English Dub Season Review: Mob Psycho 100 Season 3

Based on the Japanese web manga series written and illustrated by One. (Creator of “One Punch Man”) This final season brings back all the quirky but enjoyable characters that we have met along the way and attempts to give proper closure. Picking up after foiling a world-threatening plot of Season 2, Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama returns to tackle the more exhausting aspects of his mundane life—starting with filling out his school’s nerve-racking career form. Meanwhile, he continues to assist his mentor Arataka Reigen and the office’s new recruit, Katsuya Serizawa, in solving paranormal cases of their clients.

While continuing his duties, Mob also works on gaining more independence in his esper and human lives, as well as trying to integrate better with the people around him. However, new supernatural and ordinary challenges test Mob’s emotional stability and force him to confront the realities around him. As he strives to continue forward on the path to maturity, Mob must resolve his emotional crises and reassess the naivety he has held onto for so long…

On the technical side, Season 3 was consistently animated by “Studio Bones” (Famous for “Super Crooks”, Space Dandy, Wolf’s Rain, Soul Eater, Eureka Seven, Escaflone, and the Iconic “My Hero Academia” franchise) and was directed by Takahiro Hasui while Yuzuru Tachikawa serving as chief director. The main cast and staff mostly reprised their roles with the exception of Kyle McCarley, who was replaced by Jason Liebrecht due to non-union disputes within Crunchyroll. The Opening theme for this final season was titled “1” while the ending theme “Cobalt”, was both performed by the band Mob Choir.

After all the chaos and conflict that the titular “Mob” has fought against over the past two seasons, we now get into the major conflict to end all conflicts within the show, And that’s Shigeo/Mob’s inner-self. And nowhere is the central theme properly spotlighted than the End credits sequence which properly foreshadows that “Mob is the center of attention for this season”.

The story is pretty simple, just decorated with a lot of flashiness and a unique animation style. But at its core, people often forget that the main conflict of the show was never the big flashy fights or supernatural powers, it was Shigeo’s conflict with his emotional state and the struggles he’s had in controlling that part of himself, while juxtaposed with Reigen’s conflict with his ethics and morality. Both of these are explored throughout the series, and finally, we get to see the culmination of those powers in full display and in epic proportions. The art style also hasn’t changed from previous seasons and animation-wise, the fight scenes were well-choreographed, and everything was delivered in spades. But I think my only complaint is the occasional shifts in tone. When the pacing, direction, and dialogue sell what it’s trying to emotionally convey, it works. But sometimes a random joke here and there can feel awkward and out of place when shit starts to destructively go down.

Throughout the series, Mob has spent a good portion of his life bottling up his emotions for fear that he might hurt people. And as we see throughout this final season, the bifurcation between the emotionless mask that Mob wears, and the repressed emotions Mob has bottled up that which have consequently manifested into a rampaging “shadow-self” of sorts that becomes increasingly problematic and all of this happens during an accident and messes with Mob’s rational mind that kept his instincts from becoming the psychic force of nature he’s feared for so long. And now it’s up to everyone to help him remember who he is before things get worse…

Overall, for the final season, it knew how to end with a bang. Mob’s journey has been such a good one. His desire to get with a certain classmate that he’s had eyes on for so long all culminates in this figurative and literal tempest of emotions while tying up loose ends for everyone else. And if there’s anything I can take from this the most, It’s that No matter how rough life can get, the people who give a shit about your life will still support you. And to not conform to other people’s definition of “normal” just to be “accepted” in society. While the ending may play with other people’s expectations, It’s a much more realistic way to end the show than a lot of other anime have. Mob’s journey is over, and it was truly a great look into a mind of a teenager, and even if you’re not a teen right now, I hope this show resonates with people to some level.