Perfect combination
There are always a lot of trends and fashions in the gaming medium. Currently, we can say that adapting famous franchises to other forms of entertainment is one of the main ones. It seems like the people in charge of the industry are so damn bad, for example, that they’re on some kind of crusade to change the way we think about movies based on video games. On the cartoon and anime side, things aren’t so strict. There is something in these works that better exploits our efforts to take this or that series out of its territory. good thing Castlevania, Dragon’s Doctrine And not to mention pokemon, proof that gaming can be good adaptation. In a somewhat unexpected move but one that undoubtedly sounded like a great idea from the start, the folks at CD Projekt Red found an alliance with Studio Trigger, a studio famous for its work on La murder, Little Witch Academia And more, to create an anime set in the universe Cyberpunk 2077The one that will be sent by Netflix And it will tell us a completely original story. how is it Cyberpunk: The Edgerunners?
I mentioned that the idea of mixing the cyberpunk 2077 universe with how modern anime works seemed cool to me, because if you remember, CDPR’s work has always had a fairly close relationship with the Japanese. Arasaka, Zig-Zig Street and other elements made it clear to us how important Japanese culture is for Polish developers; And since the first trailer was shown Cyberpunk: The Edgerunners, it was clear that we were facing a well-planned production and above all, it appeared that those behind them understood what makes the game so special. Despite some plot holes here and there, the truth is that this new anime venture based on a video game satisfied me, to the point that I’m already in the middle of my second pass to see how much I’ve lost.
Back to town at night
Anyone who has played and enjoyed Cyberpunk 2077 knows perfectly well that despite the great story they tell us throughout the adventure, the great and true star of the whole experience ends up being Night City. This deep atmospheric space that hugs you and won’t let go. Well, Studio Trigger understood this and made David a great hero and the characters around him support him in a good way, in the end, the city is the one who raised his hand as the most important thing among its features in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
The above leads me to “Do I have to play Cyberpunk 2077 to see Cyberpunk: Edgerunners?” The answer would be no, however, if you haven’t played the video game, you might be a bit lost with elements like Night City’s team and general organization. Despite the above, the truth is that it is clear to me that anime is made so that anyone can enjoy it. My recommendation would be to play CDPR first, but that’s not important.
Tales of Cyberpunk: The Edgerunners unfolds parallel to what V and company are experiencing in Cyberpunk 2077. The story stars David Martinez, a young man who attends high school at Arasaka Academy, when after a tragic event he loses his mother, his only family. In the midst of a very dark moment, David realizes that his mother has hidden a military-grade spinal implant. In a moment of madness and much emotional turmoil, the boy decides to install it realizing that it belonged to a famous soldier. After realizing that the mode gives him impressive speed, he runs into a thief on a train in Night City, who, realizing his potential, recruits him into a group of Eggrunners, who are essentially city outsiders. Future city.
Thus, our hero begins to get involved with the so-called Scottish Night City, which, like Cyberpunk 2077, is in a serious crisis of cyber psychos wreaking havoc, of course, to all the subsequent corporate wrongdoing that companies like Arasaka do without any legal consequences. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners focuses heavily on the destructiveness of technology-enhanced human implants and alters. The issue of what could cause machines to enter human bodies is the most discussed in the anime and it works great, because unlike the game, several characters around us are involved in all of this and a strong effort is made to think of those who are morally good, but who are in the middle. present Depression and the need to insert implants for survival.
Both character and story development are sensational. David and company are not the same at the beginning, as we see at the end. My only “but” is that perhaps, from episode six or seven, you feel that everything starts too fast, that is, you stop searching deeply for some information and, as a result, some non-important plot holes are created, but he is undoubtedly loved. pretended they weren’t there.
Fan service? Of course. While at least I don’t see a direct connection between David’s story and V, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners feels entirely part of Cyberpunk 2077. Details like having the characters review a map and making it identical to the one we use in the game, I think it was great. In the same case call sounds and they come out with text. It transcends mere events such as revisiting the afterlife, walking down a city street or walking through an arroyo. Yes, several of the key night city locations we’ve enjoyed so much in CDPR titles are back and better than ever. That sense of progress but at the same time the sense of decline of this fictional metropolis, is portrayed in a brilliant way by Studio Trigger. Likewise, I love that over the course of the story, David also becomes stronger and more capable, just like V, only at the cost of his mental health.
To conclude this section, I’d like to make an important point that Cyberpunk: Edgerunners isn’t just about making references to the work it’s based on. No, the collaboration between the Polish game developer and the Japanese studio expands the lore of this franchise, suggesting new concepts at all levels that allow for the enormous potential that exists around Night City and its inhabitants. Get ready to meet new groups and new places in town.
Scream Productions
Not being someone who consumes anime regularly, I feel that the current industry is going through some upheaval in terms of production levels. In my opinion, the level of quality you see whenever you sit down to watch any of this work can be a real shocker. As I told you a few weeks ago, I was very surprised by the general animation and production quality of Pokemon: Arceus Chronicles, especially when we are talking about such an important franchise. It was only with my reservations that I started watching Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which, unlike those mentioned above, struck me for its superb level of detail, refined animation, and an extremely outstanding art direction that remained consistent throughout its 10 episodes.
Night City is a city that can fill you with everything that’s happening in it, something that wouldn’t be easy to replicate in something like an animated series. Fortunately for all of us, Studio Trigger is a production house that rose to the challenge, making every scene in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners a veritable painting. The best thing about this whole thing is that it doesn’t stop there, as the quality of the animation, both in the action-packed scenes and in the quieter moments fills one’s eyes with extremely complex fluid movements that, in fact, help the cinematography. In general, the whole work, reach new levels. true joy
Another thing that most caught my attention in Cyberpunk: The Edgerunners was its handling of violence. I think that especially today, the misuse of so-called gore is a constant in anime. A number of productions base almost all of their appeal on bloody scenes presented without much meaning. In the new Netflix, the truth is that it was taken care of in a special way, because apart from quite shocking and even disturbing visceral moments, it seems that they were placed in the right place to create a special emotion and reaction. in the audience. What I want to tell you with all this is that there is a very clear reason for the violence in this anime.
I’ve never been so happy about music. It seems to me that the continued use of licensed songs was not the most appropriate. The truth is that I deeply missed Cyberpunk 2077’s many and varied radio stations that perfectly fit the tone of the game, and even things like Pacific Dreams, I definitely missed them.
One of the main reasons I decided to start watching an anime or animated series in general was to watch moving art and the world of Cyberpunk 2077 was perfect for something like that. I’m happy to tell you that basically since Evangelion 4, I haven’t been so impressed with what can be achieved in terms of animation these days, that mixed modern techniques such as the use of 3D, with a completely hand-made touch. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a beauty that will make even the most demanding in all these categories highly satisfied.
Brilliant results
In the end, I can tell you to accept this opinion as an ardent fan of Cyberpunk 2077 with a huge thirst to return to the Night City. It’s true that I don’t consume anime regularly, but I’m constantly trying to catch one or two that catch my eye. From the moment it was first announced, I knew that Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was for me, and that anyone like Studio Trigger would do a good job of it. However, the reality is that one never knows, but fortunately for us, on this occasion we are being given a sensational job that I hope to continue. At this point there are no announcements about a second season or what might happen beyond these 10 chapters. Do you have an end for more? I think it’s best to find out for yourself now that it’s finally premiering on Netflix.
A fantastic development of both characters and its main plot, impressive recreation of Night City, good use of violence, expansion of the series’ lore, as well as a general level of animation, art and production, make Cyberpunk: Edgerunners one of the best moments of anime in 2022. If you are a fan of Cyberpunk 2077 then this series should be among your priorities, same case if you are a follower of good animation made in Japan. I keep my fingers crossed that such cooperation continues.
