When it comes to movies and TV shows in the cultural zeitgeist, I tend to lag behind the masses and come late to the party on just about everything. Video games dominate my free time, and there's little room for much else. So, when a video game crosses over into the world of anime, it's always a welcome excuse to merge the two.
That said, I still find myself only now watching the first season of Cyberpunk Edgerunners days after the release of the recent second standalone season. This is perhaps due to my lukewarm feelings about the game in general making it less of a priority back in 2022.
However, I'm glad I made the time finally, and I may be about to start a conversation many of you have had many years ago. But if my friends need to suffer the conversations that come with my Slowpoke meme behaviour, you do too.
My hot take is that I don't think there is a single self-contained anime season better than Cyberpunk Edgerunners Season 1.
It's peak anime, chooms
I'll be the first to admit, I'm no anime connoisseur for all the reasons I already mentioned. Time constraints, adult responsibilities, and being very particular about the type of anime I'll commit to all contribute to that. So, perhaps I'm not the guy to make bold claims like this. But, the sheer quality of what Edgerunners has to offer makes me confident to do it anyway.
Season 1 of Cyberpunk Edgerunners gets everything right about translating Night City into an anime format. Stylistically, it's near flawless in its execution. Admittedly, not many anime have the luxury of a pre-established world, deep lore, and a strong sense of self from the get-go. But, equally, due to fan expectation among other things, this can be a boon or an albatross around your neck.
Edgerunners shoulders this burden and comes out all the better for it, capturing the depravity, brutality, and 'house always wins' nature of Night City. All the while carving out an incredible zero-to-hero narrative with a colorful cast that all play their part in making every action scene more punchy, and every emotional scene more gut-punchy.
The 10-episode run couldn't be paced better, making it effortlessly binge-worthy. The VA is top-notch from all involved, and without giving too much away, the bittersweet ending is perfect.
The biggest compliment I can give Edgerunners is that after watching the first season in full, I had an insatiable need to install Cyberpunk 2077 again — a game that I have never been able to get through in full, and have never particularly taken to in any meaningful way.
It gave me a love and appreciation for this world that wasn't necessarily there before, and did so in a way that mirrored our hero David's time on screen. It burned fast, burned bright, but didn't overstay its welcome. Truly, a flawless season of anime.
Where does it rank among other one-season wonders?
I'm not so much of an anime dope as to know that better anime stories exist out there. Some, like One Piece and Naruto, do that through longevity that goes through peaks and valleys. While others like FMA or Attack on Titan have seasons within the entire run that shine brighter than the rest. But, as a single self-contained one-season story, I just don't think anything touches the sides compared to Edgerunners.
Admittedly, some come close. Names like Odd Taxi, Erased, and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off all spring to mind. However, the latter is definitely due to my biased love of Scott Pilgrim.
But ultimately, I find myself playing those debates out in my head, only for Edgerunners to come out on top. Odd Taxi is more complex for sure, Erased is arguably more intriguing as a concept, and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is better as a lighthearted endeavour.
But in terms of pure quality, emotional storytelling, aesthetic brilliance, and sublime pacing. Edgerunners feels like the ultimate one-season anime.
