is a Japanese fantasy

light novel A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a '' wasei-eigo'', or a Japanese term formed from words in the English languag ...

series written by Noboru Yamaguchi, with illustrations by

Eiji Usatsuka is a Japanese light novel illustrator. He is notable for the illustration for the series '' Zero no Tsukaima''. He illustrates insert images for many novels. After university graduation he was employed as illustrator by the visual novel publis ...

Media Factory , formerly is a Japanese publisher and brand company of Kadokawa Future Publishing. History It was founded on December 1, 1986, and its headquarters are situated in Shibuya, Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of Recruit Co., Ltd. Media Factory was possi ...

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 is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

television series and an additional

original video animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA ...

episode. The first anime series was licensed by

Geneon Entertainment (abbreviated as NBCUEJ) is a Japanese music, anime, and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo. It is primarily involved in the production and distribution of anime within Japan. Th ...

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 Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is ...

adaptation illustrated by Nana Mochizuki was serialized in

's manga magazine ''

Monthly Comic Alive is a Japanese seinen manga magazine published by Media Factory. The first issue was released on June 27, 2006. Serialized titles *'' Absolute Duo'' *'' Alice or Alice'' (until 2015, part of the supplement magazine '' Comic Cune'') *'' Ano Ko ni ...

'' between June 2006 and October 2009. The manga was released by

Seven Seas Entertainment Seven Seas Entertainment is an American publishing company located in Los Angeles, California. It was originally dedicated to the publication of original English-language manga, but now publishes licensed manga and light novels from Japan, as w ...

in North America. Three additional spin-off manga were also created (one of them also localized by Seven Seas Entertainment), as were three

visual novel A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...

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 In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, 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 A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutional monarchy) ...

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 Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

. ;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 Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

. ;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 France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, 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 Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

upon which are the modern nations

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, and

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. The capital city of Albion is Londinium. :Cromwell is named after the leader of the

Roundheads Roundheads were the supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I of England and his supporters, known as the Cavaliers or Royalists, who ...

during the English Civil War,

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three ...

, 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 The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...

(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 Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Magic

The nobles of Halkeginia are

magicians Magician or The Magician may refer to: Performers * A practitioner of magic (supernatural) * A practitioner of magic (illusion) * Magician (fantasy), a character in a fictional fantasy context Entertainment Books * ''The Magician'', an 18th-ce ...

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: Ignis (''Fire''), Aqua (''Water''), Ventus (''Air''), and Terra (''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. In myths, there is a fifth rank called pentagram 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 The M72 LAW (light anti-tank weapon, also referred to as the light anti-armor weapon or LAW as well as LAWS: light anti-armor weapons system) is a portable one-shot unguided anti-tank weapon. The solid rocket propulsion unit was developed in t ...

rocket launcher A rocket launcher is a weapon that launches an unguided, rocket-propelled projectile. History The earliest rocket launchers documented in imperial China consisted of arrows modified by the attachment of a rocket motor to the shaft a few ...

. Other examples of Earth technology, often weaponry, appear throughout the story, such as a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

era

Mitsubishi A6M Zero The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M w ...

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, Louise reluctantly accepts Saito as her familiar, but proceeds to treat Saito as any other familiar, only worse: making him wash her clothes, 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

s written by Noboru Yamaguchi and illustrated by

under the original title ''Zero no Tsukaima''.

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.

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 , also written as ''Blade Dance of Elementalers'', is a Japanese light novel series written by Yū Shimizu with illustrations by Hanpen Sakura (volumes 1-13), Yuuji Nimura (volumes 14-16) and Kohada Shimesada (volumes 17-20). A manga adaptatio ...

'', using Yamaguchi's notes.

Anime

''The Familiar of Zero'' has been adapted into an

series running for four seasons by the animation studio J.C.Staff. The first season aired in Japan between July 3 and September 25, 2006, and contained thirteen episodes. In April 2007 at

Anime Boston Anime Boston is an annual three-day anime fan convention held in the spring in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Anime Boston was created and is run by the New England Anime Society, Inc., a Massachusetts-based non-profit organization. Pro ...

Geneon (abbreviated as NBCUEJ) is a Japanese music, anime, and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Tokyo, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Minato, Tokyo. It is primarily involved in the production and distributi ...

announced that they had picked up the English dubbing rights of the first season of the anime series under the title ''The Familiar of Zero''. In July 2008, Geneon Entertainment and Funimation Entertainment announced an agreement to distribute select titles in North America. While Geneon Entertainment still retained the license, Funimation Entertainment assumed exclusive rights to the manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution of select titles. ''The Familiar of Zero'' was one of several titles involved in the deal. Funimation released a complete box set of the series on November 4, 2008. Funimation reported their rights to the series expired in August 2011.

Sentai Filmworks Sentai Filmworks, LLC or just Sentai, is an American entertainment company owned by AMC Networks. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is S ...

re-licensed the first series in North America in 2013 and released it digitally. Sentai released the Geneon English-language version on Blu-ray and DVD on April 8, 2014. Hanabee Entertainment later licensed the series in Australia in February 2014. The second season under the extended title aired in Japan between July 9 and September 24, 2007, containing twelve episodes. Sentai Filmworks licensed the second season (under the name ''The Familiar of Zero: Knight of the Twin Moons'') in North America and released it on March 10, 2015 on Blu-ray and DVD. The third season, also containing twelve episodes, entitled , aired on Japan's

Chiba TV , doing business as , is a Japanese commercial terrestrial television broadcasting company headquartered at 11-25 Miyako-chō 1-chōme, Chūō-ku, Chiba serving Chiba Prefecture but spill-over is received in the neighbouring prefectures. It is a m ...

between July 6 and September 21, 2008, and Arts Central in Singapore between July 10 and September 24, 2008. An

episode for the third season was released on December 24, 2008. Sentai Filmworks licensed the third season with the OVA (under the name ''The Familiar of Zero:

Rondo The rondo is an instrumental musical form introduced in the Classical period. Etymology The English word ''rondo'' comes from the Italian form of the French ''rondeau'', which means "a little round". Despite the common etymological root, rondo ...

of Princesses'') in North America and released them on May 12, 2015 on Blu-ray and DVD. The fourth and final season titled ''Zero no Tsukaima F'' aired twelve episodes between January 7 and March 24, 2012. In 2012, Sentai Filmworks licensed the fourth season (under the name ''The Familiar of Zero: F'') in North America and released it on July 14, 2015 on Blu-ray and DVD.

Music and audio CDs

The four anime seasons used two pieces of

theme music Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...

each; one opening theme and one ending theme. The first season's opening theme is "First kiss" by

Ichiko Ichiko (written: 一子, 市子, 伊知子, 以知子 or イチコ in katakana) is a feminine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese singer-songwriter *, Japanese singer-songwriter *, Japanese musician, composer and ...

, released on July 26, 2006, and the ending theme is by

Rie Kugimiya is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She is best known for her voice performances in anime, which include Alphonse Elric in the '' Fullmetal Alchemist'' series, Kiana in '' Honkai Impact 3rd'', Kagura in '' Gin Tama'', and Happy in '' Fairy ...

, released on August 9, 2006. The second season's opening theme is "I Say Yes" by Ichiko, released on July 25, 2007, and the ending theme is by Kugimiya, released on August 8, 2007. The first seasons original soundtrack was released on August 23, 2006, and the second seasons' soundtrack was released on August 22, 2007. The third season's opening theme is "You're The One" by Ichiko and the ending theme is "Gomen ne" by Kugimiya. The fourth season's opening theme is "I'll Be There For You" by Ichiko and the ending theme is "Kiss Shite Agenai" by Kugimiya, both released on February 1, 2012. Both the first and second seasons released four

character song An image song or character song is a song on a tie-in single or album (often called an image album or character album) for an anime, game, ''dorama'', manga, or commercial product that is sometimes sung by the voice actor or actor of a character ...

albums each. The first CD is for Louise and Saito which is sung by Kugimiya and

Satoshi Hino is a Japanese voice actor. He is known for his voice acting roles in anime, many of which also feature voice actress Rie Kugimiya, such '' Shakugan no Shana'', '' Zero no Tsukaima'', ''Gintama'', and ''Nabari no Ou''. Early life and career Hino ...

. The second CD is for Montmorency and Guiche which is sung by

Mikako Takahashi is a Japanese voice actress and J-Pop singer from Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As the ''Excel Saga'' character Mikako Hyatt, she forms one half of the voice acting duo ''The Excel Girls'' (the other half being Yumiko Kobayashi). She is employed by I ...

and

Takahiro Sakurai is a Japanese voice actor, narrator, and radio personality from Aichi Prefecture, Japan. His well-known roles include heroes such as Cloud Strife in ''Compilation of Final Fantasy VII'', Suzaku Kururugi in '' Code Geass'' and X in '' Mega Man X ...

; the first two CDs were both released on September 6, 2006. The third CD is for Kirche and Tabitha which is sung by Nanako Inoue and

Yuka Inokuchi is a Japanese voice actress who is affiliated with Ken Production. She is originally from Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture. She voices Uzume in '' Ai Yori Aoshi'', Rin Kamishiro in '' Maburaho'', Anju Maaka in '' Karin'', Tabitha in '' The Familiar ...

. The fourth, and final CD from the first season, is for Henrietta and Siesta which is sung by

Ayako Kawasumi is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She is affectionately referred to by her fellow voice actors and fans as "", "","" and "". She is a skilled pianist as she has played the piano since childhood. She performed "...To You", the opening theme ...

and

Yui Horie is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with VIMS and Starchild. She has been affectionately nicknamed by her Japanese fans. She debuted as a voice actress in 1997, releasing her debut single "''My best friend''" on . Since then, s ...

; the third and fourth CDs were both released on September 21, 2006. The first CD for the second season is for Louise which is sung by Kugimiya. The second CD is for Henrietta which is sung by Ayako Kawasumi; the first two CDs were both released on October 10, 2007. The third CD is for Siesta which is sung by Yui Horie. The fourth, and final CD from the second season, is for Eleanor and Cattleya which is sung by

Kikuko Inoue is a Japanese voice actress, singer and narrator. She has been part of the singing groups DoCo and Goddess Family Club. She is the founder and manager of her voice-acting company, Office Anemone. Inoue tends to play the " perfect girlfriend" o ...

and Kotomi Yamakawa; the third and fourth CDs were both released on October 24, 2007. Two audio dramas were released for the second season. The first is a compilation of

radio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine t ...

episodes from ''The Familiar of Zero''

Internet radio Online radio (also web radio, net radio, streaming radio, e-radio, IP radio, Internet radio) is a digital audio service transmitted via the Internet. Broadcasting on the Internet is usually referred to as webcasting since it is not transmitted ...

show ''Zero no Tsukaima on the radio: Tristain Mahō Gakuin e Yōkoso'' and was released on July 25, 2007. The second album is a drama CD featuring the characters Louise, Kirche, and Tabitha—voiced by Kugimiya, Nanako Inoue, and

respectively—which was released on September 5, 2007.

Manga

series illustrated by Nana Mochizuki was serialized in the Japanese

seinen is an editorial category of Japanese comics marketed toward young adult men. In Japanese, the word ''seinen'' literally means "youth", but the term "''seinen'' manga" is also used to describe the target audience of magazines like '' Weekly Ma ...

manga magazine Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is used ...

'' between the August 2006 (''Monthly Comic Alive'' debut issue) and October 2009 issues, published by

. Seven ''

tankōbon is the Japanese term for a book that is not part of an anthology or corpus. In modern Japanese, the term is most often used in reference to individual volumes of a manga series: most series first appear as individual chapters in a weekly or ...

'' volumes were released by Media Factory under their MF Comics imprint. The manga was licensed in North America by

under the title ''Zero's Familiar'', and released in three omnibus volumes. The manga was also licensed by

Elex Media Komputindo Elex Media Komputindo is a publishing company in Indonesia which publishes books, comics, magazines, novels and other print media. Established on January 15, 1985, Elex Media Komputindo is a subsidiary of Kompas Gramedia Group. Elex is headquart ...

in Indonesia and released up to volume three in English under the title ''The Familiar of Zero'', and in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

by Zoner Press. A spin-off 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 other 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 Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

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.

Visual novels

Three

s for the

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on ...

were developed by

Marvelous Interactive (MMV) was a multinational corporation that produced animation, music, video games and television series. MMV is known for its involvement in the ''Story of Seasons'' series. They merged with AQ Interactive in 2011 and became Marvelous AQL; the ...

in which the player assumes the role of Saito Hiraga. The first, , was released in limited and regular editions on February 15, 2007 in Japan. This was followed by on November 29, 2007 and on November 6, 2008.

Reception and legacy

The light novels are one of the top selling series in Japan, with 6.8 million copies in print by February 2017. ''The Familiar of Zero'', and

fan fiction Fan fiction or fanfiction (also abbreviated to fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF) is fictional writing written in an amateur capacity by fans, unauthorized by, but based on an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, setti ...

based on it, helped pioneer the modern ''

isekai is a Japanese genre of speculative fiction—both portal fantasy and science fiction are included. It includes novels, light novels, films, manga, anime and video games that revolve around a person or people who are transported to and have to ...

'' ("other world") genre. It popularized the isekai genre in web novel and

media, along with the website

Shōsetsuka ni Narō is a Japanese novel self-publishing website created by . It was launched on April 2, 2004. Users can upload their novels free of charge and the novels are also free to read. As of December 2022, the site hosts close to 1,000,000 novels, has ove ...

("Let's Become Novelists"), known as Narō for short. ''The Familiar of Zero'' fan fiction became popular on Narō during the late 2000s, eventually spawning a genre of isekai novels on the site, which became known as Narō novels. ''The Familiar of Zero'' fan fiction writers eventually began writing original isekai novels, such as Tappei Nagatsuki who went on to create '' Re:Zero'' in 2012.

Notes

References

External links

* *
First PS2 game official website

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Familiar of Zero, The 2004 Japanese novels 2006 anime television series debuts 2006 Japanese novels 2006 manga 2007 anime television series debuts 2007 video games 2008 anime OVAs 2008 anime television series debuts 2009 Japanese novels 2012 anime television series debuts Anime and manga based on light novels Bandai Namco franchises Bishōjo games Geneon USA Harem anime and manga Isekai anime and manga Isekai novels and light novels J.C.Staff Japan-exclusive video games Japanese fantasy novels Light novels Marvelous Entertainment Mass media franchises Kadokawa Dwango franchises Media Factory manga MF Bunko J Monarchy in fiction Muse Communication PlayStation 2 games PlayStation 2-only games Seinen manga Sentai Filmworks Seven Seas Entertainment titles Sharp Point Press titles Television shows based on light novels Video games developed in Japan Visual novels Witchcraft in anime and manga