Slayers Next is easily the best of the three Slayers series and as a standalone is still an absolutely fantastic anime. Featuring a plot that kicks the others in the groin and punches them in the face while they're keeled over, Slayers Next is also much funnier and has an equally deep romantic story to go along with it (though slightly predictable at times). The story, while leaps and bounds ahead of the others', is still just a device used to further the comedic filler episodes. Oh how much I looked forward to the filler. Slayers Next is the funniest of the three, and is almost on par with Fruits Basket (but not close to Azumanga Daioh)... almost.

The animation, however, is still as lousy as the first Slayers series. The animation quality, of course, will never effect my rating of a series unless it's totally craptacular (see: URDA).