Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

One of the best animr ever. It's intense, full of action and emotion. The anime is an adrenaline injection and the same time there are emotional parts that made me cry. The animation is a masterpiece, studio trigger is incredible.
The story is very surprising, you don't expect some things are going to happen with the main characters.
Cyberpunk is a very unique genre of science fiction, and I have to say, this anime has all elements of a very good cyberpunk story. We have the social critics, the femme fatale persona, the nihilist characters, the rock music, thr hight tech - low life ambience ... etc.
The characters are not easy stereotypes, the are people like us, with flows and strengths. But it's a cyberpunk story, it's very difficult to resist the temptations.
I think people will love it, there is a lot of slangs from the series universe to learn, but it will be a easy job to learn during the watch time.
Cyberpunk Edgerunners is definitely an amazing show. I recommend.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is easily one of the greatest anime ever made.

I knew this was gonna be good – it just had to be! An anime made by my favourite studio set in a sci-fi urban setting in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe??? Sign me up! Obviously I had high expectations, but this surpassed all of them easily. I’ve been waiting for this for two years straight but I had no idea that it was actually all gonna pay off like that. Let me explain why it’s so great and why you should go watch it immediately (after it gets dark)

Animation and art style – 10/10

This is ... simply the most gorgeous anime ever produced. I’ve never seen any piece of media look this good. Every single frame in the show is wallpaper-worthy. Not most frames, all of them. That’s because the backgrounds are meticulously crafted by the Trigger workers, who I am convinced are just as genetically-enhanced and inhuman as the characters in the show. I’ve always been a lover of city skylines, particularly at night, and it’s even better if they are futuristic, but this brings it to a whole new level. Most textures are extremely photorealistic to an extent I’ve never before seen blended well into an anime. Add on top of that the fact that all lighting is with beautiful vibrant neon lights and top it off with excellent fluid cartoony animation a la Trigger and you have yourself a delicious serving of orgasmically beautiful art style and animation. Oh yeah, and the fight scenes are lit, too. Bloody and gory, too. Trigger was the perfect choice for this as the studio has been particularly good with colours, but they’ve really outdone themselves here. The character designs are great, too. This looks like Ninja Slayer, if it was given a gigantic budget and it took itself seriously. I love the transitions, too. They are perfect for this internet-fueled world and make you appreciate just how truly little time you need to spend in a scene to take it all in. As expected with Hiroyuki Imaishi’s work, it’s as fast paced as it needs to be. At no point is there even a hint of a feeling that it’s dragging on. I found myself actually pausing just to appreciate the beauty of each shot and the amount of detail that went into making it. I gotta say that you MUST watch this at night in the dark to fully appreciate the beauty and the neon colours. Watching this in a bright room with a dim screen is just an insult to the show and the team behind it. Experiencing this in the dark will definitely show you why I couldn’t possibly give it any less than a 10/10.

Music – 10/10

The visuals aren’t the only thing that really stand out as excellent in this series – the music was something unique. It has a decent OP and ED, but what I’m really interested in is the background music. It always fitted the scene perfectly. Some extremely sad melodies for the end of episode one, cool pop rock for the cyberpunk city, epic battle music for the fights and some really unique tracks. The music that plays when they’re in a bar is exactly like what you would hear in a real late night bar in the west. I gotta say I didn’t expect to hear (Hungarian? Polish?) rap or some head-slammin’ pig-squeelin’ death metal in an anime series…an anime by Trigger in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe with insane production values. We truly live in the strangest timeline, huh?

Story – 10/10

It’s not just the outside of this anime that’s beautiful, it’s also great on the inside.
The basic synopsis goes something like this: David Martinez is a troubled highschooler who lives with his mom in poverty, struggling to pay the bills for his school gear or even the public washing machine. He gets picked on at his high end school for things that aren’t really his fault but continues to struggle on because he knows he’s doing it for his mom, who singlehandedly raised him by working all day every day. It is not explicitly stated, but is strongly implied that she works as a prostitute or something equally shameful in a world where sexual satisfaction comes with the click of a button and placing of the VR set. One day their normal life comes to a halt when a gang warfare on the highway ends with a car crash, injuring him and his mother gravely. From then on, he vows to take revenge on those who’ve wronged him and rages against the decadent city that has abandoned him by acquiring a robotic spine that allows him to travel at super speeds for a brief period of time, in exchange for exhausting his body and slowly turning him mentally unstable. He meets a girl that pickpockets for a living who forces him to join her criminal gang. One thing leads to another and before you know it, he’s done some pretty fucked up things. What’s genius is that at (almost) no point in the show does he have much of a choice. It is difficult to blame him for what he becomes when you consider how little control he ever had over his own life. Similar to a show like Breaking Bad, this anime shows how the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. The moral dilemmas in this show are amazingly well made. Should he let himself be viciously bullied or should he fight back in an unfair match? Should he stay loyal his friends in the gang who provide him with money and necessary medication or spare the life of the father of his bully, that wants to bring him back to the academy? Should he give himself in to the cops? Is there turning back from the criminal life? How long can this gang life last and does he have any future now?

It all leads to a very intense and satisfying ending.

Characters – 9/10

David is just an example in how to write a good protagonist. He goes to an elite academy, but isn’t an elitist or a smartass, he is a delinquent but not an asshole or a dumbass, he’s poor but not a lowlife, he’s talented but not overpowered, he’s awkward but not cringy, etc. Above all, he’s a believable teenager, period. Something that's hard to come by as far as most anime are concerned.

Lucy gives off some very intended Blade Runner vibes and has an interesting role throughout the entire show and backstory towards the end.

Even someone like Maine who seems like a simple brute early on is surprisingly nuanced.

Overall – 10/10

This was something else. An amazing experiences from beginning to end. Every episode was a 10 and went by extremely quickly, every moment looked absolutely stunning, every action scene was blood-pumping, every edit and plot turn was on point. There are very few shows that I know are gonna be in my top 5 just from watching episode 1. There are also very few shows that force me to watch till the end in one sitting, even deep into the night. Kudos, Trigger has done it again. They’ve once again forced me to change my anime rankings. I don’t know how I could possibly give this anything less than a 10 or how anyone else could, either.

8/10
Ok, we get it gamers, you hate the game and hence you gotta hate the anime (without even watching it) you have proved your point, please leave the anime alone now.

The edge runners series is not the first western game anime, we had Halo before, and this one has done a better job of capturing the initial aesthetic and vibe of the actual game properly. Hence, it does feel like an extension of night city not just another reimagination of it.

The cyberpunk genre fits the medium of anime quite well, Some of the greatest 90 s anime were cyberpunk stories but the genre has ... gone quite under with some newer notable exceptions being this and akudama drive.

plot(8/10)
Tried to go for a more game-type plot with choices in front of the character, the difference is, we don't choose he does. It tries to go for the fun and gritty both and it does nail it to some extent, with the plot being a bit more rushed than necessary, but that is justified since its only a 10-episode anime.

Characters (7/10)
We are treated with Heavily modified cyborgs and great character design since they still feel relatively human but just enough to look uh, cyberpunk? XD. they are great and have personality that fits the original night city vibe of the strong eat the weak.

Art and animation (8/10)
Great cinematography and amazing art style that makes you really feel like you are back in night city again! Some of the in-game UI is also mixed in quite well to really hit it home that this is a cyberpunk2077 anime. The animation of Trigger is fluid and the fight choreography is really good and does have the gamified element to it that would appease the fans.

Sound and VA (9/10)
The best part of this anime, really good tone-setting cyberpunk music is scattered throughout, adding that extra bit of emotion (that was the only thing the game nailed at launch too xD). The VA is great with many notable voice actors being present, as usual, the Netflix subs do a bit of harm but have improved a bit, but if you are able to understand a bit of Japanese the immersion will increase.



An easy watch , if you are a fan of this genre , we need more from this genre TBH.

Damn, goes hard.
Was predictable, but the way it is written n directed, makes this like a journey, i love that it literally is only it's history n nothing more. not like.. A certain anime around one thousand chapters, ya know..
The animation style made by bones is perfect, as always
The presentation n making of the characters, fits completely with the history, since the are no "refill" characters other than the ones that contribute to the main character development.
Also they were completely aware of what they were doing, since they all reacted the way they should.
I think it's not a series for everyone, to be honest, the ... end just doesn't makes you feel anything, not love, neither sadness.
It's just, empty, like if you couldnt process what you had witnessed.

TL;DR: Not perfect, but there's a lot of heart in it.

The first episode is a great introductory to Cyberpunk's violent and degenerate world. Seeing the world from the eyes of a more ordinary individual is great and quite immersive. Story picks up after fast, and we get many action sequences in episodes to follow. The action scenes are very gruesome, but also cartoony. What truly makes this an adult animation however is the amount of nudity within the show.

If you are familiar with the game, you will find this show to be faithful to the game world down to sound effects, vehicles, music, elements ... of the user interface, Night City and implants. There's also a few new things it has to show. A lot of the storytelling is also similar to how you'd pick up missions as V, and how people would communicate with you through calls. They even have some mission debriefing moments.

I think the dub is a great way of watching. I've always been a sub only watcher for anime, but I thought dub would fit the show, and I was right. Aside from a couple of parts in episode 2 where the show was extremely "anime", the dubs were great. Pretty much felt like the dub was always kept in mind rather than as an afterthought.

What I liked:
- Animation quality was good for most of the show, and although the style is cartoony, it worked quite well all things considered.
- The animation being extremely faithful to the game is also a nice touch for anyone who's played it.
- I loved the first episode, and I thought the following few episodes were good also. Some great emotional parts and action parts.

What I didn't like:
It felt too similar to how the game played out:
- I wanted to explore the world from the eyes of a more normal person for longer, but the show becomes very similar to how Cyberpunk 2077 was. You're doing gigs left and right, and there's no chance to explore the world outside the eyes of a mercenary. Only first episode, and a couple of the episodes after felt fresh. This might be different for new viewers though!
- Worst thing was probably how the show only half stuck the landing for me, the final arc felt weak at parts, but when the curtains closed I wasn't dissatisfied.

Cyberpunk.... I did play the game and honestly I enjoyed it. I heard trigger was making a anime for it and I was fully on board. And MANNNNN..... I didn't get disappointed. 10 ep is kind of short but when the show grabs you it didn't plan on letting you go for the rest of the show. The game has it ups and downs but the show shouldn't be reflected as that. Honestly I recommend watching the show before the game now because when you visit night city you'll feel like you just enter the world of the show. This show shows many things ... and man it was really good and if you play the game I suggest it but if you don't play the game i still suggest it. I'm going to go back and visit night city. YALLL SHOULD WATCH.

I must start by saying that Cyberpunk: Endrunners will inevitably divide opinions because it is a non-originally Japanese work, part of the direction is not Japanese, so the general vision is not Japanese.
At first this is a problem, because a lot of people LOVE the local culture and how they approach each other. Considering this, the script is by far better than 90% of the anime already made and that will be made. But isn't that an exaggeration? Yes! It is indeed an exaggeration, but based on statistics. Cyberpunk uses oriental anime formulas, but has no shame in showing what should be shown and doing ... what it has to do. That sentimental thing that will save you? He forgets. Life isn't like that, and things have consequences.
All characters have their profiles positioned to do what is necessary and nothing more than that. It makes you connect with him so much if he dies in Night City.
Of its main characters, all of them are well suited and made to measure, and from my experience, this is RARE to happen in an anime.
The anime did not receive a 10/10 rating, due to the fact that the brightness was not constant throughout the 10 episodes. But on the other hand, the ending made me realize how stuck the Japanese are in their own circle.

One of the great anime of 2022, and without a doubt, one of the best on Netflix. It´s an audiovisual wonderful. The plot doesn´t decay or bore, you will want to see one episode after another.

Cyberpunk is a subgenre that overwhelms me for the simple fact of being a world in which I wouldn´t like to live; full of vices, technology... A world full of neon lights but very dark, that's Night City.

The social messages released are very good.

Capitalism in that city suffocates the most vulnerable social classes, because there, the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor. Moving up in social ... class is very complicated, even if you kill yourself to work.

What exit is there? It's hard to get by in a hostile city full of perversion.

David met Lucy, a breath of fresh air, a light at the end of the tunnel... So he ends up being a gang member in order to survive. They are simply two young people who will fight against the system that excluded them, the system that hurt them so much, because after all, they have nothing to lose.

They will face enemies in fights full of blood, violence and hacking, having to reach their own limits. In this city, morality doesn´t exist: you have to fight to survive.

Having body mods helps, but it's expensive, giving you unique abilities. But everything has its bad part, cyberpsychosis or addiction to implants.

"I'll take you to the Moon", what a beautiful phrase, usually used metaphorically, but in the series it's literal. Escape from the noisy Earth, from that damned city, go to a quiet place like the Moon...

The characters are charismatic, for whom I felt empathy. The character design is incredible, with good personalities, although I would have liked more of the secondary background.

The animation and soundtrack are fantastic.

The ending is beautiful, unforgettable.

"Because I did everything impossible to be by your side."

Most of the time, watching a show or a movie, reading a book or playing video games can be summarized by seeking and consuming entertainment.
Once done with it you hop onto the next one, pick and repeat.

But sometimes pieces of media hold much more value than that of simply being entertaining, sometimes they become dear experiences that mark you big time.

And that it was I got with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. So I'll try my best to put into words what I felt after watching this GREAT anime.

- NO SPOILER :

Considering that my prior knowledge to the video game Cyberpunk 2077 is "this game has more bugs ... than drug needles in a crack house", the studio really delivered on immersing the audience into the futuristic punk world that is Cyberpunk.
Every part of Night City feels like it has a story to tell.
The colors are vibrant and alive, backgrounds, movements and designs are beautifully detailed. Even the varied soundtrack, though overall not particularly striking, feels right at home every time.
While the show's main objective was a marketing attempt at reviving a poorly launched game, it's clear that it ended up being a magnificent work of passion.

It also looks really different from the Japanese animation we're used to.
The world building is mostly devoid of Japanese tropes that you'd usually be expected to see in an anime, the movements are fast paced in a way that almost gives the impression of watching a cartoon at times, but it still keeps that clear Japan-made artistry which creates an intriguing identity.
The Japanese sub is great, but for the first time in my life I found myself watching an anime in English dub, the well put cast of voice actors and actresses with different accents provide with a greater immersion and authenticity to the debilitated punk city feel.
I still can't believe I'm saying this, but the English dub is definitely something to consider if you plan on watching this show.

Action, it would be impossible talking about a story on a dysfunctional robotic dystopia where people have the same gun laws and healthcare as they have in America today without focusing on it's fight scenes.
And man, it blows up everywhere, people are screaming, cursing, running, shooting... deaths aren't censored, they're magnified by explosions of organs, every action is a macabre but fun bloody spectacle.
Part of the senseless carnage is here for entertainment, but it's also aiming at giving a sense of numbness to death, passing it off as a daily occurrence that can happen to anyone down in Night City.

The main and supporting characters are surprisingly fleshed-out and memorable for having barely any backstory or exposition scene.
The way characters interact between each other gives you everything you need to know about them, whether vocally or through animation.
In the matter of less than 10 episodes, the writers and animators managed to create a genuine and authentic feeling of care and connection for various characters, hell, Rebecca became fan favorite within like 3 lines of dialogue and 20 seconds of screen time.

Technology is evidently a prime focus in the story, though it doesn't take its toll too much on the big picture by not overwhelming every bit of dialogue with nonsense and useless talk about tech ware and buzz words, or maybe it does but it somehow adds to the tone of the world.
Expressions from the inhabitants such as "choom" and "nova" really added that touch on the dialogues, which were great if you forget about the... "I'm built different" incident.
That being said, the weak side would definitely lie in it's antagonists, there is only so much motivations and resentment to create in the span of a few episodes, so much that the decisions for certain actions in the end might seem out of place if not weirdly forced.
Some characters are really hard to be properly introduced to without the game references, and considering that the big world boss fits the description is definitely a miss.

The anime is quite short but not rushed, it's breathtaking in many ways but it's also because you can barely catch your breath through the density of content packed in each episodes. There is so many unique scenes and plot points to live through that it's only wrongdoing is that I wish I could've seen more of it.

- SPOILER :

Feel good stories are not my go to drug, I hold stories that have the audacity to take risks in higher regard.
"Open and shut cases" stories is what resonate the most for me, if you start something then you have to finish it, that's how complete experiences are made.
In the case of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, we are presented with this, but with an incredibly bittersweet ending, and it hits you harder than those Becca guns.

David feels like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders, everyone around him think he is special so he starts seeing himself as unique.
He has no dreams for himself so he makes it a goal to achieve the ones of the people who are dear to his heart, even if it means at the expense of his own well-being, which he eventually "succeed" to do.
He manages to get "all the way to the top" of Arasaka tower just like his mother wanted, he successfully pick up and lead the crew just like Maine would've done, if not better, and Lucy leaves for the moon and fly from the city thanks to him.
But in reality, he became the very thing that each of these characters never wished for him to be, respectively an Edgerunner punk, a chromed out Cyberpsycho and a not very moving or functional person.

"You don't make a name as a Cyberpunk by how you live. You're remembered by how you die."
But the ones who were close to you will sure as hell remember you for how you lived, and once you're gone from Night City, you'll only have left a trail of regrets for the people left.
Ultimately, the crew lived through so much yet were merely a spark of light in the colossal dome of lights that is Night City.
And that's how the story concludes, Lucy's face says it all, it's bittersweet, it's painfully ironic and unfair, there is no happiness, no hope, no friends, only regrets and aching memories.

But that's probably why so many people felt "broken" after that ending, myself included.
God I couldn't go without cryin' like a little bitch writing the review and listening to THAT song.

- CLOSING STATEMENT

There is so much more that I'd want to talk about, so many more feelings to put into pixels, but we're getting a bit lengthy here.
Seeing this show as a whole, it's a well earned 10/10 for me, all my thanks go to everyone involved for crafting such an amazing experience. If this is what the future of anime holds for us then I'm unequivocally all in.
Thank you for reading choom !
PS : Rebecca deserved better.

what an emotional collercoaster this was. studio trigger x cdpred collaboration did not disappoint one bit, as expected.

being a huge fan of the game; i'd been waiting for this to come out for a long time, and boy was it worth the hype. you get to see similar faces, iconic places from the game, experience the masterfully made soundtrack once again beautifully spread throughout the whole show, meet new characters that are well-written, so on and so forth. the whole setting just fits almost perfectly with the animation/drawing style of the studio. kudos to cdpr, they couldnt've found a better match.

you instantly connect with the ... characters, even in an insanely fast paced show as this one. there's barely any stop from the action and that's not necessarily a bad thing, considering the fact that trigger hands down makes the best looking action ever in anime (non-negotiable). it's just that it feels like you're speedrunning the main story of the game, without doing any side quests, hence my only complaint about the show. i wish we got to see more of our beloved characters, their interactions with each other, maybe their pasts and how they all ended up being cyberpunks, robbing and killing people all over the city. but oh well, night city gets the best of everyone i suppose.

without a doubt, studio trigger's best work to date, and a near perfect adaptation at that. do not miss out on this one

Another “Netflix Original” that Netflix had nothing to do with creating, Edgerunners is a collaborative effort between the Polish video game developer, CD Projekt Red, and the Japanese animation studio, Trigger.

Edgerunners is a loose adaptation of CDPR’s latest video game, Cyberpunk 2077. By that I mean that it has nothing to do with the story of the game, but rather that it is a standalone 10-episode story about a street kid trying to survive in a technology and body modification-obsessed city of the future – CP 2077’s very own Night City. Being the company that created the massively acclaimed Witcher 3 games and prequels, CDPR ... managed to garner an unbelievable amount of hype for Cyberpunk 2077. Alas, after a string of production mishaps, overblown promises, overworked staff, multiple delays, and ever-increasing fan frustration, the makers eventually gave in to the demands of the mob and released an unfinished game. While it wasn’t a fiasco on the level of No Man’s Sky, the perceived disappointment was within striking distance.

It is conceivable that the idea of making an anime came up as an attempt to redeem the franchise’s image and advertise the game. This is reminiscent of comic book companies’ attitude towards superhero movies. While this may be difficult to believe in today’s world, there was a time when capeshit cinema was not the multibillion-dollar industry it is today, and Marvel and DC saw movie adaptations as nothing more than highly expensive ads that would help them sell more comic books, for they were convinced that would always be their primary source of income. Ridiculous and misguided as that may seem with the benefit of hindsight, it was the conventionally accepted wisdom of the time. As it stands, I have no doubt that the release of Edgerunners caused a marked increase in Cyberpunk 2077 sales, but I believe the argument can be made that, on balance, the video game acts as an ad for the anime, not the other way around. Still, it is my contention that in the final analysis, CD Projekt Red will be grateful for the role the anime series has played in the game's revival, given that they have announced a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel. Hard work pays off – throw enough shit at the wall and something will eventually stick.

In any case, how does the anime measure up to the game? The simple answer is that I do not know, seeing as I have never played it, nor do I intend to, really. Nevertheless, research indicates that one of the anime’s main antagonists, if not its primary antagonist, is also present in the game. In addition, Edgerunners features several locations that 2077 players will be familiar with, aside from reusing a lot of the same art assets. Chronologically, Edgerunners takes place sometime shortly before the events of 2077, so it acts as the perfect lead-in to the game and a great starting point for someone who is new to the franchise, such as yours truly.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners looks and feels like a Trigger show, through and through. Realistically speaking, it is their most visually impressive work since Gurren Lagann. Trigger’s most remarkable achievement here is that in spite of Edgerunners being a science-fiction show featuring all manner of intricate gadgets and mechs, it is animated almost entirely in 2D, and the few and far between 3D elements are blended so brilliantly well, I never detected any visual disconnect that broke my immersion, and trust me, I have an eye for that sort of thing. In short, rest assured, there’s none of that 3D CG ass (literally) shenanigans from Kill la Kill. Furthermore, since this is not an original Trigger production, but rather based on an already-existing IP, it’s a refreshing break from the carbon copy Trigger formula, that had become admittedly stale with Kill la Kill, and downright exhausting with Darling in the FranXX.

I have made this point before when talking about adaptations, but respect for one’s source material and target audience can go a long way. CDPR did not fall into the trap that so many anime-producer-hopefuls have fallen into in the past. Neo Yokio, created by the Vampire Weekend singer, Ezra Koenig, starring Jaden Smith, was hailed as a big-league Production I.G property, but the American team had no idea how anime works, did not take it seriously, and it ended as one of the most spectacular trainwrecks in the medium.

Insofar as Edgerunners is concerned, Trigger pulls out all the stops to make the cyberpunk aesthetic come to life in the most vibrant and visually overwhelming way possible. Rather than the more grounded futuristic look of the genre found in shows like Ergo Proxy and Psycho-Pass, Trigger aims to give Edgerunners the colorful neon veneer that has recently risen to a never-before-seen level of popularity with the advent of the retrowave and synthwave music genres. It is my privilege to tell you that they very much succeed in their endeavor. The entire show might as well be a Carpenter Brut music video. It is precisely this distinct and aggressive visual identity that causes many to call the series an undisputed masterpiece.

In truth, your mileage with it will vary. It will come down to nothing more than how you personally feel about the cyberpunk genre at a base level, for the show has precious little to offer outside of the appeal of its genre. It is fairly transparent that the way Edgerunners came about was not as a result of creative mind being passionate about a particular story they wanted to tell that required a cyberpunk setting in order to work. Au contraire, the passion lay in the look and feel of the subculture. The selling point of Edgerunners is its genre. I do not mean by that that the genre is its main selling point. I mean that it's its only selling point.

David is somewhat of a breath of fresh air in the anime medium considering he is an actual protagonist, a prime mover of the story, rather than a self-insert reactive spectator. That said, there’s nothing specifically unique or memorable about him. He’s nothing you haven’t seen before. It’s been less than a month since I’ve seen the show, and I just had to look up his name for the purposes of writing this because I’d forgotten it. Lucy is much of the same. She is a very attractive main heroine, but mysterious sultry heroines with distinctive designs and secretly traumatic pasts are not exactly a novelty. The rest of the main crew is also a lot of fun, but I liked them a lot better in Black Lagoon. I’m serious, the cast of Edgerunners is as close to a carbon copy of the Lagoon Company and friends as it gets. David is Rock. Lucy is Revy. Maine is Dutch. Falco is Benny. Rebecca is Roberta. Kiwi is Eda. Dorio is Balalaika.

Is it a grave sin that they copied the Black Lagoon cast? No, as far as franchises whose characters one might want to rip off go, they could've done a lot worse. I'm just making the point that there is nothing unique or substantial here, enjoyable as though it may be. That undoubtedly seems strange coming from me, the guy who raves on and on about how originality in media is overrated, and passion for one’s story and content is more important, regardless of how cliché it may be. Not to worry, I still hold to that. The only reason I am belaboring the point here is the deluge of opinion pieces and video essays from critics praising the show as containing something truly special and being some kind of defining work of art. I'm sorry, but it's just not that.

Even its exploration of the more philosophical aspects of the genre is superficial at best, trite at worst. On the one hand, the cyberpsychosis shpiel felt like one of the more heavy-handed representations of the loss of one’s humanity as a consequence of cybernetic augmentation I've ever seen. On the other hand, a dystopian future where automation renders most unskilled jobs obsolete and corporations and oligarchs take over – that is not a poignant critique of capitalism, it’s a staple of the genre. Dreams are doomed to die in Night City, a futuristic Californian metropolis where the obscenely wealthy few to lead a life of decadent abundance, luxury, and excess, whereas the poor are left to fend for themselves in subhuman conditions, only for the rich and powerful to use and abuse them with impunity indistinguishably from livestock – which is no different than what we've already seen in The Hunger Games, Alita: Battle Angel, District 9, Elysium, Avatar, In Time, Blade Runner, RoboCop, Soylent Green, Snowpiercer, Total Recall, Ready Player One, Resident Evil, and oh, yes, lest we forget, the literal game this anime is based on.

Cyberpunk media generally goes either one of two ways. We either deal with an exploration of the inevitable loss of identity and humanity under an increasingly impersonal, robotic, and digital paradigm, such as Ghost in the Shell or Texhnolyze, or we take the opposite road and just make mech and ultraviolence porn, such as Genocyber or Angel Cop. Edgerunners offers the best of both worlds.

It is the show’s synthwave OST that will perfectly reflect every shade of emotional color of the series’ vivid canvas. I’m not saying it’s on the level of Robert Parker, but it’s within that same ballpark.

For 10 whole episodes, the series truly offers no dull moment - constant action, beautifully animated explosions, fluid movement, rabid machine guns everywhere, people getting shredded by bullets, blood and gore aplenty, and Trigger’s signature lightning-fast pacing, the Cyberpunk anime is sure to be a journey that adrenaline junkies are guaranteed to love. And yes, don't worry, there is an abundance of nudity and sex, if perhaps an iota more modest than Devilman: Crybaby. That said, towards the end, Edgerunners will leave you with a feeling of nihilistic despair that is difficult to describe, and even if I could, I wouldn't, for it would take away from your own experience.

“You don't make a name for yourself as a cyberpunk by how you live. You make a name by how you die.”

If anime was a limit test, this is it. Ten episodes. Really? A complete story confirmed to be a standalone work, squeezed into ten episodes. Surely, this can't end up good... well fuck me, it's actually pretty good. Perfect? Not a chance. But given the circumstances, this is a superhuman feat.

There are three things that shine for me in this anime: world building, dialogue/general scene direction, and animation. The first one is not even the focus of this anime. It acknowledges that it cannot fit big chunks of lore in a short, heavily action-focused anime, yet it effortlessly infuses detail whenever it can, forming a ... chilling image of the world that is Night City. It's not a deliberate effort, like "oh, robot bad. Look people turning into robots. Big corpos controlling your life. Scary and bad". No, you only witness what is "normal" within Night City... and gauge by yourself the consequences of this new reality, of cybernetic augments, of mega-corporations leading the world, of a dystopian society. The goal of Cyberpunk is not so much the world; rather, it's simply about the adventure of David and Lucy. You can consider myself impressed then, because the world building is amazing. Within a few episodes you have a solid grasp of the socio-economic structure, technology, and everyday life in this city. I guess it takes roots from the original Cyberpunk writing, though I have never played or seen much about this game.

And dialogue. I am wholly convinced that I watched an adult show, without characters being adults. I mean, not all of them at least. David's voice acting can get lackluster for me sometimes (subbed), though otherwise, direction in dialogue and character writing is really good. In an anime where things will, more often than not, get pretty grim for our cast, dialogue sentiment becomes equally repressed, cynical, and ambiguous. People struggling to get the words out. Saying something, while meaning something else. Trust, relationships, sharing and keeping secret. Some scenes hit very well. They capture real sentiments, real situations. This does NOT happen often in anime, and it is perhaps what made me enjoy this show the most. I have to mention that sometimes the subs stray way too much from the actual lines and go wild... they can be pretty funny.

And the fluency in direction does not only apply in one-to-one dialogue. Tension in Cyberpunk reaches flawless levels for me. The menacing, mechanically paced music, the slow-motions, the brilliant pauses, make up scenes for masterclass demonstrations. I literally want to put some sequences into golden frames to decorate my room with.

And that brings me to animation. Well, surprise surprise, studio Trigger. Of course this was going to be a banger in this department. You can SEE that the animators are having a shit ton of fun in this anime. Action sequences are stupidly insane and insanely stupid. Laws of physics? How about suggestions of physics? Action can be very enjoyable when you accept this approach. Cyberpunk is self-aware in this choice, and thus consistent in how action rules work. This anime can be both cool and exciting, but also hilarious and meme-worthy in its more absurd sequences, without outright ruining immersion. Although I'll be honest, it likes riding on the edge ;)

The reason the score is not higher is mostly due to pacing. I see incredible potential in direction, but the amount of time given is so, so small. The last two episodes were too rushed for me. Character absence in previous episodes leads to build-up that doesn't get resolved. I don't want to spoil much... but the last two episodes for me were simply so rushed. It's not that I did not like the ending. It's that it needed a bit more time for it to blossom. Certain scenes felt jarringly inconsistent... like entire seconds of frames were cut out just so everything could fit into the whole thing. Characters were left incomplete. And since Cyberpunk is mostly a character driven show, a show driven by David and Lucy, this hurts.

It's unique, it's fun, it's well-made, and worth the watch. Yet I still see lost potential in it. They had to fit a complete story within 10 episodes... and they did an awesome fucking job, don't get me wrong. I believe they gave their absolute best, and they deserve a lot of praise. I can't imagine what this anime would look like had it been longer. Yet the reality of the anime doesn't change... it's rushed. I truly wish the same crew works on a project with ACTUAL time and not on a juggling performance. Literally felt like the marketing team of Cyberpunk gave them one morbillion dollars and told them "okay, now you're gonna act like clowns for ten episodes", and they instead made the best shit they could possibly make. We live in a society.

In conclusion: Rebecca's VA needs a fucking promotion. NOW.

However, this anime was great; it's one of my favorites. But the ending left me with a lingering feeling. I can't quite explain it, but it's like looking at something that is complete, yet clearly missing a piece. I understand that it's the premise of the anime – everything has its value in late capitalism, and that sucks. Nevertheless, it remains one of the best I've ever seen. There's a sense that those we love will always be in our hearts, as demonstrated in the end. Despite my dissatisfaction with the ending, it certainly left behind good memories and moments (Lucy & David).

So, this will probably be more rambling than review, and it's most certainly biased since I've been a fan of Cyberpunk 2077 and the original works of Mike Pondsmith for absolute ages at this point, but in the same vein it's all part of the experience, so let's get that out of the way first. As an "anime only" for this series, some things can be lost on you at times. Stuff like Arasaka vs Militech, or Adam Smasher, and that type of thing. Thankfully, these pieces don't play massive roles in the overall significance of the story, but they definitely add a totally new ... dimension to how cool and awesome scenes become. Would I recommend checking out some videos on Cyberpunk lore? Absolutely, but it's definitely not a requirement for enjoying this series.

Alright, let's talk stuff specifically from Trigger for this series. The color schemes, character designs, and art style are all incredibly "Trigger", but carry a lot of awesome things in terms of design language for the cyberpunk genre. There's subtle lines and markings across everybody's bodies denoting the degree of implants that they have, and they make sure that these smaller bits of detail remain visible and useful. Take, for example, David. In the early episodes he hardly has any implants and you can tell at a glance when compared to other characters like Maine. Fast forward however, and he's covered in them, quite literally head to toe. You might be thinking, "oh, that's not that big of a deal", but really, it is. Cyberpsychosis is a major theme in this world, and centers around the incompatibility of the human mind and soul, and an inorganic body. Visual details like these make major impacts and differences when in relation to characters, with the best example perhaps being Lucy. She hides her deep-dive port on the back of her head, a telltale trait of any Netrunner. The significance of a visual detail like this is tied into her backstory that gets revealed further down the road, and highlights the stigma and concern/doubt surrounding heavily implanted individuals.

In more sweeping terms in the visual department, Trigger kills it with the violence and sort of bodily horror of implants and Cyberpsychosis. The visual effects associated with implants such as the Sandevistan are really cool, and add a sort of intangible air to the scenes it appears in. The animation and effects are incredibly fluid and enjoyable, with some really incredible exaggeration to them, which helps with the gore and other more violent aspects really well. Also, surprisingly, the 3d animation is equally, if not more impressive in comparison. Specifically, David's gun towards the end of episode 6, which is incredibly well modeled and animated. Outside of that, the vehicles are also 3d for the most part, and considering the sheer volume and level of detail in those scenes it's no surprise. The car scenes are really fluid, and while they do re-use some cuts here and there, they're all incredibly enjoyable and well executed. Hardly anything left to be desired in any area out of Trigger for that matter.

With that out of the way, that brings us to our story, the tale of a lone kid in the City of Dreams (Night City has the official tagline of City of Dreams, which is sort of important). Anyways, it's not a grossly incorrect inference to say that the purpose of the story is the broad term of "dreams", and is steeped in the world of Cyberpunk to boot. David starts his story with his mother placing the lofty goals of becoming a high ranking Arasaka Corpo atop him, before passing in horrifically mundane fashion. Such is the life of someone born to the street life though, a short and dull existence punctuated by a wasteful death. Regardless, David is forced to move on with the curse his mother placed atop his shoulders, and bears the physical curse of the Sandevistan as well. Similarly enough we see something similar happen with Maine where he places his dreams of making it big in the underworld on David also, and alongside that David inherits Maine's "hand cannon". As you can tell, there's a theme going on here. Gloria is David's birth mother, and places her dreams in his hands, and Maine takes on the role of an adoptive father and proceeds to do the same with David. Our outlier here though is a pair of characters. We'll start with the easy one, Pilar. He sort of becomes a brother to David in the short time they spent together, and when he passes on Rebecca (Pilar's sister) offers his hands to David, which he declines. You can largely chalk this up to being that Pilar didn't have a dream to place upon David. The other, however, is more significant. This outlier being Lucy, the first person to *share* their dream with David rather than to place it upon him. The two partake together in a dream, with the explicit point being that David chooses to do so. What happens next though is the inverse, *because* Lucy shared her dream with David, "Lucy" forces David to don the experimental 'Saka tech to protect her dream. It's a wonderful under the surface story to take place in the City Of Dreams, wherein David is forced to inherit either the dreams and physical parts of his closest friends, and carry them with him just as Atlas is forced to carry the weight of the world. And instead of the girl who shared her dream with David being the savior of this weight, she curses David and become the feather that breaks the camel's back. It's a really great story about the choices of self-sacrifice and burden, and chasing dreams that aren't truly yours, a concept that gets established very early on by Lucy.

So, all of that in mind, the ending. Definitely not for everyone, and I get that, but it's the best ending for a piece of Cyberpunk story. Why? There's never a good ending. The corps always win, no matter what. You can burn them to the ground, create a mountain of rubble and bodies, and still they will rise from the ashes without a scratch. They're not fighting a villain, but a concept, an existence. In essence, and in practice, they're fighting capitalism, and nobody ever wins against that, it's just a matter of time. So to that I say, an amazing and heart wrenching ending that even though Lucy's dream came true, rings hollow for all that was lost without reason.

Some quick housekeeping on smaller pieces as well. The sound design and OST of the series is outstanding, borrowing a lot of sounds from Cyberpunk 2077 which fit perfectly. The choice in music was impeccable as well, melding the more techno and futuristic sounds of Cyberpunk with the incredibly traditional hard and alt rock that accentuates the unique style of Mike Pondsmith's vision. The voice actors played some astonishingly good roles, and really helped smooth out the admittedly funny comedy. Seriously, moving the individual pieces of your implant arm towards someone as a pick up move is some pretty creative stuff. Also, the detail placed in the world? It's actually insane. In 99% of the scenes I could pick out exactly where those places exist inside the video game, it's a near carbon copy of the original world, which is some awesome detail.

Overall, is there any specific reason you should watch Cyberpunk: Edgerunners? I think, that if you like badass stuff and super violent and oddly depressing futuristic stories, it's right up your alley. If you're not on board for a societal collapse techno-corp revolution-rebellion, the story itself might be lost on you though. At the end of the day, this story finds roots in a lot of societal issues and challenges that are pushed to their extreme, so social commentary absolutely exists and is imperative to itself. Regardless, CD Projekt Red captures lightning in a bottle, and Studio Trigger uses that to paint a masterpiece of a 10 episode series. Everyone should at least give it a chance.

Spoiler Free.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, much like Arcane, comes from a unique list of shows that derive from a video game. While some shows fail to deliver the fluidity between game and show, Edgerunners do not make that mistake. If I were to summarize everything into one sentence, Edgerunners has made me want to buy Cyberpunk: 2077.

Beginning with the art, Edgerunners does not shy away from gore and "ugly". There is a fine line between beauty and brute, but Edgerunners teeters the line between both. From moonlit backgrounds with a starry night to a man's guts painted across the metal floor, Edgerunners does it all. ... The mood of Night City is perfectly captured with blaring lights and questionable individuals around every corner. The stark difference between Corpo and the streets is evident as every scene with the corporation comes with a deep dark blue, cold coloration. In contrast, the streets are filled with bright colors and vibrant energy. Edgerunners really paint a clear picture between class differences with just art alone.

In terms of music, Edgerunners did a great job with the soundtrack. Both the opening brings excitement to the following episode, whilst the ending brings a sense of solemnness. "I Really Want to Stay At Your House" by Rosa Walton will be one of those songs to be listened to on repeat after finishing the show. The song really captures the characterization of David and his journey throughout the show. The sound direction felt good as well and really brought the technologically advanced future to life.

With only 10 episodes, there is only so much character development that can be done. Some characters are hardly explored and some develop bonds through time skips, leaving a feeling of pseudo-closeness. Their important relationships in Edgerunners don't feel as important as the viewer isn't with them the entire time. Due to this, the bonds between characters can feel a little empty despite the show's emphasis on it.

Like a passing comet, Edgerunners is a short outburst of joy. Despite the short amount of episodes, Edgerunners still takes you by the ropes and leads a wonderful, although packed, story. Each episode ends with a feeling of wanting more, and it is not unlikely to finish the show in one sitting. The pacing of the overarching storyline is done well in this manner as you grow to care for these characters in such a short period of time.

If you are shying away from this anime due to its connection to Cyberpunk: 2077, I urge you not to. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners brings an unforgettable experience, blending thrilling action with stark reality. I would definitely recommend this anime to anybody looking for a well-rounded story.

First of all, I need to say how I'm glad that this anime could be created and released. After drama with technical state of Cyberpunk 2077 game and not seeing any news regarding Edgerunners anime for months, I started worrying whether we will ever see Edgerunners. Luckily, it was only me worrying before any problem occured. Studio Trigger have been diligently working on the show and in the end managed to finish it. I'm not gonna lie - I had high hopes and expectations about this show as a fan of Cyberpunk universe created by Mike Pondsmith. How's the anime itself, then? Citing the classic: ... "breathtaking". My expectations were not only met, but Edgerunners appeared to be even better show than I wished it to be.

Studio Trigger did a marvelous job in implementing Night City and whole cyberpunk (or I should say: post-cyberpunk) atmosphere into animated format. Backgrounds look superb, colors are vivid and well balanced, and animation... it's simply brilliant. Action sequences offer great choreography and smooth animation. Calmer scenes, not filled with much action or not filled with it at all, are animated equally good. The direction is great and serves as the cherry on top.

Great visuals are accompanied with awesome music. Whether we are talking about minor sound effects, whole themes, or opening and ending songs - it doesn't matter. Audio in Edgerunner can be easily compared to its visual side in terms of quality.
Since we this paragraph is dedicated to audio aspect, I'd like to commend voice actors here. They did a fantastic job as well with voicing all characters to make them sound realistic and unique.

Speaking about characters, I liked them. They present different types of personalities, have different goals, and have awesome looking designs. All main characters are likeable and for sure a lot of people will relate to them, even if a bit. Each member of the main team is unique in terms of look and personality.
As for minor characters, they were good as well. They weren't, of course, fleshed out as much as main ones, but that's normal, since they were minor characters, hehe.

Fans of Cyberpunk 2077 video game will surely appreciate looking for cameos of characters that you could hear or see in that game. Same thing goes for looking for familiar looking places that players could meet while playing the game.

The plot was very good, but I don't want to say more to avoid spoiling anything (since this review is spoiler free). I will only say that if you like shows giving cyberpunk vibes, then you'll possibly love it; but if you are not a huge fan of the genre, fear not, because you might enjoy it a lot as well. I might like Cyberpunk world and the genre myself, but I can look at it without any biases and imagine how would somebody that is not a huge fan of things I mentioned earlier reacted to anime like Edgerunners. In my opinion, as I described before, there is a huge chance that viewers of that kind will enjoy this anime on the same level of enjoyment as fans of cyberpunk.

In conclusion, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a marvelous anime that is definitely worth to watch. I highly recommend watching it, even if you are not a fan of cyberpunk genre. You rarely see shows so good and polished. Thank you, Studio Trigger, for delivering such great show.

It's rare to see an Anime that has such an emotional, beautiful and impactful story in a dystopian setting like this. It's one of the few times I got a little teary eyed watching Anime in a long time. In many ways it's very reminiscent of Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell and Redline. Although, It feels like they could have expanded the story into multiple seasons because the story is somewhat condensed. There is a deep feeling of melancholy at the end, wanting to see more of the universe once the credits roll, but you know that this is it.

... My only critique would be that, while they made all of the main crew likeable, they could've added so much by extending it by a season and giving us more backstory on David (like who his father is) and give us a more emotional impact from what happened to his Mother. Much of the lore of Night City could be expanded to add gravitas to the final scenes as well, while this is an unforgiving and depressing survival of the fittest setting there's so many stories waiting to be told to give life to the characters living in the underworld.

It's what 2077 wished it could've been, and you can see in this standalone story how the foundation was there all along to make perfection. Easily, the Cyberpunk universe has worthy stories of being told and remembered it just needs that love and affection like this series has given it.

Edgerunner is fricking awesome!

Ok first of all, here's why:
-This is Gainax/Trigger technical best! and also probably the best cohesively narrative from them. We would no longer suffer through 25+ dragged long episodes that they usually do, that often just filled with unnecessary comedy and quirky moments. Here's, everything put at the right amount; we got our regular Trigger's quirky styles cranked up to the max, but also around the half point they slow down to became collected and mature. And honestly, it's so uncanny that Trigger's could achieve this level of intimacy without losing their soul in the process (looking at you Darling in The ... Franxx and Gurren Lagaan)
-The story itself wrapped around their 10 episodes and feels so complete. All the characters arc are served and fulfilled beautifully under the rapid-fire pacing without any single down or dull moments. It's rare nowadays to find such a cases. Even Arcane doesn't contain herself with only 1 seasons right?
-It doesn't hold back! This thing is wild, unconstrained and uncensorable. They're taking perfect advantages of the Trigger's styles and quirky formulas to blended that maximally with the medium vast capabilities. Resulting in delivering a beautiful scenery, a top-notch fluid animation, a masterful action-scene, and basically a fire after fire every single episodes! And everything! i repeat, everything! Is not there just for the sake of being stylish, but every single component here are essential details in the progress of building this dystopian world without any sugar-coat!
-The soundtrack are AMAZING!

My minor complaint:
-The runtime is too short, I NEED MORE! There's a part of me that wanted them to slow down and explore properly the intricate details of all the characters that they've introduces. And all of them are fricking interesting! But then i realise this rapid-fire pacing is also part of the charm
-Yes, i would proudly says that this is Arcane's boys-version. Being both also derived from a game (how coincidently is that?). But as much as i love this show, gonna be honest Arcane's still slightly better for me: That's show are full on characters driven on crack. And not knowing the game (or even not intending to afterwards) would not stop you from calling that show a masterpiece. Edgerunner on the other side, are still divided on where to put their full attention on. You could clearly notice that they're still wanting to promote the world of Cyberpunk 2077 alongside character development, and that is why the plot-progression would become kinda restricted

But after all that's been said, i really loves this show. Probably the best anime so far in 2022. Netflix on anime adaptation or spin-off based of a game are on fire recently, hope they could keep up this great trend!

I have come to the unusual, confusing, and downright unfair conclusion that people who like bad anime like Cyberpunk Edgerunners. Naturally, people who like good anime will dislike Cyberpunk Edgerunners. Where did this completely unfounded conclusion come from? Edgerunners is wrought with common flaws that bring down a story; predictability, hurried pacing, and forced conflict. The cyberpunk genre has been done to death, and pretty much all of them tackle the same themes. Condense a high octane story in a rich setting into 10 episodes, then combine it with Trigger’s tendency to drop the ball in the later half of their stories, and you got ... a fun and colorful disaster on your hands. So why do I still like this show? Is it because I like bad anime?

Even though the answer is yes, the way I interpreted these cracks that would normally be fatally detrimental to any storyboard is that of unapologetic, powerful, and more than likely accidental thematic execution. Edgerunners wears its themes on its sleeve like a badge of honor. The animation for the opening theme pretty much spoils the whole show with the most “in your face” display of its themes possible. A silhouette of David, consisting of flashing images of his crew, angrily charges towards an enigmatic figure with flashing images of city buildings. The silhouette’s charge is soon proven to be in vain as it eventually starts disintegrating and is eventually killed. How incredibly futile and almost pitiful was the silhouette’s desperation. And that is pretty much what happens in the show. A very clear presentation of the show’s pessimistic message: You are just one dude in a city.

With this in mind and with lots of mental gymnastics, it starts becoming uncanny how the multitude of flaws in Edgerunners actually helps with its thematic presentation. The too fast pacing that gives you no room to connect to the characters; that is indeed how that world works. The characters don’t get a break themselves, they are pretty much overworked by the script. The few scenes of reprise that the characters get feel hollow and meaningless, like one of Texhnolyze’s long shots of nothing at all. The extremely predictable story? The opening spoiling the entire show aside, predictability in a show like Edgerunners is achieved in a different way than in other predictable shows. For example, battle shounens are predictable because their methods of progressing the story are predictable. It has become tradition for shounen MC no.420 to progress from point A in the story to point B through the method of receiving some type of power up. Over the course of the story, you are predicting a constant influx of random bullshit being added as it progresses, but you aren’t predicting where the story is progressing are you?

Here’s an example: In order for Gon to grab the pedo clown’s tag during the Hunter exam, he trains to conceal his presence like a true hunter stalking its prey. As predicted, he learns how to do it pretty quick, and as predicted this new skill allows him to progress from point A of not having pedo clown’s tag to point B of having pedo clown’s tag. BUT DID YOU PREDICT THE SHOW WOULD HAVE A PEDO CLOWN TO BEGIN WITH?

Edgerunners’ predictability is like if Hunter X Hunter told you at the very beginning, “in this show watch Gon grab the pedo clown’s tag.” You are perpetually aware of what is going to happen. The common cyberpunk themes of technology making you lose your humanity WILL happen, and humanity’s illogical and unhealth obsession with becoming one with technology WILL continue and cause all these forced conflicts to happen. An ominous foretelling of the real world’s future many will say, but to me it’s an acceptance of one’s irrelevancy in the world’s affairs. “Shit happens.” It’s one of the best life lessons you can possibly learn.

I won’t pretend my possibly pretentious interpretations excuse these flaws from the show’s quality. They definitely have negative impacts on the viewing experience, especially for those who look for actual quality stories to enjoy. The relationship between David and Lucy plays a major role in the conclusion’s emotional catharsis yet due to the pacing it is underexplored. The side characters may be granted likeable personalities but they mainly serve as catalysts for David’s descent towards hell, something that would’ve had more impact if they were fleshed out more. Being the gajillionth cyberpunk anime means the themes can feel corny for more seasoned watchers, yet the fast pace and lack of world exploration can make the setting feel overwhelming for people new to the genre and haven’t played the games. The visuals may be very impressive on average, and Trigger definitely went sicko mode at times, but there was some wacky looking CGI in a couple episodes. The execution of the actual cyberpunk themes is done in a very basic way with little substance and maturity. Even with cyberpsychosis being a prevalent element, being a cyborg is still depicted as cool and flashy. Whatever that thing Davis uses, Sandal something, holy shit does it allow him to do all sorts of wacky shenanigans. I won’t pretend I’m well versed in cyberpunk stories but being able to give yourself battle shounen powerups like this regardless of the psychological impact seems a bit ridiculous and society destroying. This show really isn’t that great.

People who like bad anime will enjoy this show for its spectacle, the absurd amounts of violence, the tragic story and the emotional catharsis at the end. People who like anime that are “traditionally good” will not be able to deal with the domino effect that the pacing has on the story.

So what the fuck happened to me? Well, I am definitely not a smart guy nor am I particularly sober at the moment but my strange experience with this show actually gave it quite the profound impact. The very possibility that this interpretation of Edgerunners might exist means that I am inclined to recommend this show to everyone as a thought experiment. This feeling, it’s akin to that slight satisfaction you get when you state the obvious. Sometimes it’s nice to remind yourself how life works.

O M G. Studio Trigger have finally done it. They have finally produced something WORTHY to match the best of the best.

Cyberpunk Edgerunners is about David Martinez, some street kid punk who has nothing to lose. He joins a nameless street gang and becomes entangled in some of the most legendary feats Night City has ever seen.

When my close friend told me that Edgerunners was Studio Trigger's best work, I didn't doubt him, but wasn't going to blindly believe him either. I am a lot more of a skeptic than you think for this show in particular. You're going to quickly find out why.

Cyberpunk 2077 ... is not a masterpiece. If you asked me, I would rate it a flat 7/10 with its high points being an ephemeral 8. This is coming from somebody who believed in the hype from the very beginning, dropped hundreds of dollars on merch/pre-ordering the collector's, dumped 100 hours when it launched, AND dove into a netrunner build before Edgerunners showed how cool it is! While its story and worldbuilding can be lauded as one of the best, its gameplay and open world are unfathomably shallow. Yes, the game is now in a much better stable state than it was on launch, but the gameplay is such a mess on a fundamental level. At its best, it can only produce cheap power fantasies. The only good thing about Cyberpunk 2077 is the worldbuilding, the vibes, the story. And to its credit, the game does do a phenomenal job at faithfully bringing Mike Pondsmith's vision to life!

Needless to say, Edgerunners already has a pretty high bar to clear. I enjoyed the world of Cyberpunk and Night City, but I wasn't eager to just immediately jump into the anime. I mean, it's Studio Trigger! They may be a beloved studio in the anime community but I could never take them seriously because their intentions were to always nail the good vibes first. Mind you, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. But it always fell short of my personal golden standard - being able to simultaneously take my media serious and not seriously. You take the media seriously to see how well the world and fundamentals are built, then you take the media not seriously for the vibes and general silliness. In other words, Strelizia True Apus is still an enigma to me.

I am proud to announce that Cyberpunk Edgerunners is, hilariously enough, better than Cyberpunk 2077.

Cyberpunk Edgerunners fully realizes and even accentuates the already excellent worldbuilding that Cyberpunk 2077 offered. Mike Pondsmith's vision, from Arasaka vs Militech down to cybernetics, is once again realized and shown in a more flashy way. Generally, it presents its technologies that line up more with life rather than mundane video game combat scenarios. Unlike video games where it requires a power-fantasy for you to keep your vested interest in, Edgerunners keeps it real with its setting and no-name David. With that, Edgerunners is able to sell you more of the setting a lot better than the video game could. Again, that's saying QUITE A BIT when you consider that Cyberpunk 2077's story and worldbuilding is already world-class!

On anime metrics alone, this is Trigger's best work. The brevity of details and animations are unparalleled compared to previous works, with their use of CG being a tad underwhelming. Without filler fat, the show proceeded at a breakneck pace and thus accentuated the actions of... every single action! The characters felt legendary for a no-name crew. The soundtrack took quite a bit for it to sink in, but when it did... Anyways, I've always found that with Trigger originals, the more serious points about the originals are always lost and ephemeral. You would never feel the effects of the world impacting the characters despite it being a central theme. This isn't the case with Edgerunners. The world of Cyberpunk and Night City can be felt in nearly every single character interaction. The writing, which Trigger took and modified from CDPR, is world-class. The best of the best. Another reason why Night City is a dystopia that you shouldn't be dreaming of.

What makes this a true masterpiece to me is just the sheer collaboration alone. This is an anime with 300+ people that worked on it. Both CDPR and studio Trigger took a giant risk with producing the show, and believed in it every step of the way! Trigger recognized two key points - that they are creating an anime for a video game and that they were aiming for a global audience this time. And the results spoke for themselves, with Trigger pulling in an obscene amount of detail from the game ON TOP OF THROWING IN THEIR OWN FLAIR ALA REBECCA!!!

Video game adaptations - let alone BIG BUDGET VIDEO GAME ANIME adaptations are obviously a rarity. Sure. You have your Persona 5 anime and the occasional mobile game adaptation showing up on the seasonal page, but those are catered to a domestic audience rather than a global one. As a result, Edgerunners ends up ascending into a labour of love, something that everyone can clearly see from both a video game and anime standpoint.

I can only recall one other game/anime that shared such a circumstance like Cyberpunk 2077 and Edgerunners. It's Final Fantasy XV and Brotherhood. Do you remember that show? Obviously, you don't, because it pales in comparison to Edgerunners. Square Enix aimed for default dubs, but only got high quality mediocrity across the board. It wasn't A-1's fault that Brotherhood didn't end up doing anything for the game, rather it was the lame direction Squex took to try and hype people up with cute anime boys.

So, when both CDPR and Studio Trigger see the vision, realize it in its entirety, AND put out a show with such richness, such flair from both sides... how could it be anything short of legendary? If you believe that this show could have used more episodes, it's because you want more. Unsatisfied with something so legendary that you want MORE. When your fans, myself included, desire SO MUCH MORE... I have nothing more to say.

After all, in Night City, people will only remember you for how you die. Legends are born when somebody survives your tale.

In summary,

Fly me to the moon, wayward reader. Cyberpunk Edgerunners is one of the best anime I've had the pleasure of ever witnessing. It is definitive proof that CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger is a match that could only be made in heaven. 10/10.

PS. This show rightfully earns the rare recommendation to watch it in dub, since the Netflix subtitles have some Night City flavour to it. This flavour gets lost in translation, as Japanese doesn't have a native word for GONK.

PPS. If you were interested in the game, you would have more fun playing melee rather than the gunz blazzzzinnnnn/netrunner. Trust me on this one.