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EP. REVIEW: Mob Psycho 100

He's still kind of sending a mixed message though. "It's ok to run away," seems like good advice, but he's merciless with the Claw crew for doing just that in their refusal to engage the real world. Then again, I guess they missed the caveat that it's only ok if the other choice is hurting people.

If you think about it critically, "world domination" is such a cliched concept that when it is used in an anime like MP100 it doesn't describe what exactly the "evil organization" will do to the world. Were they literally going to dominate the world by turning it into an authoritarian society with them being the dictator? if you evaluate the motivations of the characters in the organization, couldn't "world domination" be interpreted as another way of saying that they want to create a society where their specialty is appreciated by people? The problem I have with this last episode is that it seems to completely reject any possibility that such a change is possible (the idea of which was embodied in the character of Reigen) and views others with disdain for wanting to make that change. This honestly has me a little confused, because elsewhere in MP100 and everywhere in One Punch Man, ONE had us sympathizing with heroes who were the victims of society's arbitrary evaluation, and we as the viewers genuinely cursed those societies for inflicting pain in the characters. It could be that ONE's view of the hierarchal society has changed over the course of writing these stories, but I still believe that we have the right to fight for other people's appreciation and there is absolutely nothing shameful about doing it.

jojothepunisher wrote:

If you think about it critically, "world domination" is such a cliched concept that when it is used in an anime like MP100 it doesn't describe what exactly the "evil organization" will do to the world. Were they literally going to dominate the world by turning it into an authoritarian society with them being the dictator? if you evaluate the motivations of the characters in the organization, couldn't "world domination" be interpreted as another way of saying that they want to create a society where their specialty is appreciated by people? The problem I have with this last episode is that it seems to completely reject any possibility that such a change is possible (the idea of which was embodied in the character of Reigen) and views others with disdain for wanting to make that change. This honestly has me a little confused, because elsewhere in MP100 and everywhere in One Punch Man, ONE had us sympathizing with heroes who were the victims of society's arbitrary evaluation, and we as the viewers genuinely cursed those societies for inflicting pain in the characters. It could be that ONE's view of the hierarchal society has changed over the course of writing these stories, but I still believe that we have the right to fight for other people's appreciation and there is absolutely nothing shameful about doing it.

Well, if they really want to be appreciated by society, perhaps kidnapping, brainwashing and generally using their powers mostly for criminal acts isn't exactly the best way to go about it?

If you think about it critically, "world domination" is such a cliched concept that when it is used in an anime like MP100 it doesn't describe what exactly the "evil organization" will do to the world. Were they literally going to dominate the world by turning it into an authoritarian society with them being the dictator? if you evaluate the motivations of the characters in the organization, couldn't "world domination" be interpreted as another way of saying that they want to create a society where their specialty is appreciated by people? The problem I have with this last episode is that it seems to completely reject any possibility that such a change is possible (the idea of which was embodied in the character of Reigen) and views others with disdain for wanting to make that change. This honestly has me a little confused, because elsewhere in MP100 and everywhere in One Punch Man, ONE had us sympathizing with heroes who were the victims of society's arbitrary evaluation, and we as the viewers genuinely cursed those societies for inflicting pain in the characters. It could be that ONE's view of the hierarchal society has changed over the course of writing these stories, but I still believe that we have the right to fight for other people's appreciation and there is absolutely nothing shameful about doing it.

Merida wrote:

Well, if they really want to be appreciated by society, perhaps kidnapping, brainwashing and generally using their powers mostly for criminal acts isn't exactly the best way to go about it?

Ya, I agree with you on that point. But I was focusing on the fact that Reigen was mocking them rather than showing sympathy for the hardships they experienced.

jojothepunisher wrote:

Merida wrote: Well, if they really want to be appreciated by society, perhaps kidnapping, brainwashing and generally using their powers mostly for criminal acts isn't exactly the best way to go about it? Ya, I agree with you on that point. But I was focusing on the fact that Reigen was mocking them rather than showing sympathy for the hardships they experienced.

But that's exactly why he's mocking them! If their reaction to experiencing hardship hadn't been putting on silly costumes, believing they are somehow above "commoners" and violently aiming for world domination, i'm sure Reigen would have reacted differently...

And beyond the usual, Reigan was more awesome than ever. I haven't much liked Dimple so much, but his shop-talk with Reigan was a treat. Neither one has anything to hide, so they can kind of let down their hair, and yet Reigan still effortlessly pwned him.

He's still kind of sending a mixed message though. "It's ok to run away," seems like good advice, but he's merciless with the Claw crew for doing just that in their refusal to engage the real world. Then again, I guess they missed the caveat that it's only ok if the other choice is hurting people.

Gina Szanboti wrote:

He's still kind of sending a mixed message though. "It's ok to run away," seems like good advice, but he's merciless with the Claw crew for doing just that in their refusal to engage the real world. Then again, I guess they [by which I meant Claw's members, not the series] missed the caveat that it's only ok if the other choice is hurting people.

"It's ok to run away"--from violent conflicts other people try to suck you into. Reigen is advocating strategic retreat, not hiding from reality, and certainly not world domination. Building the kind of hierarchy the Scars are trying to establish--making yourself feel better by convincing yourself and others that you're better than them by virtue of unearned talent or ability-- is *exactly* what Reigen, and ONE, is against.

These Claw guys are using society as their measuring stick, and by doing so they've attached themselves to it: it becomes the primary body they're orbiting.

But is that the message Mob got? That's what I was referring to about sending mixed messages (I guess I sent my own mixed message ). We know what he was trying to say, but Mob's pretty simple, and his response to "It's ok to run away" was to abdicate his power to an adult (since Reigan has also been hammering at the distinction between adults and kids over the last couple of episodes) rather than to choose between running and fighting. They even put his reductive processing on the screen for us: "Run away" = "Don't fight" = "Leave it to Master." Then Reigan climbs all over Claw's asses because they were adults and still running away from reality and hard choices, but it wasn't clear to me if Mob was processing the difference between what Reigan told him and what he told the Claws.

The little infodump when Mob transfers his powers tells us (and we should infer that that was Mob's interpretation) that at some points, it's okay to someone lend us a hand to solve our problems.

Valhern wrote:

The little infodump when Mob transfers his powers tells us (and we should infer that that was Mob's interpretation) that at some points, it's okay to someone lend us a hand to solve our problems.

Again, I got all that, but it doesn't answer my question of whether Mob got it. The narration sounded to me like he reacted subconsciously to being given a helping hand (i.e. a way to avoid choosing) because words can be powerful, but it doesn't mean that what he understood consciously was any more complex than "Run away" = "Don't fight" = "Leave it to Master." And since I doubt that will ever be elucidated to my satisfaction, nor does it really need to be, I'm content to leave it unanswered.

On another note, before Reigan realized what was going on, when he asked Sakurai how he cut the floor, I got the distinct impression that he wanted to know the trick so he could use it himself.

Valhern wrote:

The little infodump when Mob transfers his powers tells us (and we should infer that that was Mob's interpretation) that at some points, it's okay to someone lend us a hand to solve our problems.

Again, I got all that, but it doesn't answer my question of whether Mob got it. The narration sounded to me like he reacted subconsciously to being given a helping hand (i.e. a way to avoid choosing) because words can be powerful, but it doesn't mean that what he understood consciously was any more complex than "Run away" = "Don't fight" = "Leave it to Master." And since I doubt that will ever be elucidated to my satisfaction, nor does it really need to be, I'm content to leave it unanswered.

On another note, before Reigan realized what was going on, when he asked Sakurai how he cut the floor, I got the distinct impression that he wanted to know the trick so he could use it himself.

And the numbers are very interesting, because Reigen's power becomes 1000% not only is it over 100, it doesn't fall into ???, it's in control, it's got a number, and Reigen is under control it because he's got Mob's total and complete faith in him, which in the end was much stronger than his rage only.

In fact, that's exactly the reason why despite all my love for the Gratitude explosion and what it represents for Mob and Reigen, I really appreciated Shou ultimately calling Mob out on his "cowardice", even though the wording definitely makes the former come across as a rude little shit (which he totally is Laughing ).