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1* AccidentalInnuendo: There's a song in the game ''Slayers Royal'' called "Touch Yourself". The lyrics are completely clean, so it was entirely unintentional.
2* AdaptationDisplacement: "Huh? What do you mean there are novels?" This would actually apply to any number of fans, since the novels weren't translated until around ''eight years'' after the anime was first distributed in the states.
3* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: While he certainly seems like a classic IdiotHero outside of his swordsmanship, just how dumb is Gourry Gabriev exactly? Is he really as dumb as he appears to be or is he ObfuscatingStupidity to make his enemies underestimate him?
4* AmericansHateTingle: Sylphiel's demure personality, strength in healing magic over attack spells, and [[DieForOurShip feelings for Gourry]] made her heavily disliked by a lot of Western fans who have the RealWomenDontWearDresses mindset. Because of this, they prefer the more stubborn Filia. On the other hand, both Sylphiel and Filia are only moderately liked by Japanese fans, and Hajime Kanzaka, the novel writer, [[CreatorBacklash dislikes]] Filia (and ''TRY'' in general).
5* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
6** ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KutP3dmZozQ Get Along]]'', which was sung by Megumi herself and is in a dead heat with the Hayashibara anthem noted immediately below for most iconic theme song of the entire series.
7** The legendary second opening song, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J14Y9pFIW-M "Give a Reason"]]. It is the only song that gives "Get Along" a run for its money, and among anglo fans especially might just edge it out.
8** The theme song for the first Slayers movie. The melody of "Midnight Blue" sounded very unique and haunting.
9** Likewise, the freaking ''epic'' theme that plays when [[spoiler:Lina/L-sama is laying the smack down on Phibrizzo]].
10* BizarroEpisode: ''TRY'' episode 15 and ''Evolution-R'' episode 4 are just plain weird, even to Slayers standards.
11* BrokenBase:
12** You'd ''think'' the dub vs. sub debate would have died down by now with the advent of dual audio, wouldn't you?
13*** The recasting of Xellos from comedy-style David Moo to cultured-style Michael Sinterniklaas does make the fourth and fifth seasons much more palatable if you want to take Xellos seriously during the dramatic parts.
14** This one has died down over the years with the advent of ''Revolution'' and ''Evolution-R'', but many fans either liked or hated the third season (''TRY'') because of its darker plot and [[GreyAndGrayMorality fascinating(?) and well-done(?) questioning of who is and isn't evil]]. And the simple fact that by the end there was a sense of ''been there, done that'', with the antics of Lina and the gang - especially the antics of Lina - just not being as funny as they would've been in the two previous seasons.
15* CompleteMonster:
16** ''Next'' & Volume 8: [[TheChessmaster Hellmaster Phibrizzo]] is the oldest of the Mazoku who wants to [[OmnicidalManiac destroy the world and return it to the Sea of Chaos]]. A sadistic demon who [[PsychopathicManchild views death and the suffering of others as nothing but a game]], Phibrizzo in the past had staged several massive wars between humans, dragons, and demons that led to countless deaths, all to awaken his master's spirit. Using Garv as his pawn in the future, Phibrizzo easily kills him [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness once he's through with him]] and snatches Gourry away, brainwashing him to become a loyal servant out of sheer boredom while keeping him inside a crystal that drains him of his life-force. Once Lina and the gang encounter him, Phibrizzo proceeds to [[TargetedToHurtTheHero murder them all]] by crushing a death orb tied to their life supports, gaining an immense amount of pleasure the more lives he literally shatters one by one. After Lina finally casts the Giga Slave and is possessed by the Mother of All Things, Phibrizzo attempts to kill Lina and set Mother free, preparing to die as long as rest of the world goes out with him.
17** Motion picture: Joyrock is a particularly cruel demon who attacked the elves of Mipross Island centuries before the movie begins. Joyrock committed absolute genocide on the elves, absorbing their lives and powers, using the power to separate Mipross from the mainland and rule it from the shadows. Joyrock toys with the humans of Mipross as he desires, and those who enter a certain part of the island have their lives sucked out by Joyrock. Being the {{sadist}}ic beast he is, though, he keeps them [[AndIMustScream trapped in a state of living death]] as zombie slaves. When he simply wants to show how he "loves to play with his food" to Lina Inverse, he rips their souls out painfully. The only survivor of his massacre on the elves was a young human boy named Rowdy who he allowed to live simply because it'd be too boring to rule the island unopposed. In the present, though, when Joyrock decides Lina and Naga might be more fun, he has no hesitance [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impaling Rowdy on his claws]] while [[EvilGloating gloating]].
18* CrackShip: Xellos/Inspector Wizer Freion, because of their bizarrely chummy interactions in ''Revolution''.
19* CrossoverShip: Lina with Ed from ''Franchise/FullmetalAlchemist'' is a popular crossover couple.
20* CultClassic: Due to the fanbase having grown smaller over the years (the show ''was'' wildly popular in [[TheNineties the mid-to-late 90's when it came out]]) and new releases since TheNineties having been sparse at best. The newcomers who do find it, however, love it as much as its original fans did.
21* DeathOfTheAuthor: Hajime Kanzaka's tendency to make up explanations for various plot and character details on the fly, leave them ambiguous and contradict himself at later points, combined with leaving key information out of the actual series and only making it accessible via interviews that are difficult to acquire outside of Japan, leads to a distinct proliferation of FanonDiscontinuity and {{Fanon}}.
22* DieForOurShip:
23** The worst of it has died out (and despite the constant ShipTease, the Lina/Gourry and Amelia/Zelgadis pairings have been laid pretty thick since ''NEXT'') over the years, but there's still a good deal of bashing of Amelia having feelings for Zelgadis, with fans finding her either too stupid, too weak, or obnoxious and spoiled (which she is far from), finding that the intelligent Zelgadis deserves the equally intelligent Lina. In a similar vein, fans also wanted Gourry to not be with Lina for similar reasons.
24** On the other hand, fans who did prefer Lina/Gourry loathed Gourry/Sylphiel, with a lot of venom.
25** There's the ever-popular {{Yaoi|Genre}} choice of Zelgadis/Xellos, with the alleged justification that they secretly love one another, despite the blatant hatred Zelgadis has for the latter.
26*** Alternatively, the explanation that Zel/Xel works not so much as a loving relationship but a pragmatic dubious-consensual one: Xellos feeds on negative emotions (Zelgadis is a buffet), while Zelgadis can't risk being sexual with another human (Xellos either enjoys the pain or isn't harmed by it). A ton of fanfics take the NotIfTheyEnjoyedItRationalization route, often as precursor to Zelgadis either realizing he's got no reason to avoid a relationship with Xellos, or eventually admitting that he always secretly wanted him.
27** Filia is only allowed to be with Xellos, not anyone else, ''especially'' Valgaav. Because their constant bickering and passive-aggressive treatment of one another is ''clearly'' the sign of a loving old married couple. Never mind the fact that Xellos is completely incapable of feeling positive human emotions, while Filia is a part of [[HolierThanThou a bigoted race of god-worshiping dragons]].
28* EnsembleDarkhorse: Dilgear seems to be rather PopularWithFurries with some giving him a DracoInLeatherPants treatment. The fact he actually does perform a HeelFaceTurn (sort of) by becoming Luna's pet Spot in the manga doesn't hurt.
29* EpilepticTrees: Some fans theorize that the reason Lina's so powerful is because she contains one of the seven fragments of Ruby-Eye Shabranigdo and is unconsciously drawing power from it. After all she's really good at casting Dragon Slave, which calls upon Ruby-Eye's power. She also has ''red eyes'', as well as red hair, a small fang, and a tendency for destruction.
30* {{Fanon}}: Less so than some series, but fairly well-entrenched.
31** Among other things, fanon claims that Xellos's boss, the Mazoku Lord Beastmaster Zelas Metallium, is a good friend and drinking buddy of Luna Inverse... despite the fact that Luna Inverse is (GoodIsNotNice aside) a very powerful Paladin who houses a fragment of the chief god of the Slayers world in her soul, which means the two are natural enemies. [=KanzakaDex=] [[http://kanzaka.wikia.com/wiki/Greater_Beast_Zelas_Metallium claims]] it's because of one misinterpreted picture (it's Luna and ''Dilgear'', not Zelas).
32** There's also the theory that Zelas drove Dolphin insane and that they hate each other. (''Also'' false: when they show up briefly in the novels, they are on good terms and she's no more crazy than Zelas).
33* GrowingTheBeard: In regards to the anime, the first season can seem rather directionless, with the humor and pacing kind of awkward for most of the first half, not helped by a rather mediocre English dubbing if you're watching that. By the time Amelia is introduced though, the show starts finding its groove although others think the show only got good when Sylphiel was introduced in episode 18. On top of that, the English dub gets better halfway through the season when Creator/VeronicaTaylor and Creator/CrispinFreeman join the cast and really give Zel and Amelia their voices. It also starts off a more interesting plot and introduces cooler villains, like Zangulus and Vrumugun, who continue to chase the heroes so even the filler episodes don't feel so pointless. By ''NEXT'', the show really finds its stride, reaching its signature level of humor and solidifying the characters' personalities and quirks, as well as having what is arguably the best plot and character development in the whole franchise.
34** Even the dub has some of this. The first 13 episodes of Season 1 were recorded in 1996, and aside from Creator/LisaOrtiz as Lina and Creator/EricStuart as Gourry, it really doesn't hold up very well, featuring many stilled performances and awkward script choices. It starts improving quite a bit in the second half of Season 1, with Creator/VeronicaTaylor as Amelia and Creator/CrispinFreeman as Zelgadis, and the dubs for NEXT and TRY are considered among the best of the 90s, featuring many well-done performances that strike a balance between the series' comedic and melodramatic elements, with Xellos and Sylphiel's voices being the only sore spots. A change in voice director (from Jim Malone to Anthony Salerno) also helped. ADV's dubs for the the movies and [=OVAs=] aren't as fondly remembered (aside from maybe Creator/KellyManison as Naga), most likely because they couldn't capture the magic of NEXT and TRY's dubs. [=FUNimation=] even tried to go back and fix some of the first 13 episodes' mediocre dubbing, but were unable to. When Revolution and Evolution-R were dubbed in 2009-2010, [=FUNimation=] did go out of their way to bring back the main four voice actors, due to fan demand.
35* HilariousInHindsight:
36** Lina was once the postergirl for "flat-chested". Compared to many many characters today, she is quite ample.
37*** The manga has her considerably less busty. Whatever the justification was for her early anime design (given the number of flat-chested jokes about her ''constantly''), by the fourth season she's actually pretty flat, which is good, because some early plot points hang around her inability to calmly put up with a small animal repeatedly teasing her about her lack of breasts.
38** That pickpocket Lina forces to give her massages? [[spoiler: Hellmaster himself! She should add that to her list of things to brag about.]]
39** Creator/HoukoKuwashima and Creator/AkiraIshida respectively voicing Filia and Xellos, who continue to aggravate each other throughout the third season, in light of them also much later voicing happy couple Miyako and Dan in ''Manga/BambooBlade''.
40** One of the plot points in the first season is an object called [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone the Philosopher's Stone]].
41* JerkassWoobie: Zelgadis and some of the villains, particularly Eris and Duclis.
42** Dilgear. True, he's a villain in the series but he virtually gets no respect at all. Add to this, his HumanizingTears tendencies and fics like [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3515629/1/An-Ode-to-Beastmen this]] and you'll just want to hug the poor guy.
43* MagnificentBastard: Xellos the Trickster Priest is a Mazoku, and the most mysterious member of the cast. Hiding his true self behind a veil of smiles and pleasantries, Xellos ruthlessly manipulates protagonist Lina Inverse and friends into carrying out his wishes and destroying his enemies. Frequently arranging situations to benefit himself no matter what the outcome, Xellos helps destroy his Mistress, the Grand Beast Zelas Metallium's rivals and other Mazoku should it benefit him. Xellos tends to change his schemes on the fly as well, making it impossible to tell what was part of his plans from the start, even if he admits he feels some affection for Lina and her team. Xellos is so charming and affable, it's very easy to forget that he is a demonic being under his friendliness.
44* MemeticBadass: Lina Inverse manages to play this straight and subvert it at the same time. Whenever she deliberately tries to use her reputation to her advantage, nobody recognizes her... but that's because she uses nicknames and titles that she created herself to feed her ego. Mention any of the dozens of names that stem from her bad attitude and misbehavior, such as Dragon Spooker, Bandit Killer, or Enemy Of All Who Live, and people will run for miles, as ''everyone'' seems to have heard of them. Considering that, in the fourth season of the anime, this is someone who was put on trial for the crime of ''being herself'', and that ''even her friends couldn't come up with an adequate defense'', that does explain things.
45* MemeticMutation: Xellos' "Sore wa... himitsu desu"/"That... is a secret" tends to get used whenever a fan of the series is asked a question they don't want to answer.
46* {{Moe}}: While pretty active and go-getting, Amelia is the youngest of the four main cast members, also has the larger chest of the two girls, tends to be the cutest, and as noted below is sometimes used as a punching bag by the villains so that viewers will feel intensely protective of her. The term came into being some time after ''Slayers'' aired, but Amelia seems to have been a prototype of the trope alongside characters like [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Rei Ayanami]].
47** Dilgear is absolutely this albeit in a villainous sense.
48** The entire introduction of anime-only character Kira in ''NEXT'' is a showcase of moe traits in itself: an adorable and a bit clumsy pink-haired young girl who spends her time eating popsicles and making potions.
49* {{Narm}}: Sylphiel's voice acting in the first season of the dub. Particularly her BigNo [[spoiler:when she sees Syraag's destruction at the hands of Rezo]]. Gourry actually sounds more upset.
50* RetroactiveRecognition: In the Spanish dub, Zelgadis was played by Daniel Sánchez, who just one year later would become the official broadcasting narrator for national TV channel Radio Televisión Española.
51* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: Amelia's love of justice being {{flanderiz|ation}}ed in most adaptations from the novels initially made her as [[TheScrappy scrappy]] as Pokota. Joani Baker voicing her at first didn't help at all. However, [[SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound once Veronica Taylor took over her voice acting]] and her {{Flanderization}} was toned down, she quickly became a fan favorite.
52* TheScrappy: [[BrattyHalfPint Prince Pokota]] never gets a lot of love, from any kind of fan, probably due to his high magical power, angsty past, and LeeroyJenkins-like attitude.
53* {{Squick}}:
54** In the first season, Zelgadis claims that Rezo the Red Priest is [[TangledFamilyTree both his grandfather and his great-grandfather]]. WordOfGod has since been passed on that this was a verbal mishap, and that not only was Zelgadis supposed to be unsure whether Rezo is two generations removed (grandfather) or three (great-grandfather), but he's truly Rezo's great-grandson.
55** Another mistranslation in ''NEXT'' has Amelia referring to both Christopher and Alfred as her uncles. Christopher is Phil's brother, so that works. However, Alfred is Christopher's son, and looks to be about Amelia's age, which makes Amelia and Christopher ''cousins''. This botch is also probably the reason that Alfred sounds so much older than he is in the dub.
56* StoicWoobie:
57** Gourry seems pretty well-adjusted considering his [[TearJerker backstory]].
58** Zelgadis, despite his occasional bouts of angst over his [[ForcedTransformation condition]], tends to take it pretty well. The SuperSpeed, SuperStrength, toughness, and increased magical power [[CursedWithAwesome probably don't hurt either]].
59* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Distribution company Selecta Visión caused a fan uprising in 2018 Spain when they licensed ''Revolution'' and decided to forget completely about the series's old cast (except by main lead Mart Sainz in a special edition) in favor of a completely new one. Fans considered it an insult, not only because multiple SV representatives issued a variety of incredibly unprofessional statements about it to try to excuse the decision, nor because the company was basically shooting itself in the foot by removing a nostalgia factor of a product that would be bought mostly by nostalgics, but also because it seemed just the perfect chance to get the old cast back: all its active members had been contacted by fans and were eager to get called to return to their roles, even although one of them is a current national television presenter nowadays, and all together would have been a relatively cheap team (especially compared to the final new cast, which was ''much'' more expensive). This was the breaking point for a series of similar controversies, among them the licensing of ''Anime/LupinIIIVsDetectiveConan'' earlier in 2018, which only contributed to cause a dent in Selecta Visión's already declining reputation.
60* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Despite the perfect opportunities in both ''Slayers Premium'' and ''Evolution-R'', we never get to see Naga re-unite with Lina and officially meet the TV cast, particularly her younger sister Amelia. A reunion between those two could have been the start of endless story potential.
61* ViewerGenderConfusion: If you watched ''NEXT'' in Japanese without subtitles, you'd have a hard time determining exactly what gender Hellmaster Phibrizzo is. The dub fixes this by giving him a boy's voice.
62* TheWoobie:
63** Your hometown gets destroyed ''twice'', and your main love interest doesn't even notice your affections, only to have him fall in love with the main heroine when the world is at stake. And even then it's not like [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy they at least stay together and are happy]]. Isn't it sad, Sylphiel?
64** Amelia is also somewhat Woobified as noted above; you're supposed to feel terrible for her and give her a protective hug when a villain tears a great bloody hole in her back or tries to rip out her soul or what have you. Amelia herself, though, is [[ThePollyanna too damn genki]] to be held back by any of this.

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