Failure Frame

Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything with Low-Level Spells
Cover of the first light novel volume, featuring Seras Ashrain
ハズレ枠の【状態異常スキル】で最強になった俺がすべてを蹂躙するまで (Hazure Waku no "Jōtai Ijō Sukiru" de Saikyō ni Natta Ore ga Subete o Jūrin Suru made)
Genre	Dark fantasy Isekai
Novel series
Written by	Kaoru Shinozaki
Published by	Shōsetsuka ni Narō
Original run	November 24, 2017 – present
Light novel
Written by	Kaoru Shinozaki
Illustrated by	KWKM
Published by	Overlap
English publisher	NA: Seven Seas Entertainment
Imprint	Overlap Bunko
Demographic	Male
Original run	July 25, 2018 – present
Volumes	11 + 1 short story collection
Manga
Written by	Kaoru Shinozaki Keyaki Uchi-Uchi (composition)
Illustrated by	Shō Uyoshi
Published by	Overlap
English publisher	NA: Seven Seas Entertainment
Magazine	Comic Gardo
Demographic	Shōnen
Original run	July 26, 2019 – present
Volumes	10
Anime television series
Directed by	Michio Fukuda
Written by	Yasuhiro Nakanishi
Music by	Tatsuhiko Saiki
Studio	Seven Arcs
Licensed by	Crunchyroll SA/SEA: Muse Communication
Original network	TBS, IBC, GYT, BS11, AT-X
Original run	July 5, 2024 – September 27, 2024
Episodes	12

Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything with Low-Level Spells (Japanese: ハズレ枠の【状態異常スキル】で最強になった俺がすべてを蹂躙するまで, Hepburn: Hazure Waku no "Jōtai Ijō Sukiru" de Saikyō ni Natta Ore ga Subete o Jūrin Suru made, lit. "Until I Became the Strongest with the Failure Frame 'Status Abnormal Skill' and Overran Everything") is a Japanese light novel series written by Kaoru Shinozaki. The series originated on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website in November 2017, before Overlap acquired and published it in print with illustrations by KWKM in July 2018. A manga adaptation with composition by Keyaki Uchi-Uchi and illustrations by Shō Uyoshi began serialization on the Comic Gardo website in July 2019. An anime television series adaptation produced by Seven Arcs aired from July to September 2024.

Plot

Touka Mimori and his classmates are suddenly summoned to a fantasy world by a goddess to act as heroes. While most of them are shown to have exceptional skills, Mimori has an E-rank. Deeming him useless, the goddess decides to banish Mimori to a monster-filled dungeon where nobody has ever survived, a fate to which almost all of his classmates abandon him without hesitation. However, it turns out that his skills are more abnormal and more powerful than they seem, and after escaping from the dungeon he vows to have his revenge. As he travels throughout this new world, strengthening and increasing his Skills, he acquires friends and allies while making sure that the goddess and his former classmates continue to believe him dead.

Characters

Touka Mimori (三森 灯河, Mimori Tōka)

Voiced by: Ryōta Suzuki

Known as Class 2C's background character, he is assigned as an E-rank by the goddess Vicius and is banished into a dangerous dungeon where nobody has ever survived. While his unique skills are deemed to be useless, they have proven to have a 100% success rate against his opponents (with the exception of Vicius, who is constantly protected by a barrier). After suffering as a child countless physical and emotional abuse from his own parents, who eventually abandoned him, he was rescued by his uncle and aunt. As a result, he developed two different personas: 1) being the good guy to those who treat him well, and b) a dark and ruthless persona, annihilating those who wrong him. In addition to his abilities, he is also the possessor of a book of powerful magic written by a Hero/Sage whom the Goddess had also disposed of and who had died in that dungeon (Mimori also now wears the Sage's robes). His most used Skills are "Paralyze" and "Poison", to which he has leveled up to add "Sleep", "Dark" (which blinds the opponent) and "Berserk" (which sends the person the Skill is used against into an uncontrollable rage). After learning of the legend of "The Lord of the Flies" and buying a helmet mask of that character, he adopts that identity, using the helmet mask to disguise himself with a magic stone inside it that disguises his voice.

Seras Ashrain (セラス・アシュレイン, Serasu Ashurein)

Voiced by: Saki Miyashita

A princess from the High Elf country and former knight captain of the Holy Kingdom of Neia. After she was forced to flee Neia rather than be handed over to the Goddess Vicius, a bounty was placed on her and she was forced to hide her identity by disguising herself as a human. After a fateful encounter with Mimori, who saves her from bounty hunters, she decides to pledge her loyalty to him and follow his journey of revenge as his guard. When Mimnori buys the "Lord of the Flies" mask, he also buys the helmet mask of "The Fly Swordsman" for Seras to use to hide her true identity. As their journey continues, her feelings towards him becomes stronger and more romantic, but she is determined to not let her feelings get in the way of his vengeance.

Piggymaru (ピギ丸, Pigimaru)

Voiced by: Ayami Tsukui

A slime whom Mimori encounters in the forest while it is being overpowered by a group of other slimes. Impressed by its determination to fight back despite its disadvantage, Mimori decides to save it. It becomes attached to Mimori and decides to follow him, thus aiding him in his journey of revenge. Mimori later uses special potions to help Piggymaru "level up".

Vicius (ヴィシス, Vuishisu)

Voiced by: Ami Koshimizu

The Goddess who summons Class 2C to save the world from demons. Behind her radiant smile, she is actually a heartless, cruel and arrogant person who rejects and disposes of anyone whom she deems to be useless while adopting a public persona of caring. Angered by her irresponsible actions, Mimori now targets her as the object of his revenge after he escapes from the dungeon.

Ayaka Sogou (十河綾香, Sogō Ayaka)

Voiced by: Karin Nanami

The class representative of Class 2C who always got top grades in her studies. When Mimori was banished to the dungeon, she tried to speak up for him, but was viciously knocked unconscious by the goddess. Feeling guilty that she could not save Mimori, she resolves to protect her weaker classmates to ensure they do not suffer the same fate as Mimori. Trained enormously in martial arts during her childhood days, she is skilled in handling close combat weapons; however, she has yet to unlock her true Skill potential despite being an S-Rank Hero, causing her to be looked down upon by Kirihara, Oyamada and Yasu.

Takuto Kirihara (桐原拓斗, Kirihara Takuto)

Voiced by: Masaaki Mizunaka

A member of Class 2-C who is powerful enough to be deemed an S-Rank Hero. Due to his current power level and Skills, he becomes extremely arrogant and believes himself worthy of kingship in this new world. He is the leader of one of the Hero groups.

Shougo Oyamada (小山田翔吾, Oyamada Shōgo)

Voiced by: KENN

Another member of Class 2-C who is powerful enough to be deemed an S-Rank Hero. However, while also extremely powerful, he appears to be more violent, uncaring and emotionally unstable. He is a member of Kirihara's group, with Kirihara being the only one who can dominate him.

Kobato Kashima (鹿島小鳩, Kashima Kobato)

Voiced by: Maria Naganawa

A girl in Class 2-C whom Mimori had befriended back in their own world, but was too afraid to defend him or speak up for him when he was "disposed of" (a betrayal that she can never forgive herself for). She admits to being a coward and proves unable to kill monsters, reluctantly joining Asagi Senjou's group for survival, with Asagi nicknaming her "Pigeon". While she hates herself for her betrayal of Mimori and her cowardice, she remains with Asagi's group in hope that she might be able to warn Ayaka Sogou of any hostile move against her by Asagi.

Asagi Senjou (戦場浅葱, Senjō Asagi)

Voiced by: Emi Hirayama

Tomohiro Yasu (安智弘, Yasu Tomohiro)

Voiced by: Daiki Yamashita

Another member of Class 2-C who is powerful enough to be deemed an S-Rank Hero. However, while also extremely powerful, he appears to suffer from an inferiority complex due to his treatment and lack of friends in his former world and therefore believes that others are looking down on him, causing him to lash out whenever he feels slighted or mocked. He is the leader of his own Hero group, but feels no responsibility towards his followers or seems to care whether they live or die.

Hijiri Takao (高雄聖, Takao Hijiri)

Voiced by: Saori Hayami

A member of Class 2-C, she refuses to join any of the Hero Groups, preferring to work only with her younger sister Itsuki. She proves to not only be skilled in fighting, but also to have a strong intellect and keen analytical mind, able to see truths hidden from others.

Itsuki Takao (高雄樹, Takao Itsuki)

Voiced by: Kaori Maeda

Hijiri Takao's younger sister and also a member of Class 2-C. While also strong at fighting, she is also far more reckless and sometimes takes her older sister's instructions too literally, which can lead to misunderstood situations. She is more emotional and less intellectual than Hijiri, sometimes causing her to not know what her sister is talking about.

Eve Speed (イヴ・スピード, Ivu Supīdo)

Voiced by: Hitomi Ueda

An incredibly skilled leopard-woman warrior who had been captured and sold as a slave, only to become a champion in the city of Monroy's arena fighting known as "Blood Fighting" or "Blood Sport" (similar to the gladiatorial battles in Rome's Colosseum), where slaves and mercenaries battle to eventually earn their freedom. Eve had been the undefeated Blood Fighting Champion for two years, hoping to also earn the freedom of Lisbeth (see below), but the Duke in charge of the Blood Fights planned to betray her and have her treacherously killed in her final match (like all the Champions before her). Warned by Mimori of the plot and verifying it for herself, she agrees to have him help her rescue Lisbeth and joins him and Seras on their journey to find the Forbidden Witch in the Land of Golden-Eyed Monsters. After coming to trust Mimori and fighting side by side with him against the Duke's private army, she also vows loyalty to him.

Lisbeth (リズベット, Rizubetto)

Voiced by: Misaki Watada

A Dark Elf child who was also sold as a slave along with Eve. She has a strong emotional bond with Eve, whom she calls her "Big Sister". Forced to work in a Monroy inn near the Blood Fighting Colosseum, she is both physically and emotionally abused by the landlady (similar to how Mimori was abused by his parents). Eve had been prolonging her Blood Fighting in the hope of also earning Lisbeth's freedom, but after learning of the Duke's betrayal and his lecherous plans for Lisbeth, she rescues Lisbeth and the two join Mimori and Seras on their journey.

Nyantan Kikeepat (ニャンタン・キキーパット, Nyantan Kikīpatto)

Voiced by: Asuka Shioiri

A cat-woman who acts as a "disciple" of the Goddess Vicius, who in private treats her in "Domme"-fashion. She is a skilled warrior, secretly training Ayaga in swordsmanship.

Civit Garland (シビト・ガートランド, Shibito Gātorando)

Voiced by: Junichi Suwabe

The leader of the Black Dragon Knights from the Bakuos Empire and referred to as "Humanity's Strongest"/"The Strongest Man in the World". His goal is to battle against and defeat the strongest opponents he can find, and his current mission is to capture Seras. Despite his incredible physical strength and martial skills, he meets his demise when he is caught off guard and killed by Mimori, along with his entire squad.

Media

Light novels

Written by Kaoru Shinozaki, the series began serialization on the novel posting website Shōsetsuka ni Narō on November 24, 2017. The series was later acquired by Overlap, who began publishing the series in print with illustrations by KWKM on July 25, 2018. As of January 2024, eleven volumes and one short stories volume have been released.

In July 2020, Seven Seas Entertainment announced that they had licensed the novels for English publication.

Volumes

No.	Original release date	Original ISBN	English release date	English ISBN
1	July 25, 2018	978-4-86-554372-8	December 10, 2020 (digital) March 9, 2021 (print)	978-1-64-827069-7
2	December 25, 2018	978-4-86-554426-8	May 13, 2021 (digital) June 8, 2021 (print)	978-1-64-827089-5
3	May 25, 2019	978-4-86-554494-7	November 11, 2021 (digital) December 21, 2021 (print)	978-1-64-827265-3
4	October 25, 2019	978-4-86-554559-3	June 2, 2022 (digital) August 2, 2022 (print)	978-1-64-827320-9
5	April 25, 2020	978-4-86-554645-3	August 25, 2022 (digital) October 11, 2022 (print)	978-1-63-858326-4
6	November 25, 2020	978-4-86-554782-5	November 3, 2022 (digital) February 21, 2023 (print)	978-1-63-858699-9
7	May 25, 2021	978-4-86-554909-6	March 2, 2023 (digital) June 13, 2023 (print)	978-1-63-858994-5
8	November 25, 2021	978-4-82-400044-6	August 10, 2023 (digital) October 10, 2023 (print)	978-1-68-579853-6
9	June 25, 2022	978-4-82-400186-3	December 28, 2023 (digital) February 20, 2024 (print)	979-8-88-843197-9
10	December 25, 2022	978-4-82-400363-8	May 16, 2024 (digital) June 18, 2024 (print)	979-8-88-843591-5
11	June 25, 2023	978-4-82-400527-4	September 12, 2024 (digital) October 15, 2024 (print)	979-8-89-160228-1
11.5	January 25, 2024	978-4-82-400711-7	February 25, 2025 (print)	979-8-89-160877-1
12	July 25, 2024	978-4-82-400854-1	—	—

Manga

A manga adaptation, with composition by Keyaki Uchi-Uchi and illustrations by Shō Uyoshi, began serialization on the Comic Gardo manga website on July 26, 2019. As of June 2024, the series individual chapters have been collected into ten tankōbon volumes.

In July 2020, Seven Seas Entertainment announced that they also licensed the manga adaptation for English publication.

Volumes

No.	Original release date	Original ISBN	English release date	English ISBN
1	December 25, 2019	978-4-86-554593-7	April 13, 2021	978-1-64827-090-1
001. The Goddess Explains The Summoning 002. Ruins of Disposal 003. Trample, or Get Trampled 004. Soul Eater
2	June 25, 2020	978-4-86-554688-0	August 10, 2021	978-1-64827-301-8
005. Avenger(s) 006. The Powerful and The Famous 007. A Man Named Hatty Schoel 008. A Woman Called The Valkyrie 009. Miruzu Historic Ruin
3	December 25, 2020	978-4-86-554814-3	December 14, 2021	978-1-64827-571-5
010. A Knight's Promise 011. Golden-Eyed Monsters and the Heroes 012. S-Ranked Hero 013. Serasu Ashren 014. Black Dragon Knights
4	June 25, 2021	978-4-86-554949-2	August 16, 2022 (digital) August 23, 2022 (print)	978-1-63858-367-7
015. Crisis 016. The Strongest Pursuer 017. The Five Dragon Warriors 018. Civit Gartland 019. The Power Gained from Enhancement
5	December 25, 2021	978-4-82-400074-3	December 20, 2022	978-1-63858-828-3
020. The Dream That the Man Saw 021. High Ranked and Low Ranked 022. The Godess's Representative 023. Mask 024. The Royal Capital, Monroy
6	May 25, 2022	978-4-82-400199-3	July 11, 2023	978-1-68579-610-5
025. Eve Speed 026. Things I Want to Protect 027. Lizbeth 028. Escape 029. Group of Sorcerers
7	December 25, 2022	978-4-8240-0374-4	January 23, 2024	979-8-88843-120-7
030. Dark Scheme 031. Connection 032. Joint Battle 033. Freeze 034. The Four Revered Saints
8	June 25, 2023	978-4-8240-0537-3	August 13, 2024	979-8-89160-179-6
035. The Golden Monster Zone 036. Hatching 037. The Human-Faced Monster 038. Start 039. Trample
9	January 25, 2024	978-4-8240-0722-3	January 14, 2025	979-8-89160-632-6
040. The Heroes, in the Dark 041. The Unmeasurable Person 042. Beyond the Limits 043. Ravage 044. The Witch's Realm
10	June 25, 2024	978-4-8240-0869-5	—	—
045. The Invasion 046. The Witch's House 047. Change 048. To the Northern Monster Area 049. Rushing Forward

Chapters not yet in tankōbon format

• 050. The Battle of the Heroes

Anime

An anime television series adaptation was announced during the second livestream for the "10th Anniversary Memorial Overlap Bunko All-Star Assemble Special" event in January 2024. It is produced by Seven Arcs (with cooperation from SynergySP) and directed by Michio Fukuda, with scripts written by Yasuhiro Nakanishi, character designs handled by Kana Hashidate, and music composed by Tatsuhiko Saiki. The series aired from July 5 to September 27, 2024, on TBS and other networks. The opening theme song is "Hazure" performed by Chogakusei, while the ending theme song is "Pray" performed by Hakubi. Crunchyroll licensed the series. Muse Communication licensed the series in South and Southeast Asia.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Storyboarded by	Original air date	Ref.
1	"The Goddess Announcing Her Summons" Transliteration: "Shōkan o Tsugeshi Megami" (Japanese: 召喚を告（つげ）し女神)	Michio Fukuda	Yasuhiro Nakanishi	Michio Fukuda	July 5, 2024 (2024-07-05)
The goddess Vicius summons a class of Earth students to her world to fight as their heroes against the Demon King. Due to the summoning, each one of them is bestowed with a special power. However, one of them, Touka Mimori, is immediately discarded by Vicius, magically banished and left to die in a dangerous dungeon for having a seemingly weak ability. In the dungeon, Mimori soon discovers that his skill has a special perk that gives him a chance to survive and seek revenge.
2	"The Ruins of Disposal" Transliteration: "Haiki Iseki" (Japanese: 廃棄遺跡)	Tōru Kitahata	Yasuhiro Nakanishi	Michio Fukuda	July 12, 2024 (2024-07-12)
Mimori explores the dungeon and develops his powers, eventually confronting the strongest monster in the ruins who holds the key that he needs to escape. Meanwhile, a mysterious woman is on the run in the forest outside, trying to escape pursuers.
3	"Encounter ~Avenger(s)~" Transliteration: "Kaigō ~Abenjā(zu)~" (Japanese: 邂逅 〜AVENGERS）〜)	Hideki Takayama	Yasuhiro Nakanishi	Michio Fukuda	July 19, 2024 (2024-07-19)
Back on the surface and in the forest, Mimori encounters a weak slime whom he befriends and names "Piggymaru". Later, he meets the fleeing woman, who is fleeing from bounty hunters. Meanwhile, the rest of the students struggle to get stronger and fulfill Vicius' expectations.
4	"The Woman Known as the Princess Knight" Transliteration: "Hime Kishi to Yoba Reta On'na" (Japanese: 姫騎士と呼ばれた女)	Tomonori Kogawa	Kazuyoshi Yamamoto	Tomonori Kogawa	July 26, 2024 (2024-07-26)
Arriving at the town of Mils and while registering (using the name of "Hati Skoll") to explore the local Ruins, Mimori meets the woman again, who identifies herself as Mist Balukas. After penetrating to the lowest level, Mimori finds a special treasure and again encounters Mist. Since Mimori is there for other reasons, he gives the treasure to Mist, and the two decide to explore the dungeon together. In the course of the exploration, Mimori discovers that Mist is really Seras Ashrain, an elf princess and knight with a bounty on her head.
5	"The Chain Known as Trust" Transliteration: "Shinrai to iu na no Kusari" (Japanese: 信頼という名の鎖)	Yūichi Satō	Kazuyoshi Yamamoto	Takehiro Nakayama	August 2, 2024 (2024-08-02)
After Mimori and Seras return from the dungeon, Mimori decides to hire Seras as his bodyguard and they agree as to terms, as well as confiding their true identities to each other. However, the next day when Seras presents the recovered treasure to the local Duke, her disguise is revealed and she is forced to flee, with the most powerful warriors in the world, the "Black Dragon Knights", pursuing her. Learning of this, Mimori decides to help her and catches up to her just as she is on the point of being captured.
6	"Humanity's Strongest, Civit Gartland" Transliteration: "Jinrui Saikyō Shibito Gātorando" (Japanese: 人類最強 シビト・ガートランド)	Kazunobu Fuseki	Kazuyoshi Yamamoto	Tomu Sashizuke	August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
Mimori and Seras are confronted the Black Dragon Knights and their leader Civit Gartland, known as the most powerful warrior in the world. Taking advantage of Civit's over-confidence, Mimori kills Civit and deals with the rest of the knights with a new ability he obtained by fusing with the newly-empowered Piggymaru.
7	"Monroy's Bloodsport Champion" Transliteration: "Monroi no Chi Tōshi" (Japanese: モンロイの血闘士)	Hideki Takayama	Ohine Ezaki	Kazunobu Fuseki	August 23, 2024 (2024-08-23)
Now traveling together, Mimori and Seras arrive at the city of Monroy and look for clues about the Forbidden Witch, whom Mimori seeks for counsel. They discover that Eve Speed, a leopardkin and colosseum warrior, may knows the Witch's location, but she lies about having such knowledge. Further investigation reveals a special motive for Eve's continuing to fight in the Colosseum. That night, Mimori makes a special purchase that will give him a new secret identity.
8	"Together with the Lord of Flies" Transliteration: "Hae-ō to Tomoni" (Japanese: 蠅王と共に)	Norihiko Sudo, Yūki Sakamoto	Ohine Ezaki	Tomonori Kogawa	August 30, 2024 (2024-08-30)
Suspecting that the Duke plans to double-cross Eve and have her killed in her final Colosseum match, Mimori attempts to convince Eve to assist him, but she refuses until she discovers that the plot against her is real. She and her friend, the child dark elf Lisbeth, decide to escape together and join Mimori's party. Escaping from Monroy, they find themselves pursued not only by the Duke's private army, but also by a group claiming responsibility for the deaths of the Black Dragon Knights.
9	"Dark Plot ~missing~" Transliteration: "Kokusaku 〜Misshingu〜" (Japanese: 黒策（こくさく） 〜missing〜)	Yoshitaka Fujimoto	Ohine Ezaki	Tsutomu Miyazawa	September 6, 2024 (2024-09-06)
Mimori and his companions deal permanently with all of the pursuers sent to recapture Eve and Lisbeth, with Eve personally taking revenge on those who betrayed her. The party then departs to the Land of Golden-Eyed Monsters, a dangerous region where the Forbidden Witch lives. Meanwhile, Vicius decides to send the heroes there as well for training, in preparation for the imminent battle with the Demon Lord's forces.
10	"The Land of the Golden-Eyed Monsters 〜encounter〜" Transliteration: "Kinsei Maguntai 〜Enkauntā〜" (Japanese: 金棲魔群帯 〜encounter〜)	Tomonori Kogawa	Yasuhiro Nakanishi	Tomonori Kogawa	September 13, 2024 (2024-09-13)
As Mimori's group travels though the forest in search of the Forbidden Witch, the egg recovered from the Mils Ruins in Mimori's possession hatches and a horse-like monster is born, whom Mimori names "Slei". Close to their destination, Mimori and the others are attacked by a monster whom Eve kills, but while dying sends a signal to countless monsters who converge on their position.
11	"To the Limit, and Beyond" Transliteration: "Genkai no, Sono Saki e" (Japanese: 限界の、その先へ)	Yūsuke Nakagama	Yasuhiro Nakanishi	Michio Fukuda	September 20, 2024 (2024-09-20)
Mimori decides to face the stampeding monsters with Slei and Piggymaru while Seras and the others take shelter in a cave. While Mimori takes down wave after wave of the countless monsters, elsewhere in the forest the other students face some of them and suffer casualties. Worried about Mimori, Eve leaves the hideout to search for him, but comes across some students instead and is attacked by them when they mistake her for one of the forest's monsters.
12	"Ruler and Sword" Transliteration: "Ō to Tsurugi" (Japanese: 王と剣（つるぎ）)	Kazunobu Fuseki	Yasuhiro Nakanishi	Kazunobu Fuseki	September 27, 2024 (2024-09-27)
Before Eve can be defeated by the students, they realize she is not a threat and allow her to leave. Exhausted after eliminating all of the monsters, Mimori, Slei and Piggymaru are rescued by Eve, who reunites them with the others. After the battle, some students begin suspecting that there are assassins among their instructors after their lives, while Vicius calls back the heroes in preparation for an imminent battle against the Demon Forces. Mimori's party reaches the Forbidden Witch's home and meet her in person, with Mimori hoping that she can help with his revenge.

Reception

Rebecca Silverman from Anime News Network praised the character development and high school politics, though she also felt it was too reliant on tropes.

In BookWalker's Next Big Light Novel Hit poll, the series ranked ninth in the bunkobon category.

The series has 1.1 million copies in circulation between its digital and print releases.

See also

• Hazure Skill: The Guild Member with a Worthless Skill is Actually a Legendary Assassin, another light novel series illustrated by KWKM

External links

• Official website at Shōsetsuka ni Narō (in Japanese)
• Light novel official website (in Japanese)
• Manga official website at Comic Gardo (in Japanese)
• Anime official website (in Japanese)
• Failure Frame (light novel) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia