Anime
Mashle: Cream Puffs & Sorcery
Harry Potter meets One Punch Man
I鈥檇 describe Mashle as a hybrid of Harry Potter and One Punch Man in terms of its Omega-powered protagonist and the overall style of the show. The Comedy of the series is top tier, second only to the likes of Konosuba, Zom 100, and Spy Family.
Its themes and concepts are very refreshing, which gives it a huge boost over the standard cut-and-dry boring styles the public has become accustomed to over the past few decades. Too many of these shows share nearly identical story beats. Moreover, many characters are also designed in similar ways. But Mashle breaks away from the status quo in style and sets itself apart with its unique concepts, character design, vibrant comedy, and willingness to take risks within its storytelling rather than cling to safety.
Mashle at present has two seasons and is already scheduled to have more in the future due to its rapidly growing fan base and popularity.
I鈥檝e never been crazy about Harry Potter or its universe and despite how much I enjoyed the character of Saitama in One Punch Man, it wasn鈥檛 exactly a show that made me go feral, and it鈥檚 the same story this time around.
Nonetheless, I do find it highly fascinating and will watch the future seasons to see how the story unravels.
At its core, Mashle is a superb and smooth fusion of classic action hero flicks from the 80s and 90s and the magic fantasy served to us through the novels and films of J.K. Rowling鈥檚 Harry Potter. Due to its eccentric blend of inspirations Mashle has a pop, intrigue, and scalability rarely seen within modern era anime.
So far though, I鈥檓 left wondering if Mashle will further expand on the arcane lore and its world in general in the same ways that Overlord and Jobless Reincarnation were able to. While this anime has an endless fountain of inspiration drawn from Harry Potter and the aforementioned One-Punch Man, I certainly hope that it will take inspiration from a few more places if we鈥檙e going to explore its world in depth in the near future.
I鈥檇 love to see some intense horror elements spliced with some darker humor beyond the confines of Mash鈥檚 Mage Academy. For example, it鈥檇 be sick if we could get a world similar to the one explored in the Witcher or Dragon Age franchises.
In those worlds, things were often dark but well-balanced and always magnificent when it came to sights to see, story craft, and memorable experiences and quests. Obviously Mashle isn鈥檛 a video game, but I believe that such elements can easily transfer to an anime if the studio feels so inclined.
In closing, this show has some phenomenal potential and I鈥檓 excited to see what new twists and turns its story takes in the upcoming seasons. For its solid comedy, fresh concepts, and intriguing premise I rate Mashle S1 & S2 7/10 Diamonds. 馃拵馃拵馃拵馃拵馃拵馃拵馃拵
