In the magic realm, magic is everything—everyone can use it, and one’s skill determines their social status. Deep in the forest, oblivious to the ways of the world, lives Mash. Thanks to his daily training, he’s become a fitness god. When Mash is discovered, he has no choice but to enroll in magic school, where he must beat the competition without revealing his secret—he can’t use magic!
Innocent Zero’s youngest child, Domina, steps in to put a stop to his father’s pursuit of Mash. Using the reprieve afforded them, Mash’s friends race against the clock in hopes of getting him to Meliadoul, the only hope he has of surviving without a heart. Meanwhile, as Mash hovers between life and death, he encounters a mysterious figure.
Un cierre lleno de Deus ex machina, tantos que ya llegan a lo absurdo, incluso para una propuesta de fantasía. Por poner el ejemplo más grosero: el villano le quita el corazón al protagonista, pero aún así sigue peleando gracias a la fuerza de voluntad (sin corazón) hasta que ya se queda sin fuerza, para terminar que un aliado tenía un corazón de respuesto en un cajón, oíste bien, ¡un corazón de repuesto! Que no sabían si iba a ser compatible, pero tuvieron fe.
Todos los compañeros siguen peleando a pesar de tener todos los órganos estallados, solo por el bien de la trama.
Por otro lado, el protagonista en el otro mundo intenta volver a su cuerpo, y la muerte lo deja regresar porque le pareció un buen muchacho.
It was funny at times, it also made me very uncomfortable at times. Mashle was generally funny in all of the scenes that he is in but, It has left me with such conflicting feelings due to a lot of the more uncomfortable aspects of manga story tellers and this story does a lot of that (like the sister loving character was very much not needed and the story lacks probably any compelling female characters.)
If you can tolerate the typical problems with manga story’s then I would recommend this as a decent gag manga but if not, then there are funnier manga out there and you won’t be missing out by skipping this.
For the penultimate book in this series, I found this one to be rather underwhelming. Things are coming to a close for Mash and his friends: Innocent Zero finally has Mash's heart, allowing him to evolve into his final form, everyone is on the brink of death, and Mash has been injured again. For a book with a cover this epic of all the characters coming together, it felt less like a giant battle and more so a string of each of the characters collapsing in turn. For one, they're all bloody and beat up so they don't even look like they do on the cover. Innocent Zero looks awesome as always, and his final evolution is even better than his tiefling-like design.
Infact, it looks a lot like a ReDead from Zelda.
The book starts off right where the last volume left off, with Domina getting to face his father while the others escape. I was really looking forward to this face off seeing how much I enjoy Domina, and I thought a father-son fight would be really cool to see. But the fight itself only seemed to last five pages, and wasn't nearly as interesting or satisfying as I was hoping it would be. I don't quite understand what the point of having him come back was if he wasn't even going to do anything, because he came in at the end as a diversion, but he didn't even do that. I'm not complaining that he's here, because I do really like him, I just would have liked a longer fight with him, or even just one that had a more satisfying conclusion. I have no idea if he's going to be in the final volume, but I hope he is because I don't want to end his character arc so abruptly.
I also didn't quite get the point of Mash and his second near-death experience. He just had one a few volumes ago when he was under Meliadoul's care, and now he's back at it. I don't see why the whole bit with the door couldn't have happened earlier, because having it now doesn't have the tension it should have had. I mean, I suppose it kind of is another Harry Potter parallel, but it came off kind of as kind of a weird joke to me and ultimately felt like a strange filler chapter. I think there were more interesting things that could have been done to fill a chapter instead. *cough*Like giving Domina more time*cough*.
On top of that, a lot of my complaints from previous volumes still stand. Every character has to have thier preachy moment to show how much they've grown, which everyone except for Ochoa has already done MULTIPLE times at this point. I get it, you all have learned so much from being friends with Mash and you're willing to fight until your last breath if it means protecting the world from evil. I hate to say this, but pack it up! I love all of you guys, but we get the point. And speaking of last breath, no one seems to die. Innocent Zero is being oddly kind for someone who keeps talking about wanting to kill and enslave all of humanity. He just waits until they pass out from exhaustion, and then when someone does throw a spell at them he was like "I should have killed you!" Like, kill people then. You are supposed to be this big bad villain, so act like one! But no, no one can die in this series. Or at least anyone with a name can't.
You know, it was really unclear.
+++
I was really hoping for more from this volume seeing that we are at the climax, but unfortunately it felt flat and a bit rushed. Even though it was far from the best read of the series I still enjoyed reading about the characters and felt interested in the fight. Innocent Zero's time magic is incredible, and his spells combined with his physical design make this volume one of the best visually. The art is amazing as always, but the details in the wide shots is amazing. There's so many tiny, interconnected details that really proves how talented of an artist Komoto is. I think the art was at it's best in this whole series during Innocent Zero's clash with Meliadoul, which is to be expected considering that they are not only two of the most powerful magic users but also past aquaintances. I would have liked there to have been a bit of a more emotional matchup between them, similarly to how it was when Innocent Zero faced Wahlberg (which was the fight coincidentally that I thought also had the best art), but I will take what I can get.
Also, WHERE ON EARTH IS KALDO?! He's the only divine visionary who isn't either currently passed out from injuries or crucified. Did he just dip after winding up that key? Get your ass and that giant sword you only used once this entire series over here and do your job!["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
Mash and his friends continue their battle against the forces of evil, facing off against ultimate enemy of this series. The stakes have never been higher.
MASHLE: Magic and Muscles is a manga series that will leave you spellbound! Published in Shonen Jump, this series follows the story of Mash Burnedead, a magicless protagonist in a world full of magic. The manga is a comedy with a vibe akin to a mashup of One Punch Man and Harry Potter. The story is set in a world where magic is everything, and those who don’t possess it are considered weak. Mash, however, is an exception to this rule. He has no magical abilities but makes up for it with his incredible physical strength. The series is known for its unique blend of humor, action, and fantasy elements, making it a must-read for fans of the genre. The series has been praised for its engaging storyline, well-developed characters, and stunning artwork. It has also been adapted into an anime series, which has been well-received by fans.
MASHLE: Magic and Muscles is a hilarious and action-packed manga that is sure to delight fans of shonen manga. The series features a lovable cast of characters, epic battles, and plenty of humor. If you're looking for fun and entertaining read, MASHLE is worth checking out!
An expected ending, but it is good because it reached the expectation. The series was overall mediocre, taking ideas from many other series. Even at the final chapters the special attack was kind of a shadow of another series as well! You could say it a parody and skip the debate. However, it had potential to shine with its individual merit. But, the main focus of the story was short lived, and it ended before it could expand. It could like Naruto drag the story furthermore, and make things happen one battle at a time, after some crashing intense events surrounded by death and chaos.
But, it kept things fun. That is for sure. Also as a character Mash is unique. He had his moments. So for the final battle I am giving him a 5 star out of respect.
I absolutely hate the process of updating my Goodreads after I finish binge-reading a manga series but here I am. This series was so good, I finished everything in one day. How absolutely wonderfully funny this was, I laughed the entire time I was reading it. Mash Burnehead was a great and loveable main character and you can't help but root for him and his muscles in the world where magic is the centre of everything. Mash is the literal embodiment of "never let them know your next move" LOL he's great, I love him. The only thing I have to comment is that I didn't feel much connection with the side characters. Don't get me wrong, I love them enough to root for them but every time the side characters were the centre of the plot, I just wanted to get it over quickly to get back to Mash's scene. Overall, though, this series is great.
I gotta say, reading Mashle is a journey and I know it has a lot of references in which some readers think is an insult towards Harry Potter but to me it's quite the opposite. You get to see a magicless teen becoming a divine visionary just by using his muscles and he never gives up even the world is in danger from Innocent Zero. I like how his opponents have this dumbfounded look on their faces and then they become fast friends with Mash for he is kind/understanding at anyone he meets or faces. This manga will give you fantasy, action and comedy. Of course, I already read chapters 155 to 162 (compiled volume 18) and it was chef's kiss.
So there have been a couple of small, but fun twists as this story winds down. I am really looking forward to what the conclusion might be, but I have had a lot of fun with this closing arc. I'm also glad that this isn't trying to be more than it is. For a while it looked like the whole book might start to wander, but it has done a good job of finding itself again. The art has also been outstanding as this series has grown. The scope keeps getting bigger while maintaining quality and really drawing you in (pun intended.)
WOW! That's all I have to say about this volume! This books ushers in the end of a series that has surprisingly been more entertaining than I could have imagined. Mash (a man living in a magical world with no magic power) goes toe to toe with the strongest magician ever! This page turning book is great and you end this book...itching and scratching for volume 18 the final volume. It will not make much sense if you are jumping in now...but if you have been riding with this since volume 1...the payoffs have been plenty and great!
Amazing growth from Orter in this volume!! He really came full circle in a really admirable way!
This manga is so fucking funny, but also interesting, entertaining, and fun!! I hope someday Komoto-sensei will feel inspired to do a slice of life spin-off about everyone's peaceful life ;-;
Domina puts everything into holding Innocent Zero back as Mash is rushed to Meliadoul, who offers an artificial heart to revive him - but those still standing will need to stall for time against his father before he can awaken, while he in turn faces a mysterious being between life and death...Komoto will have fans eagerly turn the pages of this tense and somberly humourous entry. Can Mash utilize his strength when facing the metaphysical?
That’s how you end a series! 10 times better than the final battle in another series that I completed but won’t mention…. I still like the other series, but the final battle was weak!!!!
Combate que da mil vueltas y transformaciones de Innocent Zero. Está bien, pero con el poder que tiene Innocent Zero esperaba más chicha en el ingenio de las peleas, aunque claro está que en esta serie el ingenio va ligado al humor de Mash, que no falla nunca.