English Dub Review: Mashle: Magic and Muscles “Finn Ames and the Friend”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Mash and his friends safely passed the first round of the selection exam and were formed into a team of three out of the nine people who passed. Their next challenge is “The Life Crystal,” a competition where teams must simply break the other teams’ crystals. However, two of the three people on Mash’s team (consisting of him, Dot, and Finn) break the crystals given to them before the challenge even starts. With only one crystal left for their team, the three members start the game in different locations. Finn then encounters Carpaccio Luo-yang from the Orca Dorm…

Our Take:
The second round of the Divine Visionary Selection Exam has already gotten off to a rough start in this week’s episode. Why’s that? Because Mash and Dot couldn’t hold on to the crystals until the match started. While I did get a good laugh from their clumsiness, Finn doesn’t seem to be in a jolly mood himself, as he winds up being the only protector of the team’s last life crystal. But, as it turns out, that’s the least of his concerns.
In addition to protecting the final life crystal, Finn must survive against Carpaccio, who attacked Max in the first round of the selection exam. However, it’s revealed that Carpaccio has a specific trick up his sleeve to gain the upper hand: the Master Cane. The episode introduced us to the concept of Master Canes, which are thirteen powerful wands that bestow specific blessings on the magicians chosen to wield them. For Carpaccio, his Master Cane allows him to transfer the damage he receives to his opponent via a Goddess statue, meaning he can’t feel pain himself. This makes Carpaccio another formidable foe for Mash, whose massive strength is used against him. Fortunately, Mash eventually prevailed by using his metal wand as a tennis racket to destroy the goddess and deliver an enormous blow to Carpaccio’s head.
Given Mash’s profound strength, we pretty much knew how this challenging fight would conclude. However, the satisfaction of people underestimating the underdog’s muscles would never get tiring for me, especially Carpaccio, who deserved a bonk on the head for harming the other contestants. Additionally, the moment involving Mash acknowledging Finn’s perseverance is another great reminder of the former’s generosity amid his lack of intellect. With the two friends reunited, the second round shouldn’t be much of an issue from here on out.