It isn’t a highly contested point thatMob Psycho 100is one of the most impressive artistic showcases in animation sinceOne Punch Man, another adaptation of a comic by ONE. And whileOne Punch Man’s second season might not have carried the same DNA, Mob Psycho has stayed strong and will be wrapping up with its third season.Having started in 2016,Mob Psychois produced by Studio Bones anddirected by Yuzuru Tachikawa (Death Parade), accompanied by some of the most talented animators of our time. It follows Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama as he nervously navigates adolescence with aspirations of becoming a better him rather than letting his absurd psychic abilities guide his life.RELATED:Fall 2022 Preview: Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War
Where It Left Off
Spoilers for Season 2 of Mob Psycho ahead!
In season 2, the organization Claw descended upon Mob’s town, using it as the base from which they would conquer the world. At season 2’s end, Mob faced off against Toichiro Suzuki, the leader of Claw, and averted a catastrophe. After showing Toichiro the error of his ways, his opponent turned himself in,abandoning his dreams of conquering the worldand the city was once again safe.
However, in the aftermath, the psychic energy from the final fight caused a broccoli seed in Mob’s pocket to grow, resulting in one huge broccoli sprouting up in the city. Everything seems to go back to normal, and Serizawa, having been befriended by Mob, decides to straighten up and get a job helping out Reigen at his job.
Where It’s Headed
Mob Psychohas always thrived in contextualizing the madness of the story through somewhat typical and relatable aspects of adolescence. Much of the charm of the series comes not just from the direction and animation, but also from the endearing story about self-betterment in response toMob’s insecurities and yearning to find himself.
In the past, this was explored through his decision to join the Body Improvement Club in season 1 or his strides towards becoming more sociable in season 2. However, judging from the trailers, it seems that Mob’s newest struggle is figuring out what he wants to do after graduation. This all-too-common struggle will no doubt be exacerbated by his rather unique circumstances.
All this time Mob has been trying to live a life where he doesn’t have to use his psychic abilities, but continually has found himself forced to use them against other epsers. So after graduation,does he really want to work with Reigenand continue using psychic abilities? Or does he want more than that?
Added to that, Mob’s continued antics are starting to attract more attention for the part of him that he considers ancillary to his real self, even if he hasn’t found himself yet. With more people gravitating towards him for his abilities and the potential lying dormant within him, it appears that the pressure upon Mob will be higher than it’s ever been.
The One And Only One
Mob Psycho III’s opening theme seems oddly tellingof the kind of story this final chapter will be. Season 1’s opening theme was “99”, followed by the equally ecstatic “99.9” for season 2. It has constantly been building up all this time, yet season 3’s theme is simply titled “1,” implying something smaller and more personal.
“1” can be used to mean the peak or pinnacle (# 1) but it can also mean narrowing the scope to something more important. Perhaps this story isn’t important because the number is approaching 100, but because Mob has to find the strength to close out all the noise in his head and scale back to 1.
The production ofMob Psychohas always been just as interesting as the animation and story of the work itself, and while unfortunatelythe sakuga this season likely won’t be available online, the show is reportedly completely finished. Back in August, Shonenleaks on Twitter claimed that “all episodes are completely produced & ready to air.”
Now obviously this isn’t tacit confirmation, but in an industry where often episodes can be in production up until they air, this is a positive sign. Plus, the years in between each season has offered plenty of time for them to get all the proper love necessary to be the best they can be. There’s plenty to be excited about this fall, but somehowMob Psychoseems like the one to take it all.
Mob Psycho 100 III will be available to stream on Crunchyroll starting October 5.
