Its popularity is not that unexpected if you realize why it’s that beloved.
Summary:
Despite being a gag comedy, Mashle works great because of well-timed jokes and protagonist’s reactions.
Outside of comedy, Mashle also boasts great and innovative action.
It subverts tropes that some fans have been getting tired of.
Gag comedy anime are often very polarizing. After all, they rely on the viewer liking the main gag more often than not — and if you aren’t into it in the first place, chances are you won’t like the series altogether.
Considering that, Mashle: Magic and Muscles becoming practically mainstream is a very unusual occurrence. Pretty much everything in the anime relies on the fact that Mash doesn’t use magic — everything he accomplishes is done with physical prowess alone.
It seems that many people might get bored with the series very quickly and drop it — but it actually works really well. As usual, it is all about the execution.
The comedy is well-timed
Mashle is very good at supporting its otherwise repetitive comedy with impeccable timing. After all, a properly timed joke is funny even when it is repeated — and Mashle is a great example of that.
Some fans compared the anime to KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!) and One Punch Man, and they aren’t wrong — these are also funny because of their timing.
Mash himself is a great protagonist for this kind of anime. His deadpan reactions are contributing further to the great comedy of the show, making it even funnier. He is also just a good guy, which makes it easy for the viewer to root for him.
It has great action as well
Of course, Mashle is not just about comedy — it has surprisingly great action as well. Of course, the anime mostly remains light-hearted, but that doesn’t mean we don’t get to see cool fights. And since Mash can’t use magic — that’s the premise, after all — these fights also tend to get very creative, showing how his physical feats can get mistaken for magic.
This is also another point of comparison to One Punch Man for the series. Of course, OPM is somewhat more absurd — and yet often more focused on the realistic issues that characters face outside of their fights. Mashle is a full-on gag comedy following a battle shounen formula, but subverting many of its tropes.
New take on old setting
The setting of Mashle is a magic academy — which is a very old trope in itself. As such, many fans are tired of it. This is another reason why the anime works so well: it takes a generic setup and completely uproots it, providing a take that is fresh and exciting.
Overall, a combination of well-timed comedy, cool action and unique takes on many tropes make the anime very refreshing.
Its popularity is not that unexpected if you realize why it’s that beloved.
Summary:
Despite being a gag comedy, Mashle works great because of well-timed jokes and protagonist’s reactions.
Outside of comedy, Mashle also boasts great and innovative action.
It subverts tropes that some fans have been getting tired of.
Gag comedy anime are often very polarizing. After all, they rely on the viewer liking the main gag more often than not — and if you aren’t into it in the first place, chances are you won’t like the series altogether.
Considering that, Mashle: Magic and Muscles becoming practically mainstream is a very unusual occurrence. Pretty much everything in the anime relies on the fact that Mash doesn’t use magic — everything he accomplishes is done with physical prowess alone.
It seems that many people might get bored with the series very quickly and drop it — but it actually works really well. As usual, it is all about the execution.
The comedy is well-timed
Mashle is very good at supporting its otherwise repetitive comedy with impeccable timing. After all, a properly timed joke is funny even when it is repeated — and Mashle is a great example of that.
Some fans compared the anime to KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!) and One Punch Man, and they aren’t wrong — these are also funny because of their timing.
Mash himself is a great protagonist for this kind of anime. His deadpan reactions are contributing further to the great comedy of the show, making it even funnier. He is also just a good guy, which makes it easy for the viewer to root for him.
It has great action as well
Of course, Mashle is not just about comedy — it has surprisingly great action as well. Of course, the anime mostly remains light-hearted, but that doesn’t mean we don’t get to see cool fights. And since Mash can’t use magic — that’s the premise, after all — these fights also tend to get very creative, showing how his physical feats can get mistaken for magic.
This is also another point of comparison to One Punch Man for the series. Of course, OPM is somewhat more absurd — and yet often more focused on the realistic issues that characters face outside of their fights. Mashle is a full-on gag comedy following a battle shounen formula, but subverting many of its tropes.
New take on old setting
The setting of Mashle is a magic academy — which is a very old trope in itself. As such, many fans are tired of it. This is another reason why the anime works so well: it takes a generic setup and completely uproots it, providing a take that is fresh and exciting.
Overall, a combination of well-timed comedy, cool action and unique takes on many tropes make the anime very refreshing.
