Zero No Tsukaimi (The Familiar of Zero)
Louise “The Zero” is one scary girl. In the land of The Familiar of Zero, anyone who can cast a spell is considered a noble and put into mage training. Those who cannot cast spells are considered inferior and unworthy of a title.
During the second year of training, you’re required to summon what’s called a familiar. When the main character, Louise de la Vallière, tries to do this, she ends up summoning a boy from Tokyo named Saito. Throughout the series Louise learns more about her magic, and Saito battles with whether he belongs in this world or his own.
What separates The Familiar of Zero from other harem comedies is how they portray classic jokes, typical to the genre. An example would be Saito’s love for large breasts. Since our main character is flat-chested, Saito is often punished when he looks at other, more endowed women. The way these simple jokes are turned into something more complex allows for great laughs and make you feel like you’re a part of the story.
The series loveable characters are the most exciting aspect of The Familiar of Zero. The series allows you to select a character you like, and no matter whom you choose, you will always get a small taste of who they are. The plot intertwines so well with the comedic aspect of the series that the jokes seem to slip right in to the story. This is something most harem shows do poorly. After the first season of The Familiar of Zero, the director of the series switches and the series goes downhill.
After the end of season one, Yoshiaki Iwasaki, best known for his work on Love Hina, switches places with Yū Kō, who directed Loveless. The story is ridiculously slow paced with almost all plot advancements relying on *deus ex machina. On top of that, no new jokes were introduced, making the show excruciatingly repetitious.
Midway through, Yū Kō realized his mistakes and decided to stick to the plot instead of a balance of plot and comedy. While the later seasons are not pure torture, they’re hardly comparable to the beginning of the series.
Bottom Line: C
Studio(s): J.C.Staff
Director: Yoshiaki Iwasaki, Yū Kō
Licensor: Geneon
No. of episodes: 37
Anime 3000 reviews anime, manga, and games based on specific criteria designated by each medium's respective editor. Anime is reviewed on a scale from F to A+. Series or movies that receive a score of A- or above are considered outstanding, B- to B+ recommendable, C- to C+ average, D- to D+ unrecommended, and F terrible
All in all: An average series at best, but it’s fun to watch if you have nothing better to do.
Did you hear that?: The Familiar of Zero’s rumored fourth season has been abuzz since the ending of season three. Unfortunately, there has been no official news from J.C. Staff about the matter.
Reading material: The Familiar of Zero is actually based on a series of novels written by Noburo Yamaguchi, and are currently available from Seven Seas. Yamaguchi is also responsible the novel adaptation of the infamous Strike Witches.
*Deus ex machina: an inferior plot device that expeditiously solves the conflict of a narrative.
