Psycho-Pass 16: "The Gate to Judgment" // Chigaijin

Psycho-Pass 16: "The Gate to Judgment"

We’re in the middle of the raid on Nonagon Tower. I’m finding that while I took a lot of screencaps, I don’t actually have much to say about them. Time for some aggressive pruning!

…okay, I can’t skip this one.

(Karanomori's screen, showing Nona Tower's security cameras and Tsunemori's extracted memories, with a flashing pop-up that says "THE SAME PERSON")

Kogami and Tsunemori go up, while Kagari goes down. This is definitely a recipe for disaster—do you not remember how Tunnel Boss got the drop on you last time? Kogami tells Kagari not to do anything reckless. Kagari:

"I don't want *you* to tell me that, Ko!"

They get going. Kogami’s planned ahead by bringing a helmet for Tsunemori, so that their enemies won’t be able to hide behind her Psycho-Pass. Tsunemori’s face:

I figured out the flaw in this plan before Kogami did, but it still took me a bit, and if Tsunemori had gone with Kagari for whatever reason it would have been necessary.

Speaking of which, Tsunemori’s not quite sure why they’re going after Makishima now if he’s just a diversion. Kogami:

"Our priority isn't to stop him from achieving his goal..."

“…but to drive him into a corner.” If they foil his plan, he’ll just get away. But if they catch him now, maybe they can deal with the fallout of the plan.

I can’t decide whether this line of thought is dangerously obsessed or a well-reasoned sacrifice.

Kagari takes out the first of Choe’s guards.

"Sorry, I turned the table on him."

I’m not sure why he didn’t even try to pretend to be the guard, reporting in. Oh well, whatever.

Choe tries to recruit Kagari, though he doesn’t seem to care too much either way whether he succeeds.

"...those who treated us like scum, killing each other all over town?"

Kagari responds positively at first, and I think he’s just a bad actor, but then he ends with this:

"Sibyl is crap, but you guys are crap, too."

So maybe he really does believe what he was saying. I can’t say his feelings are completely unjustified either, even if they are pretty vicious. It’s a sad sign that Kagari probably wouldn’t ever be comfortable in society now even if he didn’t deserve to be locked up in the first place.

Kogami and Tsunemori reach the top of their service elevator ride and encounter the first of Makishima’s guards, who forces them to split the party further.

Tsunemori: "Once I stop the bleeding, I'll catch up with you. Please go on ahead!"

At the time I think this is a bad idea, since now it’s three on one instead of four on two, but with the way things turn out this ends up saving their butts.

Kogami jumps out of the service access and is attacked by a guard with a second-rate lightsaber

(dragging it along the ground to make sparks)

and I’m wondering where the stun batons are that Chief M specifically called out as the most useful weapons they had right now. We’ve also now reached the part of the series that matches the special intro from Episode 1, and I belatedly realize that since this building isn’t the MSFMTA building my conspiracy theory there is no longer relevant. (The one where they’d capture Makishima, bring him in, and then find out that he was pulling strings all along.)

Anyway,

Makishima's face.

Kogami's face.

Makishima really is happy to find someone who gets all his references, and who can match him in debate.

Makishima: "It seems like it'd be fun to talk the night away with you."

But he’s also good enough at reading people to know there’s no chance of turning Kogami, at least not tonight, and Kogami is not at all interested in the banter. Unfortunately, that means it’s time for martial arts, and Kogami is surprised to find he’s clearly outclassed.

(shocked)

And then Tsunemori brains Makishima from the back with a helmet, and it’s over.

It’s over, right?

"Inspector...kill him."

This is expressly against Ginoza’s orders. Is Kogami making a dark judgment about Makishima’s likelihood to continue to be a danger once they take him into custody? That, for example, he’d probably have the charisma to get himself released? Or is he just getting revenge for Sasayama and his own life and everything else?

Tsunemori…actually considers it…

(helmet raised above her head, teeth gritted, glaring down at Makishima)

…but even with the memories of Yuki streaming through her mind…

(crying)

…if she wasn’t going to do it immediately, it wasn’t going to happen. She’s not a killer, and plus she still believes—or wants to believe—in how the system is supposed to work.

“Makishima Shogo, I arrest you.”

(Tsunemori in shadow, letting the helmet fall from her hand)