Psycho Pass Review: Episode 1: Crime Coefficient

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Psycho Pass is a crime thriller set in the near future, in which the police force uses a system called Psycho Pass (hence the title) to measure various aspects of one's personality, including his or her Crime Coefficient, which is the probability that he or she will commit a crime. Those who are above a certain specified level are automatically labeled as criminals, and set apart from the rest of society.

And that was the extent of my knowledge going into this show, which is one of the more intriguing series out there, at least in my opinion. Oh, and the fact that it was written by Urobuchi Gen. That would certainly add to the overall appeal of this show to a newcomer. I will admit now that I loved Fate/Zero, although I was without the benefit of having knowledge of Fate/Stay Night, so admittedly, I had high hopes for Psycho Pass right off the bat.

The first episode starts off with an incredibly tense scene, with one of our main characters, Kougami Shinya facing off against Makishima Shougo. No explanation is given, but its an exciting scene nonetheless which ends with a smooth action scene and a stylish kill by Kougami, which reflects the kind of gritty and dark world that this show is planning on introducing us to.

After that, we are introduced to another of our main characters, Tsunemori Akane, who is fresh out of the CID(Criminal Investigation Department) Academy and is immediately thrust into her first case, which just so happens to occur during a rainstorm, and there, we have our anime!

Just off of the first few scenes, I instantly got reminded of the video game Heavy Rain, which included some futuristic elements juxtaposed with a crime thriller, set in front of a backdrop of constant rainstorms. And the idea of having a young and upcoming detective paired up with an older and jaded mentor is ubiquitous by now, but it is an useful way to explain the world of Psycho Pass, which does need some exposition to really understand.

This might have just been me, but I found that they sort of glided over the information at a speedy pace, which forced me to rewind a couple times to get a handle on some of the terms and such, but I also appreciated that they didn't waste too much time on explaining the various parts of the show, as it could have bogged down the pacing.

The look of the anime is dark, with lots of heavy colors and shadows that add to the experience. It looks and feels like a crime thriller should, which is rough and harsh, and I got that right off of the opening scene, so I have to give the show credit for nailing its look.

However, my main focus during the first episode was almost completely on the dialogue, as it was compelling and thought provoking. The fact that one's Psycho Pass could be affected not by just genetics, but also by stress and traumatic events was an interesting twist that could definitely present questions later on. Also, the question of whether or not people who have not even committed crimes yet should be punished for the possibility of their future actions was an interesting dilemma that left me with some serious questions about the morality of the actions of the characters, and of the whole Psycho Pass system as well.

Overall, Crime Coefficient was a strong start to Psycho Pass, with spot on visuals, dark atmosphere, and interesting dialogue that opened the door for future conflicts. I think that this show might not be for everyone, but for watchers who are looking for a show with serious substance and moral dilemmas, I think that one could do worse than Psycho Pass.

Rating: 8.5/10.0

This episode is ultimately what it is: an introduction to the characters and the setting, which it did a passable job of doing. However, it did go above and beyond the normal introduction with some strong dialogue and visuals, which reminds me somewhat of Fate/Zero's opening, which I enjoyed for the same reasons.