Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		2.5

The Familiar of Zero: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie Review

Familiar is right.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 26, 2014

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, there are some overly sincere flatterers at work in the entertainment industry. No matter what the medium—film, television, music, even art—when something succeeds, a torrent of also rans quickly appears that often mirrors major aspects of the original piece. Television may be the most visible medium to be afflicted by this tendency, due perhaps to the immense need for “product” to stock the virtual shelves of 24/7 broadcast cycles, and also due at least partially to the fact that, back in the days of the broadcast networks’ dominance anyway, there wasn’t anything else to watch on the boob tube than what ABC, CBS and NBC deigned fit to provide to the viewer. The family comedies and westerns of the 1950s were all largely interchangeable, and many—like the westerns all shot on the Warner backlot—even had a visual similarity. Little crazes also broke out occasionally, like the mid-sixties’ success of Bewitched that soon fostered I Dream of Jeannie, or the “rural” comedies that took over CBS during this same period. But there may be no more repetitive genre within the already sometimes stultifying world of television than anime. Even the most ardent anime fans will probably admit—maybe under duress— that this genre has an almost insane number of tropes that various shows tend to utilize. Whether it’s post-apocalyptic dystopia or mecha or a tsundere offering up her best snark to some hapless male, anime tends to traffic in types, categories and general structures that on one level provide some comfort in the familiar while at the same time tending to become monotonous when not handled effectively or creatively enough. It’s hard to know where to begin with some of the recycled elements that show up in The Familiar of Zero, an appealing enough if often pretty middling entry that is culled from a series of light novels by Yamaguchi Noboru. With a quasi-medieval setting that may recall shows like Spice and Wolf: Season One, passing references to pseudo-European countries that may remind others of entries like Strike Witches: Season 1, and a bickering relationship between a magically endowed raven haired girl and her hapless mortal male “assistant” that is more than a bit reminiscent of Shakugan no Shana: Season 1, there’s certainly no dearth of baseline material in this series. While it ambles along with a general air of affability, there may simply be too much of the “familiar” in this Familiar of Zero to ever make it stand out from the pack.

The “zero” part of The Familiar of Zero actually pertains to one of the series’ two main characters, in this case second year magical academy student Louise Vallière, a girl whose lack of spell weaving acumen has branded her with the nickname “Louise the Zero”. Louise has a tendency to blow things up whenever she weaves her magic wand, and she is the butt of fairly prevalent jokes by others in her class, including a bevy of overly buxom young females who might be thought of as the magical equivalent of “mean girls”. Part of the second year curriculum involves the magical students each summoning their “familiar”, a kind of totemic creature which will then accompany them through their lives and be their acolyte and helpmate. Most of the young magicians summon otherworldly creatures like a flame emitting salamander or a giant eyeball that looks like it leapt out of a nearby Salvador Dali painting. Louise’s summoning seems to go horribly awry when in a poof of smoke, a young human boy named Saito Hiraga shows up.

While The Familiar of Zero doesn’t make it entirely clear until near the end of the first episode, Louise’s world is in fact not Earth, and as it turns out, Saito is an Earthling. The first episode actually traverses this territory rather smartly, having Saito and Louise encounter difficulties in understanding each other’s language until Louise, in attempting to craft a “shut up” spell on the talkative (and complaining) Saito, manages to inadvertently create a translational spell that allows them to finally understand each other. If not a traditional tsundere, Louise is at least a bit on the spoiled brat side, expecting Saito to simply do her bidding without asking any questions. That leads to an environment of bickering and bantering that informs most if not all episodes. There’s actually a kind of disturbing subtext of slavery here, though, with Saito getting a chain around his neck to keep him in line, and Louise barking out orders to him as if he were nothing more than mere chattel.

The Familiar of Zero trundles down a fairly well worn path, with both shōnen and even harem aspects coming to the fore as Saito attempts to matriculate into the world of the magical academy while also fending off the advances of some of Louise’s female cohorts. There's some passing if relatively minor fan service thrown into the mix courtesy of some of the babelicious students at the magical academy, as well as a running gag that finds Saito repeatedly having to wash Louise's panties. Of course it turns out that Louise may have more going for her than originally thought, and Saito’s unexpected appearance may also be somewhat fateful, with a predictable partnership helping them both to overcome inherent weaknesses in order to forge a more productive team. The Familiar of Zero deals with all of these elements in a fairly straightforward and even charming manner, but there’s nothing really distinctive here that will instantly jump out to most anime fans as something truly unique and interesting. There’s a low key magic simmering just beneath the surface in The Familiar of Zero, but like the series’ “zero” herself, Louise, it struggles to really make much of an impact.

The Familiar of Zero: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Familiar of Zero is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Sentai Filmworks with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This older series was produced before native HD became the standard for video, and therefore the visual appearance here is, like the series itself, kind of middling. While this doesn't show the worst side of upscaling, like stairstepping on line detail, colors aren't especially vivid and the whole series just lacks sharpness and pop. Contrast isn't especially strong, and many scenes seem to look like they have a milky white overlay covering them. There is also noticeable banding in fine gradients, especially during fades. When coupled with a resolutely traditional animation style, The Familiar of Zero is "okay" looking, but not much more.

The Familiar of Zero: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Familiar of Zero features Japanese and English language versions delivered via DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Aside from the voice work, the mixes here are largely identical. Both tracks offer good fidelity which reproduces the easy to hear dialogue cleanly and clearly, along with the occasional sound effect (especially when Louise's magic backfires) and underscore. There is no damage to report.

The Familiar of Zero: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Extended Episode Previews (1080p; 6:57)


• Japanese Promos (1080p; 5:25)


• Clean Opening Animation (1080p; 1:32)


• Clean Closing Animation (1080p; 1:32)

The Familiar of Zero: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Familiar of Zero isn't the worst anime combining elements from lots of other projects, and taken on its own terms, it's sweet enough. But there's nothing here that diehard fans won't have already seen in scores of other properties, often presented in a more engaging style than in this particular outing. The Familiar of Zero ends up being an agreeable enough time killer, but rarely anything else. The technical merits here are okay if not stellar, so fans of the series will probably be generally pleased with if not blown away by its high definition presentation.