Mashle: Magic and Muscles, Vol. 1

Mash Burnedead is the worst of all possible things: a person without magic in a kingdom where people without magic are killed. In fact, someone tried to kill him as an infant; it's just that apparently "leaving a baby on a roof" isn't really a sure-fire way to get rid of one these days. In Mash's case, a man with limited magical skills picked him up and raised in him the woods at the edge of town to be absurdly physically strong - because hey, if you can't use magic, you should at least be able to beat a guy to a pulp.

Weird plot contrivances aside, this is one of the funniest books I've read recently. Mash continually throws people for a loop, sometimes because he can't remember if a door is push or pull and so he just rips it off, sometimes because he's super good at fake flying on a broom, and sometimes just because he's really friggin' weird. It all comes together as a Harry Potter parody with overtones of <i>One Punch Man</i> (or <i>Mob Psycho</i> for the art), and that's a much better combination of things than you might think.

Also at one point someone yells out, "What the physics?!" and for some reason that really tickled me.

Anyway, this is a goofy, fun, and occasionally self-aware comedy. Humor may be subjective, but I'd still suggest giving this a chance.

Mashle is a wonderfully creative twist on the magical boarding school! Mashle not be expressive but his feelings come across wonderfully in every panel. Just the right amount of questions about the world and Mashle that make me want to keep reading to find out!

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

Mashle: Magic and Muscles is a breath of fresh air. Hajime Komoto's simple, yet dynamic art style complements Mashle's witty, dry dialogue perfectly. Mashle builds off of a familiar premise (a boy with no magic goes through life in a magical world), but puts a fresh spin on common shonen tropes like the chosen one and big boss battles. Readers follow the main character, Mash, as he leaves home for a magical school and makes friends, and enemies, along the way. Supporting characters carry the story well, and although many have similar reactions to Mash's lack of magic, Komoto always finds a way to keep things interesting.

Mashle has been one of my favorite comics, and I was happy to read this first collected volume.

While the “overpowered protagonist” trope is something that’s been used to death in manga, there are a few series that do it right, from Mob Psycho 100 to One Punch Man (oddly enough created by the same person). Mashle: Magic and Muscles is one of those series that does this extremely well, causing it to be a mix of Harry Potter, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, and the aforementioned One Punch Man with a main character that’s equally oblivious yet likeable, and a premise that’ll make it an instant Shonen classic.

In the world of Mashle, magic is commonplace; in fact, those born without the ability to cast magic are hunted down and persecuted. Enter Mash Burnedead, an adopted child who lacks magical aptitude in a world full of wizards. That said, he makes up for the lack of magical brains with brawn… so much brawn, in fact, that he’s ridiculously overpowered. After a confrontation with people who want to kill him, he’s given an ultimatum; become Easton Magic Academy’s Divine Visionary or perish. What transpires are magical adventures… with someone who cannot use magic at all.

Now, I’ve been reading and reviewing Muscles are Better Than Magic!, and personally I don’t like the protagonists due to how cocky they can be at times. Mash operates similarly to Yuri as both are buff men who can shrug off any magical assault that comes their way. However, while Yuri is too smug and a flat character to carry the series’ premise, Mash is a legitimately fun character. He’s a bit dimwitted when it comes to traditional magical studies, but cares for his friends and dips into the Shonen protagonist stock tropes without it feeling too schlocky. In an epic example, he nearly pummels the series equivalent to Dumbledore in order to get admitted to the Easton Magic Academy but never loses his cool or resolve.

The way battles and fights work in this series is hilarious, with most characters baffled by the unorthodox ways Mash circumvents his lack of magical prowess to do magical things. In a way, it feels like a gag manga but excellently blends comedy and action, and this first volume is only a taste of what’s to come here. It’s as sweet as the cream puffs Mash eats, and I implore every Shonen Jump fan to read this immediately.

Imagine if Saitama from "One Punch Man" went to Hogwarts, you get Mashle: Magic and Muscles. With a very simple premise, it excels in its comedy - outlandish as it is charming. Mash - our main protagonist - is at the center of it all with his non-descript features clashing with his physical prowess to the point where he renders magic useless: deflecting a power beam like a dodgeball, breaking three-meter thick walls, and intimidating magic words on a test. This is all complemented well with the various reactions every side character witnessing his might - reactions I honestly screenshotted for my own comedic pleasure. That is not to say Mash is just a blank slate, as he is principled with his might just like Mob from "Mob Psycho 100;" albeit dense, Mash is no push-over as he is willing to fight for what is right and just. All the better when you see the headmaster of the academy advocating for Mash's success over Mash's expulsion.

I have pointed a lot of comparisons to the work of ONE, yet I think it's for the better. There is a self-aware charm to the manga that anyone who loves ONE's work can easily get into this. Not only that, Hajime Komoto (the mangaka of this title) includes his "path to Weekly Jump serialization" in self-deprecating detail:
-9th 10th Grade: "Witness the rise of a megatalented [sic] newcomer who happens to be my age. Fall into despair and give up."
-4 Years of College: "Apply for jobs...fail to get hired by some 40 different companies. Watch contemporaries get offers with big-name companies. Fall into a depression and go clamming."
-The Doubt Phase: "Know my parents will be against it...tell myself, "you only live once" while secretly quitting my job (Sorry, Dad. Sorry, Mom)."

There is so much charm in this series that I cannot recommend this series enough. Sure it may be simple in its character development and setting, yet there is so much room for good comedic fun to return to.