Psycho Pass, an anime that I�ve known for a long time is very well liked, but I�d never given it the time it likely deserved. But now, I had a great reason to give it a watch, because this...
Psycho Pass, an anime that I�ve known for a long time is very well liked, but I�d never given it the time it likely deserved. But now, I had a great reason to give it a watch, because this is the �Sci-fi� entry in my anime genre review collection!
Synopsis
Japanese society has advanced to a point where a technological marvel called the Sibyl System exists, a system which is able to scan people and determine their mental stability and capability to do wrong. Thanks to this, the role of police has changed with a person�s Psycho-Pass tells all that the police investigators need to know. Or does it? Just as newly appointed Akane Tsunemori starts her life as an investigator, a new wave of crime strikes that brings everything into question.
Old vs. New
This is probably a common theme in many sci-fi stories, which is the weighing of new ways versus the old ways. And with sci-fi of course this is often brought on by technological advances, which is what we get here in Psycho-Pass. One of the central themes to the setting itself is this question of whether or not it�s moral and just to allow a system to govern and make decisions over the lives of people, to the point that it can judge them before they�ve even committed any crimes.
And while that may sound like a spoiler, it�s something that�s introduced right from the beginning of the story, and it�ll leave you deciding for yourself how you feel about the Sibyl System and how things operate in this future Japan.
This element also plays a role in policing and investigation of crimes. Is it safe to just allow the Sibyl System to make all the final decisions in regards to people�s guilt? How much human factor should be involved? You�ll encounter situations that tackle these issues throughout the series, and personally, I love the dilemmas that are introduced here.
You may think that questions such as these will be one-sided and easily answered, but they are not, and instead are presented in a complex manner with good arguments all around. Making it very interesting and fun to think about as the story unfolds.
Mystery?
I won�t spend too much time on this topic, but as this is a story that follows police investigators, you may wonder if there are any elements of a mystery here. Like, are we presented with facts and evidence and able to try and figure out the missing pieces ourselves? While I won�t say that there�s nothing, I will say that the story really isn�t presented in that way. You can try and guess at character�s motivations or how they�re going to approach something, but often, I don�t think there�s much more than that.
And that�s probably for the best, because there�s enough to think about and enough going on to keep you engaged in other ways. For example, there is quite a bit of intrigue, action, and other things which are more than interesting enough.
Sci-Fi
As always, I�ll try and tackle what I thought of the genre itself in the anime.
This time, the genre is more of a setting than it is a method of storytelling or aspect of the story. More similar to something like fantasy, which can take on a variety of forms from a mindless action, to a thought-provoking mystery drama or whatever.
And there�s no question that sci-fi is the key to this story. The premise of this anime, and underlying questions that the story poses, simply couldn�t exist in a fantasy or present-day setting. Technology and how it�s used in a futuristic setting are what makes Psycho-Pass so unique and intriguing. This isn�t just a typical cop drama (not that I�ve ever actually seen a cop drama), there are deep moral questions at play here.
In addition, due to the futuristic / sci-fi setting, we encounter various other problems and solutions that simply wouldn�t exist today, or in some other setting.
I don�t want to get too specific, but to sum it up, the sci-fi in this story is not only very interesting and exciting, but the story really dives deep into this potential future society and all of its implications. On all levels I think the story and it�s setting are brilliant.
Rating
Psycho-Pass is just an awesome story, start to finish.
I�m going to give it a 9 / 10.
It�s just a great story, the questions at play are very interesting, and the intrigue is awesome from start to finish. This is a society that just doesn�t fit into one box, for every potential flaw, there is a benefit of sorts. Very well done, and very well worth the watch in my opinion. I haven�t even touched upon the characters because I don�t feel like it�s necessary, they�re great, but the story and setting are what really make Psycho-Pass great in my opinion.
I enjoyed this one so much that I also watched the second and third seasons, including the ONA episodes to finish off the third season. And I�d love to get even more.
Have you dived into the world of Psycho Pass?
If not and it sounds like something you�d enjoy, I certainly encourage you to!
It�s well worth the watch.
Until next time,
Thanks for reading.
