The Necessity of Violence

Violence, while its form will change greatly with time and place, may always be a necessity in the meeting of beings.

Psycho-Pass, the all-time great anime from Gen Urobuchi (Fate/Zero, Madoka Magica), is about society with Akane, free will with Kogami and Makishima, and the value of human beings with the Inspectors, Enforcers, and all alike, however included in this is also violence, with the Dominators enacting the Sibyl System’s will. Psycho-Pass presents a society under Sibyl which is seemingly ultra peaceful, but can a society ever be free of conflict, or is such a thing always a dangerous lie? Let’s analyze Urobuchi’s classic in this video essay and see what we can learn (again!)

Jormungand, often compared to Black Lagoon, is of course discussing violence with the anime’s aggressive use of weapons and war. Jormungand follows Koko Hekmatyar, an arms dealer, and her bodyguards, mostly Jonah, as they both inflame conflict… and also prolong peace. Koko is a character showcasing human duality, as she sells weapons with the goal of peace, allowing someone who hates all weapons like Jonah to follow her. But with people like her brother Kasper who have no such moral objection to weapons and war, could this arms dealer truly provide world peace?

Vinland Saga, through Thors, Thorfiinn, Canute and more, discusses a much more brutal form of violence with its viking action. Whether they leave it like Thors, enter it like Thorfinn, or control it like Canute, this brutal nature touches every life in this viking world. Vinland Saga explains just how hard a path of peace can be in extreme detail, but analysis quickly reveals that the violent path, while simpler, can only ever lead to a worse future. And so, “the path of a true warrior” becomes one of peace; fighting against every single day.

A video essay analyzing and explaining the necessity of violence across three anime (Psycho-Pass, Jormungand [& Perfect Order], & Vinland Saga [Seasons 1 & 2])

0:00 Introduction
1:51 Part 1 | PSYCHO-PASS
20:42 Part 2 | Jormungand
39:40 Part 3 | Vinland Saga

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