In the realm of anime, few series have captured the hearts and minds of viewers quite like Mob Psycho 100. To truly appreciate the supremacy of Mob Psycho 100, calling it one of the best shonen series of this generation would be an understatement.
Mob Psycho 100 stands as an unparalleled masterpiece in recent anime history. The anime follows the story of the journey of Shigeo Kagayama, a young man wielding immense psychic power while grappling with suppressed emotions. While the manga was celebrated as a masterpiece with a significant legacy, the anime had big shoes to fill, yet it took a drastically different approach than One Piece and established a unique identity.
Mob Psycho 100: How the Anime Carves Its Own Path, Distancing from One Piece
For over 25 years, Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece has been enthralling fans without a single dull moment. While One Piece asks for a lot of commitment from viewers, in return it leaves them enchanted by Oda-sensei’s narrative and Luffy’s journey to become the King of the Pirates.
Even after 30 years, One Piece fans aren’t tired of following the adventures of this young and enthusiastic boy. Sadly, One Piece fans will need to endure some disappointing news as Toei recently announced that anime will be going on a 6-month break, starting on October 27, 2024.
One Piece‘s immense influence is no joke, and many manga creators look up to Oda’s masterpiece, which has defined the Shonen genre for decades. However, fans may be surprised to find that the anime directors of Mob Psycho 100 chose a different approach from One Piece, one that could have haunted Oda-sensei and many OP fans if Toei had gone that route.
In an interview, when asked about ONE-sensei’s involvement with anime production, the team revealed they simply adhered to the original game plan and didn’t consult ONE-sensei on a daily basis. The Mob Psycho‘s staff answered:
During initial production, especially for the first season, we had a meeting ahead of time to discuss our direction with ONE-sensei, and of course, we consulted the source material well ahead of time to construct a good game plan for what we wanted to do. But when it came to the second season, of course ONE-sensei did final checks to make sure everything was up to par, but we didn’t consult him on a day-to-day basis. If during production, there was a big difference between an idea that we came up with that required changing a plot point, then of course we would consult ONE-sensei ahead of time and ask him for his own ideas about it.
Mob Psycho 100 is a tapestry of humor, horror, and a profound exploration of power dynamics. Season 1 was released to critical acclaim in 2016, and the positive reception of Season 2 solidified the series’ stature and legacy within the community.
Unlike Eiichiro Oda, who overlooks every project in One Piece, including the Netflix live-action series, ONE-sensei trusted the staff, and the team delivered, contributing to Mob Psycho 100‘s immense popularity today.
Why Mob Psycho 100‘s Creators Chose to Keep the Characters Unconventionally Average
Underneath his ordinary appearance and predominantly unemotional face, Mob is a kind, hard-working, and especially regular boy who feels emotions like everyone else his age. His demeanor and overall design stand in stark contrast to his extraordinary and unmatched psychic abilities.
In the interview, the mangaka, One, revealed:
Mob’s meant to come off as somewhat standoffish or nerdy. If we made him into a supermodel, that’d force us to change a lot of the story.
Mob is not the typical overpowered character, which is what makes him so entertaining to watch and what makes his personality so unique. Overpowered characters have been a staple in anime for a long time; thus, sticking with One’s original creativity helped a lot in boosting anime’s success and popularity.
Mob Psycho 100 is available to stream on Crunchyroll
