the demons below Shabranigdo, so this does not make sense at all too. They messed the whole series.

I hope they do a new series and they fight again other Zellas, maybe we can see there conflict with Zellos or other big mazoku. I think if they just keep loyal to novels, they would do great, why to change eveerything?

ximpa says:

Zuuma was put in due to fan demand if I’m not mistaken.

Nagafan says:

*Sigh*

This is just bitter. I liked R-Evolution-R, but… Not that much. I was hoping this would be the dawn of a new era for Slayers, but if what I’ve heard of the ratings is true, that’s not going to happen- Making R-Evolution-R the ultimate finale of Slayers… Which sucks.

Worse yet, if did eventually animate more, and did the Luke plotline, Shabrinigdu as the final villain would have become redundant!

And worst of all, Wizer made no appearances in Evolution-R. He was the best part of Revolution.

xellos says:

My, my. That episode was really stupid, I must say. Shabranigdo-san is a Mazoku. He would never behave in any other way (he looked like having no goal, just attacking in every foolish way). He would recreate his form to original Shabranigdo-san, Rezopokota´s body would be consumed just like Rezo´s was. And, the most important thing, I would never fight Shabranigdo-san, because he would accomplish the goal of both of us, and if I did, I would do it only using greater power than his. Staff should rememer that Shabranigdo-san can reflect Dragon Slave, what is how he killed Zolf and Rodimus, so Pokota would be dead short time after his foolish attempt. Unlike the original (this is fake, the series came to an end after Slayers Try ep.26), ends are completely stupid. I did like the Zuuma plot, though… looks like he was part of Rezo, because those two middle-ranked Mazoku cooperated with him “because of the contract with Rezo” (what was why Zoram helped him in 1st series, cooperation and sight in exchange for reviving Shabby-san). If I were them, there would be an extension series like replicating the timing of Slayers 1 about ep6-10.

Emma says:

*sighs* Is there going to be another season?

A. says:

Okay now. How many times has Rezo been a part of the series? First half of 1 season, His clone 2nd half of 1, he’s major in Slayers Rev., and in Ev-R his the main bad guy. Come on, we fans deserve better. I am a huge fan of Next ’cause it’ plot was filled with intruige and it’s fillers were actually fun. It seems like they dumped plot just to present us something flashy to keep our attention for a while. I got all hyped up with Rev’s opening cause it showed the emblem of the Lord o’ Nightmares. Then the opening of Ev. by going over all the major bad guys seemed to say that the Slayers are gonna face somebody waaaaay bader than they ever faced. But no, just the same as season 1.
AND THEY NEED CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! Come on, the last time we see any relationship action is Next. Please give us food for thought in our Slayers rather than cotten cady fluff that melts in the first bite.

A.R. says:

Well, well, I agree with all in a few points (Rezo ¿¡again!?) but, for me, EVO-R is the best season of Slayers behind First (season 1 :P) and NEXT. It has a good plot (not like NEXT, obviously) and follow the canon of the novels (TRY didn´t). REVO is the worst of all seasons but it hasn´t lost the esence of Slayers like other series (¿Dragon Ball GT? for example). Slayers: a fantasy/comedy series, don´t wait for love or eternal figths! Characters evolved since the first season (yes, they did it) but this is NOT a drama or a beginning-ending story.
So I only say one more thing: very good season and a very good work of the people who works on it.

The Claire Bible says:

Question: “Why did Xelloss fight Shabranigdo?”

It was explained that Shabranigdo was *not* in fact the same demon lord fought in the first season. Instead, Xelloss adduced it was a copied “soul-image” of Ruby-Eye, if you will. Does this gel with what I know? First, a lecture on Slayers ontology:

In the Slayers universe, there exists two (three?) distinct areas of metaphysical being: the astral body, the soul, and by some corollary the physical body (for humans, their physical body is indeed very real). I hedged on the last only because purely astral beings (mazoku, gods) form a physical body that looks nothing like their astral form (e.g. Xelloss’ astral form is a black cone, not a young man with purple hair). The stronger the pure astral being (Gaav, Fibrizo, Xelloss), the closer their physical appearance can be shaped to look human, effectively disguising themselves in the physical world.

Now, the astral form is an unalterable (in terms of appearance) representation of the existant being. Humans with large magic capacities (the ability to use many and high-powered magic spells) have large astral forms, relative to humans without magic capabilities. Still, their sizes pale in comparison to high-ranking mazoku/gods. Humans cannot normally access the astral plane in any way that allows them to alter circumstances there, but not in the physical world, such as Xelloss’ ability to teleport. The manifestation of this ability is Xelloss removing his projected ‘image’ from the physical plane, moving at much greater speeds along the astral plane to a new location relative to the physical plane, and then reinserting himself his image physically. Astral-to-physical plane mechanics aside, it should be known that interaction is direct between the two planes, the distinction only that the astral plane is the “original” sphere of reality where magic abounds in infinite quantity (spells can be cast without recitation of the power words, “Darkness beyond twilight…,” etc.), and essences there of each existant being are the “true” representation of them (Lina’s astral form is reminiscent of a large, red flame, declarative of her fiery temperment and corresponding hair color). Kanzaka described the separation between the two worlds such as if they were cleaved “by only a thin membrane, with each area of space in the physical world corresponding directly to one in the astral world.” I’ve belabored the definitions long enough.

Finally, there exists the soul. Little explanation is needed here; the soul simply bears the same murky, logically-inconsistent definition it shares with real world religious doctrine of some ethereal “lifeforce” beyond detection by any point in reality, its composition reminiscent of the being’s true desires and sensibilities. It’s inclusion in the definitions is important for one reason, though. If a human is destroyed in the physical world, its astral body is destroyed in kind, but its soul then goes on to ‘somewhere else’ to dance on cloud tops and the like. If a mazoku/god’s physical body is destroyed, similarly, its astral body is destroyed along with it. The only difference between humans and mazoku/gods is that mazoku and gods reside primarily on the astral plane, and their physical manifestation is by *choice*. Inasmuch, they can remove themselves from the physical world if they wish, hiding themselves from those who cannot “see” the astral plane (such as mazoku/gods). As an aside (although all of this seems an “aside”), it should be noted mazoku and gods cannot be harmed by any melee attack or magic that targets only the physical world; since their physical bodies are more like “holograms” of their astral form’s wishes to project itself, such attacks don’t really target the mazoku/god. Instead, spells that affect both the physical plane and the astral plane, such as shamanistic magic (Ra-Tilt, dug haut, elmekia lance etc.), black magic (dragon slave, Valgaav Flare, Dynast Brid etc.), dragon/holy magic (diflasher, laser breath, etc.), and nightmare magic (ragna blade, giga slave) alter both the physical *and* astral plane simultaneously, thereby doing damage to astral forms in concert with physical forms. Effectiveness of a spell on an astral body is a discussion that would last longer than even this has.

With all that in mind, let us first draw attention to the soul of Shabranigdo. When Ruby-Eye was reborn in Slayers, it was Ruby-Eye himself: both his astral body and his soul had been merged with those of Rezo, laying dormant until an event of sufficient magical power could “awaken” him from sleep. When Rezo used the Philosopher’s Stone, the stone coupled with Rezo’s extreme magical capacity (aided by his union with Ruby-Eye) forced Ruby-Eye from his slumber. Since Shabranigdo’s astral body and soul were gargantuan in size when compared to Rezo’s (and thus, power, as size=power in astral forms), he completely overwhelmed Rezo’s will, subjugating him and rendering him obsolete in terms of who would control the being that was Shabranigdo/Rezo. What is kinda flaky is the fact Rezo was able to “interfere” with Ruby-Eye’s soul-consciousness long enough to distract him and prevent from him attacking, allowing our heroes time to deliver the coup de grace by way of the giga slave. Based on the Slayers universe described by Kanzaka, this should have been impossible–but hey, fantasy fiction, right?! We can let some stuff slide for the sake of an entertaining story!

So, as we were left to assume after that battle, Shabranigdo/Rezo was destroyed, and their souls departed: Rezo’s soul went to Heaven, or whatever religious concept Kanzaka paired with humanity’s elysium (don’t know his religious affiliation), and Ruby-Eye’s soul rejoined the sea of chaos and the Mother of All Things, the Lord of Nightmares. Or, so we thought. Instead, as enlightened by Evolution-R’s storyline, Rezo had created the Hellmaster’s Jar to stow away his soul should he be killed. Unfortunately, that also meant the unified soul of Shabranigdo would be conjoined as well, meaning his rebirth would also mean the rebirth of 1/7th Ruby-Eye’s soul (it should be noted here, for Slayers novices, that both the Shabranigdo the heroes fought in the first season, and the “ghost” they fought in Evo-R, is a representation of only one-seventh of the complete being that is the Slayers’ world Lord of Demons. As such, he is considerably less powerful than the totality of the demon lord himself. The reason for this, again, is too lengthy a story to get into (amazing I can make that rationalization in light of all this bullshit I’m typing, huh? Guess it’s just my limit; I see the finish line to the present explanation and want very little to extend it further with even more diatribe)).

When Rezo/Shabranigdo’s soul was released into the receptive physical body of the dormant Prince Posil, he took over that body. What is unclear is how Rezo/Shabranigdo’s astral form was preserved after his demise in the first season, as his “soul” alone cannot affect reality without a corresponding physical/astral form. The answer could surely be constructed ex post facto with a bunch of circular logic that holds true to previous rules, so you can form your own. :) In this instance, Rezo has little time in his new body to “take the stage” before being ushered off by the dominant soul of Ruby-Eye, talking to the heroes little before disappearing to the background. Just as the change takes place, Xelloss attacks him with all the power of his astral form; of course, it is ineffective, as no mazoku ranking below another can destroy the one it attacks. Given Ruby-Eye is the lord above his own lord, Greater-Beast Zelas Metallium, he is easily defended against.

But, why did Xelloss attack Ruby-Eye? Doesn’t Xelloss *want* Ruby-Eye’s resurrection, given the mazoku look to destroy all existance? The answer lies similar to his rationale in Slayers Try: “If it is to be destroyed, we should be the ones to do it.” But he goes further to explain it is the *true will* of each mazoku to want to affect reality himself. As is described in the novels, no mazoku can call on the power of another, as to do so would be to negate one’s own existance and distinction from the other. Of course, each astral form is equipped with his own personality, corresponding to its soul, and Xelloss’ has always been queer for a mazoku. He assists the heroes when it sometimes would not benefit him to do so or, if there exists a plausible reason keeping within his task given to him by his superiors, stretches the rationale as far as possible to do so. He does not utilize his own power unless completely necessary; instead, he prefers to manipulate others into doing things for him, and seems to most enjoy the follies and social tumult Lina and co. create for themselves and others. In addition, he respects Lina, a rare sentimentality for a mazoku (in the novels: “Miss Lina–you’re certainly no ordinary human.” Lina: “Is that supposed to be a compliment?” Xelloss: “Yes. It’s amongst the highest praise a high-ranking mazoku such as myself can give a human being.”), and after Rezo/Ruby-Eye’s fall in Evo-R, after protecting her from attack many times, “Well done … You truly do deserve the title of “Slayers.” Ok, this demonstrates that he respects Lina and co. enough to assist them, but WHY did he attack Shabranigdo?

The explanation, I believe, you could surmise on your own at this point. For clarity’s sake, this is my take:

Rezo/Shabranigdo’s soul occupies Prince Posel’s human body. Rube-Eye takes over, begin final battle. Given Ruby-Eye/Rezo is affecting the physical/astral plane, Kanzaka’s lore dictates he must have an astral body. Thus, Hellmaster’s Jar must have both preserved Ruby-Eye/Rezo’s soul AND last remaining fragments of astral form. But, therein lies a problem: if the Jar preserved Shab/Rezo’s soul AND astral body, technically, the being before them is the true 1/7th of Shabranigdo. But, Xelloss supplants us with this explanation (paraphrasing): “The being before you is not the Ruby-Eye Lord you fought before, but a “ghost.” Remember Demon-Dragon Lord Gaav? In order to be reborn, he took a form that presented itself as a threat to us mazoku.”

The last sentence is most telling. In order to understand its significance, the story of Gaav must be repeated. During the War of the Monster’s Fall, both Gaav and another 1/7th of Shabranigdo, the Demon Lord of the North (reborn in the Rezo-like priest of that time, Rei Magnus) fought alongside one another against the Water Dragon King, one-fourth of the Dragon Lord Ceiphied (the God directly opposing, and equal in power, to the complete Shabranigdo). Ruby-Eye and Gaav succeeded in destroying the Water Dragon King, but not before WDK used the last remnants of its strength to seal that incarnation of Ruby-Eye in ice, deep in the north, and sealing the soul of Gaav, one of Ruby-Eye’s five subordinate Demon Lords, into the soul of a man. Dormant within their souls, the Water Dragon King opined than as the human his soul co-inhabited died, and his soul was then transferred to another, and then another, over time Gaav would lose most of his strength, and finally cease to be altogether. Unfortunately, the opposite occurred: as Gaav was reborn continually, his soul grew in dominance over the human’s it shared, until finally it overtook (similar to Shabranigdo’s dominance over Rezo, once he was finally awakened). Even worse, with repeated recreations into human bodies, Gaav’s power grew greater than that which he possessed at the time of the War of Monster’s Fall. As Kanzaka explained it, having merged with, and then “consuming” the soul of the humans it shared, Gaav became a mixture of human and demon, and as such was different than both. He had all the self-preservation of both humans and mazoku, but not the desire for the world’s destruction, as did his pure mazoku brethren. Instead, he wanted freedom from the assaults of Shabranigdo and his other Four Lords, all of whom now saw him as a threat and wanted him destroyed. Thus, the events of Slayers Next.

What has this told us? A few things: First, when a soul merges with another, aspects of both souls comingle to produce a unique being dissimilar to each apart, no matter how large one is in comparison to the other. Second, the soul bears the ability to preserve, and in some cases amplify, the astral form. The mechanisms for this are unclear, and have not been explaned by Kanzaka; this is another area in which your own explanation could be just as suitable as my own. In any event, the soul is the nexus from which all other aspects of being originate and bloom; the stronger the being’s soul, the larger its astral form. Third, and quite importantly, the merging produces personality characteristics dissimilar to the each; since Rezo/Shabranigdo was such as merging, he could be seen as a threat. What is flawed in this logic, though, is the fact both Gaav and Shabranigdo were merged with humans’ souls in a similar fashion. While the mazoku desired to awaken the soul of Shabranigdo, respecting him as their lord, they treated the awakened soul of Gaav as a threat. Also, Gaav’s personality was greatly different than his personality as a pure mazoku, while Shabranigdo’s incarnation (especially in the first season) seems to be equivalent to his true mazoku nature. Inconsistent, but not all can be kept pieced together perfectly in sprawling fantasy tales. Why, look at the catholic church–they’re forever “reinterpreting” (and in some cases, ignoring completely) parts of The Bible that had previously been taken as canon. It happens. ;)

What, then, can be gathered from this exposition? Xelloss contends the Shabranigdo/Rezo manifestation in Evo-R is a “ghost” of the one defeated in the first season. The mechanics for this difference are not explaned sufficiently by Slayers universe oncology, but given his assault on this “ghost” must be taken as canon as a being different altogether from the one in the first season, impossible as it is to reconcile without imposing theories non-canon to the series’ creator. All that must be accepted at this juncture is that it is true, and that the voice of Kanzaka (and in this instance, mouthpieced by Xelloss) is not erroneous.

These are the words of the remaining memories of the Water Dragon King. To stay in character, ‘ya know.

alexx says:

anyone know if there will be another slayers anime series after this one.
maybe related to the knight of aqua lord manga series? :)