Whatever the case might be, it is a fact that this genre has an amazing collection of work, a good number of beloved show and films, both by fans and critics. For that only it’s worth it to recap on some of the best, just in case someone wants to get started in cyberpunk anime or has by any chance missed any of these masterpieces.
10 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
At the bottom but with a lot of merit is the most recent show of the list. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a show based on a videogame that is clearly influenced by Japanese cyberpunk, and as it was expected, it was an amazing ride for both fans of Cyberpunk 2077 and anime fans that didn’t play the game before.
It might not have as much depth as others in this list, but in just 10 episodes Edgerunners was made to build a catching story and two characters that are absolutely lovable in David Martinez and Lucy. In addition to the fantastic animation work by Studio Trigger (Kill la Kill) and the consequences of tampering with people’s body, the result is pretty much a great cyberpunk anime, definitely worth watching. Available on Netflix.
9 Ergo Proxy
The next one in line is Ergo Proxy, a much darker and thrilling show than Edgerunners. The series is set in a dystopian future where after and ecologic disaster the only way to live is inside dome cities, one of those is Romdeau, where it all takes place. There, humans coexist peacefully with AutoReivs, androids build for different tasks and that are divided between human appearance and robot appearance. The story follows the detective Re-l Mayer, who is assigned to investigate a series of murders committed by AutoReivs, something unprecedented.
Soon enough more things start to unravel, the Cogito Virus, the Proxy project and the politics behind the scenes that take the city to ruin, all from the point of view of the Regent’s (biggest political figure) granddaughter. Deep philosophical themes surround the plot at every step, even with the small cameos like naming characters after Derrida, Lacan and Husserl, Ergo Proxy is an intellectually challenging show that has an immense value only with his approach, but it also succeeds at making it exciting. The only thing this show has against is that it hasn’t being published in a lot of places, so the access to it might get in the way in a number of countries throughout the world.
8 Akudama Drive
Another show that came out not too long ago but was able to convince the public. Akudama Drive excelled at changing the tone with plot twists wonderfully executed for a show just 12 episodes long. It is set in a futuristic Japan that has been torn to pieces by a brutal Civil War that even left a big nuclear wasteland. Inside the authoritarian regime of Kansai, the most dangerous criminals are known as “Akudama”. A group of them got together for a mysterious job offered by an anonymous contractor that involves freeing a death row prisoner.
However, the job will become much more than that. Akudama Drive clearly reflects the influence from the 80s and 90s Hollywood, chiefly from films like Reservoir Dogs and Blade Runner.The world-building and the use of cyberpunk themes as cultural critique of a police state make it a fresh and satisfying work, although the characters lack some depth. Available to watch in Hulu and Funimation in the US.
7 Serial Experiments Lain
Serial Experiments Lain is a cult classic that brought a unique approach and a truly exceptional character development to the cyberpunk genre. It surfaces the identity crisis of the digital era like no other and portrays a disorienting atmosphere with really groundbreaking scenes and shots. The story focuses on Lain Iwakura, a 14-year-old High School student that feels “disconnected” from her social environment.
The main plot point is her relationship with The Wired, a virtual realm that contains all forms of human communication. In its 13 episodes Lain unfolds a dense and thorough commentary on our relationship with technology and digital networks while telling the story of what this cybernetic world does to a shy student that is in a key point of her life to construct her identity. Available to watch on Funimation.
6 Paprika
This absolute masterpiece by Satoshi Kon is the first film to appear in this list. Paprika tells the story of Atsuki Chiba, a psychiatrist that with a group of investigators in a major company has developed a device, called DC Mini, that allows them to consciously navigate through dreams in order ot help the detection and treatment of psychological traumas. Dr. Chiba while helping detective Toshimi Konakawa as her alter-ego in the dream world, Paprika, realizes that someone has been tampering with the DC Mini and causing incidents in the real world.
Once again, the identity questioning is one of the central topics, while using a setting in a much more near future that bring the film a more relatable nature despite the fictional components. Added the usual splendid work on the shots and scenes by Satoshi Kon puts this film in a very good position that could perfectly be above any of the next shows and films.
5 Neon Genesis Evangelion
There has always been debate about whether or not Neon Genesis Evangelion is cyberpunk or even if it should be considered mecha, that only speaks to its complexity and depth. What is clear is that Hideaki Anno reinvented the concept of mecha giving it a story with cyberpunk themes that served as inspiration for other shows such as the highly acclaimed Code Geass. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the futuristic city of Tokyo-3 has to defend itself from the attack of powerful beings known as Angels.
The only way for humanity to protect itself is with the use of EVAs, what seem to be gigantic weaponized robots, on the hands of a few selected children. One of them is Shinji Ikari, forced by his father Gendo Ikari to pilot the Unit-01. What starts like simple fight with robots quickly turns into a psychological thriller loaded with philosophical conjectures that go as far as the idea of cyclical time. Either the original series, or the movies including The End of Evangelion and the reboot are a must-watch for anyone interested in the cyberpunk genre.
4 Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop is one of those shows that barely need any presentation. A futuristic space-western with both cyberpunk and neo-noir traits that follows Spike and Jet, a couple of bounty hunters on board of the spaceship Bebop, traveling around the Solar System in the lookout for a criminal or two to make ends meet.
As the story progresses, more about the characters past is revealed, while adding two more members to the crowd, Faye Valentine and Edward. This four lost souls accompanied by one of the greatest soundtracks ever made will conquer the spectator heart, to just break it with one of the best endings in anime history. Available in Netflix, Hulu and Funimation.
3 Psycho-Pass
No one went as far as Psycho-Pass to utilize the cyberpunk genre to explore philosophical inquietudes. Beginning with their detailed setting that reflects an authoritarian society ruled by a system that automatically calculates a person’s crime coefficient, namely, their probability of committing a crime, and if it goes over the established maximum, they can be detained or even executed. It also records their personality traits and their mental health and all together creates the Psycho-Pass, the form of identification in this futuristic world.
2 Ghost In The Shell
All is left to mention is the classics, the films that set the example for this genre to develop and that have been subject of thousands of analysis and academic papers. In that category there’s only enough space for two, and one of them is Ghost in the Shell. Both, Masamune Shirow’s manga and Mamoru Oshii’s film adaptation shaped the entire idea of cyberpunk, not only in Japan but in any other production.
Set in the year 2029, the technology has evolved to a point where almost every part of the body can be switched to a cybernetic component while maintaining consciousness referred as “ghost”. The story follows Major Motoko Kusanagi in her journey to discover not only herself but the essence of humanity, the concept of identity and existence.
1 Akira
The Akira manga gave birth to the cyberpunk in the manga/anime industry with its release in 1982. The anime adaptation, that differs in some points from the manga (it was unfinished at the time the film was made), is considered with Blade Runner the icon and reference for cyberpunk cinema and served to put anime in the map internationally, something that continued with Ghost in the Shell a few years later. The story by Katsuhiro Otomo is centered in Neo-Tokyo, 30 years after the devastation of World War III.
Two members of bike-gang, Tetsuo and Kaneda, stumble across a secret government project that intends to create mass destruction weapons by biologically enginiering children. The themes, design, world-building and animation presented in Akira are still a major cinematic influence.
More: Kotaro Lives Alone And The Problem Of Japan’s Lost Children
