Night Wizard (ナイトウィザード) is a 2007 anime with 13 episodes and an unusual origin. Most anime are adapted from manga, light novels or visual novels, but this is the first time I have seen one based on a tabletop role-playing game. That alone already makes it stand out.

The story follows Renji Hiiragi, a high school student who also works as a Night Wizard, essentially a soldier equipped with magic or magical artifacts to defend the world against threats such as Emulators. His direct superior is Anzelotte, a young-looking leader who constantly drags Renji into missions, often right when he is simply trying to attend class. It is presented humorously as all he wants is a normal life, and she refuses to allow it.

Renji is assigned to protect a girl named Elis Shihou, who possesses a bracelet that, once fully restored with seven jewels, can open the gateway to the Emulator world and take the fight directly to their side. Those jewels are scattered across the globe, sometimes already in enemy hands, so the team travels to retrieve them while keeping Elis safe from Emulators commanded by Bell Zephyr. Of course things do not stay as straightforward as they first seem, especially as more truth surrounding Elis comes to light.

The main party is quite small but clearly defined:

• Renji – your classic emotional protagonist who fights with a sword. He's rash, but good natured and want everyone to live an happy and normal life.

• Elis Shihou – shy, self-doubting heroine whose bracelet acts as a barrier. She doesn't know much about her past and is obsessed with a mysterious figure that apparently helped her in the past.

• Kureha Akabane – Renji’s miko-clad childhood friend, armed with a crossbow.

• Akari Himuro – a mercenary girl with a massive rifle that fires like a cannon.

The recurring antagonists are also notable:

• Bell Zephyr – a powerful demon lord in the form of a teenage girl, she want to gather the jewels before Anzelotte's team can. 

• Lion Gunta – another demon lord who predicts the future through her grimoire, though Elis often throws her predictions off.

The plot itself is fairly simple but structurally solid. It introduces its world clearly, develops the cast, escalates into its central mystery and then pushes toward a final conclusion to earn its happy ending. It checks the boxes it needs to check and does them well enough.

If I had one complaint, it would be that Bell Zephyr and Lion Gunta deserved far more screen time. They are easily among the most interesting characters, yet due to the episodic early structure many antagonists are one-episode threats, leaving Bell and Lion mostly in the background until later.

I would not call Night Wizard an essential must-watch, but I enjoyed it. If you are between shows and just want something straightforward and fun for a few hours, this is a perfectly pleasant pick.