What happens when an absolute knucklehead goes up against seasoned magicians with nothing but fists? Mashle Episode 1, that’s what! Let’s see how well it went for old Mashe Burndead in this review!
Mashle Episode 1 Overview
Mashle is an action, adventure, and comedy anime produced as a part of the Spring 2023 season of anime. The show is based on a Shounen Jump manga written and drawn by Hajime Koumoto. The show is being directed by Tomoya Tanaka, whose previous contributions to the industry include directing episodes of Hunter x Hunter and helming Engage Kiss.
The show is being produced and animated by studio A-1 Pictures, a prolific studio in the industry known for titles like Sword Art Online, Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, and Fairy Tail. The show is also called Mashle Magic and Muscles, and thus, this episode is also called Mashle Magic And Muscles Episode 1.
– Mashle Magic And Muscles Episode 1 Review does not contain spoilers –
Mashle Episode 1 Review- Not So Special
There is nothing too inherently amazing about Mashle. It is a pretty simple concept that doesn’t waste too much time in getting set up and bringing us to the real meat of the story, which is everything to do with the magic academy. This episode was a perfectly serviceable prologue to what is sure to be a story that appeals very well to the masses. There was a bunch to like about the first episode of Mashle, so let’s start by talking about the greatest quality of its pilot- the simplicity.
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Like its protagonist, Mashle appears to have a simple premise and execution. It featured a world full of magic and a protagonist who goes against the grain by not being able to use any of it. A typical young adult premise if I’ve ever seen one. The world also doesn’t appear to be very complex, with the magic being used so far not being as impressive as you see in some other shows of its kind. However, that’s also the entire charm of the show, as it manages to tell a very realistic story about what would happen if Voldemort won his final battle.
If everyone is special, no one is special. Magic in this world isn’t a thing to be inspired by or yearned for. It comes as naturally to everyone as breathing, and in a world such as this, not being able to or having to use it can come across as extremely striking, which Mashle Episode 1 did a decent job of exploring. The motivations of the characters, especially the apparent bad guys, aren’t particularly clear yet, but there is a lot of time to build that up.
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The show lives and dies based on the strength of its protagonist, Mashe Burndead. He has a grand total of three personality traits- he is strong, he is dumb, and he has a heart of gold. Most of the show’s humorous nature is based on his exploits, but so did most of this episode’s action. He is a solid foundation to build a show around, but he is also the kind of character who would go really old really fast if he isn’t given good enough characters to play off of or some new personality traits.
Overall, Mashle Episode 1 was a pretty decent start to a show that has a lot of legs. This episode wasn’t a complete home run, as some jokes didn’t hit as well as they could have, and a few plot points seemed ham-fisted, but it was solid enough nonetheless. The jury is still out on the production, as I am going to have to see and hear more of it to form an opinion on its quality. On first listen, the opening music is very generic, but the ending theme is cute. Let’s see if those opinions change by the end of the show.
Verdict
Mashle Episode 1 was a decent start to a show that displayed much potential to become a long-running and beloved series. Only time will tell if it comes true on all that promise.
Click here to read the review of the next episode!