Studio Bones President on the Wait for Mob Psycho 100 Season 3 and Its Top Goal (Exclusive)

The wait for Mob Psycho 100 has been hard to endure, but it will not be long before the show makes its comeback. This fall will welcome Mob and Reigen back to the scene, after all. The team at Studio Bones are staying busy with the series behind the scenes, and its first two episodes received rave reviews after a special screening at Crunchyroll Expo. And there, ComicBook got the chance to speak with the studio’s president about all things Mob Psycho 100. 

Masahiko Minami, president and co-founder of Studio Bones, sat down with ComicBook to address several burning questions about the anime. From its hand-drawn animation to its interest in consistency, the executive had plenty to say, and you can read up on their words below:

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Question: Mob Psycho 100 has always been popular in the United States, but season two’s story and animation turned it into a huge hit. What would you say is the anime’s personal charm?

Masahiko Minami: As the team progressed from season one to season two, we really wanted to exceed the expectations set by season one. We didn’t wanna lose the charm of season one, so we wanted to adapt season two while keeping that momentum going. I think something that everyone can appreciate in Mob Psycho 100 is the action. I think everyone appreciates the different psychic powers, but on the other side of things, there’s the charming aspect of youth to consider. Mob is seen going through school //ife, and there’s the relationship between Mob and the other characters as those personal relationships grow and develop. These two aspects progress simultaneously with each other so seeing both of those happen within the anime is something that’s really nice

With Mob and his friends, they are in middle school, so there’s the aspect of them just being kids. However, there’s also another side of life shown with Reigen. You know, he’s the mentor here, so the anime deals with some adult aspects like teaching others how to get through life. This isn’t really a hidden part of the anime because the show’s environment naturally gives Reigen the chance to teach Mob and his friends how to get through the world. This inclusion of fantasy and reality – the harmonizing of these two things together is really something that I think is amazing.

Question: I already mentioned the animation of season two of Mob Psycho 100. It completely blew fans away, so expectations are high for season three. What can you tell us about the anime’s upcoming visuals? Does the team at Bones feel pressured by the fans’ expectations?

Minami: To talk about the visual charm of Mob Psycho 100, I think it comes from the fact it is the only current anime on air now using hand-drawn animation. Being able to express animation through hand-drawn techniques and creating visuals generates a lot of excitement and is some impressive stuff. From the show’s director to its character designer, sinceseason one began, the show’s main staff has stayed consistent. They all stayed together, to work on Mob Psycho 100. I think we kept the audience waiting and a lot of people were asking, ‘Oh, where’s the next season?’. Sadly, the anime’s main staff weren’t all available at the same time, and we really wanted to make sure that they got to work on it together at the same time to keep things consistent.

Question: Mob Psycho 100 season three is expected to cover an important arc originally found in ONE-sensei’s webcomic. Is the creator involved at all with the anime at this point?

Minami: The story for season three is not yet announced in terms of the anime so all we can really see is what’s in the trailer. So please look forward to the release of season three. As for how the creator of Mob Psycho 100 is involved, he’s helped with production in various ways. In seasons one and two, he helped us a lot with the script writing by consulting and discussing what all should happen in the seasons and then did so again with the original OVA. ONE participated in helping form the story and planning of the OVA, and with in season three, there are many things like the characters’ relationships and several upcoming events that ONE helped us with during the planning stages.

Question: As the show’s comeback draws nearer, what would you say the goal of Mob Psycho 100’s team is for season three?

Minami: We want to convey the vision created by the original source material. We also want to stay true to the anime’s previous work. Especially in season two, there was a lot more world-building and a lot of contexts added to the anime. There were three years in between the release of season one and season two, so there was a separation because of how much time people had to wait between those seasons. For fans who watched seasons one and two long ago and for new fans who are just getting interested in Mob Psycho 100, we want to make sure that even if you only watch season three, the show is still fun and interesting, and captivating. We have a very strong desire to ensure that we deliver a good show for fans of all different kinds. 

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Are you looking forward to Mob Psycho 100 season three? What do you hope to see from the comeback? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.