Mashle: Magic and Muscles – Season 1 Episode 3 Recap & Review

Mash Burnedead and the Baleful Bully

Episode 3 of Mashle: Magic and Muscles begins with Mash asking Finn if he can borrow a broom for class tomorrow. Their instructor tells the class to use magic to command their broom. Mash struggles using magic, so he kicks the ground, causing his broom to jump into his hand. A classmate argues with Mash for cheating and challenges him to a race.

The loser must obey the winner’s commands. The teacher allows them to race, and Mash beats his opponent. Finn explains Mash utilized his strength and air resistance to beat his challenger. Mash drops the bet out of pity, and before his opponent hurts him, a boy named Cavill stops him. Cavill asks Mash if he wants to be friends, but Mash mocks him. The teacher stops Cavill from disrupting the class. Cavil tells Mash they should meet again after school, and he departs. Somewhere, Cavill asks his friend why he lost to Mash and beats him up for not following orders.

Finn tells Mash about Cavill in the hallway and claims Cavill’s feared because he’s the son of a high-ranking member at the Bureau of Magic. If someone stands against Cavill, they’re likely to get expelled, and Cavill will continue to torment them. In Potion’s class, Mash realizes his textbook is all torn up. Cavill approaches him about not attending their meeting yesterday. Cavill asks Mash to complete some favors for him. In exchange, he’ll speak with his connections and have them put in a good word for Mash to help him accomplish his goal of becoming the Divine Visionary. Mash completes many strange tasks for Cavill.

While cleaning, Mash drops something and learns he forgot to return Finn’s textbook from a prior class. At the same time, Cavill has been tasking Finn to ruin Mash’s belongings. Cavill asks Finn to burn Mash’s stuff. He hopes this constant bullying will persuade Mash to quit school. Finn refuses to pursue Cavill’s latest task, so Cavill binds Finn with his string magic and hurts Finn. Mash stumbles upon Finn, Cavill, and Cavill’s buddies. He sees Finn beaten up and asks Cavill what he’s doing. Finn tells Mash that Cavill ordered him to ruin his belongings and apologizes. Cavill says he’d like to introduce Mash to the vice principal while mocking Finn for his weakness.

Mash grabs Cavill by the hair and smashes his face to the ground. He tells Cavill he should be the one apologizing. Suddenly, Vice Principal Cregos arrives and explains how some students receive better treatment than others. Before he’d tell someone of the incident, Mash kicks Cregos and buries him in the hallway. Mash gets invited to Wahlberg’s office, and he tells Mash that he received a letter from the Bureau of Magic. They want Wahlberg to expel him for his assault on the vice principal and Cavill. Wahlberg explains how the Bureau of Magic is the highest legal authority in the country.

However, Wahlberg burns the letter since he doesn’t like how caring students are at a disadvantage to the snarky ones. He hopes someone like Mash can become a Divine Visionary since it would help change the system. Wahlberg gives Mash a rundown on how to become a Divine Visionary. Wahlberg promises to handle the situation with Cregos and the Bureau of Magic. The narrator explains Mash didn’t receive any punishment for his actions and gained a following. While discussing cream puffs with Finn, a man named Tom Knowles approaches Mash with an offer.

He wants Mash to represent Adler dorm in a Duelo match. It’s a broom competition event, but Mash tries telling Tom that he can’t fly a broom. However, Tom doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer and admits Mash into his club. During the competition, Mash stays put on the ground. The episode concludes with the fans belittling Mash for not participating in the sport.

The Episode Review

This was a fast-paced chapter of Mashle: Magic and Muscles. Many people will admire how Mash handles bullying here. Although he goes through with the bully’s demands, he makes sure to let them have it when they step out of line. Mash may be a dense person, but he won’t let people pick on folks he finds caring and supportive.

It’s touching to see Mash bond with Finn and for him to call Finn a great person. Hopefully, the series can continue building upon their dynamic. There were many instances in this chapter that mirrored Harry Potter too, interestingly. From Cavill’s Malfoy-like characterization to the broom and Duelo segments, it feels one-to-one with moments from that wizarding franchise.

At the same time, the episode includes some repetitive gags that didn’t feel necessary to the story. One instance involves Wahlberg explaining to Mash how he can become a Divine Visionary. Not only did we already receive a great explanation from Finn in the prior chapter but Mash demonstrates the same lack of enthusiasm here as he did in episode two.

Despite having some lackluster jokes and repetitive instances, this was an okay episode. It gives viewers more of an idea as to the type of person Mash is and shows how caring he can be for those who deserve it. Hopefully, the series can be incorporated more meaningful moments and varied jokes to avoid feeling stale.