I have zero goodwill towards CD Projekt Red and the Cyberpunk 2077 IP. I witnessed that game's disastrous release first-hand, from the crunch, to the delays, to the bugs and glitches, to the borderline unplayable PS4 release. The only reason why I'm watching Edgerunners is because I'm just that much of a Trigger/Gainax fan. They (and especially Hirouyki Imaishi) haven't let me down yet, and thankfully, Edgerunners is no exception.
From what I can understand, Cyberpunk Edgerunners is a prequel to the video game. It's about a down-on-his-luck street kid named David who decides to get a cybernetic implant, which ends up getting him involved in a crew of underground mercenaries. True to the cyberpunk genre, there's no real overarching villain that the crew has any change of defeating. Instead, Edgerunners is more about the crew trying to make money and survive, as well as David's surprisingly compelling romance with fellow mercenary Lucy. I think it's really the characters that make the anime for me, it's a really colorful cast. David and Lucy's chemistry is incredibly effective, Rebecca's cutesy crassness is a joy to watch, and Maine and Dorio are just the most lovable beefcakes. I also like the world-building... well, actually, a lack thereof would be more accurate. Putting the game aside, I'm well aware Cyberpunk is a TTRPG universe with a whole bunch of lore, and I like how Edgerunners just doesn't explain any of it to you. Despite being a prequel, it's not really a story of how the Cyberpunk world came to be or anything (like the other Netflix video game adaptation Arcane), it's just a fairly ground-level story that happens to take place inside the Cyberpunk world. It's pretty refreshing, though I do think the anime goes a bit too far in this aspect. The pacing can be blisteringly fast at points, and the short length means things do feel a bit more rushed than they could've been.
But let's face it, this is a Trigger anime, the real star of the show is that animation. The director of Edgerunners, Hiroyuki Imaishi, is pretty well-known for his bonkers action and sharp angular style, and it's at full force here. The action sequences are absolutely jaw-dropping, loads of blood and explosions all over the place in a gory, fluidly-animated spectacle. Even compared to the amazing fights in Kill La Kill and Gurren Lagann, I actually think the action scenes in Edgerunners are some of the best Trigger has ever done. From gun fights to sword fights to car chases to hospital gurney chases (?), there is a ridiculous level of variety here, and it's all fantastic. But even outside of the action, the direction remains inventive, from the cool depiction of David's time freeze, to the jarringly-harsh cuts between scenes, to the willingness to be goofy and cartoony while keeping the gritty feel of the world. However, Edgerunners isn't perfect in terms of its presentation, since between the logo popping in after every episode and the usage of songs from 2077, the anime really likes to remind you that it's based on a video game even if it breaks your immersion. Arcane has this issue too with the Imagine Dragons appearance, and it leaves the shows briefly feeling like blatant advertisements despite knowing they're way better than that.
Highlights:
Girl On Fire: Well, this episode was borderline avant-garde. Edgerunners was always a bit experimental in its animation, but between the constant harsh cuts, the surreal depictions of Maine's cyberpsychosis, and whatever the hell the inside of Tanaka's mind is, Girl On Fire breaks some serious animation boundaries in the craziest way possible. It also happens to be one of the most important and climactic episodes in the series considering that it kills off the two leaders of the group.
My Moon My Man: Remember when I reviewed Gurren Lagann's ending and found it too bittersweet for what was otherwise an optimistic series? Well, My Moon My Man hits some very similar notes, and it lands a lot better this time around. Just like Gurren Lagann's finale, it has some of the most bombastic and best action in the series. Just like Gurren Lagann's finale, a main protagonist dies leaving their love interest in a not-too-great-place. But unlike Gurren Lagann, David's death is earned and he goes out fighting (even if he didn't stand much of a chance to Adam Smasher). Rebecca deserved so much better though.
Overall, Cyberpunk Edgerunners was actually pretty fun. Unlike Arcane, it didn't come even close to making me want to try out the game, but it did make me want to see more of its colorful cast of characters (even if most of them are dead, oops). It's a strong cyberpunk story with a nice balance of hope and hopeless, bolstered by Trigger's usual expressive animation and phenomenal action, even if it probably could've afforded to be stretched out another cour.
4/5 Stars
My ranking of the episodes:
- My Moon My Man (Episode 10)
- Girl On Fire (Episode 6)
- Humanity (Episode 9)
- Lucky You (Episode 4)
- Stay (Episode 8)
- Smooth Criminal (Episode 3)
- Strength (Episode 7)
- Like A Boy (Episode 2)
- All Eyes On Me (Episode 5)
- Let You Down (Episode 1)
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