Among popular attractions like the Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] special event and the Anisong World Matsuri concert with Morning Musume, Luna Haruna, Konomi Suzuki, and more, this year's annual Anime NYC hosted the western premiere of Mob Psycho 100's second season. Fans of the original show will more or less experience what they've come to expect from creator ONE and his body of work, which isn't much of a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination.
Protagonist Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama, his manager Arataka Reigen, and the nefarious green blob Dimple return to start the first episode off with a bang. Spectacular animation sequences pop out at viewers from the outset, which is to be expected from the mind that brought us One Punch Man. Not unlike this year's iteration of Attack of Titan, however, this episode makes it clear that Mob's relationships with those around him will be explored more.
In fact, an embarrassing situation involving Emi forces the hero to come face-to-face with a potential love interest, to which many fans in the audience gleefully cheered. It'll be interesting to see how Mob, as a character who frequently suppresses his emotions, will be able to negotiate his personality (and powers) with adolescence looming on the horizon.
Mob's relationship with his mentor, Reigen, will be explored more too, according to a video message from director Yuzuru Tachikawa. Dimple's voice actor, Akio Ōtsuka, mentioned afterword that the green cloud hasn't forgotten his original plan to possess Mob and harness the boy's powers for himself, insinuating that the character will show off a bit of his darker side again at some point during this second season.
The second episode was also screened for fans in attendance. Called "Urban Legends," it sees Mob and Reigen journey to a small town in search of work. A new character with psychic powers perceives the two as threats, and thus sets off a chain of colorful events that somehow culminates in an epic robot showdown.
It should be noted that the varied and intricate stylings of the show return in full force during these two episodes. In fact, the animators seem to be doubling down on the experimental and chaotic designs of the past season. If you're a fan of video games, you'll continue to be right at home with this series.
Mob Psycho 100 isn't the most sophisticated anime out there. The second season doesn't seem like it'll change the formula all that much, aside from giving fans some much-needed character exposition. Despite this, this series remains one of the most visually impressive out there and should continue to serve as a benchmark for other studios to emulate.
Here's hoping the rest of Mob Psycho 100's second season leaves up to its imaginative reputation.
