Zero kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho (Grimoire of Zero): Season 1/ Episode 1 “The Witch and the Beastfallen” [Series Premiere] – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

In a world of beasts, demons, and witches, the humans are amassing a genocide against them all in fear of their strength and power. But, for some, like those known as the Beastfallen, they never got to choose what they were so they try to prove themselves an ally of humans for the sake of obtaining normalcy. Even if done so in vain.

The Introduction

For this young beast fallen mercenary, with the nickname of “The Black Beast of Death,” all he wants is to be human. He was born from humans, wants to be amongst humans, but with him looking like a white tiger, he is ostracized, hated, and hunted. So, all there is for him is hunting witches. Beings perhaps, in their world’s caste system, the only thing lower than him.

However, one witch, a girl who identifies herself as Zero, asks a favor of this beast fallen. One he rejects on principle due to an innate hatred of witches, but with time he comes around. If only because he learns witches created beings like him and that Zero, a witch more notable and powerful than she seems, can make him human again. But, before she does that, he must take her to Plasta, the capital of the kingdom. A place where she seeks out another witch known as Thirteen who is seeking out a book. One which contains a spell which could end the world as they know it and so she wants to know if he has gotten the book and found safety yet.

Highlights

The Culture

At the center of this show is basically prejudice. Be it against Beastfallen or witches. Something which leads to interesting thoughts and ideas as you come to realize the clergy, if not government, are using witches as scapegoats for the unexplainable. Using them being an unknown to create fear and negative associations. They are the reason crops fail! They are the reason your child died or your house caught fire! Leading to them being hunted and forced to defend themselves, seemingly for centuries.

But, they aren’t alone. Beastfallen find themselves also hunted, by both parties, for their heads. Yet, in the case of the Beastfallen we meet, it is almost like, as much as he hates being who he is, it is better than being a witch. So with that, there is an established caste system and a slight explanation as to what the source of all the prejudice is.

On The Fence

Our Leads

Do Zero and “The Black Beast of Death” have a personality? Yes. However, not speaking in monotone reflections and bringing life to a character’s dictation is just the minimum, I’m sure, any fan of anime asks for. So meeting minimum requirements isn’t noteworthy nor worth praise. Making Zero’s thinly veiled secretiveness and “The Black Beast of Death’s” past dealing with killing bandits to protect his family, not much of a hook.

Overall: Mixed (Stick Around)

While you do have to appreciate the effort put into this, all this premiere episode does is lay out an adequate foundation. It doesn’t necessarily craft a compelling reason to stick around. Yet, there is this desire to see where this show may take us. For the battle scenes, while not exemplary, do contain blood so there is this sense the violence could be appealing. Also, it is always interesting when anime series take on social issues and adapt them to fit into their worlds. So with prejudice being a driving force within the show, it will be interesting to see if that will just be an explanation for why otherworldly being are hated or will it go beyond that? Will we see how the clergy and government made it systematic or will it just be a word of mouth thing? If not something justified as we encounter other witches and beast fallen? Only time will tell.