Mob Psycho 100 [Season 1]

Kageyama Shigeo is an apparently somewhat non-descript middle-schooler. In fact, his nickname Mob is a Japanese term for a background character. However, Mob has a secret. Beneath his quiet exterior, he is actually a powerful esper (psychic) with a part-time job as an exorcist. Ever since he was a young child he has stopped himself feeling strong emotions of any kind to keep his powers in check. But when his emotion meter reaches 100... you better stand back!

Mob Pysycho 100 is adapted from a web manga from One Punch Man creator ONE, and originally aired between July and September of 2016. Animation production was by Bones.

The series's origins should give you a good indicator of what to expect here. If you're familiar with One Punch Man, you'll be aware that pseudonymous creator ONE has a very particular style that makes his work stand out. Mob Psycho the anime may not share the same creative team as One Punch Man, and comes from a different studio, but stylistically, the two shows very clearly came from the same creator.

That's reflected most clearly in the animation style, which has very distinctive character designs that differ from most contemporary anime. It's tempting to see it as perhaps a more western style, but that's not necessarily true. The characters have a simple, cartoonish look to them, with strong outlines that give it a bold and dynamic feel. Not only that, but the animation style frequently changes, switching to a sketchy style, or oil-painting look for sequences here and there. Bones are a studio that have a well-deserved reputation for quality work, and with this series, they prove that they're incredibly flexible too. The animation remains consistently excellent throughout.

The similarities between the two series are not just skin-deep either. Read their synopsises and you could easily be expecting just another Shonen action series. In execution, however, it's clear Mob Psycho is a comedy, parodying the supernatural genre in the same way that the earlier series riffs on superheroes. Like many of the best parodies, it manages to pull off the impressive feat of poking fun at a genre whilst also being part of it, and this also works as an entertaining supernatural action series. The action here is extremely accomplished in its own right and accompanied by some spectacular visuals.

It starts off as a "ghost of the week" series, with each episode featuring Mob going up against a new spirit foe. Gradually, a more substantial storyline develops, with a school turf-war and the emergence of Claw, an evil organisation of Espers with plans of world domination.

As a character, Mob is a bit of a non-entity (and deliberately so) but the characters around him are much more entertaining. Such as his boss Reigen,  (yep, pretty sure that's an Exorcist reference)the con-man psychic. Or Dimple, an evil spirit exorcised by Mob that subsequently begins following him around. The characters are archetypes for the most part- but that's part of what makes the parody work.


Mob Psycho 100 might not quite reach the heights of its higher-profile predecessor, but it deserves to be assessed as a successful work in its own right. It's a series that can be enjoyed on many levels- whether as a comedy or parody, a visually spectacular action series or all of them at the same time. As it turns out- ONE is no one-hit wonder.

FORMAT: Blu-Ray/DVD/ Streaming  FROM:  🇬🇧 Manga Entertainment/  🇺🇸Funimation RATING 15 RUNNING TIME : 12 Episodes 

IN A NUTSHELL: Action packed, beautifully animated, fast and funny. Its central character may be unremarkable but the series is anything but.