This episode pulls the rug from under us and it wildly diverts course from a sweet little shipping cruise to something a little more action packed. This time focusing more on Reigen as he and Mob make their way to a nearby town to investigate its excess of urban legends.
More of a self contained storyline here as the series settled back into its characters, choosing only to focus on two of our focal characters and their little ghost pal Dimple. Set up almost like a series of vignettes, showcasing Reigen’s aggressive application of common sense in a world where ghosts and psychic powers are rife.
The whole, ongoing theme in this episode is how myths and ghost stories only ultimately have power that you give them. Almost all ghost stories in real life have a very reasonable explanation behind them, but people’s paranoia and imagination create more outlandish stories to grasp onto.
A message given a direct physical manifestation in this episode. As Mob and Reigen arrive in this nearby town, they’re immediately confronted by a local psychic for encroaching on his turf. While this guy does seemingly have some some degree of psychic abilities, unlike Reigen, he lacks his confidence, charisma and ability to not give a shit. Arguably Reigen’s greatest power.
Roping this local into helping them, Reigen and Mob (Who is looking dapper in that sweet turtle neck) start to investigate the urban myths plaguing the town. Most of which turn out to be nothing at all; a “human faced dog” being a corgi some kids drew on with marker pen and “Dash Granny” quite literally being an old lady who goes out for late night runs.
After a confrontation with a red coated stalker who turns out to be a pervert who likes flashing people, in the form of a Street Fighter II parody, our tubby esper confronts an urban legend that turns out to be a little less fabricated than the rest.
“The Dragger”, a woman who crawls from a pond and drags people to a watery death turns out to be very real. Ironically enough, she is a creature borne from urban legend, and the more people talk about her and share her story on social media, the more powerful she becomes.
It’s a cool, interesting take on urban legends such as the Slender Man, characters who very clearly have a creator who admits he made them up, and yet you have children who believe in it so strongly that they try to commit a murder. I mean, sure, Nightmare on Elm Street did it first, but it’s something that really makes sense in this show’s universe.
Hilariously, Mob is able to defeat the creature easily, not due to his overwhelming psychic abilities, but due to his utter lack of awareness of social trends and obliviousness to pop culture in general. It’s perfect.
The episode caps off with their investigation into Dash Granny, an old lady who is able to out-sprint Mob, despite the fact that he trains every day. Poor guy.
Mob Psycho 100 continues to impress, mixing it’s own weird style with some cool messages and impressively animated action sequences, it’s already squaring up to be one of my favourite shows of the year.
A Richard Wood Text Adventure 