Mob Psycho 100 has taken the world by storm with two successful anime seasons and one OVA special that follows the middle schooler Mob who attempts to juggle his pre-pubescent troubles with the psychic powers that are constantly putting him at odds with giant apparition like threats. Recently, at the latest Crunchyroll Expo, we had the opportunity to sit down the character designer for the series, Yoshimichi Kamada, to discuss just how the second season of Mob and company choose the aesthetic that it did and how they managed to use light and shadow to nail the general feeling of the series itself.
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Kamada had this to say about the design work that went into the anime adaptation of Mob Psycho 100 and what made the series unique from other anime series:
“I read the original manga many times and I wanted to treasure the unique essence of it. Also ONE sensei’s shadow-casting is three-dimensional. Although his art is really simple, I was impressed how the shadow itself is really detailed. As many of the shadows were formed of subtle gradation, I proposed to have the skin-shade of the anime characters in similar ways.
Also I wanted to express the aura when characters used the psychic powers just like the Bikkuriman stickers. I insisted on using this because (as far as I know) not many anime have adapted this technique but not to be big headed about it but that effect became one of the most notable features of the series! However, I’ve only started using this effect so if we are allowed to work on Mob Psycho in the future, I want to try out more.”
What did you think of Mob Psycho 100’s second season? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and Mob Psycho 100!
You can currently find the new OVA, Mob Psycho 100 II: The First Spirits and Such Company Trip ~A Journey that Mends the Heart and Heals the Soul~, streaming on Crunchyroll and FunimationNOW, with an English dub available as well. The new special is described as such:
“Mob, Reigen, Dimple, and the newest member of the Spirits and Such Consultation Office staff, Serizawa, take a trip up to a secluded hot spring called Ibogami Hot Springs in Zebra Prefecture. Reigen happened to get a request from the matron there to discover the truth behind the strange rumors going around there and save the inn. Ritsu and Teru also join in on this trip and the six of them head out on this super relaxing trip to the hot spring. But on their way there, Reigen and Serizawa start nodding off on the train and somehow get sucked into an eerie parallel world…”
