is a 2001 Japanese

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

written and directed by

Junichi Satō is a Japanese anime director, best known for working on '' shōjo''-based anime and in the magical girl genre. He was formerly associated with TYO Animations (formerly Hal Film Maker). Born in Ama, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, his first maj ...

. ''Premium'', the fifth and latest ''

Slayers is a Japanese light novel series written by Hajime Kanzaka and illustrated by Rui Araizumi. The novels have been serialized in ''Dragon Magazine'' since 1989, before being published into individual volumes. They follow t ...

'' film, was first released in Japan on December 22, 2001, along with '' Sakura Wars: The Movie'', '' Di Gi Charat - A Trip to the Planet'' and '' Azumanga Daioh: The Animation''. This is the only ''Slayers'' movie so far to feature the characters of

Gourry Gabriev is a fictional character from the Japanese media franchise ''Slayers''. In it, he is a mighty yet dimwitted warrior who becomes a travelling companion and self-appointed guardian of the protagonist sorceress Lina Inverse. Despite being one of the ...

, Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun,

Zelgadis Greywords The ''Slayers'' light novel series features a cast of characters created by Hajime Kanzaka and illustrated by Rui Araizumi. It follows the adventures of teenage sorceress Lina Inverse and her companions as they journey through their world. Us ...

and

Xellos (sometimes spelled Xelloss) is a fictional character and primary figure in the ''Slayers'' fantasy comedy light novel series and its manga, anime, and other adaptations. He is a powerful '' mazoku'' (monster), who is both a help and a hindrance ...

Naga the Serpent is a fictional character in the light novel, anime, manga, radio drama and game versions of Hajime Kanzaka's media franchise ''Slayers'', who was introduced in ''Dragon Magazine'' in 1990. She is also often known as Naga the White Serpent, which ...

also has a small role, as "the octopus sorceress".

Plot

Lina and Gourry travel to the town of Acassi, known for its tasty octopus. However, the octopus meat is cursed, causing the person who eats it to only be able to speak takogo (タコ語, octopus language). Sorcerers and sorceresses cursed by this also cannot cast spells, since the spells have to be spoken in a common language in order for them to work. Gourry just happens to eat one of the cursed octopuses (after fighting for it with Lina), which causes him to speak in takogo. This often creates awkward situations during the film (the phrase "how horrible" being spoken as "flat chested", which offends Lina greatly). But soon, everyone in town starts to speak takogo (including Amelia and Zelgadis, who had just arrived in town), despite the fact that they have not eaten any octopus. Xellos is also there, seeming to know some details about what is going on but is not divulging anything. It soon becomes evident that the octopuses plan to use the accumulated anger from the villagers of Acassi to release a demon that was sealed many years before. Lina and her friends have to stop these plans before they come to fruition. However, it becomes complicated when Lina is infected with the takogo affliction, which negates much of her magic, including the Dragon Slave, her signature move.

Cast

Release

''Slayers Premium'' was originally released in Japan on December 22, 2001. It was licensed by

ADV Films A.D. Vision Holdings, Inc. (known simply as ADV and also referred to as ADV Films) was an American multimedia entertainment distributor headquartered in Houston, Texas, and founded in 1992 by video game fan John Ledford and anime fans Matt Gre ...

and released with English dubbing on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

on January 17, 2005. It was later included in the collection of digitally remastered ''Slayers'' films and OAV series, released on

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...

in Japan on October 30, 2015.

Reception

Aleksandra Janusz of the Polish magazine ''Kawaii'' expressed her severe disappointment in ''Slayers Premium'' for several reasons, including its short running time, character design and animation changes, the plot that in her opinion was weak with unfunny gags, and deeming returning characters other than Lina and Gourry unnecessary due to their unsatisfactory very small roles in the film. In his review for

Anime News Network Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...

, Zac Bertschy conversely called it "an entertaining little piece of fan-pleasing animation."

References

External links

Official website
(Madman Entertainment's ''Slayers'' Movie Collection) * * {{Hal Film Maker 2001 anime films 2000s animated short films Adventure anime and manga Anime short films Comedy anime and manga Fantasy anime and manga Slayers films Hal Film Maker Films scored by Takayuki Hattori