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Dragon Slayer

Rating:
"Hyperactive, and just plain fun."

Summary Information

US Release:
Anime Works

Genre: Action
(Semi-serious High-speed Fantasy Action)

Suggested Age/Content Guide:
10-up / V3 N0 M0 L0

Series Type: OAV

Length:
2 25-minute episodes

Production Date:
1992-10-21 to 1992-11-21

What's In It

Categories:
Mages and Magic
Swordswinging
Classic Fantasy

Look for:
Frantic Swordfights
Almost Mass Combat
Dragons
Parody of sorts

Plot Synopsis

In a world where magic reigns supreme and demons walk the land (i.e. generic fantasy), there is a small island kingdom (no, not that one). Besieged by an evil sorcerer and his hell-spawned minions, the king is dead, and the prince flees the ruins of the castle under the protection of a loyal swordsman. Ten years later, the Queen is still missing, the land is overrun by demons, and the happy-go-lucky prince is having a ball cutting up monsters and getting ready to reclaim the throne. As he fights with the resistance, he is joined by a spunky sorceress in training, a mysterious sorcerer, and three brave swordsmen in his battle to save the world from the forces of darkness.

Quick Review

> Quick Review < Full Review

Rating: 3 / 5
Reviewer: Marc
Review Date: 2005-06-29

Dragon Slayer takes an altogether generic fantasy story and turns it into something fun and funny--whether intentionally or not--by cutting out all but the most important plot points and then putting the whole thing on fast-forward. It blazes through the story like a checklist and the hyperactive battle scenes could be played at half the speed and still look lively. Toss in a few amusing characters and several pot-shots at sappy sentiment and you've got a something that looks painfully cheesy and dated on the surface, but kept me chuckling through to the end.

The highly caffeinated fantasy style of Dragon Slayer should appeal to any fan of barely serious fantasy or frantic action, and might be worth watching for anyone looking for a quick breather from epic fantasy tales that take themselves too seriously.

US DVD Review

None exists.

Content Guide

Fairly violent, but it all goes by really quickly, putting it in the 13-up category at the strictest, 10-up if you consider the high-speed violence cartoony.

Violence: 3 - A fair amount of gore, but it's practically in fast forward.

Nudity: 0 - Zip.

Sex/Mature Themes: 0 - Nada.

Language: 0 - Really nothing.

Notes and Trivia

Loosely based on a series of popular video games of the same name.

Availability

Available on subtitled and dubbed VHS from media blasters, now both out of print.

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