Something you don't need to binge (much).
A lot has been said about cyberpunk in anime, and we already did that, too, mostly focusing on how exactly the genre is portrayed through the lenses of Japanese culture. Some shows became staples in the entertainment industry — Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Psycho-Pass, and others. But in this cyberpunk-related list we want to focus on some of the lesser-known releases, specifically ones that you can finish in one night — so you can spend the Saturday watching it and the Sunday analyzing what you just experienced.
Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01
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In this OVA cyberpunk merges heavily with mecha: the plot is about a mechanic trapped in a robotic suit who got lost in Shinjuku, but the portrayal of simple daily life, the general aesthetics, and the focus on the urban landscape are what makes this 40-minute animation more cyberpunk-ish than mecha. Sure, there are a lot of battles in mecha suits with huge tanks in this one, but it all happens on the streets of futuristic Shinjuku, where the mechanic tries to live a normal life while trapped in a huge suit, giving this urbanistic vibe. And the cinematography is amazing even compared to modern works.
Dominion Tank Police
If you think that Ghost in the Shell, released in 1996, is too serious, try watching this one. It's a prequel to the manga Dominion, written by the author of Ghost in the Shell — Shirow Masamune, and the animation is much funnier and more humorous than the GitS one. The short movie depicts the first days of a rookie who just joined the tank police force of a mega-city and how she and her squad battle a gang of cyborgs.
Angel Cop
What's interesting about this one is that it mixes cyberpunk with supernatural motifs, combining fantasy with science fiction in a colorful yet perfectly digestible mix. This combo of the usage of psionics hand in hand with high tech and offers a surprisingly convoluted and highly political plot in just six episodes. It feels, though, that the story had to become a bit too condensed, but the series still offers an interesting angle on the cyberpunk world — one in which psychic abilities can be hacked by tampering with a genetic code.
Cyber City OEDO 808
This three-episode series mixes old and new. Old: there was a traditional Japanese policy of recruiting convicts as police officers to reduce their sentences, and the show is based on this premise. New: it all happens in a futuristic version of Tokyo called Oedo in 2808. Three criminals who had a history of hacking ended up working for Cyber Police, both out of boredom and because they wanted to get out of their confinement. This series focuses more on style rather than morals, but it does it really well.
Armitage III
We're going to Mars in this one! And we're tracking human-like androids who decided to integrate themselves into human society — or, well, not we, but the protagonist. This four-episode show is stunning in terms of backgrounds, animation, and overall direction. It seems to be heavily influenced by Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, but the worldbuilding in this one and the presentation of the concepts that were explored in the book is fantastic. There's a sequel to this one called Dual Matrix that is a bit less interesting in terms of production, but it deals with the impact of automated vehicles and the rights of sentient robots.
Dimension W
This is the one where physics and high tech border on magic: humans discovered another dimension called Dimension W that can be used as an infinite source of energy. But capitalism, once again, ruined everything: the production of devices used for harvesting and storing this energy was monopolized by one company with a very fitting name. There is a detective story that unravels in this world, filled with action, twists, and interesting characters. The protagonist, for example, doesn't use the new energy and drives an old-school combustion-engine car. And yes, it's a 12-episode series.
Mardock Scramble
A woman is killed, but one good old doctor turns her into a cyborg. And with her new body and new powers, she goes on a path of revenge, adamant about making the person who killed her (and other women) pay. The story is simple, but what makes it engaging are the visuals. The design is amazing, and the main character is loveable despite her story. It has a lot of violence and nudity, but those of you who'd like to watch something modern with a female cyber assassin will be pleased.
Megalobox
Who wanted a sports anime in a cyberpunk setting? This one here is about the futuristic version of boxing that uses cybernetic enhancements to make the sport more bloody and entertaining. It focuses mostly on the sports part, but doesn't skimp on a cyberpunk aesthetic. The overall feeling of the world is similar to Battle Angel Alita: it's not as gritty and neon-lit as it could be and has a brighter color palette, which may be a good thing for those who are tired of the general dark blue color scheme that prevails in cyberpunk shows. And okay, it's a full 13-episode season of anime, but you can finish it in one night, right?
Akudama Drive
Futuristic Kansai seems thriving, but in the darkness of the alleys lies Akudama — a criminal association that consists of those who escaped justice. Police, however, are not as useless as usual and managed to capture one of the most famous criminals and are preparing for his execution. Some of the parties want it to go smoothly while others offer money to free him. The main gem of this series is the story — it's realistic, no one has plot armor, and every character reacts believably to the events that transpire over the 12 episodes of the show. And the action is vivid.