Psycho-Pass - 18

"A Promise Written On Water"

I wonder what it was that made the studio air this episode "unfinished"; lack of funds? Lack of time?

Unfortunately, I'm extremely selective about my screencaps (since I only use 18 an episode for the sake of saving time coding) so it's not apparently obvious in this post just how hideously animated this episode actually was. Apparently there was some drama in which the director had to publicly apologize (what, no shaved head this time?) for airing an "unfinished" episode and Urobuchi had to back him up against the supposed anger of the viewers. To be honest, I think this is pretty ridiculous. I understand that it's the studio's job to make a proper effort for each episode, but after all, we're all human, even if we're getting paid. Shit happens, really, and the episode could have been delayed or hindered for a huge number of reasons, legitimate ones. I think it's also somewhat reflective on just how demanding and spoiled a fanbase we've become (myself included). Back in the day, most anime had some bad animation in the backgrounds and unimportant episodes to save on the budget or time, and most of us didn't really care all that much. It was just something normal that could occasionally seem odd but it wasn't that big of a deal. Nowadays, with our insanely and lavishly animated series, courtesy of studios like KyoAni or A-1, we've become conditioned to think that's the norm, and now bad quality is far too obvious for us to deal with. It's like playing Ocarina of Time on an N64; as a kid, it was the most beautifully realistic game ever, but now it's kind of hard to take seriously with the outdated graphics (though no less playable because of it). The fact that the director had to apologize is an indication of just how much we've come to expect from the studio, and while the episode was horrendous, it probably shouldn't have been quite a big a deal as it was.

But I digress. The terrible quality wasn't the only thing going on in this episode, which had plenty of in-world drama itself. With Makishima on the run and no leads on how to find him, the MWPSB isn't sure where to turn. Ginoza has been ordered by the newly rebuilt Chief to apprehend Makishima safely and to suspend Kougami from the case for the sake of this purpose. The fact that Sibyl is determined to capture Makishima rather than kill him off shows just how badly the system wants him for its aggregate consciousness, and it takes more than an excuse to fool Kougami as to why he's being taken off the case. He correctly deducts that the priority of the mission is to take Makishima into custody rather than remove him from society completely and Ginoza is reluctant to simply do as the Chief orders. In a way, this proves that Ginoza has changed considerably from the rigid Inspector who followed all orders without question. He genuinely wants to do something to solve the case, but as Masaoka implies, he's in over his head. The conversation between father and son really says a lot about their relationship and how awkward it is. Masaoka clearly has trouble thinking of Ginoza as his son, and the best advice he can give him is to lay down and play dead so as to avoid getting into too much trouble with his superior. He doesn't necessarily believe that Ginoza is capable of saving his position otherwise, and while he's right, that's bound to hurt his son's feelings. No one likes to be told they're incompetent, and as if in defiance to both his father and the Chief, Ginoza decides to stand up and do something by transferring Kougami to a different unit and having him work from there.

Of course, trying to trick Sibyl isn't a very good idea, and Kougami is apprehended before he can even get going. Ginoza's plan crashes around his ears, and now he has no choice but to shoot Kougami; except that in a bizarre and careless move, the Chief overrides his Dominator to Lethal Exterminator in front of everyone. It's cruel that just as Ginoza finally tried to be useful, he's forced into this situation as a result of his own incompetence and lack of power. However, this isn't the really important part of the scene; what's really notable here is that it's Akane who tranquilizes Kougami without losing her cool for a second, and the Chief is there to witness it. To say that Akane is in danger now is probably a huge understatement. Even worse for her, Kougami decides to go rogue once it's clear that he won't be able to act against Makishima while under the MWPSB. With Masaoka's almost father-like blessing, he goes off to face Makishima not with a Dominator, but with an honest-to-goodness gun in hand, determined to kill his enemy for the good of society.

It's kind of interesting to note that both protagonist and antagonist have effectively become symbols for their respective views on what society should be like. Makishima, of course, believes that human freedom is only reached when we're allowed to make our own choices, whereas Kougami seems to think that loss of some liberty for the sake of safety is required. It's hardly a new philosophical debate, but it's a highly relevant one. As I've said before, I highly doubt that originality is what Urobuchi had in mind when he wrote Psycho-Pass, but he probably did think about modern issues, particularly in Japan, the so-called safest society in the world. There really is no right answer to the debate either; full and complete freedom ultimately denies the rights of others and their safety, while to protect those rights denies the rights of others to make their own decisions. It's an ugly face-off, and unfortunately an argument that's not going away anytime soon.