The Familiar of Zero - Reviews

Watching this anime was the best. The characters voices in the dub were so funny I was laughing the entire episode after the first season; however, it switched to sub. Normally this would be good because sub is the way to go; however, the characters voices were other people's voices, and weren't as funny. If your not into that kind of thing go for sub.

I really just wished that they dubbed all four seasons. I love the plot and whatever it is going on between the MCs, but for people like me who only prefer dubbed anime let alone hate transitioning, this show is to interesting to be cut off like this.

Zero no Tsukaima...it is not good. From less than ten minutes into the first episode, I knew this was going to be bad. The scenes seemed forced, almost as if cramped for time. There are weird transitions from scene to scene, almost as if the producers decided on using the powerpoint "transitions" feature for...for...for what I can't possibly imagine. I'd not yet seen something so ridiculous. Consquently, I could not stop watching. And then about six episodes in, I fell in love with the characters, and the typical archetypes, and repitive gags. This is likely because my brain was turned to mush by subjecting my cerebral cortex to this visual pile of poo. And if another were to follow, I would watch that steamer too.

This is a romantic comedy anime. We have a tsundere female lead and a handsome male lead.And they are sooo damn cute together🥳🥳🥳

There is alot to like about this series.  If you put aside the over the top way over used harem cliche and a few other repetitive anime rehashes at least.  Most of the characters are likeable.  It is a bit confusing that even enemies of Zero treat him better than the person he is supposed to be in love with and that loves him.  This obviously means that he must be some kind of masochist but has yet to admit it or realize it.  If the show did reveal him to be a true masochist a bit more clearly it might not seem as weird that he likes the worst character in the entire story and the one to dislike the most.  Every now and then I might seem some vague hint that she isn't just some selfish, self centered, egotistical, overly jealous, dominatrix-like, abusive, sadistic, and complete biatch but that is rare.  She spends so much time either verbally abusing Zero or beating him or starving him or other wise mistreating him that it almost takes over the story as if that was all the story was about, but you do get glimpses of the story beyond that like the war and intrigues in the court.  It is no doubt the person who likes him most is either the maid or the princess and they both treat him 100 times better than the ill mannered brat known as Louise.  She is a character I love to hate and probably the most dispicable main good guy character in any anime ever made which is pretty bad because her nastiness surpasses all the idiotic perverts and letches so often seen in anime as good guy characters but they don't usually spend as much time abusing their so called friends or using them as tools.  There is honestly very little to like about Louise, sure she is cute and small and sometimes acts like a cute spoiled brat but her status takes her hissy fits over the top because Zero is always the but of her anger.

Frankly, the biggest reason why she is so dispicable is not just because shes abusive and beats him but because for a woman who CLAIMS so intensely of her love of Zero or rather reacts in such an over the top jealous nature at every turn, she does not trust him AT ALL.  Every opportunity she has to give him the benefit of the doubt she fails.  She always KNOWS in her own messed up mind that he cheats on her, which is a laugh because she spends most of the early parts of the series denying it, refusing to face it, or treating him more like a pet than a true love.  He is always going behind her back or doing things behind her back or so she is so sure of beyond even his own words.  It is only after she makes the biggest fiasco side show like blundering hissy fit beat down on him or often times days after the event that caused her anger that she begins to get a clear head but her appologies and actions there after are so reluctantly done it is hard to believe she has any sincerity in her so called appologies at all.  She never learns either.  Every episode or other episode is a repeat of a typical "Honeymooners" classic tv couples shake down between Ralph (Played by Louise) and Alice (played by Zero) only with bit more violence and abuse and a odd sense of hate and anger, which are also strange for a woman supposedly in love.  It is a bit repetitive and boring.  Usually characters develop, grow, evolve, change, adapt, or adjust in some way to address the things in their lives, she does not.  She never changes.  

The side show classic comedy routine with a strong air of abuse aside, the show is fairly original with some interesting characters.  All of which are a step above Louise because most of them do change and all of them treat Zero better.  It is nearly impossible to understand why Zero likes Louise at all let alone loves her.  Even as a masochist there should be some repreive sometimes LOL.  Anyway, there are a few intrigues afoot all across the modified European map this world is set in.  The sword in the stone angle is pretty interesting and done in a different way aka the magical sword, Zero acquires as if by destiny.  It clearly parallels in rather imaginative retelling way of excaliber, which is in a way reinforced by the setting.  There is a heavy emphasis on dragon riders and magic in the first season which sadly seems to fade a bit in the later seasons.  

The animation is ok but not top knotch because it is a bit too characature-esque.  That style is a bit too childish and youth oriented for this adult oriented type of story.  It also makes the relationship with Louise scream of Lolicon-ism or underage adult relations.  Louise appears strongly to be underage yet there are strong overtones of sexual inuendo and adult relations.  I really wish anime in general would get out of the tired old 12-16 year old major character fighting the worlds wars crap.  it was fun for a while but constantly kicking a dead horse is a bit much, every story doesn't need a teenie character doing epic global fighting and getting stronger garbage as if that is the only story plot to ever use.  Though this one is not clear on that range, they do appear to be aged within that over used plot point age range.  It makes most of the world feel left out.  

Most of the characters are pretty strong and interesting even if several of them get sparse screen time.  The princess is perhaps the most interesting character even better than Zero since his fetish is difficult to comprehend.  She for some reason is envious of Louise and I have to wonder if she has a secret desire to be a leather bound dominatrix like Louise seems to behave like or if she knows how nasty Louise is behind the scenes.  On the surface, I would say no, the Princess is far too nice and probably more loving, caring, and nice than anyone else in the series.  She herself doesnt look much more than a teenager but at least she has a reasonably adult and mature feel to her personality.  Mr. Colbert is an odd one and often feels like he doesn't belong in the fantasy world Zero is dragged into at all.  Most everything about him mirrors someone who is aware of the human original world and all its fascinating culture but has no means to fully enjoy it.  

The dashing blonde knight character is obviously a frequently reused character.  He appears almost exactly the same in the series "Log Horizon" as the would be bf of the bard and a new member of the guild created by the villain in glasses.  In fact as interesting as they are, several of the other characters like many anime, are seen in many anime.  Tabitha is another complex character though bits of her can be seen in many characters of other anime as well.  The manufactured girl in glasses with no emotion and into studying way too much.  Yes such a character appears in most anime in fact especially any that has teen characters or takes place in or near a school.  There is one more or less unique facet about her and that is her quirky yet plotting family who appear to be more enemy than blood related.  So her story takes twists and turns given her unique background.  You get a hint of this fairly early on regarding her closest familly members.  Louise's sisters are far more interesing than Louise.  One of them has a bit of a carefree and bubbly attitude the other seems a bit more distant but still caring.  

One thing I find strange other than the bizarre abuse Zero tolerates is, why does he not care to be educated?  I would think if I were transplanted to a new world that I knew nothing about, the very first thing I would want especially given where he landed, is to learn about it.  I guess that means he has a low sense of self survival?  Or he is an idiot, which makes sense give what he tolerates unreasonably.  Idiot or not he does appear to have decent qualities like concern for others and putting himself in harms way to help others and a few other such rather noble traits.  

The mystery of Louise's power is a bit too much of that.  It is almost as if the writers are stll struggling to imagine exactly what her powers are.  We are only given relatively vague hints even well into other seasons.  That aside, Zero has some strange yet strong skills that are also somewhat baffling but is seen in the epic fighting around the kingdom of Albion.  Though, he is not seen alot the character from Romalia is also pretty cool.  His land gives off the feel of the only nation not going nuts in one way or another.  Though Germania doesn't seem to be going off the deep end exactly either but it is less clear how stable it is compared to Romalia.  

The very first scene when Zero is summoned is a bit amusing.  For some reason summoning a human is seen as a failure yet some of the others summoned rather bland looking creatures of so so  powers.  It sort of makes you feel like there is a joke in there somewhere.  

I look forward to more seasons with the hope that something redeeming will be witnessed in Louise or if she will stay on the path of a hostile so called friend and partner with a strong sense of distrust of the one she supposedly loves most.