Throughout history crime has always been a problem in every country. With so many people living on this planet, there will always be people who find a thrill in committing a crime. Even though law enforcement has improved in the past centuries, it has never been succesful in completely wiping out criminal behaviour. And I don’t think there will ever come a time when crime will be a thing of the past. But what if there was a way to fully eradicate crime in our society? And what would that world be like? It is this very intriguing storyline that is the focus for the anime series Psycho-Pass. And let me tell you in advance….what a fantastic roller coaster ride this has been!
Psycho-Pass takes place in a future Japan, where people’s minds are being continuously monitored for their mental state. The system responsible for monitoring these states, Sybil, can pretty acurately predict in this way the chances of a person planning to commit a crime. The data that is collected in this way results in a person’s Psycho-Pass rating. When the rating is above a certain number, a special unit of law enforcement is called in to either apprehend or kill the suspect. Psycho-Pass focusses on the young rookie Akane, who has just entered unit One of this special brand of police. Not quite prepared for everything that is thrown her way, on her first day she has to work together with her new colleagues. However these colleagues, the so called Enforcers, are themselves latent criminals. The Enforcers are placed under the guidance of normal police agents, who have a license to apprehend or even kill them should they pose a danger to the public. Akane soon realises that the job she has taken on might be more than she signed up for. Especially when a ruthless criminal appears who seems to have found a flaw in the Sybil system….
One of the things that I find very important in anything I watch is that I can have an attachment to the characters. And oh boy, does this Anime have a truly wonderful mix of those lined up. The main Enforcer Kougami was a character that I pretty much liked from the very first minute he showed up. Everything he does has just got a very sense of coolness to it, and I also enjoyed the constant conflict that seemed to be inside him. The young rookie Akane, also went through an amazing journey throughout this series, and I loved the way how her character developed throughout the show. The rest of the cast, most notably the old Enforcer Masaoka and the villain Makishima, are also seriously entertaining.
The storyline of the series is the absolute highlight of this anime. It deals with a lot of themes, and it gives you a lot of food for thought at the end of this show. One really has to wonder about the morality of a society where everything you do or think is being monitored. The show has a lot of surprises and twists in store throughout it’s 22 episode run. The animationstyle is very cool, and I especially liked the use of colour in this anime. Lastly the music in the series adds to to the overall atmosphere of the show, and makes it an even more interesting watch. This review would not be complete without mentioning the Dominators (pictured below), the weapons that are used to subdue or kill the potential criminals. This was really one of the greatest pieces of hardware I have ever seen in an Animeseries. The first time I saw it being used in Lethal mode, I think my jaw must have hit the floor.
I have pretty much nothing negative to say about this series. One could argue that there were a few slower episodes in the series, but that would be nitpicking. Overall this is simply a very entertaining sci-fi epic, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes movies such as Blade Runner or Ghost in the Shell. I have heard that the 2nd season for this series has been a bit of a disappointment. I always judge things for myself, but it would be a real shame if that were to be true. Psycho-Pass is simply put, Anime gold, and is one of those series that is an absolute must watch.
I give Psycho-Pass a 9 out of 10 score.
I ‘ve given it the same rating.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Really? That is a coincidence 😀 Yes I really enjoyed this show from start to finish 😀 Glad you did too. Next up for me is Stein’s Gate, another show that I have heard some great things about so far. Looking forward to it 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
The second season was a disappointment not because the quality was lesser than the first one……. we did expect more in the romance department….. no spoiler, alas.
I liked the first few episodes of Stein’s gate….. dropped it temporarily due to my busy schedule.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am going to watch the 2nd season somewhere next year, but have also good way too many other things that I still have to watch as well 😀 So yeah, maybe I am going to ask my boss for a year off work (yeah like that will happen lol 😂). Well, it will be my next Animeseries, so a (spoiler free) review will be coming up somewhere next year 😀
LikeLike
By the way, I have an anime/mangasite. Check it out at http://2megaworthitwordpresscomblog.wordpress.com/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice! Thanks, I am defintely going to do that 😀
LikeLike
Sounds like I should watch this sometime next year. 😁 Great review and if it’s worth a 9, I would look forward to it. Have a great year and keep writing 😍✌
LikeLiked by 1 person
It really is a great show, and well worth the watch 😀 Thank you very much, same to you as well: hope 2017 will be awesome, and looking forward to your future posts 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey, you finally finished it!
I had no doubt that you would enjoy this anime. What do you think? Was Kougami right? The ending made me curious about Psycho Pass 2, but I’m no longer in a hurry to see it after some pretty bad reviews.
Looking forward to your thoughts on Steins;Gate
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes….sorry it took more time than usual. A couple of things are currently keeping me a bit busy unfortunately, abd that’s why I have a little bit less time for things than usual. (I have still two reviews from your blog to read, rest assured I will do that soon 😀). As for Kougami being right, I think he was. Without going into spoiler territority for people who might be reading these comments, I think I might have done exactly the same were I Kougami. I loved the ending for this series. It was truly wrapped up in a very good way, which at times can be a rarity. Looking forward to Steins Gate,and before I forget: happy new year ! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Don’t worry about being busy with things. If you don’t blog at your own pace, you’ll turn out like me, and you don’t want that 😛
And happy new year. Looking forward to continuing our discussions in 2017
LikeLike
I’ve been waiting for this review!
Psycho Pass is one of the stories that has amazing characters as well as a great narrative, and it’s just so entertaining from beginning to end. I’m glad you enjoyed it so much. As for the Dominators, here’s a lure for s2: An advanced form of it shows up.
Personally, I liked the second season as well though it is quite different and the villain isn’t as compelling.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am going to watch the 2nd season for sure, but up next is Steins Gate, another series that I can’t wait to get started on. The comment about a new type of Dominator….very interesting…moving season 2 up a couple of spots in my to watch novel😀 Thank you for reading, and ofcourse: happy new year! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Akane is a awesome character
LikeLiked by 1 person
I loved the first season. So good! Second season don’t know what they were thinking. Hahah
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, yes I have heard season 2 is not so good, still I am going to watch it anyway lol 😂😂 Oh and ofcourse: a very happy new year to you 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes you should watch it still. Let me know what you think. happy new year!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yay! You finished and and you loved it! Season 2 is probably worth a shot despite what you’ve heard. Especially since like you said you’d like to judge it for itself. Great review! I’m glad u liked it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, I thought it was absolutely awesome. I am going to watch the 2nd season anyway, despite the bad things I have heard about it. Always like to complete shows in it’s entirety. Next up is Steins Gate though, can’t wait to get started on that one 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the premise of this anime. Isn’t there a movie with a similar concept? Is it Minority Report? I’ll add this one to my list 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, This series did remind me a bit about Minority Report. In fact even before I watched it, is was the first thing that came to mind. Honestly though, eventually the story goes in a very different and much darker direction 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really liked this show. Unfortunately Psycho-Pass S2 didn’t quite live up to my expectations… I’m glad you enjoyed watching Psycho-Pass, though!
Thanks for sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice post
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much, glad you enjoyed it 😀
LikeLike
thnk u
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great review. I started it a while back and thought it was a little slow, so I stopped watching it ❤ ❤ I think I will have to finish it now 🙂 🙂 Also I have tagged you to participate in a tag if you like x x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much 😀 It is a very cool show indeed. Admittedly there are afgewezen slower episodes, but overall this has been a quality Animeseries and a very awesome roller coaster ride 😊 Thanks for the tag! I promise to try and make a post for it as soon as I am able. I am currently running behind a bit on things like tags and awards. I want to do them in the order I received them. Currently a bit busy in real life..but as said, will try and do my best to make a post as soon as I am able too. Once again, my thanks 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your most welcome 🙂 🙂 Yay, I’ll be sure to finish the anime ❤ ❤ Aww that's ok, just take your time, no need to rush 😀 😀 I look forward to reading your answers whenever you are ready to post the tag x x
LikeLike
Glad to see you wrote about this as I’m currently watching it. I’m going to be writing a post about some of my favourite animes and this is one of them that is really interesting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Psycho Pass is very cool…it was one of my favorites of last year (other shows that I highly recommend are Another, Erased and Orange). Currently watching Monster a very dark but so far very cool show. Looking forward to that post 😀
LikeLike
I really loved season 1 of Psycho Pass. So colorful, with rich characters, and some deep philosophical questions. I think what really captured my attention was the pacing of the overall plot. Information about the main “mystery” was doled out at a very good, slow pace. I also think the cast of enforcers were a nice rag tag bag of variety. I think I was particularly struck by one episode where Akane hangs out with an enforcer who loves to cook and drink, and insists Akane do the same. Unfortunately he underestimated her tolerance and gets politely schooled for his assumptions.
While the series engages some very serious topics, they find room for enough levity to keep things from getting too gloomy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Totally agree, I still have to watch season 2, but from what I have heard so far, it is supposed to be a very poor substitute for season 1. Still, I usually like to watch things for myself, so I am still going to check it out anyway 😊 Thank you for your comment 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this series. Haven’t checked out season two yet because of the mixed reviews (it was created by a different writer and studio.)
Got to agree that Akane gets a lot a character development. She’s a brill female protagonist who is forced to grow due to the nature of the job.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have yet to check out the Seco d season myself as well. I have certainly heard quite a bit of negative reviews for that season, but I always like to check that out firsthand 😊
Needless to say I really enjoyed this first season though. The story together with the cool characters has made this one of my favorite Animeseries to date 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person