REVIEW: ‘Mashle: Magic And Muscles’ Episode 22 — “Wahlberg Baigan And The Greatest Danger”

With Cell War defeated by Mash (Chiaki Kobayashi), things calm down at the arena. But up in the sky, Wahlberg’s (Mugihito) battle with his old comrade, Innocent Zero  (Shin’ichirô Miki), continues. Magic and ideals clash between the two mages for the future of their world in Mashle: Magic and Muscles Episode 22, “Wahlberg Baigan and the Greatest Danger.”

Only a brief moment in the episode’s intro focuses on characters outside of Wahlberg and Innocent Zero. Two distinct clashes split the focus. One magical, and one idealogical. And the magical one fares the best of the two.

The duel that consumes much of the episode delivers some eye-catching moments. As the scale of attacks grows, the viewer is treated to feats of magical prowess earlier battles had not even hinted at. We learn a bit more about the nature of wands, along with the sources of their power. As Wahlberg’s space distortions clash with Zero’s time manipulation, the world itself seems on the verge of coming undone. The visuals provide great moments of bombastic power. Culminating with Wahlberg’s ultimate attack, the animation pulls out all the stops to deliver a captivating presentation.

The only complaint one can levy at the battle itself is its lack of clarity. As the powers grow larger and larger, it seems like nothing should be able to stop these attacks. But they do get stopped. It feels random, with no explanation or solid rule set explaining why one thing trumps another. The battle reaches the narratively decided conclusion “just cause.” This leaves the battle feeling a bit hollow, no matter how spectacularly it is presented.

While Mashle Episode 22‘s magic battle has some strengths, its ideology one falls utterly flat. To set up Wahlberg’s adherence to the philosophy of Noblesse Oblige, we get a flashback to his childhood. These sequences show how a scared and timid Wahlberg first met his soon-to-be master. The kindness shown to him is credited as the source of Wahlberg’s unwavering dedication to the concept of Noblesse Oblige. Which leads us to why all of this doesn’t work.

As Walhberg prepares to unleash his final strike we get a sequence of shots featuring the various students the headmaster has sworn to protect. He recognizes the virtue of each in kind and acknowledges how they each seek to change the world. He speaks of his admiration for them and how he must do all he can to allow them to change the world.

This sequence is some of the worst sentimental garbage I’ve ever heard. Akin to hearing a sitting president in our world talk about how he hopes to give future generations a chance to fix the planet, this sequence leaves the viewer screaming. After all, Walhberg is in charge. If he sees the problems these noble students want to change, why doesn’t he change them? He has the power. All the attempts to make Walhberg this compassionate character continue to ring as hollow as they have in the past.

Despite Mashle Episode 22’s fundamental premise failing, the cinematography does a commendable job of presenting the sequence from a visual standpoint. As the visuals pass between Walhberg and the students he strives to save, the animation builds up the emotional aura of the moment skillfully. However, the quality of the cinematography cannot overcome Walhberg’s hypocrisy.

The one place where the episode manages to succeed unabashedly is, surprisingly, in a moment of humor that opens the episode. Still racing to the arena, we get a humours exchange between Ryoh Grantz (Jun’ichi Suwabe, Tekken 8) and his assistant. During an excellently executed moment breaking the fourth wall, Ryoh calls out his assistant for narrating after the actual narrator, among other jokes. The chemistry between the two plays out splendidly. While the humor often struggles in the series, this is one sequence where the writing lands it perfectly.

Mashle Episode 22 fails far more than it succeeds. While it delivers some showy moments of magical combat, the emotional core of the episode comes off feeling trite and hollow. This fundamental failure corrupts the heart of the moment, making it all feel empty.

Mashle: Magic and Muscles Season 2 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.