Cyberpunk: Edgerunners: (Full Season)
September 21, 2022 5:49 PM - Season 1 (Full Season) - Subscribe
A Street Kid trying to survive in a technology and body modification-obsessed city of the future. Having everything to lose, he chooses to stay alive by becoming an Edgerunner, a Mercenary outlaw also known as a Cyberpunk.
as someone on twitter said, "it aggressively refuses to do anything novel with the cyberpunk genre, but what it does it does very well"
I really, really enjoyed it. I really like trigger, and I really like the director's other work. I feel like he really shined with the constraints the story provided...their other stuff goes exponential at the end, which I enjoy, but I enjoyed seeing the team tell a very focused story. The characters, the music, the style, the action, it all just came together really well. I think it's ok that the story was well scoped and not trying to mess with the genre or tell a particularly novel story...I think there is a place for that, especially these days when so much ground has been tread. the story didn't do anything new, but this style of telling a cyberpunk story was incredibly engaging. that was enough for me.
we need more anime on fanfare :)
if people like the dystopian tech aspect of things, I might recommend Akudama Drive (also quite violent)
if people are interested in trigger's style, I'd recommend the movie Promare, and if you like that, Gurren Lagann or Kill la Kill (I adore KLK but there are a lot of caveats for that one, and some for GL as well). I've also heard good things about their Star Wars anime but I haven't seen it.
posted by wooh at 6:55 PM on September 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
I really, really enjoyed it. I really like trigger, and I really like the director's other work. I feel like he really shined with the constraints the story provided...their other stuff goes exponential at the end, which I enjoy, but I enjoyed seeing the team tell a very focused story. The characters, the music, the style, the action, it all just came together really well. I think it's ok that the story was well scoped and not trying to mess with the genre or tell a particularly novel story...I think there is a place for that, especially these days when so much ground has been tread. the story didn't do anything new, but this style of telling a cyberpunk story was incredibly engaging. that was enough for me.
we need more anime on fanfare :)
if people like the dystopian tech aspect of things, I might recommend Akudama Drive (also quite violent)
if people are interested in trigger's style, I'd recommend the movie Promare, and if you like that, Gurren Lagann or Kill la Kill (I adore KLK but there are a lot of caveats for that one, and some for GL as well). I've also heard good things about their Star Wars anime but I haven't seen it.
posted by wooh at 6:55 PM on September 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
I liked this. Great art direction and tells a contained story without too many nods to 2077 or the larger game. A little too tropey without enough to say about anything to really make it into the canon, but we aren't so flooded with cyberpunk-flavoured content that it needed to be anything more than it was. My only real gripe is that Lucy was too much of an MPDG and most of her and David's story didn't feel earned to me. (...although I think this is true of pretty much all anime so ymmv.)
My favourite thing in the entire production was the scene where David is sitting with his mother's urn in his apartment. The scene starts with David off center in the background and then there is a "camera" focus change that puts him out of focus and the urn into focus. This is called pulling focus and it was used really effectively in that scene. I always find it really interesting when classic cinematography like that finds its way into animation. It is almost anachronistic.
Cyberpunk (the rpg) is a good fit for anime because as far as cyberpunk genre things go it has always been just a half-step into self parody, which works well with the exaggerated nature of anime.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 8:42 PM on September 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
My favourite thing in the entire production was the scene where David is sitting with his mother's urn in his apartment. The scene starts with David off center in the background and then there is a "camera" focus change that puts him out of focus and the urn into focus. This is called pulling focus and it was used really effectively in that scene. I always find it really interesting when classic cinematography like that finds its way into animation. It is almost anachronistic.
Cyberpunk (the rpg) is a good fit for anime because as far as cyberpunk genre things go it has always been just a half-step into self parody, which works well with the exaggerated nature of anime.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 8:42 PM on September 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
> (...although I think this is true of pretty much all anime so ymmv.)
I don't really agree with this; I think this depends heavily on what you watch. there are character driven shows with very meaningful, earned moments
> Cyberpunk (the rpg) is a good fit for anime because as far as cyberpunk genre things go it has always been just a half-step into self parody, which works well with the exaggerated nature of anime.
definitely agree with this though
actually this made me think of another recommendation, for people who like this show but also want some meaningful, earned moments. I really loved Vivy, which while not perfect, is a very engaging, self-contained sci-fi work that is more ambitious thematically than edgerunners. not quite as stylish or action packed (though it does have a fights whose sakuga far outshines edgerunners, though the two shows have pretty different styles so not really worth comparing), and builds up to a payoff that at least I really appreciated. also some nice music, though more into the idol/pop vein of things.
posted by wooh at 10:51 PM on September 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
I don't really agree with this; I think this depends heavily on what you watch. there are character driven shows with very meaningful, earned moments
> Cyberpunk (the rpg) is a good fit for anime because as far as cyberpunk genre things go it has always been just a half-step into self parody, which works well with the exaggerated nature of anime.
definitely agree with this though
actually this made me think of another recommendation, for people who like this show but also want some meaningful, earned moments. I really loved Vivy, which while not perfect, is a very engaging, self-contained sci-fi work that is more ambitious thematically than edgerunners. not quite as stylish or action packed (though it does have a fights whose sakuga far outshines edgerunners, though the two shows have pretty different styles so not really worth comparing), and builds up to a payoff that at least I really appreciated. also some nice music, though more into the idol/pop vein of things.
posted by wooh at 10:51 PM on September 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
I really enjoyed this. I think the tight constraints kept the story focused, and that while David got the ending that we all knew he was going to get (that was telegraphed pretty early) they somehow kept me believing that he was going to, somehow, get out alive. Right up until the very end, when he doesn't. Which I quite appreciated.
I also really liked the tension between him being special, but also not that special (if that makes sense). He's set up early as almost the classic protagonist trope who is just born so impossibly special that they are beyond consequences, but he isn't and the other edgerunners around him try and tell him that. Which plays very well into the teenage ego of believing that you are invincible, and was a nice way of subverting that anime cliche.
I really loved Vivy, which while not perfect, is a very engaging, self-contained sci-fi work that is more ambitious thematically than edgerunners.
Someone recommended it to me because, when I first saw it, I assumed it was just another pop idol thing, which isn't usually something I watch. But it totally blew me away. Vivy is absolutely fantastic.
posted by selenized at 10:31 AM on September 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
I also really liked the tension between him being special, but also not that special (if that makes sense). He's set up early as almost the classic protagonist trope who is just born so impossibly special that they are beyond consequences, but he isn't and the other edgerunners around him try and tell him that. Which plays very well into the teenage ego of believing that you are invincible, and was a nice way of subverting that anime cliche.
I really loved Vivy, which while not perfect, is a very engaging, self-contained sci-fi work that is more ambitious thematically than edgerunners.
Someone recommended it to me because, when I first saw it, I assumed it was just another pop idol thing, which isn't usually something I watch. But it totally blew me away. Vivy is absolutely fantastic.
posted by selenized at 10:31 AM on September 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
I thought this anime was... good. But also a lot, and for me a bit disturbing... I watched the season over a few days and the constant gore and ultra violence, stylized though it was, did mess with my nerves.
It rides a lot of those tricky Cyberpunk themes of exploitation and sexualization, which is part of what makes the genre interesting, and I think does a good job. But I also wouldn't recommend it to most people, and I wouldn't necessarily disagree with someone who found various parts in poor taste. The trailer does a good job of summarizing the vibe.
posted by Alex404 at 3:04 AM on September 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
It rides a lot of those tricky Cyberpunk themes of exploitation and sexualization, which is part of what makes the genre interesting, and I think does a good job. But I also wouldn't recommend it to most people, and I wouldn't necessarily disagree with someone who found various parts in poor taste. The trailer does a good job of summarizing the vibe.
posted by Alex404 at 3:04 AM on September 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
I really enjoyed this. I think the tight constraints kept the story focused, and that while David got the ending that we all knew he was going to get (that was telegraphed pretty early) they somehow kept me believing that he was going to, somehow, get out alive. Right up until the very end, when he doesn't. Which I quite appreciated.
Agreed. But when you saw the cyberskeleton in the Militech truck, that was it. You knew he was going over the edge.
I spent plenty of time playing Cyberpunk 2077, and quite a lot of this show has nods to the game. Most of the locations in the city are directly from the game. David's apartment is literally the same apartment your character has. Most of the music and sound effects are also right out of the game. Yet, they did a great job of just living in that world.
posted by Fleebnork at 5:16 AM on September 23, 2022
Agreed. But when you saw the cyberskeleton in the Militech truck, that was it. You knew he was going over the edge.
I spent plenty of time playing Cyberpunk 2077, and quite a lot of this show has nods to the game. Most of the locations in the city are directly from the game. David's apartment is literally the same apartment your character has. Most of the music and sound effects are also right out of the game. Yet, they did a great job of just living in that world.
posted by Fleebnork at 5:16 AM on September 23, 2022
I wanted to watch this, but didn't get past the strobe light warning. :( Thanks for the recommended similar anime!
posted by Gor-ella at 1:56 PM on September 26, 2022
posted by Gor-ella at 1:56 PM on September 26, 2022
Most of the locations in the city are directly from the game.
I haven't played the game, but I understand there was an update after the anime came out that also added some items and small side quests related to it.
posted by juv3nal at 5:37 PM on September 26, 2022
I haven't played the game, but I understand there was an update after the anime came out that also added some items and small side quests related to it.
posted by juv3nal at 5:37 PM on September 26, 2022
Video of locations and easter eggs for Edgerunners in Cyberpunk 2077
posted by Fleebnork at 5:20 AM on September 27, 2022
posted by Fleebnork at 5:20 AM on September 27, 2022
I wish the game had been more like this. Being a powerless mook one step up from total failure, in a cyberpunk world where no one cares if you die, is a great story. The game has a 5 minute montage of "Movin' up with Jackie" that is basically eps 1 to 6 of this show.
I liked it, but as it happens I'm watching Cowboy Bebop at the same time, and though the animation here is better, Bebop wins in most everything else.
posted by zompist at 8:09 PM on October 1, 2022
I liked it, but as it happens I'm watching Cowboy Bebop at the same time, and though the animation here is better, Bebop wins in most everything else.
posted by zompist at 8:09 PM on October 1, 2022
Agreed - I was disappointed with the animation, especially the later episodes. So many times where I was wondering if my video crashed and still-framed while the audio kept going.
posted by porpoise at 11:34 AM on October 2, 2022
posted by porpoise at 11:34 AM on October 2, 2022
I loved the cyberpsycho multiple eye glitch animation thing
i mean that's how i feel after too much coffee
guess i'm not cut out for the chrome
posted by lalochezia at 7:50 PM on October 19, 2022
i mean that's how i feel after too much coffee
guess i'm not cut out for the chrome
posted by lalochezia at 7:50 PM on October 19, 2022
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A meta joke is that the distinctive Cyberpunk 2077 ringtone chimes up all the time, a frequent complaint of gamers.
I, the dork that I am, put the CP77 ringtone as my phone's - and whenever the someone's phone on the show rings, I get a bit of anxiety.
posted by porpoise at 5:51 PM on September 21, 2022 [1 favorite]