Mob Psycho 100 vol. 13

This series had a pretty good run last year, so it’s a little disappointing to see it fumble the epilogue of the previous arc.  The basics are there in that we find out what happened to Mob, his friends, and the members of Claw after the story’s explosive climax, but it all flows awkwardly together.  Like the progression of events here is all out of whack.  I don’t have any problems with what happens to everyone – the President of Claw’s fate is handled quite well, in fact – and the threat of the next arc is properly set up.  I just wish that it didn’t feel so jumbled here.

Once that’s out of the way, we get back to your regularly scheduled “Mob Psycho 100” shenanigans in short order.  Mob is still angsting about his future, how to fit in and attract girls at school, and helping Reigen exorcize the odd demon and such.  Things are different now, however, as Mob is more confident and a couple of girls, Tsubomi and Mezato, are actually showing interest in him.  Reigen also has a new, but familiar, assistant at Spirits & Such to help out whenever Mob isn’t around.  Oh, and there’s a giant stalk of broccoli growing out of the center of the city now.

That last bit is central to the main plot of the series going forward and it even manages to bring in the ongoing subplot about the cult of Psychohelmetism that has been ticking along for a while now.  It also ties into Mob’s concerns about the direction of his life and what he should be using his powers for, which is also good to see.  We’re heading into the material that I hear was adapted as the third season of the anime, and I kept hearing that described as a well-done victory lap for the series after Season Two.  Even if you’d hope that a series keeps building in intensity until its end, what we’re getting here doesn’t feel that bad.  If the last few volumes are all going to be about Mob’s efforts to figure out what he wants to do with his life, vol. 13 (eventually) makes a good case for that being a worthwhile goal for its finale.