Psycho-Pass: Sinners of the System Case.2 - First Guardian

Enforcer Teppei Sugou, former ace pilot of the National Defence Army's 15th Integrated Task Force, is visited by a scout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and invited to rejoin the military. While considering the offer, he recalls his last months of service.

His last mission, Operation Foot Stamp, had been a highly classified military strike against the Southeast Asian Union. The operation quickly went south for the ground forces, and Sugou's First Guardian drone was ordered in as air support to drop emergency supplies for the ground units and then return to base. Following orders against his own judgement, Sugou abandoned his comrades on the field.

Many lives were lost during the operation, including Itsuki Ootomo, Sugou's commanding officer. However, three months later, following a massacre at the Ministry of Defence, Otomo was spotted at the scene on camera. Now a suspect in an act of terrorism, Sugou cooperates with Enforcer Tomomi Masaoka and Criminal Investigation Department's Division 01 as they hunt his former mentor down.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Masaoka, Tomomi Main

Arimoto, Kinryuu Japanese

Sugou, Teppei Main

Touchi, Hiroki Japanese

Kougami, Shinya Supporting

Seki, Tomokazu Japanese

Tsunemori, Akane Supporting

Hanazawa, Kana Japanese

Ginoza, Nobuchika Supporting

Nojima, Kenji Japanese

Kagari, Shuusei Supporting

Ishida, Akira Japanese

Karanomori, Shion Supporting

Sawashiro, Miyuki Japanese

Kunizuka, Yayoi Supporting

Itou, Shizuka Japanese

Dominator Supporting

Hidaka, Noriko Japanese

Shimotsuki, Mika Supporting

Sakura, Ayane Japanese

Morihiro, Fumi Producer

Sano, Hiroaki Producer

Mori, Akitoshi Producer

Saitou, Masaya Producer

Reviews

Oct 27, 2019

Karjhan

Recommended

It is very difficult to rate this as a stand-alone movie since what it does is simply to enlarge the PP universe by offering the viewer some insight on some characters (thus developing them) --> The whole package heavily relies on PP background.
The overall mark should be close to a 9. Why?

[spoiler]
Considering the apparent purpose of the movie (developing characters), I'll start off with them. Most of First Guardian takes place prior to S1, thus we'll have a different suite of figures. The one's that stand out the most are Masaoka, Teppei and Aoyanagi, especially since this movie reveals in detail the tragedy behind their ... characters that we've come to acknowledge in S1 and S2.
Teppei's justice is still a slave of the system, ending up killing his comrades, including his mentor, in the war (very similar to how he unconsciously "offered justice" to his inspector, Aoyanagi, in S2). His noble intentions are met with the cruelty of current society's reality.
We also get to observe the father-like of figure of Masaoka. Behind the mask of a hot-blooded enforcer and impressive detective, stands a kind father and mentor who would do anything to protect his family (as it is seen in S1).
Finally, the viewer gets to find out a new side of Aoyanagi, in the clever, but kind inspector, whose trust, while well placed, will end up consuming her (as it is seen in S2).
I also want to mention the "villain" of this movie. Even though it's not as impressive and remarkable as Makashima, or Kamui, there is a lot to learn from the actions of her revenge which will make the viewer generate thought-provoking self-questions about justice and truth (one of this movie's main ideas).

The soundtrack is a mix of S1 and S2 (you'll definietly notice them) with a few modified tracks (ex: the violin from min4). It embeds with the story almost perfectly: not too melodramatic, not too cyberpunk...simple and elegant at times and complements the dialogues in the same manner that S1 and S2 have done so far. The only issue I have is similar to the 1st movie, that is: the fighting sounds (punches and kicks are loud to the unreal).

There's not much to say about animation here since there's not as much chase or fighting as in 1st movie. However, the artstyle is completely different. You can observe colors almost spoiling the weight of the message of their corresponding scenes (ex: red-brownish colors in Teppei's reminiscence are immediately switched to the darker tones of war). What also stands out more is the fight's choreography (not as much as the fight in the 1st movie). There's also a bit of CGI (especially in the drone scenes), but you can easily get around it since it's not overused (CLING-CLANG-ersek).

The premise of the movie is a bit different than what we're used to, since S1 and S2 had to do a lot with Sybil System, whereas here it's a bit more subtle. However, as the movie proceeds, all of the elements mentioned above are orchestrated really well to unfold the actual theme of this movie: justice (especially self-justice). We are taken back in time in order to observe the judgement behind Teppei's answer in present and how strong individuals get treated in uniformed society. There's a lot to say here, but I'll keep short by saying that this memory of the past finds it's way in the future of PP universe.
I may have failed to notice the true philosophy and motifs behind the movie, but this didn't necessarily stopped me to enjoy it to its end. In the end, it is often good to remind that "the most dangerous prison is the one you don't see".
[/spoiler]

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Oct 12, 2020

NiQ1

Mixed Feelings

TL;DR - What a letdown...
This movie focuses on an enforcer named Teppei Sugou, who used to be a soldier, telling the story how he became an enforcer. The entire movie (except for the first five minutes and last two minutes) is a flashback a few years back, which, in my opinion, is a bad thing by itself because it feels like the first minutes of the movie are a spoiler of the entire thing.
Not that the actual story is really noteworthy - An attack on the ministry of defense building resulting in multiple casualties is carried out using a drone who appears to be operated ... by an ex-soldier who was declared MIA, presumably dead, in a military operation a few years earlier (yes, a flashback within a flashback, yikes!). The public safety bureau arrives in a military base and questions Sugou as a suspect of being an accomplice but the reluctance of the military personnel to cooperate with the investigation hints that they may be trying to cover something up.
Yup, yet another coverup story, been there, done that. Seriously nothing impressive. The link between the movie and the main Psycho-Pass world is very thin, to the point where you could just change the character names and turn it into a standalone movie, but then again, who would watch it?
Really too bad, because the first episode of Sinners was quite good. Like I said, what a letdown.
Art and sound - Same as the TV anime, nothing surprising here.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Nov 5, 2019

gabrielrroiz

Not Recommended

In my continuous questions of why cashgrab sequels keep being made, we arrive at another Psycho Pass movie. Perhaps a little introduction on my philosophy about the subject is needed. Continuations have a specific purpose, since they should not only tell what happens next. Your work should feel whole regardless of future events, with no worth in simply showing what happened next, everything and nothing are both valid retorts when thinking about the future in fiction. So when writing a sequel, it is important to expand on why it’s different, maybe on the setting, tone, characters you are following, to generally excuse the different ... time of release. In addition, maybe expand on something, progress an idea, make it seem like you are writing the natural evolution for events. You need to have some god dawn point, behind opening an ended story. Sometimes the result could be a new appreciation, or context on an earlier work, a new light or way to see an experience. This is not an example of anything said earlier.

Even if going for more Psycho Pass, just for the curiosity in regards to what happened next, you are going to be disappointed. The movie is a weird prequel, telling the story of our group of officers before Akane Tsunemori joined the gang, mixed with a backstory for one of the more forgettable characters in the franchise, Sugou Teppei. Which finds its biggest achievement on either front, in giving Sugou the minimal emotional investment in his struggles and conflict?

The issue of only achieving the bare minimum in terms of characters extends to the entire cast. There is a stark lack of focus, coming with a difficult to find just one narrative to tell. Instead, it opts for several stories, that of one soldier looking for revenge on the nation that allowed him to die (It reminds me of Patlabor 2 in several instances). Alternatively, one about intrigue, corruption in several military factions, and undistinguishable higher ups in the army. And a detective story, a la Psycho Pass norm, focusing on another flawed aspect of the Sybil system (Gee, where have I seen this before).

There are not many threads connecting each story. The way it comes together as whole is usually forced, the disjointed parts barely relate, inform or progress one another. Sure, the same characters get tangled and involved in several things, but besides their presence, the connective threads come mostly from convenience. The end result is something that barely seems to have been written as a movie, but more of a blueprint and introduction to future events.

The central theme is clear, even if not present on most scenes, this presents a conflict of several characters trying to maintain their sanity, be part of the normal society. In addition, they face a world that forces them to take maddening, self-destructive actions, for the good of that same system. Basically the same question of the first season, with actually less depth and way less dramatized struggles.

On a certain way, this movie actually reminded of the original forgettable Psycho Pass Movie, with its setting of guerrilla warfare, corrupt military and shaky dealing of Sybil with the outside world. Yeah other nations were basically hell, and the movie offered more of a simplified justification on why people followed Sybil in the first place, because new places were even worse. Nevertheless, it was still an expansion, giving a better picture of international affairs. The current one does not even have the luxury to amount to such excuse, because it repeats the setting and the same twists about the military.

Not all is awful as I am trying to portray. We still did not get the legit awful movie, so it can be elected as the second coming of Psycho Pass 2. Action scenes are serviceable (Ok no they sucked, but they are beautiful some of the time). The highlight may only come from an almost throwaway moment of Masaoka, telling the person he loved the most his life ideals and ambitions. Really, I sure as hell love this scene.

Perhaps it is wrong for me to expect fiction more focused on questions, studies of human nature. Give me a sci-fi with strange aliens and technologies, which does not ask how a technology works, but instead how it affects society and life. That is all I need for a great time. In here, we have a somewhat watchable action series, (no longer a detective show because it is somewhat autistic in regards to intentions), which is occasionally fun but gives me no motivation to watch more.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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