If you're looking for an anime that has many layers—compelling visuals, hype music, and a good story with heart—Mob Psycho 100 is a great pick.
Mob Psycho 100 is an anime adapted from the manga by ONE (also known for "One Punch Man"). While One Punch Man is also great and action-packed, I would easily pick Mob Psycho as my favorite. For me, it has superior quality in terms of unique art style, compelling storytelling, and deep character development.
At its core, Mob Psycho 100 deals with themes of adolescence, personal growth, and identity. Our main character is Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama (best boy!). Mob has powerful psychic powers, but this doesn't make him a champion or hero. Instead, throughout the story, we see him struggling to be relevant in his environment (family, school, love life).
Shigeo Kageyama is nicknamed "Mob" for a couple of reasons. First of all, it's because of his plain appearance. The name "Mob" is derived from the Japanese word "モブ" (mobu), which refers to a background character or an extra in a story. Despite his extraordinary psychic abilities, Shigeo has a very plain and unremarkable appearance. Shigeo never perceives himself as special. He desires a normal life.
Mob, the best boy
With Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama as the main character, from his POV we follow the story of a young, sweet boy who struggles with his identity, a story that offers a balance of slice-of-life and supernatural elements.
But what makes this story shine isn’t Mob alone. Enter Reigen Arataka. He is Mob’s mentor. A self-proclaimed psychic despite having no special power whatsoever, you could say that he is a conman. But, a conman with a big heart. Imagine Saul from Better Call Saul. All the things that he did were not quite right, but it was also hard not to love. The more we know him, the more we admire him. Mob himself admires Reigen so much.
With Mob, we will encounter many interesting characters that gradually help Mob develop his character. They often have really different ideas of what we can do if we possess such power. This particular theme is explored with the conflict with Ritsu (Mob's brother), Dimple (an evil spirit turned ally), and other psychics like Teru or Claw (a terrorist organization that has many espers).
My favorite encounter with Mob is when he meets and finally joins the Body Improvement Club. These guys are just awesome and full of testosterone. The level of energy these guys have may be on par with Haikyuu (in the sense that while watching it, it made me want to do some real sports).
What I really like, though, as a really well-written story, is that each character, including the villains, has significant development, making them more relatable and adding more dynamic to the story.
Mob Psycho 100 stands out with its distinct and dynamic art style, which perhaps could be the strongest point, or the weakest point. It’s rather different from mainstream anime aesthetics. It’s really not new if I hear someone say that the animation was unpleasant to watch. IMO Bones Studio did a really great job, bringing the manga's art to life with fluid animation, especially during action scenes. The fight scenes are visually spectacular. The music perfectly complements the anime’s emotional and action-packed scenes.
But again, apart from the visual extravaganza, what makes this anime special is because it has a lot of moments of introspection. We see Mob’s emotional struggle, and it’s a deep one. Just like any other good coming-of-age story. This anime shows what loneliness, self-acceptance, and morality are.
One particular episode that struck me and has a long impact is when the story comes to a point where Mob and Reigen should go different ways. It’s so heartbreaking to see this duo not working together well. And that episode really gives the story a moment to reflect what Mob and Reigen really mean for each other. It’s so deep and emotional. Almost like a love story, except it wasn’t.
Another part that makes this anime stand out is how the show skillfully blends humor with intense and serious moments. It has a lot of comedic scenes that often reveal more about the characters and their dynamics. From the get go, we will see how Reigen’s over-the-top exorcism techniques and Mob’s deadpan reactions are highlighted. Usually it goes like this: everything is fine, fun, silly, until one big moment happens, and we go “Damn, I forgot there are cruelties in this anime…”
The series emphasizes the importance of personal growth and understanding others. Mob’s experiences were all about self-acceptance. And through Reigen’s teaching, Mob was really living the idea of embracing one's true self and accepting others for who they are. I think it’s a valuable lesson. Thank you, Master Reigen.
To conclude, Mob Psycho 100 is a must-watch anime for its unique art style, compelling storytelling, deep character development, and valuable themes. I love everything about this anime. Even my playlist for my day job is the music from Mob’s training montage. Fight on!
What do you think of Mob Psycho 100? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!