Mob Psycho 100 III is now streaming on Crunchyroll and Hulu. The below review discusses several plot points, but no major spoilers. For more, check out what we thought of the premiere.
They said it couldn't be done, but Studio Bones gave us a masterpiece adaptation of Mob Psycho 100, with a final season that captured what makes the web manga so special and endearing, while adding spectacular visuals that enhance the emotional story of Shigeo Kageyama. Few anime manage to make you cheer, laugh, cry, and reflect on life as often as Mob Psycho 100 does, let alone do all that as part of an elaborate and absurd gag. The third season does all that while also tying up loose ends and giving us satisfying conclusions to every character arc. Make no mistake, Mob Psycho 100 III will go down as one of the all-time greatest anime finales ever made.
For three seasons we followed Shigeo Kageyama, aka Mob, in his attempts to become popular and have a normal life with friends and those who care about him in spite of his extraordinary psychic abilities, and slowly gain confidence in himself as he builds a support network around him. This season brought every plotline and every character arc to a boiling point, starting with the giant broccoli Mob created that is now towering in the center of the town.
This season is all about Mob facing the consequences of his actions and his inactions, starting with the cult he started but refused to acknowledge, as well as the years-long repression of his emotions and powers. It is a testament to the show that the final season can feel as big and epic as something like Attack on Titan, with a story that is really just incredibly personal and small-scale compared to most action series. Mob Psycho 100 thrived in the smaller, quieter emotional scenes as much as it did in the bombastic action, so it makes sense that the ultimate final battle would be an inner struggle that nevertheless had apocalyptic stakes.
Still, this is Mob Psycho 100, based on a manga by the creator of One Punch Man, so there are plenty of action scenes and – oh boy – this show remains a stunning visual marvel. The animators and artists at Studio Bones truly outdid themselves this season, with some of the most bombastic, spectacular, kickass fight scenes ever put in animation that also experiment with the art style. What's more, the fights and punches hit harder because they involve people we care about, with the season giving every single fight a deep emotional layer that makes you invested in the outcome.
From the body improvement club – the greatest collection of gym bros and best friends you can find – to the eclectic telepathy club and their alien obsession, to Dimple, Ritsu, and internet sexyman Reigen, Mob Psycho 100 has one of the best ensemble casts in anime, and this season really brings them into the spotlight. We see how their stories and their characters evolved and grew thanks to their relationship with Mob and to each other, as their individual arcs come to a satisfying conclusion.
If one is to boil down this installment to a word, it'd be satisfying, because it delivers everything you'd want out of a Mob Psycho 100 final season, particularly its finale, which is simply perfect. From a final villain that feels thematically resonant, to edge-of-your-seat, thrilling fights, and a tearjerker final scene that culminates the themes and messages of the show with a simple smile and laughter, this is a finale you won't soon forget.
Of course, it’s still very much the absurdist, over-the-top, hilarious comedy it's always been. Mob Psycho 100 III takes the dumbest gags possible and distills them into simply outrageous amounts of sakuga (particularly great animation) just because the animators can. This is a true labor of love, with the animators and artists taking every idea – no matter how small – to incredible heights, visually and emotionally. Whether it's aliens or Mob wearing the ugliest shirts possible, there's always one joke and one heartfelt moment waiting around the corner.
The whole Mob Psycho 100 series has been about the idea that powers and skills alone don't make you special, and that you shouldn't rely only on what makes you different to feel entitled or above others. But Mob has still relied on his powers to save the world several times, so this season changes gears.
It argues instead that, no, having powers doesn't make you superior, but it is also wrong to think having special skills isn't a good thing, or that you shouldn't use them. It's all about balance. You need to take in the good with the bad, and accept all of you. When it comes to a show as good as this, and a season as masterfully done as this, it's easy to do so.
source https://www.ign.com/articles/mob-psycho-100-iii-full-season-review