Sup Chooms!
With the last few weeks being very wedding focused I was a little preoccupied and neglected my weekly post and for that I am sorry. I was planning on posting this last Thursday but I decided to let all the feelings of this show I had simmer before I gave it a proper review.
Now refocused and back into the swing of things I thought of a few ideas of how to get back into my writing flow. I typically try to find something that piques my interest. A new trend, sports, or a lot of the time because I am a hopeless weeb… watch anime. Now it’s well documented that I am a bonafide dork who probably watches more anime than actual television, which is a little alarming, but how can you not when this year has been jam-packed with absolute gems? The anime I will be discussing and reviewing is one that was released just last week on Netflix. That being the incredibly fast-paced, hyper-violent, and neon hallucination that is Cyberpunk Edgeruners. Before I plug back in and deep dive into the cybersphere, I feel a little backstory about what Cyberpunk is and how this show has revived not just the video game that it was inspired by, but also can help set a standard for Netflix Original Anime moving forward. So grab your favorite neon collared jacket, get chromed up, and relax as we get the download on Cyberpunk 2077.
Our journey goes back in time to January 2013. Now realizing that the world is not in fact ending, humanity was looking for something to desperately look forward to. With no hope for anything on the horizon, game developers CD Porjekt Red debuted a trailer to what can only be described as the most hyped teaser trailer of all time. It showcases a visually stunning action sequence of a cybernetically enhanced woman with blades coming out of her forearms being fired upon by a military-like task force. As bullets fly in slow motion and hit against her reinforced skin, bullets shatter beautifully into a sparkling powder. Surrounding the woman is a bloodbath of carnage as the police footage shows the scope of the scene, all while having the song “Bullets” performed by Darius Keeler play over the sequence. The trailer ends with the woman in question now joining the police task force and the title ensues:
Cyberpunk 2077 “Coming: When it’s ready.”
As the filthy casuals and fans were blown away with the insanity of this two minute teaser, the intrigue and hype surrounding this game was unlike any game we’ve ever seen. The years went by which left us wondering more and more about what exactly Cyberpunk 2077 was all about. There was speculation, but never a release date, never any game footage, just a teaser and a dream. Finally, after a six-year hiatus, fans and video game enthusiasts were treated to the cinematic trailer. CD Red Projekt was in top form as we were given a more detailed view of Night City all while giving us a sense of a proper narrative. Our lead character betrayed after a heist gone wrong, left for dead only to be found by none other than KEANU F**king REAVES! Plus the biggest news, an actual release date. With the date set for April 2020, this game was all anyone and everyone could talk about in the videogame sphere. More details about the mechanics, the world they’ve developed inside the game and the character customization were released as the release date was approaching. That’s when red flag #1 appeared. The game was pushed back due to the pandemic and the game reportedly having issues. Totally understandable given the circumstances of a global shutdown but nonetheless it was still something we kept our eyes on. Then it got pushed back again until December 10 of 2020, right in time for the holiday season. All seemed good until you tried playing the game on release. If you had a PS4 or Xbox One it was almost all unplayable. Bugs, glitches, and crashes were all too common for players trying to hop on this soon to be derailed hype train. What seemed to be the nail in the coffin was that CD Red Projekt seemingly knew about these issues and yet still released the game. Cyberpunk 2077 is now seen by many as one of the biggest video game flops in history. But that doesn’t mean it’s dead and gone. New life would be given to the franchise thanks to the hard work of the developers working to fix the issues and also a little help from the streaming megacorp Netflix.
WARNING: TRAILER NSFW
Announced on June 25, 2020, months before the actual game was released, Cyberpunk Edgerunners was a Netflix original anime being produced by none other than Studio Trigger. Studio Trigger is a juggernaut in the anime world with iconic shows such as Kill la Kill and Gurren Laggan. Their unique style of over the top punk rock action with mind bending visuals with an explosion of color made them the clear choice for this prequel series. If I’m being honest, their depiction of Night City honestly felt more authentic than the source material. As insane as that sounds, but right out of the get go we are shown just how inspiring the city can be, while also looking like a never ending cycle of hopelessness.
Cyberpunk Edgerunners takes place a year before the events of the game, 2076 in case you missed the obvious. The story follows 17 year old street kid David Martinez as he tries to make it at Arasaka Academy. He lives in a run down apartment with his mother as she tries to provide for her son and pay for her son’s schooling. Though David is a 4.0 student, he is ostracized by his classmates for his social standing. After certain events take place, David is brought to the brink. While trying to avoid spoilers, through his hardships he ends up meeting Lucy, a netrunner and an official contender for “Waifu of the Year.” Here is where David and the audience get asked the question that surrounds most of the show:
“What is your dream?”
Is it really your dream, or is it the dream other’s placed on you? If so, is your dream more important than the relationships you build? Would you abandon everyone for those dreams, or would you let go of your dreams if it meant protecting the ones you love? These are the questions that Director Hiroyuki Imaishi will have you asking yourself after each episode. There really is so much going for this series. The soundtrack is an absolute BOP, the voice casts, whether you prefer sub or English dub, are incredible. Though I usually go sub for most anime I decided to go dub for this because it felt more authentic given the setting and background of the characters. A standout performance from voice actress Alex Cazares for her portrayal of Rebecca alongside all time great bad guy Giancarlo Esposito as the Fixer Faraday. From the opening action sequence which I should warn is NOT SAFE FOR CHILDREN to the heart pumping finale, this show is all gas no brakes. Which is actually my only complaint of the show. With 10 episodes in the season and an average of about 23 minutes per episode, the series flys by and can honestly be binged in an afternoon which feels like a disservice. The characters are memorable and all have great dynamics, but we only get what feels like the surface level connections for a lot of the supporting cast. This unfortunately felt like some of the more emotional moments were lacking that substantial impact. If the series was given even 12 episodes, I feel the show would have been paced perfectly, but with 10 it felt like you start the show and you’re almost already at the finish line, which leaves you wishing it lasted longer. With all that said, that is also what makes Cyberpunk Edgerunners so genius. After I finished the series, I craved more. So much so that I fired Cyberpunk 2077 back up for the first time in almost a year. With patches that fixed certain issues and new DLC including features from the anime, it hooked me back into the net looking to up my street cred and make a name for myself in the Night City.
In conclusion, Cyberpunk Edgerunners is an adrenaline induced spectacle to the 1000th degree. The bright colors contrasting with the dread and gloom of the settings and situations blend perfectly with the over the top high octane violence that is known and beloved by all of those familiar with Studio Trigger. Though the pacing can feel like you never catch your breath, that is exactly the point. When the stakes are life and death, all you can do is focus on your next move, and the second you stop moving… System failure.
Three words to describe it: Non. Stop. Insanity.
Final score: 8.8/10
Till next time Chooms.
