is a Japanese fantasy light novel series written by Noboru Yamaguchi, with illustrations by Eiji Usatsuka. Media Factory published 20 volumes between June 2004 and February 2011. The series was left unfinished due to the author's death in 2013, but was later concluded in two volumes released in February 2016 and February 2017 with a different author, making use of notes left behind by Yamaguchi. The story features several characters from the second year class of a magic academy in a fictional magical world with the main characters being the inept mage Louise and her familiar from Earth, Saito Hiraga.
Between 2006 and 2012, the series was adapted by J.C.Staff into four anime television series and an additional original video animation episode. The first anime series was licensed by Geneon Entertainment in English, but the license expired in 2011. Sentai Filmworks has since re-licensed and re-released the first series and released the other three series in North America. A manga adaptation illustrated by Nana Mochizuki was serialized in Media Factory's manga magazine Monthly Comic Alive between June 2006 and October 2009. A sequel manga was serialized from January 2010 to March 2013. Both manga were released by Seven Seas Entertainment in North America. Two additional spin-off manga were also created, as were three visual novels.
Synopsis
Setting
Halkeginia is the continent that the story of The Familiar of Zero takes place on. Halkeginia's social structure is similar to the feudal class systems of Europe in the Middle Ages, with magic-users being considered nobles. The continent itself is vaguely reminiscent in shape to western Europe, with many of the countries carrying ancient and Roman names. Tristain is the nation in which the majority of the story takes place. It is a small monarchical country located in the northwest of Halkeginia and has come under threat from Albion. Tristain is home to a highly acclaimed magical academy known as the Tristain Academy of Magic, which attracts students from nearby countries. Militarily, the country is weak, with only a small permanent force, which forces it to make marriage alliances with other countries. The capital city is . The country resembles Belgium. Germania is the largest kingdom in Halkeginia, and is also regarded as the strongest in terms of military might. It is regarded as a more barbaric and down-to-earth type of country, with its men considered to be brutish. Germania is located to the northeast of Tristain. Germania is the ancient Roman name for the region that is now Germany; the natives were at the time considered by the Romans to be barbarians. The country resembles Germany. Gallia is another kingdom in Halkeginia, located to the southeast of Tristania. Germania is on its eastern border, in the Alden Forest. It is the second largest country in Halkeginia. Within the Gallia Royal Family, murders and assassination attempts have led to an unstable royalty. There is a city named La Rochelle in the mountains, which is a major port. The capital city is Beautis. Gallia is reminiscent of modern-day France, which in the Roman era was called Gaul (Gallia in Latin). One of its palace/fortresses is called Alhambra Castle, named after the palace/fortress complex in Granada, Spain. Albion , nicknamed the white country, is an island nation which is in a period of political strife. According to the storyline, a group of nobles known as Reconquista initiated a coup d'etat against the royalty, and over the course of the story, succeed in killing the entire Albion Royal Family. Cromwell, the leader of the Albion rebellion, seeks to spread his power elsewhere, and begins by attacking Tristain. Albion is the ancient Greek name for the main island of Great Britain upon which are the modern nations England, Wales, and Scotland. The capital city of Albion is Londinium. Cromwell is named after the leader of the Roundheads during the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell, who successfully ousted the Monarchy, establishing a brief reign as Lord Protector until his death in 1658 prior to the return of Charles II. Romalia is a holy empire, located to the south of Gallia. There lies a city called Aquileia. Reminiscent of Italy, and specifically the Papal States (and the Vatican City; it is mentioned that they have a pope and officials who are bound to celibacy), which once controlled much of central and northern Italy.
Magic The nobles of Halkeginia are magicians known as "mages" or "magi", and must use a wand or a staff to cast spells. Not all magi are nobles, as some have been forcibly demoted or given up their nobility and use their magic for thievery or to work as mercenaries.
There are four primary magic elements, corresponding to the four Classical elements: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. Magi have an affinity to one of those elements. There is a fifth element, the legendary lost branch of element, known as Void. Magi can combine different magical elements or even stack the same element on top of itself to make spells more powerful. The power of a mage is determined by how many elements he or she can combine. There are four ranks of magician based upon this factor. Those who cannot combine any element together have the first rank, which is symbolized as a dot. Most magic students are in this class. The ability to combine two, three or four elements together leads to a magic user being referred to as a line, triangle, or square mage.
One of the major themes is that humans and technology from Earth displaced into the world of Halkeginia are considered to be highly magical, since Halkeginia itself has relatively primitive science and technology. For example, a magical item called the "Staff of Destruction" is, in reality, a human-made Vietnam-era M72 LAW rocket launcher. Other examples of Earth technology, often weaponry, appear throughout the story, such as a World War II era Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter plane.
Plot Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière is a member of the nobility who is terrible at magic, as her attempts usually result in an explosion. She is nicknamed "Louise the Zero" by her classmates, due to her inability to use any of the four magic elements. Early in the school year at the Tristain Academy of Magic, the second year students perform a special ritual where they summon their familiar, which serves as their eternal companion, protector and partner, and is usually some sort of magical creature. But Louise summons Saito Hiraga, an ordinary teenage boy from Japan, leaving her totally humiliated.
Due to the sacredness of the ritual (which makes it blasphemous to do it more than once), Louise reluctantly accepts Saito as her familiar, but proceeds to treat Saito as any other familiar, only worse: making him wash her clothes and sleep on a bed of hay, and whipping him with a riding crop whenever he upsets her. The Familiar of Zero follows the adventures of Louise and Saito as they help their classmates and friends, while occasionally blundering into situations where they risk their lives to save one another and Tristain. Saito tries to find a way to get back to Japan, but he also gains a mysterious power that allows him to wield swords and other weapons to perform heroic feats. They also eventually learn the truth behind Louise's magic (in)abilities. As Saito's and Louise's friendship grows and they start to work together, they ultimately fall in love with each other.
Media Light novels The Familiar of Zero began as a series of light novels written by Noboru Yamaguchi and illustrated by Eiji Usatsuka under the original title Zero no Tsukaima. Media Factory published 20 volumes in Japan between June 25, 2004, and February 25, 2011. Further publication was threatened by Yamaguchi's advanced cancer, which he died from on April 4, 2013, leaving the series unfinished. Yamaguchi had planned the series to end with 22 volumes. However, it was later decided by the publisher to continue the series in the author's absence, due in part to calls from fans to continue the series, as well as Yamaguchi's family wanting to see it completed. Yamaguchi had dictated the remaining plot of the series, including its ending, and entrusted it to the editors. Media Factory released volume 21 on February 25, 2016, and the final volume 22 on February 24, 2017. Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the series in 2007 under the title Zero's Familiar, but later cancelled the release of the novels before releasing any.
A side-story, Zero no Tsukaima Gaiden: Tabatha no Bōken, initially available as a mobile phone online serial, was released in three volumes between October 25, 2006, and March 25, 2009. It centers on the adventures of the character Tabitha, Louise's classmate. Another side story, Kaze no Kishihime, was released in two volumes on October 23, 2009, and March 25, 2010. It is a prequel about Louise's mother's youth. A companion volume, Zero no Tsukaima Memorial Book, was released on June 24, 2017. It collected various short stories and illustrations previously unpublished in book format, as well as character designs and other information, such as outlines for volumes 21 and 22 left behind by Yamaguchi. It also revealed that the last two volumes of the series were written by Yū Shimizu, author of Bladedance of Elementalers, using Yamaguchi's notes.
Manga A manga series illustrated by Nana Mochizuki was serialized in the Japanese seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Alive between the August 2006 (Monthly Comic Alive debut issue, released on June 27) and October 2009 issues, published by Media Factory. Seven volumes were released by Media Factory under their MF Comics imprint. The manga was licensed in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment under the title Zero's Familiar, and released in three omnibus volumes. The manga was also licensed by Elex Media Komputindo in Indonesia and released up to volume three in English under the title The Familiar of Zero, and in the Czech Republic by Zoner Press.
A sequel series, illustrated by Higa Yukari and titled Zero no Tsukaima Chevalier, was serialized between the March 2010 and May 2013 issues of Comic Alive and later compiled in four volumes. It was also released in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment under the name Zero's Familiar: Chevalier. Two spin-offs were serialized in Comic Alive: Zero no Tsukaima Gaiden: Tabatha no Bōken (a series primarily about Tabitha and her adventures) by Takuto Kon, which was serialized between December 2007 and August 2010 issues and compiled in five volumes, and Zero no Chukaima: Yōchien nano! (in which all of The Familiar of Zero characters are depicted as kindergarten children) by Takamura Masaya, serialized between September 2009 and March 2012 and compiled in three volumes. Nine volumes of the official anthology manga were published between August 23, 2007, and September 23, 2008.
Anime