First off, let me say that this would be a perfect 10 anime if the story wasn't so slow to gain momentum. I attempted watching this anime on 4 separate occasions only to end up dropping it after the first 2 or 3 episodes because it seemed fairly generic (my initial reaction: "Effing cyberpunk police? Again?"). I guess it's the nature of a psychological thriller to start off low-key and then get into the meat of the story, but Psycho Pass took more time to build up than most. The story really gets going around episode 6 or 7, and once you get over that hump it's an exciting ride.
Once the show show finally hits its stride it's deeply engrossing. What are criminals and what is a crime? What is social order and what do we sacrifice to have it? What is justice? Is a human really human without free will? And what happens when these concepts are at odds with each other? These provocative themes that question the underpinnings and reality of everyday society are all brought into focus by the main antagonist, who is easily the most interesting character in the story. Our trusty group of heroes pursue him seeking justice, but become conflicted themselves when faced with the reality that the type of law enforcement that they are used to doling out as a part of their job isn't as fair or infallible as they had believed it to be.
So yeah, if you're a fan of psychological thrillers, do yourself a favor and suffer through the first handful of episodes so you can get to the good stuff and really enjoy Psycho Pass.
