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With Mob Psycho 100 season 3 and Chainsaw Man season 1 airing this October, fans quickly compared the two series, especially regarding the mentor-mentee relationship described in the two shows. They took to Twitter to voice their opinions, leading to interesting theories and speculations.
This article analyzes the hypothetical situation that caught viewers' attention, determining how a different mentor would have affected the development of Chainsaw Man protagonist, Denji.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Chainsaw Man and Mob Psycho 100 anime. All external media in this article are the property of their respective owners.
What would happen if Reigen from Mob Psycho 100 found Denji instead of Makima in Chainsaw Man?
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The first two episodes of Chainsaw Man made it clear to viewers that while Makima's intentions are unclear, she knows exactly how to manipulate Denji and takes full advantage of it. The episodes continually show Denji being referred to and treated like a dog, initially by the Yakuza and later on, by Makima. She even threatens to kill him if he tries to escape or disobey orders, essentially trapping him.
The past two seasons of Mob Psycho 100 have established that Reigen and Mob's relationship is both wholesome and healthy, even though the older man does exploit Mob and takes advantage of his powerful psychic abilities to keep his business afloat. This has led several fans to wonder how Denji's life would turn out to be if he was found by Reigen instead of Makima.
Inevitably, this has also led fans to hypothesize how Mob and Makima's relationship would have turned out to be if he had gone to her for advice instead of seeking out Reigen.
What Twitter has to say
Most Chainsaw Man and Mob Psycho 100 fans on Twitter are of the opinion that Denji would have had a much better life with Reigen looking out for him as his mentor. As he had done for Mob, Reigen might have given Denji some solid advice on how to live his life without ever harming other people with his powers.
If Reigen ran a devil-hunting business rather than exorcism, he might have exploited Denji for his powers, but it is unlikely that he would have tried to harm him. Some fans did point out that Denji would be wary of Reigen for long, after having been financially and physically abused by men all his life.
As for how Mob would fare with Makima as his mentor, fans believe that she would be impressed by his skills and find him to be a competent subordinate. It would be significantly harder for Makima to manipulate Mob, although her influence might turn him into a conceited and violent character.
The difference between Mob and Denji
The protagonists of Mob Psycho 100 and Chainsaw Man have very different personalities, mostly because of their upbringing. Shigeo Kageyama "Mob" grew up in a peaceful family, with loving parents and a talented and popular younger brother.
In sharp contrast, Denji lost both of his parents very early on in life, and grew up in abject poverty trying to pay off his father's debt to the yakuza. While Mob was terrified of becoming a bad person and hurting people because of his turbulent emotions, Denji's sole focus was on survival.
This puts Denji in a much more vulnerable position, liable to be manipulated. The Chainsaw Man anime has already shown him as someone who takes things at face value, acting on his most immediate impulses. Despite being shy and socially awkward, Mob is a much better judge of character and is capable of gaging a person's ulterior motives.
In season 2 of Mob Psycho 100, it was revealed that Mob had known from the very beginning that Reigen was not an esper. He understood that while Reigen did exploit his powers, he would never intentionally put him in harm's way. When a humiliated and depressed Reigen asked if he had known, Mob simply stated that he has always known that his master is a good person.
If Mob had met Makima instead of Reigen, he would quickly realize that she sees people as tools rather than as people and would be wary around her or cut connections off completely. Considering the nature of Mob's power, Makima would also have to treat him like a ticking time bomb. She might think it is more of a liability rather than an asset, and discard Mob as quickly as she found him.
Makima from Chainsaw Man is also drastically different from Reigen of Mob Psycho 100. Had Reigen found the 16-year old Denji, he would immediately offer him something to eat, before having him sit down and explain his circumstances. Reigen would be appropriately shocked and horrified by Denji's past, something that fans seem to agree with.
In Mob Psycho 100, Reigen has also been shown to be emotionally dependent on Mob due to not having much of a life outside his exorcism business. Makima seems to have no real attachments towards Denji, calling him a dog and even threatening to execute him.
Final thoughts
The Chainsaw Man anime has a much darker mood overall, compared to Mob Psycho 100. Reigen tends to improvise most of the life lessons he preaches to Mob, but he constantly reminds him that having psychic powers neither makes him a freak nor does it make him special.
These words would deeply resonate with Denji, whose dream is to live a normal life. Mob, on the other hand, might develop in a darker direction under Makima's guidance, who would continually reinforce the notion that Mob is special and different from others.
