Psycho-Pass

The series is set in a not so distant future. In a state which can definitely be seen as a satire of a modern utopia. What maintains the peace is a system where you can instantaneously measure an individual’s state of mind. If the person turns out to be emotionally unstable, the unit will immediately be apprehended. If it turns out the individual is suffering a too grave of a mental instability and therefore be out of reach salvaging, the system will instead discard the threat.

It goes without saying this is a society where humanistic ideals are by long time buried deep into the ground ... where they cannot disturb a more effective regulation of humanity. A ruling which has much in common with pristine societies, where the contemplation is nothing for the giant mass. A philosophy which often is condemned for bringing stalemate to the global progression. Which of course is no surprise, it doesn’t take much thought to realise what can go wrong with an almighty aristocracy. It’s like the darkness that once disappeared by the illumination of the enlightenment once again clouds our globe. This can also be seen by the flawed nature of the false safety the system brings. Humans are not seen as individuals but a unit with a syntax value. Which obviously is a very controversial state of relief.

This dark atmosphere is why the main character is such an interesting piece in this series. Somehow this human still has the ideals which humanity today holds so dear. The series therefore brings an inner battle between her ideals and the harsh reality, and it surely shows how rigid they contrast.
This setting and situation is obviously nothing new. One of the obvious correlations comes with Orwell, but that’s what makes this series enjoyable because it’s alluded to great literary works and philosophical conflicts. It’s nothing new but still a fascinating story.


The series also strengthens this theme by endowing things like violence, tragedy and despair. In a very anime like way. Which as well makes it more unique. It also makes itself enjoyable by providing a very contrasting antagonist which leads to more tension and philosophical dilemmas.
All this together has been weaved into a cloth of the finished product. I’m more than sure that you can enjoy this show without grasping all the aspects which the series contain. But I’m at the same time certain that you will enjoy it even more if you understand what the series Psycho-Pass really is.

"In the future, the men and women of the Public Safety Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division apprehend or kill those who have a chance to ruin human society based on their Psycho-pass and these are their stories."

Where do I begin with this show? While I did enjoy it immensely I have to say it suffered from some issues that I'll put in the "criticisms" section. There will be some spoilers in there so be prepared. With that out of the way, lets get on with the rest of the spoiler free review!

Story (8) - The story as stated in the first sentence follows ... the life of CID newbie Akane Tsunemori. She meets her senior inspector Ginoza and also four latent criminals called Enforcers who will be their partners or slaves depending on how you look at. Together they'll solve cases and protect the population in the name of Sibyl, the ultimate protector, who decides who is good or bad for society based on the color of their Psycho-pass, which is a universal meter that is on everyone in society.
This series at its core is a coming of age story for Akane. She starts the series as someone who knows nothing about the world, but through the eyes of Kogami, an enforcer whom she handles, she sees the world in a completely different way. It's not all rainbows in the utopian society, and through her new job she'll experience just what it takes to make a "perfect" world prosper.

My strikes against the story honestly fall down to the episodic nature of the first part of the story and one extremely pointless episode in the 2nd half.

Art (8) - The art is good, but nothing spectacular. The world of Psycho-pass seems to excel at night, which is when the series is at its best plotwise as well. While it does have scenes that take place during the day, most of them are just filler scenes. Almost all of the series takes place in the main city as well, so there isn't much room for varied settings. The characters are all designed pretty well, but don't stand out at the same time. All in all there's really nothing horribly wrong with the art, but I thought they could have done a little better with it.

Sound (9) - This is one of my favorite parts of Psycho pass. The Openings and Endings of the show are both spectacular. I watched them every time, despite having the ability to skip them (blu ray). The ost also matched and helped scenes for the most part as well.

Characters (8) - The characters in show are where many opinions seem to vary. Were they good? Were they bad? Well if you ask me, with few exceptions, they were good.

Akane - (Good/Decent) - She ,to be honest, starts out as a boring and useless character at the start of the show. She really doesn't know the world, but does start to learn about it and change. I feel it was intentional to make her start out like that so we could watch her grow on her journey. I liked her at the end so it worked for me.

Kogami - (Good) - The main enforcer in the show. Kogami while not really unique or special worked for me. His back story was good and well foreshadowed. His and Akane's relationship also made them both better characters.

The Antagonist(s) - (Good) - Without spoiling this character, other than the fact that one does show up, I will say they were well done. I won't go more into details, so if you want to know more, watch the show.

Ginoza/Kagai/Masaoka - (Good) - They all were done pretty well done. Their personal issues and personalities were all believable and well foreshadowed.

Yayoi/Shion - (Bad) - These characters really had no development whatsoever and really didn't do anything for me. While Shion was important in the story jobwise her character just was lacking to me. I really don't know how else to put it, they were boring.

Enjoyment (9) - While I did have issues with it overall, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I enjoyed the ride, and in the end that's all that matters.

Criticisms (Spoilers) -

Akane's Psycho-Pass - I don't really feel this part of the story was explained well, or really at all. Akane psycho-pass barely changes despite the horrible mind exploding shit she sees. I don't feel the explanation that "she's just that type of person" is good enough at all. It just felt like hand-wave reason so she could experience stuff that no one else could....which is silly in such an intelligent story.

Sibyl System's True Origin - Okay this was also just stupid. How was a system of sociopath brains even implemented? Who the hell approved this? Did it start with just one brain or did they collect a bunch before doing it? While I love this series, I just can't help but feel this was just ridiculous. It was again a hand-wave shock value revelation.

Overall (9) - Despite my multiple issues with show that make it seem like I hated it, I really didn't at all. It was for the most part an intelligent show. Hopefully some of my issues get resolved in the upcoming season 2, but if not it won't change the fact I'll be watching it. So in summation, if you want a good sci-fi show with some interesting concepts, characters, and story check out Psycho-pass. While it may not be perfect, it's still pretty damn good.

Psycho Pass is another dark sci-fi - cyberpunk title from Production IG which became beloved by many since it came out and for good reason.. That reason being that we don't get enough cyberpunk titles in anime so I guess beggars can't be choosers.

I don't think too highly of this series, but hopefully fans will understand where I'm coming from. For a change, this review will be separated in to "Positive" and "Negative" parts since I think that's the best way to approach it.

There's gonna be some very subtle spoilers, but I'll try my best to keep them minimal. I'm certainly not spoiling anything ... major.

Quick synopsis;
The story takes place in a futuristic Japan where we follow a team of policemen dedicated to maintaining public order in a society where everything is run by the Sybil system. This system has the ability to scan your brain to see how likely you are to commit a crime and even figure out the careers you're suited for.

*Positive*

1. Great production values:

The sci fi setting looks very dark and cool. The lighting effects are very well done, the fights are generally smooth and well choreographed and the CGI is integrated nicely since it's limited to machines only. Even when the characters are just standing around there's often something interesting to look at in the background so it does a decent job in making the city feel alive. The only complaints I have is that from time to time there were some animation glitches and that the character designs are made by the creator of Hitman Reborn - which means she goes out of her way to design very handsome boys and cute girls, which doesn't fit the mature vibe this series has.

The soundtrack also has an interesting variety of tunes. Everything from classical music to rock with retarded Engrish lyrics and everything in between. I can't point at a single track that I particularly love, but it definitely has variety and its usually placed well. Voice acting is pretty good too since it has quite a few famous actors and they each fit their roles rather well. When they try to emote it does become a little over the top at points, but they still pull through. I also took a listen to the dub and it doesn't sound half bad.

2. It's cyberpunk:

This is kind of a personal thing, but we don't get much of this genre in anime and it's one that I'm very fond of.

3. It has a focused narrative:

Everything in the series begins and ends with the Sybil system. You can watch any episode of this show, look in to any event or character interaction and see that everything is related in some way to the core of the series. This is also the show's biggest downfall (I'll get to that), but at the same time it's kinda praiseworthy. You also have other interesting topics that are touched upon along the way like the benefits and dangers of Transhumanism, but these things aren't really relevant in the long run, they're just added in order to flavor the futuristic setting. I have no complaints though, it did its job and it's cool.


*Negative*

1. Questionable foundations and mixed messages:

Almost the entire series is dedicated to showing us how bad the Sybil system is. Right from the first episode we get a glimpse of that as we witness both a kidnapper and his victim sentenced to death by the system because their psycho pass became too clouded- and that's the entire narrative in a nutshell. You see, in this system even the victim gets punished because their mental health is damaged, therefore they become latent criminals. Depending on the level of damage they will either be executed or sent to rehabilitation (and it was explicitly stated that the latter doesn't recover most people). If creating a cruel world is all the series set out to do, that'd be fine (albeit very one sided and predictable) but no, at points it tries to convince the audience that this system is ultimately for the greater good and that there's no better alternative. Which I personally find insulting since it did very little to justify its existence or show its benefits.

I even came across a disturbing review of this series (by an American no less) - who'd love nothing more than to establish this system in real life... Because apparently living in a first world constitutional republic is not good enough for him. People need to have their civil rights stripped away, their brains examined 24/7 and victims should be punished... in exchange for what? There were many instances in the series which demonstrate that crime rates are still pretty high despite all that, and yet the public is still ignorant to what a crime actually is. So excuse me for not seeing the benefits here.

Even though it's tempting, I'm not gonna question how this system came to be in the first place since in reality we have some examples of unsustainable ways of life that came about, like Communism for example. But I'd still argue that if it wanted to take a favorable or even a neutral stance regarding it, then they should've shown us more of the benefits of this system and not just the flaws for the sake of superficial entertainment and gore.

2. The characters are defined by their beliefs:

The vast majority of screen time for the characters is focused on watching them do their jobs. We don't get to know them too well on a personal level and every action they take seems to be a commentary on what their beliefs are and not who they are as people. Every interaction they have seems to connect to the setting and the central theme in some way. For that reason, I find it hard to connect with them on a personal level. Their backstories are brief and mostly told through clunky exposition and their growth primarily has to do with their beliefs. Not to mention that many of them quote books quite often which further damages their characterization and makes them feel like mouthpieces for the scriptwriter rather than independent individuals (Nobody talks like that!). So no matter how much time I spent with these characters it rarely felt like I got to know them anymore than I already did in the first few episodes. I think they could've benefited greatly from a few more casual interactions.

To be fair though, we do get some personal insight on the main character, Tsunemori and we get to know who she hangs out with. But her reason for becoming a law enforcer looks almost like a whim since she could've chosen any line of work based on her clear psycho pass. She doesn't look like police material to me. Kougami is kinda cool I guess, even if his motive is the "avenge my partner" cliché and even if he solves mysteries way too quickly based on rather flimsy evidence. Makishima, the antagonist does his job ok, but he's also the most notorious quoting machine. Then there's another character who gets an entire episode dedicated to her backstory.. which ends up going to waste since she plays no role in the actual story and isn't fleshed out further afterwards (unless you include her sexual orientation) . She could've easily been replaced with an A.I or removed altogether and NOTHING would've changed. So it renders an entire episode (that was randomly interjected after an important revelation) completely pointless for characterization.

I'm having a hard time coming up with things to say about these characters and that's because there isn't much to them. If you remove the setting and their stances regarding it, there's not much left to talk about.. And unfortunately I can't side with any of them because of the negative nature of this system. Theoretically, the only one I can side with is the antagonist, but even he's a crazed murderer.

3. Apparent lack of planning in its story and awkward pacing:

The first half of the series is semi episodic in nature where the team chase various criminals. Like I said earlier, these episodes are not intended to flesh out the characters beyond their introduction, nor do they foreshadow the upcoming events in the second half (excluding the introduction to the main antagonist) they're mainly intended for world building and repeatedly showing us how flawed the system is. And even when there's a two/three episode arc, the beginning of each episode still feels disconnected from how the previous one ended to the point I had to double check if I'm watching the correct one.. It's as if there's something missing in between. This especially becomes noticeable when they shoehorn that pointless flashback episode with no relevance to whatever is happening in the present. This ends up making the series feel both slow and fast at the same time (in a bad way) - slow in the sense that not much of importance is happening - and fast in the sense that there's little breather room in between each mission.

In the second half there's more continuity and there's also a fairly exciting build up for the climax, but said climax uses an important aspect of the setting (that factory thingy) that was never mentioned or foreshadowed before the final few episodes and proceeds to use it as the main plot device that leads up to its conclusion. This is pretty bad, especially for a show where the setting is the main focus.

Furthermore, the ending itself is rubbish since it doesn't provide closure for most characters. Very little has changed and nothing was accomplished so it has "lazy writing" written all over it.
Now, I know that there's a second season, but even most fans seem to dislike it so excuse me for doubting that this has been fixed without actually watching it yet.


*Conclusion*

Despite all my complaints I did somewhat enjoy it for the cool factor. Was it bad? Nah, I think it's still a lot more interesting than most anime that come out these days. On the other hand, I don't think it's nearly as good as people make it out to be and I believe that even beggars should be choosers in some cases.

Totally forgot I had this review.
Please don’t break out the pitchforks for not giving it a 10 and calling it the best thing since sliced bread either.

Story: (7.5/10)
Set approximately a century in the future, Tsunemori Akane is a rookie inspector for the MWPSB, the equivalent of Japan’s police force. Governed under a mysterious entity called the Sibyl System, which essentially quantifies your quality as a person, the world is set up using a seemingly typical dystopian model. Based on the background information given, it is implied that the Sibyl System is only present within Japan. The series does a rather good job explaining ... several nuances of the system, whether by showing through example or explaining through technobabble that, although seems ridiculous, is essential to any science fiction story (I will abbreviate SF for science fiction from now on). Most of the story focuses on Akane’s unit solving various cases that eventually begin to connect to one culprit, Makishima Shougo.

Now onto the fun part.

Like any respectable SF work, Psycho-Pass focuses on certain themes throughout the series. I believe scriptwriter Gen Urobuchi pinpointed his focus on one central theme: morality. What convinces me that this topic is the central focus is because our main character, Akane, is a walking goody two-shoes who blabs and argues about morals more than Tanabe Ai in Planetes. Although at face value, the show focuses on many other broad topics like governance, the value of life, and the dangers of future technology, each topic eventually boils down to the question: Is *insert topic here* right or wrong? The good part of Psycho-Pass’ story is that the series initially does a wonderful job of building a diverse and intriguing world, with the Sibyl System as its cornerstone; however, as the series progresses, the world becomes uninteresting as the initially complexly constructed Sibyl System takes a backseat to a melodramatic police drama that turns out to be much less interesting than the actual world itself. To top that off, the show also falls short in delivering another aspect that many people hail it for.

This aspect, of course, is the social commentary.

From time to time, Psycho-Pass brings up some questions that might raise a few eyebrows; however, other than getting you thinking for the five-or-so minutes after the episode is over, the show doesn’t do much to develop these ideas. In fact, the manners in which said ideas are presented are not much more than references to other works of literature in the past. It would be acceptable if Urobuchi threw in a reference every now or then to help develop an idea, but instead he uses these obvious references to previous works as the only form to convey his messages. What results from this is a loss of identity. Because of these references, the show will probably not be remembered in the future as Psycho-Pass, but as “that show that tried too hard to be ‘deep’ (I kind of hate that word) by referencing obscure 17th century Japanese philosophy.” It’s this sort of referencing that suckers people into actually believing that Psycho-Pass is much more than it actually is. Moreover, since the show is essentially a police drama, the ongoing melodramatic development of the overall story hazes the impact of the supposed social commentary.

Overall, the story of Psycho-Pass suffered from too many inconsistencies along with a lack of an actual identity to be considered to be the “amazing, thought-provoking, and mature” story that many people tout it to be. Instead, the story ends up being disappointingly typical, and it leaves a feeling that it could have been so much more.

Art: (9/10)
One worry I always have with the art style of any SF anime is the setting. The portrayal of a futuristic world is a feat that is very difficult in both anime and other mediums. Anyways, with Psycho-Pass, I was surprised to see how much detail Production IG took in building the world visually. From details as minute as the fact that the cars can drive themselves to something as important as the functionality of the dominator, the world is fleshed out very well thanks to the many episodes given to establish the setting. In other words, the society not only looks futuristic, but feels futuristic.

We are exposed to a variety of different locales from night clubs to government buildings, and the little nuances included in these scenes were very important in building a visually believable world. The animation was fluid and detailed, and lighting was done to give the show the dark ambiance that is characteristic of all Gen Urobuchi stories. My main gripe about the art style was the character designs. Some characters look plain awkward, and overall, they just don’t fit the setting. Although the cartoony design approach has worked in other shows like Monster, the character designs of Psycho-Pass were a bit over-the-top.

Sound: (9/10)
The OST of Psycho-Pass is strong. There is a wide variety of different tracks that express a vast array of emotions. From calmer piano ballads to adrenaline-pumping techno tunes, the viewer can tell that the soundtrack was constructed very well. Although I think soundtrack placement could have been better at parts of the series, the overall OST was very solid. Voice acting too was excellent. Even though the only standout performance I can point out to is Hanazawa Kana’s voice as Tsunemori Akane, the rest of the cast performed amiably with no performances I can really say were bad.

As a supercell fan, I was delighted to hear that Chelly would be performing both endings, Namae no Nai Kaibutsu and All Alone with You. The first ending was definitely among my favorites; not only did it fit the series well, but it was one of the catchiest songs I have ever listened to. In contrast, All Alone with You, although a very solid song, was definitely weaker than the first ending and did not fit well with the show at all. The same pattern can be found for the opening sequences. The first opening, Abnormalize by Ling Tosite Sugire, is an excellent and fitting opening. Unfortunately, the second opening, Out of Control by Nothing’s Carved in Stone, feels both generic and uninspiring.

Overall, the sound set of Psycho-Pass, much like the art/animation, is excellent all around. Although there are still some flaws in certain subcategories, it is still very well done.

Characters: (7.5/10)
The main problem with SF works is that the creator often focuses so much on the actual setting of the show, that the characters ultimately fall flat. Like many other shows of the same genre, Psycho Pass is unable to break this predisposition to mediocrity; however, there is some hope.

Most of the cast is pretty plain and I have long forgotten many of their names. Some are given minor development, while others end up being filler and are ultimately unnecessary to the show. There are three members of the cast worth mentioning, so I will give a brief and general rundown of each.

Tsunemori Akane: Without a doubt the best character in the show, Akane is a moralistic goody two-shoes whose ideals parallel that of the Sibyl system. A model citizen who graduated the top of her class, Akane’s development as a character from the nervous rookie to what she becomes in the end was a pleasant surprise, and the crowning achievement of Psycho Pass as an anime.

Kougami Shinya: What makes Kougami a decent character is the fact that he is basically the polar opposite of Akane. Skilled and deadly at his profession, Kougami is an enforcement officer of the MWPSB whose main flaw is in his strength. Seemingly invincible at times, his badass-ery is the very reason why so many people love him and others hate him. While it is definitely nice to have such a character for the sake of action, the very fact that he is basically unbeatable takes away from the tension of many key moments. Plot armor can only go so far before it becomes absurd.

Makishima Shougo: It’s a shame that Makishima turned out the way he did. Initially portrayed as a very mysterious and intelligent antagonist who had an unhealthy affinity for Kougami, what his character eventually turned into was Gen Urobuchi’s walking quote machine. With that said, there’s nothing much else to comment about his character. Since his role is doomed to be one without an actual identity, there is really no way to salvage his character.

Overall, the cast of Psycho-Pass is relatively plain, but by no means terrible. Highlighted by an excellently fleshed out character, Tsunemori Akane, the cast of Psycho-Pass, like many others of the genre, just fail to stand out.


Enjoyment(8/10)
What irks me the most when I hear people talk about Psycho-Pass is that they hail it as this sort of thought-provokingly mature show that only intelligent people can understand. If you take in Psycho-Pass like that, not only will you be disappointed, but you will probably miss the actual point of the show. In the end, Psycho-Pass is a police drama. These types of shows tend to focus on providing tense, adrenaline-pumping suspense. Psycho-Pass is a very entertaining show if you take it in like that. Although the show does attempt to convince the viewer to believe that there is something more to what is initially presented, messy execution dampens the realization of these messages. Let’s just say if you go into this show expecting something like Serial Experiments Lain, you will be vehemently disappointed.

Overall: aka TL/DR version of the review
Overall, when it comes to describing Psycho-Pass, all I can say is that it bit off more than it could chew. Although the messages the show attempts to convey may get the viewer thinking, the impact of delivery is done in an overly pretentious and obvious manner. As a result, the social messages will stir up some thoughts, but they won't leave a lasting impact. To rub salt on the wound, most of the cast is flat and get little to no development. However, the animation is fluid and small nuances of the world are cleverly incorporated, although the character designs are rather unbecoming. The music is very high quality and fitting, and the voice acting is generally great. Although some tracks do get repetitive, the overall sound set is excellent. All in all, I would definitely recommend Psycho-Pass to someone who wants to enjoy a darker, “action-y” show with a twist; however, it is far from a proper social commentary that other shows of the same genre have delivered.

Average score: 8.2/10
Weighted score: 6/10 “Fine”

(if the rating confuses you, take a glimpse at my rating system on my profile for clarifications)

Urobuchi Gen broke my heart with Saya no Uta and make me addicted to his works. I have come to know him more, and I can say that he is a writer full of hatred.
And I can say that, Psycho-Pass is the most humane story of Urobuchi Gen.

Taking place in a not far future, a dystopian place, Psycho-Pass is a great criticism to human nature itself, both as individuals and community. It is interesting to see that these matters were not put in a subtle way, but a more direct way. It's so unlike Urobuchi Gen, but that is one of the few reasons to ... make it his most humane story.

Solitude... Being part of a community... Allegedly given freedom... A future that is sealed even before the act takes place. Everything is decided for you and yet you still live a life that is yours. However, what will happen when the walls that are protecting you fall part? And maybe worst? It makes you to question. Were they made to keep the danger outside, or were they made to keep you inside? What will be the side you'll be taking when those walls fade?

Characters of Psycho-Pass touches almost everyone's life. Almost everyone can find something related to themselves in them. Obsession, parenthood, patriotism, humanism, idealism, solitude, search, a lesser evil, a greater good, an impossible choice, incomprehensible and unacceptable yet still undeniable facts... Nothing is up to you to decide, yet you have to make a choice. It is the very essence of Psycho-pass, desperation.
Every single character in this story suffers from it, and takes shape with it. It will be up to you to decide the good and evil... again.

Science fiction, action, detective... These may be the genres to describe Psycho-Pass, and it may look like it only speaks for a very specific part of viewers, but not only it fills those genres quite well, but also it speaks for other viewers too. If you are looking for something that makes sense, that you'll both enjoy and question paradigms while watching, Psycho-Pass is something you should never miss.

I watched psycho-pass because it was recommended for fans of death note. A big difference between psycho-pass and death note is that psycho-pass is more sci-fi, while death note is more fantasy. However, what I liked about death note was that there was ONE fantasy element (the death note, which yes, did come with the shinigamis) that was placed in an otherwise normal and real-life-like world. I tend to like anime that show characters in a real, non-fantasy life, like Monster and Perfect Blue, and Death Note was amazing even though it had that fantasy element. However, in psycho-pass, the story is way to sci-fi ... to where things don't feel realistic at all. Also, it's just way worse. I honestly don't know how people could say it is BETTER than death note. Absolutely not.

Story - 7
Starting off strong. The story isn't that bad. The sci-fi element is actually interesting, and the first half of the series includes some thrilling and exciting situations. However, the overall story doesn't feel that special, but I think this is because the characters who drove it weren't that great. With boring protagonists and boring antagonists, any story is bound to fail.

Art - 6
It's okay, not my favorite. Don't like how some characters have big anime style eyes and others have normal looking eyes.

Sound - 5
Not comparable to Death Note AT ALL! Death Note is full of bangers! The music in psycho-pass doesn't feel as hype. There was only one track I really liked, and it's not during a hype moment at all, but during the interview with the woman and the cyborg guy.

Characters - 3
Here is where psycho-pass comes crashing down. The characters are either boring or annoying. That is NOT a good combination. Our MC basically has no actual personality traits. I don't know any of her interests outside of her job. She is just so boring and predictable.
Our MC's colleagues are mostly boring. There is maybe one or two that I actually liked, but they don't get a lot of screen time. The rest are either boring or annoyingly dramatic.
The psycho-pass team is so boring I was kinda rooting for the antagonist just because he seemed kinda chill. He is also boring, and I don't understand any of his motivations, but hey, at least he had a cool plan, which indicates he does have a brain capable of thoughts, so I rooted for him. But I knew I wouldn't care either way what happened at the end since all these characters are so lifeless.

Enjoyment - 5
Psycho-pass was fun to watch at first. The concept was interesting. It was thrilling for a bit. Some parts of episodes were good. But without good characters, an anime will fail. So since I didn't feel anything for any of these characters, and wasn't even motivated to watch season 2 to see the characters more, my enjoyment was little.

Overall - 6

Look. Psycho pass does have a great concept. And it can be fun to watch if you just need something. But do not think this will be like death note, and don't watch it if you are picking between other amazing psychological shows like Paranoia Agent, Code Geass, or Monster.

**SPOILER FREE REVIEW**

No matter where you live, who you are, or what your perspective on life is, it's a pretty irrefutable fact that planet Earth is filled to the brim with misery and despair. Three billion people, nearly half of the entire world, live on just $2.50 per day in terrible poverty; the same poverty that kills over 22,000 children every single day. Over a billion people entered the 21st century without knowing how to read or write their own name. Every 30 seconds, someone in the world will die because they don't have access to basic sanitation, not even clean water. It's estimated that ... over half a million people are murdered throughout the world every year, as millions more are raped, tortured, mugged, etc.

But what if I told you that one day, technology would improve to the point that none of these things need to exist any longer? Would you want to be a part of a world that has no poverty, no violence, no unemployment, no illiteracy, and no unsanitary conditions? A world that maintains complete and total uniformity? The only catch: you have no free will. This is the question posed to us by writer Gen "The butcher" Urobuchi in his fantastic anime series titled "Psycho-Pass".

Plot: 7/10
Synopsis: The series takes place in the near future; a future in which society has become a utopia. This new society is built around the ability of advanced technology to instantaneously measure and quantify a person's state of mind and personality. This information is recorded and processed into the form of a "Psycho-Pass", which refers to a color-coded standard used to measure a person's state of mind. If your Psycho-Pass becomes too cloudy, you are instantly arrested in the anticipation that you might commit a crime due to your current mental state. This is the story of a team of policemen dedicated to maintaining public order in the utopian society and the ethical dilemmas they encounter in their line of work.

While settings involving a dystopian society are certainly nothing new, Psycho-Pass completely understands that fact. It goes as far as to reference famous works of dystopian literature such as "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep". Make no mistake, this is a very intelligent show that requires thought to be put into it. This anime establishes early on that it's an original take on an unoriginal idea, and what a fantastic take it turned out to be.

The true strength of Psycho Pass' plot, much like the strength of a work of dystopian literature, is the thought-provoking and significant questions that is raises. Is it right to arrest people who have committed no crime as long as it maintains order? Is the system that determines who is "good" and who is "bad" truly accurate enough to be justifiable? Or my personal favorite, Does living in a perfect society mean anything if you have no free will?

Unlike works similar too it, however, Psycho Pass is not a traditional social commentary. Rather then clearly exploiting tell-tale flaws in its utopian society, it instead opts to offer several different points of view on the society through its characters, which I will talk about more later. By focusing the plot on the beliefs and motivations of the characters and creating an extremely immersive and incredibly cool science-fiction based world, Psycho Pass is just immensely enjoyable in so many different ways.

The reason I take off points is because Psycho Pass' first half seems to drag on for a bit. While it is setting up key themes that become immensely important later on, the pacing is a tad too slow and that could easily turn a lot of people off to the series. Regardless, I was very happy with the setting, content, and direction of the plot; it certainly worked in its own favor.

Art: 10/10
Without a doubt, this is some of the best animation I've ever seen. Production IG knocked it out of the park. Everything looks crisp, the character designs are superb, the occasional CGI looks amazing, and the 2nd OP has my favorite animation for an OP of all time; it looks indescribably cool.

Sound: 10/10
One of my all time favorite soundtracks in anime hands down. Both OPs and both EDs are spectacular, which is a rarity. The OST is engaging, fast-paced, and fits the setting of the show perfectly. The voice acting is also stellar in both the sub and the dub, so take your pick. You really can't ask for a better soundtrack then what Psycho Pass delivered.

Characters: 8/10
Despite the engrossing plot, breathtaking visuals, and a kick-ass soundtrack, the characters of Psycho-Pass are what truly steal the show. So often in anime, you will have one, maybe two characters who stand out above the rest and dominate the screen time, but that is not Psycho-Pass; EVERY character in unique, EVERY character receives development, and EVERY character is notable. Considering that season two is coming up, I am shaking with anticipation just by thinking about how these stellar characters will be built upon.

From the dynamic traits and intricate personality of protagonist Akane Tsunemori (such rare characteristics in a female character), to the cunning badassery of Shinya Kougami, to the intoxicating allure of intelligent antagonist Shougo Makishima, to many more unbelievably fleshed out and developed characters, I am convinced that it is impossible to not have blast by watching this cast of characters. Makishima in particular stands out as a very complex villain who seeks to reform the society he perceives as corrupt by any means necessary, making the struggle between good and evil FAR from black and white. If you don't find at least one character that you truly enjoy, then I don't know what to tell you; this is truly some spectacular writing right here. Gen Urubuchi is known for his ability to write good plots, but the characters are what shine in Psycho-Pass.

Overall: 8/10
Truly a great anime. Whether you watch it for its thought provoking themes or for the gigantic amount of entertainment it provides (or both), experiencing Psycho-Pass is simply a magnificent decision. What are you waiting for? Go watch it! I highly doubt you will be disappointed, because there are very few things to dislike. Here's to season 2!

"There's a point, far out there when the structures fail you, and the rules aren't weapons anymore, they're... shackles letting the bad guy get ahead. One day... you may face such a moment of crisis. And in that moment, I hope you have a friend like I did, to plunge their hands into the filth so that you can keep yours clean!" - Jim Gordon, The Dark Knight Rises

From a very young age, I've always been fascinated with police procedural television series, the most notable ones being Law and Order and its spin-off Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Of the two, I only fully ... completed Law and Order, while dropping SVU at its 12th season, when Christopher Meloni left the show. This kind of symbolized my departure from television series into a fully devoted transition to the anime world. This was back in 2011. But even then, my love for Law and Order hadn't swindled. If I caught a rerun of its earlier season on TV, I'd sit down and watch it. I love the procedural police genre that much. So imagine my reaction when an anime was announced in 2012 that was a part of this subgenre. It immediately became my most hyped anime for 2012 and I couldn't wait for it to air. And what a joy it was to watch it when it did.

Psycho-Pass takes place in a dystopian future set in the year 2113, where the Sibyl System actively monitors the citizens of Japan's mental state linked to their probability of committing a crime. This assessment is what is known as a Psycho Pass, showcased as a hue and a number. This number is measured by the Crime Coefficient (CC from now on), and when the probability of committing a crime becomes too high in a person, the System marks them and orders the Public Safety Bureau (PSB from now on) to pursue and apprehend. Now this is where it gets interesting.

The task force is armed with a gun called the Dominator which, when aimed, measures the targets CC on the spot and gives out three possible judgments: innocent (gun locks itself), dangerous but not that dangerous (gun paralyzes), or dangerous and in need of elimination (gun kills). The PSB Criminal Investigation Division is divided into two sets of people: the Inspectors and the Enforcers. The Enforcers are themselves latent criminals, meaning that their CC has reached a point of no return and have accepted an offer by the System to become a part of the task force without going to prison. The Inspectors basically keep the Enforcers under control (like a master holding his dog by a leash) and have the authority to paralyze the Enforcers if they ever disobey orders or go buck wild.

STORY

The story begins with Akane Tsunemori, a new Inspector of Unit One as she joins the PBS. She has no idea how to do her job as an Inspector and is basically thrust into the world of crime. The story follows her and the rest of Unit One as they take on several cases throughout the series. The series is episodic in nature, but it does have an overarching story, which is quite noticeable since its basically linked at the end of every arc in the series. The series is 22 episodes long, written by the master of darkness and despair Gen Urobuchi. Now, you have been warned. If you haven't seen a series by Urobutcher before, let me say this from the get-go: do not get too attached to the characters. That is all.

The story is excellent, to say the least. It delves deep into the theme of morality, what is right and what is wrong. And it's Akane that generally has the voice of reason questioning this fact, being the rookie and all. The show portrays just how dependent humans have become of technology, and this is best seen on episode one, where a woman is kidnapped, and when rescued, discovers that due to the horrifying experience, her Psycho Pass has deteriorated and her CC has risen. The Enforcer, being told by the Dominator that she is a threat to society, proceeds to kill her, but Akane paralyzes him (Kogami Shinya) in order to stop him from doing so, so she can then proceed to calm her down and lower her CC. It really likes to explore this concept, and it's brilliantly well executed.

Each episode likes to keep you in rage inducing cliff hangers (rage at the time when it was airing because I wanted to see the next episode immediately after) and provides plenty of twists and turns. However, it is pretty simple to follow and the whole plot could be said in a single paragraph, but I won't do so for obvious reasons. Now there is a trade off, the first episode may shy away viewers for its gruesome and gory climax (and trust me, it did shy away a friend of mine to whom I recommended this show too). This doesn't mean that Psycho Pass is a gore fest, no no. Rather, Psycho Pass is a well crafted story, but it is strong and mature the entire ride. I would not recommend it to a younger audience nor those who are weak hearted or squeamish.

ANIMATION

Psycho Pass was developed by studio Production IG, famous for their relatively high budget shows, such as Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Higashi no Eden and Guilty Crown. There really isn't much to say here that hasn't already been said elsewhere other than that it does provide some really nice eye candy for the viewers. The fight scenes in particular are amazingly well animated with the characters moving in real time. The character designs were done by Amano Akira, famous for her long running shonen series Reborn. Those who have seen or read Reborn in the past (like me) will immediately notice just how similar some character designs are, but that's not a problem in my book.

The only real problems I had with the animation were in episodes 17 and 18, where the quality kind of took it down a notch. It isn't all that noticeable, and Production IG have remade the episodes, so major props to that. However, there are some scenes throughout the series where the character faces aren't all that consistent, especially in the scenes where the characters are discussing a case and simply talking.

SOUND

Oh my God, yes. The soundtrack for Psycho Pass is arguably its greatest feature. Composed by Yugo Kanno, who also composed the soundtrack for Birdy The Mighty Decode, the music simply fits into the show and never feels out of place. When there's a chase scene, or a fight scene, or a simple chatting scene, the music is always there to fulfill its purpose, and it does so beautifully.

The anime sports two opening and endings. The first opening Abnormalize, performed by Ling Tosite Sigure, is a fast paced opening which fits the theme of Psycho Pass perfectly. It is replaced at episode twelve by Out of Control, performed by Nothing's Carved in Stone, a song sung in engrish which also fits the show extremely well. The first ending for Psycho Pass is The Monster With No Name, performed by Egoist. I must say, this song is pure awesomeness and I seriously do not regret the countless hours I have spent listening to it on repeat. The second ending is called All Alone With You, also performed by Egoist. This song is more mellow and slow paced than the first one, and it encapsulates well with what happens in later episodes.

Due to time constraints, the endings had to be played in the background during the final scenes of some episodes. There are also some episodes that use different verses of the ending songs, for example episode eleven. Personally, I really liked this small detail, as it gave it a more epic (yes, epic) sense of closure.

CHARACTERS

I had problems with the characters in this series. The ones the show focuses on are really well developed and we are able to see them change throughout the series, but then there are some that are just outright neglected by the series. The show follows Unit One and all of its members. Unit One is composed of two Inspectors, four Enforcers and an Analyst.

The two Inspectors are Akane, the female lead, and Nobuchika Ginoza, the stern stuck up leader of Unit One. The Enforcers are as follows: Kogami Shinya, the male lead; Tomomi Masaoka, the father figure of the members of Unit One and the eldest; Shuusei Kagari, the jokester of the group who became a latent criminal at the age of five; and Yayoi Kunidzuka, the only female Enforcer and the drone specialist. The Analyst for Unit One is also a latent criminal that goes by the name of Shion Kanamori, in charge of supporting the team with medical aspects and so on and so forth.

The shows main antagonist is called Makishima Shougo, arguably the most interesting character of the story. I won't say much about this guy because it'll be rearing heavily into spoilers, but I honestly haven't had this much fun watching an anime villain since the spine chillingly scary Johan Liebert from Monster and the incredibly charismatic Count from Gankutsuou.

Like I said before, the show focuses heavily on some characters, not all of them. I am, of course, talking about Akane, Kogami, and Makishima. The rest of the supporting cast, while brilliant in their own rights, aren't given proper back stories and are there just for the sake of the others. I really liked all the characters in this series, especially the Enforcers, but they just aren't given the attention they so much deserve.

ENJOYMENT

As I said before, I am a HUGE fan of police procedural series. When Psycho Pass was announced, I immediately wanted to see it. And good God did it deliver. Generally, I don't like to wait week after week for an anime, I like to let them end and then marathon it. But Psycho Pass was so darned good that I had to keep watching. I enjoyed it way too much. That being said, this isn't a show for everyone. This is seinen people. It's mature and it's dark, but most importantly, it was written by the Urobutcher. Be prepared for this anime, cause it will take you for a tremendously high speed ride. And if this review motivates you into watching Psycho Pass, once you watch episode 16, come back to me and we can discuss Urobuchi's masterpiece over some tea and crumpets.

My final verdict for this anime is a well deserved, 9.2 out of 10.

I re-watched this series for the second time a few weeks ago and decided to make a review about it. Huge thanks to firealchemist for proofreading this, go check her out! Also, this was my first review ever, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Overview:

What happens when you create a series largely based on Philip K. Dick's classic dystopian masterpiece Minority Report and have Urobuchi at the helm? Actually, a really kickass anime! If you are currently going through mystery show withdrawal after finishing HBO's True Detective or BBC's Sherlock and need more to get your fix, Psycho Pass has got you covered!

Story: 10/10

The story takes place in a dystopian future where a program called the Sibyl system makes all of your decisions for you including your job, what you are going to eat, and pretty much everything else. People don't have any stress because they never have to ... think or have any free will at all. If you do become stressed though, the system sees you as a threat and a potential criminal in the future. You are arrested and either executed to prevent any future crimes you may commit or you can join the police and hunt down other criminals like a crime dog under the command of an elite officer that rules over you like a slave master. Crime, suicide, poverty, disease, and war are all low, but this future honestly kind of sucks! Now our squad of detectives must hunt down an enigmatic figure that is helping others commit crimes and get away with it. A criminal consultant for hire. Will our guys and gals in blue be able to stop this madman!?

Characters: 10/10

The characters is Psycho Pass are all excellent. Firstly, you have Akane Tsunemori who defies gender stereotypes and anime cliches. She is a highly competent detective with a genius IQ. She could have done anything, but chose to become a detective above all else. She has a very strong sense of justice and a kind heart, but she is also logical and not blinded by idealism. She knows for example that even a corrupt and terrible system can't simply be torn down overnight and replaced with nothing if millions of people are dependent on that system. This puts her practical wisdom far above the likes of Daenerys Targaryen or either of America's last 2 presidents. Another character is Shinya Kogami, who is a human hound dog bent on solving the murder of his partner and chasing the responsible party to the gates of hell. Shinya can seem cold and harsh, especially in episode 1, but he grows as a character and Akane is able to restore some of his humanity. The villain is the ever delightful Shogo Makishima, who is like Johan Liebert from Monster had a love child with Jim Moriarty from BBC's Sherlock. I mention this particular adaptation of the Moriarty character because the whole "criminal consultant" thing was likely lifted directly from this series. The rest of the support cast as great as well, but I won't describe them all here.

Art: 9/10

The art in this series is spectacular. The characters and environments look great, the animation is fluid and smooth, and those guns are fucking awesome!

Sound: 8/10

The soundtrack is quite good. It isn't the greatest soundtrack in anime history in my opinion, but it is very solid and gets the job done! Bonus points for the well done use of classical music, especially Makishima's love of Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Because it is never a bad time for a Clockwork Orange reference!

Enjoyment: 10/10

This series was extremely enjoyable and very addicting. Especially after Makishima is introduced. This will have you on the edge of your seat and also make you think a bit as well. It is rare when a series can combine adrenaline pumping action with great characters and thought provoking writing.

Overall: 10/10

This is an absolute masterpiece! If you haven't seen it yet, go out and watch it! The writing is top notch, the characters are great, the suspense and action are great, and it combines entertainment with honestly pretty decent artistic aesthetics. The first couple episodes may throw off a few viewers, but I recommend at least giving it until Makishima shows up to decide if this series is for you.

Psycho Pass is a dystopian cyberpunk series created by Production I.G and written by Urobuchi Gen who you may know as the writer of Fate/Zero and Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Being overly optimistic isn't one of my failings, but I have to admit that that little fact does give me hope for this one. Let's check it out.

Our story takes place in a futuristic Japan where everything is run by the Sybil system. The system can check the career you're best suited for and scan your brain to determine how likely you are to commit crimes. This has resulted in a society in which ... “latent” criminals are caught and separated from society before they commit crimes when possible. However, that isn't always a possibility. So a special enforcement division works to solve crimes and bring criminals in or slay them according to Sibyl's judgment. The story of Psycho Pass follows this division as of the moment young Tsunemori Akane joins as the newest inspector. The story goes through several incidents, some of which are connected in ways that aren't readily apparent, before moving to the main plot. The hunt for the enigmatic Makishima Shougo who has some responsibility for multiple criminal acts including one that's haunted one of Division 1's enforcers, Kougami Shinya. No, that isn't a spoiler. They give that much away pretty quickly. I actually have nothing negative to say about the plot. Shocking, I know. The story is well-paced. It's interesting. It has some excellent twists. The morality is questionable and forces you to really think. The ending is strong. The major themes of the “isolating age,” “emotional repression,” and the time motif are all well handled. The story is also highly engaging, challenging the viewer not only with the morality, but with various mysteries and motifs. Nothing that happens is irrelevant. It all serves a purpose either thematically or as a factor in the main narrative. Actually, most do both. The world itself is very interesting and well constructed.

The characters aren't quite as strong as the story. Most of them are complex and well developed. I particularly liked the fact that the story managed to make both the protagonists and major antagonists competent. It's all too common to see a crime narrative make the protagonists act like idiots so that the antagonist will look stronger until the very end when they manage to find their brains. In Psycho Pass, they all come across as intelligent and any mistakes that either side makes are understandable under the circumstances. It makes the dramatic tension and narrative all the stronger. The more minor characters still have verisimilitude and feel developed, even with the limited screen time they get. My only criticism in this area is that the antagonists lacked developed motivations. You get a basic sense of why they're doing what they're doing, but it is somewhat weak.

The art is really well done and nicely detailed. That being said, there is some very violent and dark content. So the series certainly isn't for everyone. The futuristic tech looks interesting, I especially liked their depiction of futuristic chat rooms, and the action sequences really flow well. The character designs are nicely varied and well done.

The sound in this is really excellent. The ambient sounds and background music are both effective at building atmosphere. All the actors give good performances. The overall best were probably Nojima Kenji, Hanazawa Kana and Sakurai Takahiro. Even though there aren't any weak performances, those three are excellent.

The ho-yay factor is a 4/10. Yayoi and Shion are romantically involved, although you don't see much of their relationship. There's some in Yayoi's backstory and there's a case where they go to a girl's school which has some.

That was Psycho Pass. How does it compare to Urobuchi's other works? Well, it isn't quite as strong as Madoka, but it's stronger than Fate/Zero. It's a very interesting piece with a lot of depth, strong characters, a developed world and it ranks among the best dystopian works. My final rating for it is an excellent 9/10. I would recommend seeing it under the caveat that it does have quite a bit of violence, some of which is sexual. If that's going to be triggering or a general problem for you, you should not watch it. That isn't to say that it's handled badly, it's not. It's well-handled and respectful. Still, you don't want to expose yourself to that if you can't handle it. Next week, Watashi ga Motenai no wa dō Kangaetemo Omaera ga Waru... I'm just going to call it Watamote.

Psycho-Pass is a sci-fi psychological thriller set in a dystopian future where psychological scans determine whether someone is fit to be a member of society. The show draws most of its inspiration from the works of Philip K. Dick, mainly Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (which was adapted into Blade Runner) and The Minority Report (again, adapted into a film). The show merges pulse-pounding action sequences with psychological horror, while delving perhaps a little to deep into the criminal mind. It's smart, it's beautiful, and it'll leave you wanting more.


To fully understand the story, you need a bit of context with this world. Decades ... before, the Sybil system was implemented, a system that could accurately quantify the psychological state of an individual and determine if they were a risk to society - this value is their Psycho-Pass. People whose Psycho-Pass went too high are given mandatory counseling, and if it rises too much, are arrested and placed in facilities for the protection of themselves and others. These people are 'latent criminals'.

Our protagonist, Tsunemori, is a rookie detective tasked with investigating crimes and tracking down these latent criminals. To do this, she acts as a handler for 'Enforcers', latent criminals who work for the police; their altered perception of the world allows them to more easily get into the heads of the criminals, and they serve as a psychological buffer for the detectives. The main enforcer is Kougami, and he and Tsunemori quickly make a great team, along with the other Enforcers.

Of course, no good show is without its conflict, and as Tsunemori and Kougami unravel a few cases, a disturbing pattern begins to emerge, linking them into a plot far more sinister than the sum of its parts. It's smart, it'll keep you guessing, and it never lets up. It's nearly perfect, besides a few slow sections, the motivations of some of the antagonists, and one or two very minor plot holes. 9/10


The Art style looks great, focusing mainly on dark colors in sharp contrast, and patterns are used often to help distinguish between them. I found small shifts in posture and stance to be quite effective and kept the show from feeling too static at times. It's got a very Noir feel to it, the closest I can get is Cowboy Bebop, but with fewer bright colors, aside from billboards and holographic projections that keep the theme of a gilded age. It's very Blade Runner, and that's a serious compliment. Everything looks fantastic, and it fits the feel of the show like a glove. 9/10


The sound design is good, keeping the tension up and offering a mixture of electronic and classical styles. It does what it has to, and serves to compliment the visuals rather than overpower them. It knows when to die down and when to soar. It's nor memorable, but it's very effective. 8/10


Characterization is very important with a psychological show, and Psycho-Pass does an excellent job. In particular, they go into great detail showing the psychological state, delusions, and motivations behind the villains. They range from tormented people driven out of desperation to the truly psychopathic and bloodthirsty, and they're both intriguing and terrifying. The Enforcers are equally disturbing at times, ranging from apathetic to sociopathic to deranged obsessiveness. They're all simultaneously human, though, and as much as you might want to demonize them, you can't help but feel that they're human - reflections of the darkest aspects of humanity. It's very effective and it keeps you thinking about the show well after the episode is over. 9/10


Psycho-Pass is an excellent show, the kind of thing you discuss with your friends after watching it and you swap conspiracy theories and wild speculation. The show presents the world through the eyes of detective Tsunemori, and as we see more of the world and grow more disillusioned and even terrified of it, so does Tsunemori evolve from a naive novice to a skilled and determined detective. 9/10

The show is absolutely stunning, and aside from its propensity to quote Shakespeare and Heart of Darkness at inappropriate times, it's an incredibly intelligent and thought provoking science-fiction thriller. Other shows might draw from esteemed writers to seem intelligent, but Psycho-Pass pulls it off with flying colors. If you haven't seen it and you like your anime smart, watch Psycho-Pass.

Well this anime might be one of the most pretentious and most overrated animes I have ever seen in MAL. I'm seeing people give around 7-8 in MAL just because it looks 'unique' in a special way in their own.

I'll first talk about the criteria that is centered around MAL before I get to the juicy parts.

This anime was undoubtedly one of the better animes around the season it spawned upon, but lost its promise half way throughout the TV show.

Story 5/10
I don't want to be such a critical guy here, but this anime is really dull in terms of story and deliverance. ... It shoots out random quotes from Pascal, Nietze, and other philosphers and tries to explain them to the viewer as if creativity was not allowed. There are no hidden metaphors or any room for interpretation in this pretentious story. Most of the quotes they say are random and show no intelligence whatsoever because most of the characters in this anime are uncharismatic mental retards with the crappiest dialouge you will hear in an anime when you get to the raw meat and bones of it. Story revolves around those uncharismatic quote throwing retards. You begin to not care about the story at times because the characters are boring and there are couple asspulls you will begin to see.

Art 8/10
The art is one of the highlights in this anime as they are fluid and well done with some decent character designs that has a striking resemblance to death note. It's has good art thanks to its production value.

Sound 8/10
As a fan of Supercell I am very biased here. But the songs in the anime itself goes well with the atmosphere in general, but none are memorable.

Character 4/10
This anime is supposedly a 'story based' animation, but its characters lack depth and interest. Almost none of the characters actually go through character development and they are forgettable and dull at the same time. Its main villian is supposedly an intelligent person, but in reality he is the shitty shadow of the white haired guy in Death Note(the manga). The side characters are all just there for the sake of have side characters. The only ones with some history and small depth are the hero and the heroine. But the heroine barely changes throughout the anime and puts asspulls like never before.

Enjoyment 7/10
Even though the story and characters were retarded and boring in general I still liked this sorry excuse of a pretentious anime that wasn't created by shaft(get it?). I throughly enjoyed this anime to the brim because it's just dead beat entertainment.

Overall 4/10
Just because this is a 4/10 anime does not mean it's a shitty one. You can throughly enjoy animes like these and have the false idea that this anime is a 'deep' anime if you just watch it for the animation and sound.

Watch it on a rainy day, but if not. Never watch this.

Here's my quick review of Psycho Pass.

Do you ever watch an anime and after the last episode is done you don't know what to do next with your life? Psycho Pass is one of those animes, so long story short, should you watch it? Yes. Most definitely YES.

To be honest it's been a while since an anime has roped me in enough to leave me with a uncontrollable urge to watch the next episode despite being 3am in the morning and having work the next day. Oh and you can quit comparing this to Death Note, besides both shows having anti-heroes, there is ... no similarity. Take Psycho Pass as it is and you'll be very impressed by the great storyline and several plot twists. The voice acting was great, I watched it in Sub however, the reason for this being is because there is a second season out and I didn't want to wait. There were times the voice acting was so good and so full of emotion I couldn't help but sympathise with the characters. Oh and speaking of the characters? Awesome. Granted there is a room for character development in some, however characters like Makishima Shogo leave an imprint in you even after the series. I would compare Makishima's genius, malice and performance close to the Joker in the Dark Knight. A puppet master to set the stage for anarchy. Brilliant. So in conclusion, in terms of enjoyment, this gets a massive thumbs up from me! I felt every episode contributed to the story, and if not the story, finding out more about the characters I was so eager to understand more. I bought the blu-ray edition for £40 and even though it was on the expensive side it was worth every buck. This get's a 9 from me.

Psycho-Pass has the interesting premise of the "machine-operated" Sibyll system as the main form of governance in a seemingly utopian world (which very quickly reveals itself to be the opposite). This lends the story a sense of blurring between good and evil-- I often found myself sympathizing with the antagonist's causes. However, character development in terms of both depth and pacing was lacking. The relationship between the protagonists Akane & Kougami develop far too quickly for Kougami's portrayal as a stoic man who keeps to himself. Within two episodes, they seem to already reach a deep bond without having much of a lead-up to it. ... In addition, the writers have the typical issue of "telling instead of showing". The anime has Akane narrating the supposedly obsessive connection between Kougami and Makishima (referring to it as some sort of destiny), instead of the interactions and animations showing this emotion (facial expressions were *not* this anime's forte). Other backstories were not fleshed out either-- Ginoza and Masaoka, Karanomori and Kunizuka. In other words, writers at times provide viewers with leads without conclusion and conclusions without many leads, resulting in a sense of disparity between the anime's goals/intentions and the viewer's experience.

tl;dr For an anime with a psychological premise, the psychology of the characters were greatly underdeveloped. However, still an enjoyable series if you are typically interested in dystopian futures and conflicting ideologies (neither of which can be truly labelled as good or bad).

The Urobutcher and Naoyoshi Siotani were both asked by Katsuyuki Motohiro to work with him and Production I.G to make a gritty, futuristic, police cyber-noir with ideological clashes and allusions to beloved books that help strengthen the clashes amidst bloodshed and badassery.

It had me at hello.

*SPOILERS FOR PSYCHO-PASS. *

If you consider yourself saavy about anime nowadays, then there's no doubt that you've encountered a work by Gen Urobuchi, and probably enjoyed it. It is no secret to any decent anime critic that he has made some rather dark works that have a lot of intrigue and badassery. It's also no secret that this show ... is very popular, even amongst adult or adolescent newcomers to the medium given its style, subject, and quality. This series is one of the most popular anime of the decade, so it's only fair that its popularity is earned by being good rather than just having a striking premise and then failing to capitalize on it or making good stories out of it (looking at you, SAO and Re:Zero).

We cut to Shinya Kogami and a masked dude fighting, resulting in an explosively gory fatality of the masked dude, allowing Shinya to keep moving until being confronted by a devilish mastermind. We then jump back to the location in which the chronological order of the story can start. This technique is one that I love. I love t when they can set up an important rivalry before showing you the true context about it and how everything leads back up to that moment. As for the rest of the show, it holds up to the same caliber. The sci-fi world has just enough futuristic tech with enough plausibility so that I don't need to question it as it makes perfect sense within its own context and seems like tech they could actually exist later down the line. The story has some episodic cases and some small case arcs that all get progressively more tied to the ultimate plot of the series; that being, the Sibil System vs an un-readable psychopath who had orchestrated those past cases via the producer role rather than the director/maker of the crimes. We get to see believable developments of the characters as they get strung around the mastermind's finger while at the same time, getting a firm grasp on how he ticks. The cases themselves are mostly interesting and all lead up to the grand scheme of the series rather well.

Once that arc kicks in, all hell breaks loose as he unleashes a psycho-virus onto everyone by using masked dudes to push them over the limits of their individual sanities. We then divulge into the shock that this Sybil System which governs Japan is a collection of 247 criminally asymptomatic brains (meaning they have white Psyho Pass hues and crime coefficients (which are what determine if someone should be allowed to live)) and that it has dubious faults and ambitions that go against Akane's while she tried to manipulate it to bend to get will of trying to non-lethally stop Kogami from killing said mastermind while stopping said mastermind from destroying the Sybil System. It all culminates into an impressive finale they rivals the shocking episode 11 (which resulted in the death of Akane's friend) and the badass episode 16 (which resulted in the mastermind's initial capture before breaking out to continue his plan).

Inspector Akane Tsunamori is the franchise protagonist despite not being the defacto main lead in this series. She is rather sweet and diligent, and she has a strong sense of justice and morality. She goes through some nice development. She is also a slow progression protagonist, aka, she pails in comparison to the competence of those she works with, but in seeing how they progress throughout the series in their journeys, she progresses as a character and as an experienced combatant so that it's all the more rewarding seeing her do something cool like blindsiding our resident mastermind which in turn, saves Kogami. Sucks what happened to her friend, Yuki. She did not deserve to die. Next, the season's ultimate main, Shinya Kogami. After a case gone gruesome, Kogami's crime coefficient went up to the point where he could no longer be an inspector and instead had to live as an enforcer, which is basically the attack dog to the master and detective known as the inspector. He is a bit stoic towards Akane and is generally levelheaded, but probably lets emotions overpower him the most out of anyone in the series. He is a badass as well who wants nothing more than to bring this mastermind down.

Speaking of the mastermind, it's about time I reveal his name, that being, Shougo Makishima. A character who is constantly conspired to Griffith from Berserk, right down to the Seyuu and hair color. He is a criminally asymptomatic anarchist who desires true freedom in life instead of living life in accordance to the Sybil System. He quotes famous literature from real life and is a skilled manipulator and killer, who allowed many minor antagonists to commit crimes before he disposes of them.He is very entertaining to watch, and I really liked the moment when Kogami and the series's resident psychoanalyzer, Professor Saiga (albeit he doesn't like being called professor) try to visualize how Makishima would chime in with their conversation.

Then, we have Inspector Ginoza; a no-nonsense inspector who acts very stoic and almost aggressive to Akane at points, which gets more understandable given that his father and friend were both inspectors who's crime coefficients reached criminal levels, and that he doesn't want the same happening to Akane, despite that at the end of the series, he ends up in that situation himself due to the death of his father in the penultimate episode. Speaking of his father, Masaoka acts as a sort of relaxation figure for the group and the one that takes things down a notch when things within the group get too heated. Shion is the researcher that looks up valuable data to help them in their investigations. Yayoi is a more serious enforcer who at one point really liked this band who ended up trying to rebel against the Sybil System. It sucks that they don't really give her much time to shine, but it was inevitable that certain characters would get the shaft. Kagari is the most nonchalant of the group, and is one who has some moments in the spotlight, like when he takes down a bunch of masked dudes employed by Shougo and confronts his ultimate lackey, Choe Guseong, which caused them to find out the true form of the Sybil System and die shortly afterwards. It's safe to say they this was a pretty good cast, no matter how simple they might be, due to how effective they are.

Production I.G did a great job making this gritty, futuristic world feel vibrant, with its lighting and coloring that made even the dimmest of locations come to life vibrantly. The character models are also decent, if prone to occasional hiccups, most notably in the original airing of episodes 17 and 18. The action is well choreographed in the way they that it was generally a rough combat 1 on 1 sequence. The CGI was mostly well done too. It was still noticeable, but they usually managed to find a way to make it fit well with the aesthetic of the series. Also, the OPs have very awesomely stylized looks to them. The EDs do a great job with the more techy side of things. The death scenes were almost always decisive, explosive, and dramatic, which made it all the more epic when one occurs via dominator. Also, the deadly robot attack dogs remind me of Blade Wolf from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. The directing was great, with the dream team mentioned above really making everything flow well and feel lively despite how gritty everything was.

The first OP "Abnormalize" done by Ling Tosite Sigure was awesome, and same applies to OP 2 "Cause I Feel" by Nothing's Carved In Stone. The first one is very dramatic to really make it feel like a noir in which time is everything otherwise something horrible will happen, while OP 2 was just very catchy. Both EDs were done by EGOIST, which should sell you on them right away. The first one was very cool. The second one, while I don't enjoy it as much as most of EGOIST's music, fits very well with many parts of the show's second half. The rest of the OST was ok, with some nice ones here and there. The dub was very good considering how unfamiliar everyone is to me, which only adds to the audio splendor of this work.

Such an interesting and great series this was. I feel as if I've run out of things to really say for this show, which usually happens at around this point anyway. Nonetheless, I look forward to seeing if this team of three will ever work together on another big project (aside from the Psycho-Pass movie which I haven't seen). Well, with all that said, I bid you adieu.

I think that this series is a lot like some of the police shows that I know of and it could've worked just as well in live-action (in fact they're planning for a live action version of it).. but nevertheless it was a good anime. The messages are strong, clear, and memorable.

Story 10/10

The principal theme that the show explored was the question of what is justice. We tend to believe that it's difficult or impossible to define "justice", but this show seems to want to give you a clear answer of what it really is. Of course the creators acknowledge that it isn't that ... simple, because on one hand there are people like Shougo Makishima who challenge the society through violence, and on the other hand there are people like Shinya Kougami who push their ideals through selfish reasons like vengeance, which leads to more crime. On the surface, their action seems more or less to be driven by justice. Justice isn't always fair and kind, so people seem to learn to live with it and sometimes don't realize how much they become manipulated by it. With that kind of imperfect justice predominating over the world, no wonder it would seem impossible to create a future devoid of war and crime. In the world of Psycho-Pass, the Sibyl system sought to correct those very difficult issues simply by rooting out all injustice before it emerges in public, the very act of which ironically led to its own corruption. In the end, there is something to be learned:

"Laws aren't just made to protect the people, but they're also made to be protected. People always detested evil and sought out a righteous way of living. Their feelings… The accumulation of those people’s feelings are the law."

Read more: http://animequotes.net/psycho-pass-quotes#ixzz2g3zgRDEl

Art 8/10

I noticed that some scenes were getting really sloppy in showing the characters' facial expressions. Sometimes these glitches were so major that the facial features looked different on every cut.

The animators had some really great ideas about how to best show the futuristic setting (cyborgs, handle-less cars etc.) and it made me feel as if the world could really turn into the same mess in 100 years.

Sound 8/10
As great as people thought the opening themes were, I didn't feel much from the lyrics. They sounded as if the lyricist had strung up some words that were borderline-relevant to the theme of the show. I suppose that they were borderline relevant, but I don't see very much deep logic in what the songs wanted to convey.
On the other hand, the ED themes were very satisfying (despite the amazing fact that they were both written primarily as a continuation of a story from another show and that their relevance to psycho-pass was only secondary). The 1st ED captures the feeling of latent criminals, while the 2nd ED shifts to the opposite perspective of those whose mission is to protect the latent criminals (e.g., akane, yayoi, etc.). The two songs were very strong in message, so they add more impact to the show.
I have no complaints about the bgms and sound effects since the industry is good at this these days.

Character 10/10

I remember that during the very first episode Akane and Masaoka were having this conversation about how impractical it would be for Akane to maintain the theories and logics that she'd gained during her early training due to the "unlogical" nature of their job. That conversation ended with Akane answering, "But I..." She was stopped mid-sentence, but I always wondered what she was going to say after that if she hadn't been stopped because already at that point it showed the strength of her character.
I think that scene alone gave me a pretty good idea about what kind of person that she was and was going to be. This anime is just really good at developing the characters through those subtle scenes and conversations.

Enjoyment 10/10
For me the greatest enjoyment came from the feeling of doubt emerging bit by bit as I continued with the show. For some reason at first the Sibyl system just seemed to be too good to be true and little by little I found out why it was so. I think that the creators wanted you to doubt the events within the story so that you could be a participant to the unveiling of mystery.

Overall 10/10
I think it would be fun to compare this show with some other series of Urobuchi, because there are themes other than the depressing mood that make it a typical Urobuchi show. Whether or not a fan of Urobuchi, you will probably enjoy the show if you are willing to give a few minutes on each episode to think about the issue of crime and justice and how it all connects to our society

[IN A NUTSHELL] Psycho-Pass offers a dark and intense crime-fighting storyline, set in a futuristic city with questionable technology, with overarching philosophical banter amongst pretty bishonen characters on what's right and wrong, on whether it's okay for supercomputers judge what it means to be human and so forth, all encased in wonderful artwork and semi-trance music.

STORY (7): The premise of the story is BOTH the strength and weakness of this anime. The idea of 'stopping crime before it happens' has already been explored and thoroughly loved/worshipped in Philip K. Dick's "Minority Report." Outdoing it would be like "Hunger Games" trying to outdo "Battle Royale." ... The death-match rivalry between Shinya Kogami and Shogo Makishima also mirrors dangerously close to the overdone example of the 'eccentric detective' (ie. Sherlock Holmes) versus the 'criminal mastermind' (ie. James Moriarty). Solid formula? Definitely. Original? Not entirely.

The story isn't completely still-water, however. Eleven episodes in, the anime clearly presents a well-paced sequence of events with smooth action scenes and great cliffhangers. The transition between frames are brilliant and easy to follow. The dialogues aren't cheesy nor do they spoon feed us with information. Many things are still left unsaid, keeping us interested.

Personally, I hope to see more of how exactly the Sibyl system works, the logistics behind it and all that nitty-gritty details. The story needs to break off from the overdone formulas and deliver something unexpected (and/or psychologically more unsettling). The potential is definitely there and there are many more questions to be answered. I'm waiting for the next episode, so it's been a hit for me so far.

ART (10): Amano Akira sensei, creator of the immensely popular Katekyo Hitman Reborn! series, attempts a more mature twist to her style in the Psycho-Pass series. (Think TYL-counterparts in sketchy neighborhoods, under dimly lit warehouses and impossibly tall and abstract skyscrapers) Her clean and visually appealing style is surprisingly well-adapted to the more grungy and grotesque feel in Psycho-Pass. Seriously, everything looks so polished. Also, kudos to the I.G. Production team, who also produced "Ghost in the Shell." It's in good hands.

CHARACTER (7): Physically, they resemble the Reborn! characters, which isn't particularly a bad thing. Kogami Shinya looks like the lovechild between Hibari Kyoya and Yamamoto Takeshi, Tsunemori Akane is a less annoying version of Miura Haru, and Makishima Shogo could easily be Rokudo Mukuro possessing Byakuran in a parallel universe. Personality-wise, they are also pretty archetypical so far. The protagonist is an outcast who seeks revenge (as well as redemption), the good-natured heroine is sadly still quite useless, and the villain (anti-hero?) is the untouchable genius who prefers not to get his own hands dirty. Again, the potential is there to make these characters more interesting in the future episodes. Psycho-Pass definitely has better female characters than Reborn, but not by a big margin. Personally, I enjoy the resemblance.

SOUND (8): The music fits the futuristic and enigmatic tone of the story. It was slightly unsettling at first, especially the OP, but it grows on you.

ENJOYMENT (8)

OVERALL (8): When you read Psycho-Pass in katakana, it's the same pronunciation as Psychopath. Maybe that's what they're getting at. You know, that we all have a little bit of crazy in us.

(NOTE: number of viewed episodes 11 from 22, show isn't finished yet)

*

Psycho-pass is, or it is at least trying to be another Ghost in the Shell. Both stories were set in the futuristic setting focused on special police force, both tried to raise a philosophical and moral questions, both shows grim/dark atmosphere of the near future. (or maybe not so near one)

Ghost in the Shell focused on borderlines of humanity in the world where technology allowed human and machine to became one.

Psycho-pass focuses on whatever is morally right to isolate people, separate or eliminate people haven't committed any crimes because of their potential to do ... so, just because technology allows us to foresee something which may or may not happen.

Basically, Psycho-pass is partly a copy/paste of "Minority Report" with a few differences.

In Psycho-pass, we have all seeing computer system called Sybil constantly measuring and judging people's emotions, skills or desires, providing a overall analysis who is or isn't mentally healthy and subsequently have a potential to commit a crime. Those deemed mentally unhealthy are called "latent criminal" and system dispatches a special forces called Enforces to deal with them. Those "latent criminals" which can't be "cured" are isolated. Irony of things is, some of the Enforcers are actually a so called "latent criminals" destined to serve a hunting dogs, criminals hunting other criminals, while being constantly kept on the leash by so called Inspectors.

Why I am focusing on describing this so much?
Because this is main thing which defines both story, it's characters and internal motives/feeling/development of said characters and thanks to this, story and characters are not flat, while they aren't that unique.

Of course, in addition to above, there are plenty of action packed scenes which will keep you from being bored. While story does not lack violence, it's not trying to be overly gory and do not really rely on rivers of blood to create dark atmosphere.

Artwork is pretty good and helps to create the bit of a horror feeling, music also fits the genre.

Overall rating and enjoyment are great for me so far ... I'll rate it 9.

"Regret you helplessness, and feel despair" ~ Makishima Shougo

Psycho-Pass. This anime. It is by-and-far the best anime of 2013. It's an amazing anime with great visuals, a unique story, brilliant characters and hands-down one of the best anime in the mystery genre out there. It is, a masterpiece... Almost.


Story:- 10/10

(a)Premise: The story of Psycho-Pass takes place in a futuristic world where everything is controlled by a system called the "Sybil" system. All humans now depend on this system, to make any of their "life" decisions. This, in turn, affects the crime system of the world. Now people are judged to be a criminal by their ... mental state. If a person's mental state crosses a specific limit, they are considered to be parallel.

(b)Originality: The story of Psycho-Pass is one of the most original stories ever presented in any anime. The story masterfully confronts problems with human nature. It also highlights the problems of humans depending on technology too much.

(c)Pacing:The story does take some time to get moving, but if the watcher has some patience, then the story in perfectly paced.

It has a minimal amount of time skips and completely explains everything to the user, without making the user feeling spoon-fed, or bored.

(d)Ending: The ending is the only part of Psycho-Pass' story which I find "average". The ending is definitely unsatisfactory. But seeing as there is a new season coming in the October of 2014, it probably won't stay that way for long.


Art and Animation:- 9/10

(a)Art: Production I.G. was the animation studio for Psycho-Pass. This studio was responsible for the animation of Shingeki no Kyojin, Prince of Tennis, Kuroko's Basket, Guilty Crown. So one can clearly tell that the art will be amazing. But in the case of Psycho-Pass, the art isn't good, it's brilliant. The art in Psycho-Pass is extremely realistic. The world is designed as a dark place, coated with a beautiful exterior.

(b)Animation: There isn't too much "stand-out" animation in Psycho-Pass. The animation isn't bad per-say, but it it's merely average. Aside from the many action scenes scattered throughout the series.

(c)Character Design: The characters of Psycho-Pass are all very well-designed and are very realistic. Aside from the female lead, Akane Tsunemori. As you'll hear from most of the people who have seen this show, she looks like she's permanently "stoned". The rest of the characters are all very well designed, and although all of them look normal, they still look unique in there own right.


Sound:- 7/10

(a)Soundtrack: The sound director of Psycho-Pass is Yugo Kanno, who's a newcomer to the world of anime soundtracks. And this is definitely not going to be his best work. The soundtrack does definitely compliment the setting of the show, which is "Sci-Fi". It also uses many famous symphonies from Ludwig van Beethoven and Achille-Claude Debussy. But the soundtrack itself isn't very good. Aside from a few tracks the entire OST is nothing special.

(b)Openings and Endings: The second opening of the show is the better one of the two. The endings are not too good.

(c)Sub and Dub: Between the subbed version and the dubbed version, the subbed is definitely more recommended. While most of the voices in the dubbed version are good, the voice of the main antagonist(Makashima) and the main female lead(Akane) are unbearably cliche in the dubbed version. Plus, Makashima's voice in the subbed version is amazing.


Characters:-10/10

(a)Main Characters: The main characters are the best part of Psycho-Pass. There are 3 main characters.

Shinya Kougami: He's the main "protagonist" of the series. He's a detective, and a damn good one at that. His character could've been a little better developed, but honestly, he didn't need much more development.

Makashima Shougo: He's the main antagonist of the entire series. He is the best of any character in the series. He's a smart bastard with a sadistic sense of "humor". He's introduced towards the beginning of the series, and is perfectly developed throughout the show. His character is one who can easily control his mental state easily, and his ideals are one's some people can agree with. He easily manipulates multiple people and considers Kougami his rival. Every second he's on screen is a moment of pure elegance.

Akane Tsunemori: Akane his the most controversial character of the series, specifically because she looks like she's permanently high. The story is seen through mainly her eyes. She acts as a sort-of P.O.V. camera for the series. She is also developed very well throughout the show.

(b)Side Characters: There is a gigantic list of side characters in Psycho-Pass. And every character is amazing. Every last one of the characters is treated with proper respect by the show. Each one gets a decent amount of screentime and are developed very well.


Enjoyment:-9/10

The show keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat throughout the entire show. There are a multiple number of plot-twists in the show as well as great action scenes.

Overall the story has great pacing, characters and art. The only place for improvement is in the sound. The setting is brilliant and unique beyond belief and the dub is better than average.

Overall: 9.0/10.0

Short Version
Psycho-Pass is an Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi anime that uses the concept of a world where your mental state is always being checked and finding criminals is easy, until someone beats the system and wants the same system that society depends on destroyed. The story is one of complex but pleasing stories ever made, how the unlikely partnership of Akame and Kogami tries to save the system but not everything is what is seen to be and the rivalry between Kogami and Antagonist is the most interesting part of the story . It’s dark, sharp art style and animations makes the fight scenes and its ... art design overall visually beautiful. The voice acting real complements Psycho-Pass’ excellently, making one of the most satisfying aspects of the show. Psycho-pass is a must watch, as it won't disappoint you and it has one of the most interesting story–lines i seen in a long time and i would recommend Psycho-Pass to anyone looking for a good story to enjoy.

Full Version

Psycho-Pass is an Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi anime created by Production I.G., written by Gen Urobuchi and directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani.

Plot
The plot of the anime is set in the year 2113; Japan uses The Sibyl System, a system that can actively measure a person's mental state, their personality and the probability of them committing a crime, by using Cymatic scans of a person's brain. The Crime Coefficient, a measurement of the probability of a person committing a crime, gets too high, the person in question this then called a latent Criminal that then gets pursued by the Public Safety Bureau's Criminal investigation Division's Inspectors and Enforcers to be apprehended to retrieve treatment or to be killed if there Crime Coefficient is too high to be treated. The Public Safety Bureau's Criminal investigation Division is made up of special teams that uses latent criminals that can't lower there Crime Coefficient enough to return to be redeemed that they won't commit a crime but not high enough to be killed, as enforcers to hunt down other latent criminals and Inspectors, whose job is to make sure that enforcers do their job and stop them from escaping. These teams use a weapon called Dominators, a handgun that can do a Cymatic scan on the person that it aimed at. If the person's Crime Coefficient is low enough then the gun can't be fired on them, if it's higher than is acceptable, it will stun the person when fired and if it's too high, it will kill the person if fired.

Main Characters
Main Female Protagonist - Akane Tsunemori (Voiced by Kana Hanazawa) - She is a new inspector of unit one of The Public Safety Bureau's Criminal investigation Division. She has a calm demeanor, strong sense of justice and doesn't like to kill latent criminals if they can be saved by using treatment. I find her character very interesting because of her sense of right and wrong, and she treats enforcers like people, not hunting dogs like most inspectors.
Main Male Protagonist- Shinya Kogami (Voiced by Tomokazu Seki) - He is one of the enforcers in unit one. He unlike Akane is not afraid to act even if it breaks the law system to stop criminals so no one has to worry about increasing their Crime Coefficient and become a latent criminal. Kogami is a well-made character, he's partnership with Akane shows that while they share and work together the same goals, they don't compromise each other’s ideals as both of them think their own ideals are right. Also Kogami's rivalry with the Antagonist, is very interesting as each are willing to do anything to achieve their own goals and their understanding of each other.
Main Antagonist - ????? (Voiced by Takahiro Sakurai) - He is determined to rid the world of The Sybil System, because spoilers i can't say why but it very complex and makes sense.

Presentation
Psycho-Pass uses a very sharp and dark color scheme that draws viewers into its world of anguish and helps show the symbolism of the horror that Akane is forced to endure all though the story. The focus on the character's personalities is great as it makes the viewer interested in the story more. The animation of the characters are beautiful as they move so smoothly and so life like as best shown in the action scenes making them some of the best parts of the anime. The voice acting of the characters are well done, specially The Antagonist as he sounds so calm but scary as he can sound the same while killing people. The music is helps the feel of the anime and some pieces well as it really fit with what going on screen.

My Opinion
Psycho-Pass is one of these anime that's story is so interesting because of being so complex and not everything is black and white. The way Kogami and the Antagonist's rivalry works is amazing, the way they can understand each other and how each other won't back down. The way the world works is interesting but also scary because of once you Crime Coefficient gets too high, your life is over.

Verdict
Psycho-Pass is one of those anime that are a must watch as it has so much complexity. Its world shows one of the possible futures of our own world and a scary one at that. I recommend anyone who loves a good story to give Psycho-Pass a try and you won't be disappointed.