Psycho Pass: Sinners of the System-On the Other Side of Love and Hate

Four years after his exile from Japan, Shinya Kogami continues to work as a freelance Mercenary in East Asia.  After saving a young girl from a bandit raid, Kogami finds the girl is determined to become his student and learn the ways of combat and revenge.  As Kogami begins to reevaluate how far he’s come since killing Shogo Makashima, discord in the region brings a new wave of violence he cant avoid…as well as a beautiful officer from Japan’s Foreign Affairs Bureau in need of his special set of skills.  This is where the road home for Shinya Kogami begins.

While I’ve stated multiple times that Sinners of the System feels like a huge apology to Psycho Pass fans for the abysmal Second Season, I didn’t expect all three stories to be a bridging point between the events of Psycho Pass: The Movie and Psycho Pass 3 (and by eventual extension Psycho Pass: Providence).  Sinners of the System has done a great job fleshing out or course correcting a lot of the supporting cast but the final chapter of this trilogy brings one of the franchises two main leads back to the focal point and it’s about time too.  Much of Psycho Pass’ overarching narrative is about Akane and her dealings with the Sybil System.  But Kogami is just as important to the shows success and it’s about time he got a solo story free of the others for a little bit.  That’s not to say that I don’t miss him being with his colleagues, it’s just good to get a fun little Kogami existential action romp as only this guy could deliver.
 

FIF#216-Shimoneta: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn't Exist

Welcome to the world of Tokyo 2030.  Here you will find nothing that can corrupt the mind and soul as everything that does so is outlawed.  This includes lewd materials, foul language and a ban on almost all sex education.  But there is one dares to rise against this oppressive mindset: the Blue Swan.  This vulgar and promiscuous terrorist raises Hell wherever she can and now she’s roped a poor freshman student into her plans to start an all out revolution of sexual freedoms and the will to speak as raunchy and wild as one wants.

 
Random question: has anyone ever seen the 1993 action classic Demolition Man with Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes?  I only ask because the world of Shimoneta feels very much in line with that vision of the future: a utopia where violence and anything that’s bad for the brain has been eliminated, oh and harsh language has been outlawed. Anyone who breaks these laws is fined for it (and honestly I forget if there was any larger punishment for multiple offenses).  It’s the kind of world Stallone’s cop out of time is prime to tear a new one with his old school action ways.  But Shimoneta isnt about bringing back the ultra violence, no it’s got something a lot more fun in mind and if you haven’t laughed your butt off by the end of the first episode, this might not be for you.
 

T5W#476-Top 5 Upcoming Netflix Video Game Adaptions

Well Netflix has certainly been hard at work, haven’t they?  Last week during GeekedWeek we got a slew of new trailers for upcoming animated project all centered around popular Video Game franchises, many of which I either follow extensively or are personal favorites that I’ve played.  I’d heard about a couple of these but one or two were total surprises (one in particular for all of us and in a very good way).  Could be a good time for Netflix to capitalize on their corner of the Video Game Adaptation market the same way Amazon and HBO have with Fallout and The Last of Us respectively and maybe not crash and burn as hard as Paramount did with Halo.  Anyway, let’s take a closer look at what’s headed our way with the Top 5 Upcoming Netflix Video Game Adaptions.

 

Psycho Pass: Sinners of the System-First Guardian

Before he became an Enforcer with the MWPSB, Teppei Sugo was one of the top drone pilots for the JSF, codename: First Guardian.  Not long after a military operation ends with the death of Sugo’s entire team, a series of Drone attacks rattles Tokyo.  Sugo becomes the prime suspect in aiding the true culprit, a ghost from his past.  As he works to clear his name, Sugo crosses paths with MWPSB Division 2 Inspector Risa Aoyanagi and Division 1 Enforce  Masaoka Tomomi, two individuals who will influence the course of his future.

In many ways, Sinners of the System seems to be acting more as an apology and a do over of Psycho Pass 2.  Seriously, you could just have Psycho Pass then Psycho Pass: The Movie, then name this trilogy Season 2.  Crime and Punishment already laid the groundwork for making Mika Tsumotsuki a better character and in First Guardian, the same is done for a another character I feel is kind of just in the background.  But really what makes First Guardian stand out more than the first part of this trilogy is the much welcome return of some familiar faces and with them, the same magic that made Psycho Pass’ First Season such a huge success.
 

FIF#215-Blue Eye Samurai

Japan, the 17^th Century.  Mizu is the offspring of a forbidden union: the product of a Japanese woman and one of four European men still left in Japan after it closed its borders to the outside world.  Shunned by those around her and abandoned long ago, Mizu now seeks revenge against the Man who wrong her mother.  Disguised as a man, she wanders the country.  Her main target is unknown but that will not stop Mizu from her mission and God help whoever dares to raise the sword against this Onna Musha: The Blue Eye Samurai.

 
Anime entirely CGI’d, I just don’t like it.  Even if the story is astounding and groundbreaking, if it doesn’t look appealing, I might touch it but I’ll always complain about the presentation.  It’s something Netflix has been trying to push forever when it comes to their slate of original Anime series and movies.  So why am I all set and ready to walk the path of vengeance with the Blue Eye Samurai?  Well for starters it isnt a Japanese Anime but rather an Animated Series from France that takes great influence from my favorite medium.  And second, it’s just really, really damn good.
 

T5W475-Top 5 Psycho Pass Characters

Incase you might’ve missed it, we’ve just gotten back to the sparkly dystopia of Psycho Pass (after I put off looking at Sinners of the System in favor of some more recent big titles).  This has slowly become a franchise I hold in very high regard alongside my all time favs like Gundam, Ghost in the Shell and Dragon Ball Z.  This goes doubly so for GitS since Psycho Pass was originally envisioned as a new project within that franchise before evolving into its own thing.  And while the discussions over whether the Sybil System is just, wrong or just plain F’ed up are really fun to listen to, they wouldn’t have such weight without an awesome cast to talk about it.  So since we’re getting back into the swing of things with the MWPSB and the Inspectors and Enforcers within for the rest of September, today’s Top 5 Wednesday is looking at my Top 5 Psycho Pass Characters, which is tougher than you’d think given how awesome (almost) everyone is (looking right at you Mika).

Psycho Pass: Sinners of the System-Crime and Punishment

Inspector Mika Shimotsuki and Enforcers Nobuchika Ginoza and Yayoi Kunizuka are deployed to the northern facility of Sanctuary to return an escaped criminal.  What is built as a new kind of peaceful paradise harbors dark secrets run by a woman who perceives herself as a savior of Latent Criminals.  When the investigation unearths more than expected, Mika and Gino find themselves Public Enemy Number One against a brainwashed society that will do whatever it takes to keep its peace.

Psycho Pass: Sinners of the System is billed as a trilogy of stories set at various points of the Psycho Pass timeline.  For the next three weeks I’ll be covering all three chapters individually, starting with todays post Psycho Pass 2 and Psycho Pass: The Movie entry.  There’s one big hurdle going into this one story: the fact that it centers on my favorite Psycho Pass pain in the ass Mika Shimotsuki.  While she’s a much better character in Psycho Pass 3, this is still a while before that  Does Crime and Punishment begin pushing Mika towards that more tolerable state or is she still the same whiny brat she was in Season Two?
 

FIF#214-Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Frieren is an Elven Mage.  She has lived for hundreds of years and many pass as if through the blink of an eye.  When one of her most beloved traveling companions passes away from old age, the ageless Elf finds herself face to face with human mortality.  Determined to understand it, Frieren embarks on a new quest with a new party to find the resting place of souls so she can bid a proper farewell to the people who’s lives have impacted her the most. 

 
It’s been a while since a title was suggested to me by virtually everyone I know.  Even my sister has been urging me to give Frieren a go.  While after much meandering about it, I’ve decided to give it a First Impression Friday slot.  Aside from the title, I didn’t know much about Frieren going into it.  The most I knew were the occasional Youtube clip of a cute Elven girl getting stuck in a Mimic (a Monster masquerading as a Treasure Box).  It’s a funny bit and apparently theyre a bit of a weakness for our titular Mage.  But man oh man, this is a heavy title considering the subject matter and the impact it has on Frieren.  The first episode alone seems like a good table layout of everything to expect but is it a journey worth embarking on?
 

T5W#474-Top 5 Favorite Sailor Jupiter Moments

2024 seems to be the new 2016 when it comes to the loss of so many important figures in media.  Not only did we lose the legendary James Earl Jones but this week we also lost Japanese Voice Actress Emi Shinohara.  To many an Anime fan, she is the one and only original voice of Makoto Kino aka Sailor Jupiter.  Mako is easily in anyone Top Sailor Senshi list for more than just being a gorgeous gal with legs for days.  She’s as strong as an Amazon warrior, as kind a soul as any in the franchise and a Jane of all Trades when it comes to what she wants and can do with her life.  To honor the passing of such a beloved voice, todays Top 5 will be centered on my Top 5 Favorite Sailor Jupiter Moments.  While any moment from the franchise is fair game, rest assured pretty much everything is coming from the 90s series cause I think Mako got so little to do in Crystal/Eternal/Cosmos. 
 

The Case Study of Vanitas Part 6 Episodes 21-24

Noe and Vanitas return from Gevaudan only to find that their pasts have stealthfully caught up with them.  A sadistic child holds Dominique hostage and forces the two partners into a vicious confrontation.  Noe is determined to save Domi while Vanitas is determined to protect his secrets at any cost.  After surviving battles with powerful Curse Bearers, assassins and other worldly creatures, is it Vanitas and Noe’s shared fate to meet their ends at each others hands?

At some point during the extended stay in Gevaudan, it dawned on me that The Case Study of Vanitas still had so much left to deal with that there was no way the Series Finale would even come close to closing out everything.  Upon further research, I’ve found that, for once, the Anime and Manga are both neck in neck, so it’s not like there’s more to adapt for the time being.  With that in mind, my expectations for the finale were set to moderate.  I mean if the series couldn’t be concluded properly, at least it could go out on a satisfying high.  And sure enough, it succeeded.  It’s hard to say if this finale matched the same level of excellence of the Gevaudan arc.  Heck, in some respects I’d say it did the impossible and surpassed it.  But let’s break down Noe and Vanitas’ more emotionally wrenching outing and see how the finale cues things up for more adventures should the Anime or Manga wish to continue at some point.
 

FIF#213-Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru

In the year 2205, history is threatened by the Time Retrograde Army.  To combat this threat, Saniwa uses his ability to give life to the weapons of the past and send them on missions to combat the Time Retrograde Army and protect the timeline.  When they aren’t in life or death situations, the Touken Danshi are content to enjoy their newfound lives at the Citadel.  Whether it’s friendly squabbles or deep conversations over sake, just because history is at risk doesn’t mean there isnt time to relax with good friends and fellow defenders of history.

 
Sigh, I know I said was basically done with the world of Touken Ranbu after the disastrous watch that was Katsugeki/Touken Ranbu back in May.  But dammit, curiosity got the better of me.  It’s not like I’m banking on Hanamaru making me a Touken Ranbu convert.  At the very least though, it’s gotta be better than that beautiful waste of Ufotable’s hard work and time.  Whereas Katsugeki was more a straight up action series, Hanamaru is seemingly meant to be the exact opposite and instead focus on the Swords given Human forms chill lives back at their homebase.  And you know what?  Yeah the lives are chill but Hanamaru is kind of an answer to all of my constant complaining back in May, so much so it’s less a slice of life and more a parody of Touken Ranbu’s super serious mission.  Am I onboard for that?
 

T5W#473-Top 5 Hottest Ladies in Gundam Seed’s Cosmic Era

Netflix surprised the heck out of me this Labor Day weekend.  Not only did we get the highly anticipated streaming drop of the hit Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom, we also got complete drops of both Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny TV Series, their HD versions no less.  This was a bit of a shock but I guess now that Netflix has dibs on Gundam content outside of Crunchyroll, they figured why not go the extra mile and give fans the complete SEED experience (except for CE 73 Stargazer it seems).  It’s a chance for fans of any kind to revisit this pivotal era in Gundams history and discover or rediscover its collection of incredibly gorgeous ladies who can do the job just as well as the boys if not better.  So, todays Top 5 Wednesday is a shoutout to the Top 5 Hottest Ladies in Gundam Seed’s Cosmic Era. 

 

The Case Study of Vanitas Part 5 Episodes 17-20

Gevaudan becomes a battleground resembling Hell on Earth as Chloe’s attempts to kill Naenia unleash a power greater than any expected.  With the Grimoire of Vanitas powerless to assist them, Vanitas and Noe must use whatever they can to halt the chaos, even if it means joining forces once again with Roland and the Chasseurs. Despite the odds stacked against them, there might just be a slim chance Vanitas and Noe can do the impossible and heal Chloe, Jean Jacques and all of Gevaudan.  Will this be the case that costs them everything to solve?

There’s so much about the seven episode arc in Gevaudan that it feels like it could be a Case Study of Vanitas Movie.  There’d have to be some trimming sure (and it can be done, trust me).  But the scale of this mystery and the intensity of the character study all gets dialed up to 11 and it shows all throughout.  Last week’s Gevaudan intro set had its flaws but was otherwise kicked off very well.  In the second half, it scores the goal and while some confusing things did happen, I’ve gotta say I’m happy with the end result…even realizing that with only four episodes left there’s a lot of ground to cover on various Vanitas plot points that might not be resolved.  But that’s for next weeks finale.  For now, let’s get into how Vanitas and Noe closed the biggest case of the series.