Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (Netflix) Review
Updated: Oct 21, 2022
Premiere Date: September 13, 2022
# of Episodes: 10
Duration: 25 mins/Episode
Netflix's original anime shows have typically been very hit-or-miss over the past few years. Couple that with sharing the same title as the videogame that has been widely regarded as one of the worst releases of all time, and I really had no idea what to expect from Edgerunners. Luckily, Studio Trigger just so happened to have created a top-tier product that represents Night City in a way that was promised to gamers many years ago.
Studio Trigger, the animation studio behind Little Witch Academia, Promare, and most prominently Kill La Kill, realizes Night City in a way the game could never imagine. Their signature character shading, lighting, and expertise in visual effects take center stage and really allowed the animators to flex their talents in a Cyberpunk setting. Don't just take my word for it, please watch the trailer below for yourself.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners takes place a year before Vi and Jackie team up to become legends in Night City. For the duration of the show, we follow a street kid named David Martinez as tries to climb his way up the Corpo ladder by being the top student at Arasaka Academy. On one unfortunate day, everything changes for Daniel permanently.
The one thing about Night City is that there is opportunity everywhere. Especially for special people like David. The really cool thing about Edgerunners is that you don't need to have played Cyberpunk 2077 to understand how Night City functions. Studio Trigger manages to capture the slimy grit of the Night City streets and the vice-like grip corporations have on everybody.
The characters that we meet are loveable in their own quirky ways and fairly well-written. The show provides us with the basic materials needed to make conclusions about the relationships between characters and that's perfectly fine. With the amount of constant action there is, they make every bit of peacetime interaction meaningful. For the record, I shed a single manly tear approximately 5 times throughout the 10 episodes.
For those of us that have weathered the storm of the game's release, there are really cool cameos and namedrops that carry serious weight for gamers. Not only that, but some of the sound effects and weapon designs will be extremely familiar and an awesome nod to the game. Studio Trigger definitely did their research to satisfy even the staunchest of Cyberpunk 2077 fans.
Tugging at nostalgia strings is cool and appreciated, but Studio Trigger animated this show like their lives depended on it. If tight writing weren't enough, the masterful use of soft and hard lines to govern the scene tone is top-notch work. Soft lines were used for more intimate, personal scenes, and hard lines to really make sure viewers don't miss any of the gore and explosions were a beautiful thing to witness.
Not everything is sunshine and rainbows, however. I was never particularly a fan of the performances of the Cyberpunk 2077 cast, especially when they were weaving in "Choom" every other sentence. It was a very 80's movie cheesy. Probably the worst type of cheesy. The Dub does make it sound slightly better, but this is more of a personal preference than an actual negative.
There does come a point where the Dub voice actor for David really struggles, and I wish they had just re-cast David to deliver a more immersive performance. This same juxtaposition with the Japanese voice actor doesn't seem to exist and the actor perfectly adapts to the major changes presented in the show. There was also a splash of pacing poison, but the moments are so suspenseful that the poison becomes an afterthought.
Final Verdict: 9/10
Edgerunners is every bit as flashy and visceral as Cyberpunk can get. It's hard to see another anime coming out in 2022 topping Edgerunners. The amount of love the show is receiving along with the resurgence of Cyberpunk 2077 is a testament to the amazing job that Studio Trigger has done with their characters and truly marvelous animation.
Whatever negatives exist are quickly stamped out by the pacing. Even though there's a slight stumble in the latter half of the show, the anime quickly regains its feet and keeps on pushing with more action, character tensions, and resolutions. It's an epic ride-through and through and is a must-watch for anime and Cyberpunk fans.
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