Anime 42310 Cyberpunk Edgerunners Reviews Filter Check 2

Every now and then, an anime will come along that walks across a tightrope. And, depending on which angle you view it from, it either falls off spectacularly, or miraculously makes it to the other side. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is one of those anime. And that’s because, at the end of the day, what you take from it will be highly dependent on how much you can connect with a work that is fundamentally struggling to maintain equilibrium. Or rather, wasn’t even trying to maintain it in the first place. Either because of its short ten episode run time, its roots as a spin-off to a ... game which is already a spin-off of a novel, or because of its various Triggerisms, Edgerunners isn’t really trying to be a complete package. It’s trying to get in, get out, and leave you with the message carried by its world, its narrative, and all the themes that accompany it. Does it succeed at this? The answer will differ from person to person, for it's a little complicated…

Perhaps the greatest benefit to Edgerunners is how it uses its cyberpunk roots. When dissolved to its very core fundamental nature, the genre is essentially a dystopian view of the future in which entities - usually corporations but not exclusively so - have taken control of the world, in a sort of emblematic portrayal of late-stage capitalism gone berserk. Yet, when you examine how cyberpunk has been interpreted in pop-culture, rarely do we see a focus on the perspectives which are most largely affected by the suffocating nature of this socioeconomic oppression. We don’t see the perspective of the oppressor or the oppressed, instead we almost always view the world through the eyes of a bystander - a “third party”, one who usually has good intentions and wants to make the world a better place, but doesn’t really fit the lower or higher end of the socioeconomic ladder. Bladerunner and Ghost in the Shell are traditionally the biggest names in cyberpunk film history, and they are testaments to this - both feature characters which have more power than the average citizen, but despite that aren’t really active parties in the continued oppression of the lower class. Bladerunner comes close to commenting on this, but it muddies it by focusing on the oppression of Replicants rather than an entire social class (which, for various reasons, wouldn’t really work as a metaphor). Even Akira, which is probably the closest thing to Edgerunners on paper, barely counts as cyberpunk - it has that sort of imagery in the beginning of the film, but almost none of its themes relate to technology or the consequences of technological advancements. It just happens to take place in the future (relative to its release) with some cool imagery that has been very influential to the genre, but that’s about it, it’s almost entirely a psychological tale. That’s not to say that any of these stories aren’t valuable, they’re just different.

This is what makes Edgerunners so compelling - it’s a cyberpunk show where the central focus is a cast of characters struggling to survive day by day thanks to the oppression of the society in which they live. David, the main character, is a poor dropout barely scraping by. His only way to fight against the system is to cyberize himself further and further, and even when he does eventually rise up from his roots as a bottom feeder of society, he can’t sustain the lifestyle that allows him to be free. As if out of a Shakespearean tragedy, every time a character finally manages to get out of the place they’ve been forced into, there’s a consequence. Every time a character chromes themselves up further, they become less redeemable, less sane, less human. The most dystopian aspect of the world of Night City isn’t its rundown neighborhoods, shadowed alleyways, or crooked thieves waiting to bleed you dry, it’s the fact that every time you manage to make something of yourself, you either end up a disfigured inhuman monster, or worse off than when you started. The dramatic irony of the show is all too palpable - David’s only form of liberation is in the very technology that created the society around him, the same society that allows corporations to profit ad infinitum, and the same corporations that make the back-alley deals that give the edgerunners their jobs. It mimics real life in a way that’s all too, well, real - you spend all of your time trying to make something of yourself, that you either end up forgetting who you are in the process, or burnout entirely. The edgerunners accept the potential physical and mental consequences of fighting against the system to an almost ridiculous degree, because they hate where they’ve started to such an extent, that they don’t stop to ask if it’s worth where they’re going.

This sort of subtlety or thematic depth isn’t something that’s typically found in your average anime, but it's especially surprising coming from Trigger, a studio which has largely rested on its laurels since Little Witch Academia in 2017, and hasn’t really had this sort of thematic framework since Kill La Kill all the way back in 2013. Some might say that giving too much credit to Trigger would be a mistake given that so much of the subtext of Edgerunners is inherently part of the pre-established world it inhabits, but I would say that’s a ludicrous notion. It’s not like the show barely acknowledges these aspects or that the way they are used is an afterthought, they’re given a lot of care and attention and are put front-and-center. The writing quality in terms of characterization and character dynamics is surprising, as it's one of the greatest assets that Edgerunners has. Trigger has somehow been able to make a cast which feels perfectly non-anime yet anime at the same time, down-to-earth yet larger than life when needed. If you’ve seen even a decent amount of anime, you’ll probably come to appreciate how real to life some characterization feels, either within the context of the Cyberpunk universe or within our own. There are so many examples of this: When a particular tragic event happens in the beginning of the show, David does not have an overdramatic response meant to elicit emotions within the viewer. When comrades-in-arms die in front of others, nobody makes a lengthy ordeal out of it, they simply accept it for what it is: a part of the social contract they’ve signed when becoming edgerunners. This type of characterization is done so frequently that I can honestly see this being off putting to some people; the show almost denies the emotional catharsis of overdramatizing traumatic events. It could come off as if someone forgot to create a scene or two, if it wasn’t so clearly intentional. And yet, at the same time, this is a quality that could be easily overlooked or underappreciated, because it's one of the more subtle aspects of the show. The central cast in general is something I really grew to appreciate, because while none of the characters here are great, they all manage to be likable without coming off as completely unrealistic. In such a harsh world where stabbing the back of your friends would leave you with a hefty profit, this crew of thieves and bandits somehow finds a perfect middle ground between the idealism of anime friendship and the realities of living in a dystopian future.

One of the reasons why I can appreciate the simplicity of the cast so much is because the character designs are just that good. Given that the talents of Yoh Yoshinari, the designer for Little Witch Academia, were used to create these designs, it shouldn’t be too surprising. Yet this sort of visual dynamic isn’t something that’s felt completely captured by a Trigger show since Kill La Kill, and now Edgerunners has picked up the torch and ran with it. Every character looks visually distinct and detailed, but not overly complicated. No one character looks remotely similar to another, and they're all so readable that you can get a general idea of who these people are just by looking at them. It’s honestly insane just how much this has been knocked out of the park, because to put it in caveman terms, Yoshinari did not have to go this hard.

For all of the good the show does though, there are definitely a lot of negatives. I mentioned how great the character designs were, but honestly the overall presentation is a mixed bag. The visual quality of the show usually straddles somewhere between very good and great, but there’s some parts that are just not up to par. Particularly, the action direction came off as very uninspired for the majority of its run. Yes, it’s Imaishi, yes, he’s a legendary action director, but the worst here has no sense of space or flow, and a lot of the best here just feels like Trigger spinning its wheels - which is ironic, given that the only impressive action sequences involved characters driving cars. In contrast, the slower more quiet moments of self-reflection, where characters are given time to breath, have comparatively consistently great directing. It’s a confusing contrast in a show that really needed to exceed on both fronts to sell its narrative. Thankfully the visual aesthetics of the show, including the fantastic color work, can usually make up for this, but there’s some other odd choices. The music selection is something I came to appreciate more and more as time went on, but even then I couldn’t get over how poorly placed some of the tracks were. Certain scenes are downright obnoxious because of this, and the final scene is perhaps the most bizarre in terms of the soundtrack not really meshing with the tone. It seems to have gone down well with the majority of fans given how much praise “I really want to stay at your house” has received, but while I understand the sentiment, it just didn’t work entirely. I’d also be remiss if I failed to mention how uniquely bad episode 5 looked. It’s an episode that plays to almost none of the strengths of the show - it has little animation despite being one of the episodes that needed it most, the colors are mostly dark, there’s a lot of really bad shot composition where the camera is way too close to characters’ faces to cut down on animation, and the action can be really hard to follow. There’s a scene that just focuses on David’s face for a full 18 seconds, and the only thing that happens in that entire time is that the camera starts zooming in on him more and more, despite the fact that it was already too close to begin with. It’s so baffling how much that episode was screwed up compared to the rest of the episodes, that I imagine this had something to do with production constraints, which is odd given the short episode count and the long production time.

The biggest problem with Edgerunners however is that the second half is a significant step down from what came before. Not in the sense that you might expect, it’s not as if the quality of the show becomes worse. Moreso, it just stops trying. No longer content with exploring its ideas or concepts in meaningful ways, it resigns itself to being the action schlockfest that everyone expected it to be to begin with, no longer burdening itself with the weight of trying to be something greater. By the beginning of episode 6, the curtains call, and you can see everything that is going to happen in the next 4 episodes onwards. I don’t want to seem disingenuous and imply that the first half is some great sophisticated masterpiece; it isn’t. But what it is is earnest: an earnest attempt at exploring themes and concepts in a format which relays the Cyberpunk world’s overwhelming cynicism, all while simultaneously wrapping it in a neat package filled to the brim with pop sensibilities. Yet just as the show goes past the halfway mark, it gives up on doing almost anything of note. I could see a counter argument being made that the ending solidifies everything the show setup thematically, and that because of that the second half isn’t worse at conveying its message. This doesn’t make sense as a defense, given how overtly obvious the outcome of the story is long before it happens, and given how insignificant its time frame is relative to the rest of the second half.

What’s really baffling is that even if you don’t care about any deeper meaning or subtext, the plot just starts to lose momentum really fast. Up to episode 5 we’ve been with David every part of the way, we’ve seen him grow as a character, we’ve seen him struggle, we’ve seen what he’s been through. All the sudden there’s a timeskip and he’s a significantly different person. We don’t know how he got there, what he did, how he became so confident. It’s not that the transformation is unbelievable, but rather that it’s something we needed to see for ourselves. The more Edgerunners focused on making its main narrative epic and powerful, the worse it became. We start to lose focus on why we originally cared and instead are supposed to get behind an incredibly generic plot about stopping an evil villain. The show was always going to go in this direction for its finale, and that in and of itself is fine. It’s an easy and sensical way to end the story. But what is absurd is how much something so mundane takes away from the show's focus and runtime. Now would be as convenient a time as any to blame Netflix for only greenlighting 10 episodes, but really I don’t understand why the writers had to go in this direction in the first place. The first set of episodes give you the sense that things might actually follow a fairly logical progression despite the series’ short runtime; it's not until episode 5 that things start to get worrying. If your story can only fit within a certain timespan, don’t make it the story for an incredibly limited series.

Four years after Devilman Crybaby, Netflix has found another show which will capture the hearts and minds of its general audience, but dissuade others and leave them entirely unconvinced of its merits. At the very least, Cyberpunk will certainly be a less controversial or divisive event, but it certainly feels like a spiritual successor to what has come before. I might have come off as overly harsh to the series, but despite how it may seem I can’t say I was disappointed with the final product much at all. What I got from it was a level of intrigue I wasn’t expecting in the slightest, and I’ll carry its lessons, ideals, themes and world with me for a long time. Its value in breaking away from the pre-established norms cannot be overstated, and I cherish it for that. Whether you can learn to love it or not is dependent on how much value you can get from something which is not even remotely trying to smooth out or hide its various rough edges.

Ah....TRIGGER...and Cyberpunk...two things that should...and for the most part, were awesome as fuck being smashed into each other. The setting of the Cyberpunk game, both its city and its lore/history, the visual aspect, the sounds of the weapons, the music of the game, it's all spectacular wrapped all together with the TRIGGER wrapping paper. However, as of late, the whole TRIGGER formula has, at least in my opinion, become a little stale. No not their visual and audio prowess, both of those are still fundamentally the best in anime. I mean more so that pretty much every TRIGGER product, well save for Kiznaiver and Little ... Witch Academia, start to end the same way. The beginning and middle show so much promise, usually showing us, the viewers a spectacular series of events that help mold the cast together. However, by the end of it all, it ALWAYS ends the same...some big stakes battle that, to some feels justified, and to others, feels...meh.

I sincerely loved the first 6 or so episodes of this one-off series. The characters are fantastic. The opening episode showed so much heart and really made me feel for the main characters. The rest of the cast are, in typical TRIGGER fashion, just impossible to hate. The problem is though, TRIGGER themselves. They always seem to take something so unique and just...make it end the same way over, and over, and over, and over again. Look if you watch TRIGGER to see a TRIGGER anime/film, then you'll probably just love all of this. Me though, I don't know I guess I expected something different for its ending. It thematically makes sense given what happens in the beginning and middle, it just..I wish it didn't go down that route.

TL;DR: It's a TRIGGER anime. If you want to see TRIGGER things then watch it. If you are hoping for this to be a departure from their normal story mold, it is not.

"...Don't make a name for yourself as a cyberpunk by how you live. Make a name by how you die."

I feel that the above quote summarizes my feelings for this show, in more ways than one. At the time of this review, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a freshly released netflix-original anime with a whooping score of 8.7 on both AnimeNew and IMDB, with many reviews already calling it anime of the season and even anime of the year. Yet while I can see why so many people like this, I personally cannot share the same sentiment. Much like the above quote, the only impact of the ... show, really only came at the end, towards it and the character's deaths. (If you'd care to see if I'd recommend it or not, skip to the last paragraph).

The show is based on a video game, were cyborg humans update their bodies with software and take on illegal missions. Due to various plot developments in the first episode, our protagonist David Martinez is infused with a cybernetic military grade exoskeleton which gives him super speed, and he soon joins a band of outlaws. Yet his mechanical upgrades come with a physical and psychological cost, which become more and more important as the show goes on.

I've seen lot of people have been praising the animation for the show, and maybe I'm spoiled, but for me it was average at best. A lot of shots go one for 10 seconds or more with only the character's mouths moving. There were high and low points of course, but nothing overly noteworthy. The music too was pretty average.

A main issue I had was the characters. Nearly every, single, character in the show, is a backstabbing, mentally unstable, money-hungry, untrustworthy, outlaw who only seeks to further their self-interest. I barely felt anything when something bad happened to any of them, especially not our main duo. As with the quote above, most character's only get their defining moments when they die, which happens a lot. With the exception of two innocent bystanders who are caught in the crossfire, in episodes 1 and 8, I didn't feel bad for any of them.

Another issue was how overly edgy the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners tries to be at times. Do we really need to see the female characters taking a nude bath every time they hack into the web, or at the end of every episode? Did we really need to see someone mechanically masturbating in the first episode? The same with the violence, I get that it's suppose to fit the environmental ascetic the directors were trying to build, but for me it just came off as over the top and gross.

There is some good aspects in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, I think the theme of pushing yourself too far, of so blindly following your dream without realizing that it is becoming your death wish is an important takeaway in modern-day western culture were people are always told to be their own individual but never why. And I think the show's critique on a lot of aspects of society nowadays, like our overreliance on technology, overblown capitalism and consumerism, and our addiction to success, were all important points to make. The anime's take on transhumanism and upgrading our bodies with machinery I thought was well done. As I said before the animation was okay, it fit the style the show was going for. The show's ending was well done in my opinion, it wrapped up all the loose ends but still stayed true to the themes and ideas the anime was pushing.

So would you enjoy Cyberpunk: Edgerunners? If you enjoyed edgier grittier anime with dark tones such as "Black Lagoon" or :Ghost in the Shell", and if you enjoyed movies such as "Carlito's Way" or "Baby Driver" than yes, I do think you'd enjoy this show. If however, you are off put by mindless violence and overly bleak atmospheres, then no, I would not recommend it. Personally I did not enjoy this anime, and I do feel a bit guilty saying that despite how many people seem to be loving and enjoying this, but hey that's just me.

The initial response from the community regarding this show was nothing but praise and lots of 10s flying around. On the other hand my reaction to it was complete apathy since I was looking at the whole thing from a neutral perspective. Once you do that most shows are nothing special and Edgerunners is no exception. Let’s get this out of the way right away. The reasons so many people liked it are:

1) It did not suck like the videogame it was based on (the bar was set very low)
2) Anything by studio Trigger is always praised and is well animated (the studio’s fame played ... a part)
3) It has an ‘underdog in a ghetto going up the ladder’ type of story that appeals to most young people (especially those living in large cities).
4) The ending is tragic (most people are used to happy endings).

Although these reasons can be enough for someone to like such a show without needing to elaborate any further, the moment you see past them and you focus on more technical aspects, you realize the show is nothing special. The plot is fairly typical, the characters are average people, and there is no big objective they have to fulfill. It’s essentially a social drama set in a sci-fi setting. It has action as well, but it’s not the focus of the show. If anything it exists as a break from the drama as well as for keeping awake the impatient sakugatards.

Anyways, watching the show with no biases in favor of the above reasons results in boredom. The biggest issue is how it doesn’t try to explore a profound message about humanity in bigger than life situations, which is what cyberpunk used to do in its glory days. Watching classics like Bladerunner, Johnny Mnemonic, or Ghost in the Shell make you question everything, they stick to your brain with their superb atmosphere and never leave. Edgerunners on the other hand is… a social drama about people living in a slum and doing petty crimes for making lots of money. There’s nothing to explore or ponder. Take out the sci-fi angle and it’s a show that could happen in any lowtech society. Touches like the implants gradually making you insane can easily be swapped with drugs. So basically the core genre is underused and as a result the whole show becomes passable.

Another issue is the characters who are average people. None of them is super important or has a high enough position of power for feeling like someone worth following for 10 episodes. Their objectives are also petty and shortsighted as they never go beyond making money through petty crimes. They ain’t even as cool as the gangsters in games like Gran Theft Auto or Yakuza . You are just not made to care about them and when someone dies you feel nothing was lost.

The third issue is more like a result of the other two. Although there is a lot of action, it’s about typical people doing petty crimes. Despite being well-animated it doesn’t feel epic because it’s about nobodies doing nothing of importance. Thus even the sakuga goes to waste. It didn’t feel like that when I was watching Akudama Drive or Rage of Bahamut, since the characters there feel important and so does everything they do.

The fourth issue is the pacing which gets really wonky because of a time skip in the second half of the show. Character dynamics change out of screen and the rest of the plot goes on overdrive because it is not given enough episodes to develop properly the new status quo. Basically, the changes are sudden and are not given the time to settle in before the anime ends.

The verdict for the show can best summarized as EEEEEEHHHH. Compared to the far more popular titles of the same genre it is very simple. It doesn’t explore the setting much, it doesn’t have a charismatic cast, all the effort in the action and animation department goes to waste since there is not much to hold you in, and even when there is it is ruined by a rushed second half. Edgerunners may seem highly regarded for now, but it will be forgotten by most as soon as the next season comes up and everyone will be dancing around the sakuga of Chainsawman.

My initial reaction to Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was confusion. Who was this made for, exactly? On the one hand, you have a simple, predictable story with every character being cliche to the point of parody. Any popular 80's shounen you can think of had more nuance and complexity. So it's an anime for kids, right?

Well, on the other hand, there is a bunch of nudity, sex, drug consumpion, and endless amounts of gory death, with mangled body parts and pieces of brain scattered everywhere. So is it for adults?

I recall back in the 90's when critics would dismiss anime as "children's cartoons ... with a bunch of sex and violence" and with Edgerunners they would have a perfect argument.

I arrived at an answer to this conundrum by the very end of the series, but it's one you will have to wait for at the bottom of this review, too.

To Edgerunners' credit, the action scenes are plenty of fun, being hyper-stylized, violent, and plentiful. If there's one thing Imaishi excels at, it's style, and the anime has it in spades.

The first four episodes are fairly mediocre, being a nonsensical set-up for the world and its bland characters (more on that later), but the fifth and especially sixth episodes are a notable improvement. In fact, in many ways episode 6 functions as a better, more touching ending than the actual one in episode 10. Imaishi brings all his powers of style to the anime's big emotional moments, and while it works to a certain degree, it ultimately rings hollow for two reasons which go beyond even the cardboard characters or countless plot holes.

Firstly, Cyberpunk's Night City is an insane hellscape. Secondly, it's an insane hellscape that makes no sense.

There is nothing in Night City that is true, good, or beautiful. Not a single damn thing. However, even the ugliness and sin here isn't remotely original. It's simply everything awful about our own modern world pushed to the limit. Crime has exploded in 2022, but in Night City, random people being gunned down by thugs or psychos is a normal part of life. Pornography, pot, and video games is the bane of the modern bugman, and in this futuristic hell, all of them have become even worse, with virtual reality porn, games, and movies, and a slew of narcotics, including the deadly allure of stripping away one's human body to be replaced with metal. Modern man is atomized now, but in Night City, the concept of family has largely been eradicated. Speaking of which, while current elites may be trying to abolish man, as CS Lewis once warned, in this future man has literally been abolished in his entirety, to be replaced with chrome. What hope is there? What is there to root for? Night City makes Sodom and Gomorrah look like the most austere Amish community, and one wishes it condemned to the same fate, although there may be no survivors this time.

However, it's all utterly unrealistic. For one obvious problem, the technology has expanded incredibly since modern times. How is this implemented, let alone maintained? In 2022, much of the Western, "modern" world is struggling to heat their homes through the winter, keep the lights on, fill their cars with gas, or buy groceries for their family. That's if they even have a home or car, of course, as both have become prohibitively expensive and no longer affordable by most in the US. We're going backwards, getting dumber, and unable to maintain the technology of our forefathers. How in the world is the advanced, cutting-edge tech in this series going to be implemented everywhere? It will take tremendous intelligence and hard work. Who in this dystopian hellscape will have that, especially with the allure of being in virtual reality all the time?

Nothing else about the society makes sense. Powerful cyborg alterations that allow a man to kill dozens of police and destroy armored cars are freely traded on the streets, with no oversight or restriction. It's laughable. At present, Western governments are hell-bent on preventing access to mere handguns, let alone rifles, and they have long since banned automatic weapons. Yet, in the future, they will be okay with devices that gives a person a thousand times more power?

The idea of corporations being the only powers in the future is stupid, too. Through all of human history, corporations have been subservient to the state, and will likely always continue to be so. We don't need to go too deep into political theory to understand why; if a corporation could, it would BECOME the state, set up a government, and of course, use that to destroy all competitors. In practice, that doesn't occur for a variety of reasons, but regardless, the main power would still be tied to a government, not mere companies. They would at most be pawns, much as they are now.

However, my biggest problem is that nothing about Night City is self-sustaining. It should die out in a year or less. Without spoiling anything, the last two episodes see incredible devastation to the two main corporations, Arasaka and Militech. The latter loses an entire battalion, and Arasaka loses countless tanks, armored cars, helicopters, and dozens upon dozens of soldiers. Oh, and there are a slew of police and parademics killed, and a specialized, uber-powerful police/military vehicle destroyed. This from a single cyborg. And, based on what we've seen, large losses from a cyborg going psycho, if not quite as disastrous, happen frequently.

How does any of this make sense? Each corporation has lost the equivalent of multiple billions of dollars in modern currency. They would go bankrupt. The police and parademic force would be decimated, and everyone working for them would likely quit for fear of being made into strawberry jam on the pavement.

On a more fundamental level, how does Night City even sustain a population? The modern world has below replacement fertility now, and in this future, it looks vastly worse. Hardly anyone has kids and, given their cyborg alterations, many may be incapable of it. Meanwhile, the number of people killed from violence is immense. I also can't imagine many immigrating to this hell on Earth, while many would likely flee for their lives rather than be decapitated by a cyberpsycho. Thus, the population should be decreasing steadily until it reaches zero. So again, nothing about this hellscape is even genuine or logical.

But it doesn't have to be. Let's go back to my question about who the hell this series is mainly for.

It's for exactly the type of atomized bugman whose mantra is porn, pot, and video games that the series shows an extreme version of. They're technically adults, or close to it, but like their stories simple. Just add enough "mature" elements and oodles of cool stylistic presentation, and all is good.

Maybe our modern world isn't so much better than the fake yet horrifying hell of Night City.

I came across a video on TikTok in which a cute futuristic girl had a gunfight. That's how I ended up watching Cyberpunk, for a girl, that hasn't even in the series (Sasha).

I also haven't played the video game Cyberpunk, however I believe everyone have heard of it because of its backlash broke the whole YouTube and it was all around on the internet. Although I haven't played the game, from the reason I mentioned earlier, I somewhat familiar of the concept of the Cyberworld. If there is any chance you might not, which would surprise me I'll try to summarize it's theme without spoil ... any juicy stuff..

Cyberpunk is about humans modification by super high-tech "bio-chips". Just imagine a super computer in your body, now add future weapons and armored body parts and you had yourself on clock. Basically, you can't overclock yourself to infinity as you would expect there are still limits in the future. If that wouldn't be the case everyone would have gone Thanos by then.

Story 3.5/10

Although I rate its story "very bad", there were things I acknowledged and found somewhat interesting.

We can approach the story in multiple ways. (own ways).

As I’ve personally experienced through out the whole series, it mostly made me uncomfortable and triggered. Alternatively, we can also approach a way in which we see the story as "sad reality". In which point things not turn out the way we imagine, or the way we expect, but rather how the universe desire. What I mean by this is that not everything in our life is awfully satisfactory or perfect. From this degree, its melancholy dispositions gives its text a lot more context of realism. All that being said, as much as I appreciate this viewpoint, I can't turn a blind eye on its poor writing in essence.

In my opinion, its story would have justified double of its run time or at least 6 more episodes. That alone would have been enough to clarify characters motives like Kiwi's, Lucy's, Rebecca's or even David's. As my dissatisfaction main point with the story was that so many things weren't really explained or made sense. The characters basis were also hit and miss. Talking about only the main character David's, his goal was to achieve what his mother believed he can do and then also to save someone who is the (only) one left for him. If we just look at this, there are so many things wrong. I would not bend my head down to sleep if someone that I care about told me that she wants to tell me something important later that night and she doesn't come home. If I know the most important person I care about, than I know what He or She cares about, is ME.

The pacing also jumped a few times from the reason they had to mass so many things in their quick pace of time. Overall, the story doesn't gave me goosebump nor jumped out of my seat, but left my mood flat.

Animation 8/10

Who else could have done a better Trigger anime then Trigger itself. Jokes aside, the animation was stunning, the characters were highly detailed as some of the landscape were absolutely outstanding as well.

Ultimately, the animation was spot-on, every gunfight was brutal and well done. They were also able to gave us a perfect example of how the Cyberworld works and looks by presenting some of the most remarkable Night City locations. The lights and effects are mentionable as well, but the most iconic part for me was David's ability, I really liked its cool effect.

Characters 5.5/10

I gave (5.5) to the characters, although I think it's the third best thing that this series has after it's soundtracks and animation.

Lucy, she was reminded me of Zero Two at first, but the way she betrayed David was absolutely crushed me. She should have gotten a better explanation of her actions, OR David should have, about why he is all okay with it and in L with her.. Overall I liked the character (Lucy), but again the writing that really massed up for me on her part.

David, I think he is a good character, but he should have made better choices.. not talking about the overclocking, but life choices. About what he is using his powers and will on. I would've definitely built a rocket ship and leave with Lucy.. (fr) In spite of that, his development is somewhat respectable and bittersweet at the same time.

Rebecca, she was the only well written character in my opinion, cute lil girl. Absolutely the best character of the series for me.

Other characters were there, helped the story and characters to progress even if it felt forced sometimes.. but nothing interesting. Overall characters design beats its characteristics.

Song/Soundtrack 8.5/10

Cyberpunk really do have some of the best soundtracks I've ever heard. I'm currently listening "I Really Wanted to Stay at Your House" as writing this review. There are also songs like "Let you Down" or "Major Crimes" that I can't stop listening to, who doesn't at this point? They're all 10/10 songs. Opening is great, just as the voice acting and the action scenes, sounds effects are all gave me the Cyber vibes.

Enjoyment 3/10

As I mentioned earlier, it really left me uncomfortable. As the characters motives and the story primary concept implementations were irrelevant or negligible. Maybe in the future, our decision making ability is bugged and our destiny is written by an untoward chipware Ripper.

In conclusion, despite it was an experience, a somewhat awkward experience.. I would recommend to you if you like Real-Life based themes and futuristic vibe, because it definitely gives the right mood. It has decent characters, but with really bad writing and characterisation. You'll either found yourself on the Moon, or left betrayed - edgy.

After I've finished the series I found the title "Let You Down" that the "TikTok" girl was featured in who made me watch this series at the first place.

Even tho she wasn't even in the series, nor I have more free slots to add her as favorite, she deserves to get a place in my personal liked characters list. As I found her past more impactful and colorful than the whole anime. Even though the show was really bad.. I'm happy.

She also hasn't spoken once.

Thank you for reading!

Show definitely manages to get cyberpunk dystopian atmosphere right from the first episode. Its just that animation quality and overall length of it all is too short. There are times during the show I couldn't tell what I was looking at whether it was character silhouttes or just random objects in the background. Animation is just way too rushed and its borderline unacceptable in my opinion.

There are few characters introduced in the show but almost all of them don't seem to have personality of any kind. Oh, and don't get your hopes up for happy endings because there will be none of that stuff here. ...

Music is one of the better things and it manages to really set the stage for scenes where animation horribly fails. Its either very hard metal or screamo.

Overall the show could have used some more time on the drawing board and 10 episodes is not nearly enough for a show that has a setting like this. I cannot understand how anyone can give this show 10's and 9's when its more closer to a 6 or lower.

This anime is so very overrated in my opinion. I believe the video game is much better than this. I understand i can be difficult at time to compare two very different types if media (that being video games and movies), however i feel it's very obvious here.

The story of this anime is fine. Towards the end it got utterly ridiculous and i honestly didn't enjoy the last two or three episodes. The first six or so episodes were good in terms of story however. The first few episodes were definitely the best and it just simply got worse throughout. One thing i do like ... however is that you can follow the story if you have never played the game before. That being said you will obviously not understand some of the references and that can be awkward at times i'm sure. Story is meh.

The action in this anime is bad i think. The way David's (and others) speed is represented with the slow-motion and lagging silhouettes i thought looked stupid. There were also lots of scenes in vehicles that i thought looked utterly ridiculous in a terrible way. There is a fine amount of action in this anime, however i believe it was done poorly to say the least. The animation was passable but nothing like other anime that are known for their amazing animation. Overall moat of the animation looked goofy and boring.

The visuals were by far the best part of this anime. By this i mean they captured Night City from the game down to a T pretty much. There were a few little niggles like how Night City is show to have around seven big lights that can be seen from miles but in the games there are only three and it is emphasized many times in the game that those three are a famous three. So to change it to seven seemed weird. Nothing bad just a weird thing i noticed after playing the game and seeing this scene. But overall places like the Afterlife the North Oak and even David's apartment (that looks like V's from the game) all look like they do in the game and are represented really well in this anime. Whilst we talk about visuals i would like to mention that the 2d and 3d animation in this anime was passable but nothing special. It was enough to make the show good it was more the story and action design that failed it in my opinion. However the animation is fine, at times it can be terribly goofy and take you out of the moment (especially in car chases) however most of the time it's absolutely fine and easily passable.

Overall Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was a pretty average anime. i thought it started off well and ended poorly. I personally expected it to be worse after looking at the trailer so i am a little surprised but i see people giving this show a 9/10 or even a 10/10. To these people i would like to ask what they see that i simply do not in this anime. Watchable and simply average but i do not recommend unless you have played the game and want to know more of the worlds lore, 5/10.

Jeez, based on the insane hype I was hoping for something as good as Akira, Arcane, or Cowboy Bebop etc. This was not a bad anime, it was a fun one sit watching, but it was really not a great anime either. There were so many glaring issues that I have to wonder if some of the reviews even watched the whole thing? Were they just blinded by colors, boobs, and gore? There were so many slideshow presentation moments that ruined the gorgeous work put into the art, where they didn't even bother to animate a scene and just gave you a couple fancy voiced ... over slideshow frames and barely moving lips. One episode in particular was about 75% slideshow. Then there's the story itself, I mean even as far as anime cliche stuff goes this story is really painfully cliche, I'm pretty sure the writers took the top 10 most overused anime story ideas and put them on a dart board then took some shots to see what they got. The characters are okay, but not a single one of them is unique in any way shape or form, every single character is a recycled trope from other anime. The ending itself was not great, what happens is exactly what you would expect if you were paying any attention at all past episode 2. Really the only thing this anime has going for it is that it was a fun ride from beginning to end, it's also visually spectacular whenever it isn't devolving into a slideshow presentation.

Personally I think where this anime succeeds the most is in the marketing department. They knew exactly who to market this towards and really went ham on making something that would please the horny anime gamer crowd. On a side note I watched the first 3 episodes subbed and then switched to the dub, I very VERY rarely prefer the dub so it was a pleasant surprise, to me the dub voice actors have more emotion behind their performances.

TL;DR it's not a bad anime but holy heck is it overrated at the moment, nothing about this anime is an 8 except the art, and maybe music.

It's like, okay? I've had a bit of time to think about this anime after watching it and while I wouldn't call it bad it is by no means perfect. I feel like there was a lot of wasted potential, especially near the end. As it continued I felt like the writing got worse, and I was actively making fun of it by the end. It feels really rushed as a series, and like the interesting parts I wanted to have explored more in the series either got brushed over or dropped entirely. I think Cyberpunk: Edgerunners would have benefited a lot from having 2 ... more episodes, or even a whole extra season to develop characters, relationships, and plot developments more, while still keeping the same general plot structure the same.

I do appreciate Lucy and David being a normal couple in anime, it's refreshing for once, but I feel like their relationship was kind of bland and I think they could have done more with it. The other characters relationships with each other were also pretty shallow, and I felt like the show was kind of banking on you to fill in the blanks with your imagination at times.

The art and animation were solid and consistent but it never really wowed me outside of that. Music was hit or miss, I liked the ending song but I can't remember anything else from the soundtrack off the top of my head. Honestly I can say that for most of this anime; I was really hyped up for this and then when I gave it a watch I liked maybe 2 things about it, and the rest was disappointing and forgettable.

*CONTAINTS MINOR SPOILERS*
The idea of futuristic world of Night City is one of the most entertaining ones for me.
Because I do really like the design of the world of Cyberpunk, I had really high hopes for this show and while the idea was great, the execution was... not as great as I expected.

The main problem of this show is that everything is happening WAY TOO QUICKLY.

Like seriously. I don't know what the budget for this show was but we should've got more content about the main characters, their background, their past, their thoughts and ESPECIALLY more interactions between them (especially the 2 main characters) ... but we got pretty much none of these.

The development, all the events and pretty much everything happened so fast that some of things were illogical and nonsencial. Like, the characters were so close with each other despite not having a build-up at all. Some things were just happening out of nowhere

25 mins for 1 episode is just not enough. If it was as long as e.g Arcane and the execution was slower we would've got one of the best and most enjoyable shows out there.

The animation of the show was great, I didnt particulary like the cars animation but it wasn't as eye hurting as 3d from overlord, thogh it is kinda unfulfilling that we were shown the city in just 1st episode and that is pretty much it.

The music was good but it isn't something extraordinary. The thing I liked about OP and ED is that they didn't spoil much... Or did they ?

Now for the characters. As I mentioned because the story is so quick-paced you can't really get close-knit with the characters and it is diffcult to say whether you care about this character or not and whether you like him or not.

Also the MC was so irrational at one point of the story I didn't know what to think of him, because I didn't understand why he is so unemotional in one scene and then get overemotional in the other and while it was good for one scene it was completely nonsensical for the other.

I didn't like the ending. I was kinda expecting this from 2nd episode (guts feeling but I was pretty sure it will happen) it ruined the build up for me and wasn't the best conclusion. Right here I am pretty sure the ending could've been more fulfilling.

On the whole the show was way too quick so you couldn't enjoy the story in the fullest. If the execution was better it could've been a show with a hard 9+. The score for now is too big I dont really understand why regarding the fact the show has so many holes in it

Overall it is just a fine anime which had a lot of potential but it wasn't used. Really dissapointing and saddening. 6/10

Spoiler Free Review (Dont hesitate)

"Dont trust anyone even yourself"

Story : The story itself involve with some random teenager who get dump by disaster after disaster. Then he meet some random chick, then he join random gang, and thats it, the story itself involve become "gangster" and fight everyone for money. The story itself is probably example of bad writing for me, there is so many thing leftover doesnt well explain and make no connection to each other which confusing. Let me tell ya, First half is amazing till second half make me skip whole episode to point (see character section, not gonna talk about it ... in story section) and then left disappointed with classic "Dystopia ending"

Character : All character looks fine for me, Maine is basically like adoptive father who go crazy everytime, Lucy basically who hot chick hook on you because she want your pocket money (not gonna spoiler part, but you know it once you watch), Rebecca probably the only character who nail the series really hard because she basically natural, real gangster, not like other character, tbh i want to see more about Falco (the driver) but nah we just can see him only 2 episode and thats it, no enough screen time my man, last and not least, David the most cringe part in entire series, i mean he doesnt have actual personality, he just copy someone who meet him, first half he copy his Classmate > then he copy Maine > and he also end up like Maine, he is also so naive, he just like robot who obey command, which also drive me mad to see him, he has good character dev, uh sorry i mean character copypasta for me. Thats the downside of the series, David basically pain in the .ss for me. Adam smasher need more screen time, he is so badass in this anime, the character that i like most (not in rainbow way)

Enjoyment : I like the netflix wont censor anything beside the lower body, the fight the gore is music in my ear so satisfying but yea mc is the only thing i dont really enjoy to watch

Overall : i give 7/10 because yea i m here for lore cyberpunk 77 and this anime basically pre sequel because i see so many cyberpunk 77 cameo anywhere here, so take it as grain of salt

Do you like ecchi? Watch this
Do you like gore and blood spitting everywhere? Watch this
Do you like Cyberpunk? Watch this
Do you like main character who actual do something? Don't Watch this
Do you like good character development? Don't Watch this

Thats should be all, bye bye

Ahh night city... You could've been perfect and yet you ended up just like the game.
Likable characters, interesting world and well done animations. This anime does a lot of things right and yet fails so badly at moving forward with the plot while heavily suffering from anime clichés that i genuinely never felt this disappointed with anime.

It's not like it's boku no pico's level of bad plot, to be honest it's quite enjoyable at first but if you like some common sense in characters/story it will make you miserable. It feels like the moment the story hits a wall and has no clue how to ... push it forward the writers decided to go the anime way of things and make characters absolutely incompetent or make them do stupid shit to somehow get over this wall.

Not only that but the whole time you're watching you have no feelings towards any of the characters, the shock at the start of anime has no kick to it because you didn't even build enough rapport with the character involved to even care and this goes on for the entire anime with only exception being Maine, it really feels like this anime had planned 13 episodes but went with 10 due to budget cuts.

Almost all of the characters feel unique and fun to see on the screen but David hits almost all anime/movie clichés and it feels so bland/generic. I like to compare him to Naruto with the only difference between them being is how David ends up in the story.

I can't say much without spoiling it so i'll end it there. It's not like this anime has issues upon issues but the issue it has are so major that it went from a solid 9 to 6 really quickly. If you can handle characters that make bad decisions even tho they are competent enough to know better then sure go ahead, but if you can't then you'll be left with mixed feelings and another ruined anime that had potential but ultimately fails to deliver.

Just finished the series and it was interesting to say the least. So the good:
The art direction and animation is wonderful! The usual good amount from Studio Trigger! The colors and character design is dope which really reeled me in the first time seeing the posters for the show. It's full of a tone of action that's pretty fluid. The first 5 episodes also got me hooked to what it has in store. Being introduced to David and his struggles starting out. He suffers hardship, but knows how to keep himself up.

The Bad: This show is a short series, so a lot of things happen ... so quickly, it's really hard to grasp onto characters. The character I most liked was David, which isn't a bad thing, but since he's the main character we'd usually follow him and his story. There were a lot of characters the show wanted you to like, but since it's so short it can't happen. A short series that's a little similar is Devilman Crybaby, which was heartbreaking, emotional, but good, for not only the story but for the short amount of characters the show focuses on. When things happen to the characters, you feel sad, and hurt for them. But with Cyberpunk, a lot of things happen fast, not much time for bonding.

Overall, if you want to see a short anime with gorey scenes and awesome character designs/action, this show is for you! If you like an anime that has more progression with character growth and in general longer, then you might wanna keep looking.
RATINGS OVERALL:
Art: 10/10
Animation: 10/10
Characters: 4/10
Story: 5/10

Empathetic protagonist, check. Motives, gottem. Interesting settings and characters to support the story and protagonist, immaculate. Act 1 and 2 were great, exposition and build up was clean. Then the ball gets dropped and the ending leaves a cathartic-less pit in my emotions. CHARACTER GROWTH PLZ, which is why I love titles like Violet Evergarden and Ancient Magus Bride. In Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, our main man stays adolescent, he learns nothing. But okay, not all stories need sine waves of an arc to be great, but they do need the audience to understand the motives of the protagonist, especially if they alter - and we lose ... that around the 2/3 mark. The director of the series needed to draw upon this earlier as we watch our guy struggle through the pain; then we wouldn't blame him for ignoring the reasonable voice in his head. "Because I love her" is too shallow of a reason, unfortunately. Versus, "I want someone to be proud of me" or "I never felt free, never will be, but she can", the latter examples would have been way more cathartic given the ending, had the director chose to pull on those strings more.

Something about "Trigger" and "Cyberpunk" seems to call the attention of fanatics and haters alike so, needless to say, "Cyberpunk Edgerunners" demands a thorough dissection. This review will lightly discuss the show's plot, characters, animation, and sound, then go over the apparent discourse, after which I'll give my personal verdict.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
―Plot:

Without spoilers, the plot revolves around David Martinez and his trials living in Night City, a semi-post-apocalyptic world that lives up to its "Cyberpunk" namesake. Grit, gore, and neon litter the dystopian backdrop as David becomes part of a gun-for-hire outfit whose lowest common denominator are their heavily modified cybernetic bodies. What gives our protagonist his ... particular standing is his unusually high aptitude for body modifications and his relationship with fellow cyberpunk, Lucy. Throughout the entirety of these 10 episodes the plot offers the audience David's struggle with morality and living up to the expectations impressed upon him by his mother and fellow mercenaries. Amidst all this, Lucy's own feelings and her secretive past also add to both the physical and emotional suspense of the show.

Albeit a relatively simple plot, these are the sorts of storylines that Studio Trigger seems to shine in. The technology and emotion are the only overtly complicated things to worry about in the story, sans one particular character's backstory. David and Lucy are the focal points of the story, but, in one instance, supporting character, Maine, seems to have flashbacks of his past. I stress "seems" heavily here because some these sections of the episode leave more questions than answers. It becomes unclear if whether or not these hallucinations are memories or are supposed to be allegorical to larger theme of the arc it is presented in.

All-in-all "Cyberpunk Edgerunners" has a simple, linear story that bets a lot of its enjoyment on its emotion, rather than ornate subplots.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
―Characters:
"Emotionally damaged people dealing with emotional damage... badly."

Aside from Rebecca and Pilar, there are no outright funny characters, just funny situations. In a nutshell, most of the characters can be divided into the emotionally unprepared or the overconfident. Sometimes both. Since the main character, David, does age up at one point, his youthful unsureness dissipates and unearths more deeply seated character issues. Lucy's character, on the other hand, seems to begin and end on the deep end of emotional insecurity. These factors are relatively simple and are what largely drive the relationship between the two.

Outside the main protagonists, David's mentor, Maine, and their fixer, Faraday, are the next big fish in the cast. Maine is quite literally larger than life whose bold attitude translates into his fighting style. Maine comes off to David as somebody who understands how the world works and viewers will share the same sentiment. His cool demeanor during the gang's operations make him somewhat akin to "Cowboy Bebop's" Jet Black. The grizzled veteran who's seen and done some shit, so nothing is ever too surprising. Faraday is likewise one of those "omniscient" appearing characters. Menacing with his three-stacked eyes, his cold calculating attitude is betrayed by how little information he ever seems to provide Maine's outfit. He's curt and rude in a corporate sense, but he definitely falls in the latter half... the overconfident.

As a whole, the provided character backgrounds and incentives are becoming of the Cyberpunk universe. The antagonists of the story all present themselves as ruthless capitalists and the "good" guys (or at least the more morally gray) are those "punks." The vibrantly stylized and brash anti-heroes just trying to survive.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
―Animation:
"It has a vibrancy that CD Projekt Red wanted, but failed to make good on."

Hate them or love them, Studio Trigger is, without a doubt, one of the go-to studios for fast paced action and vibrant color palettes. Many speculators had concerns about taking the videogame world's glossy neon and grit, and taking it down a dimension into the 2D world. I can say that this is not the case. "Cyberpunk Edgerunners" offers something beyond its source material and has richer hues. The animation is certainly more vibrant that many other anime, but it is appropriately "loud" when needed and subdued in its more somber moments. The range in colors helps communicate the emotion of certain plot points masterfully in a way that the videogame was unable to. If you are familiar with "Cyberpunk 2077," you understand that action and scenery could be mismatched, leaving the player somewhat disoriented. However, that frenzied excitement from the thrill of the game is not diminished in Trigger's penwork. The energy of the fights are there with the Trigger flare of punching-in on character expressions in the heat of battle. Including "Cyberpunk's" affinity for uncut violence, Trigger does well in remaining faithful to its sources while stylizing it in a digestible way.

What may lose some people are moments when characters' expressions are simplified in particularly frenetic battles or for visual slapstick. This is also a trait of Trigger, however. The studio is known to pick up works that have over-the-top action and humor, so Trigger does much to produce on both ends. In a no-nonsense world like Night City, cyberpunk enthusiasts can interpret what this "nonsense" may be. Where some might find the colorful action appropriate to the wildness of dystopia, others might find its simplicity childish―muddling the nuances of a hopeless future. Fair warning, no matter how you find the color choices, what does remain consistent is the violence and nudity. Cyberpunk's premise is raw and unfiltered, so it is likewise for its more "non-Christian" moments.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
―Sound:
"It sounds like how it's supposed to: youthful, loud, and addictive."

Like all art, "good" music is also subjective, but I believe that the soundtrack for "Cyberpunk Edgerunners" is thematically appropriate. The story begins with a teenager being catapulted into a subverted idea of adulthood, so the music is typically synth-y rock or something that feels like futuristic grunge/punk rock (with the occasional metal thrown in for good measure). The beats are loud, the treble is boosted, and the lyrics bewildering. It's high energy and its message comes off in emotion, rather than outright lyricism―much like young adulthood expression. And although slower tones are relegated to deep, pensive moments, they are equally fitting each time they appear. With close attention, you may notice the pitch of the music and the colors will often compliment each other.

If the music isn't to your taste, then you may want to weigh your options, but if you can look past that, then the voice acting might win you over. On the Japanese side we have some heavy-hitters like Kenn, Aoi Yuuki, and Kazuhiko Inoue, all providing their own take on the cyberpunk gangsters of the future. Despite the IP being from a western culture, the voice acting does well in communicating the same level of dystopian cool in their mother tongue. You can hear your typical "tough guy" accent in the Japanese audio, but it never feels unbecoming of the clearly Western characters. Yet this doesn't mean that the English voice cast is out the window either. Our favorite villain actor, Giancarlos Esposito, reprises his sinister vernacular in his portrayal of the fixer. Faraday, but this is just the cherry on top. Lovers of the videogame will be pleasantly surprised when they hear all the slang and lingo still persists on the English audio track. "Gonk," "Choom," and so much more are effortlessly slipped back into the script, adding to the belief that Night City is a real place somewhere in the future.

One complaint I have is the strange miscorrelation between the captions for "phone" calls and what is actually being said. Independently they are fine, but if you're the type to watch a movie with subtitles usually, then you'll notice some inconsistencies between the two. Not a major issue, but it can be confusing at times.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
―Discourse:
"So, why are there hard opinions both ways?"

Honestly, we are all guilty of carrying our own predispositions even before we watch something and "Cyberpunk Edgerunners" is no exception―in fact it may be a shining example of this. First off, the ideas of dystopia and science-fiction may be played-out to some and may carry a high-degree of expectation. With a considerable amount of input from the West, this show departs from stereotypical anime endings that we became accustomed to before the late 2010's and does not climax with some sort of world-altering resolution. "Cyberpunk Edgerunners" does have a conclusion, but it is contained to the characters' issues, NOT the entire world or even Night City. The morals in this story feel very personal and tackle very relatable pressures―something that many anime viewers may not want. Enjoyers of animation often look for an escape from reality, so hate for this series may stem from the discomfort of relatability. However, this can also be a draw for others looking to find some sort of empathetic feeling. Much like politics, the loudest voices in this debate are not the majority and the subsequent fanaticism boils down to "agree with me or your wrong."

Additionally, there are other "barriers" to viewers that go beyond the setting and story itself. Firstly, many viewers are familiar with CD Projekt Red's "Cyberpunk 2077" and may be carrying some emotional baggage from the videogame's disappointing release. Because the two titles share similar names, some are giving their remarks on CD Projekt Red's works as a whole and not as independent entities. Insufficiencies in updating the videogame may also conjure resentment in those who also watch the anime, thinking "why are they making this anime when the game needs so much work!?" On top of this, Studio Trigger's track record may make some more critical of this release. Successes like the "SSSS" series, "Kill la Kill," and "Little Witch Academia" are shadowed by subjectively lesser releases like "Promare" or "Darling in the FranXX." Yes, Trigger is known for certain tropes and, yes, some of them are present in "Cyberpunk Edgerunners," but one can argue that they are significantly better suited for Night City. Regardless of your opinion on any of these IP's, as I stated before, many of those who lean heavily for or against "Cyberpunk Edgerunners" are often carrying some sort of baggage which calls them to radicalization.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
―Verdict:
"Cyberpunk 2077 fans, this if for you. Cinephiles might want to take a walk."

By now it is pretty clear that I particularly enjoyed "Cyberpunk Edgerunners," but I think some of its criticism is valid. When Trigger really wants peak action, the show has all the passion of a Michael Bay montage, but don't expect John Wick choreography. The glimmer and glow of the backdrop and characters are a breathtaking creation between Cyberpunk 2077 and Trigger, but the serious critics will find the story underneath one-dimensional and unoriginal―the opposite reason of why action fanatics will enjoy it. There is comfort in finding familiarity in the plot's rhythm and it makes for easy viewing. One thing that makes this anime particularly standout is its large soundtrack chalk-full of Night City bangers that can be creepily saddening at times and energetic at others. If you are a stickler about certain music genres, then this may be another turnaround point for some.

So how do I really break this down? Well, here's who SHOULD see it. If you are a fan of Yoh Yoshinari and his designs in "FLCL," "Little Witch Academia," and "Panty and Stocking," than that should be reason enough for you to see it. "Cyberpunk Edgerunners" is a feast for the eyes. And if you're unfamiliar with those titles, then if you enjoyed "Cyberpunk 2077" then that should be enough reason already. Otherwise, casual action-lovers and shock enthusiasts will be in for a treat with this anime.

As for those who shouldn't see it, if you prefer a "who-done-it" sort of suspense, then this isn't for you. The creativity in this series is simplistic emotional storytelling and it uses familiar storytelling to unearth those emotions even more. Because sympathy is a major part of the story's appeal, you might find character motives mundane or illogical. And if you have a particular penchant for emotional rock and digital music, then this is likewise a warning for you.

In conclusion, what really might hold people back from watching this series is the variability in quality when it comes to Studio Trigger and the bitter aftertaste left from CD Projekt Red's videogame. But if you love the trigger style and were hungry for the lore of "Cyberpunk 2077," then this is a must-see.

Nice art/animation, but the story is lacklustre and the characters lack depth. Hard to really care about any deaths when we've only briefly seen a character and know nothing (or next to nothing) about their backstory or motivations etc. Like I feel the show wanted you to be attached to the edgerunner crew? But then did nothing to flesh them out (besides Lucy).

You have 'arms guy', who has long arms and make crude jokes. You have buff lady, who is a tough buff lady. You have hacker lady, who can hack and smokes cigarettes. You have small lady, who is small and chaotic and ... apparently arms guy's sister. You have leader dude, who is the leader and has gun arms and says it's important to treat his crew fair. And later on there's driver dude, who had a moustache and drives for them. That's pretty much all we know about them, and I just... can't get emotionally invested in these people when all I have to go on is this surface level stuff. Plus our protagonist is generic as hell, and the villains were equally uninteresting.

Setting was cool, visuals were cool, I like most of the character designs? But yeah... very let down story wise. Anyone calling it 'one of the best show ever' is either delusional or needs to watch more shows. I give it 7 overall cos the art was great and even if the story was 'meh' it was enough to get me to finish watching it.

This is a wildly uneven show.

Trigger is a somewhat polarizing studio, and people are always going to take issue with the formula as it keeps reiterating. And this is certainly an iteration, incredible visuals (mostly), colorful characters, over the top action..... but ultimately a hollow story with middling characters that exists to satisfy no one. But there is more to this edition of Trigger's antics, because, be it from the source material or the genre, there is a germ of something thematic and interesting here. Its a show that's frustrating to watch, with surprisingly poignant highs and despondently low lows. If it were more ... consistent, good or bad, I would be much more satisfied with the show, but it gives you hope that it could be something more than what it seems. And at the end of the day, its the hope that kills you.

First and foremost, the great stuff. Up until things "go over the edge", the animation is pretty much without fault. Its silky smooth, its vibrant, the characters are memorable and expressive, its everything we've come to expect from Trigger. The OP, although kinda western in style, is pretty good, a solid song and simple but effective animation. The ED is excellent, really well animated and a nice song, by the end I hadn't skipped it once. The va work was stellar, I decided to watch the dub for once, having heard it was near natural, and I can't help but agree. A couple of voices needed to be grown into a bit, but the dub dialogue was surprisingly well written and effective, and I'm not sure if its a function of the production or the setting. In any case, its good. The soundtrack is solid, although again somewhat western in application, and most of the violence and nudity is unexpectedly tasteful.

Speaking of, lets expound upon that. Netflix gave Trigger the green light to go, really as far as they wanted, and while there's plenty of head explosions and limbs flying off, there's often an appropriate amount of discretion used. When it comes to the topic of cyberpsychosis and the themes presented within, the more extreme elements are decidedly not awesome, but sobering and melancholic. Until they aren't, at least, but that's a matter for later. Its very cyberpunk the genre, violence not for its own sake but to inform the evolving and dangerous relationship between man and machine. In the first half, imo this is handled almost to perfection, with proper weight and excellent tone, an understanding of the theme and its presentation. The nudity is also handled quite well, contrary to how Trigger often presents its sex appeal. The fan service is not treated as such, because they have the ability to go all the way. Its rarely framed as something horny, but a reality of the setting and existence, characters can just be in the nude, and its not unnatural or drawn attention to, which is quite commendable.

Now, the plot... its a problem. The bones are good, the show has plot has a good foundation and themes, but it over runs itself. Somehow in the limited span of ten episodes to manages to massively and obviously jump the shark, forcing its characters into petty melodrama and progression switchbacks. Characters that were strong in the first half regress in the second and make astounding, in context contradictory choices. Its the murder of a plot progression, unfolding through just 2-3 short episodes. An impressive accomplishment, but nonetheless dumbfounding. At its end, I have trouble seeing who could be satisfied by the ending and how. It truly astounds me that so many people seem to have latched on to the ending and been affected by it, when it feels as if the show tried as hard as it could to forget the lessons learned through its actual good emotional moments and end up as empty as possible. Truly, if it had ended after six episodes, I would have given it an easy 9.

All in all, Edgerunners is a curious property. Simultaneously worth the hype and far overpraised, a poignant statement of the genre and an indulgent piece of trigger animation. It is itself a contradiction, a tale of two halves, a principle in violation of itself. If you're a trigger adherent, you probably don't need to be convinced to watch and enjoy this. Otherwise, know that this is not going to reach the heights that its ratings suggest. Either way, its a much needed shot in the arm for CD Projekt Red's world, and a show that will likely fuel more future development in the setting regardless of its shoddy back half. I give it a point for every good episode, 6/10.

TL;DR/Spoiler Free Version - Fantastic animation! Great music but any music made for the anime is alright. Story was great until episode 8 and afterwards it goes from great to good. If you haven't played Cyberpunk 2077, watch the anime. If you like gore with a pretty decent story then watch this.

This is Demon Slayer but with a better story. The animation is hands down the best part of this anime. Voice acting in the English Dub was perfect. The "OST" is not really original. 80% of the songs in the anime are from the video game, Cyberpunk 2077. The other 20% is alright. Not ... so good that I'll be listening to it again and again everyday. But it served its purpose. I love how if you played 2077 you can recognize a lot of the setting. It looks like Studio Trigger really filmed the anime within the city itself.

Now the story. Let me give you a recap for the purpose of my future point. A person gets their hands on an Arasaka cyberware implant, Arasaka isn't happy about it and they want it back. Anyone who played 2077 would know this is the exact same story as 2077. The only difference is V wants the implant OUT while David wants to keep it IN. The anime feels like I'm watching a bugless playthrough of 2077. Which is not a positive. I loved the story of 2077, don’t get me wrong! But I wanted something DIFFERENT from this anime. Not just the meme, “Can I copy your homework? Yeah, just change it up a bit so it doesn't look obvious you copied.”

What I'm saying is, without Cyberpunk 2077 being a thing, this anime would probably be called a "Hidden Gem" or "Forgotten Gem" in a couple of months. I'm not disappointed with the Trigger themselves. They went above and beyond the call of duty for this anime. I'm just disappointed that the story seems to just play it safe and copy Cyberpunk 2077 while making one change.

Should you watch Cyberpunk Edgerunner? Yeah. Should you watch it even if you played the game? My answer to that question is a word meaning yes and no at the same time. Honestly, if you didn’t like 2077’s story then don’t watch this anime but if you did, well don’t I have a surprise for you!
*If you know what I'm talking about then that's okay. But

My initial assessment from the trailer was correct, meh.
Despite awful first episode i enjoyed first half more than the second one. Seems like everything was rushing towards the end that you could predict from the very first episode (its like getting obvious hints during first season Eren will go full Rumbling eventually). The crew he joined suddenly turned from professionals to bunch of amateurs where nothing goes correctly and ignores psycho symptoms that kick in just at the perfect time to advance the plot.
Gore is also laughable, might be the worst one ive seen in anime yet, the bright red blood with no shadows or ... texture only adds to that. Characters are at best two dimensional, all of them.

5/10 or perhaps i can rise the score to 6/10 for the lack of happy ending i guess? Overall cant say im dissapointed, it was exactly what i expected. Shame i wasnt wrong this time.

i guess im also not into this cyberpunk world, its completely unbelievable for me and the way people act. The only "realism" i saw is subscription for a washing machine, that's definitely happening.
And with all that tech people implant into them that causes problems its funny that there arent robots equipped with this crazy shit. INB4 some stupid reason you need meat brain to use it.