Mob Psycho 100: Episodes 6-8 Review
By: Scarlette[yasr_multiset setid=11] I’m starting to feel Mob Psycho 100 is better watched in short binges rather than a single weekly dose. That’s because Im starting to notice the flow of storytelling that unfolds. The Mob Psycho 100 series likes to set up a story conflict and resolution in a single episode, it doesn’t pull frequently from pervious episode except a few key characters. Mob Psycho isn’t one of those series where “everything shown has a purpose.” Rather, it follows the classic “arc” story telling formula. Nothing wrong with that, but stock piling episodes of Mob seem to work out for me—I enjoy the show much more that way. Frankly, if I had been watching Mob week from week I most likely would have found myself bored with a majority of episode 6, predicting episode 7 (that wasn’t much a shocker for me) and getting entertainment from episode 8.That being said, episode 6 of Mob Psycho 100 is the weakest of this bunch—but all set up episodes are. The story starts to shift away from Mob as the main character of interest, and the audience takes a deeper look at Mob’s brother, Ritsu. Ritsu doesn’t need to say much, but as viewers we can instantly feel that Ritsu isn’t everything that he is portrayed to be. Behind the good student demeanor is a jealous, non-esper brother. However, it is hinted at that jealous Ritsu actually does have ESPer powers…they just haven’t awaken yet
Episode 6 may lack in action, but it sets up some great character development and starts to change the inner relationships between Mob and Ritsu. We start to see very shady situations happening around Ritsu, not entirely his own fault, but helps push him down a path that causes him to snap.I like the character development taking place in this episode, and I enjoy that the show is starting to branch out past Mob as the only character. The supporting cast is starting to flesh out a little more.Episode 7 is building towards the climax as Ritsu starts to come into his ESP powers. The younger brother quickly sheds the well behaved son persona and quickly becomes drunk on his power. It doesn’t help that Dimple is back, and whispering sweet nothings into his ear, and helps regulate the all the power flowing out of Ritsu.More character development happens in 7 of Mob Psycho 100, primarily with Rtisu because he’s not only learning he has physic powers but what exactly awoke his powers. Ritsu, before, was the kind of kid that every parent would yearn for: did well in school, behaved politely, caused no trouble. Turns out Ritsu was always keeping himself in check because he didn’t want to upset Mob, and cause the ESP brother to go into a rage. It was almost like Ritsu was turning off his emotion, similar to Mob, and when his shady dealings at school stressed him too much (again, similar to Mob’s 100 max) it caused Ritsu to unleash his physic powers. The parallels between both brothers’ emotional blocks, and their breaking points, is uncanny. Ritsu was, essentially, acting like a controlled esper before his power awoke. However, the difference between the bothers is that Ritsu is currently being fueled by his own guilt and corruption.Episode 8 of Mob Psycho 100 is where thing start to come to headway, and a lot of interesting things happen all at once. Ritsu is gaining controller on his power and drunk from the corruption that’s happening at school—he’s part of the student council and he’s been framing the “delinquents” for crimes that they didn’t commit in order to kick them out. Ritsu finds himself mobbed by delinquents, all looking to fight the legendary White T Poison. Ritsu, who is all high and mighty, says he can take on the mob of gangsters….finding himself in a situation that mirrors Teru’s a few episode back.
Ironically, Teru does make an appearance during these episodes, and you can see that he has realized the error of his physic power abusing ways. He’s come back with a zen and centered attitude after his encounter with Mob, sharing his opinion that their esper capabilities shouldn’t be used against others. Naturally, when Teru notices another esper ready to beat up a multitude of unsuspecting regular people, he goes to Mob hoping he can put out this potential disaster. Little does Teru know, this power abusing esper, is Mob’s little brother.So, you can imagine Mob’s surprise when he shows up to lay a smack down and it turns out it’s his brother who’s up to trouble.Mob is at first genuinely surprised with everything that is happening, but it dawns on him that Ritsu has finally gotten the psychic powers he has always yearns for. Realizing his younger brother is now an esper as well, Mob provides the most heartfelt congratulations. This scene kills me just a little because as the viewers you know the kind of resentment Ritsu harbors for Mob, but as far as Mob is concerned he still has a loving relationship with his sibling.
Ritsu starts lashing out as his brother and tearing apart their relationship, stating that his behavior was not of admiration but fear and jealousy. Mob refuses to believe this about his younger brother, pretty much telling him it’s a phase, this is not the person he truly is. Talk about having faith in another person. Mob then proceeds to bow to the group of delinquents that Ritsu beat up and APOLOGIZES for his brother’s actions.Mob continues to earn all kinds of points with me. For someone who desperately wants to be a normal human being be acts far better than most people. His humanity points are high off the scale, and that’s what makes Mob so endearing. In his quest to be like everyone else, trying to understand them and relate, he surpasses the people he wants to be like. Mob’s morals are just outstandingly high and admirable.During this entire process, we have a shadowed organization, called the Claw watching Ritsu. The Claw has been keeping tabs on Ritsu because they recently learned he was an ESPER, but not had no idea about Mob. The Claw operative is told to seize Ritsu and does so---but this is where push comes to shove for Mob, nobody is taking his little brother.Mob faces off with the Claw lackey and we get to see some great animation sequences. Mob hits 100 and is set off, unleashing hell on the new villain who learns very quickly that Mob is much more than he seems.
The animation in these fight sequences are amazing—the physics colors and auras have always been a personal favorite of mine, especially with Mob’s powers. I love the kaleidoscope effect that surrounds him. But what really caught my attention was the Claw operatives own use of psychic powers. For a whole lot of brain power, he manages to wield it into a physical manifestation/weapon. I love the differences of style that is used for each ESP user.What also caught my attention during these sequences was that we are not longer getting snippets of a 100 Mob, the audience is getting full panels and screen time of what Mob looks like when he is pushed the brink. Previously, you would just see a shadowy mob engulfed in his ESP powers, but now we get to see the powers and Mob. Grant it, its nothing amazing—we just see his face and how Mob pretty much wear deadly, blank, expression when he hits his 100 marker, but it’s a good visual comparison to when Mob is his regular self.Sadly, Mob loses this fight.Which, kinda makes me happy. I dislike it when heroes of a series are constantly winning, I feel like it stunt character growth and causes a plot line to go stale. Because Mob loses this fight, Ritsu is captured by Claw which allows a few things to happen.
One: character growth and development. Mob just lost his first fight in the series, if he had lost previous fights . I Don’t think it would have affected him very much. But he was directly responsible for allowing a shadow organization kidnap his kid brother. You can be damn sure, our very plain and unemotional main character, will have a drive and determination that he didn’t have before. And further down the road, both Mob and Ritsu are going to have another confrontation in regards to their relationship with each other.Two: it moves the plot forward. Finally. FINALLY—after so reviews I finally get what Im looking for in Mob Psycho 100….an over arching PLOT. Always thought it was kinda funny that Mob didn’t seem to have a defined plot, and I kept looking for a hint of it with every episode. It’s good to see that theyre finally filling the show with more substance other than Mob’s daily adventures. The entire series does cry out for a grand adventure though, powerful ESP kid? Yeah, I want to see him take on an evil ESPer organization, not go to school everyday.Mob Pyscho 100 is finally picking up and I cant wait to see where it goes.