It goes without saying that taste is subjective, and while there are many different animes to choose a favorite one, to this day my heart has settled onMob Psycho 100, which I thoroughly enjoy and continue to revisit once in a while. I was a part of the generation who grew upwatchingDragon Ball Z,Naruto, andYu-Gi-Oh!on TV and have loved the medium ever since, having consumed hundreds of animes throughout my life. Yetno other series blew me away as much as when I watchedMob Psycho 100.
Influenced byOne-Punch Man, the other iconic work of the same author, ONE, I decided to give it a try, expecting a funny story about exorcising ghosts with an overpowered main character. However,Mob Psycho 100was hard to truly compare to anything else, and it stood out from the rest of the animes by being a celebration of animationand the things that made people be themselves.
Mob Psycho 100Is Unexpectedly the Most Uplifting and Inspiring Anime Out There
The Anime Explores Themes Like Identity and Self-Acceptance Better Than Any Other Series
Mob Psycho 100’s premise might be typical for a shōnen anime, since Mob is an esper with immense psychic powers. However, after the second episode, I found it unexpected that,unlike characters like Narutoor Luffy, who have much more ambitious goals, Mob didn’t care that much about his powers. Mob’s goal was more mundane, as all he yearned for was to be normal, improve himself, and impress his crush. Moreover, it drew me in once I understood thatmore than the running gags and the epic battles against ghosts or espers, Mob’s true journey was about growth and self-acceptance.
10 Reasons Mob Psycho 100 is the Best Anime in Decades
Mob Psycho 100 isn’t just an incredible anime series, it has many qualities that qualify it for ranking among the best recent anime.
This strikes me more, since the series highlights that Mob, depending on his psychic powers, means he is surrendering to the easy path, teaching that his real strength is in who he is as a person, rather than the things he can do. Furthermore,Mob was talentless and unskilled beyond his immeasurable power, and yet he never allowed himself to be influenced by the ideals of othersbut instead maintained his fervent desire to change and become a person he could be proud of from beginning to end. This is a universal message that I find truly heartwarming and inspirational.
Mob Is the Most Relatable Anime Character
Mob Psycho 100Teaches That You’re the Protagonist of Your Own Life
Mob’s nickname means he is a background character, as he doesn’t stand out at all. But he is a realistic depiction of a socially awkward teenager struggling to find his place in the world. Also,Mob is constantly evolving and realizes through his experiences how important it is to bond with other people, form friendships and meaningful relationships, and find what makes him special, far beyond his psychic powers, which is something that stood out to me, and I found it easy to identify with even after my high school years.
If I’m able to change, then everyone else should be able to as well. That means no one is worthless. – Shigeo Kageyama.
Additionally,Mob is an inspiring character to anyone struggling with mental health, as the way his inner percentage level increases gradually as he bottles up his emotions and piles up stressful situations until he reaches his limit and his powers overflow serves as a great representation of what people often go through after being overwhelmed in life. Even more so, Mob confronts and reflects on himself trying to improve and experience new things but realizes in the end that what he needed to change is his mentality, accept his emotions, and give himself the importance he deserves.
Mob and Reigen’s Relationship Is the Most Wholesome Portrayal of a Mentor and Student in Anime
Every Character inMob Psycho 100is Incredibly Real
Mob’s journey wouldn’t have been the same without his mentor, Reigen Arataka, who isn’t only a funny character with unlimited charisma, but also well-constructed and complex. Despite being a fraud, Reigen does care deeply about Mob and can understand him even without powers. What I found more endearing about their dynamic is that Reigen isn’t all-powerful, perfect, or knows it all, but is incredibly flawed and always improvising, and yet is the person that Mob needed to support him and one he considers genuinely good. Likewise,Reigen was equally saved and inspired by Mob, something that isn’t seen in many animes.
One of Netflix’s Best Recently Required Anime is the Blueprint For How to Write Overpowered Anime Heroes
Mob is a perfect example of overpowered done right due to his character development.
In addition to them, supporting characters like Dimple and Hanazawa have their own afflictions and character arcs and push Mob forward while also finding themselves. Also, other characters learn many lessons, like not using their powers for themselves but for others, facing their mistakes, stopping hiding behind lies, that true ambitions don’t always have to do with power or glory, or simply leaving the comfort zone with something as simple as physically strengthening the body, which helpedMob Psycho 100feel unbelievably human and a breath of fresh airfor me after watching many animes filled with generic characters.
Mob Psycho 100 Was Everything I Love About Animation
The Passion Can Be Felt in the Anime Adaptation of One’s Original Manga by Studio Bones
Mob Psycho 100not only has wonderful storytelling but is a work that shines, especially thanks to being adapted into animebecause it allowed the atmosphere of the manga to be perfectly transmitted. ONE’s original manga has a particular art style, yet it’s notable thatStudio Bones investeda lot of time and resources to create the best version possible ofMob Psycho 100, elevating it to another level and becoming one of the best-adapted pieces of media that I have had the pleasure of watching.
From the opening to the endings, which has thematic consistency and brilliantly summarizes Mob’s journey from being 99 to 1, becoming himself, to the beautiful and psychedelic sequences that display many animation styles, the anime isn’t short on any moment of high-quality animation. Additionally,Mob Psycho 100has breathtaking and fluid battle sequences, atypical drawings that seem almost like sketches at times, abrupt changes of art style in humorous scenes, and great expressionism for the characters, demonstrating incredible creativity in the use of experimental techniques and turning it into a masterpiece of animation.
“If everyone is not special, maybe you can be what you want to be.”
Although the anime doesn’t compare to other big animated franchises in terms of popularity and reception, there’s something so charming aboutMob Psycho 100that made me feel like I could strive to be a better person after watching it.Mob Psycho 100’s central theme is that people aren’t better or worse than anyone else but can always change and be who they want through hard work. This way,Mob Psycho 100stands out as the perfect series to expand people’s perspectives on life, and it will continue to be my favorite anime that I wholeheartedly recommend to everybody.
Mob Psycho 100
Cast
Mob Psycho 100 follows Shigeo Kageyama, a young boy struggling with self-expression while possessing formidable psychic abilities. As he strives for normalcy by suppressing his powers, he faces challenges from false psychics, malevolent spirits, and enigmatic entities, bringing his emotional and psychic thresholds to critical levels.
