Psycho-Pass Episode 1 - First Impressions

Imagine the perfect marriage between BTOOOM! and Zetsuen no Tempest. Now picture having the entire cast of the show be voiced by some of the most elite in the industry, including Hanazawa Kana, Seki Tomokazu, Ishida Akira, Itou Shizuka, and Sakurai Takahiro just to name a few. Last but not least, try combining all those traits together into a script written by one of the most talented and respected individuals in the industry, Urobuchi Gen, and you can be sure Psycho-Pass is a show that simply cannot be missed.

The story of the show is definitely an original one which we've never seen before. The show takes place in the near future, when it is possible to instantaneously measure and quantify a person's state of mind and personality. This information is recorded and processed, and the term "Psycho-Pass" refers to a standard used to measure an individual's being. This in itself is undoubtedly a very interesting basis for a sci-fi show, particularly one written by Urobuchi Gen. Given that Production I.G has also worked on titles such as Patlabor and Ghost in the Shell, two very prominent sci-fi based shows, I'm convinced that Psycho-Pass will be truly a remarkable show.

Psycho-Pass begins in a rather standard cinematic-esque manner, introducing us to the general premise and what we can expect. It's almost instantly recognizable that this show is one in which Urobuchi is involved with. The unmistakable dark aura surrounding the world and its characters is typical, by the book Urobuchi style, something which I'm a big fan of. In terms of introducing the plot however, not much light has really been shed upon the "how" aspect of the story. We were presented with a general feel for each individual character and how they relate to one another, as well as the societal norms in the Neo Tokyo setting. The show contains many uniquely engaging themes, themes that take some time to process, including how humans are judged, and their potential for violating laws and committing crimes. A very scathing difference between the rich and the poor, as shown by the lower class area where a large portion of this first episode takes place, is also present, which could potentially be used to address a power struggle or some other politically-related issue that could present itself at a later date in the story. From its interesting placement and design of the characters, to the visually appealing CG and animation combination art style, this show is reminiscent of Ghost in the Shell.

If blood and gore isn't your thing, then I'd say stay well away from this show, as there's guaranteed to be lots of it judging by just the first episode, along with violence, drug references, and rape. This show does have a couple rough edges which can most definitely be fixed, since it really has so much potential for development. I'm sure Urobuchi has a couple tricks up his sleeve as he always does, but hopefully the imminent deaths which there will probably be lots of, considering this is a work by Urobuchi, will have some merit behind them, instead of being just bloody messes included just for the sake of shock value and violence. I have high hopes for this show, and it'll be interesting just to see how Urobuchi chooses to handle the direction of the story.

Possibility of watching: 5/5

Possibility of blogging: 2/5

Good day.