Psycho Pass 3: First Inspector

For months, CID Unit One has been pursuing the elusive cabal known as Bifrost and their devilish “First Inspector” Koichi Azusawa.  Now the fight has come directly to their doorstep.  Azusawa and his deadly associates launch an unexpected sneak attack on the Public Safety Bureau HQ, trapping everyone inside and separating Arata and Kei from their team and each other.  As the scattered members work to regroup and defend their base, the true intentions of Azusawa’s long game become clear.  Final judgement has come and Unit One must not only contend with vicious opponents…but the heartbreaking betrayal of one of their own.

Psycho Pass 3 ended on a pretty big cliffhanger with Kei Ignatov being coerced into siding with the enemy and the fate of series favorite Yayoi Kunizuka left in jeopardy.  Thankfully, unlike most long running Anime franchises (cough cough Full Metal Panic cough) we didn’t have to wait forever for a continuation.  What’s surprising is that this isn’t a fourth season we’re getting, but a movie, Psycho Pass 3: First Inspector, to wrap up most of the dangling plot threads and give Season 3 a proper conclusion.  It’s also worth noting that I’m reviewing this after watching it on Amazon Prime, where First Inspector has been chopped into 3 45min long episodes.  Which begs the question: As good as First Inspector is, why couldn’t we have gotten just a big 3 episode finale back in December 2019 when Season 3 was almost done?

While First Inspector still retains much of Psycho Pass’ trademark in depth look at the highs, lows and scariness of being in a society under 24 hour observation, this is probably the first time the franchise has gone for a mostly action oriented outing.  Yeah we’ve had episodes in the past that were really action heavy but this…well to put it clearly: this is Psycho Pass doing Die Hard.  Terrorists take over an important building and those scattered about have to deal with them however they can.  Sure there’s no single character handling the action a la John McClane but the concept is the same, right down to the small squad of Enforcers and Inspectors trapped on the outside trying to get in.  And it is both awesome and pretty nerve wracking.  You think leaving Yayoi at deaths door in the last seconds of Season 3 was something, everyone in the main cast has a close call with death, leaving you to wonder if one or two in particular will actually bite it.  As much as I hate to say it (cause screw that guy), Azusawa was the closest to Makashima in nearly ending the lives of everyone in CID Unit One.

Since this picks up directly after the very end of Psycho Pass 3, you’ll be happy to know that none of that amazing character work and personal dynamics have gone to waste here.  Once again, Arata and Kei lead the pack with their bromance and strategy while dealing with their own personal demons tied directly to this crisis.  The rest of their team has equal parts to do as well with no one being left out.  Even Shion and Shimotsuki get into the action (Shion even notes this is technically her first time in the field with the team she’s always backing up from afar).  This means we get to see everyones smarts and skills at work.  From Irie and and Tenma’s brute force (Tenma getting to rock a FREAKING SHOTGUN DOMINATOR!!!), to Shimotsuki and Govenor Karina’s strong leadership skills in a pinch, everyone has something to do.  Plus we get the always welcome treat of seeing our favorite Psycho Pass bad asses from prior seasons return to help the newbies out once more.  The new team handles itself well once again but it’s always a pleasure seeing Kogami, Gino and Sugo kicking ass.

When First Inspector isn’t busy with the nail biting action, its back to business as usual with psycho analysis and social commentary that Psycho Pass does so well.  Actually, it feels like it’s less about the effect of Sybil on society and just how much this case has rattled Arata and Kei and forced them to confront their pasts and what matters most to them.  Arata’s hazy past and that Donnie Darko wolf vision of his does get a surprising resolution.  However, I don’t think that Kei’s being forced into the service of Arakawa and Bifrost played out like it should.  There was tension between Kei and Arata at the end of Season 3 but this should’ve been the big wedge between them that theyd have to work double time to overcome.  Kei seemed content to resist Azusawa’s threats against his wife in the end…but if he was of that mindset why not discretely tell Arata or Shimotsuki when he had the chance?  Sure we get that bit at the end where Arata and Kei both admit they have secrets they haven’t told each other and will one day.  I just expected more to be done with Kei’s dilemma in this movie.

As for Azusawa, his smug superiority complex was on full display here.  While he was an overall better antagonist than Kiroto Kamui from Psycho Pass 2, he’s way less likeable than eternal Best Bad Guy Makashima.  This goes double for his subordinates who are just asking for the ultimate ass kicking to come their way.  I’ll give them this, they put Unit One in a pretty dire situation altogether and I did feel like anyone of them could’ve ended a member of Arata and Kei’s team at any time.  But then Kogami shows up to kick ass and somehow those fears were waylaid a bit.  Azusawa’s arc comes full circle though.  It’s not quite predictable but it does feel like all Psycho Pass TV Series roads and stories lead to the same destination at some point or another.  Unlike Season Two, however, the revelations and resolutions do shake up the status quo considerably and we have Azusawa’s arc to thank for getting us there.

First Inspector lays some interesting seeds for any kind of Psycho Pass continuation, be it another movie or a fourth season.  The status quo is both heavily changed but also cemented with what was established in Season Three.  New characters take familiar positions and familiar characters are taking new positions of their own.  Not every set up for this sat well with me, especially in regards to the biggest mystery of Season Three that does not get neatly wrapped up like everything else: Why the hell was Akane locked up?  Considering she isn’t the focus of one of the three “Sinners of the System” stories, I can only assume that’s a tale meant to be told at a later date.  Whether or not we do see that in whatever form Psycho Pass 4 takes…we do need to see more of her and Kogami together again, dammit theyre too cute.

Psycho Pass 3: First Inspector should have been a finale played with the rest of the season but its still a pretty solid and fun way to wrap up this new era.  Everything you loved about the new cast in the new season is on display and better than ever.  Old favorites return to do what they do best while not taking the spotlight away from the no longer rookies.  There’s plenty of action but you are never short of ethical and social dilemmas.  Best of all, it left me wanting more and left zero bad taste in my mouth unlike Psycho Pass 2.  You may have to have seen Psycho Pass 3 before hand (there’s no refresher course folks, you hit the ground running).  But damn, this was a solid finale for a solid third season for a series that hopefully continues to get better and better (or at least better than Psycho Pass 2).

9/10