I’ve binged a few animes within the past few weeks. Sometimes, that’s just how it is, you don’t intend to, but then you’ve finished one and suddenly another sounds like the right direction to go in. And something I’ve learned over the years is that Netflix is a mixed bag, especially in terms of original anime.
Unless they’re a ten-episode series. That is to say, get ready for one of the best experiences in anime you’ve ever had.
My personal top 3 favorites happen to include one by the name of Devilman Crybaby, the first anime I binged during the pandemic. Even though it was 10, 25-minute episodes that I knocked out in a night, its impact has remained. I think back on that show all the time. I listen to the soundtrack to study, I use screenshots as my background, etc.
I hold other animes I watch to the same standard as Devilman Crybaby. It works as a good bar for character design, narrative flow, and emotional payoff. And maybe I’m too picky – I will admit, I love being a critic, and I’ve got a million thoughts on all the media I consume – but if I’m going to watch a show, it needs to be worth my time. And Netflix hit it out of the park with another 10 episode anime, one called Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
For the uninitiated, a bit of context, Cyberpunk: 2077 was an eagerly anticipated video game, called a “new classic” before it had even been released. The hype was high, I mean, Keanu Reeves was in it, so what could go wrong?
Everything.
The release date was disastrous. Glitches upon glitches, crashes upon crashes, and refund requests upon refund requests. The world of Cyberpunk: 2077 couldn’t save the poor quality of the game which was overrun with technical difficulties and a narrative that couldn’t live up to the sky-high expectations. To be honest, it was disappointing to witness, there was unmatched potential and so much promise lying under the surface, but slogging through the gaming experience wasn’t worth it for the cool pieces of lore or worldbuilding. It seemed like the Night City we were promised in trailers and demos only existed in our minds.
Around 2 years later, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners popped up in my recommendations. I rolled my eyes. “Are we really doing this again?” I asked myself. I pushed the show off. I tried to avoid it, not wanting to be let down again, until YouTube flooded my home page with recommendations and incredibly high praise for the anime. I felt like I was missing out on a party everyone was at, sure, maybe I was about 7 months late to the party, but I was going to get there eventually.
I finished the show a few nights ago. I want to curse myself for pushing it off for so long, but I’m just glad that I finally watched it.
The color of the opening scenes trapped me in the same Night City from the game, but here, it felt more alive, and vibrant. Characters walked around, clad in cyber-gear and chrome, providing an insight into their world. This is where we are, a world unlike our own, but so very similar. The soundtrack grabs you, especially the masterfully implemented song, “I Really Want to Stay at Your House,” which is simultaneously romantic, tragic, and the perfect song for a late-night drive. The characters are flawed, human, and intriguing. You want to root for them through the barrage of punches, the broken bones, the heartbreak… everything.
The crux of the show is the relationship between protagonist David Martinez and Lucy, two young people, attempting to make a future for themselves in a city that eats you up and spits you out with no remorse. They find hope within each other and would do anything to hold onto it, despite the costs.
More than just the beautiful parts of the show, I appreciate how the stakes are palpable. One of my biggest annoyances when watching a movie or TV show, is that you will be told that the world is cruel, harsh, and dangerous. But it never feels that way. You watch as your massively underprepared or even weak protagonist stumbles through the plot without a scratch by the end.
In Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, I believed that Night City and the people in it were apathetic. When connections would be made, there was an automatic possibility to losing it, and perhaps that possibility was more akin to a guarantee. Unless you suited yourself up in technological upgrades that also held the risk of completely destroying your sanity.
This may not mean much to those who know me since I have a reputation for crying a lot, but this show brought tears to my eyes not just because the circumstances were sad or because I was heartbroken at the fates of characters I had come to love, but because it felt incredibly real. That feels strange to say – given the fact that the show is just that, a show – yet it’s the only way to explain it.
The best pieces of media stay with you because they address the most important parts of being human and being alive: love, heartbreak, loneliness, connection, sadness, joy, and all of the little and big things along the way. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners uses its characters and scenery to convey all of this and more.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is Netflix’s two-for-two attempt at 10 episode animes and I cannot recommend it enough. Be prepared to cry, that’s my warning to anyone who decides to take my advice and check it out.
(And while you’re there, add Devilman Crybaby to your list, too. You won’t regret it!)