Mob Psycho 100 – 12 [END]
“But…but…these shoulderpads are Gucci!”
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Here we are. The end. It feels like this show was over in the blink of an eye. We’ve come so far since the humble episode 1, where Mob was diligently following behind Reigen and not questioning anything around him. |
I only took Reigen screenshots because he’s my new fave, sorry
I suspected that Reigen would make a miraculous recovery, but I didn’t expect him to be so healthy that he’d defeat the entire upper echelon of Claw with his bare hands. This last episode was quite the pleasant surprise! Mob showed us everything he’s learned throughout the show in one definitive moment where he successfully holds back his powers despite being a hair’s width away from death. I was expecting him to go berserk and hurt everyone again, but he held it in. Instead, Mob entrusts Reigen with his life and lets him finish things up. At first blush, it seems like it shouldn’t make a big difference exactly who lays the beatdown since either way, you’re being violent. However, I still feel like Reigen is trying to protect Mob from doing what he absolutely hates: hurting others.
Reigen may be feisty, but he definitely isn’t out there to hurt anyone. In fact, he falls back to his initial plan of out-talking Claw with his superior skills of persuasion instead of just punching them until they give up. Now that he’s strong enough to force them to listen (in a supremely badass series of scenes where he first assumes that Claw was a bunch of fakes like him all along), they have no choice but to swallow some bitter pills. Yeah, they had it rough growing up as kids, but that’s just part of life. Everyone has their own personal traumas, be it getting shipped off to an orphanage or not getting your bento on sports day. In the end, we all have to find a way to deal with it. That’s what makes you an adult, the ability to face your problems and accept reality…but also know when to run away and not be an arrogant little turd.
Never mess with a man’s suit
Reigen’s lecturing is fantastic. It’s not boring in the way a noble hero’s would be because he’s extremely blunt about everything he says. Did he have to viciously diss those shoulderpads as a hopelessly chuunibyou fashion accessory? Not really, but it helped bring reality crashing down around these childish psychics who have been living in a pristine bubble of their elitist circlejerking network all this time. Now that they have someone telling them they aren’t actually all that and a bag of chips, they have to learn the hard way. And boy, Reigen doesn’t pull his punches. But that’s what I love about him, his speeches are sassy, but the underlying message always hits the mark. Listen to Reigen. He knows what he’s talking about.
I think one of the messages of Mob Psycho 100 is teaching you how to deal with being different. You can’t use your difference as leverage to act superior than everyone else, as was the case for Teru, Ritsu and 99.9% of Claw. Furthermore, it’s not good to be so afraid of your differences that you cower in fear all the time and feel ashamed, like Mob. There’s a delicate balance that has to be achieved. Never does Mob Psycho 100 tell you that it’s easy if you’re born short, or a genius, or with one eye, or a giant mole on your forehead. But it does tell you that you can find a way to fit in. Even Onigawara managed to find his place in the Body Enhancement Club after being ruthlessly shunned by his peers. You find what works for you, and you keep doing it.
Deep messages aside, I really enjoyed this show for how brain-meltingly awesome it was. It was an action show with both style and substance. I grew to love Mob and the gang (especially Reigen!!!), and I honestly hope they adapt another season in the future. I was worried I wouldn’t have much tot alk about each week with this show, but I always found myself fascinated with Mob, or Reigen’s speeches, or how psychics were treated in this world. Most obviously, the art was a high point for me as well. The animation rivals One Punch Man, and in many ways I actually prefer it for how loose it was. It was playful, and always full of surprises. A lot of my friends who aren’t big anime fans also fell in love with this show, and I was grateful to have more people to discuss it with. With such a widespread appeal, I think this is one of those shows that I’d be quick to recommend to anime fans just getting into the subject as well as seasoned veterans. It’s quite simply that good.
I hear ONE did the key animation for this segment. Proof that all artists have a chance!!!
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
Sigh, im gonna miss this series; im gonna miss it a lot. I think many people were surprised by how much they ended up actually liking this series. It had more votes for anime of the season on animenewsnetwork than Re:zero, which surprised the hell out of me considering how Re:zero has practically become a religion among anime fans XD
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Me toooooooo. I didn’t think I’d get this emotionally invested – I certainly wasn’t for One Punch Man.
Wow, that’s surprising to me as well!