Psycho-Pass 3

-Note: English is not my native language, I apologize for possible mistakes. (This review does not contain spoilers)

After the enormous emptiness that excellent villain Makishima Shougo left us and that great first season of PP, we finally have an acceptable sequel that tries to bring new things, new characters and similar airs, but not the same. Although of course we will always miss our dear and handsome Kougami, right? Well, at least in my case if I love it too much.

I generally liked how it was carried out this season, without making the mistakes of the second, without using protagonists of the previous season for ... a long time and using new protagonists, it has allowed the story to develop acceptably, something that the second season failed to start with the villain that without offending was and felt like a cheap copy of the first villain or at least I felt that, and I think a good percentage too, without demeriting the good things that the second season has, that there are.

Also something to note is that each episode at the beginning has excellent fighting scenes and animated choreographies with incredible quality, and those scenes are in almost every episode. It's great and more considering that it lasts twice as much as the rest of the animes per week, 50 minutes per episode which was a surprise.

I can criticize things, such as the small participing of the old protagonists although I liked it, felt this somewhat forced, there are also many loose ends from the beginning, events that occurred off-screen that keep the viewer's doubt at all times, especially when dealing with Akane Tsunemori.

The series comes to feel somewhat episodic at certain times and very detective with various cases that do not stop feeling a bit like "Normal Cases" can be said that there are too many sub-plots developing in Psycho-Pass 3, remembering the anarchist Makishima in the entire first season of Psycho-Pass, this was touches more philosophical themes, not at all compared to the most detective theme the series has had since its second season.

Here we are presented to Bifrost a criminal and clandestine organization that operates through this indirect gambling game for elitists to gain and power in the shadow of Sybil and the change of social paradigms. Makishima instead wanted to demolish social foundations and "faced Sybil" head on. However, the plots of past characters converge with that of the new ones to reach a climax, I love these kinds of stories, they do not stagnate with only one protagonist throughout the story and they explore the rest of the characters in depth to create tangles and secluded frames that are focused at the end for one thing in common.

As a personal point, I want to write about Mika's character, I didn't like Mika much in Psycho-Pass 2 but she's quickly become such an amazing and funny character starting in the first Sinners of the System OVA & continuing strong throughout Psycho-Pass 3. Definitely one of more entertaining characters.

As for the animation and the OST are excellent, if there is something that stands out a lot in PP, it's this incredible soundtrack which is always at the top, and as I said before its animation and especially its fight scenes are very remarkable.

Finally, I think that Psycho-Pass 3 despite having twice as many minutes per episode, needed more chapters to be able to elaborate a story at 100% conditions.

Story
The strength of this show, in my opinion, lies in the webs weaved by the unseen higher powers,i.e Bifrost and Sibyl. Each episode expanded the world to an extent, with immigration being the main issue at hand. Because of immigration, of for the sake of the issue , commit crimes as per their beliefs, whether it be using religious organizations as a front, creating/mass producing weapons, etc. The long run time of each episode allows the viewer to understand the issue at hand and end with a somewhat satisfying conclusion. There rarely is a cliff hanger and that is a great strength of this show. ... The show attempts to show the connection of all the minor antagonist, however it doesn't really get through until the end (and by the end I mean the eighth episode). In someways the Bifrost and the congressmen are still as confusing as they were in the first episode( I still don't know what they mean by relation).

Character:
The introduction of new characters as the viewers perspective allowed new watchers a reprieve from the old. The inclusion of the foreign bureau while important seems little more than cameos at this point, if the show does not have another season, as Kogami and Akane do very little in the main plot other than fight a little, and reference the plot(somewhat) of previous seasons.The new characters are semi interesting but as they have yet to finish their character arcs, and the anime was wholly dedicated on writing an intricate plot, sometimes the characters fall short of likable(as in my favorite character that I remember more than a few traits about). My one complain in the story is the constant attempts to bring up Arata's father, when Arata does it fine, but every other side character...why? It's a bit annoying to be honest... My very last nitpick is in the final episode Arata's mentalist powers have transformed from being able to figure out anyone's thought process by listening to the sound of rain, to being able to manipulate anyone(Maybe I misheard/read that but Kei's sudden accusations made no sense to me).

Art:
The art was fairly good, the characters were distinct and in action scenes their features were not lost, alongside the movements being fluid. My favorite parts were watch Arata doing parkour, or Kei beating up goons. The art otherwise is standard and very clear. Overall the tone was dark, matching the show's setting and intentions.

Sound:
The opening and ending are quite catchy with the animations following it quite fluidly. Other than that the soundtracks within the anime matched the pacing and tone of every scene, so while it did it's job, but maybe it's nothing to write home about. Overall the opening and ending are better than most of the openings and ending of this anime season.

Enjoyment:
A story with an air of mystery up until the end, answering some questions and leaving many others unfulfilled. The core of this anime is different than many others and because of it's uniqueness , as well as it's different perspective , it's fairly easy to enjoy.Though, you may need to strap down when watching because if you aren't pay attention, everything will go right over your head.

Overall:
The anime is dark, mysterious, and explores interesting themes and plot threads. The characters have a certain level of appeal to them and luckily they don't require much investment on the viewer's part. It's hard to follow if you aren't paying attention, and skimming is almost nigh impossible. It's best to watch this when your'ready to bunker down for suspense and drama.Note that this anime rarely if ever has notes of comedy, but at the very least it isn't going to bawl your eyes out(or maybe tear up for that matter). The sole focus of the show is it's story, and I believe , at the very least, it delivers an intriguing story.

P.S if there was to be another season, this anime would overall only gain value, as of my writing this review I'm unaware if there is no following season as such , this is my grading without consideration of a following season.

Story(8): We are only 4 episodes in so the anime is currently at its early stages(will update soon after it finishes), hence the low rating. So far I think the buildup is going great, we are taken on a somewhat different path from other seasons(not all about sibyl being bad) and i think this is something new and fresh. I think there are many aspects to this story and we have seen the branching stories, like the gambling game and the stalker duo. Im looking forward to it all connecting but so far definitely not the letdown s2 was for me(villain was good tho XD).

Art(10): ... Psycho pass s3 is probably the best anime in 2019 production-wise. If you've watched do I even have to say anything? The CG is top-notch, the animation and art are all outstanding. In episode 2 the brawl out between kogami and the enforcers in that camcorder style fashion was breath-taking.

Sound(9): Why you may ask? Psycho pass ost has always been phenomenal and anytime they include ost 1 from the original its a 10/10 moment.

Character(9): Since we are 4 episodes in not much has been released. However, episode 3 gave us a closer look at the new faces. Honestly, I love these characters now, the family disgrace and the protector of the neighbourhood. The bond that Arata and ignatov share, as well as Ignatova's struggle in a foreign country, was all great character development. I now feel much more invested in these characters and am looking forward to seeing their character arc unfold.

Enjoyment(9): I love psycho pass, season 1 was a 10/10 for me no questions. S3 so far has been amazing the 2009 stock market crisis was really fun to see in chibi mode. The very concept of mystery, tech and dystopias is very enjoyable to watch. With the 1 hour episodes, I can enjoy a lot more content however an issue I found with the second episode was that they ended the first part halfway through the 2nd episode which was kinda weird.

Overall(9): S3 of psycho pass is shaping up to be a great season and I highly recommend you to watch if ur an avid fan of psycho pass. Its a culmination of dystopia, mystery, and futuristic gadgets. What's not to love?

If you've read any one of a third of my reviews, you will know that Psycho-Pass' first season is one of my favorite works of art/literature/entertainment/whatever of all time. It's a downright classic. That said, I was not particularly wowed by its second season (I read the manga and wrote a review on that) or the sequel film, which I found rather boring. Additionally, while I have yet to see the Sinners of the System films, I haven't heard the highest of praise for them. In short, I wasn't buying into the idea that the show's producers wanted this franchise to be as successful as ... Ghost in the Shell (and boy was THAT property ever milked...), and I grew to accept that season 1 was really the only entry worth watching (also rewatching twice, apparently!) and buying on Blu-ray; I settled into a state of quasi-indifference toward the franchise, especially when I learned that Tow Ubukata was back from season 2 to work on season 3.

That's not to say that Tow Ubukata is a bad writer; while it is true that Le Chevalier d'Eon did little to intrigue me and GitS Arise was (apparently) disappointingly bad, there is no denying that the man has ideas that are worth exploring. This even applies to Psycho-Pass 2, what may be considered the most hated project to which he was attached. Ubukata has gone on record in interviews detailing many of the problems he and the writing staff faced, most notably the atrociously tight deadlines (they would finalize the script DURING dubbing sessions), and it's clear that said deadlines (compounded by the show's insane brevity and need to copy season 1) was a main reason why it was unable to explore the few unique ideas that it could allow in a more nuanced and exciting way while telling a wholly new story, ideas like the Sibyl System having a direct opposer/rival that wishes to see it destroyed.

Well, thanks to Tow Ubukata, a similar idea is in season 3. But, really, that's the least superficial difference between seasons 1 and 3; let's take a look at something more broad, like the show's genre.

Season 1 was not a mystery series. It's got elements of neo-noir, dystopia, science fiction, police procedural, and thriller, but NOT MYSTERY. Season 3 is most definitely a mystery; we don't see how crimes are committed, characters' intentions are really only ever hinted at until the big reveal, etc. This show is more like GitS:SAC season 1 than other Psycho-Pass titles, and I think this was exactly the direction the producers' meetings took: "We need to stay true to the roots of why we wanted to make this franchise in the first place. What about its writing style made GitS:SAC so popular and how can we incorporate that style into Psycho-Pass?" "Well, it was more like a police drama you would typically see on TV, not anything revolutionary; just with cyberpunk."

Did they only then realize that there was a gaping bullet hole in their project's foot? Probably, but I also wouldn't think it beyond them to realize that it was Gen Urobuchi, the season 1 head writer, who pulled the trigger.

The problem with Psycho-Pass for so long has been that it simply wasn't sustainable. You can't take a fictional world so tightly constructed to be self-contained and revolutionary in just one season of television and make a franchise out of it, that's just not viable. They tried, but it was never going to work because a setting can only be geared toward a very specific set of themes, and season 1 covered that set very well already. Rather than attempt to recapture that same exact lightning in a different bottle, they finally started doing what I have been thinking they needed to do for a while now: change the setting. If the fictional world doesn't serve the purposes you need it to, change key details about that world so it does. Season 3 is the first entry in the franchise to do just that; the newly-incorporated anti-isolationist policies in Psycho-Pass' Japan has caused an influx of refugees from all around the heavily war-torn globe, and this adds a sense of tangible progression to the timeline as well as allowing for new stories with new themes to be told and the introduction of more problems that have been affecting us in the present, namely the rise of isolationist movements and more overt racism/bigotry and hate crime throughout the world. Also, Japan is absolutely notorious for their homogeneous society and staunch isolationism, so its sure to garner attention from at least some of the Japanese populace as well. On top of all of that, the writers also portray a solid understanding of why the Sibyl System is so well-received by the fictional world's populace and subsequently satirize the pursuit of convenience, comfort, and security over personal freedom. Episode 4 did that the best with the elevator scene.

Is this show perfect? Well, no, of course not; some characters stay rather underdeveloped relative to others, but as the show is progressing, more is learned about each of the new cast. Additionally, I enjoy how the plot and mystery further thickens as we learn more about each character, and this is especially true for episodes 4 and 5. That aside, I'm not a big fan of how one of the main characters basically has a pair of superpowers considering how more-or-less realistic the rest of the show is. I also think that the pace is a bit slow in some scenes; if this show were in a more anime-standard 23-minute format, I would definitely feel that some episodes (excluding episode 4) were less action-packed than others. Perhaps the 46-minute format, in addition to even further evoking the feel of live-action TV police dramas, was meant to counter this, but because the characters are consistently entertaining and develop while simultaneously making good progress in their investigations, I'm not really bothered by how there are often long stretches of time with nary an action scene in sight. This isn't new to Psycho-Pass, either, as season 1 had interesting philosophical discussion in addition to its stylized and entertaining characters. Season 3, I think, suffers from only having some philosophical discussion, but what is present, verbal and nonverbal alike, is well-received and make the show more worthwhile. I just wish there was more of it. Its biggest problem for me, however, is that it is FAR, FAR from complete. The final episode brings in a lot of new plot elements and, while I totally saw the post-credits scene coming, it still had me wanting to see what would come next. Too bad we have to wait God-knows-how-long to see a 4th season.

Getting back to more positive aspects, when we do see action scenes, they tend to look very, very good, although, to be fair, episode 4 was rife with action to the point where some of it looked good, but other parts were a bit rough. In spite of this, it was clear to me since first seeing that list of the key animators' names in the opening theme that this was a work that the staff were proud to present, because key animator names basically never appear in opening credits. They didn't even do that in Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress. Freaking... KABANERI didn't do that!

The music and sound design are also as good as ever in the franchise; Yugo Kanno is back on the soundtrack with an almost completely original composition. Don't worry, though; they aren't afraid to play season 1 music when it's right for the scene. Also, the voice acting is as solid as in previous entries; newcomers Yuki Kaji and Yuichi Nakamura feel right at home in this show, and even Junichi Suwabe and Mamoru Miyano join the cast! I was pleasantly surprised to find them here. I am, however, a bit disappointed that Funimation could not get the license to this show and dub it. I can only guess who they would cast in all the new roles. Oh well. Maybe someday. And before you raise your pitchforks and scream "dubs should die", remember that some people are dyslexic and have trouble reading, or are unable to read as quickly as the subtitles demand them to; please be considerate of these individuals.

All in all, in spite of its problems, Psycho-Pass 3 was a rather bright spot in a season that has left me rather disappointed for the most part. You don't NEED to have seen season 1 or the film to watch this show, but the juicy details and moments are present and fun to appreciate, even if they blatantly reskinned the famously climactic scene of "Saint's Supper" from season 1. This season did its job in engaging me and getting me to want more, but I can't help but feel a bit dissatisfied by how things didn't shake out at the end. Who is the man in the mask? What happened between the super-inspector's dad and the violent-inspector's brother? What proof does Sibyl have that Akane Tsunemori isn't criminally asymptomatic? All right, that last one is from me alone, but the point is none of these are answered. I don't know if there will be any kind of payoff in the future, and so I can't give this the original 8 out of 10 for which I had it pegged. A high 7 out of 10 (as opposed to a low 7) is in order: solidly entertaining, a slightly disappointing ending, but enough smarts to make it worth one's time, at least for one full watch.

Happy Watching!
- LC

Psycho-Pass 3 is the latest installment in a long-standing franchise that continues to explore interesting concepts surrounding a unique technology in a dystopian future. This is done in a manner that allows the viewer to act as "detective" along with the protagonists, Arata Shindo and Kei Mikhail Ignatov, as they pursue their mission. The anime's best feature lie in the dynamics of those Inspectors and their team of Enforcers, all of whom are interesting and well-voiced. Ignatov's wife is a non-police character who provides an interesting backdrop to the work the police do. There are shortcomings, of course, and condensing the series into eight episodes ... from the usual 10-13 is one as it forces the slower storytelling style of most anime, which fans appreciate, to lose cohesiveness. On the positive side, that choppiness creates tension, which investigative work engenders, pushing the characters forward. The up-side? Viewers are expected to play "detective" along with the characters instead of being spoon-fed and there is not a shred of shipper-y material anywhere to be found (without a huge stretch of the imagination). Instead, PP3 gives one a fly-on-the-wall point of view that, at times, is frustrating but also involves one emotionally without one realizing it until you are "one" with the protagonists. It is well worth your time.

It's back, baby! Psycho-Pass is back in series format, and I couldn't be happier. I do think this is an appropriate time to tell you all that I messed up. I haven't seen the Sinners of the System movies, so some of what I say about this season may sound dumb because I missed 3 movies worth of background information (probably) that would've helped me understand this season better.

But we'll do what we can. Let's start with the art and sound. Now, objectively speaking, the art is Psycho-Pass is fairly average. I do think it does very well with the lighting effect and architecture, but ... most everything else is standard. However, this art style is very familiar to me, and I enjoy it a lot. The character designs this season were gorgeous. The animation as well is killer. The fight scenes are?? Like?? They're kick-ass. The movements of the characters as well as the choreography just blew me away. I could feel weight behind the punches, and watching it always felt really good (same goes for the parkour). As far as sound goes, I'd say this series excels in its BGM during high-paced scenes more than anything, but the music overall fit the tones of the series nicely. I feel the need to mention the amazing additions to the seiyuu cast this season because they did a hell of a job and brought the series new life that it hadn't had before.

Speaking of the cast, let's talk about characters. Quite a few new faces were added to the roster this season, and honestly, I think it was a really smart move. Not because the old cast was tired or anything like that, but these characters and their personalities felt so unique in this world of Sybil. That's especially true for the two main characters. Their stories, both individually and together, combined with their attitudes toward the events of this season kept me insanely interested. I think they've got a lot of depth to be explored, so I'm excited to see what's done with the characters moving forward.

The story is probably the main reason I've given this season a nine rather than a ten. It's kind of like it's *just* done, you know? It's got all it needs to have to get a decent grade, but a few things were done a little weird. First of all, to talk about the merits of the story, it was planned out extremely well. The pacing for each episode on its own as well as between episodes felt organic and sensible. As for the story itself, the twists as well as the attainment of new information was done beautifully. I enjoyed watching the characters further their investigation because it was written so well. The hitch comes when we talk about the abstract nature of the storytelling in some places. At times, the story could be super specific and explanatory, and at others, it led the viewer to the answer in a roundabout way... but sometimes things just didn't make a whole lot of sense. It may just be me-- and it didn't happen very often-- but the plot got lost a few times. Some things I thought would probably be explained in a future season, but others I wasn't so sure about. It wasn't that big of a deal overall, though, because most of the story was told very well.

All in all, I'm very excited for Psycho-Pass to get rolling again. This season didn't overlap the previous cast with the new one too much, but I have the feeling that's really gonna change in the future, and that prospect pumps me up. I'm just... really happy that this series is back, so I'm gonna enjoy it for as long as I can.

The third season of Psycho Pass did a solid job of getting somewhat back to its roots. After Season 2, which was a step down for the series in my opinion, they managed to get back on track with season three, with a few gripes here and there, of course.

The main inspectors of this season, are Kei and Arata, who make up a loveable tandem. The former being an immigrant in a time period, where immigrants are looked down on heavily, and the latter, being a mentalist, who is able to trace memories of people, and areas. Kei acts as Aratas keeper, as he generally ... needs help returning to his senses when he starts doing a mental trace.

Psycho Pass 3 does a solid job of introducing new characters that fit the bill, while keeping longtime viewers tied over on the occasional appearances of characters from the previous two seasons. Namely Kogami, Ginoza, and Tsunemori.

The plot was gripping, and kept me entertained throughout the 45 minute sessions, with a grand total of 8 episodes. With that being said, and the content withstanding, this season felt incomplete to me. Almost like they ran out of time, or budget, and didn't have enough content to wrap everything up neatly, or get to what I can only assume, was the target of 24 episodes. So, instead, they did 8 longer episodes.

Even still, the last episode didn't really resolve much of anything. Spoilers ahead, if you haven't fully watched this yet.


Sure, Kei managed to get his wife out of holding, what becomes of him now, that he's an inspector of Bifrost? How does this conflict with his friendship with Arata, or his position in the Public Safety Bureau?

Speaking of Bifrost, those lunatics are still out there causing mayhem... And to be honest, it didn't feel like they were even remotely close to solving the case concerning Bifrost.

I'm expecting another season of Psycho Pass, and I'm hoping it'll come sooner than later, because there are an awful lot of questions I'd like to get some answers to.


All in all, I give Psycho Pass 3 - an 8/10. Better than season two, but still not quiet up to par with the first season. Here's to hoping Season 4, whenever that comes, is a step forward, and not a step back.

I am a big fan of the Psycho-pass series and manga.

I figued it would be best to clearly state this in the beginning instead of casually bringing it up at the end.

This series is not over, but I plan to come back to this review and add to it once it is over seeing as I am posting this now at a halfway point.

Psycho-pass three is much better than psycho-pass two in the sense that if you have not watched the first season you might not fully understand the vocabulary or specifics...but you'll be able to fully understand what is happening in ... the story.

Actually, it is almost as if PP3 tried to avoid some of the biggest issues people had with PP2. For example, some people had issues with the "constant point and shoot". This time...we have a character who likes "old school" detective work. Another issue was unnecessary dialouge. In the third season, instead of spending 10 minutes essentially giving viewers a tutorial on how to use a fictional weapon...we focus instead on the plot, character, and weapons when it relates to the plot.


The third season also brings together the characters. In the second season it seemed like everything fell apart without really explaining what would happen to the characters...let alone society itself. This is what i thought would bug me the most...however it fits very well with everyones specific personality..

Finally, for my halfway review...the new character is very interesting and adds something new to this fictional world. Maybe it isn't absolutely amazing but it is really entertaining and i wish more shows had this genre.

I'll be very short about this, better than season 2, still not as good as season 1. I understand that not many people are as interested in Psycho-Pass as they were when it first came out. Almost an entirely new cast (which i was a bit wary about) except for a few old faces. Surprisingly, the main protagnists were replaced in this season. Hopefully in the next season we see a lot more of the OG cast. It was alright, not too special. I liked the OP.
At times the animation got super bad but im happy to say that the more intense action scenes were ... well animated in comparison. The new characters are nice but for some reason I just can't get myself to like Maiko, her eyes and features just creep me out.
If you're a fan of Psycho-pass i would implore you to watch this season, however if you just want to jump into the series through this season, try season 1 instead.

To me season 3 feels like a very interesting reboot more than a sequel. It's very similar to how the shift in Tokyo Ghoul RE felt from season 1. The world is quickly and heavily expanded on, things get fleshed out. For example, the beginning they address how politics work together with the Sibyl system. They go into how genetically engineering people is a thing in this world. The technology of he world is a step up here, as even in episode 1 we get to see a passenger drone, then in episode 2 we get to see how dominators can be ... activated outside the grid. It even shows us how people live outside the law in the slums. Overall a great improvement for me as a fan of the sci-fi setting.

Honestly, there are so many ways this show does a proper sequel, even though it changes so much. We get to see the old cast show up early episodes. We get to see references to the events in the movies. Even the season 1 soundtrack get's brought back at times. The show feels like a sequel because it continues from where the show left off in exploring how the Sibyl system is exploited. This time, by the top 1% of society. Naturally the detectives are upgraded to match the threat. If in season 1 we had junior detectives and more or less grounded every day police, in season 3 the main characters are elite operators who have more insane CQC, investigation and people skills. These guys don't mess around.

The reason it's more of a reboot than a sequel is because of how many new things are introduced compared to how many things are actually followed up from the old season. This is due to the new characters and concepts, and also due to how long ago the show had a season the last time.

As a fan I got what I wanted, I would recommend getting into this series for fans of dark noir, cop dramas. Psycho pass is everything anime can be if they stopped choosing virgin half brain man children as their target audience

Psycho Pass 3 delivers. It truly does.

While it doesn't match up to the unit one character dynamics in Psycho Pass 1, neither did Pyscho Pass 2 to be fair. And honestly, trying to hold up Psycho Pass 3 to the height of the first installment of this series is quite steep.

All in all, Psycho Pass 3 is all you want in a mystery/psychological thriller. The plots complex, yet not redundant. Everything seems to make sense despite the story having multiple layers. There isn't anything extremely predictable to compel story development, nor is there a series of unfeasible plot points, which is quite an accomplishment ... for a mystery sci-fi. This show still has some focus in the morality of the Sybil system, but it's on the backburner. While there are a lot of indirect and noticeable influences by the Sybil system throughout the entire story, the focus is still on the current police combating a mysterious criminal syndicate, motives unknown.

Art's also great. A dark ambience, gritty sort of ambience that suits the story. Same as always. Characters, well, they're alright. The main characters of the story are obviously well developed. They've got their own pasts to deal with, and you get to know them more and more as the story progresses. All in all, not bad. Some old characters are also given some screen time, the most involved being Shimotsuki, Mika. But the most lacking thing about this story is, like I pointed out at the beginning, the character dynamics. Psycho Pass 1 had very interesting and well though out enforcer and Inspector relationships. You don't really see that here. While enforcers are quite nice, and have their own flair in Psycho Pass 3, they're kind of static and kind of glossed over. Not a lot of focus is put on them, which I find to be missed potential. Even Psycho Pass 2 had a lot of involvement in terms of enforcer relationships and development.
However, an interesting story, good art, and fine main characters make up for the missed opportunities and basic enforcers. Still, a pretty good show. Would definitely watch if you have watched the last few series.

Often, a new season is just a direct continuation, another 1-2 cours of the series, since they are adapted from a continuous source material.

This, isn't one of those seasons. This is a new installment in the psycho pass series, which like it's predecessors, is anime-original. And it's different from S1, S2, and even the 2015 movie and SS trilogy. The SS films themselves, mostly establish the background for this too, but they aren't complex mysteries like this.

Story:
It's different from s1, and not disappointing like s2. Instead it's a new group of villains, and to say more would be spoilers. Dominators are in a back-seat ... role this season. But sibyl is still there, just in a different way. Otherwise, it wouldn't be psycho pass after all.

It's not finished either, likely the 2020 movie will wrap up the story. Hopefully us westerners will get to see it without a long delay either. After all, nobody has licensed SS.

This isn't s1 quality writing. But it's better than s2. Thematically, it's a lot less deep than it's predecessors. But it has shown, and keeps the potential to rise to their levels.

Characters:
A lot of new ones. To keep it brief, i'll just talk about the 2 mcs, Arata and Kei.
Arata, unexplained ability aside, is an interesting detective with unclear motives. He's the nice guy of the 2, but the cheerful one too.

Kei, he's a russian immigrant to japan, has a wife who is also one of his loyalties. The cold hearted one of the 2.

Music:
S1 tracks are used well at times, also some new tracks which are played at times.
OP/ED are both solid but not the level of s1.

Art:
Solid except for a few instances, a bit of cgi but overall not too much. Animation is solid throughout.

Overall:
8/10, though depends on the conclusion in the movie. Not s1 quality, better than s2 though.

Note: This is a "SPOILER-FREE" review.


Intro:

After years of waiting and the smooth transition created by the ending of Case 3, we finally get the latest entry in the franchise: Psycho-Pass 3.

The time has come, once again, for the series' lifelong fans to get excited after what was a very poor performance from Season 2 as the 3rd mainline entry brings much promise with an entirely new cast of characters, story, and newer events.

Will it outdo the brilliance of the S1 masterpiece? Can it even hold a candle to what is ultimately the defining standard of the entire franchise in S1? The answer: ... Yes AND No.


Overview:

Psycho-Pass 3, for all intents and purposes, is an entirely new/ different/ fresh approach (Depending on your perspective) to the world of Psycho-Pass. The series takes place 7 years after the events of Season 1 (Even the release dates for both seasons are approximately 7 years apart, which is a cool tidbit). What makes Psycho-Pass 3 stand out from the previous entries is its focus on world-building; many new aspects of the Psycho-Pass world are explored in-depth and the focus is taken away from the things that were a highlight in most of the previous entries. And it is as it should be as Sibyl continues to evolve.

This opens up the series, explores more of the Psycho-Pass world, breaks the monotony in the series, and invites the viewer to think with a brand new perspective... that is if they want to. The series dares to venture outside of its usual formula that was perfected by Season 1, close to destroyed by Season 2, and somewhat redeemed by the movie and Sinners of the System.

So, with a completely different approach, does Psycho-Pass 3 work? Apparently, it does and it does so very well. The reason I say this is because it focuses on multiple new aspects and world exploration that S1 or future entries never did. You could say that it wasn't needed for S1 to begin with as it was a complete series from start to finish, which is totally fine. However, this is where Psycho-Pass 3 excels as far as the comparison goes with S1 and other entries. And this is what stood out to me the MOST in Psycho-Pass 3.


Story: 8/10

If you ever wanted to be a detective or wanted to pretend to be one and solve mysteries and crimes, then you can best believe that that is EXACTLY what Psycho-Pass 3 is going to ask of you. The story has a nice slow pace that truly gives a sense of 'The calm before the storm' kind of build-up intensity. Every dialogue, every word, the opening, the ending, the character interactions, and every development will lead you closer to the overall truth and make you see the overall picture. By no means is it S1 level of story-telling and writing, but it isn't a trainwreck like S2 either. But the story still manages to be pretty good and intriguing. You will find yourself confused at times and that is to be expected as Psycho-Pass IS complex. Thinking too deep could even cloud your hue, to be honest...


Art: 9/10

The art is great; you can expect the same brilliance in art as is to be expected of this franchise and what it has given us over the years.


Sound: 9/10

*Chef's Kiss* When it GOT going, it GOT going.


Enjoyment & Overall: 9/10

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The crimes were legit intriguing and suspenseful. The slow and menacing build-up to the overall bigger picture kept me on the edge of my seat. Although -1 point for taking complexity to the next level, I really appreciate the creative team for taking a different and what I thought to be was a very intriguing approach to the franchise as a whole.

Psycho-Pass for me has been a dialogue about what is shown and what is left for the reader to interpret. Subtle hints and blatant teasing, on topics such as Akane Tsunemori picking up the habit of smoking from Kougami. The viewer is left to theorize what is going on, the creative style is a dialogue of unreliable narrators in world where everything is laid bare - as seen in season 1 Akane literally wearing a some sort of a hologram suit instead of normal clothes - yet in a room full of intentional smoke and mirrors. And you as a member of the audience, happening ... to stumble on this uncanny play of participatory theater, are forced to ingest this distribution of culture.

And therein lies divergence in the critical reception versus my own tastes.

In short, the story on its own does not make a lot of sense. Why does Arata have a Sherlock Holmes / Hercule Poirot -level understanding of the human condition and psyche? How is Akane interned in a what appears to be a black site yet able to communicate with senior Unit 1 members? Will the weird name dropping ever end in anime? Who would think that a time skip of this proportion respects the viewer?

In Psycho-Pass 3, the viewer is constantly asking questions relating to the criminal cases which on their own way are more elaborately built than in the previous seasons. Yet there are more questions to be asked - the narration is in the third person, so the audience has a better understanding than the cast about what is going on.

How did the evolution of Sibyl after the events of season 2 affect the overall problem solving ability of the system? The audience is invited to ponder about elections, how the democratic tradition of Japan lives in a "totalitarian" system controlled by the Hue elite. The isolationist policy is revised and how Sibyl has failed to adequately provide for the immigrants. The audience is even introduced to a ministry which kinda only exist to have Sibyl own a bureau of sci-fi CIA spooks. The oligarchy of some sort of gamblers seems to be the main antagonist in this season. Why?

For me, the story of Psycho-Pass exists in the details. How in season 1, if I recall correctly, the older Ginoza reveals that the separation of powers might not exist due to lack of criminal courts, thus making the processing of Makishima Shougo as a criminal almost impossible. Yet in this season, a slight detail gives hint that the system can also enforce the perceived God-like justice via monetary fines even though the perp is not a criminal according to their Psycho-Pass. There is something new in the culture of Japanese sci-fi bureaucracy in the form of official and unofficial "complaints". How is enforcing the will of Sibyl something to complain about? Why is it allowed by Shimotsuki? What happens if inspectors instead of enforcers misbehave? Are there laws other than aptitude to the job recommended by Sibyl that concern inspectors and if there are, is the punishment an express visit to the nearest institutional facility or a slap to the wrist?

Or is this all just something that the show fails to deliver in a world built on shoddy ground? How enjoyable Psycho-Pass is to you depends on you. For me, this was a satisfactory season that I enjoyed and I recommend you to watch it.

Well, here is the point of view of someone that had a hard time to return to the series after the disappointing S2. And despite giving it a high score I'm gonna say why you should or shouldn't continue with the franchise after watching everything till first inspector.

First, the elephant in the room, new main characters. I actually liked them, and the new suporting cast was also good. There is plently of character development, and we also get some cool scenes of the old cast. Despite liking the new characters I'm not a fan of the mental trace, not a deal breaker tho because it's ... kinda a "flashy" thinking, so it doesn't do anything that can be considered like "magic".

Second, what it lacks compared with the so beloved S1... the psychological aspect, that is almost dead in this season and it's probably a bit less "dark" or tragic than the first one.

Third, what it had over S1 that made me rate them equally, the mystery and the plot. Really heavy on the detective side and a lot of characters that had their own goals. You could say that every character is almost on his own side and even allies can clash sometimes. The show leaves trails that hints you how it may end, and then, it surprises you with something similar but not quite the same (all making sense and explained at due time).

The action scenes are as good as always, and still present so you are going to enjoy some eye candy too.

Another good thing is that all the world building in previous seasons and movies keeps expanding, making everything more interesting and opening up more posibilities.

So, if you were disappointed with S2 like I was, I think that you may want to give this one a chance unless your only enjoyment about the show was the psychological aspect. If you like mystery, world building or just an interesting plot you should give it a chance.

This third season of Psycho-Pass features the Public Safety Bureau getting entangled in crimes involving acts of anti-immigration terrorism as the Sibyl System opens up Japanese borders to allow in immigrants fleeing their war-torn countries, while a secret criminal organization exploits the anti-immigrant sentiments to stir chaos within parts of Japan that migrants live in for their personal benefit. At the same time, the Bureau gets new Inspectors in the form of Mentalist Arata Shindo and Russian immigrant Kei Mikhail Ignatov.

The focus on immigration with this season of Psycho-Pass offers some interesting world-building exploration within this season of the franchise. The film follow-up to Psycho-Pass ... 2 dabbled into the Sibyl System wanting to extend its influence outside Japan and this third season explores the effects this has on Japan with immigration getting divided reception among the country's populace since Japan was initially isolated from the world following the Sibyl System's formation. This gets explored through the actions taken in political and religious circles within Japan in some of the cases the Public Safety Bureau get involved in. The mysterious criminal organization, Bifrost, exploits the hostilities between the Japanese populace and immigrants through manipulating factions within Japanese society and appears to make bets on the outcomes of schemes that they plot to stir up chaos. The anti-immigrant sentiment is also explored through Ignatov's character as he and his wife deal with some of this discrimination and being roped into Bifrost's plots later into the series.

Arata's character makes for an interesting contrast to how many in the Public Safety Bureau perceive their situation with his lively and carefree personality considering how dark story developments often can get in Psycho-Pass. But a unique trait he brings into the series is his ability to do a Mental Trace, where he makes use of his high empathic mental state to cross into another person's state of mind that proves beneficial to solving cases throughout the season often at the cost of physical and mental trauma of the person utilizing the ability. This usually adds an element of suspense to the series as Arata's Mentral Tracing often has him experiencing the physical and mental trauma of criminals and victims within cases he is investigating and he'll usually unconsciously make use of the ability when off any cases. This usually leads Kei or other Enforcers to have to rein in Arata to keep him from risking self-harm from his tracing.

Outside of the main plot, Psycho-Pass 3 also takes some time to explore how characters from earlier seasons of the franchise are faring away from the Public Safety Bureau, with Yayoi getting a good deal of focus as a supporting character at points. It was a bit concerning to see what had happened with Akane considering her character's resolve from earlier seasons and the series not devoting much time to exploring how she winded up in said circumstances with the developments she underwent. Hopefully, there is some sort of movie or OVA that could be made at some point to explore what led to such a fall from grace for her.

Besides Akane, I do have some other gripes. There isn't much dabbled into too deeply regarding elements of Bifrost's formation such as the technology behind their manipulations, how the organization formed in spite of the Sibyl System's presence, and how their members came about with wanting to be involved with the organization. Plus, this season does end inconclusively with Bifrost still at large and the loyalty of one major character being in question. But this would be minor considering there is a follow-up movie for Psycho-Pass 3, First Inspector, that I plan to dabble into at some point to see how things progress with the anime's story.

In short, Psycho-Pass 3 makes for mostly solid continuation of the franchise with its dabbling into immigration how this affects some of the major characters within the series. It has some issues with properly fleshing out elements to its story and character developments. But I admit the storytelling from this season still interests me enough where I'm tempted to get into First Inspector at some point.

I have been on Mal for almost a year now & honestly Im just too lazy to take the time out to write a review on any of the Great anime/manga I have red/watched, HOWEVER Psycho Pass has been "THAT" franchise for me I recommend it to anyone that can appreciate the Psychological genre & any who wants to dive into a very sophisticated complex and yet very well executed franchise. Props to the entire IG team for this work I hope they continue this franchise (every 5 years we get a new season? I would not be disappointed)

I'll give a really brief review ... sense I'm to lazy to go into details. Firstly I have to say its way better than I expected I'm talking the OST's the characters, the anchor to realistic concepts, while being driven along the boat of its premise which is the sybil system. it is by far a masterpiece one of those that have to be re-watched to really appreciate what IG did. It has characters you have no choice to love, it takes you in a very interesting concept of an everyday world but the thing that matters to me most is that it stoke to its roots of being an animated Police series that I love the most. If I would recommend to watch I would say this: go in with an open mind pay attention to every details alluded, and at the very least attempt to understand each character's perspective with emphasis on the ones you hate initially! With that said.........well its just to much to be said so enjoy this MASTERLY created, Developed & executed that is Psycho Pass!

P.S what makes Psycho Pass 3 a master piece is the multitude of content done prior not the season alone!

this anime is really good! ive learnt some new facts about the human brain from this anime. similarly to many fans, i did not expect akane and kogami to be completely replaced from the anime.. however, if there is a season 4, i really hope that they will be back on screen with their ex partners like ginoza and friends workin together with the two other investigator and their group. honeslty i was hoping to see akane and kogami throughout this season since there wasnt much of them together in season 2. this anime isnt even that bad but can be improved :D only if ... the main characters didnt get replaced mann , they were the reason why season1 was such a big hit. anyways, i reccomend watching the movies before watching psycho pass 3 as as mentioned, there is a big skip between psycho pass 3 and osycho pass3. anyways, i hope to see kogami, akane and friends back on screen! looking forward to season 4

SPOILERS ALERT!

Thank you for bringing Kougami back! But why kill Urobuchi? Killing off important people will not make the plot interesting.

The story is interesting, but too many twists wasn't necessary. Kougami has no character development - Tsunemori is still her old self. The other characters seemed fine, but something was off - it failed to get all the attention - maybe because first season was way too good and the expectations were never lowered.

The animation quality, sound effects, nevertheless, still remain same and excellent. Short series - no harm in watching to finish the series. If you are super busy, thank me later, but skip ... the series!

I'm not quite sure why, but even with most of the new characters and my peanut brain having trouble making sense of the plot after watching most of the two first seasons hammered in college, I thoroughly enjoyed Season 3 of Psycho Pass. I have a bad habit of giving out 7's since I don't generally watch anime I think I'm going to hate, but I can't justify an 8 unless I think it's truly unique and groundbreaking. Saying that, a 7 is right in the sweet spot for this season for me. It was good at making me care about what I should, but ... it didn't really break the mold. It did exactly as expected.

Story: So for story I'm going to focus on the more contained arc of this season rather than the overarching narrative that I think the show will get to... eventually? The idea of a group outside of Sibyl taking control, almost like a game of high stakes Illuminati poker, vibes really well with the aesthetic of the show. The drab, safe, and contained lives of those who live in the Sibyl system is contrasted to the heart pumping, colorful, and intense games that these high influence characters play. The contrast of those who actually "live" versus those who just want to feel safe is much more pronounced than before. Past that, a theme of racism and fear of immigrants is front and foremost in the season. It might be more from a Japanese cultural standpoint, but I found it really weird that characters who personally knew a certain politician could let their hatred of immigrants slide and still just want to be friends and be around them. Maybe it was the theme of the frustration with the system, or how Sibyl could only work with native born citizens, but it was jarring coming from my cultural standpoint. Still, I'm interested in seeing how they capitalize on this in the future.

Art: The art gets the job done, but there was nothing that made me think "wow, this is Monogatari 2.0". There's nothing really jarring or out of place, and I didn't notice any insanely garbage CG or animations (besides cars, but usually I give transitions a pass). I felt like the color scheme was more enunciated in certain scenes than previous seasons, but they still could do more with color to draw attention. I should mention that I thought the OP was really decent this time around! It gave me a Pulp Fiction vibe at the end, and quite a nostalgic feeling.

Sound: All good, crisp and clean. I'd say it lends itself better to the combat. The sounds of punches, the music, things breaking. The OP was pretty stellar this time. There's not much to write home about here. Nothing to out of place, but nothing that made me rewind a scene and say "damn".

Character: Overall, I think the character arcs are what I ended up caring most about in the end. Our two main characters obviously have some past history that makes them confused as to why they were allowed to partner together, but they also have a clear common goal in their minds. Honestly, the show built a past that I care about better than most shows you see today. So many shows try to info dump you in the first episode, but this season sprinkled out most things. In the first episode you learn that Mikhail is a Russian immigrant, but they don't dump you with everything. First you learn there's a reason why they left, then you learn his wife's motivations, then you learn more and more that adds to the mystery. You really get a sense of "this will be important later" and it gives you time to breathe with these characters that most shows can't do in 12 episodes, let alone the 7 hour long episodes you get here. The pacing was very appropriately done to expand the character's backstories at a brisk pace. Not only that, but while I cared about the side characters, they didn't have to steal the show constantly to remind me who they were. People just naturally gravitated towards other characters and I became familiar with them through their interaction.

Enjoyment and Overall: I wouldn't necessarily say to start at Season 3, but if you've watched the previous 2 then this one should cleanse your palette and fill your stomach. There's nothing that's too jarring or different, other than I think they were much better at investing me in the characters. Exposition dumps don't mean "remove any mystery from this character at all," but "enhance what you already know about this character while learning more about the overall narrative".