In 2015, the anime world was losing their collective minds over One Punch Man. The show featured a protagonist who was, without a doubt, the strongest force in the universe of the show. That, combined with some truly groundbreaking animation (thank you Studio Madhouse) and a main character that, despite his ludicrously overpowered strength, was strangely grounded in reality led to the show taking the world by storm. Anyone and everyone was talking about One Punch Man.
The anime was (of course) based off the One Punch Man manga, a serialization that features some of the prettiest art you’ll ever come across in manga. This is, of course, all thanks to Yusuke Murata’s awe-inspiring skill and attention to detail.
But pretty art and animation is nothing without a solid core, and that is what ONE’s original story provided.
A year later, Studio Bones announced that they’d be adapting another one of ONE’s works. A work that had been released before the much more renowned One Punch Man. A lesser-known tale centered around a boy in middle school with psychic powers, named Mob Psycho 100. I am unsure as to why Mob Psycho 100’s anime announcement did not immediately garner the same sort of attention One Punch Man had. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that Mob Psycho 100’s source material did not boast of art at the level of Yusuke Murata’s, to say the least. One look at the original webcomic and you’d see why people might not immediately take it seriously. The artstyle is cartoonish and outlandishly absurd… factors which could turn away a lot of potential eyeballs.
However, I remember coming across a few dedicated webcomic readers on r/anime, praising the gods that Mob Psycho 100 was getting an adaptation. Quite a few of them praised it above One Punch Man, which immediately caught my attention.
I began watching it with the assumption that it’d be simply another One Punch Man, with psychic powers instead of… punches. Instead of a bored adult with unfathomable physical powers, we’d have a bored schoolkid with unfathomable psychic powers.
What I ended up watching was one of the best possible coming-of-age stories I have witnessed, in any medium.
MP100’s first episode aired on July 11th, 2016. It became immediately apparent that Studio Bones was… onto something a cut above the rest. You soon noticed that the dodgy artstyle from the original webcomic by ONE had been adapted as-is, in a way that only added on to the charm. The incredibly vibrant and smooth animation, combined with some hilarious comedic timing already had me looking forward to the next episode. In the first episode itself we viewers were beginning to have an idea of the personality behind the bland facade of the main character, Kageyama Shigeo, known to his contemporaries as “Mob” (hence the name). We get introduced to his mentor, Reigen Arataka who… proved to be controversial amongst the audience initially. I’d like to think that he isn’t controversial anymore.
In the first 2 seasons I’d have counted Reigen as amongst my favourite support characters, ever. After the conclusion of the series, I can safely say that that opinion of mine was blatantly wrong because… Reigen isn’t a supporting character at all. MP100 is also his story, just as much as it is Mob’s.
The relationship between teacher and student is one of the driving forces behind the show. Most similar relationships you come across today depict the wise, old, hardened mentor grudgingly taking on a protégé that displays some signs of promise, but ultimately will always be an underdog. It is only after several grueling sessions (combined with, of course, the big bad of the story showing up and fighting the mentor, after which said protégé is either made aware of how far they need to go or the mentor dies, empowering our protégé with the power to blow the heavens wide open) that the student shows signs of growing and promise. The mentor’s growth remains static, because they’ve learnt all they could during the events of their life in-universe.
Seldom do you see a story in which both master and student mature into better, well-rounded individuals as a direct result of witnessing the other’s struggles and being involved in the other person’s life.
The above is still… something that comes into play as the story progresses. It’s something I’d like my readers to experience themselves.
What gripped me from the get-go was the sheer amount of passion I could see squeezed into each and every frame of the show. Each pixel was practically bursting with creativity, so much so that MP100 has forever changed my perception of what is possible in the medium of animation. Studio Bones brought their A-game into the production of this show, making it garner such a reputation that it is widely heralded as a technical masterpiece. In some aspects, this was understandable. After all, certain episodes had industry legends like Yutaka Nakamura (Saitama vs Boros, Deku vs Todoroki, FMA:B’s 2nd opening to name a few) taking charge of a few scenes, while other episodes featured new up-and-coming animation talent like Hakuyu Go (Season 2, episode 5) coming in and making their presence felt. Studio Bones consistently outdid themselves with each action scene they decided to animate, all in a way that felt utterly chaotic, vibrant and… coherent. A huge ask, given the nature of the material they were adapting.
Everything, from the backgrounds, to the little flourishes here and there, to the sound, to the direction, to even the eyecatchers… I am in awe at what Studio Bones has managed to achieve.
However, if you look deep enough, you’ll soon realize that MP100 is not an action show. It is a show grounded in the banalities of everyday life. It is a show that tries to hammer in the lesson of acknowledging your feelings, good or bad, and accepting them for what they are. It is a show that, through the lens of a seemingly bland middleschooler (with the ability to lift buildings with the power of his mind) tells us how special it is to be involved in the ordinary struggles everybody faces.
It’s a story that finds the beauty in the shared human experience, all without the (you’d presume) advantages granted by psychic superpowers. At the crux of it all, ONE attempted to weave a story incredibly full of heart and soul… and he succeeded, masterfully.
Without this core it’d have been simply eye-candy. A technical masterpiece, to be sure. But still… merely a feast for the eyes.
What we end up getting is a tale that masterfully portrays the importance of self-acceptance along with the connections you make along your journey.
I also need to dedicate a few lines to the openings for all 3 seasons. MOB CHOIR came out with 3 incredible bangers back to back that thematically match so well with the story being told. Combined with some jaw-droppingly pretty and creative visuals… it is no wonder these openings are constantly playing in my head.
The show’s use of insert songs (by both MOB CHOIR and sajou no hana) is incredibly effective as well. sajou no hana’s “gray” being played during a certain moment is an all-timer for me. Brilliant stuff.
Mob Psycho 100’s anime adaptation officially ended on 21.12.2022, bringing to a close one of the most complete experiences in anime I’ve had the pleasure of watching. A story that absolutely smashed the ending, leaving me with tears streaming down my face, knowing that I’d witnessed the end of something so precious.
MP100 is, if you haven’t figured it out already, the best anime I’ve seen, and one I’d have absolutely no hesitation recommending to anyone, regardless of their exposure to the world of anime previously.
Do yourself a favour and watch it. You’ll thank yourself for it.
