With Mob Psycho Season 2 on its way, I figured I'd finally sit down and watch the first season to see if the next one would be worth my time. Like most people, it caught my eye because it came from the same mind behind One Punch Man, a show I absolutely loved. It was one of two shows that got me back into watching Anime again, at least on a more regular basis.
I also remember a lot of comparisons to One Punch Man when I first heard of Mob Psycho, though other then a similar art style I don't know if that's a very apt comparison. Yes, both Saitama of One Punch and Mob are characters with powers far beyond those around them, but they are handled in vastly different ways. Saitama has become bored and jaded with the world around him, whereas Mob tries to keep his powers in line and not use them, realizing how weak he is without them.
The driving force of the show really is that aspect of Mob. The show keeps a record of Mob's emotions in the form of a percent gauge that occasionally pops up to show how close his emotions are to overflowing. When it reaches 100%, he snaps and loses control of his powers, and as a result, he comes across as fairly emotionless most of the time since he's always tried to keep that from happening. Where things can get interesting is depending on what emotions go overboard, the 'explosion' as the show calls it can vary. I don't want to describe in detail what happens, but the way this show handles it at the finale is fantastic.
The people surrounding Mob are quite interesting and do a lot to help flesh out the kind of person Mob is. There is the Telepathy Club, a school reporter who wishes to do a report on Mob, the Body Enhancement Club Mob joins, and the con-artist Mob goes to too try to learn how to use his powers all do so much to expand on the mindset of Mob. That's not to say they don't get their chances to shine and grow as characters on their own, but the show knows that Mob is the lead and to keep the focus of everything going on around him.
What really helps that along is how much you start too like Mob and care about his struggles. While he is very subdued most of the time and not very emotive, there are always traces of emotions in everything he does, and that does a great job at showing how much he struggles with it. And considering you are supposed to sympathize with him, it's good the show doesn't paint him as being entirely invulnerable like with Saitama in One Punch Man. True, this is in large part because of how much he restrains himself, but it creates a vulnerability to the character all the same.
That said there are a couple of issues that come up with the shows writing by the end of season one. The first being the actual plot is a bit on the weak side, things just kind of happen. While the focus is on Mob's character development, as it should be, it would be nice to have a bit of a stronger narrative outside of that so the show doesn't just hinge on caring about Mob, which some people aren't going to. The second being that outside of the five characters, the side cast feels really weak. True, they do a lot to help flesh out Mob, but they themselves tend to be very uninteresting. This may be improved upon come season 2, but the side characters like the Telepathy Club and Reporter leave a bit to be desired. That, I admit, is just a bit of a nitpick. They aren't really that important, so in the end, it doesn't matter all that much, but if they did a bit more it would help the world itself feel a bit more real and engaging.
The last major thing to talk about is the animation, and I do want to praise how fantastic the fights look. They are stylish and exciting, easy to follow, and many of them are full of great moments and funny gags. There really is nothing but praise I have for the fighting in this show. Everything else, however, can feel a bit lifeless at times. It's really hard to put my finger on exactly what it is, but the characters kind of look... papery? I don't know if that's the right word. It's not like flat paper being forced to move, it's more like everything is just kind of faded and bland. So most of the episode will look a bit dull, but then it ramps it up for the fights. That was probably the biggest problem I have with the show right there.
Overall Mob Psycho is a lot of fun to watch and comes with a good amount of genuinely tense moments despite the overwhelming power at Mobs disposal due to Mob's own nature and faults. The show has some great themes of Psychic Powers not being the be-all end-all, while also not underplaying their obvious use and potential. My advice is don't go into this expecting more One Punch Man, because the end product really is a different experience. I look forward to what Season 2 has to offer.
