Hello again, all!

Today’s review tackles a show that I hadn’t had the desire to watch for a while, but took a shot and watched it.  MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES is definitely a unique show, but it’s got enough of a following that it must be good, right?

Here’s a quick synopsis:

In this world, magic is prevalent, and almost everyone in it can use magic to some degree – except our protagonist, Mash Burnedead, who was born without a mark (basically, has no magic potential).  He instead trains his body to the max, day in and day out, at the behest of his father, who hopes this is enough to protect him from the sinister underbelly of the magic world.  But an event endangering his happy family life forces Mash to enroll in the magic-centric Easton Academy and try to become a Divine Visionary – a person deemed as one of God’s chosen.  Will Mash be able to succeed in his studies and live in peace?

Spoilers start now.

So, unlike some of the other shows I’ve been reviewing recently, this show is not as emotional or as investing, meaning you can take your time watching it.  Put it on in the background, look up at a stupid (but inevitably funny) joke, and enjoy it.

Plot / Story: 6.0/10

While I find the whole show endearing and funny in a slapstick sort of way, I will admit that the story isn’t as engaging as other shows I’ve reviewed (or that I’ve completed).  Each plot point sets up the next fairly well, but the story is cookie-cutter – main hero gets roped into doing this grand journey and meets the stereotypical cast of side characters along the way.  Some enemies become new friends, some enemies do the “Saturday-morning cartoon villain” thing where they show up, get defeated, and run away until next time.

That’s not to say the show is bad.  The series throws in some wrenches with the heroic cast – our hero Mash is incredibly strong, but incredibly naiive; Lance Crown has a sister complex that puts everyone off; and Dot has a hero complex that borders on the insane for his first few episodes.  Most characters get some plot importance (aside from Lemon and Finn, who are primarily the common sense of the group, Finn more than Lemon), but some characters seem to be forgiven entirely too easily (Finn subtly bullying Mash for the first episode or so is understandable, but Abel literally kidnaps his friends and threatens to take their magic.

The second season expands more on the true villains of the series – Innocent Zero and his mages that threaten to become the ultimate being by absorbing his son (Mash), but the show suffers from a heavy shonen plot armor, like when Wahlberg fights Innocent Zero and loses – a death at this point in the story seemed earned, but he ends up losing an arm and some of his magic.  In the show’s defence, it is a lighthearted comedy-shounen first and foremost.

Character Development: 6.5/10

There is some clear character development, even among the villains-turned-heroes Abel and Abyss, and the show is consistent with any changes the characters make on their way to the top.  Dot has a very good point early on where he realizes he’s not the main character (he kinda goes back and forth sometimes, though), and relinquishes to Mash, deciding to support him entirely.

The rub is, the characters who have some minor growth (Lemon and Lance, specifically), don’t seem to grow much after their initial arc – Lemon is portrayed as an obsessive Mash fangirl, and Lance’s siscon mentality is played on more and more.  Besides them, some of the character growth seems rushed – this, though, may be due to the sudden popularity that Mashle got, since I can see them not expecting to get a second season so quickly.

Art / Acting / Music: 7.0/10

The artistic approach in Mashle isn’t super impressive or well-done enough to merit much credit, in my own opinion.  The art style works well enough for the scenes portrayed, and there are enough subtle changes in certain scenes that I’m not criticizing errors.  It’s mediocre, good at best – it’s not bad, it’s not great, just good.

Acting-wise, I will admit that I only watched the full series dubbed (I saw up to episode 5 with the original Japanese voices) – the actors definitely had fun with the characters they portrayed, especially the ones who have to interact with Mash and his creampuff-filled mind.  I won’t say it was the most amazing cast I’ve ever heard / seen, but the dub cast did well, and the Japanese cast that I heard did a fine job with Mash and his tense father.

As for the music…  I have to be honest, the only song (background or otherwise) that left an impression on me was the second season’s OP by Creepy Nuts, “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born”, and that’s mostly due to the band’s natural ability to make earworms.  The BGM and any insert songs were okay, but I can honestly only remember the OPs in any capacity.

Rewatch Value: 7.5/10

Would I rewatch this show?  Probably as a background show like Yuru Camp or ODDTAXI, maybe for the story if Season 3 gets announced.  Unlike some of the other shows I’ve reviewed, it’s not hard to watch all at once, and there’s no powerful emotional connection to the characters (take that for what you will), so having it in a rotation doesn’t bother me.  But I won’t be deep-diving into it like I would other shows like Monogatari or even Frieren.  It’s good enough to rewatch a couple times, as a relaxing, funny story and as background noise when writing.

Overall Rating: 8.0/10

Again, I don’t think this show is bad.  It’s a fun adventure with some mildly funny moments, sometimes even gut-busting.  I’m usually more invested in shows that make you think a little, or things with strong emotional pressure, as you’ve probably seen.  I have to admit, though, I didn’t think I would enjoy Mashle half as much as I did, so kudos to breaking my expectations.

Season 3 of Mashle hasn’t been announced yet, but word on the web is it’s getting a full adaptation, so I wait with bated breath for a continuation of the funniest non-magic user I’ve seen in anime.

Seasons 1 and 2 are dubbed and subbed in multiple languages on Crunchyroll, so if your funny bone is itching, maybe try this series!  It currently has a total of 25 episodes available, so there’s plenty of content to watch!

Total Score: 35.0/50

Grade: C