After the explosive popularity of One Punch Man it really was a high bar that another work of the author ONE had to reach. While it didn’t quite manage that it still differentiated itself enough to allow it to be a worthy anime of it’s own right. But admittedly that will depend on whether this anime is for you or not. Boasting a massively experimental animation style over the rough drawing style of the artist, this show is visually dynamic from start to finish though at times can get chaotic. Our story is about a boy called Mob who has immense psychic power. Mob wishes to live out his life normally as an ordinary person but is drawn into conflict when he meets those of the supernatural side of the world. The focus of the story is mainly on the themes of adjusting to society and bettering yourself as a person while having some good humor thrown in so things don’t get too serious. Whether you find this show funny or not will depend on your sense of humor as I got a chuckle out of it but for the most part merely found the jokes amusing.
Mob Psycho 100 tauts some fairly impressive action sequences but these scenes are often filler for personal character development which the show does deliver in spades. Mob appears at first to be an emotionless depan protagonist but as the show continues you can see he is anything but. Even side characters and villains have their own personal arcs or insights into life. I wouldn’t consider this a deep show by any means but it does offer some nice food for thought as well as general good life lessons. The story does somewhat dag when a villain organisation called Claw becomes involved and some character arcs and battles tend to end on a interesting but low key note instead of a more explosive alternative. The show ends with a number of loose ends which only a second season can address and could leave viewers unsatisfied as they are left off with a small skit regarding Mob and his mentor to end the season.
Character development is what drives this series and carries it as we see the personal struggles of Mob and his friends as they are influenced by mentor and villain alike. Reigan is a particular stand out member of the cast with his charisma and boundless confidence despite being a powerless conman. Even comes to steal the show by series end and goes from being an unlikable scumbag to a flawed but great influence on Mob. Music wise I can’t saying I have any complaints but I don’t really recall a particular tune that stuck out in my head besides the catchy opening theme. Pacing of the plot could speed up too fast at times but never to the point of becoming a major detriment. Overall I say if you want an animation showcase with good themes and a pinch of humor thrown in then I wholeheartedly recommend Mob Psycho 100. If you are looking for One Punch Man season 2, well I say keep waiting for season 2.
