PSYCHO-PASS: Providence Review: Limits have been reached
What would it take to have a perfect society? If events that could cause traumatic stress or trigger violent responses would be eliminated, would you able to live freely? Especially when the ones tasked with maintaining such such peace is governed by an unseen entity that sees all and is checked by no one? The PSYCHO-PASS anime dives into the fragile constraints that try to maintain such a glass dome existence. The episodes highlight cases that ultimately show that this existence of so-called peace is only maintained by constant rivers of blood.
PSYCHO-PASS: Providence is the most recent movie in the anime franchise to present a case that will push the characters to their limit. It has officially been released theatrically as of July 14. The movie bridges the gap between PSYCHO-PASS Sinners of the System Case 3: On the Other Side of Love and Season 3.
Official Film Synopsis:
January 2118. Chief Inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department, Akane Tsunemori, receives a report of an incident on a foreign vessel – the body of Professor Milicia Stronskaya has been discovered. Behind the incident is a group known as the Peacebreakers, a foreign paramilitary organization and a new outside threat who are targeting the professor’s research papers known as the “Stronskaya Document”.
Reunited with Shinya Kogami, a former fugitive from the Criminal Investigation Department, Akane grapples with a case that quickly escalates beyond their expectations. The Stronskaya Papers could reveal a truth that would shake Japan's government, and even the Sibyl System, to the core.
It is in this untold story that the missing link is revealed.
What is PSYCHO-PASS?
The PSYCHO-PASS anime series began the exploration of a “perfect” society in 2012. In this anime, Japan has closed off their borders against the catastrophic global strife around them. Within their society, the citizens of Japan live a blissful and peaceful life under the automated rule of the Sibyl System. Crime is practically non-existent thanks to the Sibyl System. The Sibyl System is able to calculate and appoint a numerical value to an individual’s psychotic mental state. Too high of a number and the individual is judged to be a threat and must be eliminated.
These values are the immediate jury and judge in the cases when wayward citizens break apart from the perfect society and cause a crime. Designated civil servants called Inspectors have the authority to use their weapons, Dominators, to scan the psycho state of the crime-doer. The task of judgement is from the automated Sibyl system and transferred through the power of the Dominator. The Inspector just scans and pulls the trigger as commanded by the system. Execution is immediately delivered by exploding the body into a gooey mess and staining the floor bright red. So no one really wants to stand in front of that nozzle
Along the veins of Minority Report, the Sibyl System can also predict the potential of a persons criminal mental state before they commit a crime. If these latent criminals have valuable skills and can still contribute to society, they are drafted into the organization to become Enforcers, the “hunting dogs” of the Inspectors.
So ensure the peace of society, a team of Inspectors and Enforcers go out to enact the justice as dictated by the Sibyl system. Their trust n the impartiality of the Sibyl System becomes fractured with each case but they are left with very little to protect themselves and society.
The Trouble with Perfection….
No matter how a society believes they operate in a perfect society, there will always be cracks in the system. More than one theory exists that dictates what makes a society perfect. Throughout the episodes leading up to the movie, we follow Akane Tsunemori solve cases. The cases test her belief in the Sibyl system while challenging her own thoughts of what it means to uphold the law in a perfect society. Each foe that she has come up against has provided a legit and compelling reason to destroy the Sibyl System and allow the people to think for themselves.
Yet Akane Tsuenemori somehow maintains the lowest of psyche levels even as the most gruesome and heartbreaking events are encountered. Even through her tears, her iron-clad conviction to protect the society is the absolute buffer between society and system corruption. When confronted with the truth of what it takes to create a perfect society, Akane has to continually suffer through internal struggles of what she truly believes is right.
What the anime explores in the thin line between control and freedom, there is also the secondary question of who has the right to challenge the system? The people have adapted to a system that strips away most stress-causing events in their life. For instance, instead of stressing about what to do with your life, the Sibyl Systems selects the path for you. The Sibyl System shields the citizens from traumatic events and scenarios. The challengers to the Sibyl System point out that this makes a society of fools and sheep that are inept to deal with actual problems or deal with their own emotions. On the flip side, if actual problems have been eliminated why worry? PSYCHO-PASS appeal is in presenting these deep questions from the perspective. It could be very complete but each episode does provide a great conversation starter or exploration of society in general.
PSYCHO-PASS: Providence
By the end of Season 2, we find that Sibyl Systems is not the only the omnipotent power looking out for the “best” interest of Japan. There is a growing power building behind closed doors, encrypted messages, and the power of charismatic figures. Whether it would be a better alternative to the Sibyl system is not debated among the citizens. Instead Akane and her team are the ones placed right in the middle of the fight and becomes pawns in the teetering war of control.
The Review
PSYCHO-PASS: Providence brings in a mighty challenger to the Sibyl System in the form of a religious ideology. Religion can be one of the influential and destructive forces to change the fate of society. The religious worship of an alternate automated system is followed by a group of highly skilled and ruthless followers to obtain whatever they could to “free” the people.
Since the Sibyl system made psychology and any fields that explore society obsolete, papers from educational institutes have become relics of the past. Some of these relics become critical weapons of change. For this religious group, it some research papers that can turn the tide. In so believing this the group will do whatever it takes to obtain these research papers. No matter high the body count is.
The case is big that it will not only involve Akane and her team but also the jointed efforts of the overseas committee. Trust in this world is very fragile and that becomes one of the many obstacles that influences the flow of events. What begins as a case to protect further deaths instead becomes a tangled story of shifting allegiances, uncovering crucial information, and risking their lives even more.
The movie is a two hour episode of a case. The case is a very detailed and layered piece as the team must reach beyond the past to connect key missing pieces to the case. With each revelation, the team is met with even more obstacles to how they can provide justice and protection.
Absolute truth: once the press release for the theatrical release of PSYCHO-PASS: Providence came out, I had no clue what the anime was about. When there is a anime movie released in theaters, I always take note however. Something about this anime was popular enough to be played on the big screen.So for the past two weeks, I underwent a project to watch and catch up on the series before the movie release. If you would like to do the same, you can catch up on the series here on Crunchyroll.
So, after becoming an instant fan of the series after episode 1, I can absolutely share that there are several key scenes and character reveals that will surprise fans of the anime series. One reveal may shock you but one scene may bring on the sadness. The nature of the organization that enforces the law is shockingly flimsy and the mortality rate is high. No character is really safe.
To get to those interesting scenes though, there is a lot of slow scenes to slog through. There’s even a particular fight scene in the movie that becomes incredibly drawn out and lackluster. Which is surprising for this series since all of the fight scenes have not only been thrilling but succinct in its purpose. Some of these scenes in the movie would be a great time to refill on snacks or bathroom break.
As a story, was it worth the two hour theatrical release? Not really. Many of it seems padded and there isn’t anything visually distinctive to warrant a big screen viewing. Is it still worth it to watch it in theaters? Absolutely ,as an experience. The anime started ten years ago and this is a chance to experience a movie with other fans in the vicinity. It is a great way to collectively show the support for a series that delivers a fascinating story to challenge our thoughts.
PSYCHO-PASS: Providence definitely bridges the seasons together so it is worth watching before Season 3 since that season just opens up with so many unexplained events!
After watching watching the movie, would you able to survive a Dominator? Is your psyche clear?
