Mob Psycho 100 is here with the third and final season and the premiere brought us exactly what we expected. Mob continues navigating his teen years with the help of his friends and mentors while sinister plots are brewing in the background. Studio BONES is back, with some impressive animation and this season’s opening theme song (“1” by Mob Choir) is probably the best in the series.
The first thing I want to highlight is the animation. BONES does a lot of things (their sixth season of My Hero Academia is currently airing), but somehow Mob Psycho 100 feels special. From the quality of production to staff’s interactions with fans (character designer Yoshimichi Kameda is very active on Twitter and often talks about the series and has even participated in the opening song), it is easy to see that Mob is truly loved. Be it for the story or the characters, the effort and dedication have been visible in each episode of Mob Psycho 100 so far, including the latest one. It is unfortunately very common to leave the studio without any time to properly execute an anime, and Mob has that luxury.
Mob Psycho 100 is not a series you follow because of the “hype” or fight scenes, but because it draws you in with its lovable and relatable characters, as well as deadpan humor. The epic battle scenes are a plus, but not a necessity for the story to progress and even slower episodes, such as this one, bring a lot to the table. Once again, we’re back in Reigen’s office, dealing with exorcism and stuff, but this time both Mob and Serizawa are faced with an existential crisis. For Mob, it’s uncertainty about the future, as he does not know what he wants to do (something many of us can relate to, I’m sure) and for Serizawa it’s similar – he feels like he wasted his life away, even though he’s not even done with the first half of his life, as Reigen eloquently put it.
Love and appreciation for Reigen have become somewhat of a meme lately, but he is truly a well-written character. Yes, he scams people, but he is also very accepting and has no problem being a father figure and a mentor for Mob, while also helping Serizawa overcome his own issues. He is seemingly good at dealing with existential dread or at least good at putting it aside when he needs to support the people who mean a lot to him. He is there as a reminder that nobody is perfect, but also as a message that nobody needs to be. And that is weirdly reassuring.
Mob Psycho 100 is such a comfort series (a similar thing can be said for other ONE’s works) and if you haven’t read the manga, this final season will be a treat. Growing up (all over again) with Mob is weirdly therapeutic and as I said above, it feels refreshing to see a series that feels so loved in a time where anime is mass-produced. Mob Psycho 100 III premiered on October 5 and new episodes will be available every Wednesday.
Mob Psycho 100 III is streaming on Crunchyroll.
©ONE, Shogakukan／Mob Psycho 100 Project 2022