Episode 8 of Mob Psycho 100 is an undeniable visual marvel. The framing, the effects, the movement, all of it is top-class. Every weighty punch and glistening psychic discharge lends a feeling of reality, almost as if the viewer is experiencing the effects themselves. It’s overwhelming. Strictly judged by the quality of its animation, there is no doubt that this episode is the greatest aired on television this year.

Yet here I am, wholly unsatisfied.

Is it because of my dissatisfaction with the failure of the previous two episodes? Is it the conflict with the hooded man, which feels so forced and out of place? Is it my own fault for expecting the animation to be fully supported by the plot?

All of these things are likely true.

And it was to be expected, really. With how unconvincing this arc has been so far, it’s painfully predictable that the payoff wouldn’t be worth it. It wasn’t worth it. There was no payoff to be had because this wasn’t even an arc, it was just a short series of pointless episodes used to justify some mindless conflict and segue to the next. Even if it had been properly paced the only reason it has to exist is to develop Ritsu from irrelevancy to the point of just having enough character so that we, as viewers, empathize with Mob’s motivation to rescue him. While this makes sense on paper, maybe even in the form of a manga that I haven’t read, it doesn’t stop it from seeming entirely two-dimensional and contrived.

Perhaps my standards are raised too high for an adaptation of a manga by ONE; as I have already mentioned before, I found One Punch Man to be similarly half-baked. I must have been fooled for a while by the charming exteriors of Mob Psycho’s minor cast. I couldn’t wait to learn more about Reigen, Tome, and even that one reporter girl who is so irrelevant that I can’t remember her name. I was excited to see these characters have fascinating drama between each other, drawing on the themes of adolescence embodied by Mob himself. I was prepared for a beautiful resonance of teenage angst, sketchy line art and psychedelic art design.

There was a point where the show provided all of these things: episode 5. Mob and Teruki’s all-out-brawl was both a battle of ideologies and characters, because somehow Teruki was able to receive more convincing development in a single episode than Ritsu managed in three. It provided a perfect platform for animators to expose their talents and made for what is easily the most memorable episode of the season for me. It didn’t have nearly as consistent and high quality animation as the most recent broadcast but all of the pieces fit together so well that it still remains the champion in its grace and meaningfulness.

For the most faithful of animation fans perhaps the weak context of this episode may not dissuade, and I’m sure hours will be spent dissecting each cut, admiring what creative new impact frames Yutaka Nakamura has included this time, but I can’t help but feel a hollowness to all of it. I love animation, both for the sake of itself and when used to support a narrative, but in this case the disappointing plot is nothing but a hindrance to the craftsmanship of the work. It would be far more enjoyable devoid of all context, allowing the drawings themselves to communicate what they will.

Finally, it seems the setup for next time involves introducing an organization of villainous espers, and as awful as that sounds to me I am at least somewhat pleased that the most likeable characters have gathered together to face this evil: Mob, Teruki and Dimple. Do I think we’ll see an episode on par with 5 by the time this cour ends? No. Will I keep hoping to be proven wrong? Certainly.