A Review of the “Psycho-Pass” Anime By Alexander MID Night

 

Psycho-Pass is a story set in a near future where a person’s inner most thoughts are laid bare in their psycho-pass, a measurement of their mental state and “Crime-coefficient.” Those with high crime-coefficients are branded “Latent Criminals” and lose most of the rights afforded to ordinary citizens; some even losing their freedom and forced to live out their days in a comfortable cell with more recreational activities than normal prisons. The system prioritized mental health and well-being, as it has the effect of lowering a person’s psycho-pass.

Enter Akane Tsunomori, an inspector with the federal police of Japan, who is new to the world of detective work. She navigates the vast criminal underbelly of Japan with the help of enforcers, latent criminals that are used as investigative assistants capable of understanding the criminal mind so that inspectors don’t have to; allowing them to maintain their low crime-coefficients with relative ease. The young, green, inspector soon finds herself dancing to the tune of a mad man who uses his intelligence, wit, and resources to encourage others to kill and commit crimes. She soon learns that the system she has come to rely on is not what it appears and is forced to ask tough questions and make difficult choices as the hunt for the mass killer heats up.

This spine chilling anime is one binge-worthy master piece that is imbued with fundamental themes that will cause one to question their own inner-selves. It poses the question, “at what point does technology overstep its bounds and become too much of a liability” and “what should be considered a crime?” placing our very understanding of the criminal mind under a microscope. This anime is one not to miss, and it gets a rating of 5 stars from yours truly.