Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a prequel anime adaptation that takes place in the Cyberpunk: 2077 video game world developed by CD PROJEKT RED. TRIGGER is in charge of the animation production and known for many notable shows including Promare, Kill la Kill, and Little Witch Academia. All 10 episodes are now streaming on Netflix.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners captures the essence of the Cyberpunk universe: Night City, crime, cyberborgs, gun fights, and flashy LEDs. The story follows David, a troublesome street kid with amazing talent, who learns to survive whatever punches Night City throws at him. After augmenting his body for the first time, he strives to become an Edgerunner alongside a gang of colorful characters.
The cyberpunk theme narrative continues to be exemplified in the anime series. It’s not exactly a comfortable narrative with a small player getting crushed by the reality of society and the world. You will grow attached to characters, but you will also realize how everything can change in a moment’s notice. The series is absolutely gut-wrenching and is complimented by its mind-blowing animation in more ways than one.
TRIGGER did a phenomenal job on capturing the aesthetic of Night City and utilized its unique animation style to capture epic and explosive scenes. The studio is known for its exaggerated sequences, especially hand-to-hand combat. It works extremely well with gorey and darker scenes and adds another dimension to specific moments without looking too cartoonish.
The creative team did a fantastic job incorporating elements familiar to those who played Cyberpunk: 2077, including the calling interface. When you recognize the environment like the on-ramp David drives on or popular points of interest, it feels quite nostalgic and might remind you of the game. The same goes with music. While you’re driving down Night City in the game, there is a selection of radio stations to tune into. The creative and sound team beautifully incorporated familiar insert songs and tracks during breathtaking moments and sequences in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
However, the show is by no means perfect. There are certain moments where the viewer is staring at a still frame for an extended period. The action completely stops to emphasize suspense and what it’s like to be a deer caught in the headlights. It doesn’t detract from the experience, but likely a decision to save on animation. While it’s not the creative staff’s fault, the English subtitle localization from Netflix can be weird. There are certain phrases and language that don’t grammatically make sense. Usually English subtitles aren’t a problem when it comes to anime, but given the worldwide availability of the show, there are noticeable quality control measures that are missing for the subtitles.
Even if you haven’t played Cyberpunk: 2077, the anime is absolutely worth watching. Though, being familiar with the game can make the experience a bit more enjoyable. Anime adaptations of video games have always been a mixed bag historically, but the creative team at TRIGGER alongside CD PROJEKT RED poured their passion and love for the series into the anime and it worked.
