As I've mentioned here before, cyberpunk is a genre that fascinates me greatly when it comes to entertainment. Technological and scientific advancements, psychological examination and representation of different types of social orders are something that stimulates me to a high degree for various reasons. It is however also a genre that I am extremely picky about. Considering that most mediums in this genre tend to delve into "deep waters" on several things (in my experience at least) it requires a certain level of intellectual maturity to be able to create something substantial, I find. Naturally it depends on what the story wants to convey, but when you delve into stories about the functions of a utopian / dystopian society, have technology connecting people into a global and centralized network, examining how people exist both physically and psychologically, and so forth, it is vital to give a very "realistic" take on it, wherein it brings up several causes and aspects to give enough substance to make it worthwhile. There aren't many mediums that manages to accomplish this that I have had the fortune of playing, reading or watching, but fortunately a show like Psycho Pass managed to achieve what it set out to accomplish quite well.
First of, the show's portrayal on a dystopian society. Something that I expected for the show to center on was a group of rebellious people actively trying to fight against an oppressive and flawed system, which is a atypical scenario for many futuristic settings. You don't know how pleased I was to discover that this wasn't the case at all, that the representation wasn't as dichotomous as I was lead to believe, and instead showcased a believable take on a functioning society that not only acknowledges its flaws but also its strengths, and is actively trying to further evolve the system into a better one. I personally find the whole concept of how the system can quantify aptitude and make it work on such a scale where humans can find their roles that they'd be most effective at, and in turn create personal happiness and a healthier environment as a whole, a really cool system. I would have appreciate however to see more interaction from outside the main narrative, wherein the show could have incorporated more individual episodes to better flesh out the world. There could have been further portrayal about several issues that the show brought up, such as economical consequences and political issues, education and law enforcements outside of when it tied to the main plot. The anime does a good job of conveying not simply the psychological, but also the sociological and anthropological layers of a society quite well, displaying a nice method of determinism in society to make it believable from their stand point, but still leaves a lot to be desired wherein the system creates a bit more quantity than quality on several cases.
Case in point though, the show nicely portrays a system with flaws, significant ones at that, through several avenues but doesn't restrict itself to simply tell a story about freedom fighters fighting against an oppressive power. No, the show doesn't try to tell a story about taking down a corrupt system, but trying to perfect one, which is the real beauty behind it.
This sets the stage for the shows three main leads, who are characters that either complements, acts as a foil towards the system or manages to find a middle ground; which are Akane, Kougami and Makishima. These three are great characters who all add something significant to the story in their own way. Akane is a great protagonist and is someone who I loved to experience the events that she underwent. She acts as the poster child and steadfast supporter of the Sybil system, representing the ideal individual who has a clear mental behavior and job aptitude to fit into any category that is presented for her. How she is introduced to the show, how she develops along the way (going from a naive idealist to a rational idealist), how she visualizes society and characters around her, in addition to the police work and how it should be handled, makes her a believable character that displays a variety of character traits and is someone that I appreciated witnessing the world through. I admire her stark view of her ideological beliefs, and how she can see the value of Psycho Pass even after the revelation, managing to argue that while system is a functional one, there are better ways for a workable order in the world, wherein a society can work without having people lose their touch from humanity. This is what I love to see when stories feature heavily idealistic people, and Akane certainly fits the bill for me.
Kougami acts as the "middle ground" of the three; while displaying a cynical outlook on the world on various cases, he is ultimately an optimist who believes in the concept of the system and feels that humanity is capable to achieve more, and not blindly rely on Sybil, as he comes to learn throughout the show wherein he starts to possess more anti-social behavior. This also goes in tandem with his work as an Enforcer; since he is someone who previously worked as an investigator and who studied Social Psychology, in addition to his belief system, makes him a person who finds out all the possible ways of looking at the truth, no matter how awful, and then chooses the one which is both plausible and psychologically right in his mindset. This is why I find Kougami to be so compelling; since one can easily understand and sympathize with his goal, especially when he turns into a vigilante, and I love that he isn't so radically portrayed in either position. I do however think that he is a bit too perfect, especially in how accurate he is in his "guessing game" with a few scenarios, wherein the comes to the right conclusion every time from the tiniest of details. I would have personally found it better for him to be a bit more insecure with a few of them, and not having him on the right all the time.
Makishima is an interesting villain, though a bit of a contradiction as a character and not that memorable. He acts as the adversary towards the system and the characters (primarily Kougami), who actively demonstrates the flaws with the system throughout the show, utilizing radical methods as well as verbose dialogue (which ranges from intellectual to pseudo-intellectual during different scenarios) to convey his message. As it is made evidently clear in the show, he resembles that of an anarchist; someone who believes in free will and who detests the inhumane control system that is Sybil. His words have merit, since he does show us where the system stumbles and how it makes people superficially individualistic (for certain people it goes as far as being almost nonexistent), in addition to showing contempt to how deterministic it is, and how he favors a more communitarian society (something I agree with). However, while he takes up that people should be the one that make decisions in their life, it is a bit misguided of a belief, since even a guided decision is a decision, which is what the system is about. He paints Sybil as more extreme than it actually is, and while the flaws are certainly important, it is ultimately his stark view on it that blinds him of it. It is also disappointing that while he does call attention to the problem and himself well enough, the show doesn't expand on offering any real solutions to how exactly his views would be incorporated instead. Also, the quotation of literature--while serving a purpose and is on point with what he wants to come across at most scenarios, is unnecessary and only makes the show try too hard to make him intelligent. I get it, the guy knows his stuff, you don't have to throw in my face every time he is on screen.
The rest of the characters aren't as fleshed out as the trio, but they get their own fair share of screen time and backstory to make them distinguishable an believable. But what I truly loved what the show did was use its background as a way to further add characterization to the other Enforcers, which can be seen whenever the show takes place in the police station. For example let's take Kunizuka; someone who gets a brief flashback to how she entered the Enforcers. Outside of that, you don't get much out of her considering her stoic personality. However, during several scenes when you look at her desk, you can see that she has a display of a large quantity of make up and nail polishes. Despite in her backstory when we see her leaving the nail polish her friend gave her as a sign that she is leaving that life behind, she still dedicates her time on buying them, showing that she has a deep care for who she used to be, and is willing to have it as a stark reminder. Considering she is often seen only eating noodles, it shows that a lot her money goes to make up which doesn't leave room for much else (either that or she really really loves noodles, haha!). Similar could be said about Kagari, who has plushies on display in his room and a mirror; further emphasizing on his playful attitude and that he isn't scared to show it, and that he cares about his looks. There are other ways to how the show incorporates this, and I love this aspect deeply b/c it reminded me of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, where I spent a significant amount of time on exploring other characters rooms and desks to get a stronger grasp on them as characters, and paying attention to their mannerism and facial changes.
There are other factors I would like to delve into, but this one is already long as it is so I don't see the need to go further. I do think I'm gonna rewatch the show again at some point, to get a stronger grasp on how good Psycho Pass really is. When I write this posts like these, it gives me the option to properly sit down and simply think about the show as a whole, which I have an easier time doing when I write it down. I came out of the show being exceptionally pleased, though as I have been writing I have become a bit skeptical if everything that the show does actually adds to its strength or only manages to reach to a certain height. Don't get me wrong, it is a great anime through and through, though I need to watch it again to properly understand everything that the show conveys to determine how great it is.
But that is for another time. Right now, I need to look at a new anime to pick.
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