First Impressions – Mob Psycho 100
How nice of them to draw the buttons on his super-powered plasma form’s jacket
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…You can tell how behind I am with the new season from the pure fact that every single one of my first impressions has been a solo thing. I’m so sorry for being slow, guys! My work days have essentially been 12 hours long thanks to lab work in the morning and dragonboat practice at night. Anyways, enough with excuses! |
Mob Psycho 100 was originally a webcomic by ONE. You may know ONE as the guy with the sketchy art who did One Punch Man (which was later redone by Yusuke Murata, the guy with the sexy art). So while the One Punch Man anime had this drop-dead gorgeous manga to work from, Mob Psycho 100 only has a very humble origin to work off of. I mean, Yusuke Murata can only remake so many webcomics. However, Studio BONES managed to make this into a strength by turning the sketchy, webcomic quality into a style all of its own. Mob Psycho 100 looks wonderful because of this.
Everything about Mob Psycho 100 can be described in one word: loose. The art style is full of sketchy lines, and action scenes that favour dynamic, flamboyant motion over things like correct anatomy. It’s reminiscent of something Yuasa Masaaki (Ping Pong, the weirdest Space Dandy episodes) would make, as it strives to get emotions across first and foremost, without worrying about reflecting reality perfectly. It’s a treat for the eyes, which is a big part to the show since the plot is nothing but skin and bones. You have to gnaw to find any real meat.
This will be a toughie to blog about.
That’s at least 3 too many eyes. At least.
As such, the plot is also incredibly loose, as if it wanted to mimic the art style’s approach. Basically, you’ve got a super powerful psychic named Mob who exorcises ghosts because a deadbeat pseudopsychic tricked him into doing it for money. That’s it. They go around fighting ghosts, learning about their pasts, and maybe interacting with some oddball customers. I imagine we’ll get some sort of overarching plot as the show progresses, but I don’t expect it to be anything all that grand. It appears to have a very episodic structure, which makes a whole lot of sense for something that was a webcomic to begin with.
It’s kind of boring to talk about the story, unfortunately. There’s just not much to say. It’s…serviceable? It makes sense that this guy could trick Mob since he’s kind of dopey? It’s kind of neat to see their dynamic together as a fake master and servant? ..I guess? Again, this show is so loose, it’s sagging. It feels stagnant and far too self-satisfied with remaining as a “good” show.
I also felt a little odd about them failing to explain what this whole countdown to Mob’s explosion was. How am I supposed to feel tension about a big countdown when I don’t know exactly what we’re counting down to and what makes the counter move? The synopsis states that it’s his emotions, but I shouldn’t have to read external work to figure out what’s going on in a show’s first episode. It should tell me! Especially after that big opening sequence with Mob (I think?) fighting a hoard of ghosts and then exploding at 100%..or something. They never mentioned it so I’ll never know.
I spy a Saitama!
Mob Psycho 100 is another one of those series with a pretty face, although they’re not much for conversation. That being said, I really did enjoy the first episode. It’s a mindless sort of fun that reminds me a bit of Kekkai Sensen except with even less of a story. I think where Mob Psycho 100 can shine is as a comedy/action series, because the jokes really did hit hard. If they play more on that angle between the fighting, I think we’ll have a winner. But for now, this is basically ADHD distilled into an anime. Instant gratification! Always something to catch your attention! Flashy ‘splosions! While I admit to enjoying those flashy ‘splosions very much, I didn’t find myself thinking much about the episode after it had ended and it was time to move on with life. It’s good, but fails to impart a lasting impression on me aside from being darn pretty. Still, Mob Psycho 100 is a good series to try out just for the fun of it. While it may lack in complexity, it definitely knows how to let loose and have a good time.
Strong af but also dumb af
About Overcooled
A neuroscience graduate, black belt, and all-around nerd. You'll either find me in my lab or curled up in my rilakkuma kigurumi watching anime.
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
there is a story to all this and it will gain substance as it continues to build on itself, If anything, this first ep demonstrated what i can expect in terms of directing and visual storytelling and so far i am satisfied with the pedigree that is on display
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Sounds good to me. Bring on the next episode!
POWUH: 800-899 and Self-proclaimed Manga Queen with 874 comments
~ONE has once again come to bless us and redeem the rest of this season…Kidding
but also not kidding.ANYWAY, I don’t think I’ve been so hyped up for an adaption since…OnePunch Man last year. I love this manga (and Mob) to bits so I was ridiculously happy with this first episode. The fact they made ONE’s art style actually work for animation is something I didn’t think would happen, and as a fan of quirky and over-exaggerated animation, I’m even more in love this adaption.
Coming from reading the manga, I totally missed the fact they hadn’t explained Mob’s countdown (among other things), so I can see why this is kind of a shoddy first episode. It’s definitely going to be a more laid-back series (story-wise) because that’s Mob’s character, but I think the comedy is worth sticking around for. It does have its action moments, but I’m not sure if that’s what the adaption wants to focus on. Plus I’m not sure if they’ll get to the huge action-y bits in the anime…HOWEVER, I haven’t
read the manga in quite some time so definitely don’t take my word on that LOL.
I’m excited for more and I can’t wait till more of the characters are introduced (and I finally get to see Mob reach 100 animated)~
(Also, for anyone who’s interested, Crunchyroll translated an interview with the director of MP100 and ONE if want to learn more about the adaption.)
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
and this is what i meant by visual storytelling being prominent in this series: the first ep lays out enough groundwork with the explosive meter for you to ascertain its significance. It doesnt need to outright explain how the meter is affected because the narrative plays with the meter as a tool intrigue. You’re suppose to question what the meter is for and how it is affected which the first ep actually gives you enough clues (and some insight on mob) to piece things together without outright telling you
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I’ve seen some people who are really big fans of the original Mob Psycho 100, which was another reason I was excited for this adaptation. Their hype got me hyped too.
The artwork was wonderful and it’s definitely a more laid-back show…but that’s okay because the comedy and action are good. If it doesn’t get around to the action-y bits, I’d be okay with mostly comedy as well.
Yes, I want to see more characters too! Well, you’ll expect them since you know who they are but I’ll be happy to meet them for the first time :>
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
“Awful” That’s how I had to describe my first experience. Pretty awful. So much bugged me that it was impossible to finish the opening. I was previously wary with the PV that rubbed me the wrong way but I wanted to be fair and so I gave the first episode a shot only to end up with predicted dissatisfaction.
First off was the general atmosphere which instilled me with the feeling of irritation. The antics of the lame characters, the distorted exaggerated expressions, needless shouting and such were annoying rather than funny, making me roll my eyes instead of laughing. The jokes weren’t funny, at least to me they weren’t. Then there’s the derpy character designs, as if they were ripped from Family Guy or anything similar. It’s ridiculous as it is to the point it quickly felt insulting to continue watching but the designs, as a shock, manage to enhance the unpleasantness. Due to these factors, I couldn’t care about what was going on one bit.
Learning there’s an author link between Mob Psycho 100 and One Punch Man doesn’t help its case as I dropped the latter halfway through due to loss of interest/motivation. Shows like Ping Pong and Space Dandy fizzled out with me as well. Overall, with lack of any impact, I’ve seen plenty to finalize a decision so I’ll do myself a favor and stay away from this.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
At least you tried! It’s definitely on the extreme end of art style and just overall exaggerated flamboyance, so I can see this potentially being a polarizing show.
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 27 comments
This anime surprised me. I didn’t expect to like it so much because I normally don’t prefer heavy action. I think I like it because it does everything out of norm. Also I enjoyed watching Takahiro Sakurai hamming it up. I didn’t expect that range from him.
This anime has already fluid animation and nice visual style. I wasn’t particularly sold on the character design as long as the character themselves are interesting, this one will be memorable. As for the story, this almost seems like episodic. It would be nice if this one has overarching story like how the main character came to possess the power. It was a very good premiere expertly executed.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I think it kind of breaks outside of the typical action show because it’s not so much about people beating the tar out of each other…but how pretty it looks watching people beat the tar out of each other in an artsy way. Less adrenaline, more time to enjoy the view. Also, the comedy helps. I also tend to see Sakurai as a more serious character (more like a conniving villain, most of the time) so this was a fun change haha
Ahh I know what you mean. Mob is just a kid with a bowl cut and Reigen is pretty plain. It’s the animation that makes them look good.
I honestly have no idea where the story will go for this one so I’m excited to see the next episode.