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So, I’m not the only person who thinks Mob Psycho 100 is pretty revolutionary for a show that genuinely does not take itself seriously. Like, there are a ton of Shonen manga series out there that veer into a comedy, but none go to the level of crack that Mob Psycho 100 does. And it’s so refreshing to see and clearly, the rest of the internet thinks the same way. There’s a reason why its characters go viral on Twitter, specifically Reigen Arataka and Dimple.
But today, we are talking about Dimple, a character that has taken so many turns across the story that, really, I’ve never seen anything similar. From minor antagonist to comedic relief, we thought we had seen it all. But anime viewers are realizing a very new form of Dimple, where has basically become akin to a God and still succumbed to the Divine Tree. However, he does get miraculously resurrected and comes back to the world of the living. But then again, he never considered himself fully dead anyways so, maybe that was always up for debate.
But the thing is, a lot of fans weren’t happy about this decision to bring Dimple back. His ‘death’ during the Divine Tree arc was so impactful and memorable for those following the manga. To bring him back just felt like a move that lowered the poignance of his character arc. And now that we have reached the same point in the anime during season 3, well, manga readers already know what’s going down. So, even though Mob Psycho 100 enthusiasts don’t like it, Dimple is here to stay.
But creator TEN has always been known for both his deadpan style of characters and being fickle about the lore around them. In the end, both of his works feel more like parodies that just happen to have a good story behind them. And really, even with the revival, it doesn’t mean that Dimple’s character arc wasn’t an interesting one. But that’s what we are here to break down in today’s segment of Character Analysis!
Table of Contents
Dimple: From Villain To Moral Support?
Like I said before, I haven’t seen a character arc that’s quite as wild as Dimple’s. He starts out as this random ‘villain-of-the-day’ style creature, a mere blob with nothing that made him truly stand out. Like, at best, his character was played up for laughs and then used to trigger Kageyama Shigeo’s powers.
Kageyama, or Mob, and his powers as an Esper were the highlight of Dimple’s first appearance in the show. Like, that’s genuinely it. We got to see Mob’s personality and his 100% state, as well as the start of the Psycho Helmet Club, and that was that. Dimple was defeated through Mob’s amazing powers and we thought we had seen the last of him.
Until of course, he came back. But this time, he was a side character who’s evil tendencies were more or less infantile. Like, yeah, he was still a villain up to no good, but also an extremely weak character that you could make fun off. Basically, comedic relief at it’s finest. And it would’ve continued on that path until we reached the Seventh Branch arc, which is where we see Dimple become a proper supporting cast member.
Like, they are going through battles together, Mob and him even have a friendship adjacent thing going on. It’s all shaping up and then, we hit the moment where it all falls apart. Dimple is back to being a villain, and this time, it’s actually serious.
So, Where Does Dimple Go From Here?
Dimple becoming an antagonist again was a shock, but the fact that it was taken seriously was what truly impacted the plot. He wasn’t comedic or funny anymore, but an actual imposing threat. And when Mob refused to fight him over it, it angered him.
However, following his defeat at the hands of the Divine Tree, we saw Dimple once again morph into a different character journey. He joins forces with Ritsu Kageyama and together, they end up at the hands of CLAW.
But once that winds up, we see Dimple break out of his prison and, later, helps exorcise evil spirits.
Anza Qureshi is a writer, licensed dentist and certified Uchiha fangirl. When she isn't doing root canals or listing down anime waifus, you can find her screeching about her favorite JRPGs across social media.
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