Review of Mob Psycho 100 II

I'm going to keep this review brief, mainly because I don't have many strong feelings about this show. Don't misunderstand, I think that Mob Psycho 100 is required viewing for just about any new anime fan, but I'm really not sure how to feel about this show after completing it. It's been quite some time since I have seen the first season of Mob Psycho 100. I remembered enjoying it, and when I saw that a second season was in production, I was excited. Yet, the show was released, and my interest waned, thus I put off on watching it for a bit. However, after pickingit up again, there is one warning I'll give. Watch the first season again if it has been some time since you watched it. That was the primary crippling aspect of this show. The second half is filled with a bunch of stuff that I did not remember at all from the first season, sideplots involving Claw and Scar, all that stuff.

At its best, MP100 II is a hilarious, charming, and heartwarming coming of age story about a young boy with telekinetic powers. The characters in this show have always been a primary focus, and I'm glad that was the case this season as well. Reigen and Mob are perfect stand ins, and watching them develop on screen even triggered a few emotional reactions as I found myself relating to them on multiple occasions. Each of the minor spirits they dealt with brought forward a new lesson for our characters to live and learn from, making them better people for each other and connecting them with other important characters.

Yet, the second half is really where I had a hard time connecting with the show. Do not get me wrong, the animation for the fight scenes between Claw and Scar were absolutely gorgeous, as has always been a hallmark of shows adapted by Studio Bones. However, the characters had a more concrete goal, and worked towards that goal. In other shows, I'd say that having a main goal is essential for the characters to be taken seriously, but as I've said, I get more out of the Mushishi-esque episodes where they're tasked with taking care of a spirit or entity by a potential customer, and thus the second half of the show just doesn't really speak to me at all.

As for other non-story components of MP100 II, the animation and art direction is phenomenal, and the "lazily" drawn artstyle really works for this show more than it does against it, creating some effortless comedic moments with facial expressions and other visual gags, something other comedy anime struggle with typically. The soundtrack was also great, with some emotional pieces really complementing the message that was being communicated on screen, with other more badass pieces working well with the fight scenes within the show. And hooooo boy, that opening slaps hard (and looks phenomenal as well).

Overall, this show is absolutely worth the watch, and hey, you might even disagree with some of the issues I had while watching. It's all about what you get out of the show, and there's so much to take in from Mob Psycho 100 II.

Score: 8.5

I guess I do have strong feelings about this show, so much for keeping this brief...