Grimoire of Zero

Grimoire of Zero
The cover of the first light novel, featuring the character Zero.
ゼロから始める魔法の書
(Zero kara Hajimeru Mahō no Sho)
Genre Fantasy[1]
Light novel
Written by Kakeru Kobashiri
Illustrated by Yoshinori Shizuma
Published by ASCII Media Works
Demographic Male
Imprint Dengeki Bunko
Original run February 8, 2014 – December 9, 2017
Volumes 11
Manga
Written by Kakeru Kobashiri
Illustrated by Takashi Iwasaki
Published by ASCII Media Works
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Dengeki Maoh
Original run December 27, 2014 – present
Volumes 5
Manga
Zero kara Hajimeru Mahō no Sho Nano!
Written by Yasuoka
Published by ASCII Media Works
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Dengeki Maoh
Original run October 27, 2015 – present
Anime television series
Directed by Tetsuo Hirakawa
Produced by Hitoshi Kawamura
Yusuke Yoshioka
Koji Hyakutake
Fumiki Yamazaki
Mika Shimizu
Hirotaka Kaneko
Takema Okamura
Written by Tetsuo Hirakawa
Music by Akito Matsuda
Studio White Fox
Licensed by
Original network AT-X, Tokyo MX, SUN, KBS, BS Fuji
Original run April 10, 2017 – June 26, 2017
Episodes 12

Grimoire of Zero (ゼロから始める魔法の書, Zero kara Hajimeru Mahō no Sho, lit. Starting the Magical Book from Zero) is a Japanese light novel series written by Kakeru Kobashiri and illustrated by Yoshinori Shizuma.[2] The light novel won Grand Prize at the 20th annual Dengeki Novel Awards.[3] ASCII Media Works has published nine volumes since February 2014.[4] The series has received a manga adaptation illustrated by Takashi Iwasaki.[5] A spinoff manga series, Zero kara Hajimeru Mahō no Sho Nano! (ゼロから始める魔法の書なの) has also been published and illustrated by Yasuoka.[6] An anime television series adaptation by White Fox aired between April 10, 2017 and June 26, 2017.[7]

Plot

It is the year 526 of the Liturgical calendar. Witches and their sorcery are notorious throughout the land, though knowledge of the existence of magic remains elusive.

A half-man, half-beast mercenary, his kind scorned by the populace, dreams day and night of becoming a human. His fateful encounter one day with a witch by the name of Zero however, turns his dreams into reality. She offers to turn him human if he will escort her as her guard on her search for a magical tome, one that possessed powerful knowledge which could wreak havoc in the wrong hands. The two begin their travels with this agreement binding them together, with the mercenary serving as Zero's protector though he despises her kind.

Characters

Zero (ゼロ)
Voiced by: Yumiri Hanamori (Japanese); Amanda Lee (English)[8][9]
The title character. She is a witch, child-like in appearance, but presumably much older. She is proficient in both Sorcery and Magic, having developed the latter. Despite her immense knowledge, she is clueless with regards to basic knowledge, such as the value of gems and monetary transactions. Situations that may normally embarrass others, hold no problem for her. She employed Mercenary, after promising to grant him his true human form. Zero has shown an interest in growing closer to him as the series progresses. At the end of the novel series, the two of them marry and open their own tavern in his village. She also seems to prefer the comfort of Mercenary's stomach fur to that of a real bed.
Mercenary (傭兵, Yōhei)
Voiced by: Tsuyoshi Koyama (Japanese); Jason Douglas (English)[8][9]
One of the main characters. He is a Beastfallen; people who are born cursed with the partial appearance of an animal. In his case it's a giant white tiger. It is revealed early on that Beastfallen were created by witches as soldiers. Whenever they were killed, the power that created them would return to the witch. However, if the witch was dead, it would pass on to her descendants making them Beastfallen. He is extremely proficient in fighting as well as cooking. The Mercenary has stated that it is his dream to one day open a tavern when he is human. Physically, he can outweigh most humans as well as even several Beastfallen. Despite being mistreated in his life, he has maintained himself as a better person. He has a gruff attitude, but is in fact a very kind person. He maintains this gruff demeanor and in a few cases, amplifies it, to make sure people remain wary of him and other Beastfallen who are not as kind as they have likely suffered abuse. His name remains unknown, as he was warned by Zero not to give his name out to witches who could use his name to control him. Since then, he has been referred to simply as Mercenary.
Albus (アルバス, Arubasu)
Voiced by: Yō Taichi (Japanese); Chelsea McCurdy (English)[8][9]
A young girl who is a witch. She is Sorena's granddaughter and disguised herself as a boy to conceal her lineage. She initially attempted to try and kill Mercenary in order to take his head for a ritual that would increase her power. However, Albus was stopped by Zero and has since joined them. Despite this she occasionally jokes that she'll take Mercenary's head only to draw the latter's ire. She idolizes Zero as she is the one who wrote 'The Grimoire of Zero', a book that discusses the secrets of 'Magic', a new, different and efficient form of power utilized by Witches alongside Sorcery.
Holdem (ホルデム, Horudemu)
Voiced by: Masayuki Katō (Japanese); David Wald (English)[10][9]
A werewolf Beastfallen. He was originally a prince who ran away from his family when he was caught having an affair and ended up living with Sorena. He asked Sorena to make him a Beastfallen to hide his royal lineage so that he could live out his life in peace. He was entrusted with taking care of Sorena's granddaughter (later revealed to be Albus) after Sorena was executed.
Thirteen (十三番, Jūsanban)
Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu (Japanese); Ian Sinclair (English)[10][9]
The main antagonist. He is an old associate of Zero's, later revealed to be her older brother, who was the only other survivor aside from Zero of the massacre that led to the theft of the Grimoire of Zero. Alike Zero and Albus, Thirteen does not use his real name and opts for his alias. Thirteen's main personality trait is his deadpan face and low voice. Despite this, he shares Zero's mannerisms when it comes to food including being punctual about meals. Since leaving the cave behind, he has become a Court Mage for a local kingdom in hopes of squashing the rogue mages who have learned magic from the Grimoire. However, his motives have come into question as he is manipulating the people in the kingdom he works for.
Sorena (ソーレナ)
Voiced by: Yoshiko Sakakibara (Japanese); Melissa Pritchett (English)[9]
Sorena was the representative of the Mooncaller lineage and a great witch. While she used her power to help others, she was wrongly burned at stake after humans mistakenly blamed her for spreading a plague. Her death triggered the rebellion by the witches in the Kingdom of Wenias, causing humanity to hunt the Witches. It was later revealed by Thirteen that the plague that Sorena was blamed for was actually started by accident thanks to an unnamed novice witch.

Media

Light novels

The light novels are written by Kakeru Kobashiri and illustrated by Yoshinori Shizuma. The series won the grand prize at the 20th Dengeki Novel Awards in 2013.[8] ASCII Media Works began publishing the series under its Dengeki Bunko imprint in February 2014,[2] and eleven volumes have been published to date.

No.TitleJapanese release dateJapanese ISBN
1Zero kara Hajimeru Mahō no Sho (ゼロから始める魔法の書)February 8, 2014[11] ISBN 978-4-04-866312-0
2Akudiosu no Seijo (Jō) (アクディオスの聖女〈上〉)November 8, 2014[12] ISBN 978-4-04-866649-7
3Akudiosu no Seijo (Ge) (アクディオスの聖女〈下〉)February 10, 2015[13] ISBN 978-4-04-869256-4
4Kokuryū Tō no Maki (黒竜島の魔姫)August 8, 2015[14] ISBN 978-4-04-865306-0
5Rakuen no Hakamori (楽園の墓守)December 10, 2015[15] ISBN 978-4-04-865565-1
6Yomitsuki no Majo (Jō) (詠月の魔女〈上〉)April 9, 2016[16] ISBN 978-4-04-865913-0
7Yomitsuki no Majo (Ge) (詠月の魔女〈下〉)August 10, 2016[17] ISBN 978-4-04-892276-0
8Kinshokan no Shisho (禁書館の司書)December 10, 2016[18] ISBN 978-4-04-892539-6
9Zero no Yōhei (Jō) (ゼロの傭兵〈上〉)April 8, 2017[19] ISBN 978-4-04-892824-3
10ゼロから始める魔法の書X −ゼロの傭兵〈下〉August 10, 2017[20] ISBN 978-4-04-893274-5
11ゼロから始める魔法の書XI ―獣と魔女の村づくり―December 9, 2017[21] ISBN 978-4-04-893521-0

Manga

A manga adaptation by Takeshi Iwasaki has been serialized in ASCII Media Works' seinen manga magazine Dengeki Maoh since 2014.[8]

No.Japanese release dateJapanese ISBN
1 May 9, 2015[22] ISBN 978-4-04-865235-3
2 October 10, 2015[23] ISBN 978-4-04-865433-3
3 March 10, 2016[24] ISBN 978-4-04-865849-2
4 August 10, 2016[25] ISBN 978-4-04-892271-5
5 January 10, 2017[26] ISBN 978-4-04-892618-8

Yasutake launched a spinoff manga, titled Zero Kara Hajimeru Mahō no Sho nano! (ゼロから始める魔法の書 なの！), in Dengeki Maoh on October 27, 2015.[27][8]

Anime

An anime television series adaptation was announced at the Dengeki Fall Festival on October 2, 2016.[8][28] The series is directed by Tetsuo Hirakawa and animated by the studio White Fox.[8] Ryosuke Kimiya and Daisuke Mataga provided character designs for the anime.[8] The series aired from April 10, 2017[29] to June 26, 2017. The anime ran for 12 episodes.[30] The opening theme titled "Hakken-sha wa Watashi" (発見者はワタシ) is performed by Tapimiru and the ending theme titled "Hajimari no Shirushi" (はじまりのしるし) is performed by Chima.[29] Sentai Filmworks have licensed the anime and it was streamed on Amazon Anime Strike.[31] MVM Films will release the series in the United Kingdom.[32]

No. Title[lower-alpha 1] Original air date
1 "The Witch and the Beastfallen"
"Majo to Kemono Ochi" (魔女と獣堕ち) 		April 10, 2017
An unnamed White Tiger Beastfallen mercenary finds himself constantly on the run from bounty hunters and witches, when he stumbles across a little girl who traps his latest attacker in a mud prison. Despite his initial suspicions, he decides to work as her bodyguard. The next day, the witch tells the Mercenary the difference between "sorcery" and "magic," and uses her knowledge to negate the spell of a boy who attacks them. She later reveals herself to be "Zero," the witch who wrote the grimoire that the boy and his comrades used to learn magic. 
2 "Witch-Hunting"
"Majogari" (魔女狩り) 		April 17, 2017
The boy, Albus, accepts his defeat and decides to join the Mercenary and Zero on their trip. When they stop at a nearby stream to rest, Albus spots a ring in the water and keeps it. The group tries to rest in a nearby village, but after seeing the ring, the villagers accuse Albus of stealing it. When Albus responds by defending an infamous witch, the villagers turn hostile and try to hunt them down. Not wanting to get the higher authorities involved, the Mercenary runs away with the two witches. Just as they appear to be cornered, an old lady helps them escape, revealing herself to be a witch who gave up her powers to marry a normal human, with the ring Albus found as a wedding gift. 
3 "Duel"
"Kettō" (決闘) 		April 24, 2017
The trio arrive in Formicum as the Mercenary demands that Zero buy herself a new outfit. After some awkward scenes at a shop, the tailor gleefully accepts Zero's old robe as payment for her new outfit. Later, the group struggles to find a room for the night. After the Mercenary rescues a girl in an alley, a wolf-like Beastfallen points him towards a hotel that accepts non-humans. The Mercenary sneaks out, with Zero close behind, but the wolf-man reappears, offering to trade his three "witches" for Zero. The Mercenary refuses, suspecting that they are just normal slave girls, instead following the wolf-man back home to free them. However, the wolf-man spots him, and challenges him to a duel. The Mercenary knocks him unconscious and frees the girls, while Zero strips the wolf-man of the fur on his upper half and tail. 
4 "The Road to Latette"
"Ratetto e no dōchū" (ラテットへの道中) 		May 1, 2017
After settling some business in Formicum, the group continues their journey. Zero continues growing from her sheltered life, as she tries to understand what a "kiss" is from an embarrassed Mercenary. Albus learns from Zero how to use sorcery to catch fish. Later that night, the Mercenary discusses his dream of opening a tavern when he's human, and the group all discuss their respective pasts. Albus mentions that his parents died in a witch-hunt, while Zero barely remembers her parents from spending her life in a cave studying sorcery. As the group finally reaches Latette by daybreak, they are shocked to discover all the people in the town appear to be dead. 
5 "The Sorcerers of Zero"
"Zero no majutsu shidan" (ゼロの魔術師団) 		May 8, 2017
As the group surveys the town of dead people, Zero notes that multiple types of magic were used against the people, but most of the buildings were left standing. After being unable to find the original Grimoire of Zero, Albus finds a wounded old man who tells him of a sorcerer who seemed nearly impervious to attack. From his description and the appearance of dead mages who had their magic stolen, Zero deduces that it was another mage named Thirteen. Suddenly, the Mercenary finds himself in a magic trap until Zero helps him escape. The trio suddenly find themselves in a basement where Thirteen appears, telling them he was hired by the king to kill a town full of rebellious mages in return for his help in searching for the Grimoire. Zero and Thirteen then engage in a battle of magic, with the Mercenary trying to end it quickly. 
6 "Thirteen"
"Jūsanban" (十三番) 		May 15, 2017
Zero and Thirteen abruptly stop their fight when they hear a dinner bell. Thirteen leads the group to the dining hall, as he reveals the trap transported the group to the royal castle in Plasta, the capital. During their meal, Thirteen and Zero reveal that they have both been searching for the Grimoire that Zero created in the cave, as it was stolen by their master who killed all of the other witches who lived there. Thirteen then offers Albus a chance to join him or be burned at the stake. Later that night, Thirteen offers the Mercenary a potion that will turn him human, and claims that Zero has been using him. When the Mercenary runs into Zero later, she berates him for being deceived by Thirteen and abruptly terminates their contract. 
7 "Plasta, the Royal Capital"
"Ōto purasuta" (王都プラスタ) 		May 22, 2017
As Plasta prepares for a festival, the Mercenary stops to help out a tavern girl. He later leaves after finding out the girl and her father hate Beastfallen, knocking out several selfish Beastfallen drunks on his way out. Later, the Mercenary finds himself attacked by witches led by the werewolf Beastfallen from Formicum. The wolfman gets shot in the back while the Mercenary takes out the witches, until he gets shot in the stomach by a magic arrow. Back at the castle, Zero prepares to fight Thirteen until she suddenly coughs up blood as the Mercenary is magically healed. The Mercenary prepares to feast on the last remaining witch but stops himself. As he leaves the area, he comes across the wounded wolfman, who begs him for help for the sake of the great witch Sorena's granddaughter, who might hold the Grimoire of Zero. 
8 "Sorena's Granddaughter"
"Sōrena no magomusume" (ソーレナの孫娘) 		May 29, 2017
While recovering from his injuries, the wolf-man tells the Mercenary that he used to be a minor human noble named Holdem who fled his position after being caught having an affair with his brother's woman. After encountering Sorena in a forest, Holdem asked her to make him into a Beastfallen so he could stay with her and her granddaughter. Back at the castle, Zero finds herself unable to escape her room, while Albus refuses Thirteen's offer. The Mercenary overhears that Albus is going to be burned at the stake, and rushes to save him. Holdem is shocked to discover that Albus is actually Sorena's granddaughter, and the two Beastfallen stage a rescue. After the rescue party goes over a cliff, Thirteen is convinced that the Beastfallen and Albus are still alive, and sends assassins after them. 
9 "Reunion"
"Saikai" (再会) 		June 5, 2017
While the group recovers from their fall over a cliff, Albus proposes creating a large magical circle spanning around the country to cancel out all magic, thus removing the power of rogue mages without needing to kill anyone. Suddenly, the group is forced to escape from assassins sent by Thirteen. After escaping, they decide to head back to Formicum to use an old robe of Zero's in order for Albus to scry her current location. Albus finds that Zero is back in the castle in Plasta, held in a tower, so the Mercenary sets off to rescue her by climbing a steep rock face while Albus and Holdem begin to set up magic circles. However, the Sorcerers of Zero stop Albus as she finishes the second circle, inspired by her words during the execution before she was rescued. After Albus announces her intent to end magic forever, the group decides to put her on trial. 
10 "The Truth Revealed"
"Akasa re ta shinsō" (明かされた真相) 		June 12, 2017
The Mercenary finally breaks his way into the tower where Zero is being held, only to fall into a trap set by Thirteen. Meanwhile, Albus and Holdem are held captive by the surviving Sorcerers of Zero who receive word from their leader to prepare a spell powerful enough to kill Thirteen. The Mercenary awakens in a dungeon with Zero trapped in a magic-sealed cage. After being held down by Thirteen, the Mercenary realizes that he carried the Grimoire of Zero the whole time. Thirteen acted as both an official State Sorcerer and the leader of the Sorcerers of Zero in a plot to destroy them all for supposedly choosing to use their powers against humans instead of in harmony with them, claiming that doing so would bring about the "perfect world" that Zero wanted. The Mercenary provokes Thirteen into anger, then uses the potion he gave him earlier to destroy the cage holding Zero. Meanwhile, a sympathetic sorcerer frees Holdem, and Holdem tries to find a way to rescue Albus before the group carries out their attack. 
11 "The Witch and The Sorcerer"
"Majo to majutsu shi" (魔女と魔術師) 		June 19, 2017
Zero and Thirteen face off with Mercenary looking on casting identical spells. However, Zero's spells are stronger as she intentionally put subtle errors in the grimoire as a protection measure in case it fell into the wrong hands. With Zero about to be hit by a spell, Mercenary takes the attack, and Zero gets injured due to the blood contract she secretly implemented. Realizing that he will never surpass Zero, Thirteen gives up on his ambition and decides to help Zero seal the magic. Meanwhile, Albus is rescued by Holdem and the two escape Sorcerers of Zero, meeting up with Mercenary, Zero, and Thirteen. Having learned the truth that Thirteen is the revered Him, Albus tries to kill him not realizing that killing him means she disappears due to her blood contract. Thirteen nullifies the contract allowing her to kill him, but he asks Albus to give him a chance to fix the problems he caused. 
12 "The Grimoire of Zero"
"Zero kara hajimeru mahō no sho" (ゼロから始める魔法の書) 		June 26, 2017
With war in full force, Mercenary's group draws a magic circle at a designated point and meet up in the center. While Zero and Thirteen are performing the ritual, Mercenary and Holdem are protecting them. As the final part of the ritual, Mercenary's body is used as a vessel to seal the magic in Weinas, ending the war. Three days later, Mercenary wakes up and is still a Beastfallen because Zero's magic has weakened. Albus has Thirteen burned at stake in order to unite humanity, but the stake is set up so that Thirteen can secretly escape while the flames obscure the vision of the crowd. Zero and Mercenary go their separate ways and Albus kisses Mercenary much to Holdem's chagrin. Zero reveals that Thirteen is her older brother, while Zero talks about having a romantic relationship with Mercenary, but he insists that he is only there for her protection. 

Note

  1. ↑ All English titles are taken from Amazon Video.

References

  1. ↑ Green, Scott (October 3, 2016). "Witch Unleashed In First "Zero kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho" Anime Preview". Crunchyroll. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "ゼロから始める魔法の書｜電撃文庫公式サイト". 電撃文庫公式サイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-09-01.
  3. ↑ "ゼロから始める魔法の書". dengekitaisho.jp. Retrieved 2016-09-01.
  4. ↑ "ゼロから始める魔法の書IX ―ゼロの傭兵〈上〉―｜電撃文庫公式サイト". 電撃文庫公式サイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  5. ↑ "ゼロから始める魔法の書I｜電撃文庫公式サイト". 電撃文庫公式サイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-09-01.
  6. ↑ "ゼロから始める魔法の書 なの！". Retrieved 2016-09-01.
  7. ↑ "Anime 'Zero Kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho' Air Date and Web Radio Announced". Retrieved 2017-03-28.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Zero Kara Hajimeru Mahō no Sho Light Novels Get TV Anime in Spring 2017". Anime News Network. October 2, 2016. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ressler, Karen (May 22, 2018). "Grimoire of Zero English Dub Stars Jason Douglas, Amanda Lee". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  10. 1 2 "Zero Kara Hajimeru Mahō no Sho Anime Adds Cast, Reveals April Premiere". Anime News Network. January 27, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  11. ↑ ゼロから始める魔法の書. Dengeki Bunko (in Japanese). Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  12. ↑ ゼロから始める魔法の書II ―アクディオスの聖女〈上〉―. Dengeki Bunko (in Japanese). Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  13. ↑ ゼロから始める魔法の書III ―アクディオスの聖女〈下〉―. Dengeki Bunko (in Japanese). Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  14. ↑ ゼロから始める魔法の書IV ―黒竜島の魔姫―. Dengeki Bunko (in Japanese). Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  15. ↑ ゼロから始める魔法の書V ―楽園の墓守―. Dengeki Bunko (in Japanese). Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  16. ↑ ゼロから始める魔法の書VI ―詠月の魔女〈上〉―. Dengeki Bunko (in Japanese). Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  17. ↑ ゼロから始める魔法の書VII —詠月の魔女〈下〉—. Dengeki Bunko (in Japanese). Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  18. ↑ ゼロから始める魔法の書VIII —禁書館の司書—. Dengeki Bunko (in Japanese). Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  19. ↑ ゼロから始める魔法の書IX —ゼロの傭兵〈上〉—. Dengeki Bunko (in Japanese). Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  20. ↑ ゼロから始める魔法の書X −ゼロの傭兵〈下〉—. Dengeki Bunko (in Japanese). Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  21. ↑ ゼロから始める魔法の書XI ―獣と魔女の村づくり―. Dengeki Bunko (in Japanese). Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  22. ↑ ゼロから始める魔法の書I. Dengeki Bunko (in Japanese). Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  23. ↑ ゼロから始める魔法の書II. Dengeki Bunko (in Japanese). Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  24. ↑ ゼロから始める魔法の書III. Dengeki Bunko (in Japanese). Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  25. ↑ ゼロから始める魔法の書IV. Dengeki Bunko (in Japanese). Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  26. ↑ ゼロから始める魔法の書V. Tokyo Otaku Mode. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  27. ↑ マオウ10周年の読み切り祭りに田中久仁彦、武田すんら、新連載も一挙開始. Natalie (in Japanese). October 27, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  28. ↑ Green, Scott (October 2, 2016). "TV Anime To Adapt "Zero kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho" Dengeki Fantasy Light Novels". Crunchyroll. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  29. 1 2 "Grimoire of Zero TV Anime Reveals April 10 Premiere, Theme Song Artists". Anime News Network. March 12, 2017.
  30. ↑ "Grimoire of Zero TV Anime Gets 12 Episodes". Anime News Network. March 23, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  31. ↑ "Sentai Filmworks Licenses Grimoire of Zero, Kabukibu! Anime". Anime News Network. April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  32. ↑ "MVM Release Announcements". Anime News Network. May 27, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
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