When you have a subtextual relationship in anime completely right, there are basically two ways you can interpret that. It’s tempting to pat yourself on the back for being a brilliant observer. But the truth is, in a case like this you just have to give credit to the writer. It’s ONE who’s exceptional, not me, because he tells us everything we need to know about his characters without spelling any of it out. It’s kind of an anti-light novel (and much of anime these days if we’re honest) way of writing, and it’s getting rarer and rarer in this medium we love.
Let me just harken back to what I said this week, because it really needs to be said now:
He’s kind of broken, but Mob saw something decent in him and in his inimitable fashion, chose to focus on that. In the end Mob considers Dimple a friend, and Dimple considers Mob a disciple – someone who needs a friend like him around to tell it to him straight when everyone else is BS-ing him. And if he didn’t care about Mob, he wouldn’t bother doing so.
This is the truly notable thing about the business with the monkey shirt – Mob’s reaction. He was sitting on 99%, power percolating like water on the boil, but Ekubo’s words didn’t set Mob off. Just the opposite – they snapped him back into the moment by convincing him that Ekubo was still Ekubo. Still his friend, in fact – the friend who tells him what he needs to hear when even those closest to him won’t. I said last week that Mob would have been willing to go as far as Ekubo pushed him if he had no choice, but now I’m not so sure. At the very least, I don’t think there was ever any real danger of that eventuality coming to pass.
In fact, Mob trusts Dimple so implicitly in that moment that he basically shuts off his own power, leaving himself totally defenseless. Once he’s sure of himself there’s no doubt in Shigeo’s mind that he’s in no danger. He even apologizes to Dimple for blowing him off when he tried to sell Mob on the idea of ruling side-by-side from the broccoli. Ekubo is certainly right that Mob is too modest, but that’s just who he is. This small transgression he allows himself – to momentarily feel as if he’s become popular – is enough to give him total empathy for Ekubo’s goals and desires.
As for Ekubo, things are pretty straightforward. In effect all of this Divine Tree/Psycho Helmet stuff was him acting out. It was a cry for attention, and what’s really heartbreaking about that is that while theoretically Ekubo’s whole existence is about seeking acclaim from the masses, the only one whose acclaim he really wanted was Mob. (again) As I said last week, ” Shigeo is actually a sort of parent to Ekubo too – because Ekubo is very childlike in his wants and desires (and self-image)”. He did all this to make Shigeo notice him, acknowledge him. I hate to keep self-referencing here, but as I noted earlier, the relationship between these two rivals that between Mob and Reigen for subtlety and depth (and that’s saying something).
It’s really heartwarming to see these two finally acknowledge each other this way, but it seems almost too good to be true. And indeed, it’s at this point that things start to turn in an ominous direction. Dimple stands down from controlling the Divine Tree, and Shigeo passes out from his extensive power consumption. This was just what the Tree has been waiting for – with all the believer energy flowing into it, it’s attained consciousness, and once freed from Dimple’s control it begins to assert itself. And it’s hungry, with Shigeo being as nourishing a psychic meal as it could possibly ask for.
Ekubo is never going to allow that, obviously. And thus begins another in a long line of Godly Mob Psycho 100 (and indeed Bones) sakuga explosions. The truth of it is, when Bones goes all-out there’s not many in TV anime who can hang with them, and the showdown between Ekubo and Psycho Helmet is another jewel in their crown. It’s truly spectacular, completely hand-drawn, an explosion of animation and choreography to remind us that this is the series Bones chooses to show off their greatest glories. And for good measure, Ohtsuka Akio also reminds us why he’s without an ounce of exaggeration one of the greatest seiyuu in anime history.
By the time Dimple returned to where he’s stashed Mob for safe keeping, I had a pretty clear idea of where this was headed. That last conversation between them was one of the most gut-wrenching things I’ve seen in anime for a long, long time. Ekubo is so proud of Mob, especially now that he has a sense of just how remarkable a boy he is to be able to live with what he does and never lose the essence of himself. That “You’re a man!” and hair-tousling, that lingering hand on Mob’s head as Mob’s eyes fluttered with exhaustion, the realization of what Ekubo was about to do – well, it just about broke me to be honest.
Ekubo may have tried to spare Shigeo the pain of remembering that moment and what followed, but the bond between them is too strong. Ekubo finally achieved his goal of exerting his control on Mob in the end, and he used it to save his life and try to protect him from grieving too much. Whatever karmic baggage he was carrying with him, Ekubo could not have (apparently) passed from this world in more redemptive fashion – he sacrificed himself to save a person he loved and protect the world he was leaving behind. I don’t know if this is truly the end for Ekubo, and I’m torn about that – I desperately want to see him return, but how could a character possibly ask for a better exit than that?
leongsh
November 10, 2022 at 10:34 pmIf you are invested in the Mob Psycho 100 anime, this is IT. You’re done for this whole season of anime. Peak has been reached. Anything and everything else this season is downhill.
sonicsenryaku
November 11, 2022 at 2:37 amHaha it certainly does feel that way; (cue scary movie 1 meme) BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!! See you guys in episode 8, and then quite possibly 11, with the episodes in-between being strong foundations for their quality
Aera
November 11, 2022 at 3:10 amWhen you mentioned how Mob appears like a parental figure to Ekubo, whose desires are very childlike and how he went so far just to get Mob to notice him, I am reminded of what Setsuo Itou (Mob’s seiyuu) said in the theatrical screening of episode 4-6, that happened a few days ago. He said how the things that Ekubo said and told to Mob sounded like a something that a father would say. Especially when Ekubo expressed how proud he was, and the piggyback ride. It’s interesting to see different perspectives about their relationship.
Random thought, I think it’s because of Ekubo’s hypnosis that made Mob see his floating green cloud form instead of the torn apart God form, all so Mob could go home without worrying about him. The handwaves that they exchanged…it’s so heartbreaking.
This was one of my most favorite arcs. Bones never let me down, and Ohtsuka Akio’s performance as Dimple (and the sentient Psycho Helmets too) really made this arc amazing.
I like how in the third episode, if I remember correctly, the narrator (voiced by Ohtsuka Akio) described about Divine Tree and its influence, then his voice changed midway to Ekubo’s voice, which kind of relates to the small difference of this episode’s ending in the anime and in the manga. In the manga, it’s the narrator who said “Ekubo was a friend” as Mob cried himself to sleep. But in the anime, Mob was the one to say that Ekubo was his friend, not the narrator, to hammer home the fact that Ekubo is no longer around anymore.
Thank you for your weekly reviews of this amazing series!
Guardian Enzo
November 11, 2022 at 7:47 amYou’re welcome. And yes, I assume that was part of Ekubo’s hypnosis. Just so utterly sad and beautiful.
To further elaborate on your point about Ekubo being like a father to Mob, I don’t think there’s a mutual exclusivity there. I think Mob and Dimple are like fathers to each other in different ways. I think you can even say that about Mob and Reigen, to an extent, given that Reigen is kind of a man-child himself. Part of this is down to Mob’s nature, I think. He’s the most powerful person in the world (probably), and possessed of an almost Buddha-like sense of perspective. But he’s also an emotionally vulnerable and insecure child who’s fundamentally uncomfortable with who he is.
sonicsenryaku
November 11, 2022 at 3:25 amI just want to mention how emotionally profound it was for Dimple realizing that Mob truly is a man (a point I’m glad you noticed as being important to the entirety of this climax). If anyone has seen any of Jordan Peterson’s content regarding male behavior, he mentions how the true testament of masculinity is controlled rage and power. Dimple sees that Mob has all this power but has the compunction to know when and when not to use it, as well as how to get by in life without it, and that it’s those things that make Mob a man. Being suave or machismo or braggadocio doesn’t make one a man; knowing when to oscillate between gentle protectiveness and stern authority; knowing how to be mindful of one’s responsibility with power; that’s what makes a man; that’s what makes someone who can be a unifying force for people. it’s just so cathartic for Dimple to come to that realization in his eleventh hour, validating Mob for his maturity and choice to better himself by walking the more challenging road in life.
Surprisingly enough this still isn’t the peak; as I’ve alluded to last week, the next arc is a two-parter that is probably my favorite content in the series. It’s not anything extreme in scope; it’s a just a slice-of-life adventure that perfectly captures the innocence of youth and the importance of creating memorable experiences with your close friends while there’s still time. I don’t know about y’all, but as an adult entering his 30’s, that shit hits. But yea, can’t wait to continue this Mob Psycho hype train all the way to the finale….just 6 more weeks……….damn
Eugene T.
November 11, 2022 at 8:51 amCompared to the corresponding mid-season headline fight of Season 2 (Mob vs Mogami), I would say this episode did a much better job of keeping the emotional element with the spectacle of explosions, high energy movement etc.
Conversely, I feel some of the emotional element and storytelling was lost amidst the sakuga of Mob vs Mogami as well-animated as it was.
Guardian Enzo
November 11, 2022 at 9:05 amThe emotional stakes weren’t nearly as high there, to be fair.
Raikou
November 11, 2022 at 9:52 amDamn, Ekubo sure make a one hell of an exit there.
We all need Ekubo in our life, that one friend who tells us straight without any BS-ing.
Ootsuka Akio reminded us again that he’s one of the big boss in the seiyuu world.
Nicc
November 12, 2022 at 8:24 amThis was one heck of an episode to unpack. I am not familiar with the source material and so I had no idea how this episode would go. I was already not expecting a big battle between Mob and Dimple and based on watching the show from the earlier two seasons. Instead, what we got was much better than I expected.
He goes to 100% and then… sheds all of his power. “Trust” was the word that was shown and that’s what it was all about between Mob and Dimple. That was some terrific writing. It was a sincere talk between the both of them.
One of the thoughts that came to my mind in the previous episodes was if Psycho Helmet was an alter ego of Dimple. I was wondering where Dimple ended and where Psycho Helmet began. It turns out that Psycho Helmet is its own entity, certainly influenced by Dimple. And, like you said, now unleashed, it wants to assert itself.
What happens next is a sakuga showcase and that’s definitely one of the highlights of the year for me. Then, the ending… Yeah, I don’t believe Dimple is coming back. Still, what a way to go not just for him but for how the arc ended.
I watched this episode as a doubleheader with the 2nd season “Muv-Luv”, which featured excellent VA work with that episode. Indeed, the voice acting is a part of the viewing experience, the viewing pleasure. I write this post on the same day that we learned that Kevin Conroy has died. To me he’s THE voice of Batman. It shows how a great actor can really elevate the character or the series. “Batman: The Animated” series wouldn’t nearly be as good without Kevin Conroy as Batman, or Mark Hamill as The Joker. The latter I found out years later. “The Joker is played by Luke Skywalker‽”. It can be overlooked, the work of the voice actors are essential.
Ngai-Han
November 23, 2022 at 10:26 pmNot sure if it’s a thread answered later but why did Hanazawa give Mob such an awful shirt? Or was his fashion sense just that bad?…
Guardian Enzo
November 23, 2022 at 10:47 pmAbsent any evidence to the contrary I assume it’s the latter.