Those words in the green color are by Mr. Kanzaka, and those words in the brown color are by Mr. Tamiki. Those sentences written in bold letters are "questions" and the ones written in italic letters are "answers".
Tamiki (T): Those questions were sent through the official site of Mega Brand Kikaku. And here is the most frequent one. "Will you write the sequel to the main series of Slayers?"
Kanzaka (K): Wow, I don't know. (in very low voice)
T : That question is most frequent, and the answer is the same. "The story of Slayers is completed and the author won't write the sequel". If you have an expectation, please give it up. By the way, here is another question. "Are there the brown races of humans in the world of Slayers?"
K : It depends on the definition of the are of "world of Slayers". In the cluture area where the story of Slayers takes place, there are only the white races. But there are the brown races outside of the Mazoku barrier. Sometimes, a brown human may drift over the Demon Sea and may come into the city inside of the Mazoku barrier.
T : The sender of next question wrote that "inside of the Mazoku barrier" clearly. "Do the people in the world of Slayers (inside of the Mazoku barrier) speak only one language? (There might be some regional dialects, but they can't be another language...)"
K : "Yes, they do. There is a standerdized language and there are several regional dialects."
T : Even when one character speaks a regional dialect, you won't subscrib his words in the real regional dialect in Japan such as Kansai dialect. Will you?
K : For me, Japanese regional dialects feel wrong to express the regional dialects in the world of Slayers. Therefore I won't use Japanese dialects in the Slayers novels.
T : "Can a sorcerer stop a falling person with the spell Shadow Snap?"
K : "No, he can't." A Shadow Snap works for the astral plane not for the physical world. In other word, the target becomes unable to move because he believes that he can't move.
T : So, it's impossible to make someone fight during he is falling down.
K : The fall is physical phenomenon. Even when the target believes "I can't move", he falls.
T : "Did Gourry notice that Sherra was a powerful Mazoku?"
K : Hmmm... "He may notice it from Lina's attitude toward Sherra."
T : "There is a person who hadn't slept for three days straight working hard. He is exhausted. When someone uses a Resurrection to this exhausted person, will he be able to work hard again?"
K : A Resurrection gives a target a lot of energy, but the spell can't get rid of fatigue materials. So "there would be a person who is very excited but also is very tired." I think that the person needs to sleep or he would die.
T : There come two questions which are frequently asked. "Please tell me the true name of L-sama." and "Please tell me true name of Lina's elder sister." As far as I know, many Slayers fans know the name of Lina's sister because we revealed it in our first interview.
K : Isn't it listed in the "most frequent Q&A"?
T : I don't remember that it is listed in the thread about Hajime Kanzaka in 2 channel. But in the Japanese Wikipedia, they write the name of Lina's sister as "Luna". Isn't it announced in any official media? When they made TV anime of Slayers for the first time, there were too many secrets only revealed in the fan magazines. And they tried hard to announce those secrets officially in "the Longest Afterwords", "Encyclopedia of Slayers" and in the several mooks of TV anime. And I believed that Lina's sister's name was officially announced before, but I'm wrong.
K : There are many fans who don't know her name.
T : And it has passed more than ten years since those books and mooks were published. So, please give them the answer.
K : "Lina's sister's name is Luna." For about the name of L-sama, I haven't revealed it officially, but I think it's okay to tell the answer in "Blaster!" magazine. "L-sama's true name is Lucifer."
T : "There are two types of kanji name for Airlord. Which is correct?" (One type uses the kanji for 'sky, and another uses the kanji for 'heaven'.)
K : Wow, I have used both. And I think that "the kanji for 'the sky' is correct."
T : Do you mean that the name using the kanji for 'the heaven' is wrong?
K : In the beginning, I used the name with the kanji for 'the heaven' for Valwin, one of four alter egos of Ceiphied. But later, I prefer to use the name with the kanji for 'the sky'. It was my own mistake.
T : You can say that there are many way of writing the name of the god. In one region, they use one name, and in another region, they use another name.
K : You are right! It's a regional dialect.
T : Here is another frequent quesiton. "When will Zelgaidss get his human body back?"
K : Someday.
T : There are similar questions, and they are asking more. "Is it possible for you to write a spin-off in which Zel will get his human body back? (I know that it is impossible for Zel to appear in the main story again, but he has looked for a cure more than fifteen years in our life.)"
K : I have an idea for Zel's cure, but it is only one scene. It's impossible for me to write a spin-off including the scene of his cure.
T : "I remember that Mr. Kanzaka told that you would write a story in which Zel would get his human body back. Don't you have a will to write the story? I don't want you to say 'wait for twenty years more. I'll write when I have a will to write at that time.' I want you to tell us how Zel will get his human body back if you don't have a will to write a story about his cure." I think it is possible for you to tell them how Zel will get his human body back as long as you won't write a spin-off of him. But as a fan of Slayers, I want to enjoy imagining about Zel's cure...
K : Hmmm... Oh, I got a good answer to that question. "I won't reveal how Zel will get his human body back here in this interview, because I want you to enjoy imagining about it. However, Mr. Tamiki knows it."
T : What?! ... Yes, I know! About fifiteen year ealier, while we had a small talk, you told me about it! It wasn't an interview, and I can't reveal it here. I won't reveal it how enthusiastically all of Slayers fans ask me!
K : Tee-hee-hee.
T : Okay, how about this. I'm younger than you, so it can be assumed that I'll live after you'll be dead. When you wouldn't reveal Zel's cure, I'll leave a message in my will to tell how Zel will get his human body back. Just like someone confessed of his making a fake photo of the Nessie after a half century later.
K : And when I'll live after you'll be dead, I will observe some Slayers fans talk about your will. Some will say, "oh, Mr. Tamiki became weak-headed for age and left such a silly comment". And I'll listen them painfully, appologizing in my mind, "sorry. His comment was correct. It was the official secret..."
T : You, utter villain! ... Hey, wait! Your comment would make fans think "how will the official secret be pitiful for Zel to get his human body back?" It will make it more difficualt for them to imagine about Zel's cure!
K : Tee-hee-hee.
T : Oh, you were expecting it! By the way, there are many fans who don't know that Naga and Amelia are the sisters. I think that when they read the Slayers Special episodes and Slayers main series in the order of publication, they will know it soon. But many people read full of the main series first and then read the Slayers Special series. In this case, it is very difficult for them to realize of the relationship between Amelia and Naga.
K : When they read the main series first, Amelia is accepted as Amelia. And when they read the Slayers Special later, it is obscure that Amelia and Naga are related. But Mr. Araizumi knew that they were sisters and he made Amelia and Naga have the similar hair style and similar breasts. Some fans realized their relationship watching their illustrations.
T : It was usual for us to realize of their relationship because we read both Slayers Special episodes in the issues of Dragon Magazine and the fourth book of Slayers main series at the same time. Therefore this official secret isn't an actual secret. However, I often see that someone is surprised at the relationship between Amelia and Naga.
K : It is because those who can't see the secret can't understand it.
T : Next question. "Please tell me about Lina's mother. I hope you will tell me precisely."
K : "She was a mercenary before." Just like her husband was. In addition, Lina's mother is very small, therefore, Lina is very small. Both Luna and Lina have brown hair, their father has black hair, and their mother has blonde hair. Oh, I must add this. Even though Lina's mother has blonde hair, she isn't L-sama. If I didn't add this, someone would say that Lina's mother was L-sama because both of them have blonde hair... Someone says "this character has to be Ruby Eye because this character has red eyes" and "this character is L-sama. The evidence is the blonde hair". It's enough for me such simple imaginations.
T : "Please tell me about Gourry's family."
K : "He had the parents and an elder brother. But his brother had been dead before he left his family."
T : "Gourry had been in conflict with his brother for the Sword of Light just like the story in the manga 'Hokuto no Ken'."
K : In addition, "Gourry's grandmother was dead just before he left his family."
T : "I hear that Gourry has a great amount of magical power. If so, does he have his own status? If he has, what is it?"
K : Hmmm.... I'm driven by an impulse to answer "tipid water".
T : There is no such a status in Slayers world!
K : Then here is the correct answer. "Wind". But I still want to suggest "tipid water"...
T : Why? But your answer is "wind", not "water". Is it okay?
K : "The status of magic" in Slayers world only means which types of magic is compatible with the person. When the person can't use magic, his "status" means nothing for him. In some RPG, when a character has the status in the wind, he gets less damage by the wind spell than other magic. But in Slayers world, the status doesn't effect the damage by magic spells. Therefore, "the status of magic" in Slayers world means nothing for those who can't use magic like Gourry. My answer is on the assumption that "if Gourry can use magic".
T : "I hear that those children who have talent in magic are invited to the Sorcerers Guild. Then who will measure the magical capacity of those children and how?"
K : In the world of Slayers, ordinary people can learn "Lighting" or some simple spell at the Sorcerer's Guild. They have to pay for the lesson. Anyway, there are many people who can use Lighting and they use that spell in the streets or before the eyes of children. When a child has a talent in magic, he/she can use it only follow the magic user. Such boys and girls attract people's attention and the Sorcerer's Guild invite them. But not all of the talented boys and girls are invited. There are different rules and systems in each Sorcerer's Guilds and the cities. And it is possible for some talented boys and girls don't attract people's attention.
T : "There are the spells Elmekia Lance and Bram Blazer. Which will give more damage to human's mind? And how much is the penetrating power of a Bram Blazer?" I remember that you once answered "a Elmekia Lance gives more damage to the human's mind than a Bram Blazer."
K : Yes, you are right. "For about the penetrating power of a Bram Blazer, it has a range of about thirty meter when there is no barrier. When there is some barriers, it depends on the materials of the barriers, and we can't tell how far a Bram Blazer goes."
T : "I read in the book that Lina once got a sword with a magical power and brought it to her sister as a souvenier. Why didn't Lina use the sword with a magical power for herself? She uses her short sword, but I think that a magical sword is more useful for her."
K : Because the sword was too heavy for her.
T : The sword was too heavy for Lina, and Lina brought it to her sister as a souvenier. Lina's sister seems to use heavy swords easily.
K : Still, there is a limit for her.
T : Didn't Lina think to sell it rather than to bring it to her sister?
K : The sword was good to use, but it had no name. Lina knew that such a sword couldn't make a lot of money. Therefore she made up her mind to bring it to her sister.
T : "There was a 'tekagen (not full-powered)' Dragon Slave in a CD drama. Is it possible in the theory of Slayers world?"
K : No, it isn't.
T : This question has additional questions. "There are arranged shamanistic magic spells like the broken Fireball or broken Elmekia Lance. Is it possible for a human magic user to arrange black magic spells like the arranged shamanistic magic spell? If it is, the arranged black magic spell would be helpful for Lina, because she became unable to use Zellas Brid and Ragna Blade after she lost the Demon Blood talismans. Still she would be confronted with the situation in which she couldn't cast an usual Dragon Slave or some powerful spells."
K : It is possible in the theories, but it is very difficult for a human to arrange any black magic spell, because the magic user have to study and practice a lot about the black magic before he will be able to arrange them.
T : "I read that Gourry doesn't like bitter tastes. But I also read that Gourry drinks liquor. Is it alright for him the bitter taste of some liquors? I think it is alright after he gets drunk, but I imagine that he prefers to start with a sweet liquor."
K : Did I write that Gourry doesn't like the bitter tastes? I remember that I wrote "he doesn't like the bitter taste of a Spanish paprika".
T : I remember that in one interview there was a question "why doesn't he like a Spanish paprika?" and you answered "because he doesn't like a bitter taste. He has a childish sense of taste" or like that. But there are many bitter tastes. The bitter tastes of a Spanish paprika and a glass of beer are totally different.
K : You are right. And my answer to this question is "Gourry doesn't like the bitter taste of a Spanish paprika, but he doesn't mind any other bitter tastes. For about the liquors, I think that he likes both the bitter ones and the sweet ones."
T : As far as I can imagine, there is a little bit of variety of liquors in the world of Slayers.
K : Yes, there is. The liquor isn't luxuary drinks but is preserved drinks.
T : "You say Lina has a flat chest. I also read that she is small, she has sloping shoulders... and I imagine that Lina doesn't have plenty of flesh. Am I right? Or does she have enough flesh and also have flat chest? What is your imagination?"
K : I think that Lina doesn't have plenty of flesh.
T : She fights against enemies again and again, and I imagine that she is well-muscled like an athlete.
K : Her ratio of the fat to the body must be very small.
T : "I have a question about Clair Bible's explanation on L-sama's existence. It said, 'a being with the desire to turn all to the days of yore'. Does this mean that once L-sama had its own shape and hadn't been the chaos all the time? If it does, why it became to be the chaos? Or does this sentence means that 'L-sama wants all to turn back into the chaos?'"
K : Your latter understanding is correct.
T : "What time does the story of 'Slayers vs Orhen the Sorcereous Stabber" take place? Gourry had the Sword of Light and it is a proof that the story takes place in the time before Gourry was kidnapped by Fibrizo. But when Lina talked to Orphen about the dragons in her world, she said, 'there is such a dragon which gives us some spiritual attacks.' It is a proof that Lina had met with Milgazia." There are some more comments but I omit them. We can say that "the story of 'Slayers vs Orphen' is a spin-off and the timeline in the spin-off isn't related with the timeline in the main series." But we hope to know the answer.
K : In the book of "Slayers vs Orphen", Lina and Orphen were invited to another world twice. I think that the first time happened in someday in the time before they Lina went to the Dragon's Peak. And the second time happened in someday in the time after Gourry lost the Sword of Light. I remember that Lina's words about the dragons were only in the second episode.
T : "Lina always carries a lot of treasures. On what does she spend them? I read that you explained in the books 'the sorcerers need a lot of money', but Lina prefer to study spells not chimeras. I understand that the study of chimeras needs a lot of magical items and portions, but the study of spells seems to need expensive materials. I imagine that she needs money because she has to pay a fee in order to get a chance to read a rare book of magic or to see a study by another sorcerer, but I can't imagine that those fees are very expensive."
K : Expensive magic portions are necessary in the study of the spells. In addition, I don't write in the novels, but some magic spells needs certain media - sometimes a portion and sometimes an item - to be completed. I think it isn't important to describe the scenes in which Lina uses portions or items during she chants apell. And I'm afraid to make mistakes such that I let her use different items to use same spell.
T : There is no scenes in which Lina uses the magic portions or items, but she keeps consuming them as she keeps using her magic. Therefore she needs a lot of money in order to fill the consumed items and poprtions.
K : There are rare and expensive materials which are used to make such magical items and portions. They are really expensive.
T : "Thank you for your time to read this. I want to know if there are Zelgadiss' parents, brothers or sisters." I remember that you told us 'Zel's parents are dead.'
K : Yes, his parents are dead. For about his brothers and sisters, there is no one whom Zelgadiss regards as his brothers and sisters. However, it is possible that there is a secret brother or sister of him. I can't say that Zel's parents didn't have another baby. But, Zelgadiss has such a nature and when someone told him "I'm your brother," Zel would refuse him saying, "I can't trust you".
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T : "Was Gourry's grandmother killed in the troubles over the Sword of Light?"
K : No, she wasn't.
T : "Is Gourry good at teaching the skill of the sword? Is his teaching style Spartan?"
K : I think that he isn't a good teacher. For example, when he had a paractice of the sword with Lina for the first time, he tried to show her an example, but his blow was too fast to see. LOL He can see the level of the trainees well and make his blow more easy for them. He isn't a bad teacher, but still his blows were too first for Lina. Therefore, when Lina and Gourry had a practice of the swords, Lina always decided the course of the training except the first one.
T : "It is said that a Mazoku can't use the spell to draw the power of another Mazoku. But Xelloss used the boosting spell. Why he wasn't be damaged at that time?" You have told us that the Mazoku have the ability to use the power of other Mazoku, and it is possilbe for a Mazoku to use the power of another one when it is necessary.
K : You are right. When a Mazoku uses the power of another Mazoku, it means that the Mazoku denies its own power and existence. But Xelloss had a good reason that "he have to pretend as a human" when he used the Demon Blood talismans. Therefore he wasn't damaged at all.
T : "I wonder which was born faster the Sea of Chaos and Lord of Nightmare."
K : They are the same existence.
T : "Which country is Zelgadiss from? I know the homelands of other three members, and I want to know the homeland of Zelgadiss."
K : Nobody knows. Zelgadiss had moved from here and there since his childhood and he doesn't know where is his homeland. Rezo roamed about the world, and Zel's parents sometimes were along with the Red Priest, and some days later, they ran away from Rezo and hid themselves here and there. And you know that Zel's parents are dead. So nobody knows where Zelgadiss was born.
T : "How powerful Lina is in her homeland Zeffilia?"
K : I think that she is within the top five hundreds.
T : "Is there any characteristics of the person who has the piece of the dark lord? (They always have the red eyes or red hair or..."
K : There is no such characteristics. I don't want to write "the person with the red cheeks has a piece of the dark lord."
T : "Was it good the relationship between Zelgadiss and Rezo before the priest turned his great-grandson into a chimera?"
K : It wasn't bad nor good. There relationship was usual feelings among the ordinary relatives, I guess. I think that Zelgadiss had a young rebellious spirit toward the great priest.
T : "How old is Gourry? I want to know the accurate age." I think that you told us that both Gourry and Zel are twenty-two or twenty-three yeas old in an interview several years earlier.
K : Then my answer is "as I told in the interviews in the old Blaster books". Anyway, I think that Gourry can't recall his age.
T : I suppose that this question asks which is accurate. But there is a rule of the interviews in all Blaster! book that numerical values aren't perfect as the official information. Please forgive us not to tell you the accurate values. By the way, here is another same old question. "What are the names of Lina's parents?"
K : It's a secret.
T : "Why don't you let Xelloss appear in the episodes of Slayers Special series?"
K : If I did, the episode will have a lot of troubles.
T : I suppose that this question means "why there isn't a spin-off of Xelloss? There were the spin-offs of Zelgadiss and Amelia in the books of Slayers Special."
K : Because when I wrote a serious story of Xelloss, it could be very dark, and I don't want to write such a dark story.
T : I think that many Slayers fans want to read such dark stories. But I know that Mr. Kanzaka won't write the story in the way requested by the fans. So, you'd better not to expect too much.
(There are questions and answers over other works by Mr. Kanzaka, but I omit them.)
T : ... There is no more questions and answers for this interview. And now we want to talk about new TV anime of Slayers after eleven years of interval. What did you feel when you heard that they would make the new TV anime of Slayers?
K : To tell the truth, it isn't first plan for them to make a new anime of Slayers after "Slayers TRY". Therefore, when I heard of the plan this time, I thought "oh, here comes another plan", and when I heard that project was confirmed, I wasn't surprised so much.
T : This interview is held on February 23rd, and it isn't announced that there will be new Slayers TV anime yet. We can't imagine how the fans will feel when they know of the news. But, Megumi Hayashibara gave several tantalizing comments on the radio and I have left several messages as the alternative text for the image in the top page of the official site of "Mega Bland Kikaku". Slayers fans felt something and they are now talking "something will come this year" in the internet. But those fans analyze the situation calmly and they say "it is impossible that they will make a new TV anime". Their most likely expection is "there will be a new movie in this autumn". If I considered the situation as only one fan of Slayers, I wouldn't think that there could be the new TV anime of Slayers.
K : I agree with you. However, recent situation in the anime industry, there are many unexpected TV anime. Slayers can be one of them.
T : Once I was in the anime industry and I experienced to sell the anime. Through those experience, I can understand the current of the industry to pick up the unexpected novels or comics as the next TV anime. I imagine that they talked "Slayers could be safer as the new TV anime than other comics or novel series".
K : Last year, they sold the new DVD-boxes and they sold well. It could be one of good reason for them to decide making the new TV anime of Slayers.
T : Anyway, they have decided to make the new TV anime of Slayers. Only we can do now is that they would make a good one.
K : Even though I will check the scenarios, there is a limit. I can't see how they direct it and I can't expect what anime it would be. Only I can do is to trust the good jobs of the anime creators.
T : So it's better for us to wait for the new TV anime to come. Oh, the new book of Blaster! will come out in August and the TV anime will be released in July. I hope that there will be a lot of new fans and those who have left Slayers and will come back watching the new TV anime, and they will read this book.
K : I hope that the new TV anime will invite many new fans.
T : Don't worry! There will be many fans of Hajime Kanzaka!
K : Anyway there will be no new readers who point out the similarity of the scene of Lina's casting a Fireball with the bescrption in "D&D".
T : I agree with you. LOL |
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