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Mob Psycho is an anime I've always known about but never watched. The art style always put me off for some reason but recently I just said fuck it and watched the first episode. I immediately got hooked.
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The concept isn't anything that hasn't been done before, but the way Mob develops as a character really puts this show apart from other shōnen. Mob is a junior-high student with special abilities, which he doesn't want to use because they've done nothing but cause others harm in the past. That's until he meets Arataka Reigen, self proclaimed psychic. He teaches Mob how to use his powers in a way that helps people, even though it's clear from the very beginning that Reigen himself is just a completely ordinary guy. Mob also joins the body improvement club to not only get his psychic abilities under control, but in case he doesn't want to or can't use his powers, to still be able to defend himself. This is one of the main reasons I'm even writing this review and seeing Mob pushing himself to his limits and the body improvement club motivating him, is actually what motivated me to finally start working out. Mob's character development and the body improvement club is what I love about this anime. No anime except Redline has ever inspired me to actually change something in my life, that's why this anime is so special to me and it might just have the same effect for you.
One thing I also really like about this show is that Mob doesn't just magically make his problems go away with the power of friendship, he actually tries to improve as a person and overcome his fears. No, the main protagonist in a shōnen doesn't have to be some lifeless, generic dude that's somehow incredibly strong, he can actually be a well written character, who would've thought. Moving on, I want to talk about the art and animation which, as I previously mentioned, is what stopped me from watching the anime earlier.
I love it. It might look a little weird at first, but it's definitely unique and sets itself apart from most other shows. The more "simple" looking art style also allows for smoother animation which this anime has plenty of. The fight scenes are really enjoyable and well animated that's all I can say really. The music in Mob Psycho didn't really stand out to me that much while actually watching the anime. I can't really recall any OST's that were used during fights or anything but the openings and endings in both seasons are great.
Lastly, I want to talk about the characters. I already talked about Mob so I'll focus more on Reigen Arataka who is probably the second most important character after Mob himself. In the first season he might just seem like a heartless con artist to some people that uses Mob's gullibility to earn money. In season 2 however, it becomes clear that that's not really the case. He was never successful in life and that's why he tried his luck at becoming a psychic. Mob obviously makes this job easier for him, because he actually is one. Because of that, Reigen keeps trying to make it look like he is an actual psychic, because he fears that if Mob finds out he's been lying to him, he'll leave him. This just shows that everyone has flaws but that shouldn't stop you from chasing your dream, just like Mob keeps training with the body improvement club and tries to use his psychic powers for a good cause. Whether or not Mob actually knows this or not however, is never really obvious, but there is a scene in season 2 where it might have been hinted at. The rest of the characters also aren't bad at all. I wouldn't call any of them forgettable and that's really saying something for a shōnen. They aren't all on the same level as Mob or Reigen for obvious reasons but we do get to see a lot of the side character's motives, even from the bad guys, which adds a lot of depth to their character.
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In conclusion, even if this anime won't be something inspirational for you, or motivate you to work out, I'd still highly recommend it. It's definitely the best shōnen, and just one of the best anime in general I've ever watched. The characters are really well written, the art and animation is great and there are some genuinely funny moments that actually made me laugh. Thank you for reading.