*may contain Spoilers*
Mob Psycho 100 is one of the animes that won't give you much of an impression at first glance. That is, for the people who haven't read the manga nor known anything about ONE. Aside from the seemingly plain appearance of Mob and what others would presume as unattractive animation, the title also doesn't give much of an impact compared to the renowned, "One Punch Man." And I admit that I too was appalled by the visuals and had doubts of giving it a shot. But after watching the show, MY GOD WHAT A BLAST that was! What started out as a typical slice of life/comedy show about a boy who has gifted psychic abilities trying to live a normal middle school life, suddenly turned into a jam-packed action show with intriguing storylines and stunningly fluid animation. The first couple of episodes were hilarious and had a light-hearted tone, but the latter was something I never saw coming.
Personally, if I were to choose between One Punch Man or Mob Psycho 100, I'd definitely choose Mob Psycho 100 all the way! I know comparing two masterpieces is unnecessary, but I think that M.P 100 is underrated and doesn't receive much love compared to OPM. Don't get me wrong, I've watched both shows and loved every aspect of them, but M.P. 100 just gives me this sense of thrill that OPM couldn't retain. Because Mob and Saitama (from OPM) were both first perceived as the same typical over-powered heroes, which they still are, sometimes the audience tends to feel complacent for every antagonist that comes their way, expecting that it'd be a one-sided fight. That's what I felt when watching One Punch Man. It gets exciting at first especially with ONE's brilliant showcase of animation, but later on, the hype slowly dies down with lesser thrill or expectations with the main character because he'll defeat them with no signs of struggle. It reaches a point where it gets a little boring since you'd know how it'll turn out in the end. And that's what I expected when watching Mob Psycho 100, but boy was I wrong. Yes, Mob is OP, yet the show manages to bring balance to the character as well as the plot that steadily retains its momentum. Mob could easily defeat his enemies, but to a point where he has to face [SPOILER!] his younger brother made it so interesting since I initially thought that he'd be just a one dimensional side character.
The ending, however, I've had some mixed feelings about it. Somehow it felt anti-cIimactic when the 7th Division, who appeared so intimidating and menacing when first introduced, ended up getting nerfed so badly in the finale. After that intense showdown with Mob vs. koyama, I was honestly expecting the upcoming fights would have a similar vibe. So I was a bit disappointed when the most characters in the division turned out to be cheap comedic reliefs, bringing nothing significant to the plot. It only made it worse when Reigen ended up having the last hit on all of the enemies. I was on the edge of my seat hoping for a more savaged Mob going beserk on the 7th division, then ultimately failed and ended up Reigen having the spotlight. To be fair, what Reigen advised to Mob which was to "Runaway and leave it to the adults," was actually the right thing to do. It's actually one of the scenes that defies all typical Shounen resolutions. So as much as I want to feel bitter and pressed about the ending, I just can't bring myself to hate it. Not to mention that this odd and unexpected nature of mixing action and comedy definitely screams ONE's unique storylines.
Story: (7/10)
Art: (9/10)
Sound: (10/10)
Character: (7/10)
Enjoyment: (8/10)
Overall: (8/10)