| Psycho-Pass Providence | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by | Tow Ubukata |
| Starring | |
| Edited by | Yoshinori Murakami |
| Music by | Yugo Kanno |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Toho Animation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 120 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Box office | $640,825[1][2] |
Psycho-Pass Providence is a 2023 anime cyberpunk crime film produced by Production I.G and directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani.
In January 2118, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs vessel guarding Professor Milicia Stronskaya is attacked by a paramilitary group called the Peacebreakers. One of the leading operatives, Kai, murders Stronskaya while searching for her research - the Stronskaya papers - before being intercepted by Shinya Kogami, now working as a special investigator for Foreign Affairs's Suppressing Action Department. However, Kogami fails to stop the Peacebreakers after being attacked by a seemingly brainwashed SAD agent.
Back in Tokyo, Inspector Akane Tsunemori contests the existence of Japan's Ministry of Justice and the application of international law, as part of the Sibyl System's growing expansion abroad, during a meeting with the government's top officials, along with Atsushi Shindo, who heads the nation's Immigration Bureau. Both of them receive word about the Peacebreaker incident and travel to the discovered wreckage of Stronskaya's vessel, where MWPSB Chief Josui Kasei orders Tsunemori to leave the investigation at the hands of the SAD, led by agent Frederica Hanashiro and SAD Director Yabuki. However, a preliminary investigation by enforcer Nobuchika Ginoza reveals how the vessel was under SAD protection, while enforcer Sho Hinakawa determines that Professor Stronskaya sent a last-minute message to PSB analyst and Tsunemori's mentor, Joji Saiga.
Saiga speaks to Tsunemori in private about his working relationship with Stronskaya, whose research details the effects of the Sibyl System on foreign countries, while also stating that Stronskaya's message leads him to a PO box in Dejima - a sector in Japan designed to house immigrants waiting to be naturalized into the country. With the new lead, Chief Kasei creates a joint task force with the PSB and SAD to retrieve the Stronskaya papers before the Peacekeepers. Hanashiro briefs Tsunemori's team about the organization, once a black-ops unit by Foreign Affairs before going rogue, and its cult-like fanatical leader Tonami, who is leading the organization under their "god" - The General. Meanwhile, Kogami reunites with Tsunemori and Ginoza, despite heated tensions. While creating a psychological profile of Tonami, Saiga encourages Kogami to apologize to Tsunemori for his actions leading to his exile from Japan, while warning him not to give into his violent nature once more. Kogami makes a half-hearted apology, while Tsunemori warns him that she'll be forced to take him down if he breaks the law again.
At Dejima, the task force arrives at the PO box, but it is revealed to contain a decoy package to hide the papers' whereabouts. Tsunemori and Kogami surmise that the operation is a ploy to lure the Peacebreakers out of hiding. Peacebreakers Bokamoso Murrary and Kai lead operatives in an assault against the task force, where it is revealed that the Peacebreakers have low Crime Coefficients, superhuman endurance, and the ability to brainwash SAD agents. During the battle, Director Yabuki is captured, and Saiga is mortally wounded and left hanging off a ledge; he reassures Tsunemori about being open-minded about truth and justice before falling to his death. While Ginoza dispatches Murray, Kai overcomes Kogami after a lengthy skirmish, but immediately departs and leaves subtle clues leading to the Peacebreakers' headquarters.
Tracking down Kai at the Peacebreakers base, Kogami and Ginoza rescue Yabuki and confront Kai, who reveals his true identity as undercover SAD agent Akira Vasily Ignatov. Back in Tokyo, Akira debriefs Kogami about the existence of the Divider, a software that hacks into cybernetic implants within the Peacebreakers to disassociate feelings of guilt, thus granting their combat and brainwashing abilities. In addition, Akira states that he has the Papers, with Professor Stronskaya organizing her death to maintain Akira's cover. The Papers are revealed to be the model for a Conflict Coefficient - essentially allowing Sibyl to control warfare and foreign relations. Immediately after the debriefing, Tonami takes control of Yabuki and Akira and attempts to escape with the research. But Akira manages to fight off Tonami's control, thus allowing Shindo to fatally wound him. Before dying, he asks Shindo to look over his brother Kei.
With the papers at hand, Shindo exchanges the research to the Sibyl System in return for keeping his criminally asymptomatic son, Arata, from being integrated into the system, while betting on Sibyl's belief in human potential. However, this results in Shindo being disavowed by Bifrost. On the day of Kei's wedding to his wife Maiko, Shindo reassures the couple and his son to use the truth to determine the right path for justice before leaving the reception to commit suicide as part of keeping his silence on his deal with Sibyl. During the inquest, Arata confronts Tsunemori about his father's actions, to which she encourages him to search for the truth himself.
Ginoza alerts Tsunemori that Kasei has shut down the investigation. Once confronted by Tsunemori, Kasei states that Sibyl has agreed to give the Peacebreakers the Papers and their own sovereign state in northern Japan, in return for supporting Sibyl's global expansion. Unwilling to let Tonami and his organization escape justice, Tsunemori teams up with Kogami and Hanashiro on an official raid on the Peacebreakers. The assault team, consisting of Tsunemori, Kogami, Ginoza, and Hanashiro, arrives on the island, while Shimotsuki leads the support team in hacking a highly guarded satellite to disable the Divider and get the team's Dominators online. Hinakawa and enforcer Teppei Sugo narrowly manage to control the satellite, allowing the assault team to fight off the Peacekeepers.
Meanwhile, Tsunemori faces Tonami and the General, which turns out to be a medical AI offshoot of the Sibyl System designed to promote morale within soldiers. Tsunemori sustains severe wounds but manages to connect Sibyl to the General via a dominator, thus destroying the AI. Tonami prepares to execute Tsunemori, exclaiming that laws are now made irrelevant under Sibyl. But Kogami arrives in time and is forced to kill Tonami, once again leaving Tsunemori heartbroken.
With the case officially closed, Tsunemori transfers Ginoza and Sugo to the SAD and has Kogami return to active duty while the Sibyl System prepares to promote her to a senior role within the Ministry of Welfare. However, a disillusioned Tsunemori sends a letter to Kogami, revealing her intentions to challenge Sibyl's absolute rule of law by publicly gunning down Chief Kasei during her inauguration ceremony while maintaining a low Crime Coefficient. As Tsunemori emotionally breaks down in custody from the trauma of the case, a determined Kogami resolves to get Akane out of prison.
| Characters | Japanese[3] | English[4] |
|---|---|---|
| Akane Tsunemori | Kana Hanazawa | Kate Oxley |
| Shinya Kogami | Tomokazu Seki | Robert McCollum |
| Nobuchika Ginoza | Kenji Nojima | Jessie James Grelle |
| Yayoi Kunizuka | Shizuka Itō | Lindsay Seidel |
| Shion Karanomori | Miyuki Sawashiro | Lydia Mackay |
| Mika Shimotsuki | Ayane Sakura | Cherami Leigh |
| Sho Hinakawa | Takahiro Sakurai | Z. Charles Bolton |
| Teppei Sugo | Hiroki Tōchi | Mike McFarland |
| Frederica Hanashiro | Takako Honda | Erin Kelly Noble |
| Jouji Saiga | Kazuhiro Yamaji | Michael Federico |
| Dominator | Noriko Hidaka | Stephanie Young |
Naoyoshi Shiotani aimed to make a film that could easily be seen in cinemas. Despite the three year gap between Providence and First Inspector, Shiotani was pleased with the positive feedback from the fans. The film was influenced by social distancing time and wanted to give a subtle way of giving the viewers awareness towards it. In making the film, the team went to Aso in Kyushu and Hokkaido. There was a major focus in fight scenes which were given to voice actors early during the recording of the movie. They tried avoid comical shots and maintain the serious appeal the franchise is known for. Some main animators had been working in the franchise since the first season. Shinya Kogami's characterization was set up since the third Sinners of the System movie with the character searching for another chance at life after his revenge story from the first arc. Meanwhile, Akane Tsunemori was written to also be taken seriously due to her age; According to the director, Tsunemori does not have a special trait when compared with the rest of the protagonists but stands out due to how she accepts the Sybil System.[5]
In January 2023, it was announced the film would premiere on May 12, 2023, featuring the return of writers Makoto Fukami and Tow Ubukata.[3] The theme song "Alexithymia Spare" by Ling Tosite Sigure, while the ending theme song "Tōjisha" (当事者, The One Concerned) by Egoist.[6]
The film was first revealed in August 2022 as part of a celebration of the Psycho-Pass anime series reaching its 10th anniversary with Naoyoshi Shiotani returning to direct at Production I.G, and TOHO is distributing. The 10th anniversary was promoted by Tomokazu Seki, voice of one of the leads, Shinya Kogami. The radio program was also used again with Kenji Nojima, voice of Nobuchika Ginoza, serving as host. Multiple other promotional events were made across 2022.[7]
Crunchyroll licensed the film globally and released it in U.S. theaters on July 14, in the United Kingdom and Ireland on August 2, in France on August 25 and Germany on August 29.[8][9][10][11] Crunchyroll made the film available to stream worldwide, excluding Japan, on December 14, 2023.[12]
The film holds a 90% score in Rotten Tomatoes.[13] Anime News Network enjoyed how the plot develops Akane Tsunemori and manages to explain every mystery from the third television series at the same time. However, they did not find the major antagonist to be as appealing as previous characters.[14] Despite praising the world scenario and visuals, The Medium felt the film lack thought provoking ideas to engage the viewer.[15] Espinof enjoyed the themes portrayed in the movie as well as Kogami and Akane's characterization but found the film lacked accessibility to be properly understood.[16] Similarly, Cinepremiere praised the themes addressed in the movie but felt returning fans would enjoy it more than new audiences.[17]
