The cyberpunk genre has been around for a while. With the release of Cyberpunk 2077, and its anime spin-off, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, it feels like it has been getting a resurgence in people’s minds.
Naturally, anime fans want to watch more cyberpunk anime as well, but don’t know where to start. As such, here’s a handy list of series they might want to get into.
Ghost in the Shell (Koukaku Kidoutai) and its sequel, Innocence, are basically the go-to anime examples of cyberpunk. They set a lot of the standards for the genre and are incredible on their own, though the philosophical ideas behind them require some thought to fully understand.
The series, Stand Alone Complex, is great as well. It’s set in a different continuity, but still adheres to the cyberpunk genre rules. So, if you want to see more Ghost in the Shell, be sure to watch it.
Psycho-Pass
Psycho-Pass is a more modern take on the genre. That means it focuses on the oppressive government and social issues rather than on the aesthetic.
However, that doesn’t stop it from being good. On the contrary, it’s praised for its treatment of its topics. While the second season of the series isn’t exactly well-received, many fans praised the third season for being almost as good as the first one.
Serial Experiments Lain is arguably one of the most confusing anime ever made. It covers the topics of connection between people (including ones via the internet), and the thoughts it conveys are relevant even now — over 20 years after its release.
Lain is a fairly unique take on the cyberpunk genre. It shows what people of the 90s thought of technological development and portrays it in a very unusual way that many fans came to love.
Bubblegum Crisis was originally a series of 8 OVAs. Praised for its amazing animation and music, it became so popular that it spawned multiple spin-offs and remakes.
They all take place in a cyberpunk world of future Tokyo. And while you don’t need to watch the rest of the franchise, if you fall in love with the world, you can definitely try them out.
Akira isn’t exactly what you’d imagine when people say “cyberpunk,” but it’s definitely close enough. The movie is an insane action romp — and despite being released in the 1980s, it looks better than almost everything else that came after it.
There’s a reason it’s considered a classic: it combines crazy animation with a very unique world. That said, the storyline isn’t exactly finished. If you want to see more, be sure to check out the manga as well.
Will we see more of them in the future?
The cyberpunk genre has been around for a while. With the release of Cyberpunk 2077, and its anime spin-off, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, it feels like it has been getting a resurgence in people’s minds.
Naturally, anime fans want to watch more cyberpunk anime as well, but don’t know where to start. As such, here’s a handy list of series they might want to get into.
Ghost in the Shell (Koukaku Kidoutai) and its sequel, Innocence, are basically the go-to anime examples of cyberpunk. They set a lot of the standards for the genre and are incredible on their own, though the philosophical ideas behind them require some thought to fully understand.
The series, Stand Alone Complex, is great as well. It’s set in a different continuity, but still adheres to the cyberpunk genre rules. So, if you want to see more Ghost in the Shell, be sure to watch it.
Psycho-Pass
Psycho-Pass is a more modern take on the genre. That means it focuses on the oppressive government and social issues rather than on the aesthetic.
However, that doesn’t stop it from being good. On the contrary, it’s praised for its treatment of its topics. While the second season of the series isn’t exactly well-received, many fans praised the third season for being almost as good as the first one.
Serial Experiments Lain is arguably one of the most confusing anime ever made. It covers the topics of connection between people (including ones via the internet), and the thoughts it conveys are relevant even now — over 20 years after its release.
Lain is a fairly unique take on the cyberpunk genre. It shows what people of the 90s thought of technological development and portrays it in a very unusual way that many fans came to love.
Bubblegum Crisis was originally a series of 8 OVAs. Praised for its amazing animation and music, it became so popular that it spawned multiple spin-offs and remakes.
They all take place in a cyberpunk world of future Tokyo. And while you don’t need to watch the rest of the franchise, if you fall in love with the world, you can definitely try them out.
Akira isn’t exactly what you’d imagine when people say “cyberpunk,” but it’s definitely close enough. The movie is an insane action romp — and despite being released in the 1980s, it looks better than almost everything else that came after it.
There’s a reason it’s considered a classic: it combines crazy animation with a very unique world. That said, the storyline isn’t exactly finished. If you want to see more, be sure to check out the manga as well.
