Why you should watch Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

With the lack of content on Netflix, I was on the verge of finally cancelling my subscription. There was nothing worthwhile on the platform that was going to keep me paying, or so I thought. 

It stood out in plain sight with its splashing, bright, grandiose colours on the trending page, Netflix's most recent anime – Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. "Let's give this a shot," I thought to myself. 

What followed were some of the best hours I have spent watching any anime.

Set in the year 2077, the show takes place in the same universe as the Cyberpunk 2077 video game and follows David Martinez. The audience follows our young protagonist manoeuvring through the clutches of a vivid, cybernetic dystopia as he struggles to follow his dreams. 

For the people who are aware of Cyberpunk, the thing they might be most sceptical of is whether or not the adaptation is as bad as the game's release. To them, I say no. This is one of the best anime adaptations out right now, and you should find the time to watch this. It was a much-needed win for Netflix and was also necessary to get people interested in the game again. 

The first thing that stood out to me was the animation itself. 

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The show is animated by Studio Trigger, the creators behind Darling in the Franxx and Kill la Kill. Everything in the show is eye-candy. From character designs to the layout of Night City itself, the animators did a great job of encapsulating the grit of Night City. One may even draw parallels of the animation to the likes of Demon Slayer and Akira. 

The show doesn't fall short in any department. Fight scenes that send shivers down your spine, astounding soundtrack, dynamic and loveable characters ­— Edgerunners has it all. Studio Trigger outdid themselves.

Another aspect I adore about this show is that they did not pull back from making any punches. The action is relentless and over-the-top while retaining its artistic merit. Furthermore, every character has some idiosyncratic augmentation that grants them the ability to do some of the most outrageous things. 

The music in this show deserves praise as well. Even in the most mundane moments, like when two characters are conversing, the catchiest melodies are blended underneath. As for the plot, I would say it's fairly simple. Just a boy getting lost in the corruption that runs rampant in Night City with a heartfelt conclusion for the protagonist.

I will warn you though, this anime pulls a lot of emotional strings. Be prepared to shed some tears during the epilogue. Apart from the slight pacing issue, there isn't a lot that this adaptation gets wrong. Nonetheless, it is difficult to crumble a story like this in ten episodes, and I believe they did the best they could with whatever they had at their disposal.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a zany, eccentric anime which does everything right and more. For the time being, a second season has not been announced but if there is, I will be the first to binge-watch it on the release date.

Abhoy Hriddo is giving Cyberpunk another chance after watching the anime to fill that emptiness in him from the show's ending. Hit him up at abhoyhriddo@gmail.com