Arataka Reigen

• Comment: A passing comment, while I do believe this character likely passes notability, I would try to find reception from non WP:VALNET outlets. The link explains that those sources tend to be very weak and do not provide notability to the character, with CBR in particular often deemed generally unreliable. I'd find some sources from some other generally reliable publications to expand the main reception for the character instead of Valnet if possible. Magneton Considerer: Pokelego999 (Talk) (Contribs) 17:59, 8 July 2026 (UTC)

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Arataka Reigen
Mob Psycho 100 character
First appearance	Mob Psycho 100 Volume 1, Chapter 1, "Self-Proclaimed Psychic - Reigen Arataka" (2012)
Created by	One
Portrayed by	Kazuki Namioka
Voiced by	Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese) Chris Niosi (English)
Information
Alias	Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century
Gender	Male
Affiliation	"Spirits and Such Consultation Office"
Nationality	Japanese

Search Arataka Reigen on Amazon.

Arataka Reigen (Japanese: 霊幻新隆, Hepburn: Reigen Arataka) is the deuteragonist in the manga series Mob Psycho 100. He is known as the self-proclaimed "Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century" and the operator and owner of Spirits and Such Consultation Office.

Creation and conception

As the creator of the anime series, One created Reigen to act as a humorous contrast to the naturally powerful but socially inept protagonist, Mob. The idea behind Reigen was that he should be a charming rogue who, despite having imperfections, had emotional intelligence and worldly wisdom which his powerful pupil lacked. It has been observed that when the series got adapted into an anime by Bones, director Yuzuru Tachikawa had to ensure that while Reigen is quite sketchy, he has a paternal relation with Mob, which helps make him more adorable than sinister.

Characterization

This can be seen as commentators have commented that what makes Reigen unique is how he has managed to combine both his knack for deception and his ability to survive and thrive in the real world. Comic Book Resources noted that even without any psychic abilities, Reigen is very intelligent, street smart, and extremely skilled when it comes to negotiation, often using these qualities to defuse potentially dangerous situations with volatile espers. Furthermore, the "Special Moves," like the "Salt Splash" and random massages, that Reigen has are a way of grounding his character and making him more relatable.

Whereas the backstories describe Reigen as a regular person who abandoned his ordinary career at an ordinary office simply because he desired more meaning in life and decided to start a "Spirits and Such Consultation Office," Game Rant emphasized that even though he lacks any sort of spiritual intuition, Reigen acts as if he were completely confident and uses his ability to observe people carefully, psychological tricks, and simple stage magic to prove to his customers that he possesses supernatural powers. What is notable, according to the source, is the fact that although he deceives people for a living, Reigen is always concerned about Mob and takes good care of him with his street sense.

According to an article on Crunchyroll, Reigen was analyzed based on the principles of parental psychology, where he was portrayed as the anti-parental character who embodied "the ideal anime parent." According to the article, even in the face of obvious hypocrisy, lies, and deception about his identity and career, Reigen continues to portray the necessary features of parenting that include unconditional love and support, emotional validation, and the need to protect the boundaries of his child, Mob. It was determined that, by valuing the true identity of Mob, Reigen creates a better basis for emotional development than most conventional parents in anime.

Appearances

An additional OVA of one-hour duration entitled Mob Psycho 100 REIGEN: The Miraculous Unknown Psychic was introduced on Crunchyroll in March 2018. This is a summary of the anime series' first season told exclusively through the eyes of Reigen. It was screened twice at the Maihama Amphitheater in Chiba on March 18, 2018, and was later released on home video. Ryōma Baba portrayed Arataka Reigen in a Mob Psycho 100 stage play.

Reception

Critical reception

Reigen Arataka is another character who has earned much praise from critics, with many of them listing him among the best characters that have been introduced during the anime period of the 2010s. According to Polygon, Reigen is what holds the entire series together, and his storyline is a perfect example of a powerful anime mentor turning into something much more emotionally profound. As Ritwik Mitra, writing for Game Rant, explains, while Reigen starts out in a comedic role, his early use of Mob's powers to cheat was unpopular among some members of the audience. But according to Mitra, this character grows substantially throughout the show, eventually moving away from the image of the lying fraudster, making him one of the audience's most beloved and respected characters. According to Mitra, this growth reaches its peak in the final episode, where Reigen finally admits to Mob that he doesn't have any psychic powers.

In an article from Comic Book Resources, he is noted to be one of the top anime mentors because, unlike other anime mentors within the shōnen genre, he does not under any circumstances allow his protégé to resort to violence. The popularity of the character is further emphasized by the appearance of numerous products based on him. As reported in February 2022 by Good Smile Company, prototypes for official Nendoroids of Reigen and Shigeo Kageyama were announced, having interchangeable face plates and items such as Reigen's business card and salt splashing device. More recent criticism revolves around the particular moral code established by Reigen in the show. According to Comic Book Resources, even though he leads an immoral life, Reigen qualifies as an excellent role model since he places importance on Mob's happiness rather than his success in terms of studies or magic. Specifically, it was highlighted that Reigen's prohibition of Mob employing his powers for causing harm to anyone serves as a crucial barrier that protects Mob from being affected by the usual trauma and loneliness associated with great power. It is noteworthy that by shouldering the responsibilities of adulthood, Reigen lets Mob experience something akin to an ordinary childhood.

Critics have also highlighted Reigen's relationship with Mob as a central pillar of the series' emotional weight. Comic Book Resources ranked Reigen among the best-written side characters in anime, noting that while his initial role relies on comic relief and fraudulent behavior, he ultimately serves as Mob's critical emotional anchor. The outlet emphasized that Reigen's recognition of Mob's humanity—rather than treating him merely as a psychic weapon—allows his character arc to evolve into a meaningful exploration of a flawed individual genuinely attempting to serve as a proper father figure and moral guide. Reigen's subversion of traditional mentorship tropes of anime was also discussed by many reviewers. For example, Comic Book Resources pointed out that, unlike other genre mentors who have enormous power either physically or supernaturally, Reigen is devoid of any ability, forcing the story to reinterpret the concept of "mentor" in a different way. According to the publication, by completely focusing on emotions, life experiences, and the constant concern for his student's mental health, Reigen creates a far more balanced version of a mentor that transcends those portrayed in many similar genres. This subversion of the trope is often mentioned by critics when they talk about what makes Reigen unique.

An article from Collider goes on to say that what makes Reigen a brilliant storyteller is the stark contrast between his outward faults and his inner kindness. What Collider mentioned was the fact that even though Reigen is doing a scam every day of his life, he always manages to endanger himself to keep Mob safe from any kind of physical or psychological torture caused by any corrupt adults in his life. And because he does it without any kind of superhuman abilities of his own, he becomes the most ideal guardian of all. In an IGN review of the opening episode of the anime, one of the first characters that left an impression was Reigen. It is stated in the review that his ability to deceive his clients through his fraud and manipulate Mob while being somewhat protective towards him provided a good basis of humor for the premiere episode.

Online popularity

The character also became very famous on the internet through memes. In 2022, Reigen became an instant sensation all over Twitter when he won the "Tumblr Sexyman" fan competition against several popular characters from pop culture, including Sans from Undertale, which was extensively reported by digital media. This popularity contest attracted many news reports owing to the death of Queen Elizabeth II coinciding with the meme event; furthermore, Undertale's creator, Toby Fox, wrote fanfiction featuring both characters. Such websites as The Mary Sue have pointed out the strong reaction that people on the internet have towards his appearance in the anime, especially because of his design and charm. On Tumblr's 2019 Year in Review, which highlights the largest communities, fandoms, and trends on the platform throughout the year, Arataka Reigen was ranked fifth on the Top Anime & Manga Characters category.

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Recipient	Result	Ref
2017	1st Crunchyroll Anime Awards	Best Boy	Arataka Reigen	Nominated
2024	8th Crunchyroll Anime Awards	Best Supporting Character		Nominated
		Best VA Performance (Spanish)	Manuel Campuzano as Arataka Reigen	Nominated
		Best VA Performance (Arabic)	Mohammad Dal'o as Arataka Reigen	Nominated
		Best VA Performance (German)	Pascal Breuer as Arataka Reigen	Nominated
		Best VA Performance (Portuguese)	Vagner Fagundes as Arataka Reigen	Nominated

References

This article "Arataka Reigen" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Arataka Reigen. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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