Psycho Pass: The Movie

By: Robert Murphy

In the past Psycho Pass has merely been focusing it's stories inward as people have come out in opposition of the Sibyl system and all that it stands for, they've wanted to turn it up on it's head and make those who loyally follow it question what kind of world they are living in. Psycho Pass: The Movie however looks outward to the world outside the "peaceful" society that Japan has established for itself and tries to spread it's grand views to other lands. Naturally, it's people are not as accepting as those who have spent so long under the watchful eye of Sibyl and so Akane Tsunemori must travel to a land ravaged by civil war and a guerrilla force that is led by a former member of her team.

Thus far, the plot lines for both Psycho Pass and Psycho Pass 2 have been so engaging that I never found myself curious as to what the rest of the world was like outside of Japan's borders. While the story focuses merely on the shores somewhere in Asia's mainland there is a distinct impression that the world is dire need of stability and safety everywhere you go. Sibyl is willing to offer just that in this latest entry into the series but it appears to be going poorly as an unknown group of terrorists breaks into Japan in order to punish those who have unleashed this force on them. Akane and her team fortunately got wind of the attack before anything serious occurs but something even more disturbing comes about once the situation is investigated further. It would seem the  leader of these terrorists is Shinya Kogami and he has been preventing Sibyl and their sympathizers overseas from gaining control over the land. Determined to discovers the whole truth for herself, Akane sets out to find Kogami and have him reveal the whole story as well as determine what Sibyl is really planning. 

Immediately the situation seems bleak for Akane and this land as it's cities and people are battered from the constant fighting and unrest that has plagued the land. The only prosperous area is the technologically advance island city just off shore of the mainland where Sibyl and the areas leaders have settled and begun to implement the new order of things. The area looks just like Japan but there are some very disturbing sites when you look closely at the peaceful atmosphere. Many of the citizens inside are forced to wear collars that constantly check their psycho pass due to so many people having above average hues with war, violence and hate being overly common. 

These people sadly have become a servant class inside of the city where they are treated as lesser for just having a questionable hue. They must take separate buses, are only allowed to work menial jobs (if they get any at all) and are also immediately blamed in altercations if the other party is a none collar wearing person. What's even more disheartening is the simple fact that if any of these people's hues go too far above the already agreed upon new limit under Sibyl then they are killed instantly by the governments aggressive military police force. It is a tough pill to swallow and since Akane has no authority here she must look the other way in the hopes that she can eventually get to the bottom of what is happening here.

This is where the movie definitely shines however and it's with Akane front and center confronting yet another Sibyl debacle. After two series Akane has become something of a potent force against all of Sibyl's misdoings and it in turn actually values her input when critical moments arise. It's made her so much stronger than the scared little girl who first joined Kogami years ago on their first mission and so when the two of them come together again it is quite the interesting turn around. Akane is able to read Kogami and determine what he is feeling, knowing instantly that he did not intend to become leader of a resistance force. Kogami along side of her is also still rock solid as a character and his current situation leaves for some unflattering parallels to a man he once killed for being able to bring out fanatical devotion in people. This is because he has done just this with the rebels around him, not deliberately, but the people in the camp all look to him as some sort of savior to their cause and it worries him. 

While Akane and Kogami are at the forefront, the rest of the cast manage to garner some interesting screen time in the movie. Ginoza has changed drastically alongside of Akane by becoming more relaxed and open with what is going with himself personally and this includes revealing his needing to punch some sense into Kogami. It's not anything major for the story but it's a bit of light fun in another dark Psycho Pass entry. But by far the most interesting side characters to come out of all this was Akane's partner Mika who has taken a different path after discovering Sibyl's secret. She has essentially become the systems willing watch dog since then and her role as this is far more established here as she not only brutally tortures someone to get information but also she is constantly challenging and critical of Akane's methods. Mika praises Sybil here at the end when everything is revealed and played off as a massive success, it ultimately feels like a massive conflict between her an Akane will be coming in a possible new season.

That factor alone is the only thing wrong with the Psycho Pass: The Movie and that's the fact that it is less of an overall movie as it is a continuation of everything that came before. The story furthers many different plot lines and creates an overall solid new story to go along with all the new developments. So the fact that the story itself is not a beginning to end or stand alone event is not a bad thing to have here in any way. Adding on top of the excellent story pieces you have Akane and Kogami together once again and showing off just what type of characters they have become. As always too Sibyl is on constant source of intrigue for the story and seeing how it can effect the outside world is a terrifying thought. In the end, all the pieces come together and Psycho Pass: The Movie proves to be a stepping stone to greater things down the road. 

Good:

- Akane and Kogami together again

- Seeing Sybil being used on another society is both terrifying and interesting

- Side character development and stories that could lead to future plot lines

Bad:

- The "movie" is less stand alone and more of a continuation of everything we've seen so far

Scully Rating: 8.8 out of 10