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?