MASHLE

DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA ActionMASHLE
ANIME ActionMASHLE: Kami Shinkakusha Kouho Senbatsu Shiken-hen

REVIEWS

• 

  Mcsuper

  41/100
  The Anime Might Not Have Been Great, But Now I Crave Cream Puffs

  Parody anime can be a hit or miss. Tropes of various settings in anime or live action settings are made fun of, but in order to stand out, it has to nail its comedy, and while comedy is always subjective, this one just didn’t nail it, all the time. It obviously is an attempt at parody of magic academies like Hogwarts, but unfortunately, it just fails to stand out at all in most ways. Perhaps you’ll think I’m “taking a parody anime too seriously”, but when most of the characters are the most stuck-up jerks with little meaningful depth, there just wasn’t much to enjoy. To be honest, this kind of feels like a generic isekai or fantasy anime in a way, with the main character having none of the powers that the people around him have, but still ends up overpowering everyone in some way or another. Way too predictable and frustrating to watch at times, though it’s still watchable with some moments of goodness.

  The premise centres around Mash Burnedead, a boy in a magical world, but without any magic power of his own. People without magic are persecuted and captured, so Mash has to blend in with his environment, and pretend to know magic as he attends a magic academy. Mash’s specialty is having huge physical strength, which allows him to overpower his enemies with sheer force rather than magic. I haven’t watched One Punch Man myself, but I assume that’s what the comparison comes from, along with Mash’s overall deadpan, quiet personality. The story plays out like any shounen would, the baddies come along, and Mash and his friends conquer said challenges. Not anything special there.

  The animation isn’t bad, but it felt disappointing considering what A-1 Pictures has done in the last few years. This was probably the product of rushed production, mainly due to the poor schedules of Aniplex, which has resulted in many issues and delays in this year of anime already. It had a couple episodes with more standout animation, but otherwise, it wasn’t all that stellar, just okay.

  Shounen anime mostly have similar formulas, so the characters are huge part of how one can stand out from the crowd. Other than Mash, the rest of the cast was very forgettable, with generic archetypes and poorly written villains. In terms of its comedy, it was funny at times, but it wasn’t enough to make me dismiss the poor writing. The deadpan humour worked more than the some of the other comedy that was attempted.

  Perhaps this was just the beginning, and it gets better down the road, but for now, this anime hasn’t done much to keep me invested beyond a couple chuckles here and there. It’s a very light hearted anime, so maybe you’ll find some enjoyment in that though. It just wasn’t my cup of tea, but it might be yours.

  If this anime was an advertisement for cream puffs though, it most certainly succeeded, as I got a box of cream puffs last week.

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• 

  SimirSumaya

  80/100
  A Cheesy but Surprisingly Endearing Seasonal Shonen

  I'm a pretty big fan of Shonen, and an even bigger fan of Comedy (Saiki K and Grand Blue Dreaming are some of my favourites) so please bear that in mind when reading this review as I believe the merits of Mashle depend heavily on the audience.

  For me, Mashle was a honestly brilliant show. With only 12 episodes, Mashle doesn't dive too deep into any of its characters however I honestly think that's alright because it does a perfect job of introducing their comedic-relevant quirks and establishing interesting and fun dynamics within the cast. With the exception of Lemon and Finn, who are a little weaker, Mashle really does make you invest and care about Mash, Lance, and my personal favourite, the "main character" Dot.

  The comedy can be hit-or-miss however if you're a fan of slapstick humour or enjoy 4-koma manga (which Mashle isn't, but reminds me of) then you'll definitely have a great time with the show. The running gags are funny, Mash's 'hamstring magic' and whatever other bullshit he creates is entertaining to watch and there's a certain bliss in just how light-heartedly the show takes itself.

  In terms of the action, it's pretty decent. You won't find brilliant streaks of sakuga here, but the fights are generally well-coordinated and interesting, and I especially enjoyed the fights at the latter end of the season. The powers are interesting, if not unique, and there's some really great moments of strategy and dialogue which I sometimes find missing in other Shonen. Moreover, the antagonists while not necessarily deep are highly enjoyable and I love their character designs, which makes them a delight whenever they appear.

  When it comes to what makes the show so great, it's hard to say. None of the elements (Characters, Plot, Action, Comedy) are especially stand-out, but they are all generally good and that's what counts - The consistency of Mashle leads to its brilliance. I've heard a lot of people dislike the first couple episodes for being 'boring' without much action, but I think it's important to remember Mashle is first and foremost a parody show and you should focus primarily on the initial comedy to see if it's worth your time or not.

  Overall, Mashle is not a deep show by any means, at least yet. But what it is is cheesy, light-hearted comedic fun with a side of entertaining action; In the anime community, it seems like that kind of light-hearted fun is often brushed off as 'entertaining but meh' compared to more thought-provoking, philosophical shows or feats of beautifully choreographed and animated fight scenes, but to me, I think shows like this, which are perfect to unwind to and enjoy when stressed out, are essential and worthy of praise. If you're a fan of anime like Saiki K, Black Clover or One Punch Man and haven't checked it out yet, please give the first 3 episodes of Mashle a watch!

  Final Score: 80

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• 

  Roixesae

  70/100
  Hip Hip Horay! Your meh but thanks for the cream puffs!

  Mashle is a story about Mash, who lacks magic in a society where it's the norm. He attends Easton Magic Academy to become a Divine visionary, fulfilling his wish to live peacefully with his father. A fun slice of life and comedic aspects are present in the first episodes, then transition to a more action-packed story with a plot twist. Along the way, Mash befriends four people who become his friends. They fight against the Magia Lupis, an elite group of students from the Lang dorm. Which steals the gold coins to become a Divine visionary. Mashle is enjoyable, with humorous characters, but the plot is lackluster.

  Animation (9): The quality is decent, featuring fluid movements and a range of expressive characters. Such as Lemon's face when she says Mash is her husband, although he is surprised by Lemon's idea of this, along with the fight scenes between them. Those felt unique, with every character's ability being different from another in every fight. Also, in Episode 3, Mash "flies" with the broom by kicking his legs rapidly, shocking everyone in the crowd. In contrast, when Finn's older brother comes in, in Milo versus Dot and Finn, the swords feel stiff when stabbing Milo (one of the Magia Lupis). There could have been more movement and surprise, like Finn's brother stabbing Milo with the blood being censored from Milo's chest, with Finn both proud of the threat being gone and shocked by his brother coming in at the last moment. In summary, the animation has decent quality, with expressive and fluid actions, although it could have looked even more fluid.

  Audio (5): It is average at best, with a fast-paced rap during the fighting scenes. In contrast, when it's humorous, it's cheerful and sometimes comes as a surprise. During a game with a broom against the Lang dorm. An incredible sound that everyone thought he was flying. Also, when Lemon talks about Mash being her husband, a love-dove sound surrounds her, accompanied by hearts, as she monologues about Mash. Although during the fight scenes, such as Lance versus Mash in the first scenes, there is a voice in the fight. It makes it seem like another person, but it never shows that it can be confusing. In short, audio can enhance certain scenes, but it may not be easy to picture in others.

  Characters (11): The characters initially seem stereotypical, forming a main cast that includes the love interest, the aloof and intelligent rival, the hot-headed character, the shy kid who is bullied, and the untalented kid who secretly possesses an overpowered ability. Although the cast has something in their past that makes them different from the stereotypical, it also makes them relatable. Lance labels himself as a siscon because he values his sister as a divine visionary. Which causes conflict between Mash and him. Even the villains, such as Abyss Razor and Abel Walker, have compelling backstories that shock us; their relationship also makes it relatable, as Abyss is essentially a "tool" for Lord Abel. Abyss was heavily mistreated due to his eye, which could nullify any magic. Despite having a caring and kind mother, he was killed by a commoner for being greedy. Although this relationship between Abyss and Abel can be considered toxic to some, Lance's siscon status may be a concern to others. In conclusion, characters initially seem like the norm but are relatable, raising some concerning topics for the person.

  Plot (5): The story makes sense and has some logical conflict in episode 6. Those slice-of-life bits make the series uninteresting for just a few episodes. Such Mash was taking the entrance exam, not to mention the episodes that followed. Along with Lance suddenly becoming a villain, there is no explanation given. After episode 6, where the conflict begins, the plot develops a central conflict that persists throughout the entire series, as Mash and his friends fight against Magia Lupis and later the Lance/Cell war. With one more row set up for another season, Mash is revealed to have no magic by the people who were turned into puppets, who are now humans. The plot could have been improved with some clarification. For instance, the cell wall is Lance and has more conflict.

  Overall (3): It was enjoyable for an anime series that felt decent at best. The characters and animation were of good quality and well-suited to each other. Although it was stereotypical and lackluster, it also addressed some concerning topics. At least Mash gave us cream puffs for free and a genuinely enjoyable show.

  Thanks for reading my review!

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