Common Name: Zero kara Hajimeru Mahou Sho
Alternative Names: Grimoire of Zero
Score: 7/10, 5/5
Length: 12 Episodes
Genre: Adventure, Magic, Action, Political
Summary: Since the death of the great Mooncaller Sorena, a kind and powerful witch, the use of magic has become something of a death sentence for any practitioner. In retaliation to Sorena's death, mages across the nation have revolted against the country, burning whole towns to the ground. All their rage has done for them, however, is turn the nation against their cause, beginning a new age of witch hunts and inquisitions that have seen hundreds of witches burned at the stake. Such a hunt appeals greatly to the desires of the superhuman "beastfallen" since it is commonly believed that the beastly warriors were cursed by witches at conception all so that they might be sacrificed by the witches later in life. In spite of this superstitious grudge though, the beastfallen mercenary, known simply as Youhei (Japanese for "mercenary"), has seen fit to ally himself with a young and powerful sorceress, known only as Zero, since it might be his only chance to be free of the beastly curse. All he need do is help her find her unnamed comrade and her lost grimoire. Things being what they are though, even this simple escort mission might prove deadly.
Review: For a show that was hyped up as being "the next best thing" by White Fox, the same studio that brought us the insanely over-hyped Re:Zero, I have to admit I'm of two minds about it. On the one hand, it utterly fails to live up to the hype of being associated with Re:Zero. To be fair though, there are very few shows out there that could even dream of meeting the expectations born from that statement. On the other hand, however, I honestly enjoyed Grimoire of Zero and everything it had to offer. Even if it wasn't on the same level as it's "perfect" counterpart, I'd stand to argue that Grimoire actually has a lot more to say in its one-cour season than Re:Zero did over the course of 25 episodes.
Though it does suffer from similarly ham-fisted and cringe-worthy ideas about romance.
Where Re:Zero was more of an action-mystery title that tried and, in my opinion, succeeded at plucking people's heartstrings until they cried "10/10," "best show since Bebop," and other such nonsense, Grimoire is far more cool and calculated. It tells the history of magic and its use in a particular kingdom and is able to break down the cause and effect chain so well that there's never any confusion regarding why something happened and who is on whose side, unless that knowledge isn't already widely known. It plays magical socio-political games that are both believable and engaging, yet it never felt like the show's big reveals were all that surprising. This wasn't because the show was particularly predictable though. Rather, every decision the characters made and every revelation the show had to offer just made sense given the information presented and motivations of the various factions present, and to be totally honest I kinda loved it for that straightforward approach to story telling. Rather than making a show that I would agonize over or criticize for having an utterly nonsense plot, Grimoire was just a fun romp that didn't require a lot of thought. I could sit back and enjoy without having to worry about the show taking a bad turn or doing something out of the ordinary since it set itself up to be a pretty ordinary but well-thought-out narrative with some really solid and likable characters.
There's a simple kind of value to a show that knows what it's about and stands by it for better or worse.
It's even better, though, when the characters have that same kind of sensibility too.
If I had to draw a comparison to another show, it obviously wouldn't be Re:Zero but, rather, the Spice and Wolf series. It's a tale of two people, one of a reasonable and logical mind and the other being some kind of demi-human, on an adventure that has no distinct goal or end point that ultimately brings those people together until they are all but inseparable. Where Spice and Wolf told the story of the world's socio-economic struggles, Grimoire is rooted in the world of socio-political struggles of being an "other" in a world that is currently at war with itself because of that "otherness." In other words, Grimoire is a show that tackles difficult and emotionally-charged concepts like differences in race and creed, yet it does so with such a cool head that it never gets sucked into any one ideology.
While the rest of the world and the characters in it are able to look at things as good or evil, the show itself takes a detached approach to those big issues through its representative but tolerant cast of characters. For example, Youhei, as beastfallen mercenary is naturally inclined to hunt and hate the witches of this world who would kill him to strengthen their own magical ability. That prejudice seems even more justified when you consider that witches might be the very reason he was born a "cursed" outcast, doomed to be different from the rest of humanity. In spite of these motivations though, Youhei is still willing to work for one of these same witches. Yet, at least initially, he doesn't do so out of any love for mages or a faint willingness to hear their side of the story. Instead, he acts like any selfish person, i.e. a mercenary, would. While it might seem out of character for someone like him to protect a witch, but what person wouldn't be willing to act out of character if it meant making their most impossible dream possible? So it is that selfish hope that drives Youhei to basically give up on his previous motivations and preconceptions about witches in exchange for being the bodyguard and blade for the unwitting source of all his woes.
Though he does so with the kind of contrarian and reticent behavior that turns him
into something of a "manly tsundere."
Yet it is also his established preconceptions and prejudices that make it possible for Yohei to grow attached to a powerful witch like Zero. After all, it becomes difficult to hate the devil you know when it never actually acts like a devil. To elaborate, it is an undeniable fact that Zero is a witch, the kind of person Youhei hates on principle. In spite of that fact though, it's impossible for him to hate her because of that association since she always defies those expectations and prejudices against witches. Where most witches would try to kill him without a second thought, Zero treats him like a person. Where other witches are driven by a selfish desire for power or vengeance, Zero seems to be either totally detached from human greed or unreasonably generous towards those around her. Where other witches are cut-throat and cruel, she gives off the impression of being a pure, innocent, and generally unwilling to harm someone without a good cause. So, go figure, when the devil beside you treats you with more humanity and respect than the rest of humanity combined, it doesn't take much to let that devil become something of a friend or at least the exception to your prejudices. What happens though when that one exception opens the door for understanding and humanizing the actions of your mortal enemies? Maybe not much at first, but it certainly sounds like a step in the right direction.
Spoken like a true tsundere.
While I certainly wouldn't say the show's detached approach to these very serious problems allows for riveting storytelling, it does get the job done--a conclusion that seems to summarize the whole of this show. Everything from the characterization, to the show's romance, and its subpar animation aren't exactly great or even worthy of note, but they get the job done. The story gets told and the overall message comes across pretty clear in my opinion. While those sufficient deficiencies might take a toll on the show overall, making it anything but Re:Zero's peer, I still have to say I found it well worth my time. It was fun, thoughtful, and easy to digest. So, I can't see any reason not to recommend it. As far as good, fun, and cheesy show's go, you could certainly do much worse.