The following review is spoiler-free.
Plot
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| www.capsulecomputers.com.au Okay let me break it down for you; Nothing much has changed for Japan; the Sibyl System still runs the town and uses the Psycho-Pass to measure one's mental stability and dictate one's life. Akane Tsunemori is now head of the 1st Division of the MWPSB and manages a new group of enforcers (latent criminals who are tasked to search for other criminals), as well as a junior investigator. She is faced with a brand new enemy. This is a mysterious man named Kamui, and he is said to have the ability to cleanse one's Psycho-Pass and not have them to worry about it getting clouded anymore. This poses a threat to the Sibyl System, and Akane's team is tasked to find him and eliminate him. |
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| jikman.wordpress.com |
So you don't necessarily need to watch the first season to understand the second one. Again, this follows a different story. This time, it tones down the expositions. There are no longer much detailed dialogues explaining the set-up of Psycho-Pass. If you need to know how the dominators and the Sibyl System works, then might as well consider watching the first season. The storyline is very straight to the point; Akane has new case and her team solves it. For one thing, I give kudos to the anime for trying to be different. Not only is it very direct, but it attempts to continue the story of the MWPSB without the major characters that we've grown attached to in season 1. The story is dealt with new ones, and this is where it sort of falters. I think the anime is very focused in structuring the plot, to the point that it forgets other things such as character-building or world-building. I know that this season was only eleven episodes long, but I would've liked to see some dimension in other aspects.
As I mentioned earlier, the anime is very direct with its storyline. Personally, this is a style I liked and it is very well-suited to this complex anime. It just keeps you on your toes, and it still makes you think. Heavy themes were once again introduced, and this time it talks about challenging a standard or a set of norms. I don't want to go into much detail, since it will incur some spoilers and it will also take me the entire blog post to explain, but I like how the mindsets of certain characters were voiced out. And the opinions that were stated in this anime, makes you wonder what a perfect society is like and what are the trade-offs necessary in order for it to happen. Psycho-Pass has excellent forms of dialogue, as usual. Overall, the storytelling is still good. There are some dark moments, a lot of violence, some heavy character arcs, but I just wished it dug a little deeper. Just a smidge. The story is just close to the finish line of perfection.
Score for Plot: 
Characters
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| From left to right: Nobuchika Ginoza, Sho Hinakawa, Joji Saiga, Akane Tsunemori, Mika Shimotsuki, Shion Karanomori, Yayoi Kinuzuka, Sakuya Togane (from: unwire.hk) |
Now most of the characters in season one are no longer in the sequel. This was kind of a big deal for some fans, because the characters in season 1 had compelling backstories to tell. Unfortunately, we do not get to explore any of that because season 2 starts with an almost clean slate of characters. Some do return, but they don't contribute that much to the storyline. Now this is another issue I've noticed; they were just there and they no longer have a story to tell. Some tease their past and motives, but it is just one-dimensional and we don't get to see more. For instance, Sakuya Togane is an enforcer with the highest crime coefficient ever recorded in history. Just imagine how suspicious that is and why this aspect hasn't been explored as much. There were instances that we get to see how Togane was raised but I wished I got to see more of his perspective because it was very interesting. Mika Shimotsuki was a character that was introduced back in the first season. Assuming you've watched it, then it is very clear what her motivations are. I really liked the tension she and Akane had in this season, and I wished the story confronted this matter because Mika could've been a potential enemy for Akane as well.
The one with the most screen time is obviously Akane, our main character. In Psycho-Pass 2, the story shows how much she has changed since season 1. And by golly, she has changed. I like how she is still has the same essence, but we still get to see major improvements in her personality. I saw how the main problem completely affected her as a leader. She had interesting moments where she had no choice but to not keep her cool, and I enjoyed those parts the most because I felt like the story was reaching its peak and there's no telling what was going to happen next. Witnessing her inner struggles were like roller coaster moments, since Akane's character is known to being able to manage her Psycho-Pass very well. But again, I wish it went a little deeper.
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| Kamui (from: angryanimebitches.com) |
Now we have the main villain...Kamui. I got to say, he's very interesting at the surface. I liked how he has this Magneto aura going on about him, with his followers, powers, and all that jazz. I just wished (again) that I got to see more of his story and perspective. Like, how did he feel when he went through this and that? What exactly were his thoughts? If I had known what they were, then I might care more about what he was doing.
Score for Characters:
Music
Once again, there is nothing much going for in the music. Unlike the first season, Psycho-Pass 2 does not change up the opening or ending themes. The video above is the opening theme, and it is entitled Enigmatic Feeling by the band Ling Tosite Sigure. The sound is anything that you would expect from a Cyberpunk fantasy. Futuristic sounds, tech noises, and some electric rock music. The best way I can describe the music that it is just there; its part of the white noise, so there's nothing memorable about it.
Score for Music: 
Art
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| thehugeanifan.wordpress.com |
The art is the same as season 1; everything still looks great. It is still violent, but I think there is more violence shown here in the second season. I swear, much more disturbing things happen in this sequel, and they were displayed like bloody fireworks. My opinion on the art hasn't really changed. It is digitalized, but it fits into what the anime is going for. The details are shown off realistically, and there is just so much color and I appreciate how it does not go too dull when things get too serious.
Score for Art: 
For me this anime is almost there. Almost there at being seriously amazing and mind-blowing, but I think it was still holding back. It has managed to break some barriers, but I think it wasn't ready to break the next one. But in a span of eleven episodes, the necessary ropes for the story were tied, and there's vague implication that the story of the MWPSB and the Sibyl System is far from over. In other words, the story may or may not have a third season. But I like how the ending is vague about that, but still gives arcs that any viewer would like to see grow. I just wish there was a bit more emphasis on the other characters so they wouldn't appear too flat. But putting that aside, I think it's still a good anime, but I don't think you would be able to enjoy it as much I did if you haven't seen the first season. I did say you can watch this without season 1, but that is totally different from enjoying it.
PSYCHO-PASS 2 HEREBY RECEIVES A
RECOMMENDATION.
Recommended if you are interested in: CSI, Psychology, Philosophy, Dystopia, Gadgets, Justice, Deep dialogues, Psycho-Pass, Blade Runner, V for Vendetta, Magneto and his followers
Not recommended if you don't like: favorite characters being written off, if you absolutely enjoyed the first season
This sequel is not as bad, if you compare it to other anime with second seasons or arcs. Psycho-Pass 2 had a very strong conclusion, which matters when you tell a story. What happens from beginning to end is understandable, I just thought that it was too focused on being comprehensible to the point that it ended up looking a bit bland and lacking.
That is it for the Psycho-Pass reviews. Since the DC TV shows are closing in to their season finales, I am going to blog once more about superheroes because there is something I would like to share. For now, till the next post~
Previous blog posts: Let's Review! Psycho-Pass
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