See, the thing I love most about serials is that they can explore ides much more deeply than features ever allow. It’s easy to picture the Hollywood version of PSYCHO-PASS: it’d have a different title, surely, and it’d do some necessary softening of some of the rougher edges that I’ve mentioned throughout. However, I’m pretty sure the drama a few episodes back - - where the team apprehends Makishima after he incites the riot - - would’ve been the climax and conclusion of the movie. They’d have made a surface-level point about man’s inherent inhumanity, and called it a day.
Of course, now that we’re well past all of that, we’re getting into the really interesting stuff.
I feel like any respectable anime always needs a scene where a parade of secrets is revealed to the lead character which totally turn their world upside-down. Nothing you’ve been watching has been as it seems! Akane’s dialog with the Sibyl System further substantiates the necessity of including GHOST IN THE SHELL somewhere in PSYCHO-PASS’ elevator pitch and, while my mind isn’t that blown by the notion of a literal brain trust, I’m really fascinated by the more… economic reasoning that substantiates it. It’s not some overly-simple “cold logic” that our heroine’s emotions are supposed to triumph over - - there’s actually an intriguing tit-for-tat between the two as they bargain for a mutually-advantageous solution.
The show continues its rather profound deconstruction of cop movie archetypes in Akane’s rather well-realized character arc. People change, and they most often change in reaction to the people around them. What’s interesting, in this case, is that it sort-of quantifies the kind of growth that, say, Simon goes through in GURREN LAGANN when he gradually lives up to Kamina’s bold persona. The difference here, though, is that it treats that boldness almost like an actual element that’s being mixed and developed in a chemical process. Akane’s becoming as obsessed and reckless as Kogami, due to her exposure, and her transformation is being measured by degrees.
Fascinating stuff, kids!
Watch this episode, "Where Justice Lies" here and decide for yourself, then read my comments on the previous episode here.
Tom Pinchuk’s a writer and personality with a large number of comics, videos and features like this to his credit. Visit his website - - tompinchuk.com - - and follow his Twitter: @tompinchuk
