The upcoming animated film Avatar: Aang, The Last Airbender has been leaked online months before its official Paramount+ premiere, and the people who spent years making it are not happy about it. Animator Julia Schoel called the leak “incredibly disrespectful,” while colleagues have urged fans to support the official release so that future Avatar films can still happen.

How The Film Ended Up Online

On 12 April, X/Twitter user @ImStillDissin posted around three minutes of footage from the film, claiming that Nickelodeon “accidentally” emailed them the entire movie. The two clips offered the first real look at the project’s animation, new voice cast, and key plot moments, including previously unknown cast members like Ke Huy Quan as Avatar Xian and Ken Jeong as the Cabbage Merchant.

Nickelodeon accidentally emailed me the entire Avatar aang movie🤦they made Toph straight yall pic.twitter.com/AujZ7WZo4c

— 𝅙 (@ImStillDissin) April 12, 2026

The posts racked up over 100,000 likes before being hit with a copyright strike. The clips now display the message “this media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner,” which strongly suggests the footage was genuine. Paramount has not publicly commented on the leak.

What The Leaked Footage Showed

The first clip showed Team Avatar reunited as adults, healing an ancient Airbender named Tagah (voiced by Dave Bautista) who had been trapped in ice. The second appeared to be from later in the film, featuring Tagah attempting to pull a temple from the Spirit World, with a creature called a Gorillavark voiced by Taika Waititi appearing as a result.

The footage also confirmed the film’s 2D hand-drawn characters set against 3D computer-animated environments. For a project that has been almost entirely shrouded in mystery, with no official trailer released, the leak effectively spoiled several major reveals in one go.

Paramount’s Shift From Theatres To Streaming

Part of what made the leak so explosive among the fanbase is the context around it. In December, Paramount scrapped plans for a theatrical release and announced the film would launch exclusively on Paramount+ on 9 October 2026. The decision made Paramount+ the exclusive home for all Avatar Studios content, including the original series Avatar: Seven Havens.

That move frustrated fans who had been expecting a cinema experience, especially given the enormous box office success of anime films in recent years. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, for instance, grossed $774 million globally. Some fans saw the leak as a form of protest against Paramount’s decision, openly sharing the footage and encouraging others to watch it.

Read More: Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game Brings Aang, Korra, Zuko and more to the Arena in 2026

Animators Speak Out Against The Leak

That celebratory response from some corners of the fandom did not sit well with the artists who made the film. Julia Schoel, an animator on The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, posted on X that the team had worked on the movie for years expecting to celebrate their work in theatres, only to “see people unceremoniously leak the film and pass our shots around on Twitter like candy.”

Schoel acknowledged that Paramount’s decision to pull the film from theatres was an “awful decision,” but argued that it does not justify leaking the movie months before release. She drew a distinction between piracy and a pre-release leak, explaining that leaking a film before launch “undermines the entire effort at its most vulnerable moment,” robbing the project of its marketing buildup, premieres, and the chance to reach audiences through official channels. That, she said, directly harms the film’s reputation and affects future opportunities for the artists involved.

but pirating the movie after its release would have at least been better than this. This is incredibly disrespectful to all of the hard work the artists put in (3/3)

— jul 🐯 (@papajoolia) April 14, 2026

Tessa Bright, who served as animation director at Flying Bark Studio in a leadership capacity on the film, backed Schoel up. Bright said it “breaks my heart to see the way some fans are treating the hard-working artists who dedicated years of their lives” to the project, and asked fans to remain respectful even if they disagree with the situation.

-product and I’m sure a lot of you will agree. And even if you disagree with us, I hope that you can find it in yourself to still be respectful. To the fans and industry folks who have spoken out for us, thank you, you’re a big reason it was all worth it ❤️

— Tessa Bright (@teebeedraws) April 15, 2026

Anna Gong, another member of the production team, described the leak as feeling “pretty awful” and pointed out that the film’s quality was a direct result of the passion the team poured into it. Gong asked fans to support the actual release “so we can make more movies.”

it feels pretty awful. the only reason the movie looks so good is because there was so much passion directed toward making a truly special moment for ATLA.

please support the actual release as well so we can make more movies <3

— Anna Gong (@trunadraws) April 14, 2026

The Voice Cast Behind The Film

Avatar: Aang, The Last Airbender features Eric Nam as the adult Aang, with Jessica Matten taking over the role of Katara from original voice actress Mae Whitman. Whitman stepped aside voluntarily in May 2023, encouraging the franchise to cast actors who matched the characters’ cultural backgrounds. Steven Yeun voices Fire Lord Zuko, Román Zaragoza plays Sokka, and Dionne Quan returns as Toph Beifong.

The film is directed by Lauren Montgomery and William Mata, runs 94 minutes, and is the first in a planned trilogy of animated films set in the Avatar universe. Original series composer Jeremy Zuckerman scored the film with a full orchestral budget that was not available during the original television run.

What Happens Next

The leak arrives a full six months before the 9 October premiere, and whether it ultimately helps or hurts Paramount+’s subscription numbers remains to be seen. What is clear is that the artists behind the film are asking fans to channel their frustration with Paramount’s distribution choices in a direction that does not punish the people who actually made the movie. For a project that is meant to kick off a new era of Avatar animation, the way fans respond to the official release could determine whether that era gets off the ground at all.

The post Avatar The Last Airbender Movie Leaked Online, Animators Call It “Incredibly Disrespectful” appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Arcane has done it again. The hit League of Legends animated series picked up four trophies at the 77th Creative Arts Emmy Awards, including the big one, Outstanding Animated Program.

The second season of Arcane, produced by Riot Games and Fortiche Productions, took home the award for the finale episode “The Dirt Under Your Nails”, beating out Bob’s Burgers, Love, Death + Robots, The Simpsons, and Common Side Effects. This marks the second time Arcane has secured the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program, following its groundbreaking win in 2022 when it became the first streaming series to ever claim the honour.

Alongside its top prize, season 2 also scored three more awards:

• Outstanding Sound Editing for an Animated Program
• Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation for Background Design (Bruno Gouchinho)
• Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation for Colour (Faustine Dumontier)

Honored to share that Arcane Season 2 has won 4 Emmys at the 77th Emmy Awards! 🏆

Huge congrats to our artists + the entire #Arcane team
Thank you @riotgames, @netflix, @iemmys — and most of all, our fans. Your passion makes this possible.#Arcane #Emmys #Animation #Fortichers pic.twitter.com/gXHPkwzNNG

— Fortiche prod (@ForticheProd) September 8, 2025

That tally matches the four awards Arcane earned for its debut season, reinforcing its reputation as one of the most influential animated projects of the decade. Earlier this year, the show also cleaned up at the Annie Awards, securing seven wins, including Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production and Best Direction, TV/Media.

Image Credit: Netflix

What’s Next for the League of Legends Universe?

While Netflix has confirmed that Arcane will not return for a third season, Riot Games isn’t leaving fans hanging. Several spin-offs are already in development, each exploring new corners of Runeterra. Confirmed regions include Noxus, Ionia, and Demacia, which means fresh stories and different League champions will be stepping into the spotlight.

What a great evening. Thank you and congrats to everyone @riotgames, @ForticheProd, all @LeagueOfLegends players and #Arcane fans! We look forward to creating more great ways to explore and experience Runeterra with you all. pic.twitter.com/tMzbEQXLGH

— Tryndamere (@MarcMerrill) September 7, 2025

Fan speculation has naturally run wild. With Noxus teased, many expect the Medarda family, as well as champions like Darius and Swain, to take centre stage. There are also whispers of a potential live-action spin-off set in Bilgewater, though Riot hasn’t confirmed anything yet.

Whatever comes next, Arcane’s Emmy wins prove that the series isn’t just a milestone for video game adaptations, it’s a benchmark for animation as a whole. With anticipation building, League fans will be keeping a close eye on upcoming events like the League of Legends World Championship Finals on 9 November 2025 and The Game Awards in December, where more news about the future of the franchise could be revealed.

Arcane may have ended with season 2, but its legacy is firmly secured, both in the Emmy record books and in the hearts of fans worldwide.

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When I saw a trailer for Vinland Saga, an anime series with Vikings, I was all in.

I mean everything Norse has been the rage and so why  not check out an anime, I mean are mechs gonna blast out of the ships? Is Odin going to come down and blast everyone away with  energy rays?  What would a Viking anime series be?

Well it turns out, just a damn good anime series with a historical setting.

The show kicks off in the Battle of Hjörungavágr where our first protagonist Thors is fighting. The bad ass takes some hits and falls in the water.  After killing a man under water he swims away, apparently deciding killing isn’t his jam anymore.

We then visit him living a more peaceful farming and family life in a village in Greenland.  The English launch an attack on Norsemen in England, and so the Vikings decide it is time to go to war. An old leader comes to Thors and basically says if he joins the fight then his desertion will be forgiven. The other option really is the village is going to be burned down so the softened Thors agrees to go to battle.

They are making their way along when it is discovered that Thors young son Thorfinn is hiding within a battle.  This young kid doesn’t believe in his dad’s words of peace and wants to get all knifey.

The opportunity arises sooner than he expected as the ships are ambushed in a ravine.  The pirates here were hired to kill Thors, and after Thors shows he still has all of the tricks of the trade, he lets himself be killed so that the bounty will be collected and the village will be saved.

These are like the first 4 episodes of this 24 episode series!

When watching I figured that Thors was going to be our badass hero of the series, but it quickly turns and it becomes a show about an angry young Thorfinn. I won’t spoil more of the plot but man it travels far fast. We see bits of development in the characters but for the most part, the journey is the story and it is a journey worth watching.

The animation is really good, and this is especially important in the battles where a lot of blood is spilled.

It feels like watching any historical series with swords and shields and blood a plenty.  Weirdly some characters can jump massive distances which is the only thing that comes in when needed for a cool scene, but isn’t used as much as you would expect given they can basically jump tower walls. The voice acting is also solid which helps carry on the line.

I figured Vinland Saga would be good, but I didn’t expect it to be anywhere near this good.

The fast paced story could have easily been stretched to three series, but the show runners decided to make pace a priority and the show really benefits from it. If you are at all in the Norse loving phase that most other mediums are going though, then this anime series is a must watch.

The post Vinland Saga Series (Bluray) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Creators from Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt will bring their unique visions to audiences around the world with “Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire”.

A Disney+ Original ten-part collection of premium original films set to premiere exclusively on Disney+ in late 2022.

This animated anthology brings together a new wave of animation stars to take you on a wildly entertaining ride into Africa’s future. Inspired by the continent’s diverse histories and cultures, these action-packed sci-fi and fantasy stories present bold visions of advanced technology, aliens, spirits and monsters imagined from uniquely African perspectives.

Oscar-winning director Peter Ramsey (“Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse”) will serve as executive producer for the anthology, with Tendayi Nyeke and Anthony Silverston as supervising producers. Triggerfish will be the lead studio for the anthology, working in collaboration with animation studios across the continent and globally.

“We are bringing the work of a visionary new generation of African filmmakers to Disney+. In addition to delivering thrilling animation for fans of all ages, this collection of ten original films taps into the Afrofuturism phenomenon which was turbo-charged by Marvel’s Black Panther and reflects Disney’s ongoing commitment to partnering with leading global talent to tell the stories of the world from fresh and authentic points of view,” commented Michael Paull, President, Disney+ and ESPN+, The Walt Disney Company.

“’Kizazi Moto’ derives from the Swahili phrase ‘kizazi cha moto’ which literally translates as ‘fire generation’, capturing the passion, innovation and excitement this new cohort of African filmmakers is ready to bring to the world.  ‘Moto’ also means fire in several other African languages, from Rwanda’s Kinyarwanda to Shona, a Zimbabwean language, speaking to the pan-African spirit we hope this anthology embodies,” commented Tendayi Nyeke, Supervising Producer, Triggerfish.

“I’m really pleased to part of a ground-breaking, fresh and exciting project that’s aimed at exposing the world to a whole new wave of creativity and invention from a place that is just ready to explode onto the world animation scene. The films in the anthology kind of run the gamut when it comes to science fiction. There are stories that touch on other worlds, time travel, and alien beings, but all of these genre conventions are seen through an African lens that makes them totally new. I can’t wait for people to have their minds blown and say ‘I want more!’” commented Peter Ramsey, Executive Producer.

More than 70 leading directors and creators across the continent were invited to pitch their ideas, after a multi-year research phase that included input from Ghanian comic book blogger Kadi Tay, award-winning Congolese animation supervisor Sidney Kimbo-Kintombo (“Avengers: Endgame”) and Namibian-South African producer Bridget Pickering (“Hotel Rwanda”).

The process was curated and produced by the team at Triggerfish, including Supervising Producer Tendayi Nyeke, Head of Development Anthony Silverston and Kevin Kriedemann, who proposed the initial idea for the anthology.

15 shortlisted projects were mentored by Academy Award®-winning director Peter Ramsey and the creative teams from Triggerfish and Disney.

The final 10 films are from Ahmed Teilab (Egypt), Simangaliso ‘Panda’ Sibaya and Malcolm Wope (South Africa), Terence Maluleke and Isaac Mogajane (South Africa), Ng’endo Mukii (Kenya), Shofela Coker (Nigeria), Nthato Mokgata and Terence Neale (South Africa), Pious Nyenyewa and Tafadzwa Hove (Zimbabwe), Tshepo Moche (South Africa), Raymond Malinga (Uganda) and Lesego Vorster (South Africa).

Each film will be roughly ten minutes long, and together will comprise a feature-length anthology of original animation that will be released as a Disney+ Original across the globe.

The post “KIZAZI MOTO: GENERATION FIRE” RELEASING ON DISNEY+ IN 2022 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Black Clover Season One was a great example of a chill Shonen anime series. 51 episodes of shouting, fighting, larger than life characters, fighting, magic, and a whole lot more fighting.

Season One did the hard work of introducing us to the main cast and world and now Season 2 gets to hit the ground running a whole lot faster.

As per usual there has been an option to buy the parts of this season with the DVD and BluRay in one case. They do a good job of where they separate the parts, but it tends to wind up with a great part with a major storyline, then a smaller part that is more build up and character development.

With this package you can enjoy the flow of the show a lot more in all the 51 episode run glory.

The season kicks off pretty intensely with a major section of story involving them trying to get help from the Witch Queen. She turns out to be a bit of a sadistic queen with way too much power so action ensues, but this section lets us learn a lot about Vanessa, her past, and why her character is who she is now. This is a pretty big deal because she was a bit of an odd one, but easily becomes one of the coolest characters by the end of this section.

Now to avoid spoiling too much I won’t cover too many plot points but we get some awesome stuff in this season where we get to learn a lot more about the Black Bulls, their hideout, and some truly creative magical abilities. One of the abilities being a super powerful paint magic which is as awesome as it is bonkers, showing that anything can happen with this show.

But as with any show this long, there is plenty of meh too. Asta still is annoyingly shouty, and to counter this they have provided the head of the Crimson Lion squad Mereoleona Vermillion. Having her shout all the time was obviously a way to make Asta less annoying as it is more normalised, instead you wind up with a male and female character that is super annoying.

Of course there are some chunks of the show where it slows down a bit in between major events which in some cases is awesome, and in some cases brutally meh.

It certainly works better in this package than the broken up parts but still they can drag out a bit. I mean it’s not as bad as DBZ by any stretch, but still a touch slow.

Because the package is basically the other parts mashed together, and labelled like that on the discs, every second disc is loaded with special features.

Most of these are behind the scenes with the voice actors but there are other moments like bonus Clover Clips that are great. This all adds up to make for one awesome package.

Black Clover Season 2 is a continuation of what I loved and disliked about Season one. It starts and ends in pretty massive moments thanks to not having to introduce everyone.

This means we get some excellent world and character building making it well worthwhile for a chill anime.

The post Black Clover Season 02 (Madman – Bluray 2021) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) presents Animation NOW!, a stand-alone festival of shorts featuring the best of local and international animation.

Animation NOW! returns to Auckland for its fourth year where it will screen at Academy Cinemas on 9–11 August, the weekend immediately following the NZIFF.

3D animation, illustrations mixed with abstract shapes and thought-provoking narratives are packed into six distinct collections curated by NZIFF’s animation programmer Malcom Turner.

“This year there seems to be a trend towards beautifully painted and hand-drawn work. With more than 4,000 submissions to choose from, we’ve put together a rich and diverse selection of work from the utterly eclectic world of independent animation,” says programmer Malcolm Turner.

The programme includes two animated shorts from New Zealand. Winter’s Blight, an intricate stop-motion animation about a reclusive elderly man living in Central Otago written and directed by Claire Campbell will screen as part of the Handmade collection. Trumpet-Trompette, a smooth and stylish musical meditation directed by Max Woodward, will feature in the International Showcase collection.

Shorts in five of the Animation NOW! collections will compete towards the Victoria University of Wellington School of Design Jury Prize which awards the best judged film with a $5,000 prize (shorts in the Rosto collection are not in competition). The finalists will be shortlisted by a panel of programmers and animators and the winner will be announced online.

Animation NOW! screens at Academy Cinemas in Auckland from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 August. Tickets go on sale on Friday 28 June 2019.

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The New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) presents Animation NOW!, a smorgasbord of international animated shorts . Animation NOW! returns for a third festival year as a stand-alone weekend of screenings immediately following NZIFF in Auckland, New Zealand.

Myriad voices and styles are packed into six thought-provoking and artistically distinct collections of animated shorts curated by Malcolm Turner and Annie Murray.

“We look at the strangely normal aspects of urban life in Crazy Towne, explore the re-occurring dark themes in our modern climate in Dark Hearts, are delighted by movement, mutations and textures in Morph ‘n’ Move, look at stunning hand-crafted animation in Handmade, travel the world through a miscellaneous mix of shorts in the International Showcase and put a spotlight on the best to come out of an animation oasis in Fresh Eyes on Estonia,” says Animation NOW! programmer Malcolm Turner.

Two New Zealand shorts will screen as part of the programme. David Midgley’s Tom features in the Dark Hearts collection while Paul James’ Trap will screen as part of the International Showcase. Another highlight will be the Oscar-nominated marvel Negative Space by Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata which will screen as part of Handmade.

The Festival will screen at Academy Cinemas in Auckland from Friday 10 August until Sunday 12 August. The full schedule is available now, and tickets go on sale from Friday 29 June, 2018.

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Psycho-Pass: The Movie, is thematically similar to the anime series, in that it is still very much a science-fiction thriller about a dystopian society ruled by the artificially intelligent collective known as the Sibyl System.

Unlike the anime series, which is set in Tokyo, Japan, this film is set in the fictional superstate known as the Southeast Asian Union (SEAUn), which has begun to implement the Sybil System’s method of government. Main character and lead inspector, Akane Tsunemori, returns and once again challenges the methods of the Sybil System, as she makes her way to SEAUn after terrorist activity in Japan suggests that her former colleague, former enforcer Shinya Kogami, who played a prominent role in season 1 of the anime, has become a terrorist.

Akane’s investigation in the SEAUn ruffles some of the state heads’ feathers as she stumbles upon the local military’s plot to abuse the Sibyl System for their own gain. In addition, her reunion with Kogami is not at all what she had expected as she learns the truth about what has been happening at the SEAUn.

While similar in style to the anime series, the film’s plot isn’t as interesting as the series, or even the video game. In fact, while entertaining as something to watch, the film was rather lacklustre and was disappointing in that it didn’t highlight much of Akane’s brilliance as a detective nor the depths of Kogami’s character. That, and the villain of the film was nothing short of flat, unlike the twisted Makishima and intelligent Kamui, the villains of the anime series.

In addition to the characters being rather dull compared to their anime counterparts, the excitement of technology and use of dominators is done away with in the film, removing the notable cyberpunk theme of the anime series from the film. Not to mention that none of the supporting characters, such as Akane’s team of enforcers, are given their due. Ginoza, the former inspector turned enforcer, seems to be undergoing a slow character death throughout the progression of Psycho-Pass, from being a tight-ass inspector constantly on everyone’s case, to an enforcer who cared a bit too much about Akane and her recklessness, to a guy with a pony-tail trying hard to look ‘cool’.

One of the aspects of Psycho-Pass that I love is the soundtrack. Both seasons 1 and 2 of the anime series had soundtracks that were incredible. The film’s soundtrack however, didn’t quite do the series justice. Together with the lack of the core ingredients that makes Psycho-Pass great, such as brilliant futuristic themes, the film just doesn’t feel like a Psycho-Pass film.

Another aspect of the series that I really appreciate is the dynamic and futuristic visuals. While the visuals in the film were decent, I was disappointed at the lack of a more futuristic, thematic visuals that were more in line with the anime series.

Despite many of its flaws, the film did convey some important messages, which is the idea that sometimes you have to bend the rules, have faith in your team and look for the truth in order to lead a happy and fulfilling life.

Psycho-Pass: The Movie is definitely a film that is watchable and entertaining, however, viewers and fans of the Psycho-Pass series need to remember not to take this film too seriously and to appreciate it as a standalone film of sorts.

The post Psycho Pass: The Movie (Madman – 2017) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The Mamoru Hosoda Collection is an anime box set filled with some of the best non Studio Ghibli anime films to date. Consisting of The Boy and the Beast, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Wolf Children and Summer Wars, below is a brief breakdown of what I thought of each film.

The Boy and the Beast

The Boy and the Beast is a film which is unexpectedly charming and entertaining. Set in two different realms, the wonderful and magical world of the Beast Kingdom, and our present day world, the film tells the tale of the young runaway, Ren, who is taken in and raised by anthropomorphic animals.

The film is a magnificent tale of bonds, friendships, strength and love that will tug at your heart and make you both laugh and cry as you become invested in the characters and their development. The Boy and the Beast is truly an animated film that brings to the forefront the core values that all creatures should possess and is a reminder to us all to appreciate those who are good to us and be kind to others.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

This film has an interesting premise, following the main character, Makoto, who gains the ability to go back in time. Being a typical teenager with no concept of there being consequences to her actions, Makoto continually uses her ability to prevent undesirable events from occurring, such as being late, or having one of her best friends confessing their love for her.

Her flippant attitude toward using her newfound ability inadvertently costs her as those who are close to her suffer the consequences of her childish antics. Her response is heartfelt and we truly come to feel for her as a character.

This film is light hearted and entertaining but still manages to teach us the important lesson of being generous and not wasting our precious time away with silly, childish pursuits, as time, once its gone, can never be regained.

Wolf Children

Wolf Children is a film that managed to leave me speechless and a little confused. The anime film follows Hana, a young woman who marries a ‘wolf-man’ and raises her two ‘wolf children’ out in the secluded countryside, after his death, in order to give her children the opportunity to be themselves.

While the film is focused on how Hana copes with raising children who are both human and animal, the film essentially explores the notion of coming of age, individuality and acceptance of one’s self.

Told in a feel-good manner, the film does have its warm and fuzzy moments, though as a whole, viewers are advised to take the film in with an open mind.

Summer Wars

Much like Hosoda’s previous films, Summer Wars involves an incredibly imaginative world where all things technology is controlled by the ‘cloud’, a place known as OZ. Everyday systems and processes from emails to managing traffic lights are all done via information being sent through this virtual artificial intelligence system. So what happens when an A.I hacker takes over control of OZ and begins reigning havoc on the world?

Through this time of strife, which puts the world literally in danger, the film manages to portray the power of familial bonds, teamwork, and of course, the strength of one’s conviction.

Despite being a little drawn out, with some rather unnecessary scenes, Summer Wars is a touching and heartfelt story about the importance of family and to an extent, community, as well as the dangers of A.I programmes, especially when left in the wrong hands.

The post The Mamoru Hosoda Collection (Madman – 2017) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Can a system of government truly be effective if it is unable to judge those who do not fit the norm of society?

Psycho Pass Season 2 is the sequel to the hit anime series, Psycho Pass, and is set nearly two years after the events of Season 1. This Season follows Inspector Akane Tsunemori, her junior Inspector and her new team of Enforces as the MWPSB (Public Safety Bureau) once again set out to hunt down a criminal mastermind whose aim is to bring down the Sybil System.

The Sybil System is a technologically advanced system of government that is made up of the brains of the criminally asymptomatic, those who possess no symptoms of being a criminal and who do not fathom their actions as morally wrong.  In Psycho Pass, this system pre-judges every citizen based on their ‘psycho pass’ hue, the level in which they are potentially capable to commit acts of violence and crime. This level is also referred to as the ‘crime coefficient’, and where this level is beyond the value of 300, the Sybil System orders the immediate execution of the person as a way to prevent any criminal act from occurring, in advance.

In Season 2 of Psycho Pass, Kirito Kamui is a criminal who cannot be judged by the Sybil System and goes about killing Inspectors and Enforcers as a way of judging those who the Sybil System deems to have a clear hue (i.e. a low crime coefficient), stealing their Dominators (the specialised guns that the MWPSB carry) in the process to further question the Sybil System’s judgement.

Despite Kamui being her biggest concern and priority, Akane is also dealt with two very different problems within her own team, her junior Inspector, Shimotsuki, who strongly disagrees with Akane’s methods and does everything in her power to have her superior’s authority questioned, and her Enforcer, Togane, who attaches himself to Akane and shows a great deal of interest in Akane’s hue.

Season 2 of Psycho Pass is much darker and twisted than Season 1. The psychology behind the plot is much more detailed and in depth compared to Season 1, with the reasons behind Kamui’s actions being difficult to comprehend initially. The violence he causes and inevitable executions that occur is unimaginable and cruel. The anime does well to make these violent scenes so horrific and gory that it is easy to feel sickened and mortified by Kamui’s wrongdoings. Whilst this is hard enough, what’s even worse is the nastiness of Shimotsuki and the way in which she goes about to undermine Akane’s authority. Her backstabbing and constant moaning about Akane’s outside the box thinking is irritating, but it is her treatment and superiority complex over Enforcers that had me disliking her instantly.

As for Togane, the depths of his character isn’t revealed until the last few episodes and while the character does well to try to be very much like Kougami (the Enforcer in Season 1) to Akane, he isn’t fooling anyone.

Season 2 had me questioning the Sybil System and the way in which the criminally asymptomatic are thought of as the perfect collective hub to judge citizens. Law comes about from morals and ethics, the determining factors behind what is right and wrong. How did the concept of right and wrong come about? It is my understanding that at some point in early civilisation, the concept of right and wrong would have been determined by the feelings of the majority. For example, a person would have committed an action that hurt and upset the majority of people. This would then have been depicted as an act that is wrong and goes against the peace and happiness of the majority. This action would then be forbidden and those who commit this action will be punished for hurting the majority. If the feelings of the majority are what morals are roughly built on, then those without feelings are not fit to judge. That would be my assumption.

In Psycho Pass, the Sybil System is made up of a collective of brains that are unable to comprehend feelings. That, and the fact that they are unable to judge the psycho passes of a collective group illustrate that the system is flawed and incapable of being effective in changing times. By Akane consistently pushing the boundaries, questioning what it means to live virtuous lives and ultimately proving that it is people who should govern people, the Sybil System is forced to adapt and change to keep up with modernisation.

With an intriguing, thrilling and thought-provoking plot, Season 2 had me on the edge of my seat. With just eleven episodes, I was hooked and completed the show in three days. The writing of this anime illustrates the creative team’s sheer brilliance. Along with stunning graphics, visuals and an epic, almost haunting soundtrack, Season 2 of Psycho Pass was every bit as exhilarating as Season 1. My only gripe was that the season was too short. I want more. If not more episodes, then another Season will do. I just can’t get enough of the story, the conspiracies and the way in which it makes me question the future of our society.

Both seasons of Psycho Pass are a fantastic watch. If you’re looking for gripping anime to delve into, I cannot recommend Psycho Pass more.

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