Psycho-Pass - Episode 22 [END] Discussion / Poll

[Triple_R]

What I liked about the ending:

1. The final clash between the three major participants (Kougami, Makishima, Akane) was very good, with some thrilling and unpredictable moments.

2. There wasn't any element that felt particularly hard-to-swallow at a basic believability level.

3. Kougami's character arc ends very nicely. He accomplishes his goals, he gets away alive, and at some level he can take some pride in the good Detective/cop work that Akane has learned from him.

4. At least Akane still holds tight to her feelings of resentment towards the Sibyl system. Her character would have been totally ruined if she was easily kowtowed by it.

5. Sibyl hopes to go public with its true nature one day. For once, Sibyl shows some real appreciation for the "long game".


What I didn't like about the ending:

1. Compared to Madoka Magica and Fate/Zero's endings, it feels very underwhelming to me. This is not one of Urobuchi's stronger endings, imo.

2. I'm a bit disappointed in Akane. She's a "Lawful Good" character that in the end seems to be favoring "Lawful" over "Good". I had hoped for the opposite.

3. I feel like Gen played it kind of safe here. Like he had a chance to say something very bold and powerful with this ending, but just didn't have it in him to really go for it that way. In a way, it's like a political stump speech that ends on a whimper rather than on a dramatic and inspirational note.

4. I agree with Kanon on the "going full-circle" thing. In a character-driven show that can be really nice. But in a show like Psycho-Pass', it feels like a copout to me.


I have some vague ideas of what Gen is trying to say with this ending.

"Corrupt systems will drag down even the best of people."

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke

These two ideas, and some similar to them, are floating about in my head right now.

[kakakka]

The show is certainly thought provoking, but it has not grabbed me that much. The feeling about the characters just being there to show the show's message/theme really turned me off a bit.

Akane's actions are understandable, if even if it's sort of pathetic. But I do feel for Makishima when he showed how irritated he was about Akane for trying to preserving the status quo despite of everything (he did not really said it, his reaction just speak something along the lines). And I guess, that's the two sides the show was trying to convey (eventhough it kinda fell short, as Akane (her side) has not left much impression until recently). As I said, certainly something to think about. It was also nice to see the discussions in this board when it was airing.

Also yay for lesbian scene!

[Kirarakim]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke

I was thinking that might be the message that Gen was going for but another issue is the ending seems so vague. Was Akane right and the system will eventually fall? Or was the sybil system right with their laughter at the end, that Akane was still being naive? Whatever it is it changes the meaning behind the ending.

Normally I don't mind endings that are open to interpretation like that. But in this case I think it actually hurts the series because no clear message comes across at all.

That's why I compared it to 1984. 1984's message was really clear what the story was trying to say. But with this, the ending was too vague for me. To me the series says nothing at all, and well that is disappointing to me.

I have to say I also found Akane's character growth to ultimately disappointing. So she grows a little harder and will follow the sybil system but believe someone else will take it down, I don't know...it's just boring

Like I said only Gino's change seems significant to me. I like that he seems more free now as a latent criminal and the irony behind that.

[andyjay729]

"Forget it, Akane, it's Sybiltown."

Okay, so this ended on a slightly more positive note, but I agree with the earlier posters in that the main message of this show was that there are some systems you can't fight. Especially when uprooting them would cause society's collapse.

[creb]

I'm actually kind of happy it ended the way it did, and had a strong suspicion it would not have an earth-shattering ending, based on the pacing over this last arc.

Any decisive one way or the other would have felt very forced, imo.

Yayoi sleeping with Shion cracked me up and caught me totally unaware. I was just thinking as the epilogue started rolling, what in the world was the point of Yayoi as a character, and did she even make it out of that factory or what? Then...scene as Akane ends her scene wondering about Kogami, and my first reaction was, "wait, he did end up hooking up with Shion?", and then it turned out to be Yayoi, and I just loled. Oh well. Not every character needs a major purpose. Flavor set pieces are fine.

Did I miss a connection somewhere in regards to their new recruit? I feel like I'm missing something as to why it was stressed she's a minor, and it was "their" fault, so it couldn't be helped (I'm bad with Japanese names, harhar, so if the recruit's name was supposed to ring a bell, it didn't).

In the end, I have to say I really liked Sybil. I see a lot of Kyube in it, and I'm wondering if that's the type of discussions Gen has when out drinking with the guys and shooting the breeze, as it's becoming a recurring theme at this rate.

I also have to say that I liked Akane. It was a delicate tightrope she walked as a character, but watching her grow into who she became at the end, while showing aspects of character beyond her "work" face was very nice. Loved her quip about Ginoza's glasses at the end. Shows need more characters with realistic (for a fictional sci-fi series at least) outlooks on life, and less of the save the <insert noun> at all cost types.

[4Tran]

Yawn - this was a boring ending. Of all the things they could have done, they decided to make it all about taking down Makishima, but this accomplishes almost nothing dramatically. It's odd to see a show try to ramp its stakes down at the climax, but I guess this is what the creators wanted to do for Psycho-Pass.

[LightningZERO]

Well, I have expected more from the series ending. To be honest, the series sorta lost its momentum after the helmet incidents. Despite this and the loose ends, this was a pretty solid ending. I'm not sure if I like it, but I do understand what Gen is trying to tell us. There are something that you just can't fight against, something that is too 'big' for you to judge. Despite this, people will slowly, but surely change and strive for the better world. I think that's the best ending you can get in such a cynical dark world.

Akane has gone strong and I love the way she talked to Sybil system about how people always strive to be better and eventually someone will pull the plug off Sybil. The situation was still not so good for her though, Sybil mockingly laughed her and she definitely turned colder. Let's hope she stays strong.

Ginoza looks good without specs and less burdened as an enforcer. I know he probably inherited his father's will, but it's a pretty sad ending for him to get demoted. At least he seems okey and relaxed with it.

Yay, Yuri scene!!!

A very nice conclusion to the Kougami VS Makishima part. Tense fighting scene and beautiful end. Makishima is such a bastard, but his death was so beautiful and his final talk fitted his character perfectly. To be killed by someone who believes in his will, that's how he always wanted to go. Despite showing his disinterest, I think Kougami definitely feels that he lost something as well.

In conclusion, a nice ending for great series. There are some ups and downs but overall I am satisfied

[Mad Pierrot]

Originally Posted by creb

Yayoi sleeping with Shion cracked me up and caught me totally unaware. I was just thinking as the epilogue started rolling, what in the world was the point of Yayoi as a character

Fanservice of course. Kagari could have used her episode of introduction to make his death leave a bigger impact in the viewer.

I can't believe Ginoza is the only who is giving a fuck about Kagari. Akane completely forgot it and will never reveal the truth. It's weird that Sybil did not make up anything yet.

[Roger Rambo]

Not too surprising of an ending. I think by episode 20-22 we probably weren't going to get a big confrontation with Sybil, though that is a bit surprising considering all the emphasis on how weak the system was. But it seems like we're getting left with it running for now. I must admit. The Sybil system might be taking a somewhat flawed approach to ensuring its own survival if it thinks a society composed of people like Akane would be more controllable. For a numbers cruncher, I don't think it quite realizes a society instilled to be like Akane would just march in and unplug them.

Overall I thought this conclusion was okay though. The shoutout to Mika was pretty neat, and I had to chcukle a bit when it turned out that, yes, Gino WAS in fact a hipster.


The conflict between Akane/Kougami and Makishima was very satisfying to. Akane has pretty legitimate reasons to want to take Makishima in alive (she's trying to save Kou's life, as best she can).Though ultimately, her helping to stop Makishima is ultimately what made it so that Kougami could kill him. So much for implied homolust. Kougami took out Makishima pretty cold, and it seems like he managed to subsequently escape.

[Master_Yoma]

Nice ending but 2 more episodes would of made it for far better ending

[Miraluka]

Not bad but the ending felt like a big rip off of Asura Cryin' novels where the cycle restart with the same character but with different roles :S.

[LightningZERO]

I think they wasted a perfect opportunity to delve into relationship aspect of the show. We know next to nothing about how marriage works in this world right? It probably will be just Sybil assigning husband and wife...but it would nice to have some plotline revolve around that

And they totally wasted an episode in Yayoi flashback

[roon]

Re: Ginoza not wearing glasses anymore
I actually took that scene as him embracing that his eyes look like his father's. He clearly didn't want that up until his death, but now he's okay with it (and probably quite proud).

[justsomeguy]

I'm glad there was no happy ending with Sibyl being magically defeated, but I was really hoping that at least one of the characters would somehow do something to impede it as an f.u. Beyond the fight scene, this ending did nothing to make it feel like the characters accomplished anything. Makishima ended up being just another arrogant criminal with no lasting deeds, and the bigger villain gets to go on as if nothing had happened.

[carcanclaw]

I think that the ending, and Akane, were surprisingly mature. A bit anticlimactic compared to the typical massive and chaotic conclusions we expect from a good deal of modern fiction, but praiseworthy for acknowledging that change is something that must be handled slowly and carefully.

Sure, Sybil is a bad system, but society is stuck with it for the immediate future and Akane knows this. Both she and the system acknowledge that there is room for improvement, but their ideas on what form that will take differ greatly.

Nevertheless, the system isn't evil. Just ruthlessly efficient. If a better system can be created, or if more of society become ideal citizens like Akane (good human beings, essentially), then the system could not continue to exist and still claim that it was acting in society's best interests.

[kk2extreme]

So Kogami is replacing Makishima at the end

Akane took over Ginoza

Ginoza -> old man

New girl -> Akane

no one -> Kagari

Final winner -> Sybil System?

[hilly]

Well,the most impact things that I got form this is when Akane tell Kogami rather the law protect the people,it is the people that create and protect the law.The feeling of justice although faint and easily crushed by anger and hate..it is still there..

When Akane say to Sybil system that someday the system will be shut down,I think she meant that human will always change into something better that before.For example,long ago,the king's govern is absolute but now democracy is more often found in most country.
Akane just don't know what is the better solution apart from Sybil system yet,just like old time people live in the tyranny of a absolute king that haven't think of a better society....

[Cosmic Eagle]

Open ended end....Anyone thinks this will make enough profit to get the Madoka continuation treatment? It's just begging for it

Originally Posted by carcanclaw

Nevertheless, the system isn't evil. Just ruthlessly efficient. If a better system can be created, or if more of society become ideal citizens like Akane (good human beings, essentially), then the system could not continue to exist and still claim that it was acting in society's best interests.

But it's personality is malicious even if you don't consider it evil

[kk2extreme]

Also, lesbian scene was good

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by 4Tran

Yawn - this was a boring ending. Of all the things they could have done, they decided to make it all about taking down Makishima, but this accomplishes almost nothing dramatically. It's odd to see a show try to ramp its stakes down at the climax, but I guess this is what the creators wanted to do for Psycho-Pass.

Realistically speaking, Sybil has to die, but it's not something that can be rushed and properly resolved in just one ep.