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