Holy shit, I loved this. Psychopass is a highly intelligent (though no Ghost in the Shell) cyberpunk thriller set in a dystopian mega-city sometime in the near to far future. Stunning detail is put into world building as well as enough characterization to keep you dialed, or in this case plugged into the system.
Not since the Ghost in the Shell reboots have I seen a true and inspiring cyberpunk thriller. It's really well produced. The world itself (without giving spoilers) is run by a Super A.I. computer that reads everyone's "Crime Co-Efficient" (hence forth referred to as soul) which is basically your brain waves being read and gives you a color on a spectrum. Depending on the color of your soul, you are labeled a criminal or given special privileges as a citizen.
The guns in psychopass are probably the coolest plot device. Not since Bladerunner (or I guess Minority Report and District 9?) have I seen a gun and just flat out said "That's how you make it. Well done!". It has everything:
* A tie into the world via the mainframe system (ergo world building)
* A control conflict between master and tool (which is which is explored though only superficially).
* Characterization. This thing FEELS and looks powerful. Not everyone in the world is given access, which is a nice touch.
The plot itself follows a young woman (the cliche genius freshy cop) who is put on patrol along side seasoned police officers, who are morally ambiguous at best. Revelations about who these people are and what they're motivations are drive the plot, and as compared to most animes where character just meander around doing side-quest bullshit this really shines.
Though I suspect a lot was lost in translation, mostly cultural (not literal words), there is enough stage presence of the voice actors that I'd say it's safe to watch in English. Where this show really shines though is the cohesive nature of the short stories. Each episode (like many shows) visits a unique avenue or moral question that tests the characters. Some of these are stronger than others but as a holistic show, it really does move right along with the main plot.
Overall, Psychopass is one of the best animes to come out in a long time, though it certainly won't be for everyone. if you're not already into cop thrillers and cyberpunk stuff honestly this is a good place to start (as compared to Ergo Proxy) if for no other reason than to say you tried.
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