It is always a pleasure to read more of Mashle's exploits.

For Libraries: Purchase where the rest of the series is high circiing.

Interesting developments in this book. Very cool battles of course, but I also wasn't expecting the story to develop in the way it is which makes it feel fresh,

In this volume we get to see the conclusion of the fight that was started in the last volume. We also get to see some of Mash's trial as he was threatened with expulsion after his secret was found out. There's some great fight scenes and jokes in this volume and I love it! The artwork and line work is fantastic. I can't wait for the next volume!

The true magic is the friends we met along the way, plus the enemies that look like Harry Potter and act like Umbridge? Continued silliness, and a good focus on the power of self-belief, friends, and breaking unfair cultural strictures, but it is still quite silly.

Mashle: Magic and Muscles Volume Five sees a major change in how the story is going to progress forward for Mash.

Mashle: Magic and Muscles Volume Five
Written by: Hajime Komoto
Publisher: Shueisha Inc.
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: March 1, 2022

Just as Mash and the others are celebrating, there’s a new arrival: Cellwar. It turns out that he’s part of a mysterious criminal organization called Innocent Zero. There’s something about Mash that is resonating with him, which makes Cellwar think that somehow, Mash is connected to what it is that Innocent Zero is looking for. But Cellwar’s main goal at this point is to kill Abel. Abyss jumps in front of Abel to protect him, which injures Abyss. Mash takes on Cellwar in order to reach Abyss so he can be taken to a hospital. After some soul searching, Abel teams up with Mash to take on Cellwar. I thought the flashback Abel had during his soul searching was a great way for the audience to start to understand him a little better.

But during the fight, Cellwar takes out a magical object called the Spell-flection Mirror, which reflects any and every spell cast its way. When Mash attacks with brute force, the mirror obviously can’t reflect it, since it’s not magic. Because of this, Mash’s lack of magical ability is revealed to everyone who is in the room during this fight. Unfortunately, this becomes a major plot point for this volume, because it leads to rumors being spread around school about Mash’s lack of magical ability. But before that begins to happen, Mash forms a tenuous friendship with Abel and Abyss. I have to admit that after reading the battle between Abel and Mash in Volume Four, I never would have guessed that these two could form a friendship, even if it’s a tenuous one at best. I like getting these kinds of twists in the manga that I read.

The bulk of Volume Five, though, focuses on the repercussions of the rumor about Mash that’s spreading around the school. Mash is called in for a hearing in magical court for an emergency inquiry into his concealment of his lack of magic. Bless Minister, the vice director of the Bureau of Magic, is overseeing the proceedings. Before most of the Divine Visionaries arrive, Mash is given the task of lighting a candle with a wand without touching it. I thought Mash’s idea was brilliant (rubbing the wand against the marble floor at intense speed to create fire with friction), and I was actually surprised he thought that up. Perhaps the boy is starting to gain at least a little bit of smarts. Unfortunately, while this is impressive, it is technically still not magic.

When the remaining Divine Visionaries arrive, most of them believe, along with Bless, that they shouldn’t make an exception for Mash when it comes to punishment. But before a sentence can be handed down, Innocent Zero makes an appearance. It turns out a magi-parasite has been put inside Bless, and it will attach itself to whoever removes it and feed off the host’s mana. Mashle steps in to save Bless, and does something kind of… interesting?… in order to neutralize it. But by saving Bless, he causes the vice director to have a change of heart. At the same time, the Headmaster comes in and makes an argument to spare Mash, because he could possible provide a lead on Innocent Zero. This also includes a speech where the Headmaster is using tactful words to tell the others that they are too set in their ways. But the Divine Visionaries aren’t going to let Mash off the hook that easily. In order to continue at the school and to have his sentence deferred, Mash has to be under the Divine Visionaries’ direct observation as a tool against Innocent Zero, and he has to prove that he’s strong enough by becoming this year’s Divine Visionary candidate. Mash agrees to these conditions.

There are really only two other major things of note in Volume Five. First, Mash gets his hands on his own wand, but the circumstances behind it are quite amusing. I don’t think he’ll be able to perform magic with it, but at least he can say that he has a wand. The second is Mash going home to see his father and being accompanied by his friends from school. His friends certainly show their eccentricities, which Mash’s father comments on. But, to be honest, these are the types of people who would more than likely be friends for Mash. This scene is both amusing and touching at the same time.

Volume Five certainly takes the story of the series in a new direction. After his inquiry at magic court and the conditions that Mash has agreed to, he can’t afford to be quite as carefree of a character as he has been up to this point. Admittedly, he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I think he still has enough of an understanding of his situation that he’ll likely start taking things a little more seriously. It’ll be interesting to see if this is indeed the case if I get the opportunity to read more volumes of Mashle: Magic and Muscles.

There’s a bonus comic that runs throughout quite a bit of this volume, and this one focuses on Lemon and her crush on Mash. To be honest, I found this bonus comic to be just as “meh” as the one that appeared in the previous volume. I honestly don’t see how these bonus comic pages that are stuck in between chapters truly enhance the volume. I see them as being more of a distraction than anything else.

After reading Mashle: Magic and Muscles Volume Five, I thought that it’s the series’ strongest volume yet. It seems that Komoto has finally found his footing for the story, and because of that, I had a stronger appreciation for the series when I read this volume. Perhaps for me, at least, Mashle: Magic and Muscles was a bit of a “slow burn.” I’m hoping that Komoto continues with his improved trajectory and that the series will continue to be an enjoyable read going forward.

Once again I appreciate the comedic tone of this series, as it really doesn't take itself too seriously. We see the plot develop more as our protagonist Mash's secret, that he has no magic, is revealed! The only complaint I have is that we're introduced to so many new characters and groups that I find myself forgetting who is who!

In Volume 5, our boy Mash Burnedead is threatened with expulsion and even worse, loss of cream puffs. But of course, he is the main character, and what he lacks in brains, he makes up for with heart. Did you know the heart is a muscle? Because Mash sure has muscles. The tongue is a muscle and he flexes it with a balloon animal-type creation. Anyway. I don't know why anyone would start with this volume, but if they do, I think this book does a great job at showing how Mash has grown as a character since our story started. I look forward to what's next, since plot-wise they do hint at escalating Big Bad activity. (I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.)

Thank you NetGalley and Viz for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a fan of Mashle since it began, and my love of the series continues in this volume. Mashle parodies prominent magic school and chosen one narratives and adds its own unique spin chock-full of laughs and feel-good energy.

Story and Art: Hajime Komoto
Translation: Nova Skipper
Touch-up Art and Lettering: Eve Grandt
Design: Jimmy Presler
Shonen Jump Series Editor: Karla Clark
Graphic Novel Editor: Amy Yu, Karla Clark