Mob Psycho 100 - When Kindness Prevails All

what makes a good protagonist good not in its meaning of being well written but as a matter of virtue and morality a protagonist whose ideals and values are kind and honorable in their actions mob psycho 100 is a story elevated by its means of showing kindness perpetuated by mob a child born with tremendous psychic abilities but whose warm-hearted nature defines his character as storytelling has developed over time writers have explored the intricacies of developing heroes and protagonists outside of righteously good personas through the inclusions of anti-heroes pragmatic heroes and situating characters within a morally grey void protagonists who don't waver from their kind persona have become far fewer protagonists who don't deviate from their ethical morals are deemed one-dimensional and boring compared to heroes undertaking ambiguous actions whose development is regarded as multifaceted and complex mob's growth over the series isn't grand comparable to other shannon stories whilst in other narratives where the hero's powers increase over time mob psycho 100 never once explores the ideology of growing mob's powers instead falling upon a differing interpretation of the overpowered protagonist trope mob's psychic powers aren't there as an example of his progression as they don't develop nor advance through a training arc but rather exist as another element to mob's being instead the creator focuses on developing his humanity in lieu of powers showcasing how mob's humility as a person can also shift and help the lives of others unlike superhero counterparts mob refrains from using powers with the utmost sincerity procuring a resolve in dismantling vicious scenarios through the goodwill of listening and understanding being sympathetic and compassionate of both humans and the paranormal alike mob's truest power is enacting change in others as said from mob's mentor egan atlatica himself the truth behind one's charm is kindness be a good person that is all superpowers wave at a thin line of stability and are useless in the hands of someone callous greed and megalomaniac thoughts are prominent within people who possess great power to see oneself more worthy than average people yet despite mob's powers the show embodies the importance of fighting with kindness and compassion arguably the hardest traits to keep in one's heart but the most invaluable and rewarding initially starting the series mob persistently contemplates the purpose of his existence evidently shown during the nervous break he endeavors once asked what is it that you really want to do it's a question that could throw many people off but for mob in particular it's a stark reminder towards the fear of a life unfulfilled thus making his decision in joining the body improvement club much more endearing mob recognises the ease of which relying on psychic abilities could hinder his own personal development psychic abilities can only help so much they can't develop social skills make you friends not magically improve your physique and those are goals mob wishes to achieve to become comfortable in himself and build on his growth without depending on his powers in many ways because of his powers mob is a ticking time bomb his friends and family sometimes fear mob's instability when confronted with intense emotions and the aftermath his 100 percent or unknown percent state leaves behind through observation mob's variety of intense states mimic that of real life when feelings of rage animosity and tenacity overwhelm him bob's actions are impulsive he unconsciously attacks with negative emotions bursting at the seams leading to incidents later filled with regret but his 100 states charged with gratitude compassion and kindness are the times of which he's most conscious of his actions fully aware of the help he's achieving mob takes initiative without the lingering results of remorse or shame showing the differing consequences of letting positive or negative emotions drive your actions on that note the execution towards mob's handling of emotions could be interpreted as someone on the autistic spectrum finding difficulty with social cues facing ridicule for being outwardly emotionless despite very much being the opposite and his 100 explosions and allegory of autistic meltdowns there's much evidence to suggest mob is heavily coded as autistic as referenced from the national autistic society meltdowns happen as an intense response to an overwhelming situation allowing for temporary loss of control when a person is completely overwhelmed and their condition means it is difficult to express that in another way it is understandable that the result is a meltdown from the description alone it's hard to interpret mob's explosions as anything but similar to autistic meltdowns and it makes sense mob is often found burrowing emotions away he grew up with a connection to humans and non-humans directly placing him as an outsider of normality having to carry the weight of his actions and the pressures faced as a result of his powers its only natural mob would suppress emotions that could uncontrollably escalate under stressful scenarios in saying this despite the negative connotations people unrightfully push towards autism in mob circle 100 mob's outbursts and difficulty in recognizing nonverbal cues are never once framed negatively or as a hindrance his friends and family calming down when spotting signs of distress not because they see him as a danger or threat but because they care for his well-being mob is haunted by the damage caused during his childhood the reminder of ritsu calling in pain surrounded by injured bodies the origin of mob's resolve to never use powers on humans some mistake this as complete pacifism but mobile step in when justifiable against non-humans exercising evil spirits or defending himself against espers when necessary and yet even then mob shows a determination improving to others violence isn't the answer showing power not through brutality but courage in attempting to inspire kindness in others most of the vigorous battles in the show mob has settled through non-violent actions his impact not conveyed in the heroics of saving people like in other shannon stories but the connection he's able to form with others to enact change like the creator himself stated i wanted to build on the idea of a protagonist who changes people's lives what good is defeating an enemy if their morals are unchanged mob sees a chance of improvement and rehabilitation in anyone and it's because of this that many in the cast are inspired by mob he makes them realise their own mistakes and wrongdoings through the goodwill of his personality his younger brother rutsu riddled with newfound powers enraged by his inferiority complex was left in tears hearing mob's confession of admiration for his younger brother mob dismissed his challenge of a fight and even apologized on his behalf to those he hurt rutsu lived his childhood feeling inferior and frustrated towards mob and his powers and yet it's rutsu's intelligence and charisma of which he earned without powers their mob finds so inspiring mob loved suitsu and was elated to hirozu earned his powers knowing just how much he'd wanted them but powers or not mob is always proud of his brother even through the mishaps he'd created from being power hungry it's this earnesty that confronts ritsu of his misdeeds changes the way he uses his powers and slowly learns to overcome his low self-esteem mob's confrontation with sedazawa is handled mostly through lack of confidence too mob instead is willing to listen to his troubles understanding his fear of losing control and offering him the kindness he lacked all his life rather than manipulating the vulnerable like suzuki mob consoles sarizawa offering an ear to listen rather than a fist to hurt even during the rare occasions mob's powers directly hurt someone he's left overcome with feelings of deep sorrow and regret for instance his unknown percent state going berserk and harming teru as a result of mob falling unconscious mob felt intense sadness and devastation when seeing the aftermath of his actions even if they were unwinningly done he's someone that takes every action he does to heart and with that comes the unfortunate times he's faced with the repercussions of his negative emotions in a similar manner mob feels regret when attacking suzuki during the world domination arc telling the hot-headed esper he doesn't want to hurt him despite suzuki making it necessary through his unhinged behavior it's through realizing his attempts at talking him down prove pointless that mob admits he's not strong enough and that's something admirable of mob he doesn't consider his lack of strength as a result of his weaker psychic abilities but in his attempts to help and change others he's upset that his words aren't strong enough to reach out and help suzuki which forces his hand to violence instead however after an intense battle between the two and mob's sacrifice in trying to minimise the self-destruct explosion suzuki does eventually take mob's words to heart everyone grows because of their encounters with other people people need other people if not for mob's kindness many people's lives wouldn't have changed for the better regan's reputation would still be tarnished from the humiliation of his press conference emmy would continue to be ashamed of her writing work the ripped pages of creative writing she poured hours into still blowing in the wind minoria sagari would still be suffering possessed by mogami and heartwarmingly enough even setsurito mob's voice actor might not have gained the slightest self-confidence boost if not for mob mob's strength in pushing purpose and motivation in others is why he's constantly supported through being kind to others you receive respect in return mob's connection to friends and family is what keeps him grounded to not wander too deep into the power of the unknown but also as a reminder of who he is and what his morals are during his time in mogami's fake alternative reality mob comes away from the experience feeling even more grateful for the people in his life understanding the despair and misery he could have endured if not for the kindness he received too mob genuinely believes he was influenced because of the people around him a boy who was once secluded and riddled with inner thoughts now having a massive list of friends who help and support him even for something as simple as building stamina and it's this very reason he deems no one as worthless nor undeserving of attempted change because if mob was able to change than anyone can the premise of the series and mob's character might not look unique from the offset but mob is a warm-hearted person and amiable at his core he's still a young boy who makes mistakes and is flawed he's terrible at maths and even worse at sports not to mention easily exploited and taken advantage of even vegan pays him pennies for the constant work and requests he asks of mob but as the series progresses you see a change in all aspects of these flaws not progress in his powers but mob as a person and the relationships he builds to be the protagonist of your own life is a beautiful message make choices your own choose a path you think is fitting for you and if things go wrong it's still your own story to change and alter the direction of mob psycho 100 is a favorite show of mine because its protagonist is kind to an unfaltering degree he knows everyone suffers differently people come in all degrees of faults and issues because the world can be harsh but decides to be kind anyways we watch as a young impressional boy concerned about his powers slowly turns to a boy more assured of himself how he wants to fit in this world and the lives he wants to touch as always thank you for watching sorry for the little delay in this video i caught kovid during the production causing a little halt in the process but all is relatively good now i want to thank my patrons again for being patient with this video and i'll see you next time with a manga video you

Channel: lines in motion

Views: 28,880

Keywords: mob psycho 100, anime, video essay, shigeo kageyama, mob psycho, animation, analysis

Id: myTQqZUyujo

Length: 13min 11sec (791 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 20 2022