In 2004, alight novelwas released which would signal a major shift:TheFamiliar of Zero, often called by its Japanese titleZero no Tsukaima. It was initially released as a light novel penned by Noboro Yamaguchi, who tragically passed away in 2013 and entrusted the notes for the ending to his editors.The series would become one of the best isekai ever, and its ideas are fundamental to isekai as a genre. The series would end upspawning countless imitators across mainstream publishers and fan-fiction websites.
The Familiar of Zerofollows the story of a boy, Saito, who is summoned to be the familiar of Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Louise is a tiny pink-haired child of nobility and a student at the Tristain Academy of Magic. Her ineptitude with magic prompted her classmates to give her the nickname “Louise the Zero”. Although the two share a hostile relationship at first,a friendship and then romance slowly blossomsas Saito tries to get back to Japan.
The Familiar of ZeroHeralded Isekai’s Most Popular Features
Modern Isekai Descends From This Groundbreaking Anime
The Familiar of Zerowas by no means the first isekai. There have been countless famous series within its milieu. ConsiderInuyasha: its implementation of isekai elements would transcend the boundaries of what was considered doable in shoujo at the time. Nonetheless,The Familiar of Zerowasfoundational in establishing isekai as a mainstream genre, alongside defining its identity.
The series was essentiallythe first isekai to popularize the use of fantasy environments. While isekai prior had implemented elements of social and political depth,The Familiar of Zero’s emphasis on the nobility and the royal politics of its world would take this to a new height. The series was the first in isekai to truly build out the “other world” aspect. Its magical mechanics are deftly worked into this social and political order, cohering the “other world” and making it believable.
The Familiar of Zerosold this surprising complexity to the public by way of its lighthearted presentation. Combining comedy, ecchi, and harem elements,The Familiar of Zerolayers its political and magical drama under its flashy action and lovable cast. This synthetic approach would yield a fundamental link between isekai tropes and the shōnen demographic. Where isekai prior were somewhat sporadic in who they targeted and how,Zero’s exceptional influence would cement isekai as a genre with defining characteristics of action, romance, and (generally) comedy.
The Familiar of Zero’s Problematic Adaptation
The Foundational Anime Is Very Different From Its Source
However, fans ofFamiliar of Zerodraw a hard distinction between the light novel and anime. While the first season ofFamilar of Zerois relatively faithful to the light novel series, the following seasons strayed from the plot that Yamaguchi had laid out. The sequence of events in the anime was different from the light novel, with some scenarios never adapted.
The anime is often accused of outrageously exaggerating character traits, watering them down and depriving them of nuance. One frequent target of this accusation is Louise. Whiletsundereimplies a sweet interior with an aggressive and rough exterior,the anime veers much harder into her aggression. The anime version of Louise flirts with overbearing annoyance, but her light novel counterpart is more reasonable or, at the very least, expressive. Although the anime is still perfectly good, the differences fromTheFamiliar of Zero’s light novel will be surprising for its fans.
Isekai Has Never Been The Same - For Better And For Worse
Characters Like Louise And Saito Changed The Game
TheFamiliar of Zerofound itself as the starting point for countless emulations and derivations. While the light novel wasn’t perfect, the anime’s extreme presentation of characters would turn out to be a blessing and curse. The ideas inThe Familiar of Zeroproved to be a decisive turning point for isekai, and its intricate world, fantasy inspiration, and magic be picked up by other series just as much as its exaggerated character archetypes would.
Saito is a prominent example:he’s the origin of the “ordinary guy” getting sucked into another world. Saito and Louise’s dynamic as two people who are relatively lacking in abilities - Saito because of his out-of-universe origin, and Louise because of her in-universe inability - develops and grows more nuanced over the course of the anime. Eventually, Saito becomes a skilled user of multiple combat styles. This zero-to-hero growth pattern and out-of-universe origin has been widely copied, and"reverse isekai" have also emergedwhich build on the latter.
Aside from Saito,Familiar of Zerowas responsible for many other isekai character archetypes. The loyal maid (Siesta), the overpowered loner (Tabitha), the magical aristocrat (Louise and others), and the aggressive rival love interest (Kirche) were also its handiwork. Louise’s role as a tsundere is especially important.Louise’s anime counterpart, voiced by Rie Kugimiya, would become a foundational example of the tsundere trope for years.
Kugimiya herself would go onto voice more archetypal tsundere characters, like Taiga (Toradora!) and Nagi (Hayate the Combat Butler).
BecauseThe Familiar of Zero’s character archetypes, harem/romance scenario, and zero-to-hero aspects have spread so widely,what were quirky features of the series have arguably been overused by its descendants. Many anime enthusiasts are turned off of isekai, quick to poke holes in these dynamics. Still, for those fans,series likeRe:Zeroshow how these tropes can be subverted and deconstructedto great effect. Notably, Tappei Nagatsuki was aZerofanfiction author before penningRe:Zero.
Additionally, innumerable non-isekai anime today build outZero’s pioneering work.“Fish out of water” alternate universe/dimension/timeline narratives are everywhere, and even more still play with its tropes and self-aware take on high fantasy.The Familiar of Zero’s success comes down to being able to give even its most shameless, polarizing ideas an undeniable charm and thought-provoking bedrock.
