Who would win a prestigious school of noble mages or one strong boy? The answer is Mashle: Magic and Muscles.
I first discovered Mashle shortly after the first season had come to an end, hearing about it via word of mouth with people talking about its similarities to other media. Because of that, I decided to watch the first season, and no phrase better fits my experience like “I came looking for copper and found gold.”
The first episode introduces the audience to the “Magic Realm” where Mashle is set. A short narration goes over some basic information about this world and its use of magic as people walk around a town displaying their magic. As the narration ends, the music swells and stops as the screen cuts to a forest of bewildered animals.
Enter our main character, Mash Burndead, a magicless boy in a world of magic. He is the object of the animals’ shock as he lifts a ridiculously sized barbell at an alarming speed before stopping and taking a bite of his signature snack, a cream puff. And he really likes those cream puffs.
The setting and world might feel a little familiar; a magical school with three waring houses. Throw in a hierarchy born from magic power and status along with Mash’s overwhelming strength and indifferent attitude and the show’s inspirations become a bit apparent.
However, watching the anime shows that while, yes, there is a valid claim of where the inspiration may have originated, it diverges from the expectation of just having someone like Saitama (One Punch Man) inside of a wizarding school. This is shown through the viewpoints of other people, as someone having this much strength is seen as impossible for a human body. Through misunderstandings, Mash just looks like a powerful magic user to the people of this world, which in itself leads to some comedic moments.
This world shows the audience how versatile and useful magic is to the people of this world and the advantages of magic in day-to-day life. It can be used for combat but also the blessing it gives to a normal person, be that moving heavy objects or using it to advertise businesses. But what if, like Mash, you had no powers?
Such as the anime shows the blessings that magic brings, it also shows the suffering and prejudice those without magic will face. Magic users are easily identified by a mark on the person’s face. Most people have one, however a small percentage of the world can have two, and they are referred to as people “blessed by magic”.
Those born without magic bear no mark on their face. This is a problem in the eyes of this society as magic is known as a divine blessing, and those without magic are seen as abandoned by the gods. In this regard, anyone without magic, no matter their status or age, is executed, and that would have been the fate of Mash if he hadn’t been saved by his adopted father.
While the show itself first dragged me in with its lively and colourful-looking animation, reminding me of a mid-2010s animation style, it was the vibrant cast of characters that kept me hooked, such as Mash, the centre of the anime himself. While at the start he may seem like a flat and one-track character, over the episodes you can see how much he truly cares for the people around him. Even if he isn’t the sharpest tool in the box, we get to see his heart of gold, giving him the look of a loveable himbo.
The opening credits give a mixed rock feel with loud guitar riffs and strong vocals putting me in a real head-banger mood. I watched this anime subbed, and I enjoyed the way characters were voiced and portrayed in the sub. It may be a different experience for those who watch it dubbed, but I enjoyed my time with it.
Another thing that excels is the comedy. While yes, there were some jokes or scenes that either flew over my head or I just found annoying, the majority of the anime’s runtime had me laughing. There were even times I had to pause to catch my breath.
Being a show of might and magic, naturally, the action itself is another shining part of this anime, showing different and, I would dare say, wacky ways Mash could deal with an adversary. The animation has a consistent animation style in the softer moments but becomes more distorted as emotions run high. Scenes flow as muscles boom and light fills the screen creating dynamic and engaging battle sequences that kept hooked.
Mashle: Magic and Muscles now has two seasons. The first season focuses on character building and slice-of-life high school hijinks as they tackle the “problem of the week“. I enjoyed this introduction to the characters and the world as it sets the stage for an action-packed second season.
While season one doesn’t skimp on the action, season two doubles down with more action, comedy and even higher stakes. It builds upon the lore and gives the characters a lot of room to grow.
I enjoyed Mashle: Magic and Muscles far more than I had expected and I would recommend anyone just to give it a try. I can see why some people may not like such an anime, as it leans very much into its comedy and pure randomness sometimes. Mashle isn’t a top-of-the-line Shonen anime, but some of the jokes and scenes stuck with me days after I had finished and I’ll be going back for season three.
Platform: Available via CrunchyRoll and Netflix
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