Psycho-Pass 2 – 05

So this post is massively delayed because I just didn’t really like this episode much.  If feels like the writer has gotten tired of trying to build the story up and just wants all the carnage to happen straight away.  Normally I wouldn’t mind so much because I love me some mindless violence, but I’ve come to expect better from Psycho-Pass.  I’m finding this heavy-handed approach somewhat disappointing and it really feels like the story is a bit too big to really fit into a single cours.  There are lots of plot points are being fired in before we’ve really had a chance to properly get to know the new cast and so everything ends up feeling a bit shallow and lacks the impact it could have had with a better foundation laid.  Still, even though I am a touch disappointing I still really like Psycho-Pass and its premise so I’m hopeful the story can be wrestled back onto track again.

Lately focus has really shifted to Mika, but it really isn’t doing much to endear me to the woman.  I had to laugh at her meeting with the Chief, the revelation that Mika has put in repeated complaints about Akane’s way of running things was met with utter indifference.  In a way it’s a bit strange how Sybil treats the two inspectors.  Mika adheres to the judgements of the System rigidly, she doesn’t have an iota of individual thought (unless it is to be as bitchy as possible) and sticks to the rules without allowing for any flexibility – really she should be Sybil’s poster child for how they want society to be; and yet it is Akane who is seen as more valuable.  Akane who knows the true form of Sybil and who bends the rules to suit her own judgements.  Akane who is happy to stand up to Sybil directly and voice her dissent – Sybil values her intelligence and feels that it will be much better to harness Akane’s ability to work within the system rather than cut her loose.

Still it was nice to see a slightly different side to Mika this week.  Her being physically ill at the bloodbath from last week shows she isn’t completely coldhearted, as does her turning to Yayoi for some degree of comfort (incidentally is that all Yayoi is going to do this season?  I thought she was with Shion?).  But Mika remains whiny and mistrustful, complaining of overwork when Akane takes most of the enforcers on a raid and starting to get very suspicious of Togane.

With good reason it seems judging from the random hoard of pictures of Akane she finds in Togane’s room.  Seems our weirdly competent enforcer has been investigating Akane for some time, but for what reason remains to be seen.  Togane seems to be somewhat obsessed with Akane’s doggedly clear hue in the face to all the horrible thing she’s witnessed, even going as far to check her psycho-pass with his Dominator.  It is strange that he didn’t suffer any repercussions for this indiscretion – even the Chief waives it off when Mika brings up the topic, making me wonder if Sybil isn’t using Togane to check up on Akane.

It is odd that he was placed on her team to start with given his status as the owner of the highest ever recorded crime co-efficient.  Surely such a potentially dangerous character should have been placed on one of the teams with less unorthodox Inspectors?  Regardless, it will be interesting to see what comes of this Togane side-plot.

Anyway, looking at the main events of this episode.  I found the reveal that a mobile game was being used to control the military drones to go on a killing spree absolutely ridiculous.  The logistics just don’t make sense – I know that Kamui is meant to be a skilled holo creator, but that doesn’t automatically make him a brilliant game developer!  It also looks like this Hungry Chicken app has been out for a while and this is a new update that just happens to be linked to the drone control system.  Are we to believe that Kamui has been planing this exact scenario for months or even years before the actual day?  And this is in addition to his creating his hue clearing treatment, super complex holo camouflages and researching all his clients?  Plus it seems in this episode that our Kamui has also branched out into the realm of face transplants and plastic surgery!  Just how skilled is this fella??  To me it just feels like they had way too many ideas and have overloaded Kamui’s character with traits without actually giving him much of a personality so far.

Last season Makishima was pretentious and seriously intelligent, but he didn’t have a massive collection of skills himself.  Rather Makishima manipulated others into playing out his schemes, letting them use their talents while he pulled the strings from the shadows.  Kamui is using others too, but his skill set is massively overbalanced in comparison to the people he’s manipulating.  I just think that they’re making Kamui a bit too overpowered and unbelievable, but maybe future episodes will tone him back a bit.

So yeah, I wasn’t overly fussed on this episode, but there is still tons of interesting developments happening – the enforcer reshuffle thanks to dissolution of Division 2, the fact other Divisions don’t like Akane’s status as the Chief’s favourite and Saiga’s deduction about the politician being replaced at some stage.  Psycho-Pass even when it isn’t at its best is still a very good show.  Just hope they can get the story told within the short time we have left.