Mashle is a story about Mash, who lacks magic in a society where it's the norm. He attends Easton Magic Academy to become a Divine visionary, fulfilling his wish to live peacefully with his father. A fun slice of life and comedic aspects are present in the first episodes, then transition to a more action-packed story with a plot twist. Along the way, Mash befriends four people who become his friends. They fight against the Magia Lupis, an elite group of students from the Lang dorm. Which steals the gold coins to become a Divine visionary. Mashle is enjoyable, with humorous characters, but the plot is lackluster.

Animation (9): The quality is decent, featuring fluid movements and a range of expressive characters. Such as Lemon's face when she says Mash is her husband, although he is surprised by Lemon's idea of this, along with the fight scenes between them. Those felt unique, with every character's ability being different from another in every fight. Also, in Episode 3, Mash "flies" with the broom by kicking his legs rapidly, shocking everyone in the crowd. In contrast, when Finn's older brother comes in, in Milo versus Dot and Finn, the swords feel stiff when stabbing Milo (one of the Magia Lupis). There could have been more movement and surprise, like Finn's brother stabbing Milo with the blood being censored from Milo's chest, with Finn both proud of the threat being gone and shocked by his brother coming in at the last moment. In summary, the animation has decent quality, with expressive and fluid actions, although it could have looked even more fluid.

Audio (5): It is average at best, with a fast-paced rap during the fighting scenes. In contrast, when it's humorous, it's cheerful and sometimes comes as a surprise. During a game with a broom against the Lang dorm. An incredible sound that everyone thought he was flying. Also, when Lemon talks about Mash being her husband, a love-dove sound surrounds her, accompanied by hearts, as she monologues about Mash. Although during the fight scenes, such as Lance versus Mash in the first scenes, there is a voice in the fight. It makes it seem like another person, but it never shows that it can be confusing. In short, audio can enhance certain scenes, but it may not be easy to picture in others.

Characters (11): The characters initially seem stereotypical, forming a main cast that includes the love interest, the aloof and intelligent rival, the hot-headed character, the shy kid who is bullied, and the untalented kid who secretly possesses an overpowered ability. Although the cast has something in their past that makes them different from the stereotypical, it also makes them relatable. Lance labels himself as a siscon because he values his sister as a divine visionary. Which causes conflict between Mash and him. Even the villains, such as Abyss Razor and Abel Walker, have compelling backstories that shock us; their relationship also makes it relatable, as Abyss is essentially a "tool" for Lord Abel. Abyss was heavily mistreated due to his eye, which could nullify any magic. Despite having a caring and kind mother, he was killed by a commoner for being greedy. Although this relationship between Abyss and Abel can be considered toxic to some, Lance's siscon status may be a concern to others. In conclusion, characters initially seem like the norm but are relatable, raising some concerning topics for the person.

Plot (5): The story makes sense and has some logical conflict in episode 6. Those slice-of-life bits make the series uninteresting for just a few episodes. Such Mash was taking the entrance exam, not to mention the episodes that followed. Along with Lance suddenly becoming a villain, there is no explanation given. After episode 6, where the conflict begins, the plot develops a central conflict that persists throughout the entire series, as Mash and his friends fight against Magia Lupis and later the Lance/Cell war. With one more row set up for another season, Mash is revealed to have no magic by the people who were turned into puppets, who are now humans. The plot could have been improved with some clarification. For instance, the cell wall is Lance and has more conflict.

Overall (3): It was enjoyable for an anime series that felt decent at best. The characters and animation were of good quality and well-suited to each other. Although it was stereotypical and lackluster, it also addressed some concerning topics. At least Mash gave us cream puffs for free and a genuinely enjoyable show.

Thanks for reading my review!