Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction that is known for showing known for reflecting dystopian visions of the future in which advanced technology is combined with a low standard of living. Knowing that, now there is a video game called the same way as this subgenre: Cyberpunk 2077. Later, Studio Trigger, by working with Netflix and with the creators of the video Game CD Projekt Red, decided to adapt the game into an anime series and the results were insane, One of the best animations in the industry and directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi! Let's recap this amazing experience!
Plot
The main character in this dystopia overrun by corruption, crime, and cybernetic implants, is David Martinez. He lives with his mother in the low standard of living class in Night City and attends Arasaka Academy where a lot of students whose families are rich and have a corporate background. So he was different from all his classmates and didn't actually get along. Also, David is known for being an impulsive but talented street kid. Everything is going bad for David's life and after losing everything he has, he decides to survive by taking the side against the law and becoming an Edgerunner which means a high-tech, black-market mercenary: A Cyberpunk!
In this world, there are many types of cybernetic implants depending on what you want to do or become. Like for example, parts of your body like your hands can become weapons, or also people can have a cyberdeck and become netrunners who can hack and manipulate systems and viruses. So, in some tasks of Edgerunners, for example, there are also the ones that do their job outside the field. But people have to be careful too because if they install themselves with many and powerful augmentations, their humanity status will drop and they will suffer from a dissociative identity disorder called Cyberpsychosis. The main plot of this great story is also about how David obtains a powerful implant called Sandevistan and how he manages to manipulate and control it without suffering Cyberpsychosis.
As an Edgerunner, David must do his tasks and create special and different relationships with his crew: Maine (leader of the crew), Lucy, Rebecca, Kiwi, Pilar, Dorio, and Falco.
Wonderful and strong Animation
The animation style is actually a masterpiece! It looks very good! If we talk about animation, it is pure quality and surpasses everything I have seen. But maybe this specific animation will only fit and go with this type of series because, by only seeing it, it communicates that the genre of the series is Cyberpunk for real. It is perfectly animated with CGI, with hand-drawn 2D animation. Here is the trailer so you can enjoy a little piece made by a very great and passionate work:
Age rating
They took the fantastic decision of doing the series only for those 17 years of age and older. That way they could use this masterpiece of animation in the action scenes and others and at the same time respect the video game. And, as it is on Netflix, it has not so much censorship so it was a good choice to work with this platform. Thanks to that there are a lot of brutal and iconic scenes we can enjoy and never get bored at all.
Great and heartbreaking narrative and script:
Not only the animation is spectacular but also, but they also create a good and interesting story that would reach and break our hearts. This might be one of the most heartbreaking stories in the anime industry. You will feel attached to some characters and to the love story that will lead us not just to feel compassion for David but also for Lucy because the more we know about her and her story, the more we understand her feelings.
Other features:
As the story is set before the events of the video game, the series does not give spoilers, but still, there are some references from the game in the series like the Delamain cabs which is a transportation service that only the corporate rich people can afford, David's apartment which has the same design as V's (the character from the game) home, the HUD elements in which the info appears the same way as in the video game, and more!
Obviously, I must mention the song that appears at the final parts which helps more to break our hearts and always will make us remember the series. This song is "I Really Want to Stay at Your House" by Rosa Walton and Hallie Coggins.
Also, I have to recognize that the song in the intro is pretty good too. This one is called "This Fffire" by Ferdinand.
They managed to perfectly fit everything for the genre, animation, story, and soundtracks! The song of Rosa Walton and Hallie Coggins is so beautiful and is available to listen it on Spotify I must say that I had to wait some days to hear it without breaking my heart though.
Conclusion
Cyberpunk Edgerunners is a masterpiece of animation. This is one of the few times that I would say that seeing the animation was way better than the story although the story was good too. I would not mind if they bring another season with new characters and create a new story apart from this one. Many times people are tired of seeing series with too many seasons but I think that in this case many of us are left wanting to see more about this amazing project which proved that anime based on video games can result very astonishing and beautiful, and can respect the video game at the same time. An 11/10 experience!!
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