Mashle: Magic and Muscles

In todays modern mainstream and even "not so well known" mangas and anime at that, this series just feels like a breath of fresh air. It doesn't take itself too seriously and that's a lot of fun, because that's how you can see the creativity in the absurdity that mashle brings to the table. It doesn't try to be super long with complicated and oversaturated twists and turns, it takes you from point A to point B in a super fun way. Be it the character designs, be it the story arcs, be it the "out of nowhere" jokes, be it the power-system, be it the theniche aspects that it has sometimes. I started first with watching the anime and just about when things take a turn, I switched to the manga because I simply could not have enough of the story and of mashle. Don't go in to read this with a serious critic's mind, just let loose, lay back in your chair, and have fun while reading (or watching!) Oh and of course I have to give a spotlight for the second op of the anime, fresh, interesting and in my opinion captures exactly the essence of the series, I think its the best op that they could given it!

Mashle is a bit of a weird one for two reasons - one being that, unlike most shonen manga, it basically only gets better as it goes on and figures out what it wants to be, and two, despite its popularity, barely anyone online seems to know anything about it. Everyone describes it as "Harry Potter but with Saitama from One Punch Man", but that description only really applies for the first 20 or so chapters. What starts out as an aggressively unfunny "comedy" manga about a "funny guy who always wins because haha wouldn't that be so funny" becomes a surprisingly solid (if abit typical) shonen series with a strong but very distinctly *not* unbeatable main character, a consistently engaging side cast, and a great power system that offers consistently interesting and unique abilities for its varied cast. It takes a while for the series to gain the confidence to fully take itself seriously, but once it does, it's a great time. The brief online hype surrounding Mashle when the anime (and especially season 2) started is one of the most bizarre and disappointing things I've seen happen to a series like this in a while. If you picture it like one of those iceberg images, the very tip was just season 2's opening. Slightly below that, you had the braindead video essays praising it for "subverting shonen tropes and saying fuck you to the power system because it's funnier that way" from people who very clearly never got past the first 6 episodes. Then, just below the surface of the water, you had the actual show, which seemingly no one watched past season 1, and right down at the bottom you had the monumental task of... actually reading the manga. It's a shame, because what I believe to be Mashle's weakest aspects are the ones you always see emphasized and praised online, and its best arc, the Eclipse arc right at the end, is one that seemingly nobody has ever read. TLDR, very good series, not amazing or anything but well worth a read if you like good shonen. Anyone who describes it as "One Punch Man but in Harry Potter" very blatantly has no idea what they're on about, don't listen to them.

I mean it literally is One-Punch Man in harry potter. The only difference is that the one punch man (mash burnstead here) is a total goofball instead of depressed. There-in lies the strength of Mashle, its comedy and over-the-top-ness. GOOD BITS: It can be quite funny. You'll find out if the humour is for you in the first chapter, but I think for the most part it's quite funny. The other thing I previously mentioned is how over the top it is. Seemingly impossible situations are created yet are thwarted with incredible ease. Again, this might not be for everyone, but it works very well andis far more fitting in the comedy-action Mashle than the action-comedy One-Punch Man. (spoiler for opm but yes this is in reference to the lava squrit gun that replaced a great fight) Back to Mashle, the artwork really improves. At first it's very simplistic, often without backgrounds but as the story progresses the artwork improves greatly while still staying consistently simple and effective. BAD BITS: The story isn't paced Well. It's quite often just a slew of fights without much room for the characters. If you're only reading for the fights (which are really stellar) this won't be a problem but otherwise it can be quite noticable. This is especially noticable in Lemon and Finn, who are vastly underutilised. The main trio get a lot of focus and the other characters do have some moments, but for the most part the characters are pretty black and white. The story and themes are quite simplistic. This isn't necesarilly bad but it is noticable how much the story is "fight him. Ok fight this guy who is the last guys boss now." This again isn't that bad if the fights and comedy are the main things you're after, but it's something to look out for. OVERALL: Pretty good. Great fun. It's paced quite fast and doesnt leave enough room for the characters or story, but the fights and humour are exceptional. If you like One-Punch Man you will probably like this. If you dont like the first chapter, it probably won't be for you, but give it a shot anyway and find out.