In a world haunted by dangerous supernatural forces, there are still some problems you can't solve no matter how much spiritual power you have. And a good thing too--because phony exorcist Reigen Arataka doesn't have any!
But that's never stopped Reigen from running a ghostbusting business...and his new part-time office assistant is none other than Tome Kurata, a girl obsesssed with the strange and unxplained--and the schoolmate of Reigen's protégé, Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama. Yet whereas Mob's incredible psychic strength resolved many a case for Reigen, Tome is as powerless as her boss! Or so she may think at first...but if there's one thing a master scam artist knows how to teach, it's the power of confidence and belief!
Manga creator ONE first created One-Punch Man as a web comic, where it quickly went viral, garnering over 10,000,000 hits! Along with One-Punch Man, ONE also writes and draws another series called Mob Psycho 100.
Reigen doesn't feel like a main character in this, despite his name being in the title. Nevertheless, this story again proves what a heart of gold he has 😭
pls i need more reigen content to continue to have faith in humankind
Me encantó. Mi única crítica es que parecía más sobre Tome que sobre Reigen.
"Por más que poseas poderes especiales, no vas a dejar de ser la misma persona de siempre (...) Deberías buscar qué cosas podés hacer ahora tal como sos. Es normal que no lo sepas (...) Todas las personas tienen un poder especial que pueden cultivar. Y no me refiero a algo sobrenatural. Por ejemplo, la forma de ver las cosas, de actuar, ser decidido, tener buen criterio..."
REIGEN is an ‘anthology’ of short horror stories mixed with classic ONE comedy. This book follows the emotional growth of a high school girl, Tome, who, after bearing the consequences of her naivety and mindless passion for the supernatural, learns that a person’s remarkable-ness is often not apparent at first glance. I have seen a few readers express disappointment at the book for following Tome rather than Reigen, the character advertised on the cover. However, this choice in particular is where the brilliance of ONE’s storytelling lies. Seeing the main character from another’s perspective is a standard technique of a skilled storyteller. Reigen’s place is in the supporting role, and it’s where he shines the brightest. His core allure is in his layered personality, which, apart from being the result of the contrast between his goofiness and wisdom, is also the result of not being directly perceived by the audience. This type of character is always better laid out when observed through the eyes of another, which in this case is Tome. A book that wants to focus and/or shed light on a “main character” does not need to have said “main character” as the narrator or have the story follow them too closely for a narrative to unfold properly. A few suitable examples: The Great Gatsby, Sherlock Holmes and The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy (Captain Jack). These types of storytelling techniques can also be applied to comics. Issue 161 of Hellblazer ‘…Freezes Over’, written by Brian Azzarelo can be used as an example: The main character, John Constantine, enters later into the story, just as all the disaster has already begun. This choice makes John seem very mysterious and dangerous as the story is told from the other characters’ eyes. John’s motives and inner thoughts, therefore, are hidden from the audience. This is a deliberate use of omission, which is a common writing technique that aids in creating a tense and intriguing atmosphere. In conclusion, the tone of REIGEN is much darker and more grounded than that of Mob Psycho 100’s because of its narrative choice. The impact of the sudden shift in tone from silly to serious is more effective when we first see the world from the perspective of an immature high school girl before the rug is suddenly taken away from our feet, and lives are at stake. Reigen, despite being a normal man, has to step in as a last resort when all else fails, relying on the core characteristics of his person, that is his cunning, courage and good-naturedness.
I didn't know this existed, but it seems Barcelona has more "friki" stuff in a couple of streets than any portuguese convention (plus, everything is funnier in Spanish, for some reason, so I couldn't resist in buying a book featuring Reigen, the internet sex symbol). The artwork is not the biggest selling point, but you have a few of those iconic hyper exaggerated reaction shots, which are always hilarious. I did expect more Reigen in these chapters, given this is a spin-off supposedly focused on him, but it was still really cool getting little adventures with the strong supporting cast. The chapters do have an overarching arc, and it was particularly wholesome to see all the themes of self-acceptance and self-worth. Loved the running gag of the spiritism level (all the psychic buffs keeping a calm expression while actually panicking about this sudden unknown important term).
Me cae tan bien Reigen, es un farsante pero es tan buena persona y tan avispado que al final siempre se sale con la suya sin hacerle daño a otros, y eso que realmente no es el personaje principal de esta historia. Me encantooo 10/10 la pasé muy bien. Que gustito ver a mob al final.
This was a fun little addition to the Mob Psycho manga series.
Not really much to comment on though honestly. Reigen was one of my favourite characters from the main series but this book focuses more on the character Tome.
Love the Mob Psycho series, Reigen was one of my favorite characters so i was super excited to read this. The manga is okay, still captures that funny vibe that Mob Pyscho has, the thing that I didn’t like was the main focus on the character Tome, it’s a Reigen spin-off, I want to see more friends of him. Stuff like that last chapter, that was epic.
That was really good I didn't expect so much focus on Tome (I really loved that part where she realised all her friends have hidden quirks they felt too ashamed to talk about just like her and they all bonded over it).
AND REIGEN! He's an absolute icon, he does everything to protect his hoard of accidentally adopted children and I love him so much.
Mob Psycho is peak fiction. I absolutely love this spinoff, and I love seeing the interactions between Reigen and Serizawa (he's my favorite and I kin him). To keep it as spoiler-free as possible: read this after you've read Mob Psycho 16!
I read this after watching the Mob Psycho 100 anime because I love Reigen (for obvious reasons). What can I say other than this is great. I loved this little follow up and definitely recommend if you like Mob Psycho.
"... it's a good thing that evil spirit showed up! Otherwise I could have opened myself up to a lawsuit for breaking and entering that dude's condo, and falsely accusing him of a crime!"
Aritaka Reigen is the head of the Spirits and Such agency, which investigates and deals with apparently supernatural phenomena. His track record is pretty good, even if he himself seems a little fishy from time to time. Somehow, when Reigen’s involved, things turn out okay. Admittedly, most of the heavy lifting seems to be done by his assistant Serizawa, but Serizawa heartily endorses his employer. And that’s why Tome Kurata is working part time for no pay as his secretary.
Despite having no supernatural gifts herself, Tome is obsessed with the occult, and wants to see it in action. So even though Mr. Reigen has not asked her to, and indeed has strongly hinted he doesn’t want her to, Tome continues to volunteer at the office. She may come to regret that decision.
This is a side story to the popular Mob Psycho 100 manga, and takes place after the end of that series. Mob himself is busy doing other things, but Reigen is still at the same stand, still scamming people with the notion that he’s a powerful psychic. He’s aided in this by the fact that a large number of people’s problems that they think are supernatural actually aren’t, and practical skills can fix them. (Like using some plumbing knowhow to repair noisy pipes.) If it is supernatural, he can get actual psychics to assist him. (One of the things psychics in this world cannot do is detect how powerful another psychic is or even if someone actually has psychic powers.) And he’s a good talker and fast thinker who’s had years of experience separating suckers from their money.
But while Reigen is no angel, he’s also not really a bad guy. He actually does help his clients, even if his methods are dubious, and beneath his cool exterior genuinely cares about his assistants and gives good life advice. And honestly most psychics in the field are jerks and kind of deserve his outlandish lies. (That Level 131 Max Spirit Power? He made up the whole Max Spirit Power thing on the spur of the moment, but he sounds so confident that other psychics think they’ve missed learning something.)
Tome may not be getting the life of adventure and supernatural shenanigans she wanted, but maybe she’ll learn how to find what she really needs as a person. (She’s mirrored by a girl who seems to have a much more manga-esque life, but then we see otherwise.)
The art and character designs tend towards the crude, but that’s become part of the charm of the series, and the writing’s top notch, and Reigen’s a wonderful character.
Content note: body function humor, attempted suicide.
Highly recommended to fans of the original series.
First, if you haven't read Mob Psycho 100 or watched the anime, start with one or both of those; don't start here, you'll be a bit lost. Second, I'm not sure why this spinoff is called Reigen, when the main character seems to be Tome. We see her at school, with her friends, and showing up at Reigen Arataka's office, offering to work for free because she's so into paranormal stuff. We do get a look at Reigen through her eyes, and get some back story on him, but the story seems more centered around Tome. At any rate, the story is enjoyable, kinda quiet but picks up speed toward the end, and the awkward teenage girl thing is... pretty relatable, actually. I loved the part where Tome and her friends admitted they all had weird things about themselves that they didn't tell others about; it was good seeing Tome fit in with her peers (I know it's "cool" to be a loner and not care and all that, but I was a teenage girl once, and we all want to fit in somewhere). So, as a look at Reigen, this is okay, we get some insight into him. As a look at a teen girl who nerds about ghosts, spirits, and the like, and wants to help perform exorcisms while also wanting to have friends and have things in common with them and other high school stuff, it's pretty good!
The Reigen spinoff is a sequel to the original manga, taking place some time after the ending, and pretty much the “true”, more conclusive end to the series. I don’t know why dark horse decided to translate it so early, and it doesn’t directly “spoil” the original ending but you’d be cheating yourself out of the true ending if you were to read it without completing the original manga.
It’ll hit so much differently if you read it after, trust me.
That being said, it is a fantastic read, and gives closure to the series. The only nitpick I have is with the translation. WHY do they insist on calling them “superhumans” with “superpowers” rather than psychics/espers with psychic powers?? They changed up the translation for Blood Blockade Battlefront a few volumes in and I don’t see why they can’t do that for Mob too. But I digress.
I remember when this was announced some time after the manga ended and feeling such joy. Which I feel again, now, rereading it in physical form. Reigen’s antics never get old. Love Tome too. And Serizawa.... and everyone.
I really enjoyed Mob Psycho 100 and this little one-volume spin-off did not disappoint. Mob doesn't show up much at all, but honestly, I was happy even though he wasn't there. Tome's interactions with Reigen and Serizawa as the main character were super entertaining and fun, and it was super fun to see how the three of them riffed off each other and when interacting with other "psychics".
It's short and I would highly recommend it to anyone who liked Mob Psycho 100. Tome is a fully fleshed-out character and I like her, Reigen, and Serizawa so much more after reading this spin-off. I honestly wish there was more of it!
It's a fun one-off read of one of my favorite characters from one of my favorite anime. It's nothing profound, but it's got some good laughs, and it still manages to remind you of the witt of "Master" Reigen. Sometimes, you want the satisfaction of seeing the story of a great character continue on, but you don't want their character to get spoiled past the point of overdoing it. In this one off, you get to adventure one last time with Reigen and a few others as he does what he does best. Wing it, but with style and even a little bit of heart.
I read and watched Mob Psycho 100 so I wanted to give this a read too and was not disappointed! Despite it being called "Reigen" the story focuses more on Tome which I had no problem with! It was definitely a fun read and honestly, any story that takes place in the world of Mob Psycho 100 is an enjoyable one!
I've been meaning to read this forever, so I'm glad I finally took the time. It's about a 1-hour read (if you take time to enjoy it, as I did) and well-paced considering the events. Reigen is in the title but the story is more about Tome and her interest in psychics and learning how to become one.
Tome is just a lovely character. She's so realistically rendered, from her speech, personality, and mannerisms, to how she perceives her relationship with the men at Spirits and Such. She feels like a real freshman high school student who's disengaged with her current life and looking for something more. I was surprised she was written with a friend group who genuinely liked and wanted her there despite her feeling like an outcast. The message at the end about misunderstanding who they were all along and how they had things in common was so nice. We need more of that.
Plot-wise, I'm just very fond of these characters doing whatever it is they do. If Tome was hanging out at school, I was entertained. If she was making deep conversation with Serizawa and Reigen, I was into it. If they were out hunting down spirits, I was having fun. Frankly, put Serizawa or Tome in any scene at all and I'm guaranteed to love it. They even briefly mentioned Teruki, who's always a win!
I liked Reigen too, but his unrepentant lying got to me sometimes haha. He's such a selfless guy, though. It's hard to really hate him, especially since he did I was taken off guard by how cold Mob was towards him, though I do remember Mob having that turn in attitude after the big finale. It doesn't suit him, but it didn't ruin the book since he was only present for a few pages. Dimple made me laugh the most, as usual, and his relationship with Tome was honestly very cute.
If the story had Teruki in it for even one of the arcs, this would be a 5/5 stars, but a 4/5 is still pretty good.