Making gamers cry 101: a review of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

What does it mean to dream in a world where dreams are currency, and hope is a death sentence? Cyberpunk: Edgerunners explores this question through the story of David Martinez, who lives in the neon-drenched chaos of Night City. In this article I’ll give you my honest review of the series from the perspective of a gamer, who had never watched anime before. Spoiler alert: I cried, and you might too if you watch Edgerunners.

 

Edgerunners was my first anime, and although Cyberpunk 2077 is my favorite game, I was skeptical going into it. I had never been a big fan of animated entertainment and associated animation with kids shows, so I thought it would be too childish. Within minutes I was proved wrong, and I was hooked. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is an animated miniseries based on CD Projekt Red’s game, Cyberpunk 2077. It was produced by the Japanese studio Trigger and released by Netflix in 2022. It follows the story of David Martinez, whose life makes a complete U-turn after a tragic loss. David turns from a top student into a mercenary, who makes money by stealing and killing with a crew.

 

 

From the first episode it’s evident that the story isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. The show pulls you in with the high-energy action and David’s rebellious spirit, but beneath that and the lights of Night City is a weight to the story. Every scene feels like it’s building toward something inevitable, and the tension never fully fades. From the lighthearted moments with the gang to soul-crushing deaths, the story keeps you hooked from start to finish. The theme of found family is strong throughout the whole series as you get introduced to more characters in David’s crew. All of the characters feel original and realistic, and they have, well, character. While they are criminals, they are portrayed as the “good guys”, and the team dynamics reflect on this portrayal; they have the utmost respect and love towards one another and complete their missions as a team.

 

The neon colors of Night City are drawn beautifully, and the animation of studio Trigger is flawless throughout. The outfits and looks of characters are fitting for the technologically advanced setting, where bodies are often seen as commodities. While the show contains lots of NSFW scenes portraying the characters’ bodies as something to be sold, the scenes are done in a tasteful manner. It didn’t feel too sexual, instead it seemed fitting; cyberpunk as a genre highlights the negative aspects of a highly technological civilization.

 

 

Thankfully reviews are personal, and my opinion is that Edgerunners doesn’t have any major limitations. I have been unable to come up with criticism, except for the fact that I need more. The series is ten episodes long, with each episode lasting around 25 minutes. It’s impressive how around four hours of entertainment got me so attached to the characters of this show, and the first time I watched it I couldn’t believe it was over. I can however see why its length could be a con for many, since you don’t get a lot of time with the characters. I saw that as a positive, realistic aspect, since life is short. You never know when it’ll end.

 

At first I was trying to find similarities between the stories of Edgerunners and Cyberpunk 2077, but dropped this goal as I kept watching the show. While the game provides some good context for the setting of the show, I don’t think it’s necessary to play the game to understand what’s going on. The writers did an incredible job at continuing the portrayal of Night City, while explaining the dynamics of the city for those unfamiliar with the game. Although there are no happy endings in Night City, Edgerunners is a beyond positive experience. Whether you’re familiar with the world of Cyberpunk 2077 or not, Edgerunners is a quick and compelling show that will leave you wanting more.

 

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022)

Animation studio – Trigger

Director – Hiroyuki Imaishi

Creators – Rafal Jaki, Mike Pondsmith

Screenplay – Masahiko Otsuka, Yoshiki Usa

Story – Bartosz Sztybor, Jan Bartkowicz, Łukasz Ludkowski

Available on Netflix

All photos are screenshots taken from the official teaser for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, posted by Netflix on YouTube. © Netflix.

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