Before she was an Enforcer, Yayoi Kunizuka was the guitarist of a rock band authorized by the Sybil System. However, she was also best friends with Rina Takizaki, the frontwoman of an unauthorized rock band. Legally, these two musicians were not supposed to interact, let alone be friends—because according to Sybil, this was a danger to Yayoi’s hue.
Thematically, “Devil’s Crossroad” asks a question: How would counterculture fare in a dystopia? The genre of dystopian fiction can use an oppressive fictional setting to address the flaws of real-life society.[i] This is consistent with the purpose of counterculture, which challenges the mainstream status quo.[ii] Dystopia and counterculture are directly opposed to each other: a dystopian society enforces control, and counterculture stands for social change.
A great example of how oppressive this dystopia is, is Yayoi’s prison experience, which sheds much light on the institutionalization of latent criminals. She is placed in solitary confinement that contains a few “safety” precautions, such as filling the cell with a sedative gas when a prisoner shows any visible sign of anger or stress. The prison administration also attempts to maintain positive vibes in the facility. The intercom announcer has a cheery demeanor, and media in the station is mostly propaganda with a very optimistic tone, promoting their society as utopian. All of these vibes are fake, as they contrast sharply from the harsh conditions the prisoners are subjected to.[viii]
Counterculture in Japan’s dystopian future is represented by rock music. Historically in real life, rock was at its strongest as a counterculture, a platform for rebellion. This is evident in both English-speaking rock movements such as the hippie subculture,[ii] punk rock,[iii] and grunge[iv] protesting the establishment, and Japanese rock movements such as ‘90s visual kei[v] and the 2010s’ Girls Metal Band Boom,[vi] both of which challenged rock’s predominant masculinity. A few movements, however, went too far in their transgressions to the point of violent criminal activity, as was sadly the case with ‘90s Norwegian black metal.[vii]
The Sybil System has a tight regulation on the arts, music included. It authorizes artists to work legally, permitting them to work only on upbeat and positive art that keeps their psycho-passes healthy and their crime coefficients low. Future Japan’s music industry has two types of music artists: authorized artists and unauthorized artists. It is evident that unauthorized artists form the underground music scenes, as they perform at secret improvised venues set up inside abandoned buildings. It is never stated or shown what venues authorized musicians play in, but based on their Sybil authorizations it is safe to assume they play mainstream music suitable for the Oricon charts.
Yayoi was an authorized rock guitarist who just wanted to follow her passion of playing music. For example, during the scene that shows her in solitary confinement, she expresses frustration over not having been able to play guitar in six months. Her entire character arc throughout this episode centers on her hope that she might be able to play music again. Yayoi’s moral code is also underlined; yes, she is labelled a latent criminal because her crime coefficient is so high, but she is still a good person who refuses to hurt innocent people. This proves Sybil’s weakness at classifying latent criminals.
Rina, is arguably the most identifiable antagonist in all of Psycho-Pass’s first season; and alongside main villain Shogo Makishima, one of the most fascinating. She is a rock n’ roll rebel at heart, an unauthorized independent singer-songwriter whose music professes the concepts of personal freedom and self-expression. Her motives are rooted in the exact same rebellious ethos that made rock music a thriving subculture for over half a century; but under future Japan’s dystopian state, this ethos has become more radicalized to the point of violent criminal activity. Whereas Makishima’s well-read intelligence makes his point of view understandable, Rina’s point of view is a lot more relatable because she taps into that classic youthful feeling of alienation and rebellion that many young members of a counterculture feel. That connection makes her just as terrifying.
Yayoi & Rina’s relationship is at the heart of this episode’s narrative. Gen Urobuchi does a subtly great job at underlining Yayoi and Rina’s friendship. He characterizes them not only as best friends, but as star-crossed soulmates. Furthermore, Rina’s militant radicalization is also made more identifiable through Yayoi, and how she suffered in her institutionalization. Yayoi could have joined Rina’s resistance, had she felt bitter enough with her treatment by Sybil… but she doesn’t. She still has a centralized moral code that prevents her from doing so.[viii]
“Devil’s Crossroad” is a prime example of applying real-world themes and concepts to a dystopian science fiction setting. It uses a standalone narrative, about two best friends whose lives and friendship are torn apart by the powers-that-be, to underline its point about the shades of gray in the conflict between establishment and rebellion. This episode shows how a fictional dystopia can reflect certain darker facets of real life.
[i] MasterClass. “What Is Dystopian Fiction? Learn About the 5 Characteristics of Dystopian Fiction With Examples - 2020.” MasterClass, MasterClass, 9 Oct. 2019, www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-dystopian-fiction-learn-about-the-5-characteristics-of-dystopian-fiction-with-examples.
[ii] Boundless. “Counterculture.” Lumen Learning, Lumen, courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-ushistory/chapter/counterculture/.
[iii] Cooper, Ryan. “A Beginner's Guide to the Evolution of Punk Rock.” LiveAbout, LiveAbout, 10 Apr. 2018, www.liveabout.com/history-of-punk-rock-2803345.
[iv] The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Grunge.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 Nov. 2018, www.britannica.com/art/grunge-music.
[v] Robertson, Jennifer. “Japan's History of Gender.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 6 Mar. 2017, www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/japan-s-history-of-gender-a7607311.html.
[vi] Breitsameter, Sophie. “Japanese Heavy Metal Girl Bands You Need to Know Right Now.” Baku Magazine, Baku Magazine, 24 Oct. 2018, baku-magazine.com/everything-else/top-five-japanese-heavy-metal-girl-bands/.
[vii] Boe, Kaycee, and Rachel Levy. “The Original: Norwegian Black Metal.” High Plains Reader, Fargo ND, 3 Aug. 2017, hpr1.com/index.php/arts-entertainment/music/the-original-norwegian-black-metal.
[viii] Urobuchi, Gen. “Devil's Crossroad.” Psycho-Pass, season 1, episode 12, Fuji TV, 10 Jan. 2013.
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