This week on My Little Mash-y: Friendship is Magic
What They Say:
The final verdict has been passed – non-magic users must be eliminated. But a select few VIPs believe Mash is a special exception and perhaps the key to defeating Innocent Zero.
The Review
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
After standing in defiance to Divine Visionary Orter Madl, Mash is nearly given an earful of magical sand before several mages step in to save him. Not only does Ryoh Grantz vouch for him, but Headmaster Wahlberg and Rayne also intervene to make their plea for Mash’s life.
Wahlberg believes Mash may give them a lead to finding Innocent Zero, but that isn’t enough for Orter. Non-magic users must be purged, that’s just the way it is. But Wahlberg takes it one step further – despite being one of the most powerful and well-respected mages on the planet, he now bows to the Visionaries in hopes that they might spare Mash. He may not be a magic-user, but Mash’s muscles have proven that he isn’t weak. One thing Orter doesn’t know is that Mash has one muscle that’s stronger than the rest – his heart. That’s right, Headmaster Wahlberg believes Mash and the Power of Friendship are key to changing the current state of the world.
The pecking order of Mashle’s world has been evident since Chapter One. Those without magic are an inferior species, ridiculed and hunted down by Mages. Wahlberg finds this way of life disagreeable. As time goes on, society’s values change and those who move to change it are the most courageous, standing in the face of their oppressors. Mash can sway even the cruelest of mages; Wahlberg believes that kind of power is necessary for the future he envisions. But the Visionaries are dead set on maintaining order. That is until the Bureau Vice-Director speaks up. While he may still believe in the social food chain, he can’t deny that Mash saved his life. With the Vice-Directors pardon, Orten finally gives in, but only on these conditions: under the Visionaries’ supervision, Mash is to be a tool used against Innocent Zero. To prove he has what it takes, Mash will be this year’s Divine Visionary candidate. If he fails to meet their expectations, he’ll be exterminated. But Mash has no intention of backing down. On the contrary, he’s ready to give Innocent Zero a taste of his knuckle sandwich.
In Summary:
Mash is lucky to have allies in high places. With his execution indefinitely postponed, I assume we’ll head into a training arc to prepare Mash for the fight against Innocent Zero. Mash finally gets his chance to become a Visionary and save his father. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The battle against Innocent Zero may very well decide the fate of the world.
Grade: B
Source: Shonen Jump app, Manga Plus app
