“One Punch Man†is a huge phenomenon both in Japan and in the US. What started off as just some random web manga gained a huge following once it went to print. One’s other web manga, “Mob Psycho 100†had a similar fate but it’s not as big as “One Punch Man.†With the release of the first volume of the manga, US readers can finally read it legally and it’s a fun read.
Shigeo Kageyama, AKA “Mob,†seems like any other normal, boring looking face in the crowd middle schooler. Unfortunately, he has some superhuman powers that are being abused by his boss Arataka Reigen, a fraud spirit medium. What follows is the “ordinary†life of Mob as he attends school, helps out Reigen for ¥300 an hour and try to impress a girl.
Mob is pretty similar to Saitama: He’s an overpowered character who is treated like a gag character. Yes, One could have made him constantly fight spirits and demons, but having Mob do mundane things bets fits his. While not as entertaining as “One Punch Man,†“Mob Psycho 100†does offer plenty of funny moments and weird things that one comes to expect from One (a character whose chin looks like a butt, anyone?)
The only real downside is Mob does tend to be a bit boring. The main reason is a character like this needs outrageous characters to work off of and most of the characters here are tame. Reigen is the only exception to the rule since he has a ton of personality and has a ton of funny lines.
The artwork is basically the same as the web manga and it shows. Unlike “One Punch Man†which had a huge polishing job, this is a direct transfer from the web manga. It’s pretty terrible looking. It looks like it was drawn by someone who learned how to draw manga from one of those “How to Draw Manga†books and added his spin to it. It looks more like a first draft than a finished, polished manga.
“Mob Psycho 100†may not be as great as “One Punch Man,†but it still delivers on the laughs and entertainment value. The art may be the worst thing about this series, but it doesn’t take away any enjoyment the manga has.
I’ve been eager for a chance to buy this for years. As someone who has read all of the manga, I have to say. One of the best things about it is seeing Ones art improve progressively as it goes on. But the quality of his art never really detracts from his storytelling. He proved to me that you can make something amazing whether you’re a professional level artist or not. I found its story to be far more enjoyable than One Punch Man.