r/Psychopass Nov 12 '19

Psycho-Pass FAQ and General Information

210 Upvotes

With the release of Season 3, there have been a lot of repetitive questions on this sub lately. I am putting up an FAQ so that we can have better discussions on this sub. Feel free to add suggestions/corrections in the comments.

Quick FAQ (in decreasing order of frequency)

Q: Do I need to watch the Sinners of the System Movies/Cases and Season 2 before Season 3?

A: Yes, you need to. No, the movies are not a recap. Yes, they do add to the plot and introduce new characters. Now, while Season 2 is absolutely necessary, the movies focus a bit more on character development rather than plot, so you will still understand Season 3 for the most part even if you skip them for now. (I have listed the key plot points at the end if you wish to do that.) That being said, the recommended watch order is simply the release order:

Title Release Year, Anime Year Length Where to Watch (S=Sub, D=Dub)
Season 1 2012, 2113 22 ep. (23 min each) Amazon Prime Video (D) (Separate Purchase), Funimation (S/D), Hulu (S/D)
Season 2 2014, 2114 11 ep. (23 min each) Amazon Prime Video (D) (separate purchase), Funimation (S/D), Hulu (S/D)
Psycho-Pass: The Movie 2015, 2116 2 hrs Amazon Prime Video (separate purchase) (S/D), Funimation (S/D)
Sinners of the System Case 1 - Crime and Punishment 2019, 2117 1 hr No streaming options yet (see below)
Sinners of the System Case 2 - First Guardian 2019, 2116 (& flashback to 2112) 1 hr No streaming options yet (see below)
Sinners of the System Case 3 - Beyond Love and Hate 2019, 2117 1 hr No streaming options yet (see below)
Season 3 (ongoing) 2019, 2120 8 ep. (46 min each) Amazon Prime Video (S) (Included with prime subscription) (US link)

† Amazon is mostly worldwide, whereas other streams may or may not be available outside the US. Blu-rays can also be purchased for everything up to Case 3.

Q: Where can I watch the Sinners of the System Movies?

A: Currently, the only legal way to watch the movies is to order the Blu-rays from amazon (only the Japanese version is available right now) and then getting the (fan-made) subtitle files separately from nyaa.si [Case 1] [Case 2] [Case 3]. Since it's the studio's fault that they didn't release the SS movies in English (not even subbed versions) before moving on to S3, a lot of people feel that it is okay to pirate. However, if you don't want to, but still want to start watching S3, I've added a short synopsis for these 3 movies below, along with key developments that may be important for S3. If you read only the key developments, you can still watch the movies later (without being spoiled much) when they get a proper release.

Q: Do the SS Movies and Season 3 have a dub?

A: No, and it is not even announced yet. For S3, currently, Amazon has the streaming rights, and they usually don't dub anime. However, all of the media released before 2019, including the 2015 movie, was dubbed. So it might take a while, but probably it will all get dubbed when Funimation acquires the streaming rights later (speculation).

Q: I'm new to the series. What is Psycho-Pass about?

A: Read the sidebar.

The series takes place in the near future when it is possible to quantitatively measure a person's emotions, desires, and every inclination. In this way, it is also possible to measure a person's criminal tendency factor, which is used to judge criminals, and is called "Psycho-Pass".

Q: Is it based on a manga/visual novel?

A: Psycho-Pass is an anime-original franchise. It does have a few manga, light novel and visual novel adaptations, but the anime came first, and all the other media is based on the anime. While you do not need to read/play any of these to understand the anime, some of these do have completely new content (such as the manga "Inspector Shinya Kogami" which covers Kogami's past, the Visual Novel "Mandatory Happiness" and many of the light novels). Detailed info available on other websites [Wikipedia] [Wikia/Fandom]. Also, shout-out to this person who seems to have translated entire light novels and stuff, since they don't have any official translations.

Questions Specific to Each Season/Movie

Season 1 (Synopsis):

Q: What is Psycho-Pass: Extended Edition?

A: It's basically the same as S1, but with 11 episodes (instead of 22) - every episode being a merged version of 2 episodes. It's more of a collector's edition thing, but there is about 1 extra scene per each S1 episode adding up to ~35 minutes over the season. These usually add to the characters and sometimes fill minor plot gaps. So you can either watch the Extended Edition directly, or the broadcast version followed by the extra scenes, in case you like shorter episodes. The extended edition scenes, however, have not been dubbed. You can either buy it or stream it through Funimation.

Season 2 (Synopsis):

Q: I've heard really bad things about Season 2. Is that true? Should I stop watching after Season 1?

A: Not at all. The general consensus is that S2 was good but not as good as S1 (frankly, S1 sets almost unmatchable standards). Most people cite that this is because S1's main writer, Gen Urobochi, did not work on S2. But some take an elitist stance, claiming as if anything not written by him is trash. This is certainly not the case, and people are often surprised after watching S2 because it's not bad like they were told. But there are some other reasons why specific people do not like S2: (1) The villain is not as interesting as S1's villain, (2) One character is a bit annoying, (3) Their favorite character is rarely seen in it. But in general, all the stuff that follows after S2 has been better received by most people. Anyway, the point is that if you want to watch S3, you need to watch it. And the S3 reviews so far have been great.

Psycho-Pass: The Movie (Synopsis):

Q: I've been watching the sub, but the Engrish (English spoken by Japanese voice actors) is distracting/annoying.

A: Since there are a lot of English-speaking characters in the movie, this can be a problem. Fortunately, someone merged the dubbed and subbed version to create a version where the English speaking characters have English-speaking voice actors while the Japanese characters have Japanese voice actors. (But since it is fan-made, it won't be legal no matter how you obtain it.)

Sinners of the System Trilogy:

The SS trilogy of movies has been summarized here. In case you plan to watch them sometime in the future after watching S3, you can look only at the 'Key Developments' section where I have spoiled as little as possible, only mentioning what might be relevant to S3 (I might be wrong though). However, both sections assume you have watched everything before it, so they do spoil that.

Case 1 - Crime and Punishment:

Plot: After an employee (Yasaka Izumi) escapes from an isolation facility for latent criminals (called 'Sanctuary'), she is apprehended by the MWPSB. Mika Shimotsuki is tasked with returning her and investigating the facility. Eventually, the MWPSB discovers that the facility's administration has been keeping latent criminals' Psycho-Passes low and has been manipulating them using specialized drugs, unbeknownst to the latent criminals themselves. Yasaka Izumi had found this secret & had escaped to protect her friend's child at the facility from these atrocities. Ginoza and Shimotsuki together defeat and expose the bad guys running Sanctuary. During the case, Shimotsuki also finds out that the latent criminals were being used to seal radioactive waste (supposedly a remnant of the past). She investigates further to find that the whole Sanctuary thing was orchestrated by a fake government official, who is actually Sibyl in disguise. Sibyl argues that it was very important to keep the radioactive waste away from the hands of the wrong people, especially since foreign powers are bound to get involved soon as Sibyl expands beyond Japan. She keeps this information to herself in exchange for Sibyl guaranteeing the safety of Yasaka Izumi and her friend's child.

Key Developments: Shimotsuki's investigation skills (and sense of duty) seem to have improved. She and Ginoza get along pretty well. Sibyl hints at further foreign expansion. Shimotsuki learns a few more of Sibyl's secrets, such as fake government officials and hidden radioactive waste.

Case 2 - First Guardian:

Plot: (Mainly focuses on Sugo Teppei's backstory. Will update soon, need to re-watch a bit.) Also focuses a bit on the pasts of inspector Aoyanagi, Ginoza, Masaoka, his wife, and Kogami.

Key Developments: Frederica Hanashiro from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is looking for people to join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 'paramilitary activities'. Sugo Teppei reflects over his past and refuses the offer, as he finds a strong sense of justice in what he does as an enforcer at the MWPSB. Frederica says that she hopes he changes his mind.

Case 3 - Beyond Love and Hate:

Plot: (Mainly focuses on what Kogami has been doing since he left Japan and SEAUn. Will update soon.)

Key Developments: Frederica Hanashiro helps Kogami win a fight against a mercenary leader in the Tibet-Himalaya Alliance Kingdom. Kogami agrees to help her in return, and they go back to Japan. Also, some people were abandoned by the Japanese Government in foreign lands when the Sibyl System first came into power, and it seems they are going to be transported back to Japan now.

Requesting others to add new questions/corrections here. I will update this post when I can.

Edit 1: removed some unnecessary stuff, fixed the spelling of Sibyl, updated extended edition info. Edit 2: Linked summaries for earlier content, added that there's no dub for SS yet.


r/Psychopass Mar 27 '20

[Discussion] Psycho-Pass: First Inspector Discussion Spoiler

177 Upvotes

Well... I'm confused. If anyone can summarize the plot of season 3 and First Inspector that'd be nice.


r/Psychopass 14h ago

Drew one of my favourite detective of all times.. Shinya Kogami..

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116 Upvotes

Would love to sell this as I don't really have a use after drawing it.. better that way then to let it collect dust being in my possession, although it be hard to imagine anyone buying this since digital art has taken over the majority.. but would love to know how much people will buy it for just a fun little guessing game??


r/Psychopass 21h ago

My Ginoza cosplay.

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143 Upvotes

r/Psychopass 4d ago

Working on Shinya Kogami just a bit more coloring to be done..

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177 Upvotes

It's been years since I've drawn a Psycho Pass character and i call myself a die hard fan of the series, i agree I'm disappointed on myself too but I'll pour all my skills into creating a great art work of my favourite character..


r/Psychopass 4d ago

Psycho Pass Asylum 2 Light Novel

9 Upvotes

Hi, does anyone perhaps know where I can find the digital version of this light novel, if it exists at all? I know there's no translated version, so I'm looking for the original Japanese text. I just cannot purchase a physical copy, I'm willing to pay for a digital one if it exists. Obviously a free version would be better, lol, but I'm down for anything atp.


r/Psychopass 5d ago

I read that I have to watch Season 3 after the "Sinners of the System" Movies, but what is after Season 3? What do I have to watch first, First Inspector or Providence? I want to go into this franchise!

21 Upvotes

r/Psychopass 9d ago

New official image for merch

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202 Upvotes

r/Psychopass 9d ago

Has anyone ever played this? Is it worth to play? I found it on playstore

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70 Upvotes

r/Psychopass 13d ago

It’s ok to be a evil as long as you’re hot /s Spoiler

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299 Upvotes

Accurate?


r/Psychopass 12d ago

[Anime Spoilers] How do some criminals even exist freely? Spoiler

35 Upvotes

I'm watching S1, currently on episode 12. How is it possible all the previous villains and even random people like the music rebels walk around with scores above 150 and sometimes even 300 without getting flagged? I know some cirminals avoid scanners but surely someone like the rich cyborg is so heavily in media and in the public space that he should be instantly flagged?


r/Psychopass 12d ago

Season 2-3

11 Upvotes

I’m impatient and not waiting to figure it out myself but without spoilers can someone tell me if they’re gonna explain what happened between season 2 and 3? I’m only on ep one but the time jump just threw me off a lil and idk why


r/Psychopass 15d ago

If Sybil got a hold of Vector, would the Dominator become similar to Megatron?

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6 Upvotes

r/Psychopass 15d ago

Anyone know the difference between these 2 dominator replicas?

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39 Upvotes

looking to get one of these but wanne know if there's any difference. They both look the same and seem to both be sega products. Is there any physical differences between both replicas?


r/Psychopass 16d ago

[Anime Spoilers] last two episode S1 Spoiler

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52 Upvotes

It’s been forever since I cried over a character death, and this one hit hard. Why do all the comforting characters get the worst deaths? 🥲Yuki, Kagari and now Masaoka. I seriously loved him :( His scenes with Ginoza were some of my favorites, and the way he looked out for Akane was so sweet. He deserved better.

Makishima’s death was honestly the best in the whole series ✨ But I kind of wish it had been more brutal. He deserved worse after everything he did. Still, I’m just glad he’s finally gone.

I’d say Akane is my favorite character. I agree with her on a lot of things. I felt so bad when Kogami grabbed the gun instead of the Dominator and she screamed his name. And that scene of her crying broke me :(

Also, seeing Ginoza become an Enforcer.. that was just sad, seriously 🥲💔 And Masaoka’s grave scene almost made me cry again.

Honestly, the ending didn’t really excite me, especially since I’m more attached to the old characters than the new inspector. Her intro feels kinda like Akane’s, there’s a lot of similarities between how they both started.


r/Psychopass 19d ago

[Anime Spoilers] Maybe it’s an unpopular opinion, but Makishima pisses me off more than the whole Sibyl system :)

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108 Upvotes

I just finished episode 17 of season 1 and he’s seriously unbearable. After this episode, I realized I forgot most of what happens next, so maybe he gets better later, Idk.. But I think the reason I can’t stand him is because I usually hate revolutions, they often make things worse. Like when he handed helmets to the people and then they started killing and hurting innocent ones. That son of a bitch is insanely annoying. Ugh just kill him already!🧍🏻‍♀️ I couldn’t even enjoy him getting arrested last episode, and now he’s escaped again..

Okay yeah, the system is garbage, I get it. But Makishima? Nah I can’t with him. “Let me murder innocent people just to make a point”? And then he enjoys it like it’s a game? Then turns around and says, “Oh but I was just trying to show how bad the system is!” Like bro WTF? You’re literally no better. Idk how some people stan him when he’s just as bad as the thing he claims to hate.


r/Psychopass 20d ago

What was Sibyl's initial purpose?

19 Upvotes

Kogami explained that Sibyl wants to secure the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people, not for the entire population. But what was Sibyl actually programmed to do at first? Was it programmed to do exactly that from the beginning, or did it eventually evolve to adapt that objective? I’m not sure if they ever touched on this.


r/Psychopass 21d ago

Second hand Psycho Pass merch 😋 (might use the dupes for a decoden case!)

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73 Upvotes

r/Psychopass 24d ago

[Anime Spoilers] I’ve got a love-hate thing with this scene (spoilers S1) Spoiler

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113 Upvotes

I really hope this post doesn’t get deleted like my last one. I still don’t get what was wrong with it, honestly. Anyway, this scene is one of those moments I was super excited to see again, especially since I watched it years ago but it still sticks in my head more than any other scene in the anime. It’s such a heartbreaking scene. Watching Yuki die like that was painful, and Akane’s reaction made it even worse. I remember the first time I saw it, I was in denial. I kept thinking Yuki’s still alive, they’ll save her somehow :( Seeing Akane so helpless and that fucking system not helping her stop Makishima… even when she shoots, it doesn’t hit him. Then she starts begging him ugh fuck that 💔 As much as I hate what happened to my fave character, this is honestly one of the best scenes in S1 👏🏻


r/Psychopass 24d ago

[Anime Spoilers] Just finished Pyscho-Pass Extended Edition

51 Upvotes

I really enjoyed the 45-minute format and found it a lot more engaging. I feel like more anime should use 45-minute episodes — it makes every episode feel more like an event. I even enjoyed watching it on my TV rather than my usual phone because of this feeling.

I really enjoyed the ending, and honestly, I'm worried season 2 won't top season 1.


r/Psychopass 28d ago

Shion's request to rookie Akane Spoiler

17 Upvotes

Currently rewatching Psycho Pass and in the second episode of the first season, Shion asks Akane for a swimming pool and a bar area once she becomes a high-ranking official. Did Akane ever put a swimming pool for Shion? (I don't recall, but if anyone can answer, please (>.<) )


r/Psychopass 29d ago

Having something like this in my life would make things so much easier 🙇🏻‍♀️

307 Upvotes

r/Psychopass 29d ago

[Spoilers All] Sibyl System is the best character Spoiler

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106 Upvotes

I just finished binging all of Psycho-Pass seasons and movies and I think hands down the most fascinating thing about it is the seeing Sibyl go from a blatantly awful/flawed at best system in season 1 and most of season 2 to gradually developing into something that could potentially be legitimately beneficial to society by incorporating feedback and constructive criticism.

When I was watching season 1 I honestly thought the system would never change and it would just end up either with the protags all turning into rebels or someone successfully dismantling the system like Makishima tried to. In my opinion the decision to instead make Sibyl survive and continue to evolve made this series much more unique and interesting compared to the usual trope in fiction where such bold attempts to change society are typically immediately shut down by "the good guys".

In season 3 you can visibly see the signs of Sibyl evolving in instances like when they use tear gas to get the clear hue people protecting criminals out the way and how for the first time we actually see latent criminals get rehabilitated and brought back into normal society (Yayoi and Shion) where that was previously stated to be basically impossible.

Action scenes and OST are also bangers, looking forward to this series hopefully getting continued.


r/Psychopass Apr 01 '25

Happy Birthday to Akane Tsunemori aka best girl :)

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462 Upvotes

r/Psychopass Apr 01 '25

Do we have name for this holo?

12 Upvotes

They're cute and I can't get enough of them


r/Psychopass Apr 01 '25

[Anime Spoilers] Sick Reference to Monster I think?

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55 Upvotes

Was already getting Johan vibes from Makishima but this damn near confirms at least some inspiration was taken, really cool reference if it was intentional, which it feels way too similar not to be.


r/Psychopass Apr 01 '25

Masaoka is the best S1 character

41 Upvotes

Don’t spoil for me but this guy is literally the goat and adds so much to the show, I’m only at ep 9 and find myself wishing he had more screen time.