Psycho-Pass and Shin Sekai Yori comparison (spoilers ahead)

[Triple_R]

This is something I've been thinking a lot about lately, and I've seen the two shows compared a bit on each of their respective subforums.

I thought it might be interesting to compare the two shows, and their characters, in a "neutral" setting like this General Anime subforum.

Now, I know that some dislike the comparisons between the two shows, but I also know that some are fond of those comparisons and that many people are watching both shows. Below are some questions that I think might be good icebreakers for discussing how the two shows compare to one another.

If you aren't caught up on both shows (or, at worst, only a couple weeks behind both shows) then you probably want to turn back now, as these questions presume knowledge on late-narrative developments.


Here are the questions!:

1. Would you rather be born and grow up in Sibyl Japan or in the Village of SSY? Presume that you're born at the same time as the female lead of each show.

2. Which of the following best reflects your views on the antagonists?
A) I support the respective revolutionary aims of both Makishima and Squealer.
B) I support Makishima, but not Squealer.
C) I support Squealer, but not Makishima.
D) I support neither. Go Akane Go! Go Saki Go!

3. Which of the following best reflects your views on both female leads?
A) Akane and Saki are both great female leads.
B) Akane is a great character, but Saki is overly weak.
C) Saki is a great character, but Akane is overly incompetent.
D) Both are poor female leads.

4. Which of the two shows do you think has the best sci-fi concepts?

5. Which of the two shows do you think has the strongest thematic strength?

6. Which of the two shows do you think has the best dialogue?

7. Which of the two shows do you like the most overall, at least at this point?


Anyway, that's all for now. Feel free, of course, to add-in whatever additional clarification that you want to for either of your answers.

[Cosmic Eagle]

1) SSY verse

2) C

3) A

4) Kind of on par actually...

5) SSY. Considering the protags are of the race that wiped out modern society and basically screwed humanity over. It's more poignant

6) Psycho Pass

7) SSY

[MeoTwister5]

1. As much are both are very dystopic, it's Japan's Sybil future for me. I think I'd rather have a gun possibly disintegrating me into various atomic particles than being exploded into oblivion by a fiend.

2. This for me is a very difficult question because unlike Makishima's very Ubermensch-ian viewpoints, we really haven't heard Squealer's actual intentions aside from what his subordinates say, so no choice for me yet.

3. For the meantime, the latest episodes of both series clearly point towards Akane's taking a few levels in badass, at least compared to Saki.

4. World building wise, Shinsekai Yori has it hands down. Character wise, it'll be Urobutchi's characters.

5. Thematic strengths is a bit subjective to use. Shinsekai Yori is bit more commonplace, subtle but very far off in the future, so you need to be able to imagine a future that has regressed technologically to be able to see. In Psycho Pass, it's more close future and technological but a bit more shocking and in-your-face brutal, so you also need to be able to stomach the gruesome presentation to be able to see. So both has its strengths and weaknesses.

6. It varies. The philosophical meanderings of characters like Makishima and Kogami will give some Philosophy majors nerdgasms, while the the expositions of a young Saki's shattered naivete bring to light the brutality of a distant future world. So at times it's Psycho Pass, at times it Shinsekai Yori.

7. Psycho Pass, if only because it tends to be more consistent, but there were episodes in Shinsekai that simply blew me away (like the hospital episode).

[Triple_R]

Thanks for the response guys. I guess I should answer my own questions.

1. Sybil Japan. Thinking back on my childhood, I think I have a slightly greater chance of making it to adulthood and enjoying a good life in Sibyl Japan than in the Village of SSY. I'd say there's about a 80% chance I'm not a 'latent criminal'. OTOH, I can see myself running into problems as a kid in SSY. Finally, I'd rather live in a high-tech city than in a low-tech village.

2. A It's very rare to see an antagonist actually "win" in the end. I think that both Psycho-Pass and SSY would be more memorable to me if their respective antagonist's succeed.

3. A That being said, I think that Saki started stronger, but that Akane is ending stronger.

4. Yeah, I'm with Cosmic Eagle here. About on par.


I basically agree with MeoTwister on 5 through 7.

[Kanon]

1. That's a tough one. I'd probably go with Sibyl. It is not as foreign (I love my technology...) and hostile as the world of Shinsekai Yori. As much as I hate the Sibyl system, I think I would have better chances of surviving here than in Shinsekai Yori. Am I choosing security over freedom? Yes and no. The average citizens in SSY do not enjoy that much freedom either. Both Sibyl Japan and the village are closed off from the outside world.

2. B. There is no way I can support genocide, especially not of the entire human race. Plus I have a rather poor opinion of Yakomaru. Makishima, while his methods are also revolting, at least has noble motives I can relate to.

3. A. I may have been a bit disappointed in Saki lately but I still think she's been a great female lead. After reading the comparison between the two shows, it occurred to me Akane's extreme awesomeness these past few weeks may have skewed my view of Saki a bit.

4. Shinseikai Yori. It created a completely new, original and fascinating world.

5. Both are very strong shows on that front. While it's easier to relate to the themes presented in Psycho-pass since the world is so similar to our own, I'll have to go with Shinseikai Yori. I feel it's a lot more subtle, which is something I love. I can't say the same for Psycho-pass.

6. Psycho-pass for its rather extensive philosophical discussions. I'm not too fond of the endless quoting, however. Feels like the characters are only borrowing others' ideas.

7. Shinsekai Yori. I like the storyline better and I'm more attached to its two main characters (most likely because we've been following them since their childhood).

[Archon_Wing]

1.) Free sex is good, but Sibyl society is better, since yes while you are subject to thoughtcrimes, at least you won't be purged for any sign of a threat and be conditioned to the degree that they are in Shin Sekai Yori where every aspect is controlled. While both are oppressed, you stand a greater chance of maintaining your autonomy in Psycho Pass.

2.) D.) Though I would say Squealer's cause is more legitimate because the humans would wipe them out as well.

3.) A.) With a preference towards Saki

4.) Psychopass. It just feels more like Scifi, SSY is more of a Fantasy.

5.) Have not seen enough of PP

6.) PsychoPass; SSY's dialogue isn't particularly special

7.) SSY by default, since I have only watched half of PsychoPass. Personally I find SSY's world and society more interesting, as well as the psychological horror aspect of it.

[Cosmic Eagle]

About autonomy in SSY...actually it always seemed that you have quite free to do whatever you want once you hit your 20s in SSY (no not really, but there is greater autonomy) than Sybil verse...technically you could do things like leave the village and shit on some "research assignment" if you can't stand the place.

You just need to survive to adulthood first

[Kirarakim]

I am trying to go to sleep, darn you! :P
Here are the questions!:

1. Would you rather be born and grow up in Sibyl Japan or in the Village of SSY? Presume that you're born at the same time as the female lead of each show.

This is one of those would you rather lose your arms or leg type of questions. I don't like either place but if I was to take out all the bad stuff and choose future technology vs telekinesis, I would go for the telekinesis. It's just more interesting to me.


2. Which of the following best reflects your views on the antagonists?
A) I support the respective revolutionary aims of both Makishima and Squealer.
B) I support Makishima, but not Squealer.
C) I support Squealer, but not Makishima.
D) I support neither. Go Akane Go! Go Saki Go!

Although Makishima is certainly appealing to the eye, I have never been one to support the end justifies the means which both of these villains exemplify for me,

So D all the way!

3. Which of the following best reflects your views on both female leads?
A) Akane and Saki are both great female leads.
B) Akane is a great character, but Saki is overly weak.
C) Saki is a great character, but Akane is overly incompetent.
D) Both are poor female leads.

A, I love both ladies.

4. Which of the two shows do you think has the best sci-fi concepts?

Shin Sekai Yori, mainly because it has the more well thought out world for me.

5. Which of the two shows do you think has the strongest thematic strength?

Again Shin Sekai Yori, I think both PP and SSY try to present morally gray situations but I think SSY does a better job of this.

The PP system just comes off as wrong wrong to me and now it just comes down to how it will be changed or stopped.

With SSY the whole concept of "survival" and "rights of a species" is pretty fascinating to me. I think the story asks us not judge. It's almost like we are placed in the position of cultural relativists and I find that pretty fascinating.

6. Which of the two shows do you think has the best dialogue?


This one I will give to Psycho Pass. I've become a big fan of Gen Urobuchi's dialogue and there is some of his best in here (although it's a mixture of his own and taken from other sources in this case).

7. Which of the two shows do you like the most overall, at least at this point?


I like them both a lot but I slightly prefer Shin Sekai Yori. Of course perhaps I will weigh in again after the last episode.

[4Tran]

1. Would you rather be born and grow up in Sibyl Japan or in the Village of SSY? Presume that you're born at the same time as the female lead of each show.

This should be no contest - Shin Sekai Yori is a story where humanity is endangered (even at the beginning of the story!), and where adults are terrified of their own children.

2. Which of the following best reflects your views on the antagonists?
A) I support the respective revolutionary aims of both Makishima and Squealer.
B) I support Makishima, but not Squealer.
C) I support Squealer, but not Makishima.
D) I support neither. Go Akane Go! Go Saki Go!

I don't think that your choices are granular enough to cover the gamut of possible responses. Makishima's overall goal is laudable, but his measures and his overall character are abominable. He's also really boring, so there's no way for me to actually support him.

In contrast, Squealer is a much more interesting study. He uses far more extreme measures than Makishima, but he's also revolting against genocidal overlords. The stakes are far higher, and so his actions have are easier to justify. Still, the sheer enormity and ambition and ugliness of what Squealer's plans entail make it hard to support him.

3. Which of the following best reflects your views on both female leads?
A) Akane and Saki are both great female leads.
B) Akane is a great character, but Saki is overly weak.
C) Saki is a great character, but Akane is overly incompetent.
D) Both are poor female leads.

Both are good characters, but I prefer Saki. Akane has been the main draw for Psycho-Pass for the last few episodes though. I'd hesitate to call either of them "great" though.

4. Which of the two shows do you think has the best sci-fi concepts?

Shin Sekai Yori by far. While it would seem that psychic powers are strictly the realm of fantasy, they've been part of the science fiction lexicon since E.E. Doc Smith. Shin Sekai Yori features a wide variety of science fiction concepts, and it incorporates them in an organic fashion.

Meanwhile, Psycho-Pass just uses a couple of main ones with everything else falling to irrelevance. The haphazard way that key pieces of exposition are tossed into the show doesn't help things. I still can't get over hyper oats.

5. Which of the two shows do you think has the strongest thematic strength?

Psycho-Pass has only one theme/question of any importance, but a lot of the story doesn't touch on it in any way. Heck, most of the characters don't even know enough about what's going on to have a say. Shin Sekai Yori takes this point by default.

6. Which of the two shows do you think has the best dialogue?

Shin Sekai Yori has entire episodes where there's nothing but dialogue. Even so, most of those episodes are excellent and evocative. Psycho-Pass excels at action, but it has some really bad dialogue.

7. Which of the two shows do you like the most overall, at least at this point?

Shin Sekai Yori, and by a wide margin. It has higher highs, and it hits them more often. Psycho-Pass has only a few particularly good episodes.

[Haak]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Here are the questions!:

1. Would you rather be born and grow up in Sibyl Japan or in the Village of SSY? Presume that you're born at the same time as the female lead of each show.

Sibyl Japan.

Both have heavy restrictions in freedom but at least Sibyl Japan still allows me freedom of thought, even if it gives me a crappy job because of it.

And I'll still have the internet - That's a huge plus right there.


2. Which of the following best reflects your views on the antagonists?
A) I support the respective revolutionary aims of both Makishima and Squealer.
B) I support Makishima, but not Squealer.
C) I support Squealer, but not Makishima.
D) I support neither. Go Akane Go! Go Saki Go!

I'll have to wait till I'll see the ending. I'm definitely against Squealer since his intention is to wipe out an entire race.

At least Makishima is fighting to better a race even if his methods are inhumane, and I agree with his aims. However, can i support him? That would require me to believe that the Sybl system can't be effectively changed from the inside. I used to believe that trying to change it from the inside is always the better option and I still do mostly but I've become a little disillusioned with that approach in extreme cases so it all depends on whether the show can give a convincing argument of Akane doing just that. So it's either B or D.

3. Which of the following best reflects your views on both female leads?
A) Akane and Saki are both great female leads.
B) Akane is a great character, but Saki is overly weak.
C) Saki is a great character, but Akane is overly incompetent.
D) Both are poor female leads.

How come the choice is either love or hate? I don't hate Saki but I do feel she's a little flat and has mostly served as the viewer's lens rather than a character in her own right. I really like Akane though. I suppose I'll have to go with A.

4. Which of the two shows do you think has the best sci-fi concepts?

Psycho Pass - since I think it's more relevant to today.

Shin Sekai Yori is a bit too dependant on the Psycho-Dynamic model of psychology which I'm not particularly fond of.

5. Which of the two shows do you think has the strongest thematic strength?

I think they're both equally strong actually.

6. Which of the two shows do you think has the best dialogue?

Psycho Pass.

7. Which of the two shows do you like the most overall, at least at this point?

Overall, I enjoy Psycho Pass slightly more than Shin Sekai Yori which i think slips up a little too occasionally in some areas.

[Dawnstorm]

1. Would you rather be born and grow up in Sibyl Japan or in the Village of SSY? Presume that you're born at the same time as the female lead of each show.

The Village of SSY. The risk of being locked up or forced to take therapy is something I'm not prepared to take. I'd rather be killed by a cat.

Lifestyle wise, I'm not sure I could take all those mascot guards. Being assigned a job doesn't seem so bad to me, though.

There's really not that much of a difference for me.

Once the breakdown comes... Can't decide at all. Sounds awful either way.

2. Which of the following best reflects your views on the antagonists?
A) I support the respective revolutionary aims of both Makishima and Squealer.
B) I support Makishima, but not Squealer.
C) I support Squealer, but not Makishima.
D) I support neither. Go Akane Go! Go Saki Go!

Absolutely D.

However, I do sympathise with Yakomaru (as you can see from what name I choose to use). I think it's his position: If he messes up, the Queen might kill him. If he messes up, humans might execute him. If he's ever caught between his queen and the humans? 'twas nice knowing you.

The key point to me is kindness. I'm absolutely certain that Makishima has none of that; he's really just a bored, priviledged sociopath. With Yakomaru, I'm not so sure. I can he see him as the cruel overlord, but I can also see how circumstance forced his hand. (For example, when he said about his queen that he thinks he's she's happier that way, than living mad, I had the feeling that he actually feels bad about what he's done and that that's something he wants to believe. It's the one lie he told in the show; I'm sure he doesn't believe that his queen's happier that way. But I had the feeling that he was lying to himself as much as to Saki/Satoru [and is about as successful with it].)

I'll note that we haven't really seen him since the ratwars started. How he'll behave when he obviously has the upper hand is important.

3. Which of the following best reflects your views on both female leads?
A) Akane and Saki are both great female leads.
B) Akane is a great character, but Saki is overly weak.
C) Saki is a great character, but Akane is overly incompetent.
D) Both are poor female leads.

A) I like them both.

Generally, I think, Akane has a bit more personality. That's, I think, a matter of focus. I think Psycho Pass draws its strength more from it's characters, while Shin Sekai Yori draws its strength more from the setting. Which leads straight into:

4. Which of the two shows do you think has the best sci-fi concepts?

Shin Sekai Yori. In Psycho Pass, the SF elements are mainly the source of character dilemma; the show focusses primarily on the dilemma and doesn't really work on the concepts themselves. I'm not that fond of Psycho Pass when tries to get a wider view. The riot scenes suffered, IMO, from uniform crowd behaviour.

Shin Sekai Yori develops its setting on multiple levels - biological, technological, social. It's fairly complex but comes across as fairly natural. An inhumane system is run by thoroughly humane people (some of which you might like more than others). The show's not afraid of having prejudiced main characters (the prejudice being a setting default). As a SF show, I find SSY much, much better. PP seems too allegorical for what I expect from the genre (I read lots of SF).

5. Which of the two shows do you think has the strongest thematic strength?

It's a draw really. The shows approach their themes differently, so it's hard to compare. SSY seems like a complex exploration of a theme, while PP seems like a permutation of different possible attitudes towards a theme via characters.

6. Which of the two shows do you think has the best dialogue?

Psycho Pass. PP may sometimes get to overtly psychological, and I'm not fond of the name dropping, apart from that, the dialogue is great.

The dialogue in SSY is decent, but it's not that exceptional. (Any dialogue that involves Yakomaru is an exception. This guy's humble, polite, creepy speech patterns are a master piece.)

7. Which of the two shows do you like the most overall, at least at this point?

SSY, and it's not even close. It's just more up my alley.

PP is more consistent in quality, but never reaches the heights that SSY's best episodes reach.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Dawnstorm

I think it's his position: If he messes up, the Queen might kill him. If he messes up, humans might execute him. If he's ever caught between his queen and the humans? 'twas nice knowing you.

That's absolutely not the case. He's already overthrown and even lobotomized his Queen, remember? He stands at the top now. He's very much in control of the situation.

[Dawnstorm]

Originally Posted by Kanon

That's absolutely not the case. He's already overthrown and even lobotomized his Queen, remember? He stands at the top now. He's very much in control of the situation.

Sorry for not being clear. That's his starting position and explains his motivation to an extent. (He's certainly ambitious, too, or he wouldn't have held the position of "head servant" in the first place.)

[Azuma Denton]

1. SSY World. Though i will miss the high speed internet, but i am certain that i wont survive in the world governed by Sibyl System. So, let's relax in the rural village of SSY.

2. D. I support neither.
In Makishima case, i share his point of view about the freedom being robed by Sibyl System, but i dont support his way of doing things.
While in Squealer cases, i wont support him, because I am human, and he is trying to eradicate all human races (or maybe worse, degrade human species into slaves)
Another reason is, Go Akane Go ! Go Saki Go !

3. A

4. On par

5. SSY

6. I prefer the dialogue in SSY.

7. SSY.

[Qilin]

1. Would you rather be born and grow up in Sibyl Japan or in the Village of SSY? Presume that you're born at the same time as the female lead of each show.

Both societies are precariously perched on a knife's edge. Both adhere to an authoritarian mode of governance, but there are several decisive differences. The society in SSY places more emphasis on conscious self-control and desire suppression through fear. On the other hand, the one in Psycho Pass is much more subtle in its approach by gradually increasing society's dependence on technology while slowly robbing humans of self determination. If I had to choose, I would go for Sybil since it specifically exploits the weaknesses human nature instead of trying to suppress it forcefully. In fact, I'd say that modern day societies are gradually approaching the one in PP, minus the brains.

2. Which of the following best reflects your views on the antagonists?

D) I support neither. Go Akane Go! Go Saki Go!

Makishima is a rabble-rouser in disguise. He's a fascinating character, but he does not have the good of society at heart. He's too much of a dreamer for me to support his goal as a practical one.

Yakomaru's aims, on the other hand, are much more human. While I sympathize with the struggle for freedom, war is just something I cannot subscribe to. Mass murder, genocide, rape... These things I can at least justify to an extent, but to drive entire populations to kill each other for the sake of a single ideal is unacceptable. It's an incorrigible abuse of words.

3. Which of the following best reflects your views on both female leads?

B) Akane is a great character, but Saki is overly weak.

Akane has blossomed wonderfully as character, I think. In recent episodes, it's clear just how much she has grown since episode 1. She's the comforting middle ground between the extremes presented by Sybil and Makishima, and is the the one that reins in Kougami if necessary. Saki just doesn't stand out for me as a lead.

4. Which of the two shows do you think has the best sci-fi concepts?

SSY for me. The sort of dystopian settings that PP handles aren't all that special when it comes to Western media, but SSY really captures that out-of-the-world feeling as it uses the idea to psychic abilities in unconventional ways.

5. Which of the two shows do you think has the strongest thematic strength?

It's a mix for me. SSY, to me, feels like it has much more to say than PP on different levels, but as a result the strength of its message does not come off as all that strong. PP, on the other hand, had more condensed themes. As a result, they come off as more powerful due to a stronger focus, that also means that it can get a bit repetitive at times.

6. Which of the two shows do you think has the best dialogue?

PP hands down, I guess... if only for the great discussions.

7. Which of the two shows do you like the most overall, at least at this point?

PP is more consistent with its storytelling, but then, it's a matter of what kind of story one would prefer. PP is a traditionally structured story with a clear conflict and plot progression while SSY is idyllic, more atmospheric in its storytelling choices. As a result, SSY ends up with the more powerful setting. I enjoyed each for their respective strengths until recently. For now, I'm preferring PP more since this last arc in SSY is too fast-paced for my liking.

[Allium]

1. Would you rather be born and grow up in Sibyl Japan or in the Village of SSY? Presume that you're born at the same time as the female lead of each show.
This is quite tough; both worlds precariously walk a tightrope and could slip into chaos at any time. I think I'd like to experience SSY's world - it's healthier, in a way, and of course there's the telekinesis.

2. Which of the following best reflects your views on the antagonists?
A) I support the respective revolutionary aims of both Makishima and Squealer.
B) I support Makishima, but not Squealer.
C) I support Squealer, but not Makishima.
D) I support neither. Go Akane Go! Go Saki Go!

I have to go with [D] here. The antagonists raise a point about being oppressed (in Makishima's case, Sibyl oppressing the people's freedom and in Squealer's case, the queerat race being controlled by humans), but I entirely object to their methods of achieving their goals.

3. Which of the following best reflects your views on both female leads?
A) Akane and Saki are both great female leads.
B) Akane is a great character, but Saki is overly weak.
C) Saki is a great character, but Akane is overly incompetent.
D) Both are poor female leads.

[B]. In comparison, Akane stands out as a much stronger, more resilient figure compared to Saki. Her character development has progressed greatly since the beginning of P-P, and she's proven herself to be a very capable, intelligent person. With Saki I have yet to see that, I guess...

4. Which of the two shows do you think has the best sci-fi concepts?
SSY. Usually when we think of sci-fi shows/stories set many, many years ahead of us, we imagine a high-tech society but SSY has put an interesting twist on that aspect by having its society evolve in a rural setting. The telekinesis also makes for an intriguing spin.

5. Which of the two shows do you think has the strongest thematic strength?
I have to go with SSY. It effectively deals with issues within a broader context, like war, bioengineering, race, etc and neatly interweaves the plotlines and characters into them. P-P's way of handling its themes is mostly narrowed down to the MWPSB team's POV, and the Sibyl System and the stuff related to it is presented as more of the 'side dish' rather than the main focus of the story.

6. Which of the two shows do you think has the best dialogue?
P-P. The quotes are interesting, although they go overboard with them at times.

7. Which of the two shows do you like the most overall, at least at this point?
At this moment, I like P-P just a tad bit more than SSY. Despite its flaws, P-P's consistent and easy to identify with. SSY had horrid pacing during its first few episodes, which almost detracted me from continuing the show.

[deadsea]

1. Would you rather be born and grow up in Sibyl Japan or in the Village of SSY?
SSY, I love the environment and life style.

2. Which of the following best reflects your views on the antagonists?
A) I support the respective revolutionary aims of both Makishima and Squealer.
B) I support Makishima, but not Squealer.
C) I support Squealer, but not Makishima.
D) I support neither. Go Akane Go! Go Saki Go!


C- queerat should not be oppressed anymore!! , Makishima criticism towards sybil is correct, but he must pay for their crimes.

3. Which of the following best reflects your views on both female leads?
A) Akane and Saki are both great female leads.
B) Akane is a great character, but Saki is overly weak.
C) Saki is a great character, but Akane is overly incompetent.
D) Both are poor female leads.
Both are good characters, but I prefer Saki. Saki has developed and we have seen many facets, however Akane changed abruptly,and she was clogging in most ep

4. Which of the two shows do you think has the best sci-fi concepts?
Shin Sekai Yori is more complete, it presents several concepts and develops, PP instead takes a few stalls and developing only one.


5. Which of the two shows do you think has the strongest thematic strength?
SSY

6. Which of the two shows do you think has the best dialogue?
SSY overall dialogue, but PP best quotes although most of the time seem soliloquies, There is minimal dialogue between characters (Yayoi-Shion?, Akane-Yayoi?, Ginoza-Yaoi?)

7. Which of the two shows do you like the most overall, at least at this point?
Shin Sekai Yori I enjoyed every episode!, while in psycho pass only a few have left me intrigued, also from having a poorly development of secondary characters the plot has been very obvious.

[NoemiChan]

1. Probably in Sibyl.... but I'll be a cop...

2. Saki? Akane? neither either.. Shun and Kogami!!!

3. D) Both are poor female leads.

4. SSY? Sci-fi? Makes me laugh.. definitely Psycho Pass

5. Psycho Pass

6. Both I guess....

7. Same level but SSY is little more interesting...

[Kirarakim]

It will be interesting to see what people now think that the two series are over. For me SSY has pushed itself way past Psycho Pass.

I know some people will disagree but I now think Saki was a better lead than Akane.

Akane did have some great moments but her path is pretty typical: become a stronger more seasoned inspector. In the end to me she doesn't really make any impactful decisions. In fact her ending message is

Spoiler for psycho pass ed:

things will change but not by me

.

I know people will call Saki weak but I disagree. I think she showed true strength by always moving forward and sticking to her convictions.

And while what happens to Saki and Akane's societies might seem similar

Spoiler for both series endings:

that things haven't changed at all

I believe Saki unlike Akane shows true conviction

Spoiler for SSY ending:

to start change, even if that change will come slowly

In the end I believe Saki was shown to gain more from what she experienced than Akane.

Edit also about the endings being similar

Spoiler for BOTH SERIES ENDINGS:

In both series the system does not change but at least in SSY, Saki and Satoru are attempting change, even if only a little. Even if that change only manifests in themselves at first, I can see they have learned and gained something.

Akane basically says eventually someone will change the system (but not me) and leaves a laughing sybil system. In fact my major problem with this isn't just that Akane is waiting for someone else to fix things the series itself leaves it open to whether she is right o the sybil system is right. We are not sure if it is hopeful ending or a fruitless ending.

True we don't know if Saki and Satoru's world will change either (and certainly the PK users laughing at Squealer is a bleak view of humanity) but again we have real hope through Saki and Satoru. The words at the end about imagination are also hopeful.

[Kanon]

I couldn't agree more with you. The different path the two heroines chose at the end made all the difference for me, and I realized Saki is the truly strong one. She never gives up not matter how hopeless the situation might seem.

It's not fair to compare both of their decisions, however. They are not in the same position.

Spoiler for Both endings:

Akane is a mere inspector at the mercy of Sibyl whereas Saki is the new leader of the village. It's easier for Saki to gradually change the system from the inside out. Akane could probably find a way to fight back if she wanted to, but it would be a lot tougher and risky so I can understand why she wants to sit that one out.

That said, even if she were in a position to change Sibyl, I'm not sure she would have done it. It seems like she doesn't want to shoulder the responsibility, and this is why I was disappointed in her. She's not tough enough to make a decision that would change the life of the whole population. She'd rather leave that to someone else...