We end with Akane telling the Sibyl System that they won’t need it soon, but that it’s the best system they have now. Pretty rotten end, but it fits the direction the show’s been taking. Akane is a bit of a coward compared to Makishima and Kougami.
Akane realizes that the law doesn’t protect people, people protect the law. The law is a product of the fragile and irreplaceable feelings that everyone carries in their hearts. I was with her until that second part. I’m not entirely sure how Akane’s big realization changed anything though. Throughout the show, everyone has had an intuitive understanding of what the law should be (i.e., murdering people should be illegal). The motivation behind the law isn’t really one of the issues that’s problematic with the Sibyl System. A bigger issue, for example, is the fact that the law isn’t codified. That goes together well with this idea that the law is a product of everyone’s feelings, but doesn’t really work as an effective law.
Further Thoughts
Pretty boss move there, taking out Makishima’s truck. Akane receives a bit of karmic justice as her decision not to shoot Kougami saves her life.
Life continues on, Ginoza becomes an Enforcer, like his dad, and Akane remains a deadpan non-moe beast. Ginoza’s was the only subplot I can say I was entirely pleased with the conclusion for.
We end with the hiring of a new Inspector who is totally not moe.
And some hot lesbian sex.
I’d be frank, It kind of ended using the “Forget it Akane, It’s the Sibyl System” way. It’s not a bad ending, per se… and the outcome being Kogami possibly and eventually being the new “Makishima”, Akane filling Kogami’s spot, and a newbie (would be cool if the newbie was a guy) becomes the new Akane. It just….puts in more questions and it just ends so baffingly.
And as much as this anime creates a new cycle and the Sibyl winning, Akane simply accepts it and just goes back to her job. I mean, her development was tremendous, don’t get me wrong, but I feel like her Super-lowering Crime Coefficient and healing Psycho-Pass was not made important or significant as a character but instead uses as a mere “Super Speshul Moe Power” that Akane just happens to have. If anything, I’d like to see Makishima “manipulating” HER to be the next Makishima, and Kogami tracking HER down instead in the end.
Also, there wasn’t any material to give a hoot when it comes to the side characters that are not Gino or his father. Episode 12 was generally Yayoi’s backstory and it give off some wondrous comparisons from how Akane was recruited. I was also expecting Rika’s return after that. I mean, Imagine Rika being one of Makishima’s criminal “proteges” and Yayoi facing her as a true enemy of the system instead of old friends/lovers/companions like before. Where the heck did that go?
Shion… I don’t know her aside from she’s hot and smart and bisexual. Kagari…plays video games, wears hairclips, and apparently dies somewhere in this show because he found out about the Sibyl.
Chief… Iunno what happened to her.
Overall, it was okay. The First half was solid in execution and creation of violence and tension, second have have its moments, but things just lead nowhere, jumps from one scene to another and questions continue to spawn up. I’d agree with a few, if the anime stopped at around 12 episodes, it would have been an excellent world-building show. It wasn’t classic material, but it’s decent enough for me not to back it, smart for me not to yell at it, and intense enough for me to skip at it.
“If anything, I’d like to see Makishima “manipulating” HER to be the next Makishima, and Kogami tracking HER down instead in the end.”
I… I would totally have loved this.
As it stands, the finale was too safe. With the exception of a character death, nothing unexpected happened. All the characters barelled onward to the conclusion they set up weeks ago. I would have loved to see them shake things up one last time before the end… but it was not to be.
I agree–not bad by any means, but sadly, not great either.
I’m pretty sure the deaths were expected with Urobuchi Gen directing. 🙂
It’s a fitting ending— but as you say, there was nothing surprising about it. I like a bit of unexpectedness to spice things up.
Agree with you both that I’d love to see Akane become the next Makishima. After all that, Akane was barely able to have any effect on Kougami.
They completely forgot about the side characters. Which is disappointing, as they were some of the more interesting aspects of the show.
As you say, the first twelve episodes did some excellent world-building (although a few of the villains were a bit questionable). But the second half didn’t hold together as well.
Yeah, I kinda get that Akane and Kogami are not really… connecting as partners. I mean, I don’t know what type of Relationship Akane has for Ko at all: From one, it was a professional one to platonic partners-in-crime to being mentor and student to one time she looks like she falls in love with Kogami but not a lot came to that.
Iunno why they didn’t give us Shion and Kagari’s backstory… they seem like they have interesting backgrounds.
Finally… cut 17-22 and make the finale with the Helmets and the Nona Tower. Create moar backstories revolving around the characters while worldbuilding, and the origin of Maki and Ko’s rivalry.
Good point, I’d forgotten all about that. At one point Kougami and Akane seemed destined to become a couple, but then everyone just forgot about that. I guess that’s kind of like real life though.
The helmets and tower were definitely the major climax. It was all downhill from there. Not exactly following the proper excitement curve.
Iunno, there should have been at least a conclusion on their relationship. How they ended the dynamic between Ko and Akane just ended. I mean, judging from the ending, Akane cries for Ko because he killed Maki, implying that the person she respects (maybe falls in love for but it’s not really clear) is gone. But there was no interactions after that and that it feels lacking at best.
I can’t see Akane taking Makishima’s spot. They are complete opposites. Akane, for as much hate she may bear for the Sibyl System, always acts within the law, while Makishima tried to bring down the system. Kogami OTOH could become the new Makishima (the last shot with him reading Marcel Proust may hint at that possibility).
I agree that the ending was too by-the-book, with Akane now in Gino’s place, greeting a new recruit, and Gino in his dad’s place as an enforcer.
Yayoi’s episode was a waste of time because Rina never appeared again and the lesbian enforcer stayed a background character.
Overall a good series that doesn’t achieve greatness.
I could see it. People change. If the Sibyl system had killed my friends like it did Akane’s, I wouldn’t have accepted the Sibyl system like she did. Her acting within the law does not necessarily mean accepting the Sibyl system as the aribter of that law.
Akane was pretty much a pure saint through and through. I wouldn’t go as far to saying she was a coward, since reconstructing law or the people itself with Sibyl gone would still have its flaws. By flaws I mean everyone would have a difficult time adapting to a more civilized system as opposed to this corrupted cyber-genetic aristocracy that everyone is still oblivious to.
I think the ending definitely took place in the safe end rather than doing something dramatic in the risk of making the climax appear sentimental. It could’ve gone in that direction but it seems to me Urobuchi just wanted to stick to what’s reality and move on with life such and such. Props to him for not making it as extravagant as it necessarily needed to be.
Perhaps calling her a “coward” is a bit harsh. But she certainly took the easy way out.
“corrupted cyber-genetic aristocracy”— I like this
There is something to be said for a non-extravagant ending. (especially of the kind of ending where everything is not magically made better)
One of the strongest concepts in this series is changing your view of an unchanging world. Thinking along those lines, I believe what you all term as a safe ending is really the only appropriate ending.
No one’s view really changed though. Makishima stayed the same. Kougami stayed the same. The Sibyl system stayed the same. Akane theoretically may have changed slightly, but she didn’t do anything about it. I do agree that an ending where nothing changes was probably the most appropriate.