What makes a good protagonist?

Good, not in its meaning of being 
well-written but as a matter of

virtue and morality. A protagonist whose
ideals and values are kind and honorable

in their actions. Mob Psycho 100 is a 
story elevated by its means of showing

kindness perpetuated by Mob, a child born
with tremendous psychic abilities but

whose warm-hearted nature defines his
character. As storytelling has developed

overtime, writers have explored the
intricacies of developing heroes and

protagonists outside of righteously good
personas through the inclusions of

anti-heroes, pragmatic heroes, and
situated characters within a morally

grey void. Protagonists who don't waver
from their kind persona have become far

fewer. Protagonists who don't deviate from
their ethical morals are deemed

one-dimensional and boring compared to
heroes undertaking ambiguous actions,

whose development is regarded as 
multifaceted and complex. Mob's growth

over the series isn't grand comparable to
other shounen stories. Whilst in other

narratives where the hero's powers 
increase over time, Mob Psycho 100 never

once explores the ideology of growing 
Mob's powers instead forming and applying

differing interpretation of the 
overpowered protagonist trope. Mob's

psychic powers aren't there as an exemplar
of his progression, as they don't develop

nor advance through a training arc, but 
rather exist as another element to Mob's

being. Instead the creative focus is on
developing his humanity in lieu of powers,

showcasing how Mob's humility as a person 
can also shift and help the lives of

others. Unlike superhero counterparts, Mob
refrains from using powers with the upmost

sincerity, procuring a resolve in
dismantling vicious scenarios through the

goodwill of listening and understanding.
Being sympathetic and compassionate of

both humans and the paranormal alike,
Mob's truest power is enacting change in

others. As said from mentor Reigen 
Arataka himself,

"The truth behind one's charm is 
kindness. Be a good person. That is all."

Superpowers waver a thin line of 
stability and are useless in the hands of

someone callous. Greed and megalomaniac
thoughts are prominent within people who

possess great power. To see oneself more
worthy than average people. Yet, despite

Mob's powers, the show embodies the
importance of fighting with kindness and

compassion, arguably the hardest traits to
keep in one's heart, but the most

invaluable and rewarding. Initially 
starting the series, Mob persistently

contemplates the purpose of his existence,
evidentially shown during the nervous

break he endeavors once asked, 
"What is it that you really want to do?"

It's a question that could throw many
people off, but for Mob in particular,

it's a stark reminder towards the fear of
a life unfulfilled, thus making his

decision in joining the Body Improvement
Club much more endearing. Mob recognizes

the ease of which relying on psychic
abilities could hinder his own personal

development. Psychic abilities can only
help so much. They can't develop social

skills, make you friends, nor magically
improve your physique, and those are

goals Mob wishes to achieve. To become
comfortable in himself and build on his

growth without depending on his powers. In
many ways, because of his powers, Mob is

a ticking time bomb. His friends and
family sometimes fear Mob's instability

when confronted with intense emotions and
the aftermath his 100% or unknown

percent state leaves behind. Through
observation, Mob's variety of intense

states mimic that of real life. When 
feeling of rage, animosity, and tenacity

overwhelm him, Mob's actions are 
impulse. He unconsciously attacks with

negative emotions bursting at the seams, 
leading to incidents later filled with

regret. But his 100% states charged with 
gratitude, compassion, and kindness are

the times of which he's most conscious of
his actions. Fully aware of the help he's

achieving, Mob takes initiative without 
the lingering results of remorse or shame,

showing the differing consequences of
letting positive or negative emotions

drive your actions. On that note, the
execution towards Mob's handling of

emotions could be interpreted as someone
on the autistic spectrum: finding

difficultly with social cues, facing 
ridicule for being outwardly emotionless

despite very much being the opposite, and
his 100% explosions an allegory of

autistic meltdowns. There's much evidence 
to suggest Mob is heavily coded as

autistic. As referenced from the National
Autistic Society,

"Meltdowns happen as an intense response
to an overwhelming situation, allowing for

temporary loss of control. When a person
is completely overwhelmed, and their

condition means it is difficult to express
that in another way, it is understandable

that the result is a meltdown."

From the description alone, it's hard to
interpret Mob's explosions as anything

but similar to autistic meltdowns, and it 
makes sense. Mob is often found burrowing

emotions away. He grew up with a
connection to humans and non-humans,

directly placing him as an outsider of 
normality. Having to carry the weight of

his actions and the pressures faced as a
result of his powers, it's only natural

Mob would suppress emotions that could
uncontrollably escalate under stressful

scenarios. In saying this, despite the 
negative connotations people unrightfully

push towards autism, in Mob Psycho 100
Mob's outbursts and difficulty in

recognizing nonverbal cues are never once
framed negatively or as a hindrance. His

friends and family calm him down when
spotting signs of distress not because

they see him as a danger or threat but
because they care for his well-being. Mob

is haunted by the damage caused during his
childhood, the reminder of Ritsu calling

in pain surrounded by injured bodies, the 
origin of Mob's resolve to never use

powers on humans. Some mistake this as
complete pacifism, but Mob will step in

when justifiable against non-humans, 
exorcising evil spirits or defending

himself against espers when necessary. 
And yet, even then, Mob shows a

determination in proving to others 
violence isn't the answer. Showing power

not through brutality but courage and
attempting to inspire kindness in others.

Most of the vigorous battles in the show
Mob has settled through nonviolent actions

His impact not conveyed in heroics of 
saving people like in other shounen

stories, but the connection he's able to
form with others to enact change.

Like the creator himself stated,

"I wanted to build on the idea of a
protagonist who changes people's lives."

What good is defeating an enemy if their
morals are unchanged?

Mob sees a chance of improvement and
rehabilitation in anyone and it's because

of this that many in the cast are inspired
by Mob. He makes them realize their own

mistakes and wrongdoings through the
goodwill of his personality. His younger

brother Ritsu, riddled with newfound 
powers and rage by his inferiority

complex, was left in tears hearing Mob's 
confession of admiration for his younger

brother. Mob dismissed his challenge of a
fight and even apologized on his behalf

to those he hurt. Ritsu lived his 
childhood feeling inferior and frustrated

towards Mob and his powers, and yet it's
Ritsu's intelligence and charisma of which

he earned without powers, that Mob finds
so inspiring. Mob loves Ritsu and was

elated to hear Ritsu earned his powers, 
knowing just how much he wanted them.

But powers or not, Mob is always proud
of his brother, even through the mishaps

he created from being power-hungry. It's
this earnesty that confronts Ritsu of his

misdeeds, changes the way he uses his
powers, and slowly learns to overcome his

low self-esteem. Mob's confrontation with
Serizawa is handled mostly through lack

of confidence, too. Mob instead is willing
to listen to his troubles, understanding

his fear of losing control and offering
him the kindness he lacked all his life.

Rather than manipulating the vulnerable
like Suzuki, Mob consoles Serizawa,

offering an ear to listen rather than a
fist to hurt. Even during the rare

occasions Mob's powers directly hurt 
someone, he's left overcome with feelings

of deep sorrow and regret. For instance, 
his unknown percent state going berserk

and harming Teru as a result of Mob 
falling unconscious. Mob felt intense

sadness and devastation when seeing the 
aftermath of his actions. Even if they

were unwittingly done, he's someone that 
takes every action he does to heart, and

with that comes the unfortunate times he's
faced with the repercussions of his

negative emotions. In a similar manner,
Mob feels regret when attacking Suzuki

during the World Domination Arc, telling
the hotheaded esper he doesn't want to

hurt him, despite Suzuki making it
necessary through his unhinged behavior.

It's through realizing his attempts at 
talking him down proved pointless that

Mob admits he's not strong enough. And 
that's something admirable about Mob: he

doesn't consider his lack of strength as a
result of his weaker psychic abilities,

but in his attempts to help and change 
others. He's upset that his words aren't

strong enough to reach out and help 
Suzuki, which forces his hand to violence

instead. However, after an intense battle
between the two, and Mob's sacrifice in

trying to minimize his self-destruct
explosion, Suzuki does eventually

take Mob's words to heart. Everyone grows
because of their encounters with other

people. People need other people. If not
for Mob's kindness, many people's lives

wouldn't have changed for the better. 
Reigen's reputation would still be

tarnished from the humiliation of his
press conference. Emi would continue to be

shamed of her writing work, the ripped
pages of creative writing she poured hours

into still blowing in the wind. Minori
Asagiri would still be suffering,

possessed by Mogami. And heartwarmingly
enough even Setsuo Ito, Mob's voice

actor might not have gained the slightest
self confidence boost if not for Mob.

Mob's strength in pushing purpose and
motivation in others is what is

constantly supported. Through being kind
to others you receive respect in return.

Mob's connection to friends and family is
what keeps him grounded, to not wander too

deep into the power of the unknown, but 
also as a reminder of who he is and what

his morals are. During his time in 
Mogami's fake alternative reality, Mob

comes away from the experience feeling 
even more grateful for the people in his

life, understanding the despair and misery
he could've endured if not for the

kindness he received too. Mob genuinely
believes he was influenced because of the

people around him. A boy who was once
secluded and riddled with inner thoughts

now having a massive list of friends who
help and support him, even for something

as simple as building stamina. And it's 
this very reason he deems no one as

worthless nor undeserving of attempted
change: because if Mob was able to change,

then anyone can. The premise of this 
series and Mob's character might not look

unique from the offset, but Mob is a 
warm-hearted person and amiable at

his core. He's still a young boy who makes
mistakes and is flawed; he's terrible at

maths and even worse at sports, not to
mention easily exploited and taken

advantage of. Even Reigen pays him pennies
for the constant work and requests he asks

of Mob. But as the series progresses, you
see a change in all aspects of these

flaws. Not progress in his powers, but Mob
as a person and the relationships he

builds. "To be the protagonist of your own
life," is a beautiful message. Make

choices your own. Choose a path you think
is fitting for you. And if things go wrong

it's still your own story to change and
alter the direction of. Mob Psycho 100 is

a favorite show of mine because its 
protagonist is kind to an unfaltering

degree. He knows everyone suffers 
differently- people come in all degrees of

fault and issues because the world can be
harsh - but decides to be kind anyways. We

watch as a young and impressionable boy
concerned about his powers slowly turns

to a boy more assured of himself, how he
wants to fit in this world, and the lives

he wants to touch.

As always, thank you for watching. Sorry
for the little delay in this video;

I caught Covid during the production,
causing a little halt in the process.

But all is relatively good now. I want to
thank my Patreons again for being patient

with this video, and I'll see you next
time with a manga video.