With the recent news of Crunchyroll recasting Mob’s beloved English voice actor, Kyle McCarley, Mob Psycho 100 has grabbed the attention of many anime fans. There’s no surprise the series is immensely popular, especially right now.

There’s no question Shigeo Kageyama, also known as “Mob”, stands out from other shonen protagonists in a variety of ways. In a demographic with iconic heroes like Tanjiro and Naruto, here's what makes Mob stand out from other shonen protagonists.

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The Unconventional Plot Lets Mob Stand Out

Mob with colorful ghosts in Mob Psycho 100.

Like most other shonen anime, Mob is constantly being thrown into situations that would make any socially awkward kid uncomfortable. When he’s not hunting spirits and doing meaningless odd jobs with his con-artist mentor, Reigen Arataka, he’s struggling in school or fighting some random esper no one’s ever heard of. That isn’t to say the big battles Mob gets thrown into by series creator ONE are meaningless; much like the characters in Mob Psycho 100, the fight scenes always teach Mob a valuable lesson in the end.

There are many shonen protagonists who learn life lessons from their narratives. Shonen stories usually focus heavily on common tropes like the power of friendship and found family. And, while the story of Mob subtly focuses on these tropes as well, Mob Psycho also has a variety of other lessons for viewers to enjoy. One of the biggest takeaways from Mob Psycho 100 is anyone is capable of changing, no matter how evil or irredeemable they may seem.

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Redefining Shonen Tropes

Mob and Arataka about to enter a dangerous tunnel.

An excellent example of this is shown during Mob’s fight with the deceased esper, Keiji Mogami, when he possesses one of Mob’s fellow schoolmates, Minori Asagiri. Mogami spends nearly the entire fight trying to convince Mob to use his powers to fulfill his inner desires. This is because, according to Mogami, everyone around Mob is using him for their own gain. After being trapped in Mogami’s illusion for six months, Mob is almost persuaded to give in, but Dimple saves him and makes Mob remember who he is. Once Mob regains his sense of self, he defeats Mogami and rescues Minori. Once Minori returns to normal, she thanks Mob, and he says she and Mogami helped him realize people can change no matter who they are.

This is a refreshing take on a common trope that's often shown in shonen anime. While Mob’s viewpoints may seem naive, most viewers understand he’s a child and is likely to have simplistic ideals. Nonetheless, that's what sets Mob Psycho's rendition from other shonen anime; Minori is a bully, but, after being saved by Mob, she learns even someone like her can change and become a better person.

Some viewers may find this redundant and pointless because the actual change Minori goes through isn't shown on screen and is left up mostly to assumption. Minori isn’t the main character or a part of the lead supporting cast, so, although some fans may think she is unimportant at first glance, there’s no doubt Minori plays an integral role in Mob’s story.

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The Irregular Cast Teach Mob Valuable Life Lessons

The People In Mobs Life In Mob Psycho 100 III

Much like the plot, the characters created for Mob Psycho poke fun at common character tropes fans are used to seeing in most shonen anime. But, it does so by leaving messages for its viewers and giving them something to think about when the final boss or big bad actually gets defeated for that arc. Some villains or antagonists actually end up earning Mob’s friendship or helping him out later as the story continues.

A great example is shown when the over-confident esper, Teruki (Teru) Hanazawa from Black Vinegar Middle School appears. Mob first meets Teru and unwillingly fights him at his school. This is one of Mob’s first big fights in the series, and it changes him and Teru for the better. It’s also the reason Teru and Mob build a friendship. They sometimes hang out when they aren’t fighting villains or visiting one another’s schools. Though their interactions outside of battles are rare, Teru is one of the first friends Mob makes that isn’t another student from Salt Middle School and is able to understand Mob's powers.

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The Value of Human Connection

Mob shows off his abilities to Emi in Mob Psycho 100

Mob learns many things from his friends and acquaintances throughout the series. As with Teru, Reigen is one of the first people to teach Mob many useful things, even if he doesn’t quite understand them right away. When Mob and Reigen first met, Mob was about ten or eleven years old.

He approached Reigen, a supposedly famous psychic, hoping to learn how to hone and control his own psychic abilities. At this point, Mob has no clue Reigen isn't actually a psychic -- but that doesn’t mean he can’t learn a thing or two from his new master. One of the first lessons Reigen teaches Mob is he no different from other people; even with his psychic abilities, he’s still a normal human. And the key to life is just being a good person. This is one of the major themes presented in Mob Psycho 100 and Mob carries it with him all the way until the end of the series.

Mob Psycho 100 is a wonderful anime full of interesting themes and concepts. It’s well known for picking apart popular and often overused shonen tropes and making fun of them.

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But, one of the great things about Mob Psycho, and why it’s so popular, is because it knows when to be serious. The main character, Shigeo Kageyama, stands out from other shonen protagonists because he has a good supporting cast and takes their lessons to heart.