Psycho-Pass - Episode 18

Makishima's time in custody has proved to be brief after he makes good on his escape in the wake of revelations to him (and ourselves) about the truth behind the Sibyl system, and all of a sudden it's the MWPSB's job to catch him again despite having been taken off his case previously.

With the instruction going out not only to recapture Makishima but also to ensure that Kogami is kept well away from the fugitive for Makishima's own protection, it's now clear to all and sundry that something highly untoward is going on.  But can anyone actually do anything about it?  In spite of the chief's absolute ruling, Ginoza proves himself to be more sincere to his beliefs than you might have believed by arranging for some sneaky shenanigans that will keep Kogami on the case.

The trouble is, that the chief (or the person currently acting as her, anyway) doesn't have the wool pulled over her eyes that easily, and she quickly moves not only to put a stop to Ginoza's plan but also to Kogami himself - a state of affairs that is only saved by some quick thinking by Akane to avoid everyone's favourite Enforcer meeting a premature fate.  With any pretence of Makishima being pursued in the name of justice now entirely out the window, it's now up to Kogami, and ultimately Akane, to choose their respective paths towards ensuring that justice is served.

Let's get this out of the way first and foremost - this week's episode of Psycho-Pass looks terrible.  Not just "oh, some of the animation is a bit sub-par" bad, but bad to the point where the poor facial expressions and detail were genuinely distracting from what's going on on-screen.  Another episode of this show might have got away with it somewhat, but given the slow burning nature of this particular instalment and its reliance on character over and above story for the most part it really hurts the narrative and what is unfolding.  That aside, I can't help but feel that the sinister side of the "chief" is overplayed a little in this episode (would this hive mind really be so blatant in their goals if they're so smart?), although on the positive side Akane and Kogami and their respective ways of reaching what is effectively the same goal continues to be a strong touchstone to drive the series forward.  Hopefully they can wrestle the animation jobs away from small children with crayons for next week's instalment...