Psy Tries

This is one of my favorite artwork pieces from the series, and not just because of what we get to witness between Kogami and Akane. Setting the scene here, it looks as if Division 1 has taken time out for some quality teambuilding (we love to see it) and the party is in full swing. Gino, Masoaka and Shion are deep into their game here, with all eyes on their respective hands. It seems as if they have not noticed Akane's entrance at this point... something to take note of.

Just behind our poker players, we have Kagari and Yayoi keeping each other company. Kagari takes home the blue ribbon in this scene for doing EXACTLY what I would be doing ( I.e happily digging into the food), the tie tucked out of the way is hilarious...here is a guy serious about his food...is what I am assuming Yayoi is thinking while bearing witness to Kagari's plate of goodies. It seems like they have also not noticed Akane's appearance in this scene. Once again, we see others in Division 1 focused on their interactions amongst each other. Each interaction so far has been friendly and not romantic in the slightlest. This all changes when we get to Akane and Kogami.

There is ONE member of Division 1 that has noticed Akane's entrance and the entirety of his attention is being taken up by her. Of course I am referring to Kogami, with there being quite a lot to take away from here considering his position, expression and actions. Kogami could have been, quite literally , ANYWHERE in this scene. Watching the poker game, commenting on Kagari's food...they could have even kept true to Kogami's "lone wolf" tendencies and had him in a more solitary position like perhaps, leaning against a wall or even standing out on the balcony (also pictured in the scene) enjoying a ciggarette. In my opinion, all of these things would have rang true to his character.

We do not see Kogami doing any of this... instead we have Kogami posed by the entrance with his hand extended to assist Akane with the last few steps down. The implications here are DECADENT. Kogami's positioning here could possibly be explained away by stating that near the entrance would be the most convenient way to see EVERYONE. I'd agree that it's a fair argument. Kogami has been shown positioning himself during meetings in such a way that guarantees a visual on all bodies in the room. I've noticed this in many scenes featuring Kogami and others. However, my counter to this arguement is while that may be true, Kogami's proximity to the entrance itself is more telling than anything else. Ko could just as easily been shown leaning against the pillar a few feet further away, a similar position that Kagari has taken up. Kogami's proximity to the entrance reads to me as anticipation. Kogami has been WAITING on Akane to appear and judging by the look on his face, we can assume that he considers that wait to have been worth it.

Akane has not entered the room yet and is still on the stairs making her way down. She looks lovely of course and the expression on Akane's face as Kogami helps her sets the stage for another detail I noticed between these two. Akane's expression is open and content while she stares down directly as Kogami. She is appreciative of his attention but not flustered. Used to this kind of treatment are we? Well...not quite, we can see some tension in Akane's hands, both of them technically but it is far more noticable in her right hand. So...flustered a bit, but that is minor compared to the other emotions she radiates in this scene. Back to Kogami and his expression/body language and we see his tension displayed differently. Take a close look at Kogami's face. Call me crazy but it does not seem like Kogami is looking at Akane's face here. His gaze seems to be focused slightly lower...it's almost as if Kogami is struggling to look Akane in the eye or at the very least her face. Despite that, his posture remains relaxed with only one other exception.... the hand reaching out to Akane. Kogami's hand isn't offering much surface area here and that is mostly due to how tense it is. His fingers curl up towards Akane's hand as opposed to unfurling outward. The anticipation I mentioned earlier is showcased here along with that tension. Looking at hands seems a bit odd but we can actually read more into what's happening with the other characters as well based on their hand placement. Gino for example, is fairly tense with his hands tucked away under crossed arms while he wears the world's worst poker face to date. This round may not be going too well for him. His father, Masoaka, is a lot better at hiding it but you can still see the tension in the hand slightly curled inward on top of his leg. Shion appears to be having a good time, as well as Yayoi and Kagari in the background. Their postures and hand placement tell us that they are at ease in this scene.

I honestly think that with Providence and the latest season we were graced with, they have been shifting pieces around to make room for the obvious:

Shizuka Homura's mysterious interest in Akane that had him risking his life to do what Kogami had dedicated himself to doing . Obviously Shizuka did what he did for other reasons as well, but don't forget about that (now broken) promise Ko made to himself at the end of Providence...

Frederica's obvious interest in Kogami and her position as Kogami's new handler/superior, a role that used to be Akane's.

The illustration by Masayuki Honda with Kogami gazing softly at Akane with the cherry blossoms. (This is a moment we don't see animated from their latest reunion outside the correctional center)

Akane's new position as a statutory enforcer.

The minor romance subplots for other characters sprinkled throughout the series.

All of the wedding and marriage depictions paired with that whole conversation between Gino and Ko on that boat in Providence about tying Akane down.

The HANDCUFFS in Providence.

I almost made this as a post for Shinkane week but wanted to keep the attention primarily on my fav Psycho couple. The Frederica/Kogami situation might be worrisome for some shippers, but I absolutely ADORE watching the interactions play out between these two characters. When analyzing, we can spot key differences in how both relationships are handled/developed by our PP Overlords.

It is safe to say that Frederica harbors an attraction for Ko... THAT aspect of the story, the writers have made no secret of. Poor Tenzing had to witness Frede pull out the big guns in their initial meeting, noting the arch of Frede's back/chest as she bent forward to interact with Ko. There is even a scene in the Sinners novelization wherein Frederica sets the mood for SOMETHING to happen between them using body language and a suggestive tone. During this scene, we learn something vital about the current dynamic that exists between these two: The attraction felt here is running on a one-way street, with no reciprocation in sight from Ko. What DOES Kogami end up doing in this situation? An obviously attractive woman, neutral in standing for now, is exhibiting a keen interest in getting closer to you. It's an easy way for the writers to establish the potential for chemistry and yet... Deciding that he doesn't know WHAT to make of all that Frederica is silently offering, Ko settles for simply ignoring the obvious and the scene ends shortly after. I believe this serves as another callback to Ko not being a casual fling type of guy. These interactions (and many others) help reinforce the idea that Kogami is not a man easily swayed by traditional beauty standards, despite the man's knack for letting his instincts reign supreme in most situations.

That scene was a bit of a missed opportunity, don't you think? There is another moment wherein Ko introduces Frede as someone from his home country, and we have another male gaze in the room posed to appreciate the obvious appeal that Frede brings to the table. In this scene, writers could have taken it a tiny step further (if this was truly their intent to establish SOMETHING here) and have the merc outright assume that Frede was Ko's woman. But no such conclusions were drawn, no implications of Ko enjoying his newfound company or missing home...nada. The same can't be said for Akane and Ko, whom have enemies nicknaming Akane 'JULIET' of all things, Shion sounding the alarm anytime those two are together, or the fact that Gino's reactions to their (Akane and Ko's) ACTIONS speaks volumes.

Kogami strikes me as a man with a desire for both understanding AND intimacy when it comes to potential partners, and the life Ko has led so far has not been ideal for cultivating that kind of love/connection. We see, through Ko and Frede's interactions that they function well as a unit/team but are still learning about one another. Whatever level of intimacy/understanding that Ko needs to share with his potential love interest is (whoever that may be *COUGHAKANECOUGH*), Frede is a far cry from being able to qualify in that particular category. Frede's dynamic with Kogami is, in my opinion, what a proper Inspector/Enforcer relationship SHOULD have been like between Ko and Akane (with less emphasis on the obvious attraction undertones, of course) and when looking at these two relationships from that perspective, the parallels we can observe are very telling.

Akane has been the target for mental attacks in past seasons, and her mental fortitude and resiliency in the face of these atrocities have shown us the depth of her inner strength. I am hoping we get to see the return of Sakuya Togane as the "ghost" haunting Akane while Division 1 and the SAD pursues more villains lurking in the shadows. I can't say there was a confirmed death for the obsessive man when Mika came upon Sakuya's crumpled form, so the door is still wide open to that possibility. I can attribute this observation to the Togane family's influence on Sybil as a whole. The brains of countless members, including Sakuya's mother herself, make up the population of that eternal "colony" of theirs. I have no doubt that whatever reading Mika saw that night, as she gazed through the eyes of the dominator, was false.

Imagine Akane and Co are investigating an odd sequence of crimes/events and all the while, Akane keeps catching these brief glimpses of what MAY or may not be Sakuya. But that was impossible right? Sakuya Togane was dead, confirmed by Mika of course. Then Akane starts seeing more signs that point to the contrary. Supporting characters would be overly concerned about Akane's hue and psycho pass value as it begins to take an ominous curve upward. I can imagine the desperation from Kogami and Gino. They had shared a promise long ago, regarding protecting Akane's hue that will be put to the ultimate test here.

We may get delicious points of conflict between these two as Kogami tries to relate to Akane about this "ghost" she is seeing, but our girl will be steadfast in her belief that Sakuya is actually alive. Devastated that the solid support she had (unknowingly) grown to rely on (Gino/ Ko/ Shion/etc.), was now crumbling at her feet, we may see Akane take a similar path to Kogami wherein there is a period of doubt, dismissal and tension as Akane's capabilities are called into question. I am confident that the handling and outcome of the situation will vary drastically from Kogami's as Akane struggles to hold firm to her own principles, values, and beliefs. We may even see Akane really KILL someone. The writers have been pretty good at keeping Akane's hands "clean" when it comes to outright killing, so that would be exciting to see...Bring on the angst and inner turmoil!

I assume it would take all three of them working together to take down Sakuya, similar to the Gino/Ko team up from PP: The Movie but now with Akane added into the mix. Sakuya will definitely have some cybertech on board (he very well can't go around being a menace with just ONE functioning arm), and since Sakuya has shown himself to be a man of extremes, I am positive he won't stop at merely replacing a lost limb. He will have Sibyl's loving embrace to see him through this healing process and a monster will be reborn in short order. Or at least I hope so.

Kogami had a lot of time to think to himself while in exile, and the novels did a wonderful job of shedding light on Ko's inner turmoil during this time. There is one presence that haunts Kogami the most during this period, and that is the ghost of Makishima. Time and time again, Ko entertains conversations with a ghost of man he could not let go, and this tells us that mentally, the poor guy has not been in a good place. At this point, Kogami has been stripped of everything in his pursuit of justice and is living on the tattered remains of whatever his life is now. There is another presence that hangs around Ko as well, but it is a memory rather than a ghostly hallucination. Kogami's brief reunion with Akane back in Shambala.

Akane dresses Kogami down while they are together and he invites her to do so, he even goes so far as to ask prying questions at one point ( Something you do not see Ko inviting anyone else to do - More on that later). Akane's assessment of Kogami at that time highlights the faults in his pursuit of purpose/justice and calls to light the high risk of harm it carries for those around him. Akane gives Ko a lot to chew on in regard to his affect on people and Ko's ability to draw others in around him. During their conversations that night in Shambala, Kogami hangs on to Akane's every word, and even after some time has passed and Kogami has moved on to other places, he carries Akane's sentiments with him. From trying not to kill, if at all neccessary, to turning down offers to run in mercenary campaigns, Kogami is actively readjusting his way of life, according to Akane's insight but still staying true to his original blueprint.

I found it interesting that, in a later installment, we see Frede dressing down Ko as they become more aquainted with one another (Which he most definitelty did not initiate) and as their banter runs it's course, in the novel we see that Kogami gets a bit uncomfortable at one point in the coversation. The reason why is heartbreaking, in the all the time he has spent thinking about the events that took place in Shambala ( Ko refers to to it often in the Sinners novel), he has equally been avoiding thinking about the whole of Division 1 back at home and their pursuit against justice there. Ko is forced to acknowledge (quietly to himself) that thinking about his comrades operating without him, or "forgetting" about Ko pains him. It HURTS to think about everyone going about their lives and he avoids letting his mind wander in that direction. This leaks out in his conversation w/ Frede and she points out the oddness in his statement when he remarks lightly on the others choosing to forget about him. (Call Ko out Frede, cuz Gino and Saiga are not there to do it! xD)

The constant hallucinations of Makishima start to make a bit more sense here. It's trauma that Ko has managed to turn into a coping method. That man, that GHOST is what Ko had given up his current life for, so who else is there to turn to, now that he is truly alone? During his time spent in soltitude, ghosty goo Makishima may have been his "companion" but Akane was Ko's guiding light. A beacon to help him navigate through the darkness of the world at large.

ALRIGHT so initially, I wanted to write shinkane snippets for the week but I'm just too darn shy for that. ANWAY.

The scenario that would fit into the current Psychoverse that I can imagine would involve Akane's late grandmother and her profession noted in data collections. I never thought it was a coincidence that Kogami has a preference for paperback or "real" books as opposed to virtual ones, and that Akane's gran was a Librarian of all things while in the workforce. Or that Ko never got to formally meet the woman who was arguably the closest to Akane in the series as a whole.

On that note, I HC that Akane ends up speaking to Ko about her grandmother and the significant role that woman played in her life. It's commonplace to catch these two wrapped up in a conversation, whether it is reminiscing about a shared past event or sharing their views with one another. These two communicate exceptionally well MOST of the time ( Gonna skirt past that balcony scene here lololol). So, what could Akane share with Ko, given the subject?

If the library had since been decommissioned and the building effectively abandoned (like one of the blackout zones we see in the very first episode), I could easily imagine Akane knowing the location of the old protected storage for books being preserved through the ages. These chambers do exist in our world today, however if the mass digitalization of texts spurred the official shutdown of the library in our fictional Psychoverse, it was most likely left to decay with the rest of the building.

Then again, maybe Akane's gran had found a way in her younger years to utilize the storage but always kept the entrance hidden or obscure enough to warrant no real interest. If Akane's grandmother also had a love for the books she tended, maybe she would have wanted to preserve them in some way. If maintained over the years, Akane's grandmother may have kept returning to this place, transforming it into her own private study/haven. Once she became too old to maintain the timeless study herself, Akane's grandmother may have passed the task over to Akane.

So, maybe... MAYBE Akane clears a shelf for Ko, guides the man there, and shares this small part of herself with him. With a joke about him being free to store any books here that he doesn't want to get "lost" tossed in for added kick xD. But of course, that's just my wishful thinking.

When we have Kogami set to pick up Akane at the end of the last season, she is surprised when initially catching sight of him (She shouldn't be though, is what anyone would say). But you know what? When we see Kogami visit Akane in earlier installments, she does not seem surprised or shocked by Kogami's appearance. Not in the slightest. If anything, Akane looks a bit bashful as they face away from each other and lightly chitchat. I can imagine her heart probably picks up a bit when Kogami visits her, but you can tell Akane is still pretty guarded in her interactions with Kogami nowadays.

I don't mean in a closed off, distancing sort of fashion, but something more akin to Akane recognizing the value/worth of their current relationship and not wanting to expect (or want) more than that. As if she knows better than to expect anything deeper than what he has offered her on a surface level. Which, to be honest, is quite a lot. The casual tones they take with one another during the visitation scene suggests that this is not the first time Kogami came to lean against that door. The comfort they can draw from each other in this scene is palpable and I am reminded of that quote from Saiga at the beginning of Providence, when he was speaking to Akane in his cell. Saiga mentioned how it is human nature to subconsciously seek out things that bring us comfort (or something of that nature). I wonder what Saiga would be thinking now, viewing these two as they are, in this moment.

Hear me out here.... Shinya Kogami has all the sub energy in the world for the people he loves. Looking at you, Gino and Akane, the only two people in the world that can really CHECK Ko. Gino with that punch in PP The Movie ( Ko was ready to fully submit here and take a bullet to the head but Gino settled it with a punch to the face) and then Akane who can snatch a cigarette out of his mouth (or offer one, if he has been a good boi). Ko's reactions to these two exhibiting power or dominance over him is very telling, and I'll fight y'all over this.

My favorite moment in relation to this would have to be that hospital scene wherein we see our estranged couple reestablish a tentative connection with one another. It's an important scene because we see Akane finally open the door for Ko to step back into her inner circle, her team. It's the moment Ko has anticipated and yearned for, and Akane's firm reminder of who and what they are to each other has Ko relieved.

She's defined them in a simplistic way, really, but it's more than enough for Kogami in this moment. His face relaxes, and his tone shifts and warms. I even joke that you can see that man's imaginary dog tail wagging after hearing her words. Kogami's posture and body language noticbly opens up here, and we see him go from having his arms crossed in front of him, nervously reaching for a cigarette out of habit, to sitting up completely and even moving himself closer to her. That metaphorical distance between them has narrowed, and Akane is now within reach.

Ever seen a clingy Ko? In the final Peacebreaker showdown in Providence, Kogami and Akane (and Co.) have miraculously survived the assault on Peacebreaker HQ. Up until this point, Akane has kept Kogami at a distance by being more reserved in their interactions. Ko feels/knows this, and you can see the tension carried in his body in a lot of scenes that feature Akane and himself in a room together.

If you ever need a hint, keep an eye on Kogami anytime Frederica is in frame. Frede, to me at least, always serves as a reminder to be observant of the subconscious tells a person gives off through body language, namely Ko. We see that through this unspoken language, Ko wants to be close to Akane, to reacquaint himself with this new version of her. I can't blame him; they have been separated for quite some time and Akane is not the rookie from season 1 or the woman running at his heels from PP the Movie. She's now a top dog in her own right and he's heard some things (Thanks Frede!).

When we have Ko and Akane coming down from the adrenaline high of that final encounter with the leader/bad guy in Providence, Ko has Akane formally place him under arrest. It is symbolic in a way and shows us that Kogami is not running from his actions (Or Akane), and that he is prepared to stay and face the consequences. That's not the only message I see reflected here though. To set the tone, after years of separation and hardship, Kogami has FINALLY made his way back home, and has even managed to worm his way into the CID building due to a joint investigation. Through this, Ko is finally able to reunite with Akane, under totally justifiable circumstances (ALLEGEDELY - Gino would say lolololol or rather "Screw you!" if we are going by the movie script - The man literally told Ko to stay away). When Ko DOES manage to get in physical proximity of her, the emotional distance is vast, and he sees how others have come to surround Akane during his absence. It's a tough pill to swallow for him (though obviously he refuses to admit it).

Then we have the risky business during the raid on the Peacebreaker HQ. Akane is really putting her neck on the line here, a fact Kogami brings up before they officially set out, and the audience is treated to an anxious Ko. He understands why things are falling in place as they are, regarding the mission, but Ko can't help but warn Akane away from doing anything excessively dangerous/risky while on her own. We even see Ko's anxiety spike when Akane admits that she cannot make any promises to him. Akane figures she is already out of the pot and into the fire and there could be no greater risk taken at this point and time. She is resigned to what fate has in store for her and is facing it head on. She even jokes that Kogami should be quick if he does not want to worry (DON'T DO THAT TO THE TEAM AKANE LOL, HE ALREADY LIKES TO SPRINT AHEAD INTO THE ACTION LIKE A MAD DOG). The next time Kogami sees Akane, it is with a gun planted to her head, and a maniac rambling above her. When the danger has passed and they both have a moment to BREATH, they have an emotional exchange.

From this point onward, clingy Ko has been activated. The man HAS to be cuffed to Akane in this moment and it is purely selfish in nature. Any reason to cut away the distance between them, Ko takes. This is why, despite still being in enemy territory, Ko handicaps himself with a physical connection to Akane. This would arguably put them both at risk, with Kogami restricted in how he can respond to any additional threats; this leaves them both quite vulnerable. Logically speaking here, they could have managed just fine WITHOUT the cuffs attached but Ko will have none of it. It's not like Ko is ignorant to the danger they are still in either, taking off his bulletproof vest, Kogami has Akane wear it instead...*just in case* (I'm not swooning, YOU ARE).

The handcuffs are an assurance that Akane won't easily be taken/snatched away from Kogami and offers him the best excuse to stay as close to Akane as possible. In the Providence Blu-ray edition photos, I am in LOVE with two photos in particular. One features Gino, Ko and Akane making their way through the aftermath and rubble of the raid/assault. Ko still carries Akane in this scene but get a good LOOK at Gino here. The man looks troubled/perplexed/bothered and is solemn in his guardian role for the two here. Something about Akane and Ko is triggering Gino, but what could that be? More on that later.

Akane is awake in this photo, and it looks like everyone is having it out with their inner demons individually. Sure, they are moving together as a group, but each person is dealing with a different internalized conflict. I'll have to break that down more in a future post because there is PLENTY to take from that. The next photo, which I tend to favor more, shows the crew waiting on evac to go back home. Frede, though largely unseen, has her shadow playing in the outskirts. I took this as another reminder/hint to analyze Ko and BOI HOWDY. This man is getting his FILL of Akane and Ko's position and demeanor tells us this CLEARLY.

Akane has passed out by this point and is sleeping soundly. Next to her, Ko's body language is telling us something grand. Kogami's head is tilted slightly away from Akane while a lit cigarette hangs from his lips. (I HC here that he is trying to be considerate of his sleeping beauty by keeping her air mostly clear lol) There's a small smile peeking out here as Ko stares back out to the audience. He looks SATISFIED. Why wouldn't he be? Everyone who needed to live has survived and anyone who died had it coming. This is a victory through in through as far and he is concerned, and we see Ko settled into a relaxed position absolutely BASKING in it.

A few things stood out to me here. First, that injured leg Ko was moving on throughout mission was not fully healed, yet here we see Kogami bending that same leg awkwardly to the side to rest along Akane's. You could argue that Ko is just using his leg as a minor support to keep their hands level and comfortable, BUT there is no way Ko is not feeling some kind of strain or discomfort with that abused limb, ESPECIALLY after all the action that took place prior, PLUS having to carry Akane out of the smoldering remains of that HQ. That leg has GOT to be throbbing by now and for comfort, Ko SHOULD be mirroring Gino's stance nearby with his leg outstretched in front of him. But. Ko's leg is flush to Akane's, their hands teasing one another in the shadows. GOSH. WOW. On the opposite side of his body, closer to the dominator, his leg and arm are drawn up and holding a small bit of tension (My shipper goggles have me seeing this as another symbolic showing of how Ko often tries to shield Akane, but I digress).

The STAR here is Gino. He STILL looks troubled. His body is tense and drawn in, despite being on standby to finally go home. He is still triggered by something, and you can see him looking off to the side, pointedly AWAY from Ko and Akane. What's happened, you ask? Gino has scented Ko's BS " I do this because of that" clause again and he is NOT impressed. He knows Ko has a profound effect on Akane and her psyche, and he also knows his best friend as a person and what Ko's habits and actions tend to mean. Gino has seen this before with these two...that SPARK they seem to share, and it becomes apparent that Gino's prior warnings/threats from earlier in this movie and past installments have ultimately fallen on deaf ears (Cuz Ko gonna do what Ko gonna do at the end of the day, then reason it out to his advantage later lol).

I'll take today to mention that the greatest gift Ko gets on his birthday is the renewal of his membership into Akane's Harem (current population: 1) HOWEVER...that luxury won't last forever.

Shizuka the Wild Card is on the prowl out there and something tells me that he has already submitted his application. Any character that has been introduced to us thus far has shown no romantic interest in Akane whatsoever. The closest we legitimately got was with Kagari in the very first season when he called her "cute", and it went no further as the series progressed.

Not to say I think there is going to be this dramatic rivalry between Ko and Shizuka regarding Akane, but I am confident that Ko will be able to recognize Shizuka as a force not to be reckoned with, and if you pair that with his (hidden) intentions regarding Akane, something tells me Ko won't like it. Not one bit.

*Edit*