Mashle: Magic and Muscles, Vol. 2: Mash Burnedead And The Magic Of Iron

マッシュル-MASHLE- #2

by Hajime Komoto

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!

In the midst of a battle with a chosen magic user graced with two marks, Mash makes a shocking discovery about his opponent. Then, more trouble is on the way when Mash’s dorm gets paired with Lang, a dorm full of bad characters, for outdoor activities. Now Mash is caught up in a fight for coins and the pride of his dorm!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Humor, Comedy, Comics, Action, Magic

200 pages, Paperback

First published August 4, 2020

About the author

Hajime Komoto 甲本一 (Kōmoto Hajime) is a Japanese mangaka.

Reviews

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ★

this series is just a easy and fun time, Mash continuing to punch through all his magical opponents is killing me lol. i love that Lance is on the cover of this one, cause he’s my favorite character so far!

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay but this series is actually really good. Silly and a bit heavy on the influence of HP but I must admit that Mash is starting to grow on me. I’m really enjoying the expansion of the cast. In this specific volume, we learn more about the 3 dormitories that exist and how/why every student gets sorted into them. There is a battle to collect coins to become the Divine Visionary. Mash stands a good chance collecting these coins considering that everyone seems to underestimate his capabilities. He’s kind and caring and always supports the underdog which is what I love about him as a character. Excited to dive into the next volume to see what happens!

[fer bañuelos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literal el Mashe le puso NOMBRE A SUS MUSCULOS. we love a himbo!!!!!!!

[Nicolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art is mediocre, but the storytelling and comedic timing is impeccable. In fact, the art actually suits it better because this is more of a gag manga than a fantasy or adventure story.

I found myself re-reading it again before finalizing this review and it is still a riot. In these times, such funny stories are what we need to hold back the darkness at bay. It gets a well-deserved 4 stars.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, the joke is starting to wear thin already as our super strong but non-magical Mash Burnedead continues to punch his way through his magical opponents at the Easton Magic Academy in the Magic Realm. We'll round this one up to three stars for the cream puffs, sorting unicorn, and the outrageous coin trick in the closing pages, but future volumes are going to need to bring some extra oomph.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 Stars
I was pleased that the story is expanding from the original volumes because it would be boring to watch Mash punch through Magic on every page. The best part of this second volume is the development of the side characters. I appreciated learning some of their underlying motivations, especially the brother learning for the sake of his sister.

[Subham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manga is next level hilarious and action packed and I have said before its like a mixture of one punch man and black clover and harry potter but its even better at times, the level of OP-ness that Mash has is unparalleled and like his supporting cast is funny too and the themes though dark makes those moments with Mash make all the fun. Here we have Mash going against Lance first, the same guy in his dorm "Adler" and its fun to see how he is obsessed with his sister and then in some competition vs Lang dorm, first he encounters Silva, his senior and the battle between them is just funny and epic and just shows how OP this guy is and like thats what makes it fun and the girl and the red haired guy there are shocked to see it. He gets the gold coin and thats why the elite students "MAGIA LUPUS" are after him now and his encounter with Lord Abel (their leader) is next level hilarious and he thinks himself superior to everyone but Mash proves to be a thorn on his side and rightfully so. This manga maybe the best Shonen jump title atm and soon with an anime it will become a massive hit for sure!

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

oh to live in absolute bliss and think of nothing but cream puffs 😪

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series can be a great manga replacement for people who loved the Harry Potter world! Mash is a really fun hero, and watching him trounce everyone is a lot of fun. A great shounen story.

[Benjamin Uke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really dumb.
But funny.

[Adam M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume did a great job introducing more students and helping fill out the world of the school. We now have a better idea of the different dorms or houses and what to expect from them. We still haven't learned much about the staff or faculty, but I'm hopeful that is coming soon.

The thing I love best about this series is how it skewers both books like Harry Potter and some manga tropes. This is keenly aware of what it is and what it's poking fun at and I am genuinely enjoying this. The pace is great, the characters are hilarious and easily identifiable, it reads quickly and has an art that feels exactly right for the storytelling. 10/10 would recommend

[Elina Mäkitalo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ihan hyvä manga ja kuvat ihan okei, joista saa selvää. Paikoitellen olisi ehkä toivonut jotain lisää, mutta ei oikeastaan kuitenkaan. Hieman ehkä haittaa se, että tarina tuntuu niin tutulta mutta kuitenkin erojakin löytyy.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mash is up against a pretty boy on a mission with some… tendencies. Then it turns out that there’s a definite social strata at the school and the fight for Divine Visionary is heating up. Facing off against stronger magic than ever, has Mash finally met his match?

No, of course not, and shame on you if you thought so. If I have ever read a manga that deserved the appellation of ‘goof-ass’ it is unquestionably this one. Even when this book is trying to be serious it can’t help but be over the top.

There are several characters introduced in this volume to varying levels of success, starting with magic prodigy and resident hot boy, Lance, who is quickly won over after some tired siscon jokes that, in a rather odd change from the norm, turn out to be hideously accurate (I did laugh when Lance proclaims ‘She’s my sister!’ as if it’s a defence when it turns out to be nothing of the sort).

The section where Lance helps Mash and Finn with their homework is the funniest thing in this volume and nearly had me in tears. Mash vs mandragora is funny enough (especially with Finn around, whose only job appears to be reacting with his mouth open like an aircraft hangar), but this thing is only getting started.

Next comes potion work, which not only looks like a bunch of panels stolen from any cooking combat manga, but also piles a running gag on top of a running gag. All capped off by Lance removing his head scarf to pose and deliver dramatic line readings because Lance.

The next section involves forest survival and we get the very awful guy who apparently was supposed to be the lead until an editor had him axed. I can see why. He’s basically a football hooligan with a wand (studded in spikes because of course) and a yelling problem.

Constantly proclaiming himself to be the main character, nobody takes this guy seriously. He’s not the best addition to the cast, but clearly the author is stuffing him in here anyway. Hopefully in small doses.

The forest storyline probably goes longer than necessary but does have some decent bits and an annoying villain who gets a satisfying comeuppance. This prompts the revelation that one of the three houses at the school (honestly, who needs Hufflepuff anyway) is run by a cabal of super powerful wizards. It would seem the stakes are being risen… or would if Mash didn’t immediately take the piss out of it.

In the last section, Mash comes up against the leader of these baddies and pulls off the impossible. Which the book then explains with the dumbest and therefore best series of contrivances and overpowered protagonist abilities I’ve ever seen. It’s great.

I’ll end by pointing out a clever narrative conceit that I kind of loved. This series can basically amend its story on the fly by virtue of how little attention Mash pays to anything that isn’t a door or a cream puff.

The school houses and the ghoulish variant on the sorting hat just kind of show up and they just handwave it away by saying that Mash wasn’t paying attention and that makes perfect sense for his character.

4 stars - it’s certainly not as consistent as the first volume, but when the book is good it is riotously funny. It’s big dopey fun for when you want to read something ludicrous.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich komm nicht über das Sprechende Knocheneinhorn hinweg, dass die Leute in die Magierhäuser einsortiert xDDDD... ehrlich. Und yay, der one Braincell-Aggro-Char Dot ist auch aufgetaucht *fähnlein wedel*. Ich muss glaub ich wirklich nochmal One Punch Man lesen, weil es einfach den gleichen Vibe hat - und ich liebe, wie einfach alle in ihre ach so wichtigen Monologe über Weltherrschaft und wieso sie Stärker sind verfallen und Mash einfach nix davon hört :D.

[Facundo Mosquera · Rating 3 out of 5]

está entretenido pero no pasa de eso. Probablemente la siga.

[Justin Baumann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 really acts as setting up the rest of the series and adds more characters so its a bit boring, but the set up is so good that it gets away with it compared to the first book.

[Blake the Book Eater · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love all the gags here. The HP parody is a little too heavy handed at times and I hope the series can become a little more unique as it progresses.

[christy - pr0bablyreadingsmut · Rating 5 out of 5]

brb hyperfixating on this manga for the next few months

[Bookish Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the humor!

[fxtiko · Rating 5 out of 5]

super

[Andrea (andreareadsalot) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a little confusing with the plot. The HP parody parts were funny but then the plot would go in all different directions. It was just ok.

TW: violence

[Kesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harry Potter with much more humour. I had to laugh out loud at least two times. The story is developing and I hope the next volume won't let me down.

[Pierre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent tome 2, j'ai éclaté de rire plusieurs fois ! Et c'est aussi le meilleur livre parce que c'est un cadeau de la meilleure personne du monde 😉

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mashle: Magic and Muscles Vol 2 continues the mashup of Harry Potter and One Punch Man. Mash has no magic abilities in a world that requires them. In Vol 1, he wins entry to his country’s preeminent magic school, Easton Magic Academy (think Hogwarts) based solely on his phenomenal strength and quick thinking.

Mash has found a new frenemy at the school. His name is Lance. Lance wants to save his little sister, Anna, from the government’s clutches. Anna is sick and may lose her magic. Her parents will comply with the law and turn her in if that happens.

The plot this time is the rivalry between two of the three dorms in the magic academy. Mash’s dorm is Adler for those with courage. Lang dorm is for the ambitious who carry the bloodlines of famous magicians.

There is plenty of action along with a few laughs along the way. I enjoyed Mashle: Magic and Muscles Vol 2 but not quite so much as Vol 1. 4 stars!

Thanks to VIZ Media and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Gita Karmani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Komedinya ngga sekoplak volume awal sih tapi yah lumayan juga. Karakternya pada pick me mayoritas. Tapi yg sister complex sama yg playboy wannabe malah jadi kepedean itu norak juga sih 😂

Yg paling bego adalah saat Lance ngasih tutorial bikin ramuan dari semacam kayak lobak gitu tapi malah sama Mash jadinya isian kue sus krim melulu 🤣

Terus yg terakhir.. Ada tokoh baru. Antagonisnya byk bgt jadi bingung soalnya mayoritas tokoh2 yg ujungnya jadi temen Mash awalnya deketin terus ngatain2 underestimate gitu.

[Layra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustó, es divertido, si el primero me había dado mucha esencia a una parodia de Harry Potter, este segundo tomo me dio aún más esencia de Harry Potter, el estilo de dibujo es simple en varios paneles y de alguna manera eso lo hace ver más bonito a mi punto de vista.
Lo recomiendo si gustas entretenerte un rato y pasar un momento divertido y agradable

[Joselin Orrillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Avanzamos con la historia de Mash, el nivel se mantiene pero vemos un futuro prometedor en cuanto a futuros enfrentamientos y enemigos. Aun sumando más escenas de acción, Mashle no pierde su estandarte principal de comedia en ningún momento y espero tampoco lo haga a futuro.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sigue la misma línea que el primero aunque se nos han presentado a los "rivales" del prota. Continúo esperando algo más, no puede ser que este tío físicamente supere a todo el mundo. Que sí, que es comedia, pero quiero algo más.

[Cecille · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one started to feel like a step towards the more standard "battle manga" formula, though with a main character that can dispatch most any enemy with a single hit. Still very silly and funny, though.

[gabs · Rating 5 out of 5]

finally getting into the magia lupus and who they are, i genuinely think the author created this series as a rip off of harry potter but i’m not even complaining bc mash is so likable that it makes me want to keep reading