Mashle: Magic and Muscles is a brand-new anime title making its debut in the Spring 2023 season, presenting itself as a quirky comedy/parody series reminiscent of One-Punch Man, Black Clover and Harry Potter. It can easily be described as “Saitama goes to Hogwarts,” but there’s more to Mashle’s appeal than that.
Mashle didn’t get quite as much hype as Spy x Family or Chainsaw Man, but anime and manga fans still had every reason to expect that it would deliver in spectacular fashion, and tentatively, it does. Pound for pound, this is one of Spring 2023’s best anime, and it proves that it’s not just the “epic” anime like One Piece and My Hero Academia that can make for an Anime of the Year.
How Mashle: Magic and Muscles Lives Up to the Hype
The Mashle anime had a good deal of hype surrounding it, and most importantly, that hype was proportionate to what the franchise can actually offer. Anime fans weren’t expecting My Hero Academia 2.0 or the next Chainsaw Man — instead, they anticipated a fun, memorable anime with a strong personality and great humor, and Mashle delivers exactly that, no more and no less. Fans knew right away that they were in for a goofy parody series with dry humor and a charmingly OP hero, and for many fans, that’s more than sufficient.
So far, Mashle: Magic and Muscles is living up to its moderately high expectations and satisfying viewers with its crisp animation, wacky music, Harry Potter meets One-Punch Man vibes and surprising thematic depth. Fans are already comparing Mashle favorably to the much longer fantasy anime Black Clover, as both series feature a strong non-wizard boy who must compete in a world of magic, but protagonist Mash Burnedead is a calm, confident kuudere who doesn’t scream his head off like Asta or other stereotypical shonen leads. So far, the Mashle anime has a 7.74 rating on MyAnimeList, which is a fine start, and it has an incredible 4.9/5 rating on Crunchyroll, the streaming platform that supports it, with fans praising the series and its amusing premise.
Why Mashle: Magic and Muscles Is an Amazing Anime for Its Size
The Mashle: Magic and Muscles anime helps prove the same point that another sleeper hit anime, Bocchi the Rock!, proved back in the Fall 2022 anime season. While some anime series are beloved for being huge, complex and epic such as One Piece and Dragon Ball, other anime fans don’t have the time or stamina for that and prefer short and sweet anime like Mashle. In between lengthy juggernauts like My Hero Academia and Naruto, fans need anime that offer high-quality content in just a handful of episodes, and series like Mashle and Bocchi the Rock! deliver on that. If an anime has a relatable and engaging premise, emotionally resonant protagonists and a strongly defined personality, then it doesn’t matter if Mashle has one season or a dozen.
Mashle doesn’t yet have the elusive “it” factor that made Bocchi the Rock! and Spy x Family such mega-hits, but it’s not far behind, and the anime offers everything fans want and a little more on the side. Among other virtues, this anime is unapologetically itself, impressing fans with its clearly-defined and confident tone as a goofy parody with Mash Burnedead loving weights, cream puffs and the power of family in a magical world where ‘Muggles’ like him are harshly scorned. Many books, movies, anime series and games have immense appeal just for boldly being themselves, even if their storylines or characters are merely adequate, and Mashle is inspiring fans in the same way.
Best of all, protagonist Mash embodies all these traits, calmly and confidently being his own wacky self with no apologies, all while bravely standing up for himself and his noble shonen values in a magical world that rewards selfish ambition. It’s Voldemort’s world, but Mash, the boy who lifts, will stand up against this discriminatory darkness with the strength of his muscles — and his heart. That’s why anime fans love Mashle, along with the colorful magic and jaw-dropping strength of its protagonist. Uplifting themes like those are always worth the hype.
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