Although the premise is a tad cliche (a futuristic metropolis where crime is rare and the government controls virtually every aspect of a person's life to ensure absolute compliance and security at the cost of sacrificing Free Will), Psycho Pass is a rare gem that could easily be considered one of the "greats" of the Winter 2012 anime season.
The series starts off with the introduction of the plucky and naive Public Safety Inspector Akane Tsunemori, who has a rose-tinted glasses view of the world and is an all-around optimistic idealist. Inspector Tsunemori is assigned to the Public Safety Unit headed by the hard-ass "protocol first" Ginoza. Akane meets the unique members of her new unit, many of whom are actually either former criminals or consummate specialists in their use and understanding of the Sibyl System. The Sybil System is the government-run "Thought Police" computer system that has the ability to scan a person's psychological outlook to determine whether they need therapy or execution at the hands of the Public Safety Office. Inspector Tsumemori believes that the Sybil System is perfect, but soon her thoughts and ideals are challenged when she is partnered with former inspector-turned-criminal Kogami.
The show is deeply engaging, as we watch Akane slowly change and mature from a little girl in her idealistic cocoon, to a young woman enforcing law and order in a world where perfection is too good to be true and easily misleading. Throughout the show, Tsunemori continually questions her ideals and struggles with trying to understand why Kogami is treated as a criminal by Ginoza when he is such an asset as an inspector. Characterization is rich, with brief flash-backs that fill in information on main characters and why they are the way they are.
Psycho Pass is NOT for the faint of heart! The show is rife with gore (there are often brutal murders—the first episode is a good indicator), and the "Dominator-esqe" Enforcer gun that the inspectors use frequently blow suspected criminals to bloody pieces. However, for a mature audience this show is not to be missed.
Unique characters and thought-provoking issues lay at the heart of Psycho Pass, and those wanting something more than typical Shonen action/drama/comedy should DEFINITELY check this show out.
Futuristic psychological thriller that hits some high notes!
Although the premise is a tad cliche (a futuristic metropolis where crime is rare and the government controls virtually every aspect of a person's life to ensure absolute compliance and security at the cost of sacrificing Free Will), Psycho Pass is a rare gem that could easily be considered one of the "greats" of the Winter 2012 anime season.
The series starts off with the introduction of the plucky and naive Public Safety Inspector Akane Tsunemori, who has a rose-tinted glasses view of the world and is an all-around optimistic idealist. Inspector Tsunemori is assigned to the Public Safety Unit headed by the hard-ass "protocol first" Ginoza. Akane meets the unique members of her new unit, many of whom are actually either former criminals or consummate specialists in their use and understanding of the Sibyl System. The Sybil System is the government-run "Thought Police" computer system that has the ability to scan a person's psychological outlook to determine whether they need therapy or execution at the hands of the Public Safety Office. Inspector Tsumemori believes that the Sybil System is perfect, but soon her thoughts and ideals are challenged when she is partnered with former inspector-turned-criminal Kogami.
The show is deeply engaging, as we watch Akane slowly change and mature from a little girl in her idealistic cocoon, to a young woman enforcing law and order in a world where perfection is too good to be true and easily misleading. Throughout the show, Tsunemori continually questions her ideals and struggles with trying to understand why Kogami is treated as a criminal by Ginoza when he is such an asset as an inspector. Characterization is rich, with brief flash-backs that fill in information on main characters and why they are the way they are.
Psycho Pass is NOT for the faint of heart! The show is rife with gore (there are often brutal murders—the first episode is a good indicator), and the "Dominator-esqe" Enforcer gun that the inspectors use frequently blow suspected criminals to bloody pieces. However, for a mature audience this show is not to be missed.
Unique characters and thought-provoking issues lay at the heart of Psycho Pass, and those wanting something more than typical Shonen action/drama/comedy should DEFINITELY check this show out.