3 Episode Taste Test: Night Wizard

The first thing one notices about Night Wizard is the gradated hair. The second is that it isn't as laughably comical as its name would suggest it to be. Pitching itself as a fantasy romp with school children, the series' first three episodes focus more on slice of life than slicing of life. It has a kind of wide-eyed innocence and refreshing lack of sexuality which makes it an easy and unintrusive show that is sporadically enjoyable and permanently predictable.

animation is serviceable and never flashy while voice acting is fitting and never memorable

Starting each episode with a blood-red tinged fight scene, it is immediately obvious that neither monster design or fight choreography are strong points; even the character designs feel pre-owned, so it is with some trepidation the series presses on. Beginning with a well trodden prologue of transfer student Ellis Shiho discovering she is in possession of not only an ancient and powerful artefact, but also of magic that may help save the world from a currently ongoing hidden war; it is like slipping into a pair of comfortable trousers. The series does little to deviate from this paradigm, its saving grace is the pace it moves at and the energy each character conveys. The terminal do-gooder attitude of Ellis quickly wears thin but is offset by the unexpected frankness of the shrine-maiden, Kureha Akabane, the clumsy sword-wielder Renji Hiiragi and the devious matriarch Anzelotte. They are novel switch-ups of the usual archetypes but the introduction of the token introvert, Akari Himuro (who totes a Bullet Witch style broom), indicates that this is all that is innovative about the series.

Rather than the usual manga or light-novel source, Night Wizard is borne from an RPG system of the same name; after this revelation small elements like the "Party Formation Commemoration Party" can elicit a wry smile while it becomes all the more obvious that the protagonist and plot choices lie very much in that heritage. There is little in the way of exposition about the world or the overarching antagonists and instead the series busies itself with photocopied monsters and a rather conspicuous dose of educational content. There is a certain charm to the proceedings that belies its otherwise mediocre setting, the only sign of fan-service is the typically busty and under-dressed sorceress who barely lasts an episode, it is otherwise blissfully hormone free. Meanwhile evil doers are instantly recognisable by their maniacal cackle while the champions of virtue and morality are stoically unwavering.

Technical aspects keep pace with the ongoing adequacy: animation is serviceable and never flashy while voice acting is fitting and never memorable. The excellent songs that bookend each episode stand out even if the accompanying animation is little more than a glorified slide show.

It is the complete lack of imaginative and original content that makes Night Wizard hard to recommend; the entire affair feels far too familiar and tends to fade into ambient noise rather than demanding attention. At only thirteen episodes, it is doubtful it will stray from the blueprint set out in the opening episodes, more than likely throwing in an easily spotted double-cross and a "good always prevails" climax against the nefarious forces of darkness. Night Wizard will have to do something quite extraordinary to elevate it out of the mediocrity it currently frolics in; the only endorsement possible is: watch it now and try to keep up or don't bother.

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