Psycho-Pass
A dystopian future where mental states determine criminality.
Psycho-Pass is a Japanese cyberpunk psychological thriller anime television series produced by Production I.G. and co-directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani and Katsuyuki Motohiro, with writing by Gen Urobuchi. The series originated from Production I.G.'s interest in creating a successor to Mamoru Oshii's works and was influenced by the 1982 film Blade Runner.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Crime
- Cyberpunk
- Psychological thriller
- Creator
- Gen Urobuchi
Facts from the source article.
Synopsis
Psycho-Pass is set in a futuristic Japan governed by the Sibyl System, a biomechatronic computer network that continuously monitors citizens' psychological traits via a cymatic scan. The resulting Psycho-Pass includes a numeric Crime Coefficient index and a color-coded Hue, indicating criminal potential and mental state. When an individual's Crime Coefficient exceeds 100, they are pursued by the Public Safety Bureau's Criminal Investigation Department. Both carry Dominators, hand-held weapons that scan a target's Psycho-Pass and can only fire when approved by the Sibyl System. Inspectors also have jurisdiction to fire on Enforcers if necessary.
Production
The series was directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani, written by Gen Urobuchi, and features character designs by Reborn! manga artist Akira Amano. It stars Tomokazu Seki as Shinya Kogami, Kana Hanazawa as Akane Tsunemori, and Takahiro Sakurai as Shogo Makishima. Psycho-Pass originated from Production I.G.'s interest in making a successor to Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell and Patlabor, hiring Katsuyuki Motohiro as chief director and Naoyoshi Shiotani to supervise direction. Motohiro, wanting to return to anime after a long hiatus, was impressed by Urobuchi's work on Puella Magi Madoka Magica and proposed collaboration in early 2011. Motohiro instructed Shiotani not to make anything that could not be adapted into a live-action film. After episode 16, the team experienced fatigue, and episodes 17 and 18 were made by an outside team, resulting in animation problems. The original team remade those episodes for retail release.
Media
Psycho-Pass aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina block from October 12, 2012, to March 22, 2013. Toho released DVD and Blu-ray volumes from December 21, 2012, to July 26, 2013. Funimation licensed the series in North America, simulcasting it in Japanese and later weekly in English as part of a broadcast dub. A second season, Psycho-Pass 2, aired from October to December 2014, followed by a feature film in January 2015. Before season two, the first season was rebroadcast as 11 one-hour episodes with added scenes; the fourth episode was cancelled due to similarities with a real murder, though Funimation streamed it. A third season aired from October to December 2019 on Noitamina, with eight 45-minute episodes streamed on Amazon Prime Video. In June 2015, the Chinese Ministry of Culture banned Psycho-Pass along with 38 other titles for content deemed potentially harmful to minors.
Reception
DVD and Blu-ray sales were strong. In April 2014, the series was nominated for the Seiun Award. In the 2013 Newtype anime awards, it was voted the fourth best title of the year. Episode 11 won 'Best Episode' in a Noitamina 10th anniversary fan vote. Anime News Network listed it among the most accessible anime for viewers new to Japanese animation. In a 2017 NHK online poll, it was voted the nineteenth best anime. Crunchyroll included it in its 'Top 100 anime of the decade' list, and IGN listed it among the best anime of the decade.
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