Psycho-Pass 3
New inspectors confront a criminal organization in a dystopian future.
Psycho-Pass 3, a 2019 anime series, follows Psycho-Pass 2 as the third season of the franchise. It aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina from October 24 to December 12, 2019. The show introduces new leads Arata Shindo and Kei Mikhail Ignatov, two policemen in a dystopian society controlled by the Sibyl System, while also featuring returning characters.
Quick Facts
- Creator
- Gen Urobuchi
Facts from the source article.
Plot
The newly formed Unit One of the Public Safety Bureau gets two fresh inspectors, Arata Shindo and Kei Mikhail Ignatov, with Mika Shimotsuki now in charge. Their Enforcers—Tenma Todoroki, Kazumichi Irie, Mao Kisaragi, and Sho Hinakawa—are taken aback when Arata uses his Mental Trace ability to probe suspects. The team looks into a case around idol Karina Komiya, who gets elected Tokyo’s new Governor. While chasing assassins after her, they cross paths with the Suppressing Action Department, a branch of the Foreign Affairs Operations Department that handles international smuggling and terrorism. Its leader, Frederica Hanashiro, tips them off about criminals called foxes from the secret Bifrost organization. Probing a cult, Ignatov and Kisaragi get snatched by the cult leader, who is the son of a Bifrost member. Ignatov’s wife, Maiko Maya Stronskaya, is also taken hostage. The leader tries to use Ignatov but gets killed by Maiko, turning her into a latent criminal. Bifrost shrinks to three members scheming against each other, and it comes out that Shindo’s dead father was one of them. Unit One teams up with the Ministry to bring down Bifrost. The story ends on a cliffhanger: Koichi Azusawa of Bifrost stages a car crash to target former Unit One member Yayoi Kunizuka.
Production
Director Naoyoshi Shiotani conceived the idea for Psycho-Pass 3 in 2015 after production of the 2015 film Psycho-Pass: The Movie. He decided the franchise should use new characters for the sequel, and the 2019 film trilogy Psycho-Pass: Sinners of the System was created to fill the gap between the movie and the third television series, also serving as a test case for production. Shiotani entrusted writers Tow Ubukata, Makoto Fukami, and Ryō Yoshigami with handling the new cast; Fukami and Yoshikami wrote the script while Ubukata handled composition. Fukami was surprised by the ongoing dynamic between Shiotani and Ubukata, noting that despite the new cast, the series still felt like Psycho-Pass. Each episode was based on a different theme from Ubukata's writing, with some characters added later. Special attention was given to Shindo's characterization to avoid making him unlikable. Ubukata wanted the two main characters written solely by Fukami. The series was composed of three parts—economics, politics, and religion—and the acoustic staff noted each part was like a movie version. Shiotani created a composition with three themes using the 60-minute format. Although set in a future Japan, Shiotani depicted issues from modern Japan, particularly the poor treatment of immigrants. Yūki Kaji voiced Shindo and found him stylish; Kaji was overjoyed to get the role, having watched previous Psycho-Pass works. He enjoyed Shindo's relationship with Ignatov and had mixed feelings about Shindo wielding the Dominator due to the violence it can cause.
Reception
Psycho-Pass 3 received better treatment than its immediate predecessor, with focus on the new characters and a script tackling modern topics such as immigration, corporate financial mismanagement, and genetic manipulation. Anime News Network found it accessible due to how the cast reacts to the Sybil System, calling the pilot solid. Comic Book Resources regarded the series as delivering appealing sci-fi action to returning fans with new protagonists who stand out despite the fame of previous heroes. CinemaHolic enjoyed how the series focuses on multiple connected cases while exploring both new and returning cast. Ninotaku found Shindo well-developed because he fits with characters created by Gen Urobuchi, especially Akane Tsunemori. Sequential Planet noted that using new protagonists was risky due to the popularity of Kogami and Tsunemori, but found both Shindo and Ignatov likable, enjoying Shindo's cheerful personality in contrast to the dark narrative. The reviewer believed the duo managed to be successors to Kogami and Tsunemori. TheCinemaHolic praised their roles within the supporting cast and brief elements from past lives implying further depths. Anime News Network praised Shindo's mentalist skill for adding a new element to investigation. The ending drew comment: Anime News Network was disappointed by the lack of closure for the returning cast but praised the focus on Shindo and Ignatov, noting Ignatov has a bigger character arc. Comic Book Resources looked forward to mysteries resolved in First Inspector. The Cinema Holic was more critical, finding the experience incomplete due to the narrative not reaching a proper ending and relying on the movie sequel.
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