First Impressions / Zero no Tsukaima

Summary:
In the classroom, Louise is pissed off because Kirche is feeding Saito food. While Louise is beating up Saito, Kirche mentions how Henrietta could be blamed for Fouquet’s actions since all the guards of the school were reassigned to guard the princess. Louise and Tabitha then get called to the headmaster’s office, and Kirche tags along. There, Miss Longueville informs everyone that eyewitness information places a suspicious person in a deserted house deep in the forest. After Louise identifies Fouquet from a drawing, Osmond decides that they need to recover the staff themselves, but none of the mages are willing to do it. Louise, Kirche, and Tabitha all end up volunteering, and they will be guided by Miss Longueville. With her driving the horse-drawn cart, the group sets out. Along the way, Saito asks why a noble like Fouquet would be a thief, under the assumption that Fouquet is a noble because she can use magic. Miss Longueville refutes that assumption by saying that not all mages are nobles. There are various ways a noble can become a commoner and Miss Longueville is one such person. Fortunately for her, Osmond is not particular about nobles or commoners. Kirche and Louise then start arguing with Saito caught in the middle. After he breaks them apart, Kirche gives him the golden sword again. Saito already has Derfflinger, but since Kirche insists, he decides to carry the golden sword too.
They eventually arrive at the abandoned house, but there’s no one inside. Tabitha notices a chest and opens it to find the Staff of Destruction’s box. Before they can open the box, they hear Louise scream from outside. The roof of the house gets ripped off to reveal the giant golem. Neither Tabitha’s wind magic nor Kirche’s fire magic has any effect, so Tabitha calls on her dragon Sylph. Outside, Louise is trying to use her magic on the golem, but she can’t manage more than a tiny explosion. Saito tells her to run, but Louise refuses because she is a noble. According to Louise, a person who can use magic cannot be called a noble, but a person who does not run away from the enemy can. She of course also wants to prove that she’s not Louise the Zero. The golem slams its arm down at her, but she is saved by Saito when he grabs her and dives out of the way. When she tells him not to get in the way, Saito responds by slapping her – it would all be over if she died. Louise starts to cry because everyone is always making fun of her, and so she thought that running away would mean even more of that. With Louise in tears, Saito hands her over to Tabitha, Kirche, and Sylph. Saito then pulls out the golden sword Kirche gave him and tries to attack the golem. But as soon as he lands the hit, the blade breaks.
With no other choice, Saito uses Derfflinger, and this time his rune lights up. Saito quickly slashes apart one each of the golem’s legs and arms, but the golem is able to regenerate its limbs. Louise decides to take the Staff of Destruction’s box from Kirche and jumps off Sylph. She opens the box mid-air and pulls out a strange green tube. She of course has no idea what it is or how to use it. However, Saito immediately recognizes what the tube is and runs over to her. As he grabs it from her, his rune glows again. Saito opens up what is actually a rocket launcher and fires it at the golem. The resulting explosion blows off the golem’s head and ends the battle. Kirche runs over and starts hugging Saito, but Tabitha asks the important question of where Fouquet is, since that was her golem. It is at this point that Miss Longueville picks up the rocket launcher and reveals herself to be Fouquet. Saito tries to reach for Derfflinger, but Fouquet points the rocket launcher at them and orders them not to move. Fouquet had stolen the Staff of Destruction, but was troubled because she didn’t know how to use it. Fortunately for her, Saito was able to show her how, as to be expected from the Gundolf. The others of course have no idea what she means by Gundolf. In any case, Fouquet is ready to blow them away with the rocket launcher, but it refuses to fire. Saito uses the chance to rush up and hit her in the stomach with the hilt of Derfflinger. He knew all along that the weapon had one shot, this rocket launcher from his world.
In the aftermath, Fouquet is transferred to the authorities and the Staff of Destruction is returned to the treasure vault. Saito, however, will not get rewarded like the others because he is not a noble. He doesn’t care about that, but he does have something that he wants to ask Osmond. After the others leave, Saito explains how the Staff of Destruction was a weapon from his world. Osmond recalls that 30 years ago, he had been attacked by a beast and saved when an injured man fired a rocket at it. That injured man collapsed from his own injuries and Osmond brought him back to the school, but the man ended up dying. The man had been carrying two Staffs of Destruction – the one used to save Osmond had been entombed with the man’s body and the other Osmond presented to the Royal Court. Unfortunately, all this still doesn’t help Saito figure out a way home. That night, during the dance party, Saito is standing off to the side thinking about going home when Louise makes her entrance. Several guys try to talk to her, but she ignores them all and goes straight for Saito. And when the dancing starts, Louise wants to dance with him. She tells him that she believes him now about him coming from another world. After Louise learns that Saito does still want to go home, she thanks him for saving her from the golem. Saito thinks that it was natural for him to do that since he is her familiar. Louise can’t help but smile and blush as the two keep dancing. From the sidelines, Derfflinger comments on how this is the first time he’s ever seen a familiar and a master dance together.

Preview:

So Longueville was indeed Fouquet. Not a huge surprise in retrospect, though I had originally thought that many Longueville was an accomplice or relative or something. I would have thought she would have known more about the Staff of Destruction (mainly the one shot thing) than she did, but maybe I overestimated her. I guess I was just a bit disappointed by how relatively easily she was defeated since she was the villain featured in the OP.
I laughed so hard when I realized that the Staff of Destruction was actually a rocket launcher (as a couple of you have pointed out, it’s a M72 LAW). Here I was expecting some magical artifact, and it turns out to be just a Vietnam War-era weapon. It was pretty funny watching Louise try to swing it around like it was a staff or something, only to have Saito show her how it’s done (courtesy of his rune). Saito got a lot of cool moments this episode and now even Louise is blushing around him after he saved her. But I’m sure she’ll be back to whipping him soon.
Next week, Louise as a maid! And some girl with huge breasts!

55 Comments

  11. This was a good episode.

    I wonder how we go from a ball room dance at the end of this episode to Louise working as a bar maid(?) in the next episode. Hopeuflly the overall pacing of the rest of the series goes well and doesn’t get too jumpy craming too much in each episode or (worse) wastes too screen time on things that don’t promote the main story line or real character development.

    MarcosV
    Reply

  16. Hmmm…strange, I thought the M72 LAW collapsible rocket launcher could only be fired once (since it’s made of cheap plastic and metal, meaning that it can’t sustain a second launch without cracking up and seriously injuring the infantryman shoulder it)…just my military-loving nitpicky side acting up. Anyway, looks like serious fun. ROFL. Magic beaten by Vietnam-era weaponry. Now who’s the badass one in this world? Huh? HUH? 😀

    Never thought something wizards thought to be so destructive could be non-magical in nature. Ah, well…is it just me or this world keeps on looking more and more like Harry Potter’s? That white-haired wizard saved by the soldier reminds me a LOT of Lucius Malfoy…
    Just my worthless two cents.

    Renegade334
    Reply

  18. If you’re wondering what other military tech is going to show up, then look no further than the op and Japanese Zero that zips by. Who knows, maybe that soldier was carrying another RPG which became the Staff of Destruction.

    I saw the pics from the graphic novel and hate the fact that the anime is only 13 eps. Here’s hoping for a 2nd season…

    jounin
    Reply

  29. oy yeah, my guess was correct. Longueville was indeed Fouquet.

    Also the uniqueness of earthly stuff considered as treasure in this world is funny. If we bring many things from our world to their , would that make us popular??

    fisherman horizon
    Reply

  31. I don’t see the reason why Fouquet made her hair color darker to disguise herself. Wouldn’t it have been better to completely change the color instead of shading it?

    And one more thing…Where’s my Siesta-chan~~~!!!? >_

    KiraTakuto
    Reply

  32. Lol so much for that expensive sword. It broke after one swing.

    If you think about it, it makes sense – gold is one of the softest metals in the world (very easy to … shape, which I believe is why it’s been used for jewelery and coins for so long – and why it’s so expensive now).

    Although, realistically, I would guess that the sword would’ve bent instead of cracking in two — but then again, this isn’t realistic when you consider they have magic and we don’t.

    I’m still kinda jealous of Saito… I kinda wish I was in his place. Lucky guy. (Kind of. Not 100%, but… well.)

    cbhl
    Reply

  33. I was slow in picking up this series but once I started, i couldn’t stop. Now I’m craving for more.. Sad to find out only 13 episodes. Man I really love this series so far and of course, louise voiced by Shana’s seiyuu makes it even nicer.

    Sanjiyan Unkara
    Reply

  36. Actually the more important reason why gold was so sought after for jewelry is that it is imperishable. It doesn’t rust or decay. The powerful and wealthy do not wish for their possession to fade with age.

    Zzz...
    Reply

  37. And a gold sword would bend and warp instead snapping wouldn’t it? Gold is soft not brittle. I mean there are historical references where copper swords (another soft metal) bending after some barbarian struck some Roman’s shield. Personally I think Saito brandishing a bent golden sword is more comedic.

    Zzz...
    Reply

  42. I’m beginning to think that Saito’s Rune gives him the ability to use any weapon. It lights up with the sword and the rocket launcher, so it might light up with other weapons too like a spear or something.

    KiraTakuto
    Reply

  45. Show Spoiler ▼

    Kaito
    Reply

  47. Show Spoiler ▼

    KiraTakuto
    Reply

  48. noooo!!!! Siesta won’t stand for this dance! She’d better move in fast if she wants to keep Satio!

    Other than that this is a cool episode. who knew that rocket launchers can kill magical summoned beasts!
    Dragons, Golems don’t stand a chance

    Hudson
    Reply

  51. I wish they get a second season since after volume 3 the things
    Show Spoiler ▼

    btw even from now Forquet gives me tre creepsShow Spoiler ▼

    RickaZ
    Reply

  55. I really didn’t notice the whole darkening of the hair thing as a disguise. It just seemed really obvious to me that she was the thief. But anyways interesting episode, human weapons score the win. Plus we got some good fighting and Louise not doing something violent to Saito. Good stuff I think.

    FlareKnight
    Reply

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