Psycho-Pass Providence  is a 2023 anime science fiction crime film produced by Production I.G and directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani.

Premise
On 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 irrevelant 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.

Cast

Production
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.

In January 2023, it was announced the film would premiere on May 12, 2023, featuring the return of writers Makoto Fukami and Tow Ubukata. The theme song "Alexithymia Spare" by Ling Tosite Sigure, while the ending theme song  by Egoist.

Crunchyroll licensed the film internationally and is set to release it in U.S. theaters on July 14, in the United Kingdom and Ireland on August 2, in France on August 25&26 and Germany on August 29.

References

External links
  
 

2023 anime films
2023 films
2020s dystopian films
Psycho-Pass
Crunchyroll anime
Cyberpunk anime and manga
Cyberpunk films
Films set in the future
Films set in the 2100s
Production I.G
Science fiction anime and manga
Toho animated films