#hellmaster fibrizo

[trap-of-the-day]

Today’s trap of the day is Hellmaster Fibrizo from the anime Slayers NEXT

[conventionalwisdomcomic]

Weekly Anime Comic: Slayers Next - page 25

Insert line about how becoming a patron helps insure that I never have to work at one of THESE again. Speaking of which, weekly Macross comics have already started over on Patreon!  You don't have to wait for the last of the Slayers comics to go public to start reading the next series!

Conventional Wisdom / Patreon

[ahb-writes]

Book Review: ‘Slayers’ Collector’s Edition #3

Slayers Volumes 7-9 Collector's Edition (Slayers, 3) by Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi, Elizabeth Ellis

adventure

fantasy

magecraft

magic

swords and sorcery

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The fascinating. The powerful. The corrupt.

Each shadowy entity wreaking havoc on this mortal plane has manufactured an array of ignoble philosophies to justify its dark deeds. Some of these philosophies are brutish and rudimentary (e.g., demons are creatures of ill omen, who feed off the ill intentions of others), and some philosophies are dangerously, monstrously complex (e.g., demons vying to reduce all existence to nothingness, for only in nothingness is there true calm). And yet, through it all, a tiny sorceress with a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, might be the only person capable of keeping everyone in check.

SLAYERS Omnibus v3 includes the bookend chapters to the novel series' first major arc. This collection delivers all of the good stuff: strange and incredible spellcasting; clever but not over-the-top magecraft lore; villains who get their comeuppance; and new characters with plenty of issues all their own.

In book seven, Gaav's Challenge, readers are treated to a plethora of entertaining narrative elements, some of which regrettably snare very little time on the page. Lina and the gang trudge toward Dragon's Peak, at the edge of the Kaltaart Mountains, to access a remnant of the Claire Bible. The mythos surrounding the Claire Bible is immense, but filters into readers' purview with somewhat less flair than in the anime, but the reasoning is valid (e.g., there are other access points).

Conceptually, the Claire Bible is remarkable. In execution, however, it's wildly underused. The notion of a body of knowledge stored on a blithely accessible plane of reality, hoarded by those who have no use for it? The Claire Bible is a great example of how fantasy storytelling is both parallel to, and a paradox of, the real world's social, cultural, and political machinations. Lina, of course, is a genius, and she's keen to use it to figure out the universe's darkest magic ("I'm afraid I'm not an enlightened enough being to just roll over and die for something I don't yet understand," page 76).

This book is stuffed with a lot of action and a lot of lore. The fight at Dragon's Peak includes several full-demons, a revelation or two concerning Xellos's true nature, and a deliberate broadening of the novel series' narrative scope. Of the last of these, stepping onto the stage are Hellmaster (Fibrizo) and Chaos Dragon (Gaav), two of Ruby-Eye's five high-ranking demon servants. These are two seriously bad dudes with massive power at their disposal. For readers, the orientation and allegiance of each high-ranking demon is muddled (but assiduous note-taking might resolve this in due time). The good news at this point is that Kanzaka, the author, is dead serious about narrative continuity. Of less good news, this book has plenty of character dynamics that are easy for readers to lose track of (e.g., Amelia almost dies; Gaav isn't an egotistical villain on the lam, he's a sympathetic anti-hero).

In book eight, King of the Phantom City, it's back to Sairaag. Fibrizo artificially resurrects the City of Magic and craters Flagoon (ancient tree) in the process. His baiting of Lina, Zelgadis, Amelia, and also Sylphiel to tread into his so-called Hellpalace, of the City of the Dead, is typical villain stuff. And Fibrizo's snatching up of Gourry, as a hostage, makes the story's climax intuitively time-contingent. But as fans of the franchise likely already know, Fibrizo's ambitions are much, much darker.

The balance between books seven and eight is okay in the moment, but upon reflection, feels slightly off. Book seven is packed with information and intrigue; book eight, essentially, is the open-ended struggle to apply that knowledge. One imagines these volumes were slightly more difficult to consume, on their own, during their original printing.

In any case, book eight is a treat, insofar as spellcasting goes. Lina intuits the limitations of the powers of the higher-ranking demons, she discerns the network of power-sharing that enables her to cast certain dark magic, and lastly and most importantly, she learns the truth about the Lord of Nightmares. Lina does, in fact, "cast the perfected giga slave" (page 204). Controlling it, of course, is another matter entirely. Fibrizo's end is not to be missed.

Altogether, the book's conclusion is excellent, and lacks the fun but romanticized version the anime pulled together. Lina is a pragmatic character, but she's not so stubborn as to ignore what she learned from the matron of chaos firsthand.

Book nine, The Mystic Sword of Bezeld, begins a new story arc. Notably, the novel series pivots in a direction one might have wondered about for years considering the apparent fate of Gorun Nova, the Sword of Light. In the previous book, Fibrizo zapped the magical blade back to the astral plane.

The challenge this time around? Lina is blunt: "Gourry and I were presently on a quest to find him a new magical monster-carver," because, as she notes to the man himself, "I'm not getting a half-decent night's sleep until I find you a half-decent magical sword" (pages 218, 220).

Here, the story shifts onto a lighter beat and reduces the core cast down to Lina and Gourry. The slower pace feels good. And the stripped-down emphasis on characters fighting for one another, rather than fighting to save the whole planet, roots the novel in familiar territory. Sure, there are assassins clad in black. Sure, there are mysterious swords-for-hire hunting for the same treasure as Lina and Gourry. But the scope and scale are manageable.

And when the story is manageable, the worldbuilding can finally breathe again. Losing the Sword of Light gives Lina, as narrator, permission to chat about all of the other fantasy blades that populate the world (and possible swipe for Gourry): the Blast Sword, the Bless Blade, the Red Dragon Sword, the Elemekia Blade, the Dark Lord's Hungry Bone Staff, Ceifeed's Flare Dragon Sword (pages 209, 217). The idea that readers could spend the next few volumes sword-hunting with these two idiots, getting into trouble and feuding all of the way, sounds like an absolute blessing.

But as fate would have it, Lina gets in the way of someone else's carefully laid plans (again). For the umpteenth time, Lina barges in on a high-level demon's plan-in-action, decides she can't quite let things be, and resolves to fight her way through. Granted, the young woman has zero interest in fighting off a "hyperdemon" smothered with the curse of Raugnut Rushavna, but what's a woman to do? When an assassin is transformed by a demonic curse, and is then simultaneously possessed by a demon, the end result is a constantly regenerating creature of death and destruction.

SLAYERS Omnibus v3 is solidly entertaining. The author's increased focus on continuity gives the story a genuine sense of fated consequences (e.g., when a high-ranking demon dies, spellcasters can no longer call upon their power). Further, the book's higher emphasis on character mythology really shows, and portends greater revelations down the line (e.g., if Xellos is a creation of Greater Beast (Zellas Metallium), then who are the priests and generals to the other five servants of Ruby-Eye?). And some facets of the story are just too fun to ignore. Like how Lina's super-powerful big sister is known as "Knight of Ceifeed," but is stuck waiting tables back home. Or how Gourry, apparently, has a sixth sense for sniffing out demons. (Except, he's just too simple-minded to actually do anything about it. Twice in this collection, the guy just goes with the flow.)

The balance between what the narrative reaps and sows isn't perfect, but in reading these three books all at once, one finds the disparity is minimal. Reading about the wicked intensity Lina feels when weighing the ragna blade in her hands never fails to send a chill down one's spine, and the absolute shock of a double-Dragon-Slave still makes one giddy, but alas, there's always more story to tell.

❯ ❯ Light-Novel Reviews || ahb writes on Good Reads

[alexeiadrae]

Mega Brand Q&A with Hajime Kanzaka, 7/2018 to 12/2018, translated

And I am just about caught up to when @kaette-kita-slayers stopped posting, I know for sure she covered 2017 but I am going to have to double check for the first part of 2018 as she started going by issue rather than date at some point to make sure I don’t redo the wonderful stuff she’s already done, and I’m not sure if this is one of those things that I worry will take forever but will be straightforward, fast and easy once I get started or if it will actually take forever. So there may still be some more or there may not.

I am also pursuing some avenues to try to get the full versions of the Blaster Interviews, but no guarantees there.

And also, I would totally be following that black cat with HK, lol.

12/26/2018  

Q: I have a question about the magical capacity. In a previous question, you mentioned that Gourry's magical capacity is high, but what is the average magical capacity of humans in that world? The fact that Flare Arrows and Fireballs are rather popular (of course, partly because of their practicality), does that mean that there is enough magical capacity to trigger them? Also, are there people who have no magical capacity at all?

KANZAKA: "The average is that you would be able to fire two or three "Fireballs" in a row if you could only learn it. Basically, there is no one in that world who has no magical capacity at all."

Q: Infectious diseases afflict even modern people, and Gourry saved Lina's life in a pinch by saying, "You'll catch the disease," but haven't they developed a spell or something to cure infectious diseases? Also, is it something that can be cured if it is as good as the red priest Rezo?

KANZAKA: "Infectious diseases cannot be lumped together because of the differences in infection routes. There have been cases where individual mages in a region have developed magic that is specially effective for a particular disease, and it can be cured in that region but not in other regions."

Q: There are stars and suns in the world of Slayers. Does this mean that space exists in the world of Lina and her friends? Also, does the existence of multiple worlds on the sea of chaos mean that there are multiple universes with different dimensions?

KANZAKA: "Basically, they are universes with the same structure as our world's universe. The other worlds of the Demon King are other worlds with the same structure. However, this is only with regard to the structure of the universe, and there are differences in many areas."

12/01/2018  

Q: In volume 1, when Zelgadis and Lina first meet and negotiate, Zel casually asks, "Would you like to help me?" If Lina had joined forces with Zel, what would Zel have done after that? And as for the "two or three times the amount of money that could buy an entire castle," how was he going to make it? Did he intend to incorporate Lina into one of Rezo's crew as usual, or was he thinking of defection at that point, and was he going to dump her from the crew and from Lina once she had joined the crew and obtained the god statue? Or did he step on the fact that Lina seemed quite capable, and he rather wanted her as a force to be reckoned with when he defected from Rezo and struck back? What was Zel's plan at that time?

KANZAKA: "Zel's inner thoughts are of course flexible. At that point, Zel did not know Lina's true ability, and it was also unknown how powerful the item hidden in the god statue was. Probably in Zel's mind, all of the means mentioned by the questioner would have been possibilities. As for the price, Zel did not calculate to pay what he said he would since Lina had refused."

Q: Now that the Underworld King Fibrizo has been destroyed and magic using his power is no longer available, what happened to the "little nifty and improvised zombies" that used to appear in the Specials? Are they still in existence since they require Fibrizo's power to create but not to exist afterwards? Or does it require even a small amount of Fibrizo's power to exist, so it is back to being just a corpse at the same time that Fibrizo was destroyed?

I would think that people who are necromancers for a living would be in a lot of trouble if they could no longer borrow Fibrizo's power, and I would like to know what they are doing after Fibrizo's demise, if you don't mind my asking.

KANZAKA: "Once generated, the small, chic zombies continue to exist even after Fibrizo's demise. They need Fibrizo's magic power when they are created, but once they are created, they do not need Fibrizo's magic power to maintain them. And since necromancy in general in that world did not specifically use Fibrizo’s power, few necromancers would have been troubled by Fibrizo's demise."

Q: Alaina called Lina "a child playing at being a mage. 　1. from an elf's point of view, all young humans are children 　2. it's just that Lina is really a child. 　3. Alaina just said something bad. 　Which of the following would it be...? I am curious.

KANZAKA: "I think she probably genuinely looked like a child. I guess she just let it slip out of my mouth. Also, at that time Alaina didn't want outside interference, so she's trying to give MacLyle the impression that Lina is unreliable."

11/2018    

Q: I would like to talk about the "paper made from plants" used by Alaina, the elf. I am wondering if this one is papyrus-like or Japanese paper-like. I thought it might be Japanese paper-like since it seems to fold up small. Also, Lina said at first glance that it was made of plants, but is it a substitute that is normally distributed among humans? If so, which is easier to obtain, parchment or vegetable paper?

KANZAKA: "If I had to say, I would say that I lean more toward Japanese paper. I can assume that Lina has probably seen some kind of prototype of plant-based paper on some previous occasion. However, it is not in common circulation among humans."

Q: The gemstones held by Alaina played an important role in the amplification device, but is that because gemstones are still a thing of high magical power in the natural world? Lina can synthesize gemstones and process them to embed magic circles, but their artificial (?) Is it possible to use gemstones for Alaina's camp?  

KANZAKA: "Think of the tools used by Alaina as a kind of pseudo-circuitry using natural objects. It does not matter the amount of magic power each individual has, it is only used as a catalyst. In that sense, it is possible to use Lina's jewelry as a catalyst as well, but that doesn't necessarily make it dramatically more effective."

Q: I have a question about the battle between Ceifeed and Shabranigdu. How big were these two bodies? Also, I heard that half of the continent disappeared due to the impact of the battle between the two bodies, but where was the battle fought? Was it a battle in the world visible to humans and other people and boom, boom, boom, or was it a battle in the spiritual world and the aftermath materialized and suddenly blew up without any warning? If it is the former, I think it would be a great nuisance for both gods and demon kings, since they are in a state of two great monster battles.

KANZAKA: "Because it was a half embodied, half astral-side battle, the size varies depending on where and how you look. Think of it as ranging from human-sized to mountainous. The location of the battle is not a specific place name, as it is now an ocean in that world. Regarding the recognition that Ceifeed is a god, shrine maidens around the world sensed it through 'prophecy.'"

10/01/2018   

Q: I have a question about the division of a day in the world of slayers. There are inaccurate Nantoka clock but they are uncommon, so does the average person in that area go to bed after sunset, wake up, and if the sun is up, it's the next day? I wonder if assassins or people who work at night would be able to tell the passage of time to some extent by the height of the moon or something, but not until "Oh, the sun just changed.”

KANZAKA: "It is true that they don't know the exact time, but at night they seem to make general judgments based on the movement of the stars and other factors."

Q: I have a question about the Demon Tribe and the Demon King. Shabranigdou was divided into seven parts by the great war in the past, and each part has 1/7th of the power of the other part. Even if Shabranigdu before the Great War had the same level of power as the demon kings of the other world, now it has been divided into seven parts, so it would be easy to say, "Oh no... that demon king over there... is too weak...?" I am worried that Master S. might be licked by others like that.

KANZAKA: "Perhaps there are demon kings from other worlds who see it that way, but basically they are occupied with their own world, and if they observe something about Shabranigdu's world, I think they would just say, 'You're having a hard time, well, good luck.'"

Q: The Blast Sword that feeds on the magic power of its surroundings and turns it into sharpness. For example, in Gourry's case, the sword's sharpness would be sharper if Lina, who has a high magical capacity, is by her side... If so, what is the effect on those around him of magic being used to feed the sword?

KANZAKA: "Basically, the power will increase or decrease depending on the magical capacity of the surrounding beings. But of course it also depends on whether the magic power is being released to the outside or not. The sharpness may increase or decrease depending on whether or not Lina is in the vicinity, but this is only a margin of error if the magic power is about the same as that of a human. Also, Gourry's magic capacity itself is actually quite high, although he cannot use magic."

08/2018 

Q: I have a question, Lina's magic became more and more useless because of 'that day'. From what I have read in the anime and novels, it seems that technology has not advanced much, but have they bought anything to use on that day? Or is it covered by magic or something? Sorry for the stupid question. I just couldn't help but wonder if I were to go to that world....

KANZAKA: "It depends on the person and the region, but I believe they use cotton or cloth."

Q: I saw in a past BLASTER! If there are only "manuscripts" for books, it seems to me that the cost of producing them would be quite high. If so, are libraries with large collections of books more heavily guarded than we think of them today? In addition, there is a description of Lina reading a zoological illustrated book in the special "The Forest of the Phantom Beast", but I think that the production cost of an illustrated book is even higher than that of a text-only book, and that publishing, mass-producing, and recovering costs for an illustrated book is also very difficult.

In the work, Mr. Estalee is a delightful creature researcher mage, but from the description that he has published nearly ten books continuously, I wonder if he is a very competent and authoritative person.

KANZAKA: "Certainly, books are expensive in the Slayers world. Naturally, manuscripts are made by apprentices or hired artisans, but if there is an "artist" among the apprentices, it is quite a big deal. According to Estalee, he published 10 books, but it is not clear whether they were solid books or 10 sheets of parchment, so the number of books he published does not always tell the whole story."

Q: I think that some of the chimeras in Slayers are not in human form or are beastmen, and I don't think we see many chimeras like Zelgadis that have kept their human form, as if they have poured other creatures into humans. (Although some of them have a form that does not hinder them in their human life even though they are a combination of a human and a demon thing...)

So my question is, is the difference in the appearance of the chimera simply a difference in the power of the magician who creates the chimera? Is the non-human form more powerful, or is there a difference in output?

KANZAKA: "In the world of Slayers, we call the synthesis of multiple life forms "chimera" as a general term, but the shape depends on the concept to begin with. If you use a human being and try to keep the human form, you will end up with a chimera, and if you cross animals with each other, you will naturally end up with an animal form. Of course, the skill of the surgeon has some bearing on this, but the main difference is the concept."

07/2018  

Q: Is there any kind of jinx or test to get luck in the world of Slayers, such as "If a black cat crosses you..."* or "Katsudon (pork cutlet served on top of rice) before an exam"? I'd like to know what it's like if there is one. *I love black cats, so when they cross my path, I want to follow them!

KANZAKA: "Of course, there are all kinds of jinxes in that world. However, they vary from country to country and region to region, so there is no particular nationally famous jinx. And, as a side note, when a black cat crosses over, the author also follows."

Q: I have a question about spirits. Do the spirits of spirit magic inhabit the astral side? Or do they inhabit the material world? Is there more than one individual in the name of a species, such as Bephimos? Or only one with power?

Can spirits, like demons, fight if they want to? If so, how strong are they?

Can the demons, aiming to weaken the humans, eradicate the spirits that are the source of Ra Tilt?

I am not asking for all the answers, but rather a list of questions I had about the spirits. Thank you in advance for the above.

KANZAKA: "No one has observed spirits in human magical knowledge. However, since they exist and can actually draw power, magic is built on the assumption that such things exist. I think it is safe to assume that it is a kind of law rather than some kind of creature. Therefore, 'destroying a particular spirit' is like rewriting part of the laws of physics, so it is not an easy task even for the demon tribe."

Q: I have a question about the oracle that informs us of things like the resurrection of the demon king and even the price of radishes, but is there an oracle for male priests as well as priestesses? Also, are there priestesses who specialize in oracles? Also, do fortune tellers in this world have anything to do with magical powers like priestesses do? Or is it like the real world, where even if you get it right, it's like bagua (Eight Trigrams)?

KANZAKA "There are male 'miko' as well, but they are often not recognized as 'miko' by the people around them. Appearance is important. There are basically no miko who specialize in oracles. This is because oracles are not always given. Therefore, fortune tellers in that world may have some magical power involved, but it is basically a matter of luck or oracles..."

[karolinevassalor]

Maybe there a reason why every time check Miquella's lore parts, Hellmaster Fibrizo face came to my mind.

Okay he is a demon and Miquella are demigod but both take a young boy appearance (Fibrizo on purpose, Miquella cause of his not aging curse), and both really powerful and feared being on their respective world. (yes, despite being a more benin person, Miquella also called fearsome)

And i also got some chessmaster vibes from Miquella lore just as Fibrizo did with Lina and Gaav.

[hellmasterphibrizo]

Custom 3D print model of Hellmaster Phibrizzo is finally here! So beautiful!!!!!

[trans-zelgadis]

cool cool phibrizzo art i made the other day

[lovingastory]

I finished re-reading novel 7 in the new translation, and again I feel J-Novel conveys the subtleties of the original text far better than TP. 

Like, the scene where Gourry asks Xellos his age is mostly played for laughs in TP, but I always did get the impression from the Japanese text that it was more than that, and I felt that too while reading it this time. My impression is that he had noticed that Lina was struggling to find a way to ease the tension and speak to Milgazia, and that he created the setting for her to do that. Lina says it herself: he is sharp in the weirdest ways (and after more than a year with her, it’s clear he’s become particularly sharp in reading her). I also have this personal theory that Gourry plays dumb a lot so that the people around him underestimate him (maybe he learned to do that in order to survive his mess of a family). 

I do wish they’d left the “That made me  happy, Gourry” (I think it was “ureshikatta, Gourry” in the original) instead of translating Lina’s reaction to the “He trusted me” scene  as “That was nice, Gourry”. However, I am glad they got rid of all Lina’s unnecessary (and absent in the original text) inner monologue. She is at a loss of words. Let her be. It happens even to her at times, lmao.

I also think Milgazia comes across as more nuanced in this translation? But this might just be me re-reading his scenes after having gotten to know him better in the later novels. I love Milgazia a lot by the way - he is one of my favourite side characters. He is just the right mixture of goodiness and sassiness. 

Side notes, not connected with the translation: 

- Hellmaster is a little shit even before coming out as Hellmaster (I raged the first time I read of his “playing the poor dead kid” act in order to manipulate Lina and I am raging again upon re-read, lmao. I kind of love to hate him).

- Xellos being the grudging errand boy will never not be funny to me (and he is a little shit too, but I can’t even bring myself to be mad at him, given the circumstances).  

- Gaav is one of the coolest villains ever. His “we fight for survival so we are the same” speech to Amelia? Gets to me every.single.time. 

- I love so so much that Kanzaka let Zel and Amelia be on the fence on how to deal with Lina and Hellmaster’s plot here. I love that when they confront the situation rationally at first they tell themselves that they would be ready to turn against Lina and even kill her if push comes to shove, but then when all hell DOES break loose they find themselves siding with her anyway, because she is their friend and they love her and Gourry. It’s so realistic and human, and makes their friendship feel earned, and not forced. 

- GOURRY IS SO DAMN SOFT AND I HATE WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO HIM. I love just how committed he is to Lina by this point. He used to question her and even mistrust her in the first novels, but not anymore: he isn’t even a tad self-conscious in admitting that he is going to side with her no matter how the situation evolves. It so uncharacteristic of a shonen male protagonist and I kind of love it. And it’s the perfect setup for what losing him will mean to Lina.

I do wonder what he would have done if Lina had decided to sacrifice herself to thwart Hellmaster’s plan in the end. I somehow can’t see him go along with that. Would he have tried to talk her out of it? (fic writers, I am looking at you). 

- And by the way, I hadn’t caught it in previous reads, but nice foreshadowing in the scene where Lina decides to set aside her initial hesitation about LON’s spells and cast Ragna Blade because he is in danger. I wonder if Hellmaster noticed that too and came up with the kidnapping plot as a result? 

[vento-aureo]

Preview of my Hellmaster Phibrizzo costume I made for this year’s Colossalcon! Just a little over a week to go. I’ll be wearing this on Friday, representing my favorite anime of all time and certainly one of my favorite villains, as well! This has been a dream cosplay for at least ten years.

[the-carrotella]

Slayers Week Day 2: Mazoku By Nikary

[trap-of-the-day]

Todays trap of the day is Hellmaster Fibrizo from the anime Slayers NEXT

[ao3feed-voltronlegendarydefender]

Utterly New Grey Feathers of the Abandoned Factory - Introduction

read it on the AO3 at Utterly New Grey Feathers of the Abandoned Factory - Introduction

by Marta_Ayanami

There were new twins in the Old Home.

But the Old Home wasn't the only place with new life. There were also new twins in the Factory, perhaps three months later.

They were young. In some areas. For sure. Adult, but very, very young - if you asked Midori. And if you asked Hyohko, they were stupid. Then again, who wasn't? (And he still missed Reki. Healing the hurt didn't mean you won't get to miss a person, even though it's been years, even though Reki was no newborn, even though of course Reki flew away, it was her time, and Hyoko had a feeling that-)

Hyoko had a feeling it would soon be his time, too, but meanwhile, he first had to perhaps babysit the two newborns a little. Geez, why this? Before he could fly away, just like Reki, just like, he had a feeling, as well, Midori soon would. But - why him? Was that some infamous 'karma'? (He's read the word somewhere, once, when he had to help Nemu with something or other.)

Words: 1444, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Slayers Next - Fandom, Haibane Renmei, Voltron: Legendary Defender, Slayers (Anime & Manga)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: Hyoko (Haibane Renmei), Hellmaster Fibrizo, Kuron (Voltron), or Gyro or whatever I call him, Midori (mentioned), Keith (mentioned), Lord of Nightmares (mentioned)

Relationships: Hyoko & Kuron, Hyoko & Phibrizzo, Hyoko & Rakka (mentioned), Hyoko & Midori (mentioned), Reki/Hyoko (mentioned)

Additional Tags: this is just an introduction to a fic I'll write in September sorry just wanted to commit this XD, Crossover Fusion, Takes place soon after Haibane Renmei

read it on the AO3 at Utterly New Grey Feathers of the Abandoned Factory - Introduction

[alexeiadrae]

Mega Brand Q&A with Hajime Kanzaka 1/2021 to 6/2021, translated

So if Naga and Amelia ran into each other and had their faces covered and fought, would they recognize each other by their fighting style?

06/2021  Q: How much weight can the spell of "levitation" levitate? It would be useful if we could float the bed of a wagon stuck in the mud. Can you lift the whole house and move?

KANZAKA: This will change depending on the person's affinity with the attribute and magical power, so I can't say it unconditionally, "Even if you are inexperienced, it is OK if you weigh up to about 100 kg including your own weight."

Naturally, people who are inexperienced and weigh more than 100 kg cannot be lifted by this technique. If you're a user, you can lift a small horse-drawn carriage, but it's impossible to lift a weight as heavy as a house. Even if it were possible, the pillars and walls of the house would not have structural connections.

Q: In the world of Slayers, there are dragons that act like animals and dragons that have intelligence like golden dragons. From the point of view of the golden dragon, is the former dragon something like a monkey to humans? Or is it because they can't understand each other's language, so they just behave roughly when interacting with humans?

KANZAKA: "I wouldn't go so far as to call him a monkey, but if I had to say he'd be more like that. Rather than distinguishing between races, there is also a difference in intelligence between individuals, so dragons will not be discriminated against simply because of what color they are.”

Q: About Lina. How do you store valuables such as treasures and magic items? It seems difficult to move while in the cloak, but there were times when you couldn't get it back even if you put it in your luggage. What happened when you were being chased by the enemy in a situation  where you couldn't exchange money?

KANZAKA: Of course, if I decide it's necessary, I'll throw it out and run away. Basically, I don't take unnecessary risks by sticking to such treasures.

05/2021 

Q: Are the "spirit kings" and "tyrant kings" in the "powerful words" of spirit magic "named" high-ranking beings like the dragon kings and the five demonic lieutenants? I would appreciate it if you could answer my question. Thank you in advance.

KANZAKA: "The name is only an image. There is not a being named "Spirit King."

Q: I have a question about Gorun Nova. We are aware that Gorun Nova was brought into the world of Lina and her colleagues by someone and customized so that it can be handled by humans. Does that mean that someone can cross between different worlds? The Dark Lord sent Gorun Nova back to the original world, and the Demon Lord of the North summoned (created?) a talisman with the power of the Demon Lords of other worlds. Does this mean that such a thing is possible for some higher level of being? If that is the case, could it be that there are relics brought in from other worlds besides Gorun Nova? I am also curious as to how Gorun Nova first came into human hands. Was it taken half-heartedly by a demon that had some other purpose at the time, like when the talisman was given to Lina from Xellos, or was it given to humans to carry out its purpose? If that is the case, it seems strange that the Dark Lord does not seem to know how it happened, but perhaps he is simply not interested. I also fantasize about the possibility that there are ways to obtain otherworldly beings through human hands, but that it is a lost-technology kind of thing.

KANZAKA: "It is a situation where it was brought into the Slayers world half by accident and half by chance, rather than being brought in by someone with a clear intention. In that sense, it would not be surprising if something else came to that world. I'm not going to go into the details here, because I'll just say so and forget about it.

Q: The sword of light was returned to its original world by Fibrizo in volume 8. I think this is only the hilt, but what happened to the other parts (the temporary blade, sheath, and needle for dismantling)?

  KANZAKA: "The temporary blades and needles were not brought from another world, so they are still in Gourry's possession.”

04/2021 

Q: Can Blast Bomb, Dragon Slave Guard magic, and Enhanced Megabrands used by Copy Rezo be used by the original Rezo as well? Or is the above magic a benefit of magical synthesis and cannot be used even by original Rezo?

KANZAKA: "Not all magic, but there are some magic that only Copy Rezo can use. Even though the original Rezo was inhabited by the Demon King, it did not exceed the limits of human beings prior to its awakening. In contrast, there are some techniques that Copy Rezo can use by taking advantage of the increased magical power they have gained through body modification."

Q: Zel learned "healing" from Amelia, but did Zel ask Amelia to teach him this? Or did Amelia ask to teach him? If it was Zel who asked her, what was his reason for wanting to learn and why did he ask Amelia and not his old friend Lina? If Amelia approached him, why did she approach him and why did Zel respond?

KANZAKA: "Until then, Zel had almost never been in a situation where he himself was injured, but as long as he was working with Lina and her friends, he decided that it would be more convenient to be able to use recovery magic in case his friends were injured. He asked Amelia because she is the expert when it comes to recovery magic."

Q: Has Amelia gotten bigger since she was with Lina and the others? Is she going to get bigger from now on? I didn't feel much change in volume 16 because my nostalgic feelings took precedence, but even though she has changed somewhat, will she grow to rival Naga in terms of height, chest circumference, and human capacity?

KANZAKA: "I think she has grown somewhat taller. However, it is not as if she has grown visibly, since it is not as if a great deal of time has passed since she was created. I think she has been educated as royalty, so I hope she will become a person of large capacity in a different direction from Naga."

03/2021 

Q: Left-handed people are in the minority in modern Japan, but what about in the world of Lina and her friends? Are any of the major characters left-handed?

KANZAKA: "Basically, left-handed people are a minority in that world as well. Furthermore, since items for left-handed people are not sold as they are today, most of them are forced to become right-handed when they are children. Some families, such as those of knights who can afford it, may be raised left-handed because it gives them an advantage in actual battle.

Gourry and Zel are at least trained to handle weapons with their left hand in case of emergency, but they are not necessarily left-handed."

Q: Dark Star, Chaotic Blue, and Death Fog are from other worlds that are glimpsed in the main story. Between the four demon kings and Shabranigdu is there any spiritual interaction or connection of any kind? Or do they have only enough in common to be mentioned in the book, and they don't interfere with each other and seem to be independent?

KANZAKA: "Basically, there is no mutual interference. If they wanted to, they could at least communicate with each other, but they don't have the will to do so. To use a human analogy, let's talk to a stranger on the first floor of the apartment complex in the next town! I don't have the desire to do that."

Q: Have Amelia and Naga ever met in a sibling rivalry or in the name of testing each other's abilities? If yes, (and I know they don't meet in each medium), have the two ever confronted each other under cover of their identities? Can they notice each other like Gourry as he noticed Luke and Lina as she noticed Zel?

KANZAKA: "There has never been a fight between sisters or hand-to-hand combat, etc. If they fight with their face shapes hidden, Naga will notice Amelia, but Amelia will probably not notice Naga. If anything, she might even hear Naga's high pitched laugh and not notice."

02/2021 

Q: In Slayers Volume 8, Fibrizo reduced the bodily functions of Amelia and Zelgadis in order to alter their sense of time, but was this possible because they had Fibrizo inside their bodies? Or is it possible for demons to interfere that much from the outside if they are dealing with humans?

KANZAKA: "They had Fibrizo in their body, so it was through interference from there. But it is also possible to control it by causing a drop in external temperature or misinterpretation of visual information. I believe it was a synthesis of those means."

Q: Question about age. Who is older, Milgazia or Xellos? Also, I have the impression that the demons above Xellos are stronger in the order of their existence first, is that right? Is there an order, first son, second son, youngest son? If so, are they stronger in that order? Or did they exist at the same time? Are they equally powerful? What do you think?

KANZAKA: "Milgazia-san is slightly older than Xellos. The first born is not necessarily stronger, since the subordinates are different based on what concept they were created for."

Q: I heard that Lina is famous among the demons, but why didn't Xellos tell his friends what Lina looks like? Even without a picture, I think it would be a good idea to show Lina's appearance, since they can take on human form, so that information can be shared.

KANZAKA: "In the first place, there is no such thing as an all-demons' meeting among the demon tribe, nor do they have a social networking service or anything like that. It is solely hearsay in the form of rumors."

01/2021 

Q: I have a question about the spell "Aqua Create" for slayers. Is the water that appears here moved from somewhere by the spirits? Or do you extract the moisture contained in the air at the location? If so, it could be used indoors as an alternative to dehumidification, what do you think?

KANZAKA: "Aqua Create is a spell to collect moisture in the atmosphere. Therefore, as you pointed out, it is a powerful dehumidification spell if used in an airtight room. Also, if it is used repeatedly in an airtight room, the amount of water collected will become smaller and smaller. However, the inhabitants of that world seem to be aware that the spirits bring the water from somewhere."

Q: I remember seeing somewhere that the reason why Slayers characters don't have a birthday is because the calendar is different from this world. So here is my question. Do you have any ideas for a calendar for the Slayers world? Since the concept of "age" seems to exist, it is assumed that the unit of "one year" exists...For example, I would like to know if there is a concept of a "month" that is shorter or longer than 365 days, and if so, how many days are in a month. I would also like to know how many hours are in a day.

KANZAKA: "Although different from this world, there is certainly a calendar in the Slayers world. However, if we set it up strictly, it would create various complications in terms of management, expression, etc. Therefore, we have not set up the details, nor do we intend to do so in the future."

Q: I understand that image training is required to use magic in addition to chanting, but does direct acquaintance with the target of the technique increase the power of the technique or speed up its activation? For example, is there any difference between before and after Lina fights the Shabranigdu?

KANZAKA: "Of course, it is true that it is more advantageous to know the subject well, since the power of the person in question's image is important. However, if we consider how much the act of directly fighting demons deepens the human understanding of demons, the effect is not so great."

[blogentupantalla]

Llega el momento de hablar de la 3ª temporada de ‘Slayers’, la serie estrella de Selecta Visión durante el 2017.

Ha llegado el momento de hablaros del pack de ‘Slayers Try’, la tercera temporada de la serie. Por el momento esta será la última temporada editada en España, ya que las dos siguientes nunca fueron dobladas al castellano. Esperemos que Selecta Visión se anime a traernos esas temporadas, pero ahora centrémonos en ‘Try’. ¿Habéis visto la serie? ¿Tenéis esta edición? ¿Qué os parece el packaging? 

[amazon_link asins=’B075MYT4CZ,B071GB3SV3,B06XWSND52′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’zondeser-21′ marketplace=’ES’ link_id=’a2249e29-0bf2-11e8-b6b0-114805dc26ea’]

En esta entrada os vamos a hablar de la First Print Edition, que contiene los 26 episodios correspondientes a la tercera temporada. Al final de esta entrada encontraréis un reportaje fotográfico. ¿Preparados?

Tras la derrota de Fibrizo Hellmaster, la barrera que separaba el continente de Lina y sus amigos del resto del mundo ha desaparecido abriendo ante ellos literalmente un mundo de posibilidades. Es entonces cuando una sacerdotisa del mundo exterior llamada Filia se pone en contacto con Lina para pedirle que inicie un viaje para salvar al mundo de la destrucción. A pesar de que Lina es reacia a salvar el mundo por tercera vez, una carta de su temida hermana acaba convenciéndola. Así, Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis, Amelia, Zeros y la recién llegada Filia de la raza de los dragones se embarcan en una búsqueda de cinco armas legendarias para impedir que sus enemigos las empleen para abrir un portal que permita la entrada del Rey Demonio Dark Star en nuestro mundo.

LA EDICIÓN

En el apartado exterior, es decir, en el packaging, nos encontramos la misma calidad y diseño que en las anteriores temporadas, a excepción del color del pack, que pasa de ser azulado y marrón a negro. El diseño de la caja no podía ser más fantástico, en especial si situamos las tres temporadas una al lado de la otra. En el interior nos encontramos un digipack con 3 discos y un libreto.

Es una delicia para los fans del anime y de esta serie, ya que han cuidado hasta el más mínimo detalle para que uno pueda situar los packs en las estanterías y se conviertan en las reinas absolutas.

Los episodios están divididos de la siguiente manera:

DISCO 1 Episodios 1 a 9

DISCO 2 Episodios 10 a 18

DISCO 3 Episodios 19 a 26

IMAGEN Y SONIDO

Ya hemos hablado en varias ocasiones sobre la calidad de esta serie en formato Blu-ray, 1ª temporada y 2ª temporada, y este pack tiene las mismas virtudes y carencias. “La imagen es la que es, se ve bien para ser una serie de 1995, no podemos pedir milagros ni una nitidez y detalle como si se tratase de ‘Ataque a los Titanes'” comenté con anterioridad. Es ridículo que se exija una calidad como si se tratase de una serie moderna, y más cuando desde Japón no se ha realizado una remasterización multimillonaria.

La serie luce bien. No es la octava maravilla del mundo, pero ahora, con esta edición, se nos brinda una oportunidad única, tener la serie en formato físico en las mejores condiciones posibles actualmente. Se nos presenta en 4:3 y en 1080p, ¿Qué significa 4:3? Pues es que veremos la serie con bandas negras en los laterales. La serie no ha sido modificada para adaptarse a 16:9, es decir, formato panorámico.

Visualmente tiene sus defectillos, pero sí creo que compensa lo suficiente como para darle una oportunidad a estas ediciones lanzadas por Selecta Visión. ¿Vosotros esperabais que esta serie llegase algún día en formato físico? Yo sinceramente no. Al igual que dije en el análisis de la 2ª temporada, “Hasta ahora no teníamos la posibilidad de ver esta serie, y ahora sí”. Y no creo que el comprador deba conformarse con una edición con defectos, pero sí creo que se ha hecho todo el trabajo necesario para que disfrutemos de la serie de la mejor manera.

El apartado de sonido es más o menos igual. Como ya comentamos, “Selecta partió de grabaciones de fans para lograr una pista en Castellano”, por lo que no tenemos una pista con la que vayamos a flipar en colores, pero sí disfrutaréis de la serie con los audios originales. Se incluyen dos pistas DTS HD 2.0, una versión doblada en Castellano y otra en V.O. en Japonés. Y la serie contiene subtítulos en Castellano.

EXTRAS

El apartado de extras es el siguiente (El libreto físico, con un contenido fantástico hecho por Javier Gomes, se compone de 50 páginas):

Libreto:

Introducción.

Continente.

Al sur de la barrera.

Magia Divina.

Armace, Sirius, Elrogos.

Shinzoku.

Otros mundos.

Armas de luz.

Personajes.

Episodios.

Diseño de personajes.

Ilustraciones Dvd Japón.

Curiosidades.

Staff.

FOTOGRAFÍAS

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

Slayers Try Blu-ray

#ANÁLISIS | #Slayers: Temp. 3, un vistazo a la edición Blu-ray de @SelectaVision Llega el momento de hablar de la 3ª temporada de 'Slayers', la serie estrella de Selecta Visión durante el 2017.

[vento-aureo]

I’ve been so excited to share these photos! I worked with my friend and photographer Doug Fullerton at Colossalcon to get these shots. No lie it was a bit scary balancing on the ledge haha but man, so worth it. The location reminded me of Dragon’s Peak where the confrontation with the Slayers and Gaav took place with interference by Phibrizzo, and we don’t have anything like this in Florida lol. Do rocks even exist in Florida? 🤔