Back to ExquisiteBird's Profile ExquisiteBird's Profile

First, let me start off by saying that I want to pursue a career in criminalistics. That being said, I was extremely interested in the show upon first reading a summary online. It has not failed to disappoint me and earns a well deserved 10.

The story is set in our future. It features a world in which Sibyl, the "governing" authority, can monitor each person's state of mind on how "clear" it is. Not only this, it can tell whether or not a person is likely to commit a crime. Because of this system, Japan is the only remaining country in the world where it's ... inhabitants can lead peaceful lives. The people who we would consider the police are now a team of Inspectors and Enforcers, the latter part actually being criminals themselves. I won't go into detail anymore because I'm finding it hard to not write any spoilers.

The art is amazing. It gives a futuristic feel that enlightens me to the idea of their society through well thought out technological devices. The art of the characters themselves is exquisite, and relatable.

As far as sound it concerned, the opening and ending themes were amazing. I never skipped them, not even once. During the show, I will say the voice of the dominator was something I enjoyed the most. Every single time in "judged" someone I found myself unable to look away, even when the individual was legally eliminated. The character's voices were all spot on in my opinion, they'd sound exactly like that if you encountered them on the street. I also enjoyed the vast majority of classical works and related music that was implemented into the show at exactly the right moments.

With the characters I cannot say I disliked any one of them. They would all be considered the perfect "team", I think by a lot of people's standards.

Akane is full-heartedly intent on obeying the law, and it's kind of refreshing later on in the series.

Kougami is such a dynamic character. He's definitely my favorite, for many different reasons.

Ginoza seems cold-hearted but with good reason, something that is revealed later.

Masaoka is the guy that's already been through it all and is there to help you when you need it.

Yayoi is someone who really cares about her team with a "level" head, even if she is an Enforcer.

Kagiri is fun and carefree. Even though I was first annoyed with him, I found that he actually became one of my favorites, next to Kou, as the series progressed.

Shion is the analyst of the story, completely critical to their functioning on the field. Without her help, the team would have found it much harder, in some instances, to solve their case.

Now I'll talk about a villain.

I have another favorite character, and its Shogo Makishima. A lot of people hate the villain in any story but I actually welcomed him. His demeanor and speech left me feeling intoxicated with knowledge and insightful views every time he talked. I loved every work he quoted, and although I have not read all of them, I understood the connection without a problem. It's because of him that I actually renewed my love for literature. He gave this sense, that, every time he talked there was "a feeling that you were missing out on something your whole life."

I believe my overall enjoyment with the show is obvious, I cannot praise it enough. Although, I would like to end my review with a note; Don't watch this if you are a child or are incapable of handling mature themes/violence. I also disdain people watching this and other related anime who drop it when they can't handle the deeper thinking that goes along with it. It's all about getting in the character's head, especially the villains. Sure, you could watch this and ignore all the dialogue about the system and casework and literary references. But then, what would it become? Essentially, if you do this, you're stripping the anime down to the police shows you watch on TV today. Mindless programs where the bad guys get shot by the good guys. This anime reverses that stereotype.

"But I believe people only have real value when they act on their own free will."