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There are three reasons to read this manga.
1. The art style is unique. It has a cute, surreal, and sometimes creepy vibe to it.
2. It has some very cute and very good boys. Let me re-emphasize: EVERYONE IS EXTREMELY CUTE.
3. The story involves the fleeting, melancholic nature of relationships between ghosts and humans. Also, the ghosts are your classic "I was unhappy during life and am now trying to find fulfillment by remaining here after death" kind of thing. There's a pervading feeling of sadness behind all of the cute character designs and strange supernatural occurrences.

If this sounds like your thing, it probably is.
But I ... guess there are details to talk about.

The plot: ehh who cares?
Girl meets boy who is a ghost. Girl gets into trouble that causes her to become tied to the ghost. The other special ghosts of the school aren’t behaving normally for some reason. Boy and girl help the ghosts work through their problems plus deal with character drama. Honestly, it doesn’t matter that much. The value of the plot comes from it being an effective vehicle for showcasing the art style and giving the very cute characters an opportunity to be sad.

The characters:
What’s better than good boys? Sad good boys.
Hanako: main boy. He’s a sad ghost boy. Very cute. My primary issue with him is that he’s a little too handsy/clingy with the protagonist. This is fine in the beginning because you see him as this poor kid who is starved for human interaction and affection, but then they decide to turn it into the whole “he’s a pervert lol” joke because people still think this is funny for some reason. Overall though he’s a good kid who definitely has some issues with his past he needs to work out. Probably the most endearing part of the series is seeing how he starts to open himself up to the other characters and finally see what it’s like to have friends, something he didn’t seem to have when he was alive.
Kou: best boy. The adorable, earnest exorcist. Pretty much his whole character is that he’s a good boy. I support him.
Tsukasa: murDER boy. I guess the story needed a crazy shota antagonist. He’s boring.
Mitsuba: another sad, cute ghost boy. His friendship with Kou is very cute.
All the other male characters are literal whos except for the spider teacher who has a good design.

Nene: main girl. She's cute. She has radish legs and REALLY wants a boyfriend. I kid you not those are her defining traits.
I should mention that they do push the romance angle with her and Hanako (and a little with Kou too). I probably should have put this as another reason to read the manga because it leads to a lot of cute, flustered interactions. While this element is by no means central to the plot (yet), it does help endear you to the characters.
Other female characters: they’re fine, they’re cute, they’re not why you’re here.

The art:
Like I said, it’s good.
Everything is definitely pleasing to look at, but it’s the depictions of the strange and supernatural that give the manga an atmosphere that stands out.

Overall:
You know if you’re a mark for this kind of thing or not.

If the anime turns out alright, it’s going to look very cool and have a nice atmosphere. Look forward to that!

So I just binge-read this entire manga on the new shonen jump site, and I am upset. Extremely upset. So upset that I spent the entire day torturing myself with fan fiction and pixiv fan art of this damn series.

How can something so good just flat out end when none of the major climatic points that have been built up to have been reached? This manga is how.

--Spoilers ahead--

Here we are absolutely riveted to the story of Hikaru's growth as a go player, his intense rivalry with Akira, him learning to go on without Sai. Hikaru is doing so well, on an upward ... trajectory, and then... it just fricking ends.

Now I get that this is not the fault of the creators. I'm sure there were many extraneous reasons that the manga had to be cancelled.

What I take issue with is the people saying this is okay. That they liked how it ended. People let me tell you THIS ENDING FREAKING SUCKS. Heck, it's not even an ending. The story is straight up incomplete. What about Hikaru actually beating Akira through his own his own skill? Honestly the least you can do is bookend the story with a match against Akira so there's some sense of coming full circle.

In other words, I am upset that what I wanted to happen didn't happen. Okay fine. We don't need to see Hikaru beat Akira. But then what about the whole reason for this story in the first place? WHAT ABOUT THE DIVINE MOVE? This was straight up the reason Sai remained as a spirit after he died. What even is a divine move? Who the heck knows because it seemed like something that would be explained or reached later on, but then the manga got axed. Now it just seems like this bs thing that was brought up to make the plot happen. Is it something that Hikaru is destined to accomplish? Is the whole reason Sai disappeared because Hikaru now has the skills to attain what Sai couldn't?? Who the hell knows.

Hikaru reaching a divine move or whatever would actually give real meaning to Sai's disappearance. Sai is gone, but Hikaru accomplishes his goal. He fulfills Sai's desire and becomes at peace with Sai being gone, knowing that Sai's existence is what lead him to do this amazing thing. Knowing that Sai's existence was incredibly important to the world of go, the world Sai loved but was forced out of. Just give us some validation for Sai damn it.

I mean at this point, all we can do is assume that these things happen. Assume that Hikaru becomes this amazing go player who beats his rival and eventually accomplishes a divine move. But see our assumptions don't mean a darn thing. All that fan art we draw, the fan fics we write, the assumptions we make about what happens after the manga ends are just us trying to cope with the fact that the story is incomplete. Which, honestly what else can we do?

--Spoilers end--

Do I regret reading this manga? No. It's amazing. Sai's mentor relationship with Hikaru and Hikaru's rivalry with Akira are so good that it's worth reading the manga just for those two things alone. I wouldn't be so upset right now if I wasn't deeply invested in the story and the characters.

Yes, reading this is worth it. Yes, you will be very upset that it ends mid-story. But there is still a lot of quality content here to obsess over.

Now it's time to watch the anime and torture myself all over again.

Rejoice, peasants, for you are fortunate enough to have 12 whole episodes of Mob Psycho 100 to watch.

Let those who demand legitimization of this show’s mastery look no further than these names: Yuzuru Tachikawa and Yoshimichi Kameda. That is all I need say. If just reading their names has not unequivocally convinced you of Mob Psycho’s grandeur, then fear not, for all those who seek shall receive answers. Those who strive shall be rewarded. And those who accept shall find comfort and lasting happiness.

Yet for some, this knowledge is not enough.

They require strict adherence to the rules of propriety and demand things such as “good ... plot” and “well-developed characters”. Dear peasants, I now say to you that while these things are certainly admirable, it is through faith in the sakuga gods and the blessings of their freely given graces that we are able to have such narrative elements in the first place. Therefore, any benefit or enjoyment derived these things is only secondary and made manifest by the glory our eyes feast upon.

However, fear not, for “good plot” and “characters” can be found here. Experience has evinced that it is unnecessary to repeat narrative details here when they have been expounded upon elsewhere. Therefore, I shall not belabor you with trivial specifications. The main character, Mob, provides a convincing look into psyche of genuinely kind-hearted individual who does not wish to be defined by his psychic powers, or rather, the burdensome expectations of a hierarchical society. His mentor Reigen portrays the nuanced dilemma of being a hypocrite who cares for others. At one point he says that someone who cons other is the worst kind of person, and because he is actually talking about himself, this is a very deep remark. Further important characters include a proud esper who learns how to truly live his life, and Mob’s little brother who comes to realize the dangers of ardent longing and abuse of power. The amount of character development Mob Psycho plows through in it’s short run is truly commendable. Exemplified here are just small pieces of the “good” narrative elements found in the show. As for plot, the entire thing is a coming of age story (probably) interlaced with complex metaphors for the corrupt societal standards by which most individuals are bound nowadays.


I shall now endeavor to address several grievances that have been brought to my attention.

1. The story is scattered and takes a while to get going.
A valid concern. However, it would seem that the individuals who hold this opinion harbor an untoward bias regarding shows with strong beginnings, and therefore, they would give a better impression of their candor by waiting to see how the pieces fit together before making judgments. Often expectations are ill-founded, illusory, and detrimental to one’s viewing experience. It is recommended that such preliminary opinions be set aside.

2. Mob is emo and overpowered.
At this point, we have degenerated into obstinacy. To hold this view, one must have decided that he or she will simply NOT enjoy this show. They are now dedicated to disseminating menial trivialities in an attempt to justify their perversity.

3. It’s "over-animated" and the art style looks like crap.
There exists an unfathomable abyss of bad opinions, and upon entering this domain one passes beyond the reach of reason. There is no more that must be said on this topic.

In closing, I oblige all peasants to consider the following: if a show has been bestowed upon us by the higher powers of sakuga, will not true visual satisfaction and awe-inspiring animation be its natural concomitants? Candid inquirers of truth will gain cognizance of true talent, and those who seek to believe will find that the door is open for those who wish to enter. Our faith in the beings behind this show will carry us through the mountains of mediocrity we face as we continue to view Japanese cartoons. This is greatness. This is anime.