Heads up, Anime fans! The animated series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners has just released a new trailer along with the release date!
Netflix had just announced the second trailer on Monday. The upcoming sci-fi action anime from Studio Trigger is based on CD Projekt Red’s 2020 open-world RPG Cyberpunk 2077. In addition, it is set in the world of Mike Pondsmith’s tabletop roleplaying game Cyberpunk.
Studio Trigger is a prominent Japanese animation studio founded by former Gainax employees Hiroyuki Imaishi and Masahiko Ōtsuka on August 22, 2011. They are home of famous animated series such as Kill la Kill (2013-2014), Little Witch Academia (2017), Darling in the Franxx (2018), and more. Studio Trigger then has already produced cyberpunk-related shows in the past. Surely, they are the right animated studio to work on Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
The animated series revolved around a street kid named David Martinez. He is trying to survive in a world of people who are obsessed with body modification, specifically in the metropolis of Night City.
David crosses paths with a hacker, Lucy, and decides to pursue a life as an “edgerunner.” Apparently, edgerunners are outlaw mercenary-for-hire who are willing to fight the most dangerous cyber-psychos and criminals in the city. In addition, David also dreams to be called a legend.
Behind the Scenes
The cast includes Kenichiro Ohashi as David’s voice actor, and Aoi Yuki, who will be the voice of Lucy. It is directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi (Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill, Promare). Alongside him is creative director Hiromi Wakabayashi (Kill la Kill), with character designs by Yoh Yoshinari (Little Witch Academia, BNA: Brand New Animal) and an original score composed by Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill series).
The animated series will be released on Netflix this September. And they have just released a new trailer showing an overwhelming amount of visuals.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Trailer Breakdown
Sensory overload
- As warned in the video itself, the animation showcases the vibe of a Cyberpunk city. Thus, there is a great amount of flashing colors. The vibrant neon lights also make the visuals impressive. With strips of rainbow lighting to guide the players’ ways while driving through the City Center. The flashing of city lights and constant scenes of body modification is a sight to behold.
- An action-type animated series also pertains to extremely loud and violent action sequences. There are a lot of explosions, screaming, gunshots, and more. The animators definitely did not shy away from vividly showing how violent they get at killing each other. It would be best for interested audiences to be aware of these before watching the show.
A Dangerous Place to Live
- Night City is based on David Pondsmith’s original tabletop role-playing game to CDPR’s video game. It sits on North America’s Pacific coast, founded as a free city where anybody can become rich regardless of the means.
- In a typical cyberpunk genre, corporations have control over the city. Thus, without privileges, you are left begging on the streets or committing crimes to survive. They advertise guns as a normal thing to survive in the city. It is best, however, for citizens to have Cyberware body modifications to secure their safety.
A reference to Cyberpunk 2077
- Any fan of the franchise would recognize its similarities other than its genre. The protagonist’s name, David Martinez, is mentioned in Cyberpunk 2077 when you visit the Afterlife. It is a club where top mercenaries in Night City gather in order to discuss work, collect payment, or simply enjoy the place.
- Moreover, if you ask the bartender, Claire, for a drink, you will notice that the choices on the menu are names of famous mercenaries in Night City. David Martinez is included in that menu. The item description reads as follows: “A shot of vodka on the rocks, topped with Nicola. Aim high and go out with a bang.”
- When you ask Claire how the mercenaries got their drinks named after them in the Afterlife, she will answer “to snuff it in mind-blowingly spectacular fashion, preferably in the middle of a job.” Basically, she is telling you that all you need is to go out fighting until your last breath. Your death will be memorialized at the Afterlife.
- Connecting this information with the animated series tells us the possible fate of the protagonist. But in such stories from the Cyberpunk franchise, Studio Trigger is simply living up to its name. They are all-out infusing these details and proving to the audience what story they are offering.
Our inherent humanity beyond body modifications
- But Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is more than just characters killing each other. As seen from the two trailers now available from Netflix, David Martinez lost his mother and chose to pursue becoming an edgerunner, despite its dangers.
- Becoming one requires a certain amount of strength in all aspects that, assumingly, would make one lose its own humanity. Nonetheless, as seen from the trailers alone, he seems to always be driven by his personal desires.
- Other than his emotional attachment to his mother, it seems that he is also romantically involved with Lucy. Their connection is strong enough that David makes promises to her like bringing her to the moon. He gains strength from the people he treasures and utilizes that as his motivation.
- David Martinez is the protagonist we often see in animated action series. The character inspires everyone else to reclaim a part of themselves they have lost, due to their environment that demands it.
When is the release date?
With the recent release, Netflix has just announced that the 10-episode animated series will be streamed on September 13, 2022. It is also no surprise that the show is M-rated with the new NSFW trailer.
This new addition to the Cyberpunk franchise is highly anticipated. And we cannot wait for Netflix to release it this coming September!
Until then, stay with us here at Spiel Times for more content.