Hump Day Husbandos: Reigen Arataka (Mob Psycho 100)

Hump Day Husbandos

Heroes aren’t born. They’re not even really made. The greatest heroes are taught and moulded into the people who would go on to make the big choices and the big sacrifices to do the right thing. Mob Psycho 100 is the story of how Shigeo becomes the story in his own life, but Reigen Arataka is the man who guides him on this journey.

For this week’s Hump Day Husbandos feature, we’ve got everything you need to know about the Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century and one of the greatest mentors in anime history.

Who is Reigen Arataka?

Reigen with powers

The world of Mob Psycho 100 is filled with ghosts, spirits, and humans who wield incredible psychic power. Shigeo, better known as Mob to most people in his life, is possibly the most powerful of these espers, yet he lives a life completely in the background. He doesn’t fully know how to use his powers and lacks the confidence to embrace who he truly is. That’s where Reigen comes in.

Despite his claims, Reigen doesn’t have any psychic powers. He can’t even see a spirit and certainly can’t interact with them. Despite this fact, he runs the successful Spirits and Such Consultation Office and is, by his own admission, conning people out of their money. On the rare instances where a customer does approach him with a legitimate concern about spirits, he relies entirely on Mob’s abilities to get the job done.

Why we love him

It wouldn’t be fair to say that Reigen is nothing but a liar and a con man because there is so much more to his character than just that. He is using Mob’s powers for his personal gain, but he is also offering the boy some much-needed guidance. Beneath the cool and calculating exterior is a man who cares for his charge and wants him to succeed in life — not just as an esper but as a human being. How many bosses would show up to watch their young employees take part in a school run?

Where other characters seek to exploit Mob, Reigen wants to see him grow while shielding him from the worst parts of the world until he is ready to face them. There are times when Mob hands his powers over to his mentor, who wields them in a situation that would cause the young man distress. He allows Mob to be kind to the spirits they meet even if it ends up costing him customers. Of all the adults in Shigeo’s life, Reigen is the only one who knows of his powers and doesn’t seek to control them. He just wants to make a few bucks on the side.

Why you’ll love him

Reigen from Mob Psycho 100

Reigen offers Mob a simple piece of advice – be the main character in your own story. That is the entire theme of the anime and manga, which follows the journey Mob goes on to reach that goal. Some of the grown-ups in his life want him to hide his powers. Others want to steal them or even destroy him because of them. Reigen is the only one who sees them as an intrinsic part of who Mob is, and encourages him to explore what that means.

Don’t get me wrong; he is absolutely exploiting Mob for his own financial gain, but every employer in the world is exploiting their employees, so that is just part of his role. What makes Reigen one of the greatest mentors in anime history is how he lets Mob be himself. Like the best kind of parent, he wants to see the young man grow beyond him and become someone who doesn’t rely on his teachings.

Not caught up with Mob Psycho 100? You can catch both seasons and the upcoming third season on Crunchyroll.

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