Super Psychic Policeman Chojo gets off to an enjoyable start with a first episode that makes good use of its ridiculous premise. A psychic police officer sounds like someone who should be exceptionally good at his job, but having those abilities and being a respectable colleague are two very different things. That gap gives the series plenty to work with, and its central partnership already feels like a strong foundation for a comedy.
The episode introduces rookie officer Nao Ippongi, who finds herself partnered with Meguru Chojo. She is earnest, physically formidable, and keen to take her job seriously. He can read minds, has very little respect for personal boundaries, and is considerably more interested in amusing himself than behaving professionally. Their early patrols establish that awkward working relationship before trouble involving Nao’s family dojo gives them something more personal to deal with. It is a straightforward introduction that brings the pair together without getting bogged down in explaining the premise.
Chojo is a fun character to build the show around because his powers make him both useful and deeply irritating. Mind reading is an obvious advantage for a policeman, but it is also a nightmare quality in someone you have to spend your working day beside. The episode finds humour in that everyday inconvenience, letting his abilities create awkward interactions as well as help with police work. His childish competitiveness over something as trivial as playing with a yo-yo is a particularly fitting introduction to his priorities.
Ippongi makes a good counterpart because she has her own exaggerated qualities. Her judo background and tendency to act physically mean she brings more to the partnership than simply reacting to Chojo’s nonsense. There is a nice comic balance between someone with extraordinary mental abilities and someone whose answer to trouble can be considerably more direct. They both have the potential to make a situation worse, just in very different ways.
The threat to her family dojo also gives the first episode a welcome bit of heart. It makes Ippongi’s reasons for becoming a police officer feel personal, and gives Chojo an opportunity to show that there is something worthwhile underneath his difficult personality. That is an encouraging touch. A character like him can be funny while being obnoxious, but giving us a reason to care about him makes the partnership more appealing in the long run.
What works best is how naturally the premise lends itself to comedy. There is plenty of room for small neighbourhood problems, petty disagreements, and supernatural shortcuts to turn an ordinary patrol into something absurd. The first episode gives a clear sense of that potential while keeping the focus on its two leads. Getting their dynamic right is the most important job at this stage, and there is already enough friction between them to make spending more time with the pair an appealing prospect.
Overall, Super Psychic Policeman Chojo delivers a fun first episode with an immediately understandable hook and a promising central duo. The psychic abilities give it its gimmick, but the personalities are what make that gimmick work. Add a little sincerity beneath the silliness and there is plenty to like here. It is an encouraging start, and I’m keen to see what other trouble these two can find on patrol.
Super Psychic Policeman Chojo is being simulcast and available for streaming on Crunchyroll.
