Anime/Psycho-pass

Which means "ALL ABOARD THE DESPAIR TRAIN, BITCHES".

You sound altogether too happy about that.

Actually, I'll be surprised if the body-count in this one is in the single-digits. To hear one of my associates talk about the series, it's better if you expect EVERYONE to die, so when someone actually LIVES, one won't be disappointed.

Gen's work tends to be very cathartic. The only piece of his where I didn't walk away feeling emotionally drained yet satisfied was Phantom: Requiem of the Phantom, and that was because the ending just came the fuck out of nowhere instead of being something that was deserved, or inevitable. Other than that, Urobutcher always leaves me feeling cleansed in a satisfying "wow maybe life doesn't suck so much" kind of way.

That actually makes you sound cathartic

It's probably where we differ anyway though.

I just want a creator to show me something new - whether that be in writing, aesthetics, characters, drama or comedy - which is also engaging on at least one level. These days I consider an impressive background, setting or world building a nice bonus where I don't simply appreciate the mundane made interesting more.

@Ultimately Subjective: Well the despair train is an awesome ride.

Nothing new under the son, boyo, so you best stop looking if that's what you judge "quality entertainment" on

First episode is out. This series doesn't hold anything back, violence-wise.

Man, that was quite an intense first episode.

And I thought Elfen Lied won out in the "gory ultraviolence" category. They turned that dude into fucking human chili!

So.....

Human urges can be quantified, identifying potential criminals.

The device quantifying them is called a Psycho-Pass.

Security cameras on the streets scan people's Psycho-Passes.

Anyone caught exceeding the estimated level is deemed a potential criminal and has to be brought into custody, whether they've actually done anything or not.

Am I getting it right? Cause it sounds soooooooo happy.

edited 11th Oct '12 1:46:24 PM by lu127

Oh, and don't forget being close to someone who's a latent criminal can somehow make you into a latent criminal, even if you've done nothing wrong.

I have been looking through the forums, and the rape scene in the episode has gotten a lot of divisive feedback, with some claiming it to be too much and an immature way to add drama, and others thinking it fit just fine. What are your thoughts?

It depends, though it was done offscreen, at least.

Though considering it was minor character, I could see it as cheap, that way.

I have a feeling that the system, at least partially, is BS. Standing next to a criminal =/= being a criminal. Also, anyone want to know how those guys became the criminal hunters? I think the mentor dude (What was his name again?) might have implied it has to do with the whole latent-criminal-by-association thing.

The thing about a Psycho-Pass being contagious makes sense at least. Think about it. The victims of rape and other violent crimes have been known to eventually perpetuate the same acts (i.e. the abused becomes the abuser). So if someone sees a loved one get killed, they'll want to take revenge, and kill the killer. In this sense, the idea of a killer or criminal influencing another person's Psycho Pass makes sense.

As for the rape scene... eh, it felt a little cheap. I think it would have been better done off-screen or implied, or not done at all (even if the guy intended to rape her, they could've gotten to the scene beforehand, which would have established that this guy was too far gone while being more tasteful).

I thought the contagious thing was because, if a criminal did something horrible to you, wouldn't you want to, at least subconsciously, do something horrible right back? Like, shouldn't the psycho-pass look at what caused the mental state first?

Plus, when someone is scared, they don't think quite rationally, especially regarding their attacker.

Judging from what I've seen, Akane isn't actually the main character.

About latent criminals: my guess is they were identified as having a Psycho-Pass exceeding the norm and were offered a chance at cooperating with the system because they're just as "bad" as the guys they're after. There's no danger of them getting contaminated by the one they're chasing since they're already past the limit.

Psycho-Pass is a thing now.

Okay, I get what you're saying. I don't think it should be that extreme though. Like, she was raped and then IMMEDIATELY her psycho-pass clouded so much that she was labeled as much a criminal as him.

edited 11th Oct '12 2:25:43 PM by fruitpork

Yeah, but it lowered. Also, because of the severity of the police system, they're afraid to be vaporized, so they want to fight back for their lives. Kill or be killed. She probably thought "oh shit, now I'm gonna have to kill the police if I don't wanna go to the slammer".

Also, a lotta people get pissed when you call them criminals without having actually done anything yet.

edited 11th Oct '12 2:29:00 PM by KSPAM

Um, I think that's the point. We're supposed to think "What kind of bullshit system is this?". I mean, they arrest people because they might end up as criminals.

Good point. Honestly, I think that the system causes more problems than it might fix.

EDIT: Damn ninjas!

edited 11th Oct '12 2:30:00 PM by fruitpork

Well, I assume that since these people carry around Psycho Pass meters, that they know when they've gone bad before anyone else. If they recognize this, they can willfully go in for government mandated therapy, and get released when they're better (and no one has to get tazed). However, a lot of them run, meaning they are already willing to become criminals. At which point, it likely is too late for any non-violent solution.

The detectives are explicitly split into two groups - Enforcers who are chosen because their high criminal coefficients let them think like criminals and better predict their behavior, and Inspectors who have low criminal coefficients who are there primarily to keep the Enforcers in line.

Enforcers are supposed to do most of the dirty work, while Inspectors have command of the situation and are supposed to keep Enforcers from going rogue themselves. Qualified Inspectors with low coefficients are presumably harder to find then talented Enforcers are, so they're forced to throw more newbie Inspectors onto the field.

Well, some citizens might do that, but others, like that guy, might argue that they didn't even do anything and go on the run. Now, the dude we saw is probably not the best example since he went psycho as a result but I can still understand his point of view to an extent.

edited 11th Oct '12 3:05:38 PM by fruitpork