MANGA REVIEW | "Mashle: Magic and Muscles" - Volume Twelve
For awhile, I had a feeling Mash Burnedead was holding back his true potential. Turns out I was right on the money, with him unlocking his weighted cuffs in the previous volume of Mashle: Magic and Muscles. Now with his strength at 100%, there’s zero chance of Innocent Zero succeeding in their pla—
OH FOR F**K’S SAKE!!!!!
So yeah, it turns out that keeping it 100 isn’t healthy for Mash Burnedead. So much so, that every ounce of strength he had is depleted. Death is imminent, with Doom unleashing a goop that destroys everything it touches. But Domina gifts Mash with another chance at life, with a sacrifice that speaks volumes to how much he’s evolved since his battle. One hopes that such a noble gesture will not be wasted.
Enter Mistress Meliadoul, whose skills are even more powerful than Headmaster Wahlberg. Realizing that Mash doesn’t have the strength necessary to beat Innocent Zero, she takes it upon herself to give him 30 days to train for the big event. But first, Meliadoul needs to help the lad heal up before it commences. Surely she has the proper skills to make the experience quick and painle—
…seriously, why do I bother thinking Mashle will find any sort of sanity at this point?
Mash isn’t the only one in need of training. The likes of Lance, Dot, and even Finn aim to raise their skills and strengths before Innocent Zero attacks. While Lance and Dot are being put through ferocious training, Finn’s means of bettering himself are a little more…let’s say atypical. Add on the fact that’s he’s being trained by a dude with a weird appetite, and it’s clear that there’s rarely a person in this series that’s right in the head.
But it’s Mash that faces the most difficult forms of training. From gravity-raising rooms to facing off against beings with higher strength levels than him, just about every sort of thing imaginable is tossed at the teen. Even a dwarf cosplaying as beloved children’s book character Snapsy the Alligator makes his presence known, although with his attitude, it looks more like Mineta’s taking a side hustle from his My Hero Academia career. However, with even the toughest challenges thrown at Mash, our hero finds a way to keep on getting stronger.
That’s when the enemy finally launches their attack. Chaos overtakes the magical city, with nary a beacon of hope to be found. But an unexpected guest arrives at the nick of time, with a personality that’s as blinding as his skills are top-notched. What happens next may have some readers thinking they’ve started reading Attack on Titan by mistake, but it’s showcased some badass moments from a shining star in the magic world.
With the big showdown looming, Mashle: Magic and Muscles feels like it’s gearing towards its finale. Of course, there could always be a greater evil looming behind Innocent Zero. Thankfully, Mash’s true potential looks to be fully realized, and his time to show the magic world what he’s capable of has finally arri—
…please stop doing this, Hajime Komoto.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
