Forum - View topicPsycho-Pass (TV) (all seasons).
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ACｘS
 Posts: 900 |
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5:
Production values went kinda south this time round. Religion... oh boy, we're going into that territory. Good thing the show treats religion simply as story for faith (as author Reza Aslan once said). Not going into the whole concept of religion as a topic per se, but when the Sibyl System is dictating everybody's lives, religion is definitely something that will be covered eventually. If Azusawa is the one who sent the flowers to Kisaragi... now that's intriguing. It would tie up the idea of how the Public Safety Bureau isn't completely innocent of the very crimes they're trying to solve. There are a lot of things at work that even the bureau doesn't understand (including possibly insiders), if the warning by representative of Heaven's Leap is any indication of what's to come. And yes, we're likely going to see the familiar faces once again. I like how they're just cameos; this is season 3 and the limelight should belong to the current Enforcers. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2883 |
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#6
A clearer picture emerges of the scheme this week between the four prominent immigrant leaders opposing the special zone. They each have a microchip for some grand master plan to force Japan to accept them as naturalised citizens, but Bifrost have adapted it and used them as pawns. Speaking of Bifrost, the terms they use are misleading. Inspectors refer to the agents who work on the planners' behalf to sabotage or remove elements opposing one of their grand schemes, Congressman refers to one of the three main players who play God with lives and the economy, but risk ruin and institutionalisation if they lose their stakes. Inspectors can take the opportunity to promote themselves once an opening is available. A surprising revelation where the female congressman is mother to the third inspector, who happens to be running the show from the Cult HQ. They have the upper hand for now, but if Kei escapes alive the information he's overheard could mean the end of the shadowy manipulators. The foreign affairs hit squad had its eyes on the cult for some time, but have struggled to make a breakthrough. Turf wars aside, this is something both section chiefs should work more closely on as they hunt the same prey. The last development is not a surprise. Having caught Kei and Mao, it was only a matter of time they would go for the wife. The inspectors and the missus go way back to Arata's time in Dejima, so regardless of what Sibyll thinks the pair make a formidable combination. Can Arata save everyone though? |
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ACｘS
Posts: 900 |
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6:
So my guess was right: Bifrost is the rival system to Sibyl, and it's used to gain control of the country. I like how the people of Bifrost use their terms differently from their Sibyl counterparts: Inspectors are basically the enforcers (not Enforcers, mind you) for Congressman, and Congressman is a player of Bifrost. I can tell that it's deliberate, in fact almost satirical; (Public Safety Bureau) inspectors are enforcers of Sibyl, and congressmen do toying with people's lives the same way a Congressman does. If anything, the people of Bifrost are just playing the game according to how it's designed. Some miscellaneous observations about the current unit: I initially felt that the Enforcers this time round is lacking... talent, or some sorts. I thought they paled compared to the old guard, but gradually I've come to recognize their individual talents. Irie is the guy with all the connections in the underworld. Hinakawa is a frontline sleuth (while Shion is at the backline). Mao's role and connection to Azusawa is apparently what's more important than what she can do. Right now the only problem is Tenma; the only thing he's good at is calling out conjectures. "The baddie is planning what? That doesn't make any sense!" See, that's his role: the guy that doesn't catch the drift. One last thing: it feels a little nostalgic how the Public Safety Bureau and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs work just like the local PD and the FBI. They can't get along; bureaucracy doesn't allow it. They bicker over turf, and often it's the latter that likes to push the former around. How many US action movies must one watch before noticing this. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2883 |
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#7
Well, I had thought First Inspector had done in Kei's guards to screw his peer over. Turns out Aschenbach was right in suspecting Foreign Affairs infiltration: both of the ex-Section One members were part of the guard unit. I'm interested to know what exactly that client list is, and the beef they have with the First Inspector's goon. Am I surprised Maiko was also trained as a soldier together with her husband? Not really, but I'm not sure why they have to bandage her eyes again despite that display of CQC. Maybe the doctors are worried the surgery would be complicated because of the premature uncovering of her eyes. Thanks to their intervention, Mao was able to escape and get the wheels into motion. It's amusing how her rating is so bad she's able to trigger an area stress warning just by standing in the middle of the street. Also, this experience has hardened her resolve to spill the beans on the First Inspector, so both of the main detectives now know of Bifrost and what they're up against. Tsunemori Akane has been planning this for so long that it's impossible to see her executed by Sibyll until at least Bifrost is taken down. She must have known Arata's biological speciality, but her relationship with the hive mind allows her to convince them of the merits of having such an individual in the Public Safety Bureau. It's a change though, seeing as every asymptomatic individual from Makishima Shougo onwards has played the antagonist role. The hive mind is also aware of Bifrost's existence, so the duo's greatest weapon of secrecy is about to blown open. The question is, will there be enough time in next week's final episode to finish everything off in a satisfactory manner or will there be a special movie that fills in the blanks between Sinners 2 and Tsunemori's incarceration? |
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ACｘS
Posts: 900 |
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7:
I think it's clear by now that the objective of Bifrost / Roundrobin is to usurp Sibyl; it's simple as that. Perhaps not with the goal of replacing Sibyl as the sole figure of authority for the country, but just a means for the Congressmen to rule the country. I said before how uncanny Bifrost / Roundrobin's resemblance is to Sibyl and the Public Safety Bureau, but now that they also 'enforce' players who transgress the system, the resemblance is becoming even more stark. It's also as though the show is making a social commentary about real-life dictatorship: if a totalitarian figure (like Sibyl) is to be ousted, it will ironically at the hands of another totalitarian figure (like Bifrost). I'm just wondering what the architecture is like for Bifrost; the Sibyl system is a hivemind, so what about Bifrost? Just as intriguing now is the fact that Shindo is criminally asymptomatic à la Shougo Makishima. I think Sibyl knows that and treats him as an asset, just like what Akane thinks. That being said, Shindo's not exactly safe either: just like what happened to Makishima, if Shindo begins to show any sign of threat to Sibyl's master plan, then he will be subjected to the same outcome. A super-minor observation: how is the cabin inside the helicopters so quiet that the Public Safety Bureau members can talk just fine? That's amazing 
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2883 |
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#8
Argh, I suspected something like this was going to happen. It's eight episodes only because there's no more airtime for the rest of the series. At any rate, I reckon the animators want more time anyway to improve the quality and to deliver something that can sell later on. It's clear this is the first episode of the final story arc for this adaptation, the hunt for Bifrost is finally on but the government authorities are several steps behind. Instead of the organization attempting to supplant Sibyl as suspected by others, this organization is merely a grouping of all the criminally asymptomatic who have realised what they are capable of and are playing the system for their benefit whilst hiding in plain sight. Azusawa Koichi's background is also revealed, as well as his obsession with Shindou Arata and the Public Safety Bureau. There has been suspicion online on why the OP scene has the two inspectors pointing their Dominators at each other, and it's this episode that reveals why. Ignatov has a weak spot which is his wife, and the Congressman has exploited it to the full to get him into the organization. Self-interest is purely behind the move, but it's down to Kei to realise what he really wants out of his decision. Kougami hasn't been seen since the second episode, but he's reappeared in this episode. As always, he's sharp enough to realise a deal was struck between Ignatov and the Congressman but can't really do much about it. That being said, those pathfinders are seriously formidable, both Kougami and Ginoza have their hands full just staying alive when fought one on one. If Bifrost have foxes of that calibre at their disposal, Foreign Affairs and Public Safety really need to put aside their jurisdictional bickering and work together to take Bifrost down, otherwise Azusa is going to play everyone according to the tune he sets. Another "accident", but I'm hoping this isn't the last time viewers see Kunizuka Yayoi in this series. If she is killed, that is going to really fire up Shion and the rest of her old teammates. Azusa might well regret his decision to take her out, but only at the end of the adaptation, whenever that might air. All bets are off on when this conclusion will air. I'm thinking a feature-length movie either in 2020 or 2021, there's enough for 4 episodes at 45 minutes each for a three hour showing. While they're at it, the case that got Tsunemori Akane into death row is also something which can continue to sell the series to both new and old fans, but that is probably better suited to an OVA or movie as well rather than a full-length series based on the chronological timeline. |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15502 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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This is the last episode of season 3, right? Was thinking that it had an odd choice of intercutting interviews throughout the episode of different characters. I was guessing it might be one way to feel like there is some sort of wrap up for the season thus far, but I also assume you could tie it to the post ending scene where Yayoi was in an accident after having done the interviews.
Kei also signed up to the bad side. Just wonder how far his morality will go before realizing he is being kind of selfish. For the season 3 as a whole, I give a rating of Decent (6/10), I certainly do not think it was bad, and it was missing elements of especially the first season (gore) that I am especially not a fan of. But I also think that it kind of dragged in places, where it should be been able to do a little more to not make it feel so oppressive. Asking for levity might seem antithetical to the franchise, but it did feel at times like it lacked a certain amount of fun. Like perhaps if things like the dorky police icons were used more, Like I think an earlier season had the virtual reality stuff. But maybe extra points for a bit of on the nose politics. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 900 |
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Final:
I'm not surprised that this isn't end of the story. Although each episode is twice as long, it's definitely not enough to close a season as expansive as this one. Even if it cooks up an ending, it's going to be a terribly unsatisfactory one. And judging by the horribly inconsistent production values for this whole season, the abrupt ending is just a reset; I hope the subsequent season will be managed better. Shirogane and Homura's hunch are right on the money: Azusawa is quite the formidable rival. Here's an Inspector who's gutsy enough to work with the two Congressmen (aka his future rivals) at face value to pit against each other. And there's the other plan: he managed to drive the wedge between Ignatov and Arata (and eventually the rest of Unit One). Perhaps the only miscalculation was Homura's employment of Ignatov as his rival Inspector. Right now, since it's come down to even numbers, Azusawa will ally with Shirogane (for the moment, as the former works his way to become a Congressman) while Homura has Ignatov at his disposal. So who's the biggest victim in this big web of deceit? I'd say it's Maiko. As how Azusawa highlighted with people and society, all the characters are cogwheels in the grand scheme of things, and their actions set the stage into motion. Not sure what's going to happen next, but I'm stoked enough to look forward to the next phase. I give this show a 7. It's a direction completely different from the previous seasons. Very ballsy, I'd say. The first two seasons focused only on the systemic level, specifically the characters within the Sibyl System. However, this season focuses on the societal level, when the antagonist is a rival of the System itself. Not my favorite season, but I wholly respect the new direction; it worked out great nevertheless. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2883 |
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#9-#11 (aka. First Inspector feature-length movie)
The last three episodes which give a proper ending to season 3 are now available. To start off, the one thing you can definitely say about the movie is that no one would have seen what was coming after Kunizuka's "accident". From the moment Koichi Azusawa steps into the building, it's a long rollercoaster ride all the way to the finish. There's action aplenty, if there was something I had to criticise about these episodes it's the relative lack of mystery solving since there were few loose threads to begin with at the end of the regular season. Everything is explained in the last part, although it's difficult making the connection between Homura Shizuka's final motive with the clues given in the regular season. The man didn't get much screentime and he had a poker face on all of the time, so it's surprising he got the post. To be fair, there's no better candidate although Shimotsuki Mika is probably wondering when she can move on from the Ministry of Welfare as her workplace is now VERY uncomfortable for her. With that last scene, it looks like they'll need a new Analyst as well. Karanomori Shion being let out into society means they need another god-level hacker to take up the post. Hinakawa is good, but he's honestly not up to her level to take over (yet). If he transfers, it leaves the opening for the returning character to slot right back in. That will make things interesting since Team 1 will basically yield to her expertise if the going gets tough. As the true ending for the third season, I can't say there can be many complaints about how things turned out. Some cast members will take on reduced roles for next season (if there is one), but everything is nicely resolved and the underlying subplot of announcing the System to society has yet to run its course. Unlike the other two villains from the previous two seasons, Koichi Azusawa is still available should a role be found for him. I don't like his smug demeanour, but his voice actor did a sterling job making him as repulsive as possible. I'm hoping he doesn't come back though, if he does pull through with his threat Shindou Arata might well regret not pulling the trigger when he was given the chance. |
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