English Title: Slayers
Japanese Title: スレイヤーズ
Author: Hajime Kanzaka — 神坂 一
Illustrator: Rui Araizumi — “Japanese”
Translator: Elizabeth Ellis
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Action
Original Run: January 1990 – ongoing
English Run: August 2020 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: Fujimi Fantasia Bunko 
English Publisher: J-Novel Club
Volumes in Japanese: 17 (In Progress)
Volumes in English: 10 (In Progress)

Note: In addition to the main series, there were additional Light Novels released under the Slayers banner:

• Slayers Special – a prequel series — 30 volumes — 1991-2008
• Slayers Smash – continuing the prequel stories — 5 volumes — 2008-2011
• Slayers Delicious – more prequel material — 4 volumes — 1997-1999
• Slayers vs Orphen – crossover with the Orphen series – 1 volume — 2005
• Slayers Select – select stories from Slayers Special – 5 volumes — 2008-2010
• Slayers Anthology – 6 new stories. One by Kanzaka, Five by fan authors — 1 volume — 2015

Note: Slayers originally ended at 15 volumes in May 2000. Kanzaka then wrote new material for Dragon Magazine’s 30th Anniversary which was released as Volume 16 in October 2018 and followed by Volume 17 in October 2019.

Note: Also available to read online through a J-Novel Club subscription. This series is currently digital-only.

• English Website — Japanese Website
• MAL Entry — Forum — Anime-Planet
• Baka Updates — LNDB.info — Novel Updates

Synopsis: Beautiful and brilliant sorcerer girls just can’t have nice things, huh? All I wanted to do was swipe a little bit of bandit treasure. Now suddenly I’m being chased around by icky trolls, nasty demons, mean mummies, and brooding golem bad boys. And for what? A tiny little artifact that can bring about the end of the world? Hah! I’ll show them there’s a reason you don’t cross Lina Inverse…

Volume 1 — The Slayers
Amazon -- iBook -- Kobo -- Google Play -- Bookwalker
Released August 17, 2020 -- ASIN: B08CF15V7M

Volume 2
Amazon -- iBook -- Kobo -- Google Play — Bookwalker
Releasing October 5, 2020 — ASIN: B08FKC4FSB

Volume 3
Amazon -- iBook -- Kobo -- Google Play — Bookwalker
Released November 9, 2020 — ASIN: B08KFMH5VS

Volume 4 
Amazon -- iBook -- Kobo -- Google Play -- Bookwalker
Released December 14, 2020 -- ASIN: B08MN41RHV

Volume 5 
Amazon -- iBook -- Kobo -- Google Play -- Bookwalker
Released January 18, 2021 -- ASIN: B08QDVSSV3

Volume 6
Amazon -- Apple Books -- Kobo -- Google Play — Bookwalker
Released March 11, 2021

Volume 7
Amazon -- Apple Books -- Kobo -- Google Play — Bookwalker
Released April 14, 2021

Volume 8
Amazon -- Apple Books -- Kobo -- Google Play — Bookwalker
Released May 28, 2021

Volume 9
Amazon -- Apple Books -- Kobo -- Google Play — Bookwalker
Released August 4, 2021

Volume 10 (ebook)
Amazon -- Apple Books -- Kobo -- Google Play — Bookwalker
Released September 22, 2021

Reviews of Slayers

• Manga Bookshelf: Vol 1 — Vol 2 — Vol 3 — Vol 4 — Vol 5

Illustrations Sampler

Anime Adaptation

Season 1 — Slayers — MAL Entry — 26 episodes — Aired April 1995 – September 1995
Amazon — RightStuf
Note: Adapted volumes 1 and 3 of the light novel series

Season 2 — Slayers NEXT — MAL Entry — 26 episodes — Aired April 1996 – September 1996
Amazon — RightStuf
Note: Adapted volumes 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8 of the light novel series

Season 3 — Slayers TRY — MAL Entry — 26 episodes — Aired April 1997 – September 1997
Amazon — RightStuf
Note: Original material not from the light novels

Season 4 — Slayers Revolution — MAL Entry — 13 episodes — Aired July 2008 – September 2008
Amazon — RightStuf
Note: Original material with some sub-plots based on the light novels

Season 5 — Slayers Evolution-R — MAL Entry — 13 episodes — Aired January 2009 – April 2009
Amazon — RightStuf
Note: Continuation of Revolution with original material

Manga Adaptation

From Wikipedia:

• Slayers (one volume, illustrated by Rui Araizumi, original story, published in 1995, reedited in 2001, also known as Slayers Medieval Mayhem)
• Chōbaku Madōden Slayers (超爆魔道伝スレイヤーズ) (eight volumes, illustrated by Shoko Yoshinaka, adapted from Slayers main novels volumes 1–8, fourth volume adapted from Slayers Return movie, 1995–2001, also known as Super Explosive Demon Story Slayers)
• Slayers Special (four volumes, illustrated by Tommy Ohtsuka and Yoshimiro Kamada, adapted from Slayers Special novels, 2000–2001)
• Slayers Premium (one volume, illustrated by Tommy Ohtsuka, adapted from the movie of the same name, 2002)
• Slayers Knight of the Aqualord (six volumes, illustrated by Tommy Ohtsuka and Yoshimiro Kamada, original storyline, 2003–2005)
• Slayers Revolution (one volume, illustrated by Issei Hyouji, adapted from the anime series of the same name, 2008)
• Shin Slayers: Falces no Sunadokei (新スレイヤーズ：ファルシェスの砂時計 / New Slayers: The Hourglass of Falces) (three volumes, illustrated by Asashi, 2008)
• Slayers Legend (two-volume compilation from old Slayers manga, with chapters from Slayers and Chōbaku Mahōden Slayers)
• Slayers Evolution-R (one volume, published in Monthly Dragon Age, illustrated by Issei Hyouji, adapted from the anime series of the same name, 2009)

At present all Slayers manga is out of print and not currently licensed for new releases.

If you liked Slayers, you might also want to try…

• Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World — comedy, fantasy, adventure
• Sorcerous Stabber Orphen — fantasy, comedy, same era, crossed-over with Slayers in Japan
• Record of Lodoss War — fantasy, same era

If you find any errors or broken links in this entry, leave a comment!

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Tokyopop Edition

English Title: Slayers
Japanese Title: ã‚¹ãƒ¬ã‚¤ãƒ¤ãƒ¼ã‚º — “Slayers”
Author: Hajime Kanzaka
Illustrator: Rui Araizumi
Translator: Catherine Barraclough
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure
Original Run: 1989 – 2011
English Run: 2004 – 2008
Volumes: 15 (plus 30 vols for Slayers Special, 5 vols for Slayers Smash, 4 vols for Slayers Delicious, and 1 vol for Slayers vs Orphen)
English Publisher: Tokyopop
Volumes Published in English: 8 (Discontinued)

• Japanese Website
• MAL Entry — Forum

Synopsis: Lina Inverse doesn’t like to brag but she’s a genius sorceress, invincible warrior and a legend in her own lunchtime. She’s a strikingly gorgeous woman who would give most supermodels a run for their money. Don’t hate her because she’s beautiful — Lina’s also in need of cold hard cash. When she stumbles upon some loot stashed away by a group of bandits, she figures they won’t mind sharing. But when the booty’s owners go ballistic (it seems she took a bit more than her share of the spoils), a secret hidden in the treasure holds the key to the ensuing hilarity in this fantasy novel that is sure to cast its spell on everyone!

Volume 1 – The Ruby Eye
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository

Volume 2 – The Sorcerer of Atlas
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository

Volume 3 – The Ghost of Sairaag
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository

Volume 4 – The Battle of Saillune
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository

Volume 5 – The Silver Beast
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository

Volume 6 – Vezendi’s Shadow
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository

Volume 7 – Gaav’s Challenge
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository

Volume 8 – King of the City of Ghosts
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository

Any broken links or incorrect information? Any thoughts on these light novels?
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