Cyberpunk Edgerunners follows the journey of a boy named David born into poverty in the slums of a technological advanced society. A future where technological advancements flourish but the disparity between the poor and rich remain consistent. From the very first episode we see David already have little to nothing and due to the cruel uncaring chaos of the world lost literally everything. He does however came upon a stroke of good luck stumbling upon some military grade cybernetic enhancements which he initially decided to sell but ultimately decided to screw all logic and installed them on himself just to settle a petty quarrel with a bully.
The animation from studio trigger as as superb as expected. Being an 18+ rated shows they sure went hard on violence and is not shy to depict nudity when the situation fits. The cyberpunk gun fights and hacking action are truly artistic and dynamic. Action scenes are fluid and the sense of impact hits real hard.
The music fits the mood really well and never felt overwhelming. Music and sound effects where used sparingly and subtlety. I love it when somber scenes do have background music or sound effects that never felt too obvious; letting the mood of the animation and what is presented visually speak for itself. But in emotionally climatic moments they know its the right time to drop their banger and they do it so sparingly it just hits so much harder.
The direction is just such a masterclass. This series is a prime example of amazing directing. The pacing not only for the overall story but the moods and actions of each scenes are just perfect. Crucial character moments and arcs are given just the perfect amount of time to cook. Each episode has a point and purpose, moments between tension and melodrama are perfectly timed and transitioned. Important climatic moments are build up to perfection each and every single time.
As established, David has reached rock bottom and there is no where to go but up for him. He decided to join a group of criminal misfits and decided to make a living on crime with them. David found more happiness and fulfilling relationships with these 'reprehensible' crowd than he ever did with the 'proper' members of society. As edgy as it sounds: David did not chose the thug life, the thug life chose him and embraced him. This series is literally an amazing journey to follow. We are introduced to an unmotivated boy living in mediocrity catching scraps living a 'proper life' to a capable and ruthless mercenary that does what he do because he finally found a purpose for living.
The series have a clear beginning and an amazing end. I can confidently say it was definitely a happy ending. For those that disagree... listen back to this song:
Think back at the entire journey and try not to be sad because it is over, but rather smile because it happened.