Lupin III: Part 5
Given the huge length of time between parts 3 and 4, it was a pleasant surprise to see another main Lupin series follow so soon after, and even more so to see how good it was! While not without fault, I thought this was a consistently very strong season that did much to breathe new life into the franchise and built on what Part 4 had achieved, while addressing many of the issues I had with it. Part 5 was well paced, I thought the arc-based approach to its plots was very successful and the 'ripped from the headlines' approach to its subject matter helped make Lupin's adventures feel fresh, in a way they haven't for a very long time. I do think they haven't quite nailed the tone yet, but I'd rather have the awkward lurches into more explicit violence than the generally toothless feeling that haunts a lot of the more family-friendly outings.
My only concern is what newcomers might make of the considerable number of in-joke references the show makes back to Lupin's previous adventures - some relatively obvious, others quite obscure. I imagine the writers did this specifically with the idea of getting fans discussing the show online to point out where they're all coming from, but it might be an idea if any future home release featured liner notes with maybe a brief history of the franchise, just to help accomodate those who aren't already superfans.
Also CR pls give us the OVA episode, thanks.
The Slayers
So much of what has followed Slayers has borrowed so much from it, that I was apprehensive about what going back to the original show might feel like, but it's still a very enjoyable picaresque fantasy adventure, whose deft lightness of touch has rarely been matched. I think it's at its best when it's doing self-contained arcs, however; when they got into the main thrust of the plot and it's played a little less for laughs, the familiar fantasy tropes begin to grate, although the throughly likeable cast of characters makes it much easier to get over the dips.
I would also give them credit for doing a successful comedy anime without any reliance on fanservice, but I haven't seen any of the parts with Naga yet...
