Now that actually was an incredibly solid ending. I think that I could not have hoped better from this series, because it formed a terrific closure here. My memory is not good enough to remember whether or not it answered every question or not, but it did succeed in wrapping itself up in many different ways.
It really dawned here to me this episode: this series doesn’t really claim to be right with any of its characters. All it does is present a lot of different viewpoints on its setting, every one of whoch has some good points about it. This episode was meant as a chance for everyone to give his or her conclusion to what they have been preaching throughout the series. I really liked that idea to base your ending on this, and everyone actually the opportunity to make their final point in the debate without simply reiterating themselves.
The personal conflict between Shinya, Makishima and Akane also got a great conclusion, also helped by some great cinematics. The soundtrack was as sharp as it has ever been, and fields of grain made for quite an atmospheric setting for Makishima to die. Shinya managed to kill him in the end. Or at least, I hope he did. The only thing I did not like about this episode was that sequel hook at the end. That was a bit of a cop-out.
But the actual end of the episode. I thought that that was pretty brilliant: ending with the same way that the series has started. a
Overall, Psycho Pass was a really big success. Sharp from start to finish, and consistently interesting to watch. And I have to say: the past year for Noitamina has been its best since 2010. Apollon, Natsuyuki Rendezvous and Psycho Pass were all delights to watch, Tsuritama was really fun, and even the lesser shows of Moyashimon and Robotics Notes had enough to write home about. Let’s hope that it will be back in full force after its hiatus!
Rating: 6/8 (Awesome)
sorry but this gotta be Gen’s worst work so far. pulling some random quotes from some psychology textbook to add “depth” is purely laughable. The story is also a complete wreck.
And the most important part…
I like Gen a lot. His stories are NOT usually the best but he always creates realistic and deep and memorable characters. Except in PP where all characters tried way too hard to look cool and stylish without any souls in them (complicated diaglogue does NOT equal to deep characters).
> random quotes from some psychology textbook
I’m not sure if this is just a joke or… <.<
the second or the third last episode where the police guy talked to that retired professor. remember, that whole episode with dialogue????? textbook might be a little bit exaggeration but still it’s just copy and past from some psych book. The point is if you want the show to be dialogue heavy and do it from the start, not this random piece of “Deep conversation”.
The entire point of all the referencing to books is to show that people with high crime coefficents have a tendency to be educated or creative. It’s part of the world-building. And of course the professor will talk about psychology, he’s a former criminal profiler.
are you joking or are you being serious…? The entire point of all the referencing is to discuss that white haired guy’s motive, which was really poorly done btw.
But the actual end of the episode. I thought that that was pretty brilliant: ending with the same way that the series has started.
That’s the epilogue but not the ending. The ending is when that police guy shot the white hair dude, which makes no fukcing sense whatsoever. It actually goes against whatever theme (does PP even have a theme) this anime tries to convey.
What’s this theme that it’s going against?
I don’t think Makishima being killed by Kougami was any surprise at all. The whole series was leading up to that conclusion.
What about akane trying to save him from becoming a murderer? is that also part of the “leading up”????
The show is about different peoples’ visions for the future, how they interact with a society controlled by Sybil. It’s about much more than just Akane’s wishes.
The fact that Akane can’t stop Kougami is part of the point. They build up Akane’s motivations and perspective to demonstrate how they aren’t perfect either, at least so long as others who don’t think like her still exist. She only has a limited amount of powers in this world, not enough to save corner cases like Kougami. She hates Sybil, yet she plays along with it.
Our snapshot into the world of Psycho Pass, this show, begins and ends with Makishima vs. Kougami. A different conclusion with Makishima wouldn’t really make as much sense or close the series the same way.
basically you are telling me that shit happened but nothing really changed. Then what’s the point of this show????
let’s take a look at some other Gen’s work. Phantom: hero saved and changed heroine. Blassreiter: hero saved the world. f/z: hard to judge the conclusion because it’s a prequel but at least the people fight for their ideals. madoka: heroine saved the world.
The problem with PP is that it spends so much time on Akane and her ideals that you would think she is the right one. But of course the ending just gave everyone an impression that “why the hell would I care about Akane in the first place”. There is nothing wrong with the character’s actions, but if this show is really about a cop getting revenge on his friend (which is pretty much what this show is all about in the end) then at least make him the main character.
Not that I think Psycho Pass did an absolutely exemplary job, but the structure of the narrative need not be tied to one character or one view of events. Doesn’t have to be either just Akane, or just Kougami. It’s not necessary to always pick winners and losers too.
Sometimes the point is that shit happens but things don’t change so quickly? If you want to take the angle that Gen’s making some comments on modern society and policing, then would this be so difficult to imagine? The country’s almost wrecked, but almost everybody returns mostly back to the status quo?
Eck I really have bored whit this type of subejtive comments, in this site are a lot of this “intelligent type” comments. This was for me the best series of past winter 2012 season and the best end of a series in the year 2012.
Eck…every comment is subjective, else why even bother posting?
It did not make no “fukcing” sense to you I guess… That happens when prejudices blind your judgement.
Even though I was curious as to your analysis, 6/8 was unexpected. But it could have been worse.
I haven’t watched all of Uro Gen’s series, but between Fate/Zero and Psycho Pass I get the sense that his strength lies in using his characters as mouth pieces for the various opposing opinions and viewpoints within a naturally debatable setting/backdrop. The problem for me lies in fact that his endings are not as conclusive as I would have hoped. I know the point is in one deciding for oneself what the ending should mean, but I would like to see an Uro Gen series where he takes a conscious stand/viewpoint at the end.
I did love the little details around Ginoza and Yayoi. As for akane, I’m wondering if she got the shortest end of the stick. Kougami got his revenge (Yay!) and is at large, makishima died in a way that wasn’t contrived. But Akane ended up as a pawn who’s waiting for another revolution to topple Sybil while acting as an agent of enlightenment for the people to embrace sybil’s true form? It sells well for the last minutes of this episode, but I’m not sure how that can work in the long run. Even so, I don’t think it needs a season two unless they plan to exceed what we have, given we still have enough loose ends for maybe 12-16 episodes?
So since you gave Psycho Pass 6/8, I wonder what you will give shinsekai yori? I honestly can’t wait….
Regarding the ending coming full cycle, let’s think about what’s changed and what’s stayed the same. Okay, having the ending repeat the sequence of events from the beginning is a rather well-known and old trick, but I think it works here. Sometimes they’re more subtle about it, but here the intention is to draw some contrasts.
The commonality is in the setting, a new Inspector somehow reporting to work directly in the field, where CID Division 1 is responding on a case. Cue the rain.
When the Enforcers arrive, Ginoza introduces them as not human, emphasizing that they are latent criminals with high Crime Coefficients, calls them hunting dogs (and the camera pans to Kougami). Akane goes out of her way to call them human, emphasizing that the psychological differences make them solve crimes with different values than other people. Then she tacks on that very personal bit about not underestimating them, or you’ll get hurt.
Now, Sybil is alive and fine, just as before. In fact, they don’t even have the addition of Makishima’s brain to their numbers. It’s not emphasized, so there’s probably not much difference among the populace. CID Division 1 is down two male Enforcers, with another AWOL. Old-fashioned guys weren’t cut out for Sybil’s line of work? Ginoza’s now an Enforcer, and there’s a new Inspector. If there’s any slight progress, it’s in CID members’ experiences and will.
It might be that humanity’s slowly creeping forward to Akane’s world. Or Sybil’s. Or who knows what else.
However, the point that sticks out to me is that the new Inspector is a minor. This and CID’s reduced manpower give the suggestion that maybe the system is beginning to unravel, that the situation is less sustainable than was otherwise implied.
And finally, we have Kougami, who’s been totally isolated and rejected by Sybil’s society.
Kougami put revenge for his friend above being a detective and proved he ‘deserved’ the crime coefficient he had. Akane’s suffering is laughed at by Sybil and will be used to furthur it’s development. Ginoza cannot follow his father’s only wish that he not follow his path and falls to level of enforcer.
As usual for Gen, a pretty grim ending with a slight sprinkling of hope.
how is this Gen’s ending? Gen’s ending is supposed to be death for every main characters and happy ending for the rest of the world.
No! That’s what “Gen” is in you mind, now Gen’s a writer, one that is very good in writting interesting settings and hero characters, and by hero character I mean characters who tend to sacrifice themselves for their beliefs, now if Gen’s mind was as litte as yours (i’m not saying you’re dumb, but from your comments you’re really close minded, you know like a horse who can only see whats in front of him) he probably would not be sucessful, well what I’m saying is that Psycho Pass kept true to Gen’s spirit both in the interesting setting and in its character’s sacrifices, Makishima actually died, Kougami didn’t but sacrificed everything else, and Akane lost the thing that defined her character, her naivety. But maybe you were expecting some ending where Makishima and Kougami joined hands in destroying Sybil and while they accomplished it they died to do so. Well just open your mind and understand that a writter don’t need to copy the same script for every single story he writes (dan brown someone)to keep true to his writing.
A very fulfilling ending for a great series, it isn’t groundbreaking or surprising but definitely a solid and satisfying ending that warped up things nicely with the usual “life goes on” touch (unlike Robotics;Notes).
My best character from the show was Akane who during the course of the show developed from an inexperienced rookie into a tough detective that also happens to be one of the very few people alive who know the secret of SYBIL, her development was really a joy to behold.
Then comes the setting, it’s a beautifully realized futuristic vision (beautifully realized but in and of itself it’s pretty grim and foreboding), while seemingly the society of Japan has achieved a crime-free utopia things aren’t what they seem, that utopia is fragile becasue it was based on lies and deception, the series beautifully shows us all sides of the arguments, should this Utopia be destroyed becasue it’s fake and hollow even if it’s destruction will cause the death of thousands, or should be be preserved and protected becasue there is no other alternative, or should one ignore both choices and create their own law living like a lone wolf, every choice had it’s logic and its flaws and damn .. there is no easy answer to those questions which are presented here .. i also equally liked the seemingly random crimes in the first half becasue there not only weren’t random at all but also explored many different aspects of that Utopia and showed us the ugly true face underneath the shiny paint.
And quoting other writers and philosophers is far from being pretentious (even they themselves did that) .. it’s really a great way to deliver a point in the shortest time and in the most neat way without wasting long minutes explaining ideas already discussed to death to eventually get to the new ideas being presented here, it’s also part of the character’s development and helps define their motives, inspiration and goals much more easily .. it’s natural for people to quote other people in real-life to get an idea through in the most clear and swift manner instead of having to explain everything from scratch .. what’s pretentious is refusing to use quotes to get an idea through because that refusal is like trying to invent the wheel all over again “becasue we are too pretentious to use someone else’s invention .. we have to re-invent it ourselves XD”
Long story short, one of the best series of 2012, only second to Shinsekai Yori .. Akane is indeed candidate for best female character (competing with Saki from shinsekai and Aika from Zetsuen) and Shogo for best villain (competing with Squealer from Shinsekai).
I’m not sure what you mean by sequel hook? Some people seem to think Kougami could be the next Makishima, but isn’t he just hiding out until he can get out of Japan. Unlike Makishima, he can’t walk around committing or inciting crimes without a helmet, and he doesn’t seem the sort to kill innocent people. Sure, he’s not a detective, and he may never be one again, but that doesn’t suddenly turn him into Hannibal Lecter.
For me the sequel hook is mainly the line about Sybil still going.
Seeing Kougami reading Swann’s Way made my day.