i understand your dislike for serizawa, but saying that he adds no value to the story is a bit of an exaggeration? i feel like there are many reasons why he subtly adds so much to the story. im not that good at explaining so bear with me 😭
he shows what mob could have become. unlike mob, serizawa never had healthy guidance growing up and stayed isolated for years, working under toichiro. this contrast highlights how important mob's influences are.
he ultimately reinforces the show's main message (that psychic power doesn't define someone). he proves this because he's extremely powerful, but he is humble yet confident enough to live a normal life in the end. his arc emphasizes self-acceptance, which mirrors mob's journey
another thing is that he strengthens reigen's character. even though we know reigen is a fraud and a liar, we get to see more of his positive influence (his caring side). reigen gives him a job and treats him normally instead of like a weapon. seeing serizawa change because of reigen reinforces that reigen genuinely helps people even though he's a con artist on the surface.
all in all i think serizawa adds value by mirroring a darker version of mob's struggles and reinforcing the series' themes about growth/acceptance. genuinely curious what you thought about these reasons
(I hate Serizawa out of spite of seeing fans infantalising him and using him as the "poc boyfriend")
I agree with all your points, especially how he's a version of what Mob could have become, BUT the last point with Reigen. I'm not seeing it that way.
I saw it like he tried to get advantage over another oblivious psychic because when he asked to work for him, he asked everyone else before and they all refused/looked at him weird.
Also in (I think) the official guidebook, characters have interviews. Serizawa shows how that image of Reigen being the perfect master slowly break. They don't have anything in common and Reigen treats him just like another Mob. I think he's staying there because of job flexibility (take it with a grain of salt, I have blurry memories of it).
I just like the fact that putting Serizawa with Reigen in the same room makes you realize how much of a loser is Reigen and can't make friends of his age kwgbdkcnks
When I was saying he wasn't adding anything to the story, I meant that it's not as big as some fans make it. The fans pissed me off so bad, I started hating a ship and character that had potential. I enjoy Serizawa, but not how the westerners sees him... They put him in such high horses that I thought before I watched the anime that he was really important, when he kinda wasn't that much... He's just part of an arc like any other... Touichiro brought the "this could be you in the future if you don't lock in" subject, Serizawa was part of it like any other esper.
TDLR: I like Serizawa and SeriReiSeri, I just hate the American mindset fans/antis who ship for the sake two adults coexisting in the same room
