The Mob Psycho 100 Guide to Relationships (OWLS Feb. 2019 Blog Tour)

…because who said all OWLS posts need a three-paragraph, essay-like structure? No one, that’s who.

Welcome to the Spirits and Such Consulting Office. I’m afraid the usual people who run this place – Mob and Reigen – are out on a case, but somehow I was roped into holding down the fort. (The name’s Aria, by the way.) Let’s discuss the case at hand, from Lyn to the rest of the OWLS team, first:

In February, we will be exploring love and romance. The word selected is “adore” because it has two main connotations: to be loved and respected or to feel worshipped. We will analyze characters that give us a feeling of admiration and explain why we love those characters. We will also be exploring different forms of love (familial, friendship, and even self-love) and how those types of love influence our lives. Happy Valentine’s Day!

> Who’s/What’s OWLS?

I’m glad you asked. OWLS is short for “Otaku Warriors for Liberty and Self-Respect”,  a group who promote acceptance of individuals regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion and disability. You can check out the February 2019 tour schedule here and that’ll get you started, I think.

Thus:

…Just imagine me stabbing a Powerpoint that uses this image with one of those board-pointing sticks. It’ll make the post experience that much more immersive. (Image source: Mob Psycho 100 II ep 1)

So, how can Mob Psycho 100 help?

> I need romantic advice.

Look no further than Mob’s experiences with Emi and Tsubomi as a guide. No matter whether your romantic affection is for gals, dudes or any gender in between, it’s just a matter of knowing what will impress them and acting appropriately. Being yourself is always a good place to start!

…Or you can just take some of Reigen’s advice from when he was helping a woman with a stalker (ep 15/s2 ep 3): “But does love always come with sexual desires?” Maybe you need to work on your platonic relationship with your object of affection first.

> I don’t get along well with my family.

That’s alright – relationships like those have to get over some bumps in the road to overcome. Blood is thicker than water, or so they say. Even Ritsu and Mob, two brothers who had previously supported each other through thick and thin, became isolated once the former developed an inferiority complex in regards to psychic powers (and other types of power, if the student council is anything to go by).

Alternatively, even if you don’t get along with your family, you still have your friends and everyone else, right? Even if you don’t get along with your family now, you don’t know how chummy you could be with them in the future.

Besides, if there’s ever a time you’re feeling down or conflicted like you’re drowning in a sea of feelings, your friends and family – your support networks – will inevitably be the ones to bring you back from the depths of the abyss, whether they like it or not.

> I need some more confidence in myself.

Well, confidence ain’t made in a day unless your name is Arataka Reigen. Confidence stems from pride and pride is built up through doing things, so maybe start small – volunteer to wash dogs or something like that – and then try to work your way up to greater things. Once you look back and realise how far you’ve come, your heart will surely swell with confidence.

“People can change through their interactions with others.” – Shigeo Kageyama (aka “Mob”), Mob Psycho 100 II ep 5 (17th ep overall)

In Mob’s case, it took a combination of factors, including joining the Body Improvement Club and learning how to be empathetic to both people and spirits, to instil confidence into him. Basically, the path to confidence can be a long, winding and worst of all painful one, but one needs trials to overcome in order to maintain faith in oneself.

…Oh, and don’t be too prideful either. You know what they say – pride comes before a fall.

> I need someone new to worship.

Well, you could just join the LOL Religion or the Psycho Helmet Cult…aside from providing you the details of Psycho Helmet Cult senior member Mezato, I don’t think it’s something I can help with, though.

> Why is this post the way it is? You’ve already acknowledged in the introduction this is completely different to your old OWLS posts.

(Hey, stop breaking the 4th wall!) Awright, you asked for it:

• The reason I picked Mob Psycho 100 is how it’s able to provide discussion about all relationships and doesn’t have much romance to speak of (all OWLS posts of mine prior to this one were on series with more of a romantic bent).
• I was lamenting to Crimson about how my OWLS posts were all the same – Mob Psycho, with its unconventional style, deserves an unconventional post, and what better than Reigen-style advice in the month of love, eh?
• I haven’t written anything publishable on Mob Psycho outside first impressions for season 2, which (combined with the fact season 2 is airing as this goes live) gives me more than enough reason to write about it.

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Do you have anything else for the Agency? If you do, then please leave them in the comments and I will see to them as promptly as possible. If not, I’ll humbly request you pay the fee (I know Reigen will be mad if I don’t ask for it) and I’ll see you out.

If you enjoyed this post, I’m afraid there’s no more of this one. The previous post in this tour was from Lita, while the next post is from Flow.