PSYCHO-PASS’s somewhat ridiculous world gets fleshed out, but it’s hard to get a read on how satirical it’s intended to be.
What They Say
While Kogami is recuperating from Akane’s Paralyzer shot, she begins to worry about whether she is suited to be an Inspector after the fallout from her first case. On her second day on the job, she begins to learn more about the Enforcers she works with.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Psycho-pass was a mystery for the longest time. Back when the show was first announced, the only information given about it was a picture of the sci-fi gun that the Enforcers use. People have had to speculate whether the show was closer to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex or Guilty Crown. The first episode gave the impression of a gritty, grim, take-no-prisoners crime drama. This second episode, however, contains some situations so ridiculous that it would seem the show has to be aiming for a dark satire, a la Terry Gilliam’s Brazil. But the show’s true intentions remain a mystery.
This episode introduces a stylishly animated opener by Sayo Yamamoto that’s good enough to sit through the show’s horribly dissonant opening theme. We open with Akane in bed, feeling regret over paralyzing her Enforcer, Kogami. She’s woken up by a holographic moe mascot character who resembles Princess Jellyfish’s Clara, who prepares the holographic atmosphere of Akane’s apartment, and puts the flavoring sauce on her apparently pre-made and chemically balanced food products. In true 90’s OAV cyberpunk style, Akane takes a shower and watches the news naked. “Stress levels” of various areas are given like a weather report, and it seems like the driving purpose of Sybil’s Brave New World is to reduce stress and encourage positive mental health in everyone.
This is reinforced when Akane decides to meet up with some friends before work. They clumsily dump exposition about whiz-kid Akane’s grades at the Academy (a score of 700!) which pretty much allowed her to pick any career she wanted. And even though she’s been stressed all night, her Psycho-pass is still bright and blue. They act cattily jealous over the lack of mental “product” Akane has to use, and refer to hear as a “mental beauty”. There’s some really fantastic satire potential here, but I’m still not certain how much we’re supposed to take seriously.
More ridiculous things happen. Akane almost walks in on a lesbian tryst between one of her Enforcers and the sultry blonde bombshell that works in the lab. The older Enforcer who’s been so kind to Akane hopes for a peaceful day, and just then the warning sirens go off. And in a fantastic scene, Akane and her Enforcers traipse through a mall wearing holographic suits that make them look like friendly mascot characters… and then proceed to get in a fist-fight with a mentally unstable young man. I love Psycho-pass’s malevolent moe totalitarianism, but I still can’t figure out whether I’m laughing with the show or at it.
The writing for the remainder of the episode is still terribly clunky, with characters going in great detail about how the Sybil system selects career applicants, and how Kogami has some unfinished business he can’t die until he’s able to attend to. That said, the production is still gorgeous, I love the setting and the theme, and there are plot elements that still fascinate me. The idea that Sybil might have selected Akane to be little more than an empty suit that minds the Enforcers gives us more clues about how exactly this society is structured, and I love figuring mysteries like this out.
In Summary
The biggest mystery of all is still exactly what Psycho-pass is trying to be. It’s too goofy and cliche to be a new Ghost in the Shell. It’s awfully violent and dark to be a new Patlabor. There are some great ideas, but they’re weighed down by clunky exposition and the introduction of “mature themes” from a checklist (do we have nudity? good. We still need a gun that explodes people. Oh, and how about lesbians? Those are edgy!) I still really, really want to like Psycho-pass, but at this trajectory, it looks like it will be the guiltiest pleasure in a season where there’s a show about schoolgirls driving tanks.
Grade: B-
Streamed By: Funimation.com
Review Equipment:
Sony VAIO 17″ HD screen
