Psycho-Pass

In a dystopian Japan, the so-called "Sybil System", an autarkic omnipresent surveillance framework, controls the lives of the country's population in the pursuit of optimal happiness. It monitors aptitude, potential, and psychic health of its inhabitants. By means of the Psycho-Pass, an individual psychological fingerprint, stress levels are measured and preemptive measures are taken, should a citizen display anomalous behavior such as depression or the intent/latency to commit a crime. The latter finds expression in a number called the "Crime Coefficient", a characteristic showing the latent criminal potential of a person. Once this number surpasses a certain threshold, this person is branded since there is virtually no chance of reducing this number again. Set against this background, a crime unit investigates into a series of murders that set the stage for what I find to be one the most compelling and complex Anime series in recent years.

What begins as a well-executed alteration of Orwell and Dick, soon turns out to touch so many additional topics that I was actually surprised and happy to see that the shear audacity to put all this into one show did neither ruin the flow nor the arc of suspense. On the contrary, all the references to literature, the philosophical discourse, the sociological aspects are woven astoundingly well into the plot. Name it, it's there: Kantian ethics, Max Weber's sociology of domination, Sartre's existentialism, Foucault, etc. All this is combined with contemporary phenomena such as the loss of privacy, alienation in urban areas, and the boundlessness of human beings that are overwhelmed by an overly complex reality.

The show is action-packed and VERY graphic, has brilliant character development and is emotionally very demanding to say the least.

Watch it and be blown away!

Well little to say here except that this series is by far the best of 2012(anime).

The plot is: In the near future, it is possible to instantaneously measure a person's mental state, personality, and the probability that a person will commit crimes with a device installed on each citizen's body called the Psycho-Pass. When this probability, measured by the "Crime Coefficient" index, is too high in some individuals those individuals are pursued and apprehended—with lethal force, if necessary. This task is performed by a special team of potential criminals called Enforcers, who are supervised by police officers known as Inspectors; the Inspectors ensure that Enforcers perform their duties within the constraints of the law. Enforcers and Inspectors employ special weapons called "Dominators" that are designed to fire only on those with a higher than normal Crime Coefficient. The story follows Unit One of the Public Safety Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division.

I give it a 10/10 for story/animation/characters/and even soundtrack. I recommend this show to all of those people that liked animes like death note.

This anime is brilliant! Psycho-Pass is a very smart series that deeply analizes freewill and whether or not a person's "hue", when cloudy, can determine if they will become a threat to society. Using a special weapon known as "The Dominator", detectives are able to continuously read and send psychological data to determine a persons crime coefficient. Depending on how clouded a persons "hue" is, they will either receive mandatory rehabilitation, or an execution on the spot.

At first I was not going to give this anime a chance, but I am thrilled I did! I love the dark, mysterious, and serious atmosphere of this anime. Additionally, the logical questions postulated regarding aspects of freewill and whether or not a person can be judged before they commit a crime were magnificent! Furthermore, every character added a significant element that made them both likable and unforgettable. Finally, the animation was beautiful, and the music significantly heightened every situation. In many ways I would say this series is already comparable to a series like "Cowboy Bebop".

In short, Psycho-Pass is a juicy sophisticated anime that will appeal to many mystery/sci-fi fans. It is animated craftsmanship and definitely worth the watch.

I enjoyed both the seasons, well made, very cleaver in using paradox's to build up the superb plots. The mind game between the police and criminals along with the justice theme reminds me of Death Note, just instead of magic we have technology this time around. The series is based on a future where technology has progressed so much that by a Psycho scan the state of mind of an individual can be predicted and action can be taken to prevent them from becoming criminals. Further to maintain the sanity of the detectives, they are encouraged not to do the killings, instead latent criminals who are already considered to be criminals do it for dirty work and are called enforcers. Psyco Pass got a lot of philosophy with deep meaning underlining the plots. Philip K. Dick, George Orwell and Jonathan Swift work are mentioned and discussed. The series start slow, building up pace gradually as it moves forward and by the end we are entertained with an excellent plot, realistic characters and gruesome scenes.

"Ghost In The Shell," "Innocence," or "Blade Runner" fans, those who seek thought-provoking realities into a story, or people who like watching stories that make you think about technology and humanity. Then, you may also like to watch "Psycho-Pass."

Technological advancement and lack of humanity is an open question all- time throughout the history. While we are seeking to enrich our lives by using gadgets and machines, we may lose something important as human beings. What if we are born in a safe society where criminals and even potential criminals are managed and isolated from the society in order not to harm other good citizens, and they are guaranteed to live in the society with given happiness. We may not even have questions about morality.

In the story, a person's mental state is simultaneously measured, and the value is determined whether the person is potentially a criminal and is killed depending on the state level. The police officers use a gun, but the gun is only fired if the targeting person's mental state is measured as dangerous, seemingly it also helps them avoid shooting the wrong person. Akane Tsunemori is a novice officer who is in charge of solving crimes with other members.

One of the things that astonishes me is the dialogues where characters talk, referring to quotes from famous authors such as Philip K. Dick, George Orwell, Gulliver Travels, Wiliam Gibson, Macbeth, Humlet, etc. The lines that characters speak casts philosophical questions as to what is justice and what is an ideal society.

I really like the story in which it depicts a different aspect of the technological world from Ghost In the Shell or Blade Runner, yet somehow it reminds me of those epic anime and films.