Fairy Tail Zero
Fairy Tail Zero | |
The cover of the single collected manga volume. Clockwise from top left: Precht, Yuri, Warrod, Mavis, and Zera. | |
フェアリーテイル ゼロ (Fearī Teiru Zero) | |
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Manga | |
Written by | Hiro Mashima |
Published by | Kodansha |
English publisher | |
Demographic | Shōnen |
Magazine | Monthly Fairy Tail |
Original run | July 17, 2014 – July 17, 2015 |
Volumes | 1 |
Anime television series | |
Music by | Yasuharu Takanashi |
Studio | A-1 Pictures |
Licensed by | |
Network | TV Tokyo |
Original run | January 9, 2016 – March 26, 2016 |
Episodes | 12 |
Fairy Tail Zero (Japanese: フェアリーテイル ゼロ Hepburn: Fearī Teiru Zero, stylized as FAIRY TAIL ZERØ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. The series is a prequel to Mashima's Fairy Tail manga, depicting the events leading to the formation of the titular wizards' guild. Kodansha Comics USA published it as a single volume in North America. The Fairy Tail anime television series included an adaptation of the spin-off, which aired from January 9 to March 26, 2016.
Plot
105 years before the events of Fairy Tail, six-year-old Mavis Vermillion lives on Tenrou Island as a servant of the Red Lizard wizards' guild. A violent skirmish breaks out between Red Lizard and their rival guild, Blue Skull, leaving Mavis the apparent sole survivor alongside Zera, the young daughter of Red Lizard's master. Seven years later, a band of treasure hunters—Yuri Dreyar, Precht Gaebolg, and Warrod Sequen—come to the island in search of its centerpiece, the Sirius Orb. As Mavis and Yuri contend over ownership of the orb, they discover it has already been taken by Blue Skull. Mavis proposes she and Zera accompany the treasure hunters to recover the treasure.
The group journeys to the city of Magnolia, where Blue Skull has established a brutal regime. Mavis fails to bluff the guild's master into returning the orb with her illusory magic, and she retreats into the forest with her outmatched allies. There Mavis encounters a young man who, unbeknownst to her, is the infamous dark wizard Zeref. Mavis expresses sympathy for the man, who is afflicted with a curse that withers and kills all life around him, and convinces him to teach her and her allies how to use magic to combat Blue Skull. They successfully overthrow Blue Skull using their magic, but Mavis discovers that the orb has become contaminated with evil magic. When Yuri takes the orb for himself, he inadvertently fuses with a massive skeletal dragon utilized by Blue Skull and mindlessly rampages through the town. Mavis rescues Yuri by casting Law, a prototype spell learned from Zeref. However, Mavis forfeits her ability to age as a side effect from using the unmastered spell.
After recovering and learning of Mavis's condition, Yuri dedicates himself to protecting her as a friend. He also reveals to Mavis that Zera is an illusion only she can perceive; Zera further confirms that the real Zera died during Blue Skull's raid on the island, and Mavis unknowingly created her in response to her death. Mavis accepts Zera as an illusion, causing her to disappear, and organizes the Fairy Tail wizard guild in her memory.
Characters
- Mavis Vermillion (メイビス・ヴァーミリオン Meibisu Vāmirion)
- Voiced by: Mamiko Noto[1] (Japanese); Leah Clark[2] (English)
- Mavis is a 13-year-old girl who becomes Fairy Tail's founding guild master. She is a deceptively carefree teen who surprises others with her vast intellect and ability to create convincing illusions of people, animals and monsters. She lives on Sirius Island after her hometown is raided by the Blue Skull guild. After the island's sacred Sirius Orb is stolen, Mavis accompanies a group of treasure hunters to recover it.
- Zera (ゼーラ Zēra)
- Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa[3][4] (Japanese); Jeannie Tirado[2] (English)
- Zera is the spoiled daughter of Red Lizard's master Zeeself who becomes Mavis's closest friend after surviving Blue Skull's attack. It is later learned that Zera perished in the attack, and that the girl following Mavis throughout the series is an illusion only Mavis can see and hear.
- Yuri Dreyar (ユーリ・ドレアー Yūri Doreā)
- Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi[1] (Japanese); Clifford Chapin[2] (English)
- Yuri is the future father of Makarov Dreyar, Fairy Tail's third master. Before meeting Mavis, he is a greedy and selfish treasure hunter whose main concern is claiming the Sirius Orb, a sacred relic from Sirius Island. After Mavis appeals to his better nature, however, he becomes one of her most trusted friends.
- Precht Gaebolg (プレヒト・ゲイボルグ Purehito Geiborugu)
- Voiced by: Yoshihisa Kawahara[1] (Japanese); David Trosko[2] (English)
- Precht is one of Yuri's treasure hunting companions, and Mavis's future successor as Fairy Tail's master who comes to be known as Hades, the leader of the dark guild Grimoire Heart. He is a stern man who disapproves of his allies' foolish behavior, and is a skilled fighter who wields retractable blade-tipped chain weapons.
- Warrod Sequen (ウォーロッド・シーケン Wōroddo Shīken)
- Voiced by: Hiroshi Shirokuma[1] (Japanese); Cris George[2] (English)
- Warrod is a jovial man and another of Yuri's companions. He gains the power to control plant life, and eventually ranks fourth among the Ten Wizard Saints.
- Zeref (ゼレフ Zerefu)
- Voiced by: Akira Ishida[1] (Japanese); Joel McDonald (English)
- Zeref, the main antagonist of Fairy Tail, is an immortal, ageless young man who is afflicted with a curse that causes all life around him to wither and die. His true identity is not known to the other characters, and he helps Mavis's group by teaching them magic.
- Zeeself (ジーセルフ Jīserufu)
- Voiced by: Makoto Tamura (Japanese); Mark Fickert[5] (English)
- Zeeself is the master of the wizards' guild Red Lizard who mistreats his servant Mavis and pampers his daughter Zera. He is killed during Blue Skull's attack on his guild.
- Geoffrey (ジョフリー Jofurī)
- Voiced by: Takashi Matsuyama (Japanese); Jeffrey Schmidt (English)
- Geoffrey is the master of Blue Skull, a guild that rivals Red Lizard. After being thwarted by Mavis and her allies, he escapes to form the Phantom Lord guild.
Release
Hiro Mashima began publishing the series in the first issue of Kodansha's Monthly Fairy Tail magazine on July 17, 2014.[6][7][8] The series ended in the magazine's 13th and final issue on July 17, 2015.[9][10]
The series is licensed in North America by Kodansha Comics USA, who announced their license at an event at Books Kinokuniya in New York on November 15, 2015.[11]
No. | Japanese release date | Japanese ISBN | English release date | English ISBN | ||
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1 | November 17, 2015[12] | ISBN 978-4-06-395540-8 | July 12, 2016[13] | ISBN 9781632362841 | ||
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Anime
An adaptation of Fairy Tail Zero was announced for the Fairy Tail anime television series on the jacket bands of Fairy Tail volume 52 and on the single collected volume of the series.[1][14] The adaptation premiered on January 9, 2016.[1] Funimation simulcasted the series with a broadcast dub in North America.[15] The opening is "Ashita o Narase" (明日を鳴らせ, lit. "Ring in Tomorrow"), performed by Kavka Shishido, while the ending, "Landscape", is performed by Solidemo. For the episode 277, the ending theme is "Masayume Chasing", performed by BoA.
Episode list
No. | Official English title[lower-alpha 1] Original Japanese title |
Original air date[lower-alpha 2] |
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266 | "The Fairy in Your Heart" "Kokoro no Naka no Yōsei" (FAIRY TAIL ZERØ 心の中の妖精) | January 9, 2016 |
During their training journey, Fairy Tail members Natsu and Happy travel to Tenrou Island to search for the grave of their first master Mavis, and happen upon the ruins of an abandoned town. In a flashback, the six-year-old Mavis is shown living in this town as an orphan and servant at the Red Lizard guild. The guild's members are cruel to Mavis, particularly their master Zeeself and his pampered daughter of Mavis's age named Zera, but Mavis perseveres. One day, Red Lizard enters a turf war with the rival guild Blue Skull. Zeeself and the rest of the villagers are killed while Mavis escapes into the forest with Zera. Touched by Mavis's kindness, Zera offers her friendship to her before collapsing, seemingly lifeless. Seven years later, a group of treasure hunters—Yuri, Precht, and Warrod—reach Sirius Island in search of a coveted jewel called the Sirius Orb. | ||
267 | "The Adventure Begins" "Bōken no Hajimari" (FAIRY TAIL ZERØ 冒険の始まり) | January 16, 2016 |
Seven years after surviving Blue Skull's raid, thirteen-year-old Mavis lives alone on Sirius Island with her friend Zera. Mavis meets Yuri as he searches the island in search of the Sirius Orb, which is the island's cherished relic. Yuri engages Mavis in a game of wits over the ownership of the treasure, but Mavis uses her tactical knowledge and loopholes in the game's rules to beat him. However, their game proves pointless when Precht and Warrod inform them that the orb is already missing. Mavis deduces that Blue Skull possesses the orb, and at her insistence, convinces the begrudging treasure hunters to take her and Zera with them. | ||
268 | "Treasure Hunt" "Torejā Hanto" (FAIRY TAIL ZERØ トレジャーハント) | January 23, 2016 |
Mavis pesters the treasure hunters with her curiosity during an oversea voyage, overhearing that they are in need of funds for their journey. While playing with dolphins in the ocean, Mavis discovers an underwater temple and, hoping to prove her usefulness, goes to explore it in search of treasure. She becomes trapped in a chamber with a monstrous fish, but Yuri and Warrod are alerted to her whereabouts and come to her rescue. Mavis finds what she believes to be a secret exit, only to inadvertently trigger a booby trap that demolishes the temple. Nevertheless, the three manage to escape with several pieces of treasure in tow. | ||
269 | "Dancing with Blades" "Yaiba to Odoru" (FAIRY TAIL ZERØ 刃と踊る) | January 30, 2016 |
Mavis and the others disembark at the port town of Hargeon. Following a sightseeing tour, Mavis accompanies Precht as he unsuccessfully attempts to gather information on Blue Skull from the townspeople, who avoid him due to his reticent and intimidating nature. The two are eventually directed to a bar that they quickly discover to be a branch of Blue Skull. Precht skillfully dispatches the hostile patrons and Mavis conjures an illusory wolf monster to threaten the bartender into revealing Blue Skull's base of operations, Magnolia. The two exit the bar to continue their search, unknowingly passing Zeref along the way. | ||
270 | "Moonlit Lake" "Tsukiakari no Mizūmi" (FAIRY TAIL ZERØ 月明かりの湖) | February 6, 2016 |
Mavis and the others set up camp in a forest en route to Magnolia. The group comes across a section of dead trees, reminding the treasure hunters of an earlier treasure hunt through a poisonous valley. Precht recounts the adventure to Mavis and Zera, demonstrating the trio's strong sense of camaraderie despite their differences. After Mavis discusses what to do with the Sirius Orb with the treasure hunters once they find it, Zera resolves to learn magic and protect Mavis in case they cannot trust the hunters. Later, the group reaches Magnolia to find the city in a state of disrepair, with a blue, skeletal dragon looming over Kardia Cathedral. | ||
271 | "Blue Skull" "Burū Sukaru" (FAIRY TAIL ZERØ | February 13, 2016 |
Mavis and the hunters wander the desolate Magnolia in search of information on Blue Skull and the Sirius Orb. They rescue the baker Mako and her daughter Miko from harassers from Blue Skull, learning about the oppressive regime the guild has imposed on the once thriving city. After witnessing guild wizards murder an innocent bystander, the group fights the wizards and resolves to liberate the city. When guild reinforcements arrive, Mavis conjures an illusory army of soldiers to intimidate them, but the guild's master Geoffrey recognizes her bluff. Outnumbered and overpowered, Yuri and Precht are injured and the group retreats into the forest to safety. | ||
272 | "Conveyer of Magic" "Madō o Tsutaeru Mono" (FAIRY TAIL ZERØ 魔道を伝える者) | February 20, 2016 |
While she and the others recuperate from their failed attack on Blue Skull, Mavis encounters Zeref alone in the forest. Oblivious to his true identity, Mavis takes sympathy on him when she fathoms that he is cursed with black magic that kills everything around him. After Mavis presents him a display of illusory animals in a show of friendship, Zeref whimsically agrees to assist her and her friends' fight against Blue Skull by teaching them magic. Yuri and Precht prove themselves naturally adept at using magic for combat, while Warrod discovers his talents are supportive and non-combative. As soon as the three feel confident in their abilities, Zeref leaves and muses over the cherished time he has spent with Mavis. | ||
273 | "Treasure" "Takaramono" (FAIRY TAIL ZERØ 宝物) | February 27, 2016 |
Mavis and the treasure hunters rally the citizens of Magnolia to stage an uprising against Blue Skull while they enact their plan to save the city. Yuri and Precht defeat the wizards and find the Sirius Orb inside the Kardia Cathedral, while Warrod lures Geoffrey towards an illusion of a burning Magnolia, where he is encaged by Mavis and Zera. Geoffrey warns the two that the orb is imbued with evil energy that could destroy the city when touched. Mavis attempts to stop Yuri from stealing the orb, but he dismisses her warning and takes hold of the treasure. He is taken over by its power and merges with the skeletal dragon over the cathedral, rampaging through the city as a mindless monster. | ||
274 | "Law" "Rō" (FAIRY TAIL ZERØ ロウ) | March 5, 2016 |
Mavis prepares to cast Law, a powerful magic spell learned from Zeref, to free Yuri from the blue dragon. Despite Zera's warnings of the spell's adverse effects, Mavis successfully uses the spell and destroys the Sirius Orb controlling Yuri, and falls unconscious. Later, Yuri awakens and learns about what Mavis has done, and that her spell has permanently stunted her physical maturity. He apologizes to Mavis and promises to protect her as his friend from now on. When Mavis accepts his friendship, Yuri admits to her that neither he nor anyone but Mavis can see or hear Zera, revealing her to be an illusion she has created. | ||
275 | "Eternal Adventure" "Eien no Bōken" (FAIRY TAIL ZERØ 永遠の冒険) | March 12, 2016 |
Zera confirms that she is an illusion Mavis unconsciously created after the real Zera died seven years earlier. She encourages Mavis to move on, fading away permanently when Mavis tearfully accepts the truth about her. Yuri is able to see Zera as she vanishes, and she entrusts him with looking after Mavis. After contemplating what to do next, Mavis establishes the Fairy Tail wizard guild to help Magnolia recover from Blue Skull's regime. The treasure hunters resign from their old guild, Sylph Labyrinth, and join Fairy Tail with Mavis as guild master. A closing narration recounts Fairy Tail's history up until the year X792, one year after the guild's disbandment. | ||
276 | "Challenger" "Chōsen-sha" (挑戦者) | March 19, 2016 |
In the year X792, Lucy lives alone in Crocus where she works as an editorial trainee at Weekly Sorcerer magazine to keep track of her wayward former guildmates in hope of reuniting with them. While helping her superior Jason cover a match at the Grand Magic Games, a cloaked figure disrupts the proceedings after the final match. Declaring himself a challenger, the intruder overwhelms the competition's winners with fire magic powerful enough to melt the entire stadium. To Lucy's shock, the figure unveils himself as Natsu, and he and Happy greet her as she notes her renewed faith in Fairy Tail's reunion. | ||
277 | "Message of Flame" "Honō no Messēji" (炎のメッセージ) | March 26, 2016 |
Natsu is pardoned by the king for burning the Grand Magic Games arena on account of his repeated past efforts in saving the kingdom. While reminiscing his training journey with Lucy, he and Happy are distressed to learn of Fairy Tail's disbandment, leaving Lucy hurt over their abrupt departure. The two spend the night at her apartment to find detailed notes Lucy has made to keep track of their guildmates. Lucy awakens the next morning to see her home surrounded by the local army in search of Natsu. Natsu and Happy make a getaway with Lucy, revealing they have emblazoned Fairy Tail's name on the side of the king's palace, signifying their intent to revive the guild. The three happily flee the city and embark on a new journey together. |
Notes
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Fairy Tail Zero Prequel Manga Gets TV Anime Adaptation in January". Anime News Network. November 16, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Fairy Tail Zero – English Cast Announcement!". Funimation. February 12, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
- ↑ "Fairy Tail Zero Prequel TV Anime Casts Kana Hanazawa as Zera". Anime News Network. November 24, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ↑ Green, Scott (November 24, 2015). "KanaHana Joins "Fairy Tail Zero" Anime Cast". Crunchyroll. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ↑ Walker, Tyler (February 14, 2016). "Tyler Walker confirming Zeeself voice actor". Twitter. (Self-published). Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- ↑ "Monthly Fairy Tail Magazine to Launch With Fairy Tail Zero Manga". Anime News Network. March 30, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ↑ Green, Scott (March 30, 2014). ""Fairy Tail" Author Announces Spin-off Manga". Crunchyroll. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ↑ Green, Scott (July 2, 2014). "VIDEO: "Fairy Tail" Magazine Promo". Crunchyroll. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Fairy Tail Zero, Fairy Tail: Ice Trail Spinoff Manga to End in July". Anime News Network. June 18, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Kodansha's Monthly Fairy Tail Magazine Ends Publication". Anime News Network. July 18, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Kodansha Comics Adds Hiro Mashima's Fairy Tail Zero Prequel Manga". Anime News Network. November 15, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ↑ "FAIRY TAIL ZERO". Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Fairy Tail Zero". Penguin Random House. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ↑ Green, Scott (November 16, 2015). ""Fairy Tail Zero" TV Anime Announced". Crunchyroll. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Funimation to Stream Dimension W, Grimgar, Pandora, Divine Gate, Prince of Stride, Dagashikashi With Dub". Funimation. December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
External links
- Official anime website
- Fairy Tail Zero (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia