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While a prequel to Season 3 of the show and the film that follows it, I still to this day do not know if it should be watched before or after. Because either way, it is going to be a bit confusing and take some time to figure out everything regarding Atsushi Shindo. And to be honest, I think Psycho-Pass Providence, Psycho-Pass S3 and First Inspector all should be watched and grouped as Season 3 because of how connected they are and how much they bounce off each other. I do not recommend watching this on its own, I would watch it immediately before or ... immediately after watching Season 3.

This film is about providing a backstory to the family of our two male leads from Psycho-Pass Season 3. The first being Kei’s older brother, whose entire story has been a hidden secret and mystery Kei has been trying to find answers to throughout the show. And Arata’s father, Atsushi, whom we learn throughout this film and especially in S3 and Inspector, just how much he was doing behind the scenes and hiding from his son.

However, if you do watch this before S3 (this prequel was released after), it does kind of just throw Atsushi and Akira at you and not really give you much information on them. Though that doesn’t detract from their impact in the film and certainly doesn’t change their impact in the universe and series as a whole. It does make the film hard to follow and may not make sense until after you have done the full series.

Tsunemori returns as our female lead, and this film is a major turning point for her as we finally get to see exactly what led her to being locked away in S3. She is as strong and compelling a character as always. And seeing her expose Sibyl's flaws to the world, killing someone in broad daylight, but her Psycho-Pass not going up, all so the government is forced to still keep human judgment and input in dealing with criminals instead of leaving it all to AI, was an insane moment. Arguably, the most important moment in the series is in terms of making a change to the status quo. I think by the end of the full series, Akane Tsunemori will be solidified as a favourite anime character for many.

And that is a big theme for this film: how much technology should be incorporated into daily life? How much stuff should be automated? Is it truly safe to leave our fate in the hands of machines? The cult in this film certainly thinks so. And this does give us some good discussion on free will as well as some more talk on Japan’s history of isolation.

The action is great as usual, this time featuring a cool sequence with a drone dodging a ton of lasers and missiles like it is something out of Mobile Suit Gundam.

While this film succeeds in setting up both our male leads for Season 3, as well as immortalises Akane’s actions and changes the world going forward, it is still very clearly a prequel and struggles to stand on its own without S3 and First Inspector. And while the main antagonist (Bifrost) is in the background and won’t address until the series set after, the present threat we are given (the Peacebreakers) aren’t anything too interesting.

This film's rating is heavily carried by Akane for me, she is by far the strongest written character in this film and without her, it falls apart due to Shindo and Akira intentionally being mysteries and vague due to the link with the other series, as well as not being able to have a strong villain since it is a prequel for the main upcoming one. Without her moments, especially in the finale, I can 100% understand why so many dislike this film and are giving it scores closer to a 6.

Set after we last saw Kogami in the final scene of Psycho-Pass the Movie, we are given a fresh and different story focusing on our favourite male lead from Season 1. No longer is he a freedom fighter, and now he is travelling looking to help people. In this story, he stops in the Himalayas and is given a chance to act as a mentor and father figure to a young refugee. And it gives him a chance to look inward and acknowledge his flaws while trying to prevent others from going down the same path.

The new character that Kogami looks after is an ... orphan called Tenjin. As a child, she had her family (along with her whole village) massacred in front of her eyes by a warlord as she hid in a rice field.
She is now out for revenge, but is aware she is just a child and has no chance, so she turns to Kogami and asks him to train her.

And while Kogami does give her some self-defence training, seeing her thirst for blood and realising it reflects who he was in the first season of the show and throughout his life, is a massive reality check. He got his revenge but at the cost of everything in his life (except his own life, funnily enough), no home, no job and no friends anymore. And he does his best to try and teach this girl that he was wrong and not to go down this path.

He still, to this day, has conversations in his head with the man he killed. And is still haunted by his past.

Frederica, after being teased before, is finally given time in the spotlight, and despite her questionable motives, she still offers Kogami a lifeline and a sense of purpose. Perhaps, maybe there is a chance he can go back to his old life and see Tsunemori and Ginoza once again. And perhaps he can try to do some good, I think that is the message this film wants him to learn from this. That he has the power to change and help others.

Now, as for the antagonist, I personally do think it is one of the weaker ones. This series has set a very high bar for villains, but even without that bar, this one is unfortunately nothing special. And the big twist and their actions were all very predictable and didn’t make you think about their ethics and their side, like the previous series would.

However, that doesn’t mean the showdown with our bad guy wasn’t spectacular, featuring a great fight sequence on a moving train featuring mechs. And at the end, Kogami is saved by 2 other characters, rather than him die alone fighting alone, like before, almost as if to symbolise that he can let people in and go back to working with others. Unfortunately, it is still very clear that this film is set up and designed to bring Kogami back to Japan for the following season and movies, which makes this film feel more like a stepping stone than its own standalone story.

This one is a film that fans of Mamoru Oshii will be able to appreciate, especially. It reminded me of Patlabor, and the finale of it hit me nearly as hard as Patlabor Movie 2 too!

Much like Ghost in the Shell and Patlabor, which have had a heavy influence on the series, this film, most of all, tackles the huge disconnect within the military hierarchy. Soldiers do not know the damage they are doing safely inside while they control a drone, and those same soldiers do not know anything they are being ordered to do, and their superiors see them as disposable.

The reveal that a ... ‘care package’ of supplies a soldier had to deliver was actually an illegal weapon of mass destruction, and this soldier unknowingly killed hundreds of civilians as well as his comrades, was a heavy-hitting moment.

One of the soldiers who was sent to die is supposedly alive and coming back for revenge, hunting down soldiers, and the mystery of the film is trying to figure out who it is. And even if you do figure it out early, with the androids and if you do suspect certain characters, it doesn’t make the actual reveal any less meaningful. Especially with all the misdirection it purposefully throws your way to keep you guessing.

It humanises the soldiers who are out there on the field while simultaneously making you feel sick at the people in power who are using them all as pawns while out of danger. And part of you wants the revenge to succeed. However, nobody in this film is in the right, and that’s what makes it such an interesting and thought-provoking tale.

The detective from our known cast of the main series who is working this case is Tomomi Masaoka, giving him such much-needed development time. And showing us more about his character (which makes the moments where his son takes his place and follows in his footsteps in the following series more special).

The other detective who takes the lead in this is Teppei Sugo. And seeing how he works together with Masaoka, does hit you emotionally when you see him work with his son in the future series.

Overall, a very strong entry to the franchise that gives some of the supporting cast of the main series a much-needed spotlight while also having a heavy message.

I dropped this season twice. I only picked it back up because people told me that Ryu had a great moment in the last few episodes, which was a great payoff to Season 4 fans. So, I stuck with it, and they were right. That moment was amazing. Unfortunately, everything else this season was a major drop in quality from S4.

Season 4, especially its second half, was spectacular, heavy, dark and emotional. Two souls alone struggling in a cave, clinging to life, it was beautiful. It made you care about the characters and made them feel real. So, does S5 follow this tone? More exploration ... on the horrors of adventuring and the dungeon? No. Instead, we have some weird harem romcom shit. I detest it.

The first quarter of this season is about Bell going on a date with Syr and everyone making a big deal about it. It features date practice and Bell impressing a load of girls. And then they go on their date, and Hestia and Ais get jealous and must watch him with another woman. Syr is a long-term character we have known for a while, and it was nice to humanise her and give her some development.

Unfortunately, it turns out her entire character was a farce. It was the nude horny goddess of love all along, the one with no personality except she thinks she has the right to everything and has possession of Bell. It was extremely disappointing to find out Syr was a fake character made by a much worse and less interesting character.

Bell is also a wet blanket for most of this season. Outside of 1 moment with the fake Syr, he is an oblivious idiot to the point it's unbelievable. Helpless, and unable to piece anything together whatsoever. He also can't even tell Syr the reason for his rejection. The reason is that he is in love with Ais, a character who has had barely any screentime throughout 4 seasons and has also had no development in prior seasons. And it is the same here; she barely does anything, and her character and relationship with Bell are non-existent.

Freya then decides to brainwash the entire population, except 1 or two people, including Bell. Trying to win him over with gaslighting and lies. And he becomes a damsel trapped in a castle.

In episode 8, they even acknowledge how dense and oblivious Bell is by giving a character a scene of her losing it and screaming at him for how dense he is. It's almost as if the writer is self-aware and is trying to make light of the stupidity of what he has written. And at this point, I gave up. I dropped it here before picking it back up again due to friends persuading me to keep going.

I understand the English title is 'Is it Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?' which sounds like some fantasy romance slop, but this is the first season where it truly felt like that. Characters felt so one-dimensional and flat, it is shocking that this is the same show as Season 4, where characters felt real and the character interactions were the highlight of it. Shame.

Now, back to Syr/Freya. There was potential for something meaningful here. However, it is handled in such a goofy fashion and in the end, it turned into your usual friendship over all heart of gold generic protag moment. Despite unforgivable actions that defy the gods and laws of their existence, Bell still smiles and is laid back and tries to see the best in her. I understand that this is his character, an idiot who understands nothing but will always try to see the best in people, but man, did it become hard to watch.

In the final scene of the season, we see her friends accepting her and her old followers all crying over her losing her position as a goddess, everyone still loves her because friendship > everything.

The friendship makes it to the action, too. Right after Ryus' incredible moment, which was the only part of this season worth watching, we are snapped back to reality. Bell's goddess and friends show up to give him a friendship buff to increase his levels, all so he can win a tournament and ‘save’ the woman who literally mind-controlled the entire population and would have happily killed his loved ones. Oh, and then he saves an enemy turned ally who gives him a friendship powerup too.

Considering the first half of this show is some over-the-top dating harem where everyone is fighting over Bell and getting involved, and the second half is Bell trying to friendzone someone and ‘save’ them with his heart of gold, I can safely say that this season is skippable. I saw some other reviewers say that this season is of no importance and can be skipped, and I am inclined to agree.

Freya accepting her Syr side should have been a powerful moment, but they butchered it by making Freya intolerable for 99% of the runtime of the series, and by not making Bell hold her as accountable as he should have.

Outside of Ryu channelling the powers of her lost familia and her confession, as well as Hestia’s moment with her ichor and breaking everyone free, there are no moments of note. I haven’t read the Light Novel yet, but I pray that Bell has more brain cells and is less oblivious than he is in the anime.

I still highly recommend you read the manga alongside this, as this anime only adapts parts of 3 of the many volumes, and trust me when I say, reading it will blow you away.

For the small adaptation of the long manga we did get, it was masterfully done. If we got a full adaptation of the manga by this same team, it would easily replace 0079 as the best introduction to the series and would turn some people's initial thoughts on the characters on their heads.

And that is the caveat with this anime. Many of the characters in this show are based on their ... manga counterpart and are quite developed. Which sounds great! Except, if you are anime only and watch 0079 after this, you will be met with disappointment.

Amuro’s father, Garma, Dozel and the Zabi family were much more developed and interesting characters than in the show. Crowley and Ramba were great characters, and it was special to see their origin stories. Sayla was also spectacular in this series. You get to see what shaped her as a person, and in the Origin continuity, if you do read the manga, you will find out she becomes one of the most memorable characters in the franchise. Losing Lucifer unironically hit me harder than 99% of deaths in UC Gundam. Seeing all these great characters get so much set up to be memorable and deep in the 0079 anime, when that is far from the case, is disheartening. This is why I recommend you watch this along with the Origin manga and treat it as a separate timeline from the original 0079 series.

While a stunning adaptation of some of the middle volumes of Origin, it chose to do some of the weaker points of the story. We don’t get to see the manga’s insane take on the Jaburo conflict, or Sayla and Char’s big confrontation. This anime is pitched to only show the parts of the manga that are set BEFORE the 0079 anime, which is a missed opportunity because I believe the Origin version of the 0079 timeline is superior.

Now, what are the weaker points of the Origin story that I mentioned? Firstly is Char. We all know that asshole from the original series, but maybe we could finally have gotten some much needed development and backstory. Outside of Beltorchika’s Children and the Zeta novels, there is very little in the Gundam series to humanise him and make you feel any sympathy or even empathy towards him. So, this was the perfect time to fix this, show us his childhood, show us his turn to the dark side. But unfortunately, it turns out that since coming out of the womb, he was an anger issues psycho kid who scares adults and teachers. He was a monster from the day he first existed, and is, of course, a child prodigy, good at literally everything and overpowered since day 1. This is a massive disappointment to me. Some are okay with black and white lines and people being evil for the sake of it, but I would much rather have seen him more humanised than what they chose to do here.

The other issue I have with Origin is the same for nearly all UC Gundam outside of a few, like Unicorn. The issue that, once again, it chooses to clearly define Zeon and the Zabi family as evil, black and white, instead of humanising both sides and making it more ambiguous. Zeon once again talk about Hitler and Napoleon, and they commit mass-scale genocides that eradicate over half the population of planet Earth. While some members have human traits, it is very hard to feel anything towards them. I personally prefer when a story focuses more on both sides and the complex morality of war rather than having one clear ‘evil’ and one clear ‘good.’ Also, the leader of Zeon thinking the Earth will agree to a truce after committing genocide on literally billions of people, all because he let a prisoner free and gave him back to Earth, is hilarious, some stupidity that rivals characters in ZZ or Victory. An insult to your intelligence as a viewer.

I think, as an adaptation of volumes 5-7 of the Origin manga, this is a sublime anime. However, because it only focuses on part of the full story, it means we are lacking a lot of time dedicated to the main Gundam cast outside of Char and Sayla (and even then, Sayla’s best moments are not in these adapted volumes but later in the manga). This is unrealistic, but if we got an Origin episode for each character or one that did some of the other stories, it would help flesh out the original cast. Because even the small changes in the manga make a lot of the White Base crew's journey feel more impactful and human.

This will never happen, but if we got a full The Origin manga adaptation, which would essentially combine and refine both the Origin anime and 0079 anime, and it was done in the order of the manga, we could have something special. As it is now, I think the manga is the best introduction to the series, as the anime focuses too much on our unlikeable antagonist and characters who have very little screentime in the full series.

Still a great watch and 100% worth it for any Gundam fan, especially if you have watched the rest of the Universal Century before viewing. But as an introduction to UC, you should start with 0079 (the series, do not watch the compilation movies) unless you decide to read the Origin manga after this and then do 0079, which is the best choice (albeit the one that takes the most time and effort).

This is the definitive and best way to get into the Universal Century Gundam series, in my opinion.

The Origin anime and 0079 anime (NOT THE FILMS) are good, but I would watch them as a bonus to accompany this manga.

The most important change is how the characters are handled and how much extra development they are given.

Ramba Ral is a standout as a character that the Origin anime did set up well, but he got so little time in 0079 anime series. This manga does his arc justice and instead makes it one of the most memorable and thought-provoking parts of the One Year ... War.

Sayla is handled well in the anime, but much like Amuro, she is even better in the manga. With more expressive and important dialogue moments. And instead of a conversation with Bright in which he asks nothing, she gets interrogated about being a Zeon.

As for being interrogated, Char is also given more moments to show what is going on between his different appearances in the anime and is shown to face actual repercussions for his actions. Ultimately, I still feel like his main volume (volume 5, also the basis for the Origin anime) was a letdown. His backstory, that he was also a child prodigy genius with major anger issues, was extremely weak and lacking for such an integral character to the Gundam franchise. Instead of slowly watching him turn into a bad person, he is unlikable, unrelatable and a monster since birth, and I think this is a missed opportunity. They could have instead chosen to humanise him and show you why he is the way he is due to some trauma or psychological reasons, instead of the answer just being 'he's an evil monster, always has been.'

Amuro is a good character, but the manga gave him more time interacting with other humans and people on the White Base and outside of it. And seeing his internal thoughts in stunning watercolour spreads as well as his action/fight sequences with much more impressive visuals is a joy to see.

The manga is also darker than the anime. In the refugee arc, the mother and the daughter seeing the wasteland that used to be their home is a lot more impactful.

The action was much larger scale. The Jaburo battle felt more like a small-scale war than just 5 mobile suits, and it was a great spectacle. The fights in general have a much larger number of GMs, Balls, Mobile Armours and feel a lot more like war than in the anime. A lot of suits and vehicles in this manga are exclusive to this and are missing from the anime.

The spectacle also carries on to the major deaths and turning points. Matilda's death and Amuro's newtype visions were visualised better in this manga than in the anime. And the art style, especially that of the watercolour pages, allows for things like a character's tears rolling down as well as their internal monologue, allowing the emotional scenes to be more memorable. This art also applies to the action, things such as explosions or when a beam saber is used are a lot more extravagant.

The California base arc and Kai's subplot with the spy were far more detailed, and the battles themselves were superior to the show. Sayla's final confrontation with her brother in the remains of their old home was a beautiful set of pages to read. In general, the latter half of the volumes of this manga is vastly superior to the anime in almost every way. They diverge heavily in these and change the setting and location of some major conflicts, making the battle intense, and more characters are fleshed out during this time.

The Zabi family politics are more intricate in this manga, and watching how this war affected Degwin felt more impactful and expanded than in the anime.

Sayla gathering remnants of Ramba Ral's followers and revealing her identity to them was a great moment that should have made it into the anime. She is a lot more badass and independent in this story compared to just obsessing over her brother; this is the best version of Sayla. In the final volume, we even get bonus stories showing how she's doing in the future, living her best life. In this, we also got a moving conclusion to Kai's story.

Fraw, Hayato, Amuro and Kai's friendships/relationships felt genuine and like they had truly known each other since they were children. Fraw and Amuro's dynamic was more developed and emotional, as well as seeing in the bonus chapters Hayato tells Amuro the news that he's marrying her, it was all a welcome addition. The final bonus chapter's final page, Amuro 0082 - END, was the perfect ending to the story.

Outside of Char's backstory being a letdown, only two things are holding this manga back from being a 10 and rivalling Thunderbolt for the title of best Gundam Manga: 1 the full colour version is digitally only and trapped on comicwalker. 2 the manga is out of order and time jumps back and forth a lot, which makes it hard to follow for people who haven't seen the series.

Our previous female lead takes a backseat to give the new character introduced back in Season 2 some much-needed time to grow. And I am pleased to say it was quite a success. Putting her at the forefront was a risk, but it paid off and led to substantial growth, as opposed to the smaller growth she received in the movie and Season 2. Ginoza also was given one of the best fight sequences in the series in a setting more intense and dramatic than any other. While lacking in a strong antagonist, I can still say without a doubt that this is an amazing ... film and worthy of the Psycho-Pass name.

Shimoutsuki had slowly had Tsunemori influence her in the previous entries, but she was yet to have a breakout moment where she started to not just question if what she's doing is right but also act out upon it. Previously, she had been shown horrific truths but been unable to act against them and was forced to accept them, her,e she is finally given the time and power to do so, and for great growth of her character. I was very worried when the truth was revealed at the end, and it appeared as if she was going to just accept Sibyl and not fight back. But she stood up to the system, didn't back down and saved 2 lives while holding those at fault accountable. While it would have been satisfying to see her arrest or kill the Sibyl system member, instead, he followed the Tsunemori path and decided to fight within the system, thus, it is revealed after that the facility was shut down and all the victims were sent to proper ones, safe from harm.

Ginoza also saw leaps in growth throughout this film. In the last film, we came to acknowledge he has become softer as he showed care for Kogami and let him free. In this film, we see him slowly accept himself more and feel comfortable with the parts of him that are like his father. His actions and speeches mirror his father in many ways, and by the end of the film, he accepts himself and becomes proud of that part of him. His obstacle is another latent criminal, who is exactly where he could have ended up and who he could have become if he hadn't had the good influence of his father, Akane and the others. Not only is he fighting a criminal, he is fighting a dark version of himself, and on a stage much more extravagent than any before. They fight on top of a tall building, his opponent uses a mech. And he beats him by outsmarting him, as well as sacrificing his arm and using it as a makeshift grappling hook in an amazing and intense action sequence.

The themes and messages are not as strong as the previous entries, but there are still some very interesting ones to be found. Aomori, our new female lead, is reminded that her job isn't just upholding the law; there is also the matter of protecting innocent people and their families. And she needed this wakeup call because she had become so desensitised and unempathetic to the struggles of others. When you do something enough times, you start to stop caring. She had slowly stopped questioning the criminals and their circumstances, assuming immediately they were all guilty, never wanting to hear their story. This experience helped her realise her faults and start to think more like Tsunemori. The other message in this film is about the dangers of communal values and groupthink. Where residents of the facility are all reliant on each other and value the collective of their own lives to the point they become brainwashed. Hundreds of people allowing themselves to be brainwashed because it is easier, the truth and reality of their situation is awful, and they don't want to think or question it because they will be reminded of how powerless they are, they don't want to get better or work on themselves, they want an easy way out, so they succumb to brainwashing to take that pain away.

While these are some strong topics, they very much do take a backseat to the action and mystery here. The former of which I have no complaints. But the mystery was disappointing due to the lack of a strong or interesting antagonist. The workers and people in charge at the facility were uninteresting and underdeveloped. Outside of the rival and mirror to Ginoza, all the enemies in this film were forgettable. It wouldn't be so bad on its own, as the story was still strong and was visually stunning, too, but given the previous entries in the series, it is disappointing. Psycho-Pass 1 and 2 had some of the strongest, most well-written and threatening evils in anime, and not seeing any of that here is simply a letdown.

Despite the lack of a strong villain and messages that aren't as thought-provoking as the previous entries, this film goes above and beyond to develop 2 characters deserving of the spotlight and in beautiful fashion. It is certainly the weakest entry so far, but the bar was set insanely high, so it was bound to happen eventually. Still a great experience regardless!

Is this Movie as strong as Psycho-Pass 1 and 2? No. Are the antagonists as strong as 1 and 2? No. Am I being generous enough to give it such a high rating? Probably.

Firstly, I want to say the action and visuals for this film are the best Psycho-Pass has ever looked—the amazing martial arts sequences return, as do the first-person perspective camera sequences. We get multiple combat sequences, with new enemies and fighting style design, such as a character who uses cables and another who has a metal arm like Jax from Mortal Kombat or Spencer from Bionic Commando. The way they break and ... beat the metal arm is a reference to a fight scene from Ghost in the Shell 2, and it put a smile on my face.

But what is new to this entry and makes it different from the others is that it shows us what the Military and guerilla warfare in this setting is like, not just detectives in a city. We are taken to a real battlefield and, for the first time, get some proper vehicle warfare. All of the tank and vehicle designs are a sci-fi or mecha fan's dream and are a joy to watch. In action, they are just as good. In the finale, we see our protagonists' backup show up and some cool missile sequences that you would think are straight out of a Gundam series.

After being absent from Season 2, we are finally reunited with Kogami, and it was worth the wait. Seeing our old male and female leads come back together and how much they have changed, and also haven't changed since then, was a joy to long-time fans of the series.

Akane Tsunemori once again shines and has a major impact on everyone in this film. She even manages to impact an entire nation and the Sybl System, much to their dismay. At first, I was worried when it turned out everything had been planned from the start, but just like the characters in this show, even I was not able to predict the outcome, due to Tsunemori being unpredictable and more strong-willed than anyone can imagine.

The discussion of a foreign government or foreign power giving aid to or destabilising another nation is a very complex topic and also very relevant in the year we live in. And that is a big theme of this film, It is a great critique on the current climate of our world and how major powers like the US will destabilise smaller eastern nations or fund wars there, having others rely on them for weapons and support.

Unfortunately, the other nations' characters, whether it be the guerilla faction, the mercenaries or the people who have taken control of it using force, are all much less developed characters than the genius and memorable antagonists from Season 1 and 2. The main true rival and foe for our protagonist in this film is the Sybl system itself, much like with the prior, but unlike the prior series, the other antagonists are nowhere near as deep. I cannot name any of the mercenaries, and while they lead to some cool and unique action, they had no story, and it's the same for a lot of the other new characters. Does this make it weaker than the first 2 seasons of the show? It does. But, for the story this film wants to tell, those characters all serve their purpose, and it doesn't take away from the overarching plot and the theme. And it certainly doesn't take away from the development of our male and female leads, and even Ginoza (who was a lot less important in Season 2) got some time to shine and show his development from the start of the series.

If you are a lover of sci-fi and enjoy stuff like 86 or Gundam, then you may appreciate parts of this even more than the previous series. And our main cast is still just as great as ever. However, if you expecting a big mystery with a strong, unforgettable antagonist with new goals that make you question everything and will have you thinking for weeks after you are done (like the previous 2 seasons did), then you may be a bit disappointed. Still an amazing experience that widens the scope of the world and does once again raise new and different moral questions. We see for the first time the awful state of the outside world in contrast with the Psycho-Pass-governed city of Japan, and it will certainly make you question the morality and ethics of Sybl. This is still a strong entry, with good themes and visuals and will still make you think, just maybe not as mindblowing as the predecessors, which admittedly, did set quite a high bar.

I was very hesitant to start this, as season 1 was perfect, and I didn't want to risk tainting that experience with a subpar sequel. However, I am glad to say that Psycho-Pass is still here at its core and just as intense and thought-provoking as ever.

While overall, Season 1 was darker in many aspects, this season managed to stress me out and keep my heart rate at a much higher pace. In the prior season, you care a lot about the characters, and the mystery unravels itself as you progress, and you enjoy the ride. In this one, you are anxious and want more ... than anything to figure out who Kamui is, what his goal is, why he is doing everything and what for.

New moral and psychological discussions arise, different than before and, in some cases, more interesting. One episode stood out to me in particular, about people playing a video game, not knowing the game they were playing was controlling real-life drones that were killing real people. At the end of the episode, the curtain is pulled, and all the people playing the mobile game are shown the atrocity they unknowingly committed. This raises so many different questions about how this should be handled and what should happen to these people, how their mental health will be affected, and is also a metaphor for how desensitised we could become to killing. Using a drone or pushing a button that launches a missile is a lot less personal than seeing your victims right in front of your eyes, and this episode is a critique on that concept. The other discussion that the characters have during this is whether it is right to let the public know that they did this. Did they do the right thing in allowing the people who unknowingly committed this action to know the truth? And how should they be judged?

Psycho-Pass's essence is still very much intact in this season. Our female protagonist returns and grows more and is given even more self-discovery this time around. Unfortunately, the supporting cast is not nearly as strong as it was before. Not having a replacement for Masaoka, as well as Ginoza taking more of a backseat this time around, is definitely apparent. However, we are given a new female character who is a good mirror and rival to Tsunemori. The roles are kind of reversed this time, with Tsunemori acting more like Kogami and our new character playing Tsunemori's role when she was new to the PSB.

Watching reality hit Shimotsuki like a brick as her character is slowly broken bit by bit as her view of reality is turned upside down was an incredible sight. In the final episode, we see her truly broken, questioning everything. Before that, we have other characters truly put fear into her and force her to betray her partners for the sake of justice. Her story is tragic and makes a great contrast with our female lead. Tsunemori wavering and nearly breaking but still managing to put what she believes is right above else, despite many intense moments like being handed the ear of her murdered relative, is what makes her the strongest character that presents the hope for the future in this series.

A discussion about who judges what is right and wrong is something you could have for hours after finishing this show, just one of the many questions and thought-provoking discussions Psycho-Pass creates. The system itself ultimately accepts it is flawed and that people within it are wrong, all because of the will of our protagonist and her unwavering beliefs and morals. This shows a strong message on just how hard it is to make structural changes within society like the law or big businesses, or even politics, but that it is possible. We see the insane workload that she not only puts on herself and her peers, showing that she will work harder than everyone else and instead of hoping for change, she knows she will become the change. The drive of this character is inspiring but is also a sad reminder that even after all that work, changes do not happen so easily and certainly do not happen overnight.

Another question this show raises is how much power the government, military and police have. We are shown a horrific path where criminals infiltrate and get their own on military grade weapons and carry out crimes using police technology. This plotline hits even harder in today's reality (I am writing this in 2025), where most crime organisations and terrorist groups do use military equipment. Where did they get that equipment from? Well, we already know the answer to that.

The music and art direction are just as good as before, as is the sound design. The voice acting for the dub blew me away- incredible performances all around. Similarly to the Ghost in the Shell sequel, I can see why some dislike it and are more critical than the original, but also similarly to it, I think it is just as good if not better. We don't have our badass male characters, and we don't have 1 on 1 martial arts sequences like we do in the first season either, but we do have a complex and brutal story that is arguably even more relevant to the issues of today's society.

Given the state of the world right now, I think this show is definitely something that will make you think and will probably age like fine wine. Much like the first season, this is something that will stick with you. Give it a watch, go in with an open mind, and don't try to compare it to the original. Let it tell its own story, and see how you feel for yourself.

It is one of the best, if not the best, first episode introductions to an anime series ever. You are immediately hooked and interested in this complex and dark world that covers a lot of heavy themes and topics. If you like Ghost in the Shell, Ergo Proxy or Serial Experiments Lain, this is a must-watch. Its main inspiration for the creator was the 19842 Blade Runner, and it shows.

Similar to Blade Runner, we have a detective dystopian future story with interesting moral questions like AI but instead of focusing too much on the AI aspect entirely, this one addresses other concepts such as ... literal thought policing and thought crime, as well as cybercrime.

In a world where free speech and even free thought or emotions is controlled by a government and AI is powered on human brains, nobody is safe, and it also leads to extremely inventive and original crimes and an antagonist unlike any other. But not just him, the entire cast of this show is memorable and well-developed. The rivalry between the male lead and the antagonist reminds me of Sherlock and Moriarty, two people cut from the same cloth. The clashes between them physically were intense too, featuring great animated martial arts sequences and even some first-person-perspective camera work.

The clash of ideals between the female and male lead, the female lead and the pre-existing system, as well as the general citizens and the pre-existing system, leads to so many interesting stories, questions and discussions for the audience.

The overarching plot will have you hooked from start to finish, but in the meantime, the cases they take over the journey and the subplots are all very memorable. While quite dark and heavy, it doesn't rely on shock value, all the small stories are well thought out and conclude in a satisfactory way.

The finale to this season is one you will never forget and will stick with you. The growth and change, and in some cases, lack of change of the characters all comes to this conclusion. Everyone comes together to get to this point, and each character turns into someone very different (or maybe not so different) from when they were at the start, in the best and most believable way. Our female lead becomes a hardened leader, and the supporting cast stuck in their ways are changed and inspired by her, whereas the male lead is unable to change and see her way fully. You can understand the thought process and how each character got to their stance or conclusion.

For an anime original work, this might just be the best, or at least the most thought-provoking. This series explores heavy psychological and societal themes, such as wanting to live in a society free from the fear or stress of crime. It raises the question, is it morally and socially acceptable to charge individuals with crimes they have not yet committed? And you don't just have to try to answer the question yourself because characters in the show challenge that notion.

It features a society that does not fear crime itself because the concept of crime has been washed from the minds of the public, instead, they fear the Sibyl Systems verdicts and fear being falsely accused or getting executed for a crime they may be capable of but have not done. This system judged latent criminals based partially on emotions, which leads to the topic of emotional repression being discussed and messaged throughout its runtime.

Anyone interested in human psychology and complex moral discussions, or just a lover of sci-fi and/or detective stories, must watch this show immediately.