Cyberpunk Edgerunners: The Edge of Humanity

[@MelonTeee]

Grab Atlas VPN for just $1.70/mo + 6 months extra before the BLACK FRIDAY deal expires: get.atlasvpn.com/MelonTeee 🍈

[@firestone2178]

Why is my favorite one piece channel covering scifi tokyo revengers.😏

[@Drago-ks5qz]

Hey I love your videos! could you make a video about why zoro is so devoted and loyal to luffy ? I really still cannot put my finger on it thank you!

[@gachalord151]

I dont understand how all this ties to sanjis self esteem

[@DIEBOZBT]

Give her a break, she's still on that straw hat pack.

[@ninjagills2703]

Sanji is following David's story rn, approaching the edge of humanity, scared of what it'll do to his loved ones, ruining his self esteem even further than normal

[@galasidan]

Laughed so hard I spooked my cat.

[@leogarja]

It's all about Sanji breaking the Germa 66 transformation can - that's the rejection of artificial enhancements to avoid losing yourself

[@bonrick_0494]

ifrit jambe only works with a suitable sandevistan, sanji clearly had to rob it off of davids dead body

[@docileventriloquist]

Edgerunners is one of my favourite depictions of that glass ceiling that cyberpunk dystopias are supposed to be cautionary tales of but for some reason in recent times a lot of them romanticise instead.

[@moonkxssxd]

for me at least, the romanticization seems reactionary, a coping mechanism for people that find themselves increasingly closer to that world in their own realities

[@LegatoBlue]

Honestly both the OG comment and that reply are exactly correct. I both fear and hold a cautionary curiosity of exactly what's to come. If I was offered some of the implants I'd definitely have to think on it but more than likely would take it. Adapt or you will be overcome is a constant repeat in nature. It's terrifying to think we or our children etc. might have to be put in that position at some point.

[@vincentshoulak5488]

Ima be honest edgerunners made me really invested in the series then proceded to tear me appart emotionally the final episode is still one of my favorites

[@jams1070]

No fr why did it catch me off guard like that 😭

[@WolffangLightwood]

​@@jams1070oh man, yeah. I can only imagine how shocking it'd with peeps only minimally informed on the lore and themes of the world. In Night City there are no happy endings

[@jams1070]

@@WolffangLightwood i went in blind 😔 i just thought it looked nice so why not (nothing but pain in the end lol totally worth it)

[@inarticulatevoid]

Woah can't believe you're covering this! The translation takes into account the lingo and slang used in the Night City and the world in general. Because NC is located in West Coast America, the English dub and the lingo makes a lot more sense here. Chrome is slang for cyberware and all the profanity is very much in universe. So when David says, "Its high time I chromed the fuck up" this is actually how people in NC talk. This is pretty accurate to the game and tabletop RPG the series spawned from. Fun Fact: The tabletop RPG, Cyberpunk RED actually has a dedicated section listing all the different NC slangs!

[@MelonTeee]

That's interesting to know, I didn't even realise there was slang in the games lmao. However, as cool as that is, it's still lazy and annoying that the original language in which the show was directed in doesn't have its own translation. I may as well have seen the dub since the subtitles on Netflix were literally taken directly from the English version with zero change - even when it was jarringly noticeable. So it just would've been nice if it just had its own subtitles 😭😭😭😭

[@inarticulatevoid]

@@MelonTeee I completely agree. I watch a lot of anime on Netflix and istg the translation ranges from eh its okay to that was a completely different sentence why would you do that??

[@alkhemi8175]

This choom is spittin'

[@Hey-Its-Dingo]

​@@MelonTeee I would say "the original language it was made for" IS the English actually. Just because it was made by a Japanese studio, the world, characters, and setting are all taken from an American property, and Mike Pondsmith, the creator of the Cyberpunk TTRPG, was heavily consulted by the anime studio for the series.

[@sonicman52]

@@MelonTeeeThis is one anime that’s better watched with the English dub. Not only does it take place in America, but all the slang of the world just makes more sense in English. And the dub is really good

[@RoyalCrustle]

As someone who always watches stuff in it's original language, this is one of the few shows I absolutely prefer in English. Watched the first episode in Japanese, but it just felt off as someone who played the game. Once I re-watched it in English, it became so much better. It feels just like the game, and the dub is SO high quality.

[@shokkushock]

David’s voice actor was so good. Easily the best dub I’ve seen in years

[@finnvost9349]

@@shokkushock funnily enough I didn't enjoy David's dub work that much, not because he didn't meet the emotional beats, far from it, but just because he's Martinez only in name Now I don't know if it's intentional, what with him being at Arasaka Academy (to the top o7) but I don't feel like it's justified quite enough for my taste? but I'm nitpicking really, that's the only "bad" part of the english dub I can think of

[@frenchynoob]

​@@shokkushockit's fairly standard quality for dubs honestly

[@Gekgekgekgek]

Fr

[@woodlefoof2]

@@finnvost9349 what do you mean Martinez in name only?

[@adamm6290]

I honestly think the dub is the way to go for edgerunners. For starters like you said, the English subtitles were only for the english audio anyway, but also cyberpunk has specific words that are completely made up for that universe. Also the voice cast was amazing. They even had my boi Giancarlo Esposito, and any show with him in it is an automatic W.

[@nexasmerideus9760]

"You didnt take me to the moon David, but you were there with me" -Cyberpunk 2077

[@alexallen5710]

😢

[@TheSoundSpell]

You know the amount of players soared because so many people wanted to meet and end Adam Smasher personally after the final episode.

[@finnvost9349]

I spent 40 bucks to avenge the Loli and I regret nothing.

[@MarkusZM]

I'd honestly recommend you watch it in dub again, it's more in line with the how the people in the world speak as Night City is very multi-cultural. plus that's also how it is in the game.

[@Joeru510]

Yeah “high time I chrome the fuck up” is a line that definitely comes to mind when you mentioned that. They made a point in the video that it’s not what’s really said in Japanese but that’s the point of the lingo In cyberpunk. Instead grow the fuck up he takes it to a different meaning that fits with his world. Also words like choom, borg, nova, delta are all words that just aren’t in the Japanese version and it loses the spark of its world building

[@MelonTeee]

To clarify cause I'm getting a LOT of comments about it, I did state in the video I literally knew nothing about the game and watched the anime with zero cyberpunk knowledge, and Netflix told me the original language was Japanese in the audio options. Again this isn't a "subbed anime" thing I just always watch the original language for anything, and I went with what Netflix told me. I don't like the company either guys but I may as well have watched the dub cause I got all the lingo and then some from the subtitles not changing at all lol. If you wanna argue that Japanese isn't or shouldn't be the original language then I'm begging you to take that up with Netflix, because I didn't decide it I just literally jumped into an anime with a history I clearly knew nothing about and watched it like I watch anything else LMAO

[@Sebboebbo]

Arcane is the third Netflix masterpiece I'd love to see your takes on it!

[@PrismaticGeyserr]

6:13 On english dub vs sub, Edgerunners is one of the few shows where I can wholeheartedly recommend dub over sub. It just lends so well into the world building, it makes use of in universe slang, etc etc.. It’s important to remember that this show isn’t just japanese anime, it’s a collaborative effort between a Japanese and Western creatives, this includes the writing, which can be attributed to CDPR- Cyberpunk’s Studio, and Studio Trigger, a fact which is reflected in Lucy’s half japanese and half polish heritage. It’s fair to say that dub and sub are both original

[@AJaydedArtist]

Unironically Edgerunners is intended to be watched in English. The world is based around a bunch of different dialects and languages melding with English because of the kind of place Night City is

[@finnvost9349]

5:10 personally, I'd argue that English _is_ Cyberpunk Edgerunners original language If I remember correctly, animation was directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, but the script was written primarily by Rafal Jaki, the lead writer on Cyberpunk 2077 (tbh I've only got this far on in the video so this might get adresses) But I completely agree that the line you raise and it's translation are a problem, I just agree in the opposite direction lmao 'cause in japanese he's saying (careful, my romanji is a bit iffy at the best of times) "koitsu ha, ore ni, install shite" which we can translate as "I want this installed in me" whereas the english subtitling/dub says "I want this fused here, high time I _chromed the_ fuck _up_" what's interesting about this line, and why, despite David's kinda meh voiceover (he seems to be Martinez only in name, despite his mother's decently pronounced accent), I prefer the english version is the line (hopefully) in italics : the nonsense verb "to chrome up" but this actually is pretty common cyberpunk jargon, to refer to the installation of cybernetics, or Chrome as most call it And this doesn't happen in a bubble either, the whole show is full of uses of Cyberpunk (the Genre) but also more specifically "Maximum" Mike Pondsmith's Cyberpunk's lingo, like Choom, Iron, shard, klep and so on And that's just lost in japanese I find Also (again, not sure if this is going to be bought up later or not) throughout the anime the gang encounter a few gangs, namely the Animals (the ones responsible for the drive-by that ruined David's life), Maelstrom (Fridge loli hyper-cyborg gang), I think 6th street, and probably the Mox as well, since I'm pretty sure they go to Lizzie's, but I digress, the most prominent and memorable gang encounter is that of Arasaka's freelance ninjas : the Tyger Claws (the 2 bikers with katanas) But in the sub version, it's just banal, they don't seem different in the slightest, whereas in dub, they stand out, and remind us of the multiculturalness of Night City My favourite mod for Cyberpunk 2077 is All Native Languages (or something along those lines) It's quite simple, since everyone actually has irl subtitles thanks to technology, everyone just speaks their mother tongue, and it's fascinating and even more immersive I find Also Gus Fring is in the english version as the exact same character and I love it

[@Cerdmasterjgcc]

lucy's vision of david laughing and smiling, after all the suffering theyve been through together was so soul shattering. Ive had difficulty wondering what lucy does after the finale, on first glance it seems that she has lost all hope, she has nothing at this point, but I think her seeing david on the moon probably was a sign she would live as happy as she could be.

[@HaruHoneybun]

Pretty sure the translation thing is more due to the fact the English sticks to the dialect and vocabulary of the actual universe it's from, and the Japanese vo is translating that language into Japanese. Just because it was made IN Japan, doesn't mean it was meant to be Japanese.

[@lizzylove1261]

OMG babe wake up melon teee posted a new vid and its CYBERPUNK

[@yukinae_here]

mood

[@clarencealger8380]

English is not its original language though. This is one of the special cases when the anime made in Japan was purposefully made for English dub because the game (and therefore this anime) is set in a fictional USA with fictional dialects. The words you see like "chooms", "gonks", and "zero" are slang in Cyberpunk. They looke weird on paper but they can be easy to adapt to if listening in.

[@phyn9665]

"Netflix has only produced two masterpieces" * Castlevania has enntered the chat

[@Jay_Rainstorm]

Fun fact: In the game there's a bar called "The Afterlife" which serves drinks commemorating fallen solos and mercs that became legends. Davids drink contains Ni-Cola, a carbonated drink.

[@inarticulatevoid]

A really cool detail i noticed because of your observation of how much "humanity" david has in the beginning of the series (idk if this was intentional on the writers part) - In the tabletop RPG, there is a stat called Humanity, which is in direct relation to the character's empathy and kindness. This stat is reduced everytime you chip in a cyberware. If this goes way down, you turn cyberpsycho and give away the control of your character. SO, the more humanity you have, the more cyberware you can install, which is why David had such a high affinity for cyberware. He stripped away all of that, for the sake of the ones he loved. To protect them, like Maine taught him. None of this was his fault. In a world where the only way to survive is give away your humanity to the cold and cruel machine, that world is at fault. The most haunting part is this is perfectly in line to world we live in.

[@aphelion2902]

I will say, im fairly confident the intended way to watch is in English, as the vernacular of people in cyberpunk is a huge part of it, and all the characters are American, though I was always wondering how they went about translating night citys slang into Japanese, though it seems like they just didn’t

[@kingace6186]

My favorite part of Edgerunners is the implication that cyber-psychosis is not an unavoidable bad end; but an end met when therapy, positive encouragement, pursuit of dreams, and personal freedom are stripped from a person. More than anything, cyber-psychosis is like psychosis inflicted by a drug addict's habits. The worst crime committed by the Megacorporation of Cyberpunk's world is the stigmatization of therapy and healthy usage of cybernetics. Cyberpsychosis is the result of this cold world that strips humanity.

[@FlookiePiee]

David looks so sweet and innocent humping the air

[@abhishekkumar-js7kr]

😂😂😂

[@Catthepunk]

Bruh

[@slayertakim1]

I'd personally recommend checking out the dub. Cyberpunk edgerunners and 2077 are based on the TTRPG, Cyberpunk 2020 and Cyberpunk Red. The dub keeps in the line with a lot of the slang used in the setting that Mike Pondsmith created. The dub is far closer to how that world sounds to the people living in it

[@golfer435]

I would argue that the original language for this show is actually English. Arguably, this was dubbed in Japanese but originally written in English.

[@aphelion2902]

I agree, I’ve always viewed the Japanese version as the dub

[@forsakedsorrow]

regarding humanity, this is spot on. Humanity is the stat in the tabletop RPG system, both Cyverpunk 2020 and Cyberpunk Red, deciding how many implant someone can handle. Thus, there's a theory the reason why Adam Smasher can handle becoming full borg is that his humanity is 0, which pretty much bugged out the system making him infinitely capable of taking implants.

[@chrisvargas2469]

2:00 I want to believe my girl hasn't watched Arcane yet

[@jordansblacklicoricemovies7792]

I am so grateful you made this video! You addressed things I discovered myself while also addressing new things I haven't thought of or heard before. I absolutely adore this anime. I'm currently watching it for the ninth time, and it's still just as good, if not better than the first time.

[@forsakedsorrow]

considering it's source material, I would say the JP VA is technically not it's original form, EN VA is.

[@СергейБатькович-п7г]

Another treasure of a video essay, thank you, Melon.

[@brittmconway]

Cyberpunk and Edgerunners is fantastic! Thank you for making me ( in the best way possible) relive the soul crushing moments and retraumatized feelz hahahah. NOOOOOOO David WHYYYY

[@loliverr0284]

As someone who has played the game I think cyberpsychosis is much more interested than the anime initially shows. The game hints to players that it is not a side effect from the tech but a mental health issue. My theory is that it is simply the result of losing your humanity. Those who have a strong connection to their humanity last longer like david and often familiar faces can bring one back from the edge. On the other side there are people like adam smasher who discarded their humanity long before the chrome, Adam smasher cant go physco because he already is/ he has no humanity to lose. We see david being very empathetic and caring, this is what kept him okay. David doesn't realise why hes resistant and distances himself from those around him. Him and lucy grow apart as she works away and david puts up walls around him so he wont crumble as people die. Rebecca notices this and she tries to help him but david was unaware of how important their friendship was. Those in power in Night city find value in labelling people cyberpsycho. They avoid the responsibility they have for the victims of their actions. MaxTac is shown in the game to be made up of ex-cyberpsychos who enjoy the killing. MaxTac itself proves they are not too far gone as the agents have some level of self controll. I think that because cyberpsychos have lost their humanity they kill indiscriminately. The weapons in their bodies act on people reflexively. You know how some people swat flies on reflex, cyberpsychos no longer see the difference between animal and human, their bodies are made to kill and the city encourages and normalises violence. Ultimately I think my theory makes the anime much more tragic. David thought he was immune and threw away his soft caring parts when those parts were what made him special. He was special because he was kind and caring in the brutal Night City. (also maybe V in game didnt suffer from cyberpsychosis because of Jhonny, they kept eachother connected and prevented isolation.)

[@tobination2779]

I can't believe that you haven't done a video about Mob Psycho 100. I belive it to be right up your alley

[@1suuuperfrankystan812]

Im gonna say this is one of few anime that should be watched in dub its what the show was made for and it takes place in what was California

[@Murci3l4go]

Amazing timing, I just finished rewatching Edgerunners a few days ago so it's fresh on the mind. Can't wait to enjoy this video :D

[@nik96nik]

This video, currently at 25:27, is incredible and important. Thank you for making this. It’s impacted me and I hope it impacts and influences others who aspire to make change real and attempt to make the world a place that won’t hurt people who only need help

[@jenkins2252]

I watch these shows and they hit me in the feels foreal. I watch your videos and it's like hitting the feels for the first time again. It's always dope how you make me see things I didn't see originally even if it's only a few here and there. Great video per usual ✊🏾

[@Danny-ky9tc]

Watched this in Spanish. I did it because the first few episodes capture what is like being a Latino in the U.S. Not being accepted in high class schools (even if your grades put you there) Not being able to afford Medical care. Heck that speech David's mom gave him on the car ride about her working so hard for him to have a future, that is a dialogue we have all had at one point with our parents.

[@alik3737]

Funfact: you can argue that there is no one original dubbing for Egderunners, but actually three due to it being created by people from Poland, Japan, and USA.

[@Natelovesdogs586]

LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOO I love this series and melontee’s video style

[@Olander123]

Roommate was like source ?: « trust me bro » but it’s amazing how edgerunners worked as coms for the game

[@stalhein62]

Man, it’s a terrible day for rain

[@alexmalik6204]

I watched this show a week ago, and it still lives rent free in my brain.

[@utsu0024]

It’s interesting you hung onto the humanity aspect because in the ttrpg this world is from humanity is literally the stat that dictates how much cybernetics you can have without risk of cyberpychosis

[@LeCanardBelge]

Netflix here, netflix there... pls aknowledge my dear studio trigger, they are such talented people and made so many masterpieces (like come on, the worst thing they ever made is Darling in the franxx and even that was a success)

[@Akispark]

The english translation is based on the speech of the game. If you read any of the shards you find from any random NPC, you'll see that the vulgarity of the dub is spot on. The Japanese language also doesn't have too many ways of being vulgar, it's rather the way how they say things, that make up the vulgarity. The dub is good!

[@WolffangLightwood]

English dub is actually the intended way to watch

[@gypseytails9053]

its makes it even more tragic in night city you can get treatment for cyberpsychoses but it ends with they want to pay and downgrade or end it on their own terms

[@joshua_lee732]

Trigger really was the perfect choice of studio for this anime.

[@alstoyle]

I agree with you regarding the subtitles and watching a show in its origional language, but this was written for English. night city has a very specific dialect with words and sentence structure that's unlike actual English, and the dub was scripted in in that dialect first I believe.

[@OB.x]

I finished the series and I see a lot of parallels to losing your humanity and the same way you lose your humanity through addiction and drugs. It's not justy legal drows either. People getting prescription drugs to boost their productivity in all that stuff. Then literally getting psychosis from it.

[@kingbooseph9538]

It’s awesome to see a raw perspective instead of a complete nerd out on the lore.

[@jonathanmcgraw4253]

This series does a good job showcasing what the cyberpunk genre has to offer to people.

[@chrishansen1842]

Just like a true One Piece fan to recommend you to Pirate your entertainment.

[@TildeQ]

After having seen both, Edgerunners feels like one of the few shows where the dub is better. Maybe it just feels right since Night City is in California? Idk (I also loved Zach Aguilar and Matt Mercer in JJBA, so that may be biased)

[@HiopX]

14:12 I raise that David had the only control of his life when he started running

[@BirthDateUnknown]

Perfect timing - currently planning a tabletop session for Cyberpunk: Red and this is perfect for getting into the setting's headspace.

[@azdart]

I am currently playing the videogame (now that Is completed Is amazing), and evry time I hear the song "I really want to stay at your home" there (u can hear "radio" in the Cars AND some radios in the gameworld) it hit me quite hard. Such a great soundtrack

[@InutehUnicorn]

A Mel video essay of a show I've never watched? Time to sit down and enjoy

[@SlimeKingK]

If there is a beauty to be shown in tragedy, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is that. I choose to live with the versions of the characters where they are their best for me. The end is what it is, but they’ll always be alive in memory.

[@Youcancallmeishmaell]

In this instance the English dub is the way the story is meant to heard.

[@SUTTYEA]

As someone who’s been absolutely in love with all things cyberpunk, 2077, Phantom Liberty, 2013, The Tabletop, edgerunners holds a special place in my heart as the first one to make me sob violently. If you’re reading this, go play cyberpunk 2077, it takes place a year after edgerunners and it’s so good.

[@amongstsus9201]

man, y'made me cry over edgerunner when i didn't think i could do it again... TWICE!!!

[@Vordt_]

As someone that loves the cyberpunk genre and bought the game on release, played it through in a week and then played it again when the series came out, there was this incredible feeling of nostalgia while watching the series. They use backgrounds in the anime that are locations in the game that you have frequented, where you can see things in the background that relate back to the incredible characters you partnered with in the game. For instance, the location you meet one of the main love interests for the first time (face to face at least) is a passing background location in the anime while David and Rebecca are walking near the end of the series. These moments may just be in passing, but they are HUGE when you see them after playing the game for a long time. They have truly done something different here, and I really want them to keep it up because the feeling to me is insane.

[@J85909266]

The way I saw it, Lucy was David's only salvation. He never had a chance in his circumstances. That's why when he met and fell in love with Lucy, he chose to protect her and make sure she got to go to live her dream. Despite him knowing with 100% certainty that he would end up just like Maine in the process. It's heartbreaking.

[@leakligot]

I loved this deep dive! I feel like along the same vein of exploring humanity within the sci-fi genre, maybe Netflix's "Pluto" would be a nice short series to talk about in the future as it's actually quite enjoyable and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

[@cyberneticmango7882]

I went into edgerunners having already put over 100 hours into the game, i knew Night City very well, and how much shit is in it. I wasn't sure how well the show would convey the complete and utter sinkhole of dreams and hope night city is, and i still wasn't sure because my family would constantly ask me questions about stuff bc they knew i was familiar with the setting, so i really appreciate the look into how well it's conveyed bc of your video.

[@CMoneyBounceHouse]

I decided to finally watch the series after seeing you post this video… I am now a different person than I was before… Everything is empty. I may never recover.

[@smilin9death984]

God first your banger OP videos now cyberpunk🎉, you treat us too well

[@Flameville]

Cyberpsychosis has more nuance than what you described but that’s attributed to the show kinda expecting you to know a lot of its foundations from the material is based from. I’d say it’s less tied to your past and more tied to a strong desire for something. David’s fall broke me and in his moments of insanity he still found it his heart to go through with making someone else dream possible and then you think about it and he never lived for himself. I mourned David the way I mourned for Ace, and pervy toad sage.

[@danielthedude]

I remember watching this right when it came out and...yeah I'm still not mentally recovered

[@Fahim14]

Woooo thanks for an amzing video Mel. Glad i could send this over. Great work as always choom 🌃

[@rionnachelliot8951]

I'm a trigger fangirl and I am in love with them taking on projects like this. Their Dungeon Meshi adaptation is going fantastic. Also I have to say I love that they got to throw in the classic Trigger Panty and Stocking style car chase at the end of Edgerunners. God I love the wacky over the top style of this studio.

[@Hey-Its-Dingo]

Because I knew a bit about the world of Cyberpunk, I found the predictability of which characters were going to die was even more tragic, because that's just the setting. In the TTRPG, the character building section tells you to always have 2 or 3 characters ready to go, because it is almost guaranteed that your first character will die in just a few sessions, if not the first.

[@soppingtrousers3313]

I think the predictably of the characters is very fitting for the show. The original tabletop game is super hard and it's designed around that fact that you will die. From a gameplay standpoint, night city is super harsh and hard to survive in. I think edge runners does an amazing job at keeping the original philosophy of the tabletop, using the world of the video game, and telling a unique and dope story.

[@benjamingrissom1828]

The anime is based off the video game that's based off the tabletop RPG- the franchise has been around since 88

[@kingace6186]

The scariest part about Cyberpunk 2077's world is the cold corporate society that crushes all humanity and freedom. Studio Trigger was the best anime studio to give this world a tragic and meaningful story. They always excel at portraying rebellion against oppressive tyrannical forces in a David vs Mega-Golaith way.

[@phylippezimmermannpaquin2062]

I should mention that the game makes it clear that cyberpsychosis may not be q result of having too much chrome and could be cured. People are being out down when they can actually be treated. Tho, maine might be a bit hard to help when hes the equivalemt of a gorilla with bazookas for arms

[@ninnoofthelastunicorn]

I can't watch this yet cause spoilers but I'm so proud of our smelly-melly

[@uchiepduong3952]

Ok but i just felt like Rebecca's death was too sudden to the point of feeling unwarranted.

[@Pimpgamer101]

I actually watched the english dub for this. Since there were english speakers on the staff that made it I figured it’d be good, and it’s easily one of the best dubs I’ve personally seen.

[@_unseenhunter_5093]

Can't believe my favourite one piece content creator is making a video on cyberpunk

[@primusfishing]

The place where Maine was running looks like “the freeway that was never finished” Panam was talking about. Idk the lore behind why it was never finished or by who. it was just a passing statement by Panam.

[@thomasffrench3639]

5:04 yeah, I wasn’t a weeb for a long time until recently, and I always watched stuff in subs unless it’s a mid century Italian movie where actors just spoke in their native language and everyone was dubbed over.

[@Kompy__]

Best studio trigger show, it felt so much more grounded than usual and rebeccas death demolished my soul to bits, all 21 grams

[@Giraffinator]

"I certainly enjoy watching things that are good" Any more hot takes like that, and you'll start seeing pitchforks

[@Laetus-Elaetus]

I just recently started watching this, so this'll be a vid I'll have to hit up later

[@moonknightish]

Original language is English, not Japanese. The screenplay wasn't written by a Japanese studio, but by CDPR

[@Zerigala1028]

Yesss thank you this series DESTROYED me

[@karu2596]

i will say that honestly the subtitles are rlly good because they take into account the slang created for this cyberpunk world all the way back in the 80s with the ttrpg, which then the game also used, the subtitles are actually more accurate to the source material than the japanese audio

[@anhduynguyen7102]

I literally finished this last night and this vid came out

[@Harichan13]

CyberPunk is a genre of it's own that deals with dystopian themes and the darkside of technological advancement and how it can warp society when given to powerful entities. The show is also based on a TTRPG that was made in the 80's and pretty close to lore of that game as well as the video game Cyberpunk 2077. even thought Trigger may have made the series CDPR most likely intended for their viewship to be mostly english speakers. they did a great job choosing a phenomenal cast of English VA and it looks like Netflix got super lazy and didn't bother translating the Japanese VA at all.

[@snoopystock6928]

I love this series so much

[@masido443]

Damn girl! Can I spend one dinner without existential crises and/or tear-filled eyes?! Great job at making me feel like this for the nth time, though.

[@koichihirose8279]

i wish there were more animes like this which link both games and entertainment it makes the game just really more enjoyable and worth to play before the anime I had played like 15 hours of cyberpunk and after it I have almost 300 hrs of gameplay

[@ciaux5643]

i am literally johnny silverhand.

[@gallanoir]

Fun fact: the show is based off the game, but the game is based off of the tabletop game! Its a fascinating tabletop, but its interesting how the game has distanced itself from the tabletop. The tabletop had some level of ableism with a loss of humanity with any type of resolution for disabilities. Its cool how you voiced how its a perspective of a dystopia through the effect of paychological cybernetics and the lack of emotions they can have compared to a human touch.

[@DuskNinjaKenji]

So just to add onto the Cyberpsychosis plot point, that’s one of the features of the Tabletop Roleplaying Game Cyberpunk 2020/Red that both the video game and anime are based on: the more cybernetics you implant on yourself, the more you lose points of your humanity score. The average score is about 50-60, and some cybernetics, depending on its grade and use, can take away between 5-20 humanity points per implant. And when your humanity drops to 0, you go beyond the point of no return and become a hollow killing machine whose only fate is to be gunned down to save someone else’s skin. The video game doesn’t really showcase this much, you can just put in cybernetics like they were weapons and armor in Skyrim, but the anime does a hauntingly impactful job in showing how terrifying being a cyborg, losing one’s humanity, can be and just how precious it is to be human. You could also argue that the implants as a suit of armor, meant to protect you and keep you from feeling any pain that being a human brings (especially in a place as cruel and dissonant as Night City), but the more you add on, the more you see just the armor and not the human underneath.