We Liked: The Melancholy Vibe
For all its, well, Cyberpunk attitude, what actually makes Edgerunners work is that it is not really an edgy, rebellious action series at its heart—it’s a surprisingly melancholic tale about humanity and connection, and what the people of its world are willing to do to themselves, physically and spiritually, to survive.
This is explored primarily through David’s relationship with one of his criminal crew’s hacking experts, or runners, named Lucy—the one who draws him into a life of mercenary work in the first place after his mother’s death. They make for a compelling couple, but as the series progresses and focuses more on David’s growing addiction to cyber-enhancement—playing with the belief that as a shonen protagonist he is special and can avoid the pitfalls that drive others to cyberpsychosis—it becomes more introspective and maudlin. This happens even as the action ramps up, as we get to see his rise and rapid decline, along an arc that Edgerunners does a very good job of guiding us through. David’s journey is a sad, inevitable one, but one rendered well enough in between the slick visuals to make it worth seeing through.
