Psycho Pass is a technically well written series, and what I mean by that is that it’s getting more and more eloquent: the things it has to say in its dialogue are getting more interesting and creative with every episode. It’s perhaps not on Ghost in the Shell levels, but still quite impressive compared to the other series that are currently airing.
The dialogue also really made this episode. It was both very good at describing its characters, and very interesting to hear what the different characters had to say. In particular the cyborg villain caught my attention, and the animators also seem to like this guy. Nobuchika had a major shock when it turned out that his father’s hue got clouded, and this episode really took its time in explaining not only what this meant for him, but also how the other characters related to it. Because of that this series feels more and more solid with every episode.
And yeah, speaking of Ghost in the Shell, this series definitely takes some cues from it, especially now that the talks are starting about androids. The focus of both series is completely different: Ghost in the Shell was a political thriller with a lot of focus on the mass media, while Psycho Pass looks into psychology and the minds of psychopaths, but there are definitely overlapping themes, like questioning the conveniences of having an automatic body, and how we get used to it and depend on them. Having said that, Ghost in the Shell still has much better writing and direction than Psycho Pass at the moment, but nevertheless I hope that this series will open up the door again to more intelligent science fiction thrillers, that will go even further away from your average series in anime, and that dare to take even more risks. Production IG in any case definitely made up for Guilty Crown with this: this is really the kind of daring that I expect them to do. Not that generic mess of plot twists.
Rating: 5.5/8 (Excellent)
This episode was really terrible. That’s all I’m going to say.
Your comment was really terrible. That’s all I’m going to say.
@Ester:I have to say while I’m mostly watching this to broaden my horizons I kind of, like Airies have a hard time getting into this show.
When the cyborg guy mentioned Plato that was kind of interesting but I don’t overly care for philosophical references or for that matter ones to literature in anime it doesn’t add much to the experience for me.
That was to show that her comment, just like mine, were terrible. As you can see there is no way to tell why that was wrote since no one explain how we came to that conclusion and it adds nothing to those willing to read an opinion. If someone wants to share an opinion, good or bad, it has to be explained so other can understand you, without that, it will be just an ignorant person trying to make a statement out of an opinion. Your comment on the other hand actually explains your point of view and how you felt after watching this episode.
@Ester:Although I do see your point of backing up views, I think that sometimes something can simply be put down to rubbing someone the wrong way or just boring them.
I do agree with psgels though this isn’t quite ghost in the shell level though and I think while that show got a bit lost in details it was solid. It was good enough to essentially give me a meh feeling from alot of scifi that came after and psycho pass is a victim of that.
Doesn’t the point of view and philosophy of Senguuji (the cyborg) remind you a little bit of the ones of Mimasaka Koushirou (the doctor in Mouryou no hako)?
Discarding the body, only to preserve the brain which contains the soul.
The more I watch Psychopass the more similarities I see between the two series.
Fckng Great episode… loved everything they talked about the idea of mechanizing our whole body, and Akane doesn’t stop growing.
Indeed. If only Mouryou no Hako could have taken some lessons into conveying lots of info without spending three episodes about 3 guys in a room. Though let it be known that that show had one solid plot.
I kinda disagree with the assessment that Ghost in the shell had better writing and direction. I think that show had a very strong plot, but it was told in a very difficult and obstructive way. There were filler episodes all over the place of varying quality. Regardless of how good or bad some of them were it really hurt the complex storyline. A second problem was that this complex storyline was explained and shown in way too complex methods too. I mean, I couldn’t follow the storyline at some points and had to rewatch episodes. And I’ve seen really complex storylines like Mouryou no Hako.
So no, Ghost in the shell is definitely not that good at its writing and storytelling. I really like the way this story does it. For one thing it really focuses on its characters and develops them nicely while still dealing with the overall plot. This makes me feel much more involved and gets me to really look forward to the next episode.
Again as comparison to Ghost in the shell, many of its characters were so flat that I eventually just lost interest in the show as a whole and took extended breaks before getting back to it to watch the plot to its conclusion. The second series improves on this ever so slightly, though it’s still miles off its target to me.
I love how they animated the cyborg. I already had that uncanny valley feeling about him when he appeared two episodes back and I’m glad to see that this was intentional.
GiTS used those filler episodes to personalize their characters, I’m surprised you never caught onto that…. And, that can’t be completely called “filler episodes” either, since the Laughing Man case was still going on, the team was essentially waiting for something to happen, as other cases would arise. Remember, they’re a criminal investigation team… A damn good one at that, the odds of them being stuck with one case is for too long is rare.
The reason why you might have had a problem understanding the complexity of GiTS (or how they described a near-complete cybernetic world) is because it made references to millions (exaggerating) philosophical ideas – in order words, Masamune Shirow designed GiTS to be read/watched a second time over… Over a third.
Yet another awesome episode. Totally loving this show.
Psycho-Pass does a good job of presenting both sides of the argument well. Slower episode but enjoyable nonetheless.
old man logic
hello today, I’m here to talk about how becoming a complete cyborg will make you forever young, and here is my cyborg body, which looks like an old man.
now look here, you might think that you’re not that cyborg, but most of the things that run your life are cyborg technologies. suppose that something went and screwed up those technologies, wouldn’t your life be pretty fucked? so switch over to a cyborg body, that way if something screws up those technologies, you’re completely fucked!
other than that, this show’s pretty fun. shingeki pv also out, animation is fluid, yay
His logic is mostly valid, and certainly not invalid on the points you’re attacking it.
Having a cyborg body mean you can change your appearance into whatever you want, he’s probably confortable looking like an old man because that’s how his human body looked before he turned cyborg. As he said for him it’s mostly a matter of state of mind, which is why he plays the most dangerous game.
Next a cyborg body has far less chance to screw up that a biological human body, and can be repaired indefinitely on top of that.
yep, but just pointing out that it and old appearance isn’t going to help his argument. Other than that, “a cyborg body has less of a chance to screw up…”. a good counterargument, but never stated nor has it been proved yet. I mean, cyborgs may end up almost like a television, where one small capacitor may screw up and the entire thing stops working. I’m amazed no one has mentioned texhonolyze here yet, considering the antagonist of that show achieves what this old man believes in, but instead all cyborgs fuck up and are forced to live forever while their bodies break down. Lastly the interviewer was moreso focusing on the problem of where people are afraid of exchanging flesh for machinery, and the old man gives an argument on how people are dependent on technology. Then he gives an example about how everything fucks up, rather than some things fucking up. either way, his analogy is unsuitable for convincing people to change to cyborgs
I loved it when Akane started yelling, that was just great. You never really see female characters in anime get angry like that.
cyborgs!!
v. much in GITS vein. so enjoy it. agree that level doesn’t match, but as psgels mentions focus is entirely different. But the world setting is great, would love to see ppl trying to break the sybil system
I’d so love to see a third season of Ghost in the Shell. Psycho pass has a nice vibe and a very enjoyable opening/ending.
I don’t find this new villain very interesting.
The dogs are over the top, the pipe made of human bone is over the top, the repeated robotic smiles are a bit pathetic, and as someone else said his motivations have little meaning.
Plus he looks intelligent, richer and more powerful than the arch-villain. Yet the arch-villain reveals himself to him completely.
And he makes the show spiral out into another universe, a Ghost In The Shell universe, that doesn’t fit here.
Akane has become less interesting too. First she is reduced to the role of Kogami’s groupie, then she decides she has the same authority as a senior inspector…
I’d like to point out that Akane and Gino have the same rank, and what Gino did was out of line. They’re coworkers and sure Akane is young and new, but Gino immediatly rails on Kougame for doing something that Akane herself consented on accompying to. He’s treating Akane like a child. And that would be insulting to just about every adult person, especially when she holds the same rank.
Frankly Gino should have talked to her or/ and Kougami in private about it. Or through an official complaint like Akane was planning to do after she chewed him out.