Following the conclusion of the Spooky Boogie case, we are thrust into another case almost immediately. We move on to the case of the murder and dismemberment of individuals, recreated in the style of a past serial killer, Touza. Within these episodes, we delve more into the identities and background of not only our male protagonist, Kogami, but we're also given more insight into the enigmatic Makishima. We also discuss the presence (and absence) of stress, and how this society's response to it affects its efficiency.
As we saw before, Mitsuro Sasayama, Kogami's past partner, was murdered during the Specimen case years before, which has recently been revived. As a result, Kogami is taken off the Case by Ginoza, as he claims that Kogami possesses "too many emotions" to function properly. This, from the start, brings up an interesting discussion point: Is it better or worse to erase all emotion during situations like these? In one hand, past beliefs and emotions can color the present situation, blinding the individual to potentially important details. On the other, however, it is just as possible to miss information when is not personally invested to some degree. In Kogami's case, there is the desire to discover the mastermind behind Sasayama's death, an incentive that could (and does, we later see) prove beneficial to the investigation.
We are also presented with a small interlude into the background of our stone-cold Inspector, Ginoza. During a conversation with an MWPSB chief, Joshu Kasei, we learn that Ginoza's father also suffered from an irreversible elevation of PP, and that he should be wary of the same. His reaction is of interest, as it seems to affect him on a deeper level than simply having an old man who has been deemed a criminal threat, and brings up question on that relationship as a whole.
One of the lighter aspects of this show are the small implications of a time past that have somehow survived in this futuristic setting; of course, these are in no way less important to the overall fabric of the story. For instance, in the beginning of episode 5, we're presented with a dialogue between Akane and Kagari within the break lounge of the CID. Old arcade boxes litter the room, but are still functioning and used. In a way, their inclusion almost seems uncanny, an anachronistic existence in a time far past their original creation, especially since they are going out of style in reality today (though, this is not the case in Japan, and would explain the creator's inclusion of them). Likewise, the simple vice of alcohol, a worldwide staple of a dangerous addiction, is all but extinct outside of cooking purposes, replaced with "virtual tripping," a druglike state in which the user is able to experience sensations and perceptions unlike their own. This reminds us of the simstim within Neuromancer, which also function upon the idea of escaping one's own reality, and experiencing another's.
But back to the task at hand. During Kogami's "off-the clock" investigations, we discover that there is a connection between the recent murder of female students of an all-girl's academy and that of the Specimen case. This leads to the idea of a common element between the two cases: assistance to help individuals with the motive to kill, by providing the means to act upon that motive. In other words, someone (who we find out is Makishima) is function as a "non-existent ghost," one who functions much like Project 2501 from Ghost in the Shell. He moves from person to person, creating the impetus (or "hacking") in that person, creating an opportunity for them to enact upon their motives.
And so, we find this to be true, as we are introduced to Ouryou Rikako, the most popular student at the academy, and our current killer. Following in the footsteps of her father, Ouryou Rouichi, and his art style, which also influenced the killer from the Specimen case, she is the next one chosen by Makishima. Between the two of them, we are given a philosophical take on the state of man within the "cushioned" lifestyle under the Sibyll System. Makishima presents the disease of serenity, which is impossible to avoid in a society that seeks to stamp out stress at all costs. This manifests itself negatively, Makashima explains, as a disease called Eustress Deficiency Cerebral Infraction, something Rikako's father has contracted. Essentially, it exists as a side effect of too much stress care. For individuals, stress, in moderate amounts, is beneficial to one's psychological existence, as a constant opposing force that requires management. However, because of the constant therapy care in this society, there exist a poisonous effect on man's ability to function. During his life, Ouryou Rouichi believed in the idea that the acknowledgement of the cruelty within man's heart led to the ability to gain the constructs needed to control said cruelty (reasoning, common sense, etc.). However, with the implementation of the Sibyll System, there exists no need to control said cruelty, as it is controlled by an ultimate force, not by man himself. As a result, man loses the ability to control himself and to evolve, and is ultimately crushed. As Rikako states, looking down on her next victim, she discusses Kierkegaard ideas on how unless man knows despair, he cannot know hope. We see this same idea in Albert Camus's analysis of the Myth of Sisyphus, in which he claims that man's existence is confirmed by his ability to despair and scorn and existence. Without this, he has no means of understanding the quality of his life, forced to play out his life as an "absurd hero" who has no means of appraising his own life. Is this not the same thing that occurs in the society of Psycho-Pass?
And yet, these cases all come to a close, even if they leave more questions than answer. We're presented with the implicit effects of the Sibyll System's heavy influence on human emotional responses, as seen during one girl's grieving for her murdered friend. In fear of PP elevation, grief has become a fleeting action, in which it must be quickly dealt with, a course that cannot prove to be healthy in the long run. As the CID closes in on Rikako, we see Makishima's abandon her, claiming that she proved disappointing in her actions and planning, and has her executed. On the other hand, he takes up an interest in Kogami, fascinated in his ability to grasp the truth of the situation from a few minute details. This establishes a connection, a sort of "rivalry," that provides the audience with the initiation of the story moving to the showdown seen in the series' pilot.
One of the biggest questions to mull over: Is Makashima a bad guy? True, he creates instances in which crime can flourish, and cause havoc for others, but he also acknowledges the creeping poison that is infecting the society under the Sibyll System , and seeks to destroy it. While his actions may be questionable, is his ultimate goal a negative one, or something that could become the saving grace of the people of the city?
No comments:
Post a Comment