Psycho-Pass

Psycho-Pass
Producers: Production I.G
Genres: Action, Sci-Fi
Synopsis:
The series takes place in the near future, when it is possible to instantaneously measure and quantify a person's state of mind and personality. This information is recorded and processed, and the term "Psycho-Pass" refers to a standard used to measure an individual's being. The story centers around the "enforcement officer" Shinya Kougami, who is tasked with managing crime in such a world.
(Source: ANN, MAL)

Trailer for Psycho Pass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_A_wsT5WQE&feature=relmfu


Another one to look forward to and with Production I.G. at the helm...why all the more. First episode due to air on October 12, 2012. Some fine looking bishounen swinging some hot looking guns and all the while the world burns...my kind of series.

For anyone who was uninformed, I have listed a few bits of trivia. This is the first of two "mysterious" Gen Urobuchi (Fate/Zero, Phantom, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica) works. The other work will supposedly come this winter. This is also one of the NoitaminA titles this season and is rumored to be 2 cours long like Robotic;Notes (the other NoitaminA and by I.G.)

Kit was kind enough to clarify as to just what cours means...
QUOTE Kit-Tsukasa: Cour (pronounced kuru) is the Japanese television terminology for a three month TV run. In the case of NoitaminA, it can imply 11 episodes as that has been more often the norm. So two cour would imply 6 months (or 22 episodes for PSYCHO-PASS and Robotic;Notes)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cours_%28TV_p...easons.2Fseries 

22 episodes of Psycho-Pass with Gen Urobuchi and Production I.G.? Great news!

Sounds old school. Nice sci-fi premise and character designs with I.G at the helm.

Most exciting is the idea of quantification. That is just ripe and a nice fit for Japanese hierarchical structure. I hope they run with the premise.

QUOTE (franzoir @ Oct 05 2012, 02:23 AM) Sounds old school. Nice sci-fi premise and character designs with I.G at the helm.
Most exciting is the idea of quantification. That is just ripe and a nice fit for Japanese hierarchical structure. I hope they run with the premise.
Yep, sure does. I am hoping the quality of the story will not be compromised as it would be great to get an all time classic out of this one especially coming from Gen Urobuchi and Production I.G. .
The big day is on the morrow! Can't wait.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNy7xupzJNA&feature=related

QUOTE Weekly Playboy News released an interview with director Motohiro Katsuyuki and writer Urobuchi Gen about new anime Psycho-Pass. Monohiro said he didn't allow the production staff to use the word "moe" in the discussion meeting. "This anime goes against the current trend of anime industry. So it'll either be a complete failure or a great success." Urobuchi said Motohiro protects him from noitamina producer's demands to add appealing elements for female audience.

Urobuchi said this anime has cruel scenes both physically and mentally. Motohiro joked that he wanted kids audience to have a trauma for life by watching this anime. Source: MAL news their source

I'm taking this as good news Don't insert moe into an anime where it isn't necessary!

:edit: wait a min, "Weekly Playboy News?" Can I take that as a serious source?

What that Weekly Playboy News tell me is, heralded by Redline, my prophecy of a silver age in anime is nearly upon us. I hope this show is a massive mainstream success otherwise my renaissance will be dead in the water before it begun in earnest.

Also, just like how Berserk traumatised me at a pubescent age, is a good sign. It means you will never forget. Children could always do with a bit more trauma if you ask me . It fuels creativity.

Well trying not to get too excited but the first episode for me was awesome.

First, the housekeeping. Animation was very vivid. It has been awhile since I have seen Neo-Tokyo or atleast Tokyo 1.5. Conjured images of Ghost in the Shell for me. I liked the OP, it felt appropriate for the not so quite but almost cyber punk setting.

For the actual setting and plot, it is like the love child between Minority Reports and Judge Dredd (comics not Stallone version) with a splash of Gantz for good measure.

I love the arbitrary nature of the psycho pass. To be honest, the idea of a psycho pass is a fallacy. Just like this criminal here, it would probably provoke people to commit crimes. It seems once you are judged you might as well let loose and commit a crime or become an enforcer. Either way you are pretty much screwed. Also, since your psycho pass can increase, it has the auxiliary function of brainwashing the masses. At all time you must walk around trying not think negative/criminal thoughts. Impressing upon people conformity without even trying.

Honestly, I feel the show is brimming with possibilities. After seeing what was happening to the hostage I thought, well if that happened to me I would probably become a psycho as well and the episode completely went there. Such a refreshing direction.

As for characters, the jury is still out because everyone acts as just a function of society. I was a little annoyed at Akane with her noobish ways but then I realise she is really important because she is the only one who acts like a human being. Maybe after a few more days she will also become just a functionary.

Last point. I really appreciated the flash forward because it signals to me straight away that the producers really want to push the envelope out and bring old school anime up to a modern standard of storytelling, which is what I have been looking for.

Anyway, thank god I find this show interesting because otherwise I would not be picking up any new series this season. I will stop gushing now.

A strong first episode if ever. Loved the darkness of it all as an idealist and her seasoned yet understanding companion walk the underbelly of an ugly world. He is right on to tell her to forget the book smarts as she has now stepped onto what will be a sharp dose of ugly brutal reality and enough blood so as to make one hard, cold, and cynical. For me, as I watched this first episode, it brought back memories of training the new grads as they feigned knowledge in all things Nursing when in reality, one must hone one's skills learning to stay focused, calm, intuitive, sharp and efficient; you are DOA otherwise.
Do your best A-chan! I'm rooting for you.
8/10 but may rise if it stays dark and gritty and awesome.

Fun fact for you Imtakes, Amano Akira did the character designs. Akane really does like a grown up Kyoko. Out of the Shounen class definitely her and Kubo Tite have the best stylised flair for designs. I.G seems to be a good fit for her style.

QUOTE (franzoir @ Oct 12 2012, 07:17 AM) Fun fact for you Imtakes, Amano Akira did the character designs. Akane really does like a grown up Kyoko. Out of the Shounen class definitely her and Kubo Tite have the best stylised flair for designs. I.G seems to be a good fit for her style.
I see...interesting indeed. KHR! I hope they keep the stylish animation coming. I am also loving the OST as well, franzoir-san. Thanks for that bit of Psycho-Pass trivia.
Some scenes did remind me of the SciFi thriller, Blade Runner, the Ridley Scott classic...especially the chasing/stalking in the rain scenes, and the close-ups of those about to be wasted.

Its must be really hard for that girl to go through all that. First she has to work with people you never know when they snap and become your enemys and then you even have to shoot people just because they could do something bad. Beeing one right side while everyone is against you is really hard.
Its like Minority Report just a lot darker and brutal. Or you could say its how our world will be in a few years or already is.

I hope this show will not only focus on the characters but we get to know stuff about the Sybil System to, like how it judges people, what is its reference, what it defines as a crime and how high what crime is pointed.
Like franzoir already said a system like that will never make crimes go away because it itself is destined to create them, so it will be interesting to see how the girl will work with it. Will she keep up her morals or will she be swallowed by the system.

Only thing that I didnt like is the looks of the girl because she somehow doesnt fit into the rest. Its like they went for a different animation style for her simply to make her stick out from the rest of the cast and the backgrounds.

Definitely A decent first Ep, without even mentioning Gen Urubochi in the helm You'd know he's part of the production team. The cinematography, the background textures, etc. yep its him.

My only complain about him being in the production, is that sure he has good days and excellent days but proportional to that he can be just terrible. Especially in character development, sometimes it feels like Im on a well laid asphalt road a second later it feels like Im driving drunk in a rocky road.

I personally haven't finished watching fate/zero S2. No thanks to the (IMO) shoddily written background story for kiritsugu. I preferred his work more on Madoka.

Still I have High hopes for this show, definitely reminds me of Dystopia/sci-fi hollywood films.

One thing that surprised me though was the main artist peg for the whole show was the one who drew Hitman reborn. No wonder it felt so familiar, not a fan of reborn but it took me a while to recognize it was Akira Amano.

The music was top notch to, definitely liked the soundtrack during the part where they introduced the guns.

All in all you'd expect top notch quality from Production IG, lets just hope its not just style without substance through the end.

Yup, a pretty good start, definitely the most "hard" sci-fyish show of the season, but I'll wait and see where it goes. I got DTB vibes from it at the start, and even though the show moved more into GiTS/NOiR territory by the end of the ep, it'll take some time to shake that initial negative feeling. If they end up with a consistently-described, down-to-earth man vs system story, this will be an excellent show.

The protagonist is basically a blank slate, and the setting is dystopic but still quite open, so they've got lots of options open. I do expect a major exposition dump in the next ep, which'll take care of the latter.

Normally this would be the exact type of thing of I hate. After a high octane action premiere the second episode settles down into some mundane nonsense.

Not the case here. The virtual jellyfish more or less said "congratulation you are not a pyscho today." And the fact that pyscho-pass as vocabulary enters a seemingly banal conversation between her and her girlfriends just goes to show how people are micro-managed and routinely brainwashed in this society.

Congratulations you are powder blue and the picture of mental beauty.

None of the scene were wasted and all served a point, imo.

I am also starting to like the enforcers now that they are out of their work mode setting. I felt sorry for the guy that was flagged at 5, that is just too harsh. I remember back in the day when pokemon cards was like crack. The debase behaviour I and other children would have to do to get a charizard. Deception and thievery was common and rife. You would have a whole institution of flagged children if pyscho pass was a reality.

Also suprisingly, I expected Kougami to be a one note cool guy. But I like the fact that he is self aware and I feel there is some substance/ room for a genuine character arc.

Im glad Akane/Kougami resolve to follow their own justice, and in this particular circumstance Akane was right/lucky. But in such a system that emphasises on conformity and micro-management of the populace, it is easy to see Akane will have quite a few moral quagmires to face in the future.

After seeing more of the world they live in, especially at the beginning in that girls home, I totally wouldnt want to live there. Wait live is not the right word because you cant call that living anymore. Youre just doing what some system is telling you. Youre nothing more than robot. And whats with those room- and clothchanges, that has no style and is completely boring.

Glad to see that Chika is better again I already feard that she was executed afterwards, but it seems the system is not that cruel, yet.

I hope this wont turn into the chlieched protagnist vs system route but more the protagonist living in the system.

Beeing a latent criminal with already five years is unbelievable. I mean what reasons couldve been there with five? Does the system analyse the DNA or what?
Glad we dont have such a system because every human is a latent enemy. Well we more or less are already bound like dogs by the governments so not much or a difference here right?

The latent criminals have more freedom than I thought. I thought they would spent their life in cells when they dont work but it seems they can go everywhere in headquarters (what seems pretty big) and are even allowed to get into sexual relationships, homosexual non the less. Well I dont mind two hot lesbians ;P

If I would guess why our latent criminals would probably commit a crime I would say that the old one would do it because hes either sick of the system or he wants to teach the maingirl a harsh lesson about life (can see him actually doing that throughout the series), orangehair just because he could or out of fun and for Kougami its most likely revenge or some sort of selfjustice. For the woman I cant really get a feel for right now.

@franzoir: Was the same for us. Charizard was just too overpowered for our young minds back then.

Not everything is black and white...sometimes, just sometimes, you gotta walk the unknown path of gray to get your prey. In episode three, smoldering Kougami-san did just that and his hunch paid off. I am glad too, Akane-chan watched the whole ordeal and hopefully learned something.
I do recall, after watching episode one, that we used to stress to the Nursing grads..."intuition...trust it and you will not fail." I totally relate as I have had a few "hunches" in the clinical setting and was proved right-on when I followed up on them.
Imo, hunches are not written in a book and to watch the Inspector get pissed at what the gang was proposing was amusing...his is one of order, order, order, at least that was my impression. Something is quite not right as the look in his eyes told me. Hum...I wonder.

Yes, an interesting episode. It makes me think about the characters quite a bit and their motives.

While I think the CCSS is inherently flawed and Gino's textbook reliance of it will be his downfall by the end of the episode it is not hard to see why he thinks the way he does. When the enforcers started laughing at Akane due to her naivety about the "accident" again I thought geez why is she even there. And again I realise just like Akane im being naive. Akane and Gino are not detectives, their job title says they are handlers. The best analogy would be policemen that handles sniffer dogs. More or less they are there to process the evidence and keep the dogs focused. Regardless, as Akane observe at the end of ep 3, even after ep 2 she would be wise not to trust the enforcers completely.

It makes me think about horrible human tragedies like genocide where all of a sudden pyschopaths are let out of jail and are given a uniform, a gun and a legal license to kill. That what these enforcers are. Maybe Akane should question why enforcers became enforcers. Maybe it is because they wanted to put their criminal talents to good use, only it would be within confines of the law. And that scenario makes for a very corrupt institution.

And as evidence of this corruptness, was the murderous streak of yellow-green really his fault? Ultimately, yes but he was also driven there by his laissez faire manager, who in accordance with crony capitalism designated him a loser and the others winners. Mixing in micro-managed capitalism , fatalism, enforcers and the idea of controlling mental health, you have a system ready to rot from the inside out. Things look pretty on the surface but it is only a matter of time before beneath the veneer is revealed.

QUOTE (franzoir @ Oct 18 2012, 02:10 PM)Im glad Akane/Kougami resolve to follow their own justice, and in this particular circumstance Akane was right/lucky. But in such a system that emphasises on conformity and micro-management of the populace, it is easy to see Akane will have quite a few moral quagmires to face in the future.
QUOTE (franzoir @ Oct 25 2012, 05:52 PM)And as evidence of this corruptness, was the murderous streak of yellow-green really his fault? Ultimately, yes but he was also driven there by his laissez faire manager, who in accordance with crony capitalism designated him a loser and the others winners. Mixing micro-managed capitalism, fatalism, enforcers and the idea of controlling mental health, you have a system ready to rot from the inside out. Things look pretty on the surface but it is only a matter of time before beneath the veneer is revealed.indeed after watching the cliffhanger of that 3rd episode I guess there will be more conflicts between Akane and Kougami in their next cases, also telling by the opening maybe they will try to do something against the corrupt sybil system even if they have to fight... now that you mentioned the word "psychopath" is curious the title in japanese (サイコパス) can be translated like that as well, I think the next manga I'll check out is "Inspector Akane Tsunemori" to be released next month ^^ with high expectation this new series had a great start worthy of 9/10

The look in Kougamis eyes when he was going against the murderer clearly showed that he is enjoying the situation and that is probably why he is a latent criminal.

What I find surprising is that everyone can see ones own and others psycho-pass what in my eyes doesnt make sense because its like saying "youre yellow, you dont have another way except becoming a criminal left" as you saw it in ep 1.

As I already thought after the first two eps ep 3 confirmed it that I dislike the glass guy. I just hate people who do everything by the book instead of trying to do the right thing or try to improve something. I dont think he will survive the show.
Sure Akane is naive but for now she hasnt done anything wrong in my eyes.