Story: 7/10 B-
Animation/Art: 10/10 A+
Sound: 8/10 B
Characters: 9/10 A-
Acting(subbed): 10/10 A+
Acting(dubbed): 8/10 B
Enjoyment: 8/10 B
Overall: 8/10 B+
Story:
Mob Psycho 100 revolves around a young boy nicknamed Mob trying to find his way in the world, led by his fake psychic and, master, Reigen. The story, in the beginning, is rather slow and not fully immersive. It follows day-to-day activities and events that happen in Mob's life. By the time of episode 4 however, it begins to pick up. The introduction of a new character immediately catches attention and shows that there may be a larger world than what was previously known of people similar to Mob. After this, the story slows down again for a moment to focus on Ritsu, Mob's younger brother. The conflict introduced in the small amount of time where Ritsu is focused is astonishingly well fleshed out and very emotionally impactful. The villains kinda came out of nowhere and it gets generic but ends on a nice cliffhanger to prepare for season 2.
Animation/Art:
The animation in this show is absolutely phenomenal. Bright flashing colors and smooth animation in every single fight. In terms of sheer flashiness, this show has the vast majority of anime beat immediately just because of how many colors there are. The general animation outside of fight scenes is also great, with exaggerated facial expressions and movements for comedy and more serious, smooth, natural movements in the more tense scenes. The art style is where I see many getting put off. It’s completely separate from the usual anime art style. It’s much more simple and reflects the creator, ONE’s, drawing ability. I actually really liked it myself but it's understandable why many wouldn’t. A positive of it is that the expressions and movements characters do can be way over the top to a level above most other anime without seeming out of place.
Sound:
The music in this show is great. Every time Mob’s theme plays it sounds like he’s the villain, reflecting how the actual villains in the show feel about him. The sad music reflects what is happening in the scene very well and elevates the emotion felt tenfold. The sound balancing of the show is good, dialogue and music are able to be present at the same time without one overpowering the other. The sound effects are also pretty nice.
Characters:
The characters in this show are great. Mob, the protagonist is a likable character who, while starting out bland, becomes more and more sympathetic and understandable. His journey and what he needs to accomplish is reflected in the characters around him. Contrast is drawn between him and the enemies of the show, showing what Mob could have become if he didn’t meet Reigen. His social incompetence is better done than most other anime, instead of being overtly awkward he is instead just quiet and doesn’t like talking. His relationship with his brother Ritsu is complex and an emotional point in the series. The other main character Reigen is quite possibly one of the most comedic and entertaining characters to watch in all of anime. He is a skilled con man and very smart but also has a work ethic where he won’t take money if he feels that he hasn’t earned it. He is a role model for Mob to follow and it’s very obvious that despite his dubious nature he is a good person at heart who is just trying to make a living. He also gives great speeches, giving Mob a Spiderman-esque speech on how to use his powers and convincing the villains of the show how ridiculous they and their goals are.
Acting (subbed):
The subbed acting is great. Each character sounds natural and realistic for the situation at all times. Mob’s voice actor has a great emotional range, sounding bland and neutral for the most part but becoming much more serious and aggressive sounding when needed. Side characters like Teru and Ritsu also have great voice acting, showing fear and high levels of emotion when faced with their flaws. Reigen in particular has the best voice acting in the show, being the most over-the-top character it would be easy to become too over-the-top for the actor. Yet they carefully balance the line between comedy and overacting throughout the entire show.
Acting (dubbed):
Yes, I watched the entire series in both dub and sub. Dubbed acting is mostly good. Mob, Ritsu, and Teru are largely okay. There were some moments where I thought that they sounded a little off in their acting but it was rarely an issue that drew me out of the moment. The enemies of the show in particular had varying levels of voice acting. Some of them were voice acted perfectly acceptably while others were subpar. They just sounded off or not like they were putting their heart and soul into the acting, something which becomes very noticeable throughout the series. But the shining star was comparable if not superior to the subbed version of them. REIGEN. He is super entertaining to listen to throughout the series and adds a flair that subbed Reigen just can’t touch. It’s almost worth watching the series dubbed purely for his sake. Almost.
Enjoyment and Overall:
A fantastic first season for a three-season show. Great characters, good music, good acting and a pretty decent story. It’s above average in everything. However, it’s not really all that excellent in anything except animation and acting. However, the next two seasons improve on this greatly and it is absolutely worth going through this season to see the next two.
