The Thinking Shows

What if in the future there was a system that could judge whether you were a criminal or not, just by reading your psyche? Would this system prevent heinous crimes? What right does this system have to judge people solely based on their emotional and psychological state? Questions like these that rise up from a show called Psycho-Pass really make for an interesting take on entertainment. I venture to say, as of late I have been more compelled by shows that raise questions and make you think as you watch. These shows tend to have the biggest impact on our views and truly make me appreciate the minds who throw them out there for our consumption.

In the last post, I said I was going to start some reviews about board games and anime, so consider this a well-rounded review of Anime that makes you think and question. What brought this idea to fruition was a comment from my roommate, Placido. He mentioned how as of late I had gotten into more serious Anime and Manga, and I have come to realize why. It is because of the moral and psychological questions that they bring up. Not only do these shows entertain, but they challenge the audience to think, question, converse, and ultimately make their own judgment based on the material presented. It is this type of source material that really makes me yearn to write, to explode all over the page, and one day stand shoulder to shoulder with people who encourage thought. Some people will point out that quite a bit of past authors have done the same in their respective timeline, and for that I thank them. However, I am more inspired by the current generation of authors, writes and producers who decide to make their audience grow, rather than give them mindless droll for the next 30 minutes to an hour.

Now onto what sparked this: Psycho-Pass. I had the distinct pleasure of watching this anime this fine evening and I must say I fell in love with the premise. Set in the future where technology can predict criminal activity, people are judged by their Psycho-Pass, a parameter that measures a person's tendency to commit crimes. The higher the coefficient, the more violent and deranged the perpetrator is to be. However, this coefficient can be detected at any time, even as a young child. This is where the series draws viewers in. How can even a young child be charged and killed for an act of violence he may commit sometime in the future? With moral raising questions like this, the first episode laid bare what to expect from the series: the world is not as black and white as some of us think it is.

This train of thought led me to think about the shows and ideas I have latched unto as of late and I made a startling discovery: Perhaps deep down I want to challenge the conventions and ideas this world has for people. Why does society get to dictate what we watch, what we do, how we act? Should not people have the choice of things they want to do, rather than be bullied and pushed along by society's whims. Rather than get into a rant about society, I want to see more people watching, learning, and questioning society, rather than accepting things at face value.

Next post, Chris' has requested an article about EDH gems, and so I shall deliver. Till then fellow viewers.