Otaku USA Magazine
This Season’s Fantasy Anime Stars Are Massively OP

Mashle: Magic and Muscles brings high power to this season's fantasy anime!

In the high-powered world of fantasy anime, only the strong survive. So you need to have your wits about you and your skills trained up. But this season, some of our heroes are way over the top!

Meet the spring anime protags who are skewing the power balance in their respective magical worlds. Whether it’s magical stats or muscles, they’re more than ready for whatever the world throws at them!

 

Maya Ikusaba

My One-Hit Kill Sister

Isekai fantasy anime My One-Hit Kill Sister does what it says on the tin. Currently in a coma in our world, Asahi Ikusaba is ready to live it up in a fantasy world. Unfortunately, he’s severely underleveled for this setting. In desperation, he calls out for his protective older sister, Maya… and she arrives. And her stats are off the charts. Literally.

On the one hand, Asahi’s a lot better off with his OP big sis covering for him. On the other, this brings with it a new set of problems. He has to pretend he’s the real hero, or his guild will not be pleased. Rumors of his (or rather, her) power bring equally high-powered contenders. Oh, and Maya really loves her little brother. Like, really loves him. A little too much, perhaps.

 

Cain von Silford

The Aristocrat's Otherworldly Adventure

Yep, it’s another isekai fantasy anime hero. But that’s to be expected—cheat skills tend to come with the territory. In Cain von Silford’s case, though, he’s already maxed out before he’s old enough to leave home! The Aristocrat’s Otherworldly Adventure sends our hero to a fantasy world after he’s killed protecting two girls. Now he’s Cain, the young son of a nobleman, and he’s got all his past life memories.

More than that, this world’s entire pantheon wants to bless him at his baptism! If a child receives the blessings of two deities, it’s considered big news. Getting a hat-tip from all of them is unheard of. But according to the many gods, he’ll need those blessings. Because, as goofy as they seem, they’ve got some long-term plans in motion for Cain.

 

Mash Burnedead

Mashle: Magic and Muscles

How’s this for a fantasy anime? A boy with missing parents and a lightning-shaped mark on his face transfers to a school for wizards. He’s an underdog, and not many people really want him there. Now he’s simultaneously fighting for accolades and his life as he learns how to be a great magic user. Oh, and also he’s unbelievably hench. And loves creampuffs.

Mashle: Magic and Muscles has some fairly obvious inspirations, but approaches them with a twist. In this world, it’s not safe to not be able to use magic. You’re considered a threat to the population based on your ability to weaken the bloodline. But Mash Burnedead hopes use his ludicrous strength to earn the school’s highest honor. With that under his belt, society will have to accept him. Can brute strength and a big heart win the day? We sure hope so.

Need more magic? Watch us build our anime-inspired D&D party!

Kara Dennison

Kara Dennison is a writer, editor, and presenter with bylines at Crunchyroll, Sci-Fi Magazine, Sartorial Geek, and many others. Beyond the world of anime, she's a writer for Doctor Who expanded universe series including Iris Wildthyme and the City of the Saved, as well as an editor for the critically-acclaimed Black Archive series.

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