Death Parade

[Ryllharu]

I'm not sure I fully understand Genti's judgement. There is no reason to lie about where he's sending her. Does that mean he decided to throw her into the void out of spite? Was that the horror you're talking about Shinta? Or.. just that you become nothing?

I'm gonna address this one first, but it actually applies to your entire post.

Ginti had been completely flummoxed by Mayu, he had no idea what to do with her, and this was right after he confronted Decim about being unable to decide on Chiyuki. In many of the cases Chiyuki presided over with Decim, and now with Ginti, it proved that their system does not work. You can push people to the breaking point, but it still may not show their true darkness. In fact, it might do the opposite.

Mayu was pushed to the limit, but chose to sacrifice herself. Harada was a real rat bastard, but he actually regretted what he had done once he saw Mayu be "killed" in his place.

Ginti, still at a loss for what to do, decided that he would try one last shot at proving Mayu was bad and should be sent to the void, or good and reincarnated. He gave her a simple choice. 'I'll save you and Harada if you choose to condemn this man instead.' Despite his expectations, Mayu chose to be voided with Harada rather than judge someone she doesn't know a damn thing about. What happened (and why this part of the episode was equally beautiful) was that Mayu was reunited with a redeemed Harada in the void.

The void is only hell if you are sent there alone. Mayu and Harada will fall through oblivion forever...together.

The Tale of Two Murderers was the mirror to this. You had a kid who did evil for all the right reasons, and a man who was a far better representation of what Psycho Pass 2 pretended they knew how to depict: corrupting evil. The kid should have been spared, but the Arbiter methodology of pushing people to their breaking point resulted in two souls needed to be condemned instead of just one. Instead of two people being redeemed in the void thanks to the inherent good within one of them, you had two people being doomed to the void because of the other's corrupting influence.

People are actually not complex. Just a slight difference can send them tumbling one way or the other. If Mayu hadn't been so innocent in her love, Harada might have not been redeemed. If the kid hadn't been pushed over the edge just to see if he would fall, he might have displayed to the cop that people are capable of resisting the need to continue delivering "justice." To show him that his mission, methods, and motivations were repulsive.

One doesn't need some elaborate farce to prove a person's worth or merit, that's only going to force the result to meet the expectations of the examiner. The old woman was judged on nothing more than a conversation and a review of her memories. The reunited childhood friends played a shy and awkward game until they were gently able to open up to each other.

People get hurt, they cry. They get angry, they lash out. They're happy, they smile. People react to and reflect the situations they are placed in. They are surprisingly simple.

[shinta|hikari]

Ginti, still at a loss for what to do, decided that he would try one last shot at proving Mayu was bad and should be sent to the void, or good and reincarnated. He gave her a simple choice. 'I'll save you and Harada if you choose to condemn this man instead.' Despite his expectations, Mayu chose to be voided with Harada rather than judge someone she doesn't know a damn thing about. What happened (and why this part of the episode was equally beautiful) was that Mayu was reunited with a redeemed Harada in the void.

This wasn't what happened. When Ginti told her to choose either Harada or Light to drop into the void, she chose Light. When they got into the elevator, Mayu asked, "Where are we going?" If she chose to join Harada into the void, she obviously wouldn't ask that question.

Ginti then answered, "Where Harada's soul is." This can indeed be interpreted to mean she knew where they were truly heading because she had a rough idea that his soul had been sent to the void before, but her next line wouldn't make sense if that was the case. "Will he really wake up?" she asked. Ginti had already explained to her what kind of place the void is. The void is a graveyard of souls, where only the consciousness remains. Taking his body there to wake him up makes little sense with that in mind.

That conversation implies that Mayu did indeed drop Light to the void. By doing so, she believed she has saved Harada. Ginti then tricked her and told her to drag Harada's body to the elevator and pick up his soul to wake him up.

That was why the elevator mask was fake. That was why Mayu was so shocked when they started becoming dolls. That was why Ginti was so satisfied.

He managed to "pull out" her darkness by forcing her to make a ridiculous choice. There was no way for her to let Harada go into the void, even if they were to be together. She loved him too much and was too selfless for that. By making it a choice between Harada and some other fellow, Ginti compelled Mayu to make an "evil and selfish" choice.

That's what I meant when I said that the horrors of the judgment system was brutally portrayed. It has no fairness or meaning. Ginti is right. Arbiters judge just because they do. They aren't equipped, deserving, or even truly willing.

I agree with you about the conclusion. Mayu got a semi-happy end because her soul was joined with Harada's, and that, at least, sort of rewarded her dedication.

EDIT: Additional evidence that she dropped Light (kudos to the creators for this) into the void:
At the beginning of the elevator scene, Mayu was looking at her right hand with guilt. It was probably the same hand she used to press the red button. There's no other reason for the animators to draw that scene like that.