The twelfth and final episode ofMob Psycho 100 III,the last episode of theMob Psycho 100anime series overall, was a beautiful conclusion to the season and the overarching narrative of the series. While series' endings tend to be the most controversial aspects among viewers of a particular title,Mob Psycho 100 IIIhad a fitting conclusion and resolved some major character arcs.
This episode also saw the unexpected return of an old friend who was thought to be gone forever. Brilliant animation, emotional dialogue and character interactions, and massive stakes made fora brilliant final episodeto one truly amazing anime. If there ever was a 10/10 anime episode, it was this one.
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Something Important
Reigen and Serizawa brave the whirlwind and the chaos to attempt to get closer to Mob. After Ritsu’s failure to get his brother to calm down, Reigen is perhaps the only person capable of getting the desired result, but it won’t be easy. Reigen tells Serizawa that there’s something he needs to talk to Mob about, so he heads into the eye of the storm by himself. Since he’s never seen Mob go berserk before, the sight is incredibly difficult for Reigen because he had no idea that this was the kind of monstrous power Mob had been holding back the whole time.Reigen’s relationship with Shigeohas been a frequent topic this season, but not one that was explored with the kind of primacy you’d expect from the most significant arc in the progression of a character as central toMob Psycho 100as Reigen.
ThroughoutMob Psycho 100 III,Reigen has been shown to be grappling with the fact that Mob is growing and becoming more sure of himself. Reigen’s imperfections have been especially apparent to him in this season, and watching the people around him improve themselves and go for what they want in very earnest and honest ways has made Reigen question his approach to his own life. He’s great at being a scammer, but he’s also ashamed of it, and aware of the fact that on some level, he wasted his own potential. He can only feel good about himself if he establishes himself as someone important – Mob’s Master; Serizawa’s oh-so-competent employer; the “Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century”; or even just some guy who has a better grip on reality thansomeone who fancies himself a literal yо̄kai hunter.
Internal Conflict
Internally, Mob’s subconscious has awoken, and it engages in a dialogue with “the Mob” – the personification of his psychic powers; the crux of his very being that he has been trying his hardest to run away from. The truth is that Shigeo stopped using his powers when Tsubomi didn’t show an interest in them – something he did out of the idea that it is noble to change oneself for the person one loves. Shigeo tells the manifestation of his powers that he doesn’t want Tsubomi to see himin this berserk state, but the Mob reminds him that of all the people they’d ever met, Tsubomi was the only person who befriended them both – the Mob and Shigeo Kageyama – and thus, Tsubomi is the one person who needs to see him for who he really is. When Reigen comes into view, the Mob tells Shigeo to ignore anything he says because he is simply a liar. Shigeo tells the Mob that his Master is not someone who’d treat him differently upon seeing his psychic powers at their full complement; however, the Mob is adamant on making Shigeo see the truth about Reigen – his desire to make use of the Mob’s powers for his Spirit Consultation Office is the very epitome of the special treatment they (Shigeo and the Mob) have always wanted to avoid.
As the internal dialogue continues, the visuals make use of a contrast between the faceless Mob, who is literally Shigeo’s shadow given his silhouette-like appearance, and the cracking, flaking form of Shigeo as he usually is. These visuals symbolize Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama’s internal conflict, and has the conversation ensues, the once-faceless Mob begins to construct his own form using pieces from “Shigeo”, indicating a literal crumbling of our protagonist’s sense of self – the crumbling away ofthe “self” that he constructed. As Mob continues to reject himself, the destruction continues around him and Reigen is caught in the chaos. Mob’s self-rejection makes him continuously try to push Reigen away, while the manifestation of Mob’s psychic power manages to assimilate Shigeo entirely. The powerful winds end up flinging Reigen all over the place, and he sustains heavy injuries as he repeatedly tries to get closer to the ever-advancing Mob.
Your Life Is Your Own
After being thrown into various hard surfaces, Reigen begins to succumb to his injuries; however, before the most significant knock causes him to lose consciousness, Reigen steels his resolve one more time, tossing his socks, shoes and tie to the wayside. He yells that while Mob had been working out, he had been secretly training his own body because he didn’t want to lose to him. The series' first opening theme,[99] by Mob Choiris this final episode’s insert song, as Reigen dramatically charges towards his disciple, barefoot amidst the devastation. Reigen impressively clears various dangerous obstacles that stand in his way and even looks cool doing so as the song begins to swell. As Reigen comes within a few inches of Mob and the insert song nears its end, a quick compilation of Reigen’s fond memories with Mob is shown, followed by cuts of a determined Reigen diving towards the boy, desperate to put a hand on his shoulder as he always had. Just before he can touch Mob, Reigen is sent perpendicularly into the ground by a strong gust of psychic energy, but this doesn’t stop Reigen from eventually getting ahead of him.
The Strength of Two
Reigen is determined to see this through, and he starts to tell Mob that there’s something of utmost importance that he needs to say. The visuals for this scene are especially effective as Reigen is rendered with more seriousness in his face and eyes. After a brief pause, Mob, clearly not trying to hear anything his Master has to say, raises his hand against Reigen in a manner that is extremely threatening and enhanced by the shot’s focus on him as he raises his arm, as well as the brief but effective change to a dynamic rainbow watercolour aesthetic, before being cut by Mob’s hand connecting with Reigen’s. Mob is surprised atReigen being strong enoughto withstand him, and he wonders if Reigen was always hiding strength. With their hands clasped together, Reigen starts to tell Mob that he’s got something to say to him before he goes over to see Tsubomi, which catches Mob’s attention.
He tries to attack Reigen with the hand holding the bouquet of flowers he got from Minegishi, but Reigen blocks that too, quipping that Mob seems well before raising his head to reveal two round blush marks on his cheeks that can only mean one thing – possession by Dimple. While caught in their deadlock, Dimple takes the time to explain how he was able to overcome death and return to lend his strength to Reigen in this moment. He was able to make it because he was drawn to the immense spiral of power. Acting as a mediator, Dimple tries to get Mob – the inner Mob, to hear Reigen out, but it’s futile. Not long after making his dramatic re-entry into theMob Psycho 100universe, Dimple reluctantly has to leave Reigen to deal with Mob by himself. Dimple protests, but he honours the conman’s request. Once Dimple is supposedly gone, Reigen tells Mob his deepest, darkest secret – hedoes not have any spiritual or psychic powers.
Confession
Hearing Reigen tell the truth speaks directly to the Mob inside, and this causes Mob’s berserk state to dissipate entirely. The subdued look of shock that the Mob’s face assumes translates to the facial expression of the once-raging Mob on the outside. The scene assumes vibrant but somewhat muted yellows and oranges that are consistent with sunset, and as Reigen continues to talk, Mob’s surprise is shown to have turned into a stern but calm expression. As Reigen confesses, he can’t help but shed a few tears, but he plays it off as allergies. He explains to Mob that he lies a lot to his clients and to Mob himself, telling him the story of the day they met and how he’d been using Mob from the beginning.
When Reigen admits to knowing absolutely nothing about psychic powers, the news translates to visible shock in Mob, both internally and externally. Reigen apologizes foracting like his masterfor all that time, but adds that the series of events that led them to this point don’t make Mob different or special at all because “everyone has another side to them”. He tells him that it’s okay to worry about it because it’s natural, and even opens up about despising his own hidden side, but he adds the positive that his lies led to him having Mob in his life. Mob’s psychic powers are a part of who he is, and have turned him into the person he is at present – a person who, Reigen adds, is fine just the way he is. In an act that resolves the Reigen arc that had been frequently visited this season, Reigen tells Mob that he no longer needs to have a master, and that he is confident that one day he will be able to accept himself, breaking the codependency that had developed between himself and Reigen.
Healing
Reigen’s speech deeply moves the Mob, and Shigeo’s conscience reappears, more solid and vivid than the form that his powers created from breaking him down. Shigeo tells the Mob that Reigen is right, and above Shigeo merely accepting his powers, the Mob inside Shigeo should accept him back. As they talk to each other, Mob’s percentage continues to rise as various shots of the people in his life, and their acceptance of him come to mind. Shigeo tells the Mob that they shouldgo back to the way things used to be. The Mob is worried that Tsubomi will turn him down, but Shigeo reassures him, reaching out to him in an accepting handshake. “Kageyama Shigeo 100%” appears on-screen in a font textured much like Shigeo’s psychic powers usually are. In the background of the scene, the same music heard in the very first scene of theMob Psycho 100anime can be heard as they come into contact, indicating that the series has gone full-circle to parallel Shigeo Kageyama’s return to self.
With his appearance now back to normal, a much calmer Shigeo heads towards the park, with a sole flower left in his hand after the dramatic events that took place. Reigen convinces Dimple to let Shigeo go by himself. Not long later, Shigeo returns with the same flower in his hand and smile on his face. He tells them thathe was turned down. He soon breaks down crying, but he has the support of both Reigen and Dimple who try their best to cheer him up. As they walk, the shot pans out and shows more of the surrounding town, creating a beautiful shot that juxtaposes the sunlight and the rubble in a manner that invokes the idea of rebirth from destruction. This is also aided by Reigen’s attempt to cheer Mob up when he half-jokes about getting a team of psychics to fix Seasoning City.
The Future
At Salt Middle’s Body Improvement Club, excitement is high as the members prepare for Salt Middle’s annual 5km race. Shigeo is summoned by the captain, so he has to leave the clubroom, but before he does, Takenaka tells him to keep his calendar towards the end of the year open, presumably because thetrip they made to Mt. Mud Boathas become a group tradition. Inukawa confirms that the UFO that came by when they first visited Mud Boat will return. The Body Improvement Club continues to train for the upcoming marathon, and Mob is seen running at the very front of the pack alongside the captain. Mob’s general demeanour has not changed too much; however, he now wears a little smile on his face in place of his characteristic lack of facial expression. After school, he walks home with Ritsu, who tells him that the Body Improvement Club tried to recruit him, but he has his hands full with being Vice-President of the Student Council. When they see a cat stuck at the top of a telephone pole, Mob elects to climb up the pole to help it down, but it expertly hops from the pole to a tree and away.
Mob and his brother laugh, before running into Teru, whose hair has grown out once more. He tells Mob about a new line of those Monkey clothes that he likes, which makes Ritsu worry about his brother’s taste. The three finally arrive at their destination – Reigen’s office, where they are greeted by Serizawa and Tome, who has been working there for six months. She teasingly asks Mob how things are going with his girlfriend, which gets him flustered because she rejected him, but it appears that they still talk on the phone from time to time. Sho Suzuki and some of Ritsu’s psychic friends also show upfor the surprise celebrationthey’re hosting for Reigen’s birthday. When he arrives, the Mob Psycho 100 III ending theme can be heard in the background. Presented with a cake and streamers, Reigen is nearly brought to tears, but the chaotic nature of this group of friends leads to him eventually getting cake all over himself.Mob Psycho 100 IIIends with an incredibly satisfying shot of Shigeo laughing.
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