The Familiar of Zero: Complete Collection

Misfit kids find trouble and intrigue at a magical school for budding wizards. Sound familiar? If cynics can stop making Harry Potter/Worst Witch comparisons (and there's a Dumbledore-lookalike headmaster), The Familiar of Zero is a fairly entertaining comics-derived series. On the distant planet of Halkeginia, where magic-wielders form an imperious ruling class (everyone else are "peasants"), Louise is a nobly-descended schoolgirl at Tristain Academy of Magic whose spells chronically go awry. When the student mages summon their permanent "familiars" (i.e. magical creatures/helpmates), Louise scandalizes both her peers and herself by materializing an ordinary boy—bewildered teen Hiraga Saito, who is teleported from Tokyo. Saito adapts poorly to treatment as an abused servant in the alien culture, but in typical harem-comedy fashion he winds up being an object of affection and seduction for comely girls at the Academy, including his “master”—temperamental, possessive Louise (and Saito may actually possess latent magic mojo himself). The saucier elements (Saito must wash Louise's lingerie, emphasis on panties) are not too grating, a minor magical feat in itself. Compiling all 13 episodes from the 2006 first season in separately available dual-language DVD and Blu-ray editions, rated TV-14, this is recommended. (C. Cassady)