Sep 16, 2022
Cyberpunk Edgerunners never lingers in one place: it's a frenzy, a visual spectacle with likable characters that is at its best when those two aspects crash together. It's got the anarchist spirit of a show like Mr. Robot, featuring underdogs fighting against monsters borne of hypercapitalism, and pairs it with chaotic action a la Chainsaw Man. You don't need to have played Cyberpunk 2077 to enjoy this show: it's fantastic in its own right, and it might convince you to return to that world you left behind.
Night City, this show's setting, is a black hole of misery for those not at the top of the
...
ladder: if you can't pay, your life has no value to the Megacorps that control the city. For all the mess Cyberpunk 2077 was, its setting is universally agreed to be phenomenal, as its rich history oozes from every ounce of the city, and Edgerunners takes full advantage of this. Night City stands as a character of its own, a cruel, oppressive antagonist to the rebellious eponymous edgerunners.
Studio Trigger *delivers* with this show. The series is beautifully vibrant, and the characters are incredibly expressive, so before you know it, you're sucked into this world, and you're attached to these characters. The direction and editing embrace the chaotic nature of this show, but it also knows when to dial it back and focus on the characters. It also helps that this show has fantastic VAs in both English and Japanese, and I'd dare say the English dub is as good, if not better, than the Japanese version.
Now we get to the good stuff: the story. I won't go into detail about what happens in this show, but I will say that it can utterly gut-punch you out of the blue. Its characters are well-written, and it sticks the landing with its season finale with a bittersweet flourish. That's all I'm willing to say about it: go in blind, and you'll be rewarded for it.
With regards to complaints, I do think this series's breakneck pace, while utterly enthralling, feels a bit much. I don't think the show would have been better off with a larger episode count, but there are moments where it feels like it could use a bit more breathing room to develop and establish its characters more. That said, Trigger's adaptation does a lot more heavy lifting than you'd think, and the show adheres to a show-don't-tell principle that I really appreciate.
In conclusion, go watch this show. It's a raw, intense, action-packed, and emotional series that's well worth your time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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