Cyberpunk: Edgerunners - Season 1

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a Polish-Japanese Netflix-Original anime based on CD Projekt Red's video game Cyberpunk 2077. The series was animated by Studio Trigger under the supervision of CD Projekt and premiered on Netflix in September 2022.

Nobody ever leaves Night City.

Who would have thought that a 2020 game could create a new anime in the same universe just two years later? Not me in any case. If you're familiar with the game and its associated hype, you're probably wondering if the anime is as overhyped as the game was. To answer that right away: no. Edgerunners, unlike the game, is by no means overhyped and deserves all the praise. Where the game launched as an unplayable disappointment, the anime actually showed us what life in Night City is like.

In a dystopia overrun by corruption, crime, and cybernetic implants, we follow an impulsive yet talented David Martinez (Kenn (JP), Yu-Gi-Oh! GX | Zach Aguilar (ENG), Fate/Apocrypha). A young guy who lost everything in a drive-by shooting. To survive in a technology- and body-modification-obsessed city of the future, he chooses to become an edgerunner - a mercenary better known as a cyberpunk.



The story is, as far as I know, "canon". Which means everything that happened in the anime lives on in the game. It shares the same universe. While I have yet to play the game, I believe the characters featured in the anime are also featured in the game. Which I think is a very cool addition. Secretly, Edgerunners managed to get me to buy the game. You still want to see if everything you've seen in the anime can be found in the game.

The ten episodes felt a bit rushed. It felt like there was a lot they wanted to fit into ten episodes.

If you look at the overarching story, it is noticeable that Edgerunners has an incredibly fast pace in contrast to other anime. The ten episodes felt a bit rushed. It felt like there was too much they wanted to cram into ten episodes. Character introductions were enhanced by an information bomb and scenes sometimes go off the rails. It ensures that you cannot miss a second of the anime without missing something important.

In my opinion, the anime would have really benefited from 24 episodes. I think it would have allowed the writers to expand on the characters and story a lot more than they already did. That way we could have really gotten to know these great characters better. Now we get some background information on the characters, but it all remains a bit vague. Which I think is a shame, because you do get somewhat attached to them.



Studio Trigger did a phenomenal job when it comes to the animation. The art style was breathtaking and really captured the soul of Night City. The hyper-violence, combined with over-the-top gore and the freedom of the cybernetic implants of some characters always ensured flashy action scenes. Studio Trigger has created something unique in my opinion. Visuals that fit seamlessly with the anime's story.

What also worked great in the anime was the soundtrack. I believe Edgerunners took some songs straight from the game, which again reminds you that it's all part of the same universe. In addition, the soundtrack also ensures that you never forget the dystopian setting of the anime. Especially as the end of the anime approaches. Which, by the way, was very brutal.

To sum it up: Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a great anime with breathtaking visuals. An anime packed with flashy action sequences, hyper-awesome aesthetics, and a well-fitting soundtrack. The anime could have benefited from more episodes to flesh out the story, but it was nonetheless an anime that managed to redeem Cyberpunk's name.