Cyberpunk: Edgerunner

2022 - 9 - 13

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Image courtesy of "Kotaku"

Netflix's Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Tells The Story I Wished For In ... (Kotaku)

Studio Trigger and CD Projekt Red's Netflix anime eclipses the storytelling of the game that inspired it.

Who knows, maybe Edgerunners will inspire Netflix to go the route of creating more anime adaptations of popular IP instead of habitually rushing toward the “In case of emergency, break live-action glass” lane that the platform has [so publicly crashed and burned](https://kotaku.com/netflix-cancels-cowboy-bebop-after-one-season-1848189622) with in the past. Edgerunners serves both as an excellent introduction to the world of Cyberpunk 2077 and a more-than-competent standalone anime series. After discovering that his mother did some work with the edgerunners to pay for his high school tuition, David opts to “chrome the fuck up” by installing a dangerously powerful [Sandevistan speedware](https://cyberpunk.fandom.com/wiki/Sandevistan) and joins the gang. Also, David is a soft boi who doesn’t like the taste of alcohol and who wears his mother’s jacket like a comfort blanket wherever he goes, and that’s just precious. Although David is a bonafide criminal, he can’t bear the weight of taking a life, often having flashbacks of his mother’s body. Although David becomes a hotshot edgerunner, the show does a good job of not sweeping his past trauma under the rug. [First announced even before Cyberpunk 2077 released, back in June 2020](https://kotaku.com/cyberpunk-is-getting-an-anime-adaptation-subtitled-edg-1844165765), Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a standalone, 10-part anime series by CD Projekt Red, Netflix, and Studio Trigger, the anime collective behind shows like Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill. This all comes to a head when David has a chance encounter with [Lucy](https://cyberpunk.fandom.com/wiki/Lucy_(Edgerunners)), a sardonic girl with hair like the Youtuber The Sphere Hunter, who introduces him to a band of edgerunners. Basically, replace having shitty internet during a class Zoom meeting and scouring the web to download outrageously overpriced PDFs of textbooks with derailing On paper, the trope of an anime following the exploits of a teenager has become so well-trodden it’s on the verge of becoming an uninspired standard in the medium, but Edgerunners utilizes this premise as a much-needed opportunity to give the transhuman politics of 2077 new dimensions, showcasing how its last-stage cyberpunk capitalistic world crumbles down on top of an impoverished Latino kid who’s just trying to get by. The real main course is the emotionally resonant story of how David transforms from an impoverished street kid to made man. The tag “Netflix original anime series” has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years, sometimes being affixed to bold, exhilarating new shows, at other times to deflating disappointments.

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Image courtesy of "GameSpot"

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Review - A Hugely Successful Netflix Anime (GameSpot)

Netflix's anime series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is the embodiment of '80s and early '90s anime. It's overly-dramatic, ridiculously bombastic, ...

It builds on the world of Night City and the characters from the underworld that live within it. It's a lot of neon. However, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is sentimental for the past while creating its own path with a story and look that is reminiscent of anime like Akira, Battle Angel, and other sci-fi action content from that time. The action is over-the-top, featuring shootouts with hundreds of bullets flying across the screen in a matter of seconds and wildly-violent deaths where blood comes out of the dead like geysers. The amount of attention that's paid to where things and people are framed is incredible. Netflix's anime series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is the embodiment of '80s and early '90s anime.

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Image courtesy of "Digital Mafia Talkies"

'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' Review - A Dense And Tragic Anime On ... (Digital Mafia Talkies)

Back in 1982, a film by Ridley Scott, and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young, called “Blade Runner,” was released.

The way Kenn showcases David’s transformation from a person with just apathy in his veins to a leader who is reeling with the pressure of unfulfilled dreams is masterful. Also, if possible, try to watch it on a big screen, accompanied by the best sound system at your disposal, and in a darkened room. As mentioned before, even though every episode is 25 minutes long, it takes a toll on your senses (in the best way possible). His voice chemistry with every single actor in the show is palpable, especially Hiroki and Aoi, who are excellent in their own right. Because there’s a subplot about a character (keeping it vague here), who dreams of going to the Moon because they think that’s the only place, they’ll find solitude. But some of the not-so-obvious ones are (and this is a big guess on my part) “Cowboy Bebop” and “First Man.” The beautifully done opening title sequence, edited to the tune of “This Fffire” by Franz Ferdinand, really reminded me of “Tank!” by Yoko Kanno and Seatbelts; because of the use of silhouettes and its overall vibe. Not just because it’s one of the only positive things in the plot, but also because of the visually dynamic way it is portrayed. Whether or not that’s overly sexualized or a sign of the character’s sexually liberated traits, I’ll leave that to the experts. Just like the plot, the entirety of “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners” is kinetic. And while David’s effort to find his family in Maine’s team to overcome the loss of his mother is certainly endearing, the beating heart of this series lies in his and Lucy’s romance. Hit jobs that a broker for the corporation called Arasaka (whose rival is the corporation called Militech) named Faraday (Kazuhiko Inoue/Giancarlo Esposito) gives to Maine. And it seems like the writers and creators of the show are aware of that.

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Image courtesy of "Polygon"

Netflix's Cyberpunk: Edgerunners connects to Cyberpunk 2077 in ... (Polygon)

The Netflix and Studio Trigger anime series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077. Here are the connections to the video game and ...

But while Cyberpunk: Edgerunners may lack a firm chronological connection to CD Projekt Red’s original game, it makes up for it by telling a story through the character of David Martinez, which parallels with V’s own story in Cyberpunk 2077. By far the strongest aspect Cyberpunk: Edgerunners shares with its video game counterpart is a focus on centering their respective stories on the precipitous rise and inevitable fall of a flawed, well-meaning, and doomed protagonist. While an exact year and date is never specified in the series, it’s possible to infer from both context clues and the appearance (and non-appearance) of certain characters that Cyberpunk: Edgerunners takes place before the events of Cyberpunk 2077. David can later be seen visiting Lizzie’s Bar, the “braindance” club located in Watson and owned and operated by the Mox, one of the eight major gang factions in Night City. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners takes place in Night City, the futuristic metropolis that serves as the primary setting of Cyberpunk 2077. Following a tragedy that leaves him orphaned, David submits himself to being implanted with an experimental cyberware augmentation and turns to the only life left for him: becoming an edgerunner, a cybernetic mercenary for hire who joins a gang of fellow “cyberpunks’’ in search of fame and fortune.

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Image courtesy of "Gizmodo"

5 Things We Liked, and 3 We Didn't, About Cyberpunk Edgerunners (Gizmodo)

Netflix and Trigger's video game adaptation is a kinetic, colorful sci-fi hit—but not without a few glitches.

Here’s what we thought of the series—the good and the bad, with a few spoilers thrown in for good measure. [Cyberpunk: Edgerunners](https://gizmodo.com/cyberpunk-edgerunners-netflix-series-nsfw-new-trailer-1849474957) is a peculiar sidestep for one of the most lauded animation studios out of Japan. and a few things to love a little less.

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Image courtesy of "Netflix Life"

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners spoilers: Does David Martinez die? (Netflix Life)

David Martinez, the protagonist of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, is a character many couldn't help but be a fan of. But did this adored teen make it out alive?

From his arms of steel to his feet of fire, David became a human weapon used as a pawn to destroy his boss’s enemies. In his final moments, David could only be taken down by Adam Smasher, a fellow cyber-obsessed war machine with as many weapons in his body as David, if not more. After witnessing the deaths of his mother and his mentor, Maine, the cybertech-obsessed teen went on to overload his body with modifications to numb his pain. Although he fought long and hard against his looming cyber-psychosis, in the end, David Martinez couldn’t shake his sorrowful fate. David is a boy who was, unfortunately, born into a life where he had to pull himself up by his bootstraps to survive. However, in a society where people as epic as David die as quick as they came, are fans in for a happy ending?

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Image courtesy of "Newsweek"

'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' Cast: Who Voices Netflix's 'Cyberpunk ... (Newsweek)

"Cyberpunk: Edgerunners" landed on Netflix on Wednesday September 14 and it introduces a new story to fans of the game "Cyberpunk 2077."

- Gloria Garayua as Gloria - Kenn as David Zach Aguilar voices main character David, and Emi Lo portrays Lucy.

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Image courtesy of "DualShockers"

Cyberpunk Edgerunners Ending Explained - Is David Dead? (DualShockers)

Cyberpunk Edgerunners introduces us to David Martinez, another Night City legend who dreamt of reaching the top of Arasaka.

In that case, the creators might decide to bring back David to one of their upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 projects. In the final moments, Adam Smasher breaks every part of David's body and eventually kills the boy. After that, Falco grabs Lucy and escapes the scene, while David decides to fight Adam Smasher. So, even after witnessing several people losing their minds because of cybernetic implants, David continued exploiting the power of Sandevistan for several years. The story kicks off with the introduction of David Martinez, a gifted student at the Arasaka Academy. The animated series from Studio Trigger introduces us to David Martinez and Lucy, who are forced to survive the horrors of the city's underworld.

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Image courtesy of "Forbes"

Netflix's 'Cyberpunk Edgerunners' Is Absolutely Incredible (Forbes)

Yesterday, Netflix released yet another video game anime adaptation, though this one with a lot of baggage attached. That would be Cyberpunk Edgerunners, ...

The animation and character design here from Trigger is stunning, and the writing from the CDPR team who scripted the series is excellent as well. Everyone involved here, Netflix, CDPR and Trigger knocked it out of the park with Edgerunners. She introduces him to her crew, and his ability to withstand the installation of a stolen augment makes him invaluable to the team. I really felt like my time with the show was enhanced by the game, though I think you could probably also make the argument that the game could be enhanced if you watched the show first. The show is set in Night City and while it does not directly cross over with the game, that’s somewhat misleading to say. But through it all, you could tell that at the very least, the world they’d built was an interesting, engaging one, and that’s what Edgerunners is exploring.

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Image courtesy of "Digital Mafia Talkies"

'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' Ending, Explained - What Did Faraday ... (Digital Mafia Talkies)

Created by Rafal Jaki, the show follows David (Kenn/Zach Aguilar), a high school student who lives with his mother, Gloria (Yurika Hino/Gloria Garayua), in ...

Another time jump occurs, and we see Lucy on the Moon (is that a “Lucy in the Sky” reference?), which is a tourist spot, if it wasn’t clear before. So, Faraday apparently double-crosses Militech again and tells David to show Arasaka that he is the only one who can wield the Cyberskeleton by killing the oncoming soldiers. Since Lucy and David departed on a sour note, he doesn’t check up on her for a while and instead heads into the mission to get the Cyberskeleton. He thinks that he is built differently, as if he’s a “chosen one” character, and he is not going to meet the same fate as Maine (or any of the cyberware users). According to his agreement with Arasaka, Faraday kills Kiwi because she knows about the Cyberskeleton and starts to proceed towards the Arasaka HQ. Faraday uses Lucy to get David into the Cyberskeleton. Lucy is apparently in retirement because she hasn’t shaken off Maine and Dorio’s death, and the things about David’s past that she saw in ICE. Meanwhile, Arasaka wants Faraday to eliminate everyone who knows about the Cyberskeleton and bring in the netrunner (Lucy), who has been killing Arasaka’s netrunners whenever they get close to finding David’s identity. He keeps thinking that he could’ve done something to stop Maine from going over the edge, despite knowing the inevitability of it all. Maine is so formative to his growth that he doesn’t get to shake off the fact that his cyberpsychosis was inevitable. Something that is set up from the very first frame of “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners” is the concept of cyberpsychosis. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that his romantic relationship is one of the reasons for David’s cyberpsychosis.

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Image courtesy of "Polygon"

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners boldly builds on 2077's thought experiments (Polygon)

The new Netflix anime series by Studio Trigger and set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077 has a lot to say, and it reminds us of the 2022 indie video game hit ...

In centralizing the precarity of poverty, the pernicious predatory nature of privatized health insurance, and the importance of communities and friendships as support systems at the heart of David’s story, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners lives up to the potential set forth by those four guiding principles, culminating in a series that is not only visually scintillating but expands on the promise of Night City in ways that Cyberpunk 2077 never quite dared to. look to David not only to pull his weight as a member of their crew, but as a comrade in arms. All of this comes to a head the following day, when David is told by the hospital that his mother died due to a combination of her injuries from the crash and the physical strain of her work. To be clear: the Sleeper is emphatically not a gun-toting cyberpunk mercenary, just as David is not a digitized indentured servant on the lam, but what these two strange bedfellows share is a common appreciation for the bonds of friendship forged in the face of adversity. Aside from their shared focus on the physical and mental toll incurred through poverty, David’s and the Sleeper’s plights are similar in another aspect: the strain of maintaining an artificial body. In Citizen Sleeper, players assume the role of the eponymous “Sleeper,” a digitized human consciousness housed in an artificial body. [set within the same shared universe](https://www.polygon.com/e/23113399), Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Cyberpunk 2077 could not be more different in their respective depictions of poverty and social precarity. When David’s mother is taken to a run-down hospital for treatment, David is denied his request to see her, being told by the presiding physician that visitation rights are not covered by his insurance plan. David regains consciousness in their overturned car just in time to watch helplessly as Trauma Team — the series’ in-universe equivalent of privatized health insurance — passes over his mother’s motionless body to recover their actual client: a corporate policyholder. David doesn’t have much in the way of a stable home life. Worse yet, it can cost not only your life, but the lives of your loved ones and those closest to you. When audiences first meet David, he’s just a street kid from the Santo Domingo district of Night City, trying to make it as a student at the Arasaka Academy.

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