A genuine lull? Yes, however brief, and I almost didn’t know what to do with myself (which is an issue given that it only lasted about three hours). I felt I’d best cover something from the backlog because it’s piled up – even the OVA folder is full. I could have returned to one of the Netflix three (maybe it tells something about my lack of enthusiasm) or attempted to catch up on Hunter X Hunter (no rush – looks like I have plenty of time), but I chose one of the specials instead.
I had no idea Mob Psycho 100: Reigen – Shirarezaru Kiseki no Reinouryokusha was a recap, which I guess speaks to how out of the loop I’ve been. As a result, there isn’t much to cover here, albeit this was one of the better recaps I’ve read. That’s partly because it was nice to watch some of Mob Psycho 100 in all its splendor again, but it’s also because about 20% of this hour-long special is brand new. Because this is Tachikawa Yuzuru, you know nothing will be mailed in here – even a recap episode will be done with elegance and creative brilliance. Source
The new plot revolves around Reigen choosing to publish a BS book recounting his own adventures (as he tells them) after witnessing a sham psychic promoting her BS book on TV. And he determines that Mob should write down the BS (for his customary hourly pittance and.2% of the gross – this poor guy is paid like an in-between animator). Actually, this is a rather brilliant recap setup because it gives a valid reason to display all that things while interweaving a bit of new story. Tachikawa cleverly incorporates some tiny adjustments to reflect Reigen’s imaginative take on events.
It’s good to see Reigen in full scam artist mode again after he was in badass mode for the majority of the first season. There are several amusing sight gags (such as Reigen clutching fries whilst discussing Claw), and the ending is appropriate – Reigen spending all of his crowdfunding money (2500, which he donated personally) on ramen for himself and Mob. That’s the thing about Reigen: no matter how much of a jerk and asshat he is, he always manages to right the ship in the end.
The best part of the episode, though, was Tachikawa’s use of the postscript to deliver the shocking Season 2 announcement – we knew it was coming sooner or later, but it was one of the best ways I’ve ever seen it done. With ONE wrapping up the manga, we’re pretty well certain to receive a complete telling in anime form – and while it’s unfortunate that the book finished as fast as it did, it surely merits it. When S2 is released (I’m predicting sometime in 2019), it will be one of the best series of the year.