7 best anime like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners for fans to watch next

Cyberpunk: EdgerunnerThe Internet has gone wild for s. Studio Trigger’s latest animated series, directed by Hiroyuki Itamishi, is inspired by the universe of Cyberpunk 2077 and Mike Pondsmith’s TTRPG. The 10-episode limited series has not only won the hearts of critics and anime fans alike as one of the best series to premiere this year, but also managed to reinvigorate the game’s fan base in an impressive display of post-launch synergy.

People have spoken out: More cyberpunk. While the anime has reached its natural ending, the DLC expansions for the second (and possibly last) DLC are not. Cyberpunk 2077 is still quite a ways away, we’ve scoured our databanks to bring you a list of some of the best anime, both cyberpunk and not, to watch after Edgerunners. And yes — we know Ghost in the ShellRoku streaming AkiraCrunchyroll, Hulu, and Crunchyroll are your go-to places for all things Cyberpunk. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners itself, we’re venturing off the beaten path and blazing our own with this list.

Redline

Image by Madhouse/Redline Partners

Soon after Edgerunners It premiered on Netflix and immediately attracted comparisons with the 2009 sci-fi action thriller. Redline. Takeshi Koji, who is well-known for his work in anime such as “Anime of the Gods”, directed this film. Lupin The Third: A Woman Called Fujiko Mine and the Animatrix short “World Record,” the film follows Sweet JP, a daredevil street racer with a corkscrew pompadour hellbent on taking home gold in the galaxy’s deadliest racing event: the Redline Grand Prix.

It is the likeness of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Redline is especially uncanny during the highway chase scene between David and a pair of Tyger Claw biker assassin in the former’s third episode, “Smooth Criminal,” with many viewers noticing the similarity between David’s speed-induced grimace as he weaves precariously through oncoming traffic and JP’s clenched-jaw expression while racing to finish line at the beginning of Koike’s film.

RedlineYou can stream it on PlexFree of charge Vudu, TubiAnd FreeveeFor ads.

Cyber City Oedo 808

Image by Madhouse/Diskotek Media

These are just a few of the many anime included on this list. Cyber City Oedo 808This is probably the closest thing to Edgerunners’ premise. This is also why Hideo Kojima, an ardent cinephile who created the movie “The Phantom of the Opera”, has endorsed this comparison. Death StrandingThe Metal Gear series.

Yoshiaki Kawajiri directed this anime classic. Ninja Scroll Vampire Hunter D – Bloodlust, this 1990 original video animation (OVA — trust me, you’re going to be hearing a lot about those on this list) follows a trio of criminal forced to fight superpowered monsters and hackers in exchange for time off their prison sentences. You can think about it. Suicide SquadThe only difference is that it has more glamorous rock hairstyles. Games like Ruiner Huntdown, the three-episode limited series has an especially rich history in the U.K. anime scene and remains a beloved touchstone for fans of both the cyberpunk genre and Kawajiri’s work.

Cyber City Oedo 808 You can stream the video on Retrocrush.

Promare

Image Credit: Studio Trigger/GKIDS

You loved Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, there’s a good chance you’ll love (or already love) Promare, Hiroyuki Imaishi’s previous directorial work. Kazuki Nagashima is the author. Imaishi has worked with him on many major projects, including Kill la Kill Gurren Lagann, the film follows Galo Thymos, a hotblooded member of the elite firefighting mecha group Burning Rescue who must save the city of Promepolis — and the entire world — from the threat of a cataclysmic event involving a new species of pyrokinetic humans known as the Burnish.

An unabashed love letter to Imaishi’s most cartoonish, maximalist sensibilities and his aforementioned collaborations with Nakashima, Promare is a crowd-pleasing anime spectacle packed to the seams with explosive action, colorful characters, and breathtaking set-pieces. Oh, and absurdly named mecha, like Deus X Machina— can’t forget about that!

PromareYou can stream it on HBO Max.

Bubblegum Crisis

Image: Artmic, AIC/AnimEigo

OVA with eight original episodes Bubblegum CrisisFollow the Knight Sabers, an all female group of mercenaries who are clad with powered exoskeletons and defend futuristic Tokyo against the evil Mega-corporation Genom. Did I forget to mention, one of the Knight Sabers sings with a group called Priss & the Replicants. That is true. precisely Refers to what you consider it to be.

Bubblegum Crisis is an essential work in the canon of ’80s cyberpunk anime and one of the most visible examples of the lasting influence of Walter Hill’s neo-noir rock musical Streets of FirePlease select the appropriate genre. If you enjoyed Cyberpunk: EdgerunnersYou owe yourself the time and effort to observe. Bubblegum Crisis. You won’t regret it!

Bubblegum CrisisAvailable to stream online Retrocrush.

Megazone 23

Image: AIC, Artland, Tatsunoko/AnimEigo

Megazone 23 is not only an exquisite enduring example of ’80s cyberpunk anime, but it also stands the test of time as a breakout hit whose success galvanized the Japanese home video market’s embrace of the OVA format.

Shogo Yahagi is a street child who accidentally takes over a prototype government motorcycle. Shogo Yahagi is relentlessly pursued by the government to purchase the bike. He plans to reveal its existence live on TV, starring a well-known singing star. While doing so, he uncovers a terrible secret— it’s the 24th century, his entire life is a lie, and what remains of humanity is imprisoned aboard several colossal spaceships called “Megazones” fleeing a now-dead Earth.

Noboru Ichiguro (Co-Director) Yamato Space Battleship Super Dimension Fortress MacrossFame, legendary effects animator Ichiro Ithano and the future Appleseed Blade Runner: Black Lotus director Shinji Aramaki, Megazone 23 is an epic in every sense of the word, spanning several centuries and several protagonists who fight across the expanse of space and cyberspace on behalf of humanity’s future.

As if all of that weren’t enough reasons to watch Megazone 23, it’s also a major influence on 13 Sentinels – Aegis Rim, one of Polygon’s favorite games of 2020.

Megazone 23It is now available for streaming Retrocrush.

Armitage III

Image: AIC/Crunchyroll

Armitage IIIThis is what it looks like Blade Runner, only instead of a story about a taciturn mercenary detective finding love in a hopeless place, it’s a female Martian android cop in red leather booty shorts with a killer right hook.

Director: Hiroyuki Oki, and written by Chiaki J. Konaka.Serial Experiments, Digimon Tamers, The Big OThe OVA’s four-episode series follows Armitage (and her partner detective Ross Sylibus) as they investigate illegally manufactured androids pretending to be humans. Their search lands them in the sights of René D’anclaude, a brutal android serial killer with a surprising, if convoluted, connection to Armitage’s own past.

The miniseries is peak ’90s cyberpunk, with sprawling neon-lit cities, ample gore and action, and tons of cheesy smooth jazz. If you’re able to track down a copy of Armitage III: Poly-Matrix, the feature-length reedited version of the series, you’ll be treated to a host of English dub performances by the likes of Elizabeth Berkley, Kiefer Sutherland, and even Bryan Cranston. Yes — ThisBryan Cranston

Armitage IIIIt is now available for streaming Funimation.

Akudama Drive

Pierrot, Too Kyo Games/Crunchyroll

Created by Danganronpa Kazutaka Kodyaka was the creator and Too Kyo Games produced it. Akudama DriveThis is the story about a young lady living in a dystopian future, where Kansai (Japan) has been transformed into a vassal nation of Kanto. She is arrested for a minor offense and finds herself drawn into a complex heist plot by her mysterious employer, as well as a group of brutal mercenary criminals called Akudama. If you like over-the-top action, eccentric characters, and an unpredictably poignant story that’ll sneak up behind you before tugging at your heartstrings, then Akudama DriveThe perfect anime for those who want to experience the thrill of watching Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

Akudama Drive You can stream it on Crunchyroll Hulu.