The Shepard and the Hound: Shinya Kogami

I’m so excited that today is finally favorite psychological male day. Mel, you totally called this one – but this one was a dead giveaway from the moment we became friends.  By the way, if you’ve been following me for awhile; then you know that Shinya was bound to make this list since I am a huge Psycho-Pass fan!

Edit 2/14/17:*I should’ve checked back to the prompt because well, weekendotaku totally called this one too.*

Shinya Kogami, one of the main protagonists from the anime Psycho-Pass (2012) is one of the Top 3 favorite male characters. He’s a highly skilled detective and is able to solve cases fairly quickly due to his calm and collected demeanor. He’s often depicted as detached from emotion as well as have sharp instincts and insights that some people would over look. He’s highly respected amongst his peers; both Detectives and Enforcers. He also has a high level of training in hand-to-hand combat; specializing in a style called “Silat” while being proficient in kick boxing and wrestling.

Prior to the opening events in episode 1 of Psycho-Pass, Kogami was an Inspector, often called a Shepard on the field. Three years before Tsunemori joined the MWPSB, Kogami was in her position investigating the “Specimen Case”, he was in charge of an Enforcer (a.k.a. a Hound) by the name of Sasayama. They had been friends more than anything, something Ginoza Nobuchika often frowns down upon. During this case Sasayama is on the verge of finding the killer behind these brutal murders when he is caught and then mutilated and put on display like the other victims. Kogami, the first to find Sasayama experiences a spike in his crime coefficient and refuses treatment. As he starts to obsess over the case and becomes hell-bent on finding the killer, Kogami’s crime effiecient eventually slips to a point of no return and is effectively demoted to an Enforcer. As an Enforcer he was designated as Hound 3, and as an inspector he was referred to as Shepard 2.

Over the course of the show, Kogami starts to detect that the SIBYL system of being weakness, and because of SIBYLs strict judgement he’s not able to pursue Makishima the way he wants due to his emotional attachement to the case via Sasayama’s death. In the end, he turns his back on the MWPSB and the SIBYL system and runs off to capture Makishima by his own volition; thus creating a rift between him and Tsunemori. After the events of Psycho-Pass he’s figured out a way to get from Japan and into the Shambala float and becomes a leading force in ther conflict as part of the anti-government guerrilla group.

Kogami Shinya is the epitome of brains and brawn, and a total bad-ass to boot. Not only was he a really handsome character; he had the intelligence to back it up. He was a well-read character and was great with observation and analysis in any given situation. On top of that he was a bad ass when it came to combat skills. The man has it all, and is why Shinya Kogami will always be my number 2. (hey! That fits with his designated Shepard 2 tag!) As always, thanks for reading and see you with next week’s MCM!

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Thoughts on Shinya Kogami? Who would be your favorite character from the Thriller/Psychological genre of anime? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! 🙂