Psycho-

Justice, and the enforcement of it, has changed. In the 22nd century, Japan enforces the Sibyl System, an objective means of determining the threat level of each citizen by examining their mental state for signs of criminal intent, known as their Psycho-. Inspectors uphold the law by subjugating, often with lethal force, anyone harboring the slightest ill-will; alongside them are Enforcers, jaded Inspectors that have become latent criminals, granted relative freedom in exchange for carrying out the Inspectors' dirty work.

Into this world steps Akane Tsunemori, a young woman with an honest desire to uphold justice. However, as she works alongside veteran Enforcer Shinya Kougami, she soon learns that the Sibyl System's judgments are not as perfect as her fellow Inspectors assume. With everything she has known turned on its head, Akane wrestles with the question of what justice truly is, and whether it can be upheld through the use of a system that may already be corrupt.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Kougami, Shinya Main

Seki, Tomokazu Japanese

Makishima, Shougo Main

Sakurai, Takahiro Japanese

Tsunemori, Akane Main

Hanazawa, Kana Japanese

Ginoza, Nobuchika ing

Nojima, Kenji Japanese

Kagari, Shuusei ing

Ishida, Akira Japanese

Masaoka, Tomomi ing

Arimoto, Kinryuu Japanese

Karanomori, Shion ing

Sawashiro, Miyuki Japanese

Kunizuka, Yayoi ing

Itou, Shizuka Japanese

Dominator ing

Hidaka, Noriko Japanese

Saiga, Jouji ing

Yamaji, Kazuhiro Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Wada, George Producer

Okamura, Wakana Producer

Kawaguchi, Tooru Producer

Reviews

May 22, 2025

HazlerManga

Recommended

Psycho- Season 1 Review – A Thought-Provoking Masterpiece of Sci-Fi and Philosophy

Psycho- Season 1 is nothing short of a modern anime classic. Set in a hauntingly believable dystopian future, this series masterfully blends gripping crime drama with deep philosophical questions about justice, free will, and the nature of humanity.

From the very first episode, the show pulls you into its high-tech world where the state can measure your likelihood to commit a crime. This chilling premise sets the stage for a compelling narrative filled with suspense, moral dilemmas, and rich character development.

What sets Psycho- apart is its intelligence. It doesn't spoon-feed its message—it challenges you to ... think. The writing, led by Gen Urobuchi, dives deep into themes of societal control, the illusion of safety, and what it means to be truly free. The antagonist, Shogo Makishima, is particularly memorable: a rare villain who is both terrifying and fascinating, questioning the very foundations of the world he inhabits.

The animation by Production I.G is stellar—dark, stylish, and immersive. The action scenes are intense without being gratuitous, and the haunting score only adds to the atmosphere. The voice acting (in both Japanese and English dubs) is top-notch, bringing nuance and emotion to every performance.

Akane Tsunemori’s evolution from an idealistic rookie to a hardened realist is one of the most satisfying character arcs in recent anime. Her dynamic with the brooding and complex Shinya Kogami is layered and compelling, making every scene they share feel vital.

Whether you're a fan of cyberpunk, psychological thrillers, or just great storytelling, Psycho- is a must-watch. It entertains, it disturbs, and most importantly—it makes you think.

Verdict: 10/10 – A smart, stylish, and unforgettable anime experience.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Jun 14, 2025

joemaamah

Mixed Feelings

This is just about making me psycho, due to the mental conflicts I have with it. What it does good is superb. What is does bad is abysmal.

The basic artwork is tremendous. It's very rare to see CGI used to this level. Backgrounds and animation are tremendous. Very impressive, indeed.

Then there are the character designs. For the most part, they are great too. But you would think the MC would get the best design. Not so here. The design of Akane, especially the artwork, was simply wretched. Why they decided to create what is essentially a generic middle school character, instead of a ... full grown woman, with this design is beyond me. It irked me no end, especially as the series wore on. The character development would have been a hell of a lot more believable. My Helmet of Disbelief kept short circuiting, no matter how many times I reset the circuit breaker. She ultimately falls short, and holds the whole production back.

Then there is the narrative writing. The main part of the story is balls to the walls criminal drama. It's certainly at it's best when it is focused on the hunt for Makishima, who is the best character by far. There are some interesting twists along the way, but then there are also a couple that made me go "WTF was that for?" I'll skip the spoilers, but there are parts of this where the writers reach way up their ass, and pull out some real shit.

Then there are way too many instances of monologue. If I wanted philosophy, I'd pick up a book. Yeah OK, I know they are trying to portray social commentary, but this pseudo-intellectualization fell flat as a pancake. One thing I felt the writers did do exceptionally well though, was the relationships and interactions between characters. Well done, even with secondary ing characters.

So overall, the writing was a very mixed bag, but the VAs did a very good job with what they had to work with. The direction got the best from the cast each and every episode. There was a fine soundtrack I found was well used to promote dramatic scenes. With the stellar animation, the direction was to be commended.

I really, really wish I could give a to the stuff that fell short. Without the mistakes in the character design and writing, this would have been a 10. But I couldn't grade better than 84/100 for a flat B as a total project. I'll give the producers credit though. They swung for a Grand Slam, but only lined a double off the wall.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Jan 15, 2025

sacolle

Not Recommended

I have never seen a series miss the mark so much as Psycho-. The premisse initially cool and the characters are great, but the only problem is that the author fumbles the concept so hard its really sad. The anime is essencially I robot + Minority report which is inherently cool, but it does not uses its screen time to present the moral dilemas it wants us to think its trying to discuss. It's very hard without going in specifics, but the anime want the viewer to question the state its society when the problems it shows are (almost) never systemic. Because so much of ... the anime hinges on its high concept, when it fails, at least for me, it takes the whole anime down.
Bonus point for the secret "immigration will destroy japan" at the end.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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