# Grimoire of Zero
**Grimoire of Zero** (Japanese title *Zero kara Hajimeru Mahō no Sho*, ゼロから始める魔法の書) is a Japanese fantasy light novel series by Kakeru Kobashiri and a 2017 anime television adaptation of it. The story follows a half-human, half-beast mercenary who agrees to guard a witch named Zero on a journey to recover her stolen grimoire, a book of magic powerful enough to destroy the world, in exchange for her promise to restore his human form.[1](https://www.allocine.fr/series/ficheserie_gen_cserie%3D27060.html) • [2](https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2017/4/4/sentai-filmworks-licenses-grimoire-of-zero-and-kabukibu)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | *Zero kara Hajimeru Mahō no Sho* (ゼロから始める魔法の書)[1](https://www.allocine.fr/series/ficheserie_gen_cserie%3D27060.html) |
| Origin | Grand Prize, novel division, 20th Dengeki Taisho, chosen from 6,554 novel entries; author Kakeru Kobashiri, then 26, of Tokyo[3](https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000301.000007006.html) |
| Light novel | 11 volumes, February 8, 2014 to December 9, 2017, Dengeki Bunko (KADOKAWA)[4](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/grimoire-of-zero) |
| Anime | 12 episodes of about 23 minutes, 2017, studio White Fox, directed by Tetsuo Hirakawa[1](https://www.allocine.fr/series/ficheserie_gen_cserie%3D27060.html) • [4](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/grimoire-of-zero) |
| Adaptation scope | The 12 episodes cover only the first light novel volume[5](https://www.manga-news.com/index.php/actus/2019/08/18/Chronique-Anime-Grimoire-of-Zero) |
| Main cast | Yumiri Hanamori as Zero, Tsuyoshi Koyama as Mercenary, You Taichi as Albus, Takehito Koyasu as 13-ban, Masayuki Katou as Holdem[4](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/grimoire-of-zero) |
| Sequel | *The Dawn of the Witch* (魔法使い黎明期), a follow-up light novel series by Kobashiri published by Kodansha from August 2018[6](https://www.goodreads.com/series/380898-mahoutsukai-reimeiki-novel) |
## Origin and publication
The series began as a contest winner. In the 20th Dengeki Taisho, the new-writer competition run by KADOKAWA's ASCII Media Works, Kobashiri's manuscript took the Grand Prize in the novel division, one of two Grand Prizes that year alongside *Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens*, from a record 7,523 total submissions across divisions.[3](https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000301.000007006.html) KADOKAWA's own corporate history lists *Grimoire of Zero* among the popular works produced by the Dengeki Taisho's novel division.[7](https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/documents/topics/20160310_r59gk.pdf) The Korean edition's copyright page credits the work to KAKERU KOBASHIRI 2014, edited by ASCII MEDIA WORKS and first published in Japan by KADOKAWA.[8](https://m.yes24.com/Goods/Detail/92538859?reviewyn=y&scode=033)
The light novel ran to 11 volumes between February 8, 2014 and December 9, 2017.[4](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/grimoire-of-zero) The Dengeki Bunko catalog lists the volumes under subtitles including *Akdios no Sejo* (volumes 2 and 3), *Kokuryūtō no Maki* (volume 4), *Rakuen no Hakamori* (volume 5), *Eigetsu no Majo* (volumes 6 and 7), *Kinshokan no Shisho* (volume 8), *Zero no Yōhei* (volumes 9 and 10), and *Kemono to Majo no Murazukuri* (volume 11).[9](https://dengekibunko.jp/product/zeronosyo/) A manga adaptation ran to 6 volumes and 28 chapters between 2014 and 2017, and a short-form spin-off manga, *Grimoire of Zero Nano!*, ran to 2 volumes and 13 chapters.[4](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/grimoire-of-zero)
## Story and setting
The story is set in Liturgical Year 526, in a world where sorcery has spread throughout the land but few people are aware of a rival practice called "magic."[2](https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2017/4/4/sentai-filmworks-licenses-grimoire-of-zero-and-kabukibu) Zero, the young witch who gives the series its name, is the author of the influential tome from which the show takes its English title; the book, whose use could destroy the world, has been stolen, and she travels to recover it.[10](https://ccpopculture.com/2018/11/04/grimoire-of-zero/) • [8](https://m.yes24.com/Goods/Detail/92538859?reviewyn=y&scode=033)
Her escort is a witch-hunting mercenary known only as [Mercenary](https://www.edgepedia.org/mercenary), one of the Beastfallen, humans born with animal features whom townspeople fear.[10](https://ccpopculture.com/2018/11/04/grimoire-of-zero/) He despises witches but takes the job because Zero swears to return his human appearance if they recover the book.[8](https://m.yes24.com/Goods/Detail/92538859?reviewyn=y&scode=033) They are joined by Albus, a young boy who also practices witchcraft.[10](https://ccpopculture.com/2018/11/04/grimoire-of-zero/) A recurring theme of the series is the accessibility of magic and its costs, treating the question of whether magic for the masses is beneficial or dangerous with nuance, alongside a society whose divisions are grounded in fear and bigotry toward witches and Beastfallen.[4](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/grimoire-of-zero) • [10](https://ccpopculture.com/2018/11/04/grimoire-of-zero/)
## Anime adaptation
The anime aired in 2017 as a single season of 12 episodes of about 23 minutes each, animated by White Fox, the studio also responsible for *Steins;Gate*, *Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-*, and *Akame ga Kill!*, with Tetsuo Hirakawa as director and Akito Matsuda composing the music.[1](https://www.allocine.fr/series/ficheserie_gen_cserie%3D27060.html) • [2](https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2017/4/4/sentai-filmworks-licenses-grimoire-of-zero-and-kabukibu) • [4](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/grimoire-of-zero) [Sentai Filmworks](https://www.edgepedia.org/sentai-filmworks) licensed the series and streamed it exclusively in the United States on Anime Strike, Amazon Channels' curated anime subscription, for the Spring 2017 simulcast season.[2](https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2017/4/4/sentai-filmworks-licenses-grimoire-of-zero-and-kabukibu) A German dub was produced by EuroSync GmbH in Berlin, with 34 speaking roles recorded.[11](https://www.synchronkartei.de/serie/40337)
**Pacing choice.** Unlike many light novel adaptations that compress several volumes into one cour, the anime adapts only the first novel across its 12 episodes.[5](https://www.manga-news.com/index.php/actus/2019/08/18/Chronique-Anime-Grimoire-of-Zero) Reviewers noted the trade-offs: the slower pace lets the world and the central relationship breathe, and the first volume's nearly self-contained story gives the season a proper ending, but some critics felt the plot could have fit six episodes and found the later arc's escalation rushed relative to the character work of the early episodes.[12](https://starcrossedanime.com/grimoire-zero-spring-2017-review-77100/) • [10](https://ccpopculture.com/2018/11/04/grimoire-of-zero/) The manga's first five volumes cover the same ground as the anime's single volume, and the reviewer judged the anime the more developed and better-controlled version of that story.[5](https://www.manga-news.com/index.php/actus/2019/08/18/Chronique-Anime-Grimoire-of-Zero)
## Sequel and continuation
The story continues in *The Dawn of the Witch* (魔法使い黎明期, *Mahōtsukai Reimeiki*), a sequel light novel series by Kobashiri with new protagonists and settings that retains the action, worldbuilding, and tone of the predecessor.[6](https://www.goodreads.com/series/380898-mahoutsukai-reimeiki-novel) • [13](https://www.pepcomics.com/media/YEN_FEB26_CATALOG.PDF) A 12-episode anime of *The Dawn of the Witch* aired from April 8 to July 1, 2022.[4](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/grimoire-of-zero)
The sequel skips the middle of the original: volumes 2 through 11 of *Grimoire of Zero* depict the social changes that separate the first volume's world from the sequel's, so anime viewers of the sequel encounter the results of changes whose causes were never animated.[14](https://note.com/alive_mango4490/n/ndc8a501f70e6?hl=en) Readers who want to continue the original story after the anime start at light novel volume 2.[15](https://mangashed.com/where-does-the-grimoire-of-zero-anime-end-in-the-light-novel/)
## Reception
On AlloCiné the series holds a viewer rating of 3.7 out of 5 from 45 notes.[1](https://www.allocine.fr/series/ficheserie_gen_cserie%3D27060.html) French and English reviews converge on a similar picture: correct, watchable, and pleasant, with strong graphics, character design, and voice acting, but a predictable plot with few twists, and humor built on gags some reviewers found off-putting.[16](https://www.senscritique.com/serie/grimoire_of_zero/critique/175009509) • [4](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/grimoire-of-zero) A content-profile database scores the series as somewhat violent, more violent than 71% of series in its comparison set, and not especially sad, with an overall originality score of 21 out of 100.[17](https://www.cinnamondb.com/tv/grimoire-of-zero-2017)
## References
1. [Grimoire of Zero, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/series/ficheserie_gen_cserie%3D27060.html)
2. [Sentai Filmworks Licenses "Grimoire of Zero" And "Kabukibu!", Crunchyroll News](https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2017/4/4/sentai-filmworks-licenses-grimoire-of-zero-and-kabukibu)
3. [第20回電撃大賞受賞作品決定, KADOKAWA press release (PR Times)](https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000301.000007006.html)
4. [Grimoire of Zero, Anime-Planet](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/grimoire-of-zero)
5. [Chronique Anime - Grimoire of Zero, Manga News](https://www.manga-news.com/index.php/actus/2019/08/18/Chronique-Anime-Grimoire-of-Zero)
6. [魔法使い黎明期 [Mahoutsukai Reimeiki] (Novel) Series, Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/series/380898-mahoutsukai-reimeiki-novel)
7. [KADOKAWA corporate history (Release), group.kadokawa.co.jp](https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/documents/topics/20160310_r59gk.pdf)
8. [제로에서 시작하는 마법의 서 eBook, Yes24](https://m.yes24.com/Goods/Detail/92538859?reviewyn=y&scode=033)
9. [ゼロから始める魔法の書 書籍情報, 電撃文庫](https://dengekibunko.jp/product/zeronosyo/)
10. [Grimoire of Zero, ccpopculture](https://ccpopculture.com/2018/11/04/grimoire-of-zero/)
11. [Grimoire of Zero, Deutsche Synchronkartei](https://www.synchronkartei.de/serie/40337)
12. [Grimoire of Zero (Spring 2017) Review, Star Crossed Anime](https://starcrossedanime.com/grimoire-zero-spring-2017-review-77100/)
13. [The Dawn of the Witch 3 (light novel), PRH Panels catalog](https://www.pepcomics.com/media/YEN_FEB26_CATALOG.PDF)
14. [Grimoire of Zero and The Dawn of the Witch adaptation analysis, note.com](https://note.com/alive_mango4490/n/ndc8a501f70e6?hl=en)
15. [Grimoire of Zero: Where the Anime Ends in the Light Novel, Mangashed](https://mangashed.com/where-does-the-grimoire-of-zero-anime-end-in-the-light-novel/)
16. [Assez déçu, SensCritique review](https://www.senscritique.com/serie/grimoire_of_zero/critique/175009509)
17. [Grimoire of Zero (2017), Cinnamon DB](https://www.cinnamondb.com/tv/grimoire-of-zero-2017)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Literature and written works › Creative written works and worlds › Graphic, illustrated, and Asian-format fiction › Light novels and web novels › Isekai works and format*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license