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[Warning] This is more of a word vomit than an actual review. I apologize.

Friendships in mainstream shonen anime usually mean having two bros punching and kicking, shedding sweat and blood to prove their bravery, perseverance, strength and physical sacrifice. I came across this manga out of sheer coincidence. In fact, I rarely read any shojo, but I'm glad that I read this one.

The "Secret of Friendship" between Eiko and Moe is nothing less compelling - just perhaps, a hell lot less painful in comparison. It's rare to find a story that centers around a friendship between two young girls, who are so utterly devoted to ... one another, that they would choose to be with each other any day over their boyfriends. They are self-revealing, accepting and intimate; they wear their hearts on their sleeves for the world to see.

Personally, I found it refreshing and rather touching. It is a pure relationship that is so down-to-earth yet so beyond my comprehension. My cynical little heart felt warm by the time I finished.

[IN A NUTSHELL] Psycho-Pass offers a dark and intense crime-fighting storyline, set in a futuristic city with questionable technology, with overarching philosophical banter amongst pretty bishonen characters on what's right and wrong, on whether it's okay for supercomputers judge what it means to be human and so forth, all encased in wonderful artwork and semi-trance music.

STORY (7): The premise of the story is BOTH the strength and weakness of this anime. The idea of 'stopping crime before it happens' has already been explored and thoroughly loved/worshipped in Philip K. Dick's "Minority Report." Outdoing it would be like "Hunger Games" trying to outdo "Battle Royale." ... The death-match rivalry between Shinya Kogami and Shogo Makishima also mirrors dangerously close to the overdone example of the 'eccentric detective' (ie. Sherlock Holmes) versus the 'criminal mastermind' (ie. James Moriarty). Solid formula? Definitely. Original? Not entirely.

The story isn't completely still-water, however. Eleven episodes in, the anime clearly presents a well-paced sequence of events with smooth action scenes and great cliffhangers. The transition between frames are brilliant and easy to follow. The dialogues aren't cheesy nor do they spoon feed us with information. Many things are still left unsaid, keeping us interested.

Personally, I hope to see more of how exactly the Sibyl system works, the logistics behind it and all that nitty-gritty details. The story needs to break off from the overdone formulas and deliver something unexpected (and/or psychologically more unsettling). The potential is definitely there and there are many more questions to be answered. I'm waiting for the next episode, so it's been a hit for me so far.

ART (10): Amano Akira sensei, creator of the immensely popular Katekyo Hitman Reborn! series, attempts a more mature twist to her style in the Psycho-Pass series. (Think TYL-counterparts in sketchy neighborhoods, under dimly lit warehouses and impossibly tall and abstract skyscrapers) Her clean and visually appealing style is surprisingly well-adapted to the more grungy and grotesque feel in Psycho-Pass. Seriously, everything looks so polished. Also, kudos to the I.G. Production team, who also produced "Ghost in the Shell." It's in good hands.

CHARACTER (7): Physically, they resemble the Reborn! characters, which isn't particularly a bad thing. Kogami Shinya looks like the lovechild between Hibari Kyoya and Yamamoto Takeshi, Tsunemori Akane is a less annoying version of Miura Haru, and Makishima Shogo could easily be Rokudo Mukuro possessing Byakuran in a parallel universe. Personality-wise, they are also pretty archetypical so far. The protagonist is an outcast who seeks revenge (as well as redemption), the good-natured heroine is sadly still quite useless, and the villain (anti-hero?) is the untouchable genius who prefers not to get his own hands dirty. Again, the potential is there to make these characters more interesting in the future episodes. Psycho-Pass definitely has better female characters than Reborn, but not by a big margin. Personally, I enjoy the resemblance.

SOUND (8): The music fits the futuristic and enigmatic tone of the story. It was slightly unsettling at first, especially the OP, but it grows on you.

ENJOYMENT (8)

OVERALL (8): When you read Psycho-Pass in katakana, it's the same pronunciation as Psychopath. Maybe that's what they're getting at. You know, that we all have a little bit of crazy in us.