Review of Mob Psycho 100 II
"Just having powers doesn't mean everything works out for you. But that's perfectly fine, as long as you make the important choices yourself. I'm the protagonist of my own life." Building off of its previous season, Mob Psycho 100 II delivers a much-improved masterful narrative, with heightened action choreography. What it has given to the world is a masterpiece of a story about kindness and power. Unlike its previous season, this one is anything but a lighthearted comedy. There are some comedic aspects, but the majority of it is serious. This tonal shift has been handled extremely well. Characters have been used and built up adeptly, asthe show has focused on their personality and maturity rather than their sole contribution to comedy.
The biggest example of this is the sleazy Reigen Arataka. He is seen facing the consequences of his deceptive actions, rightfully so, but is also shown to be a compassionate and caring human, someone others can rely on. He slowly sees everybody he had a good connection with move further away from him, with his only "friend" being Mob. Reigen becomes someone we wanted to see : preserving his comedic nature but realising the importance of trust and honesty.
Mob undergoes his own character arc : he gains some, he loses a lot. His power alone brings unwanted enemies to his family, who face the brunt of the unwarranted consequences. The viewer really gets to see the selfless Mob's true strength in this season : he utilises his power fully only when someone he cares about is on the line.
The villain is shown to be a stubbornly logical character : he truly believes in his purpose, however flawed it may be. He is a pessimistic and uncaring father, and serves as the polar opposite of the optimistic Mob, for whom there is always hope for tomorrow. By the end, we see how much he regrets his actions that led him up to this point.
As an action show, it goes above and beyond, with Studio Bones giving viewers the best choreography in the past few years. As a serious story, it covers all plot points it needs to. As a drama, it focuses on its characters perfectly. Mob Psycho 100 II gives us the story of many characters, but never forgets where its roots lie : portraying a narrative focusing on the importance of kindness and humility in the presence of power.