I’ve been hearing about “Mob Psycho 100,” for a while and some of my friends have suggested that it is the greatest anime ever created. That may be a bit premature, but the sentiment may prove accurate one day. There is a danger in over-hyping any series. Even if it’s good it will fall short of peoples expectations.

The story is centered around the main protagonists, Shigeo Kageyama aka Mob. Mob is an eight grader, who is an Esper. He has a distinctive bowl/helmet hairstyle and a muted emotional range. Mob suppresses his emotion due to his tremendous psychic powers. He fears that he can cause a great deal of harm if his emotions reach a high level. To this end, when his percentage of his emotions reach 100, he loses control and uses his full power. Mob apparently possesses “an unknown power,” this power “far surpasses even the height of his abilities, but is uncontrollable and only awakens when unconscious.“

Episode 001 – Self-Proclaimed Psychic:

Reigen Arataka And Mob

The First Episode introduces us to Mob’s “Master,” Reigen Arataka who presents himself as a real psychic but is a total fraud. Arataka is the comic relief of the series so far. He’s an emotional and dramatic presence. Mob in comparison doesn’t seem to impressed with any of the “missions.” During what appears to be his first mission, Arataka uses salt to defeat a ghost. He fails miserably and is shocked that it didn’t work. He casually calls Mob, whom instantly destroys the ghost.

Reigen seems to be manipulating Mob to help him make money by doing all the work. I got the impression that he cares for Mob, but it may be due only to his value as a financial asset. Anyway in the climax of the episode Mob and Reigen face-off against what was suppose to be a powerful spirit. Mob easily defeat it, freeing the spirits that were trapped.

Verdict

Mob Psycho 100 is created by ONE (the pseudonym for the anonymous Japanese manga artists) the creator of One-Punch man. The similarities between the to series are clear in the style of the main characters, mainly the eyes. In addition to this ONE seems to be fond of characters with powers that surpasses most of their enemies. I haven’t seen any of the other episodes, but it seems like he never in danger. It’s unclear the reason ONE doesn’t have characters that are less powerful and build the strength up. However, I have enjoyed One-Punch man even though I was skeptical.

The animation in this series is spectacular. The character models are distinct from the background and other aspects of the series. They feature a bold outline and can feel 2D in a 3D environment. This can seems strange at first, but I think you’ll get use to it. The series features vibrant colors and imaginative ghost designs. The emotion depicted in the series is dramatic, but effective. It highlights the contrast between Reigen personality and Mob’s. This is a series I think is worthy of it’s hype.