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⬢⬡⬢| Cyberpunk: Edgerunners |⬢⬡⬢
img100%(https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExbHJwcDBmcmwxaXgxMDgwYzJ6cDQ2MWh1ZXhkYjJnOGpvOHgzMDRxOCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/Ry4tMW5MhpZfkWeedh/giphy.gif)Advanced technology and cybernetic enhancements dominate society. The anime explores the dark and gritty world of Night City. Love and loss, beginning and end, legacy and identity are all a part of this visually stunning and action-packed experience that captures the essence of the cyberpunk genre.
⬢⬡| Overview |⬡⬢
- Story: An emotional trainwreck; the cyberpunk world is perfectly portrayed (9/10)
- Characters: Criminals in a city obsessed with cybernetic body modifications; no way they're normal (8.6/10)
- Visuals: Beautiful use of colors and smooth animation (9/10)
- Audio: Amazing SFX and a soundtrack that'll have you remembering the show every time you hear a song again (8.6/10)
- Bingeable/Hype: One of the best anime of all time, keeps you thirsty for more (9/10)
- Enjoyment: One of my all time favorites and one of very few rewatches (9.6/10)
Point of mention
###This anime, while mostly aesthetically pleasing, contains a fair amount of gore/blood, profanity, and some nudity. If that's not for you then you probably do not want to consider watching.
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⬢⬡| Plot |⬡⬢
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(9/10)
This anime will not fail to shock you. The story follows David, a young street kid who becomes an edgerunner, a mercenary taking on dangerous missions in Night City. Do you have a choice when you're flat broke and everything costs money including your washing machine? Paramedics leave you to die if you have no insurance, cyberpsychos, people who've gone crazy because of the extreme amounts of cybernetic implants they have, pop up everywhere. It's nearly impossible to get a good paying job at one of the mega-corporations without attending their expensive schools, which is why David's broke in the first place. You can't even attend class without the latest software updates (which of course cost money). Despite the difficulties of life in the city, he perseveres and pushes forward. Joining a crew of criminals David navigates the world of corporate power struggles, cybernetic advancements, and the consequences of a society obsessed with technology in order to chase his dreams. But are his dreams really his own?
My thoughts on the overarching theme
Spoiler, click to view
When people talk about the show, they often mention its emotional impact. This impact is delivered through the characters and the settings they're in as well as their interactions with each other. Though they're a diverse group with many dynamics, they all have one thing in common.
*Do I go forward, or turn back?*
Let's start with Maine. As a kind of mentor and role model to David, he's a very pivotal, yet often overlooked, character. At the start of episode 6, we see him running, far from the towering buildings of the city, in the desert. He's running and running until he finally approaches the end of the road. There he stops and is faced with an important question. Do I run forward, or turn back? This is reflected in his life. It's been a long and arduous journey to get to where he is, so he doesn't want to turn back. But can he really keep going? His body can't handle his cyberware anymore, but Maine still decides to push forward. He wants bigger and better things for him and his crew. Ironically, it's because of this push that he jeopardizes them all and gets himself killed.
img75%(https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExcXZ2cXc4aDdxeml3N3QxOHpjYzlvY2w3NTl6YzhuaGp4MTltZjd4cSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/BLCJ7ZPO2WOS4ruhRY/giphy.gif)
We can see David in a similar scenario. He believes himself to be special, and he is, but he still has a limit. A limit he quickly approaches. He also wants better things for the crew, he feels he must carry on Maine's legacy. He also never forgets what his mom always wanted for him, to become successful in life, and for Lucy to get to the moon. His dream is to help others achieve theirs. So he keeps going forward, and why would he ever want to go back? The life behind him was full of tragedy. These things drive him forward more and more.
Rebecca also arguably shares this conviction. She loves David but knows that he never can love her the same way, so she accepts it and instead follows him wherever he goes hoping to make him happy. Eventually she stopped looking out for what was best for David and instead helped him achieve what he wanted regardless. She keeps going forward with this until she too dies.
img75%(https://media.giphy.com/media/dNa7zFzWiJ9MzIYBwk/giphy.gif)
Lucy also wants what's best for David and she lets it drive her to kill anyone connected with him in Arasaka. So much so, that she even leaves him in the middle of an argument to hunt down one of their netrunners, abandoning him when he needed her there beside him. This ultimately gets her captured and allows David to be led into a trap.
*Die a legend.*
By chasing their dreams, everyone but Lucy died. However, was it really their dreams? Maine was so focused on the next biggest and best thing for the crew, that he lost sight of them and only went after the things he wanted for them. He went too far forward until he passed the point of no return. But he managed to go out sacrificing himself to save the crew, dying a legend.
Rebecca lost sight of what was best for David, initially telling him to slow down with the implants, but eventually giving in to his self destructive requests. She kept going forward until she was in the middle of Arasaka HQ, never turning back until she was killed by Adam Smasher, dying a legend.
David was so burdened by the expectations he set on himself because of others that he never questioned if they would really want him to lead the life his was living until it was too late. By the time he tried to turn back it was too late, so he finally decided to chase his own dream, the dream of making Lucy happy. He wanted her to get to the moon. He saved the girl he loves, and she saved him from Cyberpsychosis long enough that he could die human, with a smile on his face, and knowing she'd be safe. There was no way he would've lasted much longer even with Lucy's intervention, and he would've only ended up hurting those around him. He took out an entire Militech battalion and rampages through Arasaka until finally the only one who could stop him was the Adam Smasher. He died a legend.
img75%(https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExZXF6dHBkdXoxYjRxZGEwNDJmaDd1d2tnNzB5bXRjMWU3MnBkM2drNCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/plncbd6aDCJPsdFOba/giphy.gif)
That's the thing, cyberpunks don't make a name for themselves by how they live, what dreams they chase, but how they die. There are no good lives in Night City, only good deaths.
*Is it your dream?*
So should you turn around? No. What's the point of chasing a dream only to stop halfway?
They were all pushed forward by their dreams, but were they really their dreams? Maine wanted to help his crew but ended up getting himself and one other killed. Rebecca was the same. David was so busy chasing everyone else's dreams that he didn't chase his own until it was too late. Lucy finally managed to go to the moon, but once she was there, the only thing she could think about was having David there beside her.
They were all so focused on what was in front of them, and not wanting to go back, that they lost sight of those beside them, the one's that made their dreams mean something. They all died legends, but they shouldn't have died at all.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a show about chasing your dreams, but with the message of being careful you don't go too far. Don't lose sight of why you started. It's also a show about relationships, which is why it's so tragic, why it punches you right in the heart. All these characters who care about each other hurting each other for their dreams, not out of selfishness, but because they are so blinded by chasing their dreams for the ones they love, they loose sight of the ones they love, focusing only on the goal. They are each others downfall.
img75%(https://i.imgur.com/256hoke.png)
After all, what's the point of achieving your dream if it costs you everything that made the dream special?
img80%(https://i.imgur.com/kK3adpE.png)
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⬢⬡| Characters |⬡⬢
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(8.6/10)
The characters are a highlight of the series, well everything is really, but they give it that emotional
oomf. David, the protagonist, is a relatable character you can't help but sympathize with, and displays growth and resilience throughout the story to the point where he's unrecognizable from that kid in the beginning. The supporting cast is diverse and colorful, each with their own motivations. It's the relationships between the characters through which the story is told, adding depth and emotional investment. Whether it's the edgerunners, corpo suits, or everyday citizens of Night City, the characters bring a sense of authenticity to the cyberpunk world.
img80%(https://i.imgur.com/d4XHBeI.png)
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⬢⬡| Visuals |⬡⬢
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(9/10)
Visually, it's a feast for the eyes. Even people who hate the show (I don't think they exist) have to admit that everything from animation, to color, to design is a masterpiece. Studio Trigger's distinctive animation style shines through, combining bold colors, intricate details, and fluid motion. The cyberpunk aesthetic is masterfully executed, with neon cityscapes and futuristic technology just creates an incredibly unique atmosphere. Every single shot is beautiful, I have dozens in my
archive. Everywhere you look, you just can't help but be drawn in. The action sequences are intense and visually dynamic, immersing the viewer in the dark and gritty atmosphere of Night City. The character designs are memorable and the city life almost forcefully immerses you with the world building.
img80%(https://i.imgur.com/BeeJjP3.png)
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⬢⬡| Audio |⬡⬢
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(8.6/10)
The audio design complements the visual experience, accentuating the immersion into the cyberpunk world. The soundtrack features a mix of electronic and industrial music, which perfectly captures the futuristic and dystopian vibe. Every time from then on when you hear a song featured in the track you can't help but be transported back to night city. The sound effects are impactful, utilizing the high-tech weaponry, cybernetic enhancements, and bustling city sounds. The voice acting, both in the original Japanese and the English dub, is top-tier, and it's actually one of the few anime where the English is better than the Japanese. Regardless, talented actors of both languages bring to life the characters with their emotional performances.
img80%(https://i.imgur.com/xNTxWqc.png)
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⬢⬡| Bingeability/Hype |⬡⬢
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(9/10)
Ratings of the show are overwhelmingly positive. Fans of the
Cyberpunk 2077 game appreciated the additional lore and backstory but you don't need any knowledge of the game to fully enjoy it. The animation style and visual aesthetics were praised for their captivating and immersive quality. Some viewers found the story to be somewhat cliche, (I disagree) but the engaging characters and intense action sequences kept them invested. When I mention "bingeability" I'm referring to the anime making you want to watch more of it, and this one certainly does. I almost never rewatch a show because I'd rather move on to something new, and the story gets stale after the first experience. That's not true of this anime at all and I have rewatched it twice.
img80%(https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExYTlqdHdlMzExNjhkdTIxazJ0MHdycTZobWl6YmltemhrMmJnbW5jdCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/4NnMXFbGSvNT3ZbPLe/giphy.gif)
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⬢⬡| Enjoyment |⬡⬢
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(9.6/10)
This is my biased personal opinion, regardless of the other (slightly) more objective aspects. I'm a sucker for romance and good action, and this anime delivered on both with a little tragedy mixed in. I'm also a fan of the cyberpunk aesthetic, so regardless I would have liked this anime no matter how good it was. However, it delivered above and beyond in every attribute, enhancing its already amazing qualities. I can confidently say that any fan of an overlapping genre would also enjoy this show.
