Psycho-Pass - 21

"Blood-Stained Reward"

“You see, loneliness is the price we have to pay for being born in this modern age, so full of freedom, independence, and our own egotistical selves.”

                                                                                                                                                                           Natsume Soseki, Kokoro

I suppose I should bite my tongue when I critique Urobuchi Gen because while emotional writing isn't his strong point, it doesn't mean that he doesn't know how to utilize it when his greater plan calls for it. I think the best word to use here is "practicality"; Gen isn't interested is dallying with the philosophy of the individual. He likes to paint big, complex, pictures that will make viewers think, and everything he does with his work is for the sake of creating suitable tools to achieve that goal. He has no time to waste on building up compelling characters (which makes him a very direct opposite to writers like Dai Sato) as solid pillars for his narratives because ultimately they're only pawns to his commentary on society and the human condition at large. Since that's the case, I knew there would be deaths in the conclusion to Psycho-Pass, but even Gen understands where emotional impact serves his purpose; in other words, I know I should have seen this coming, but it still made me cry.

In the larger scheme of things, Masaoka's death is a way to write him and Gino out of the final battle, but it really doesn't matter, at least not to me. Despite being a supporting character, Masaoka was special, a voice of resignation in a world very different from the one he remembered as a younger man and a mouthpiece for expressing the negatives of this new society without being aggressive like Makishima. He was a lonely figure, alienated from everyone, including his own son, and exactly the sort of man Makishima refers to when he speaks about how this new society has created isolation. That he would choose that estranged son over his obsession with the law, while cliche, is nonetheless a powerful affirmation of his character as more than just a tool. It's just a special thing, the bond between child and parent, and it's almost ironic that Ginoza, a character which has constantly driven me up the wall, should be the one to stir up my emotions in his reaction to his father's self-sacrifice.

While that worked out well, however, I'm having a hard time coming to terms with Akane's new personality. It was always a bit difficult to take Kougami seriously because he was so awesome, it was TOO awesome. I mean, the man would take one look around a crime scene and make Sherlock Holmes look like a blind fool. Seeing that transposed to Akane so suddenly is even more jarring, even if she is a bit disillusioned with the world at the moment. The thing is, now she's making Kougami look like a blind fool, and her lack of development makes the change stand out far more than it was probably intended to. She's so badass now that she's even manipulating Sibyl rather than the other way around, and I've no doubt she'll be the force that stops the tooth and nail battle between Kougami and Makishima (I laughed at the switchblades; it's like watching a dramatized gangster fight in my neighborhood) one way or another.