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Table of contents

Highlights

  • Cyberpunk genre has a global appeal due to its philosophical themes and fascination with technology, transhumanism, and identity.
  • Alita: Battle Angel anime is a decent introduction to the manga and live-action film.
  • Akudama Drive and Ergo Proxy are recent must-watch cyberpunk anime that offer engaging storytelling and cultural critique.

The cyberpunk genre is known for being very well-received outside of Japan. Perhaps this is because it was originally an occidental literary movement, or maybe because its philosophical approaches and inquietude about technology, transhumanism, and identity never cease to amaze and interest worldwide.

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Whatever the case might be, it is a fact that this genre has an amazing collection of work, and a good number of beloved shows 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.

Updated on January 30, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: The cyberpunk genre has exploded in modern times, and more people have come to love the unique aesthetic and engaging storytelling present in this genre. The fact that most of the best cyberpunk anime focus on the near future makes the setting more engrossing, but it's possible for certain shows to mess up the landing after capturing a viewer's interest early on. However, there are many cyberpunk anime that do justice to this genre and show exactly why so many people find these futuristic dystopias to be so engaging.

23 Battle Angel Alita

MAL Rating: 7.1/10

Alita
Battle Angel Alita
Mecha
Sci-Fi

Release Date
June 21, 1993
Creator
Yukito Kishiro
Studio
Madhouse

Most people know that Alita: Battle Angel is a manga that was adapted into a full live-action film that was a surprise hit, with many fans loving the action despite the uncanny look of the main character. However, what most people aren't aware of is that this manga was also adapted into a 2-OVA anime that's pretty decent in its own right.

While the truncated plot makes it harder to get invested in the series and its characters, this OVA is still a fine introduction to Alita: Battle Angel. It wouldn't be surprising to assume that most people wouldn't mind reading the manga or watching the movie after seeing this OVA, which is perfectly serviceable for its time.

22 The Animatrix

MAL Rating: 7.3/10

Cis in The Animatrix
  • Japanese Title: Animatorikkusu (アニマトリックス)
  • Studio: Various

The Matrix was one of the most ambitious sci-fi projects of its era, with the first movie becoming an instant classic. While attempts to build up on this film's success didn't bear as much fruit as expected, it was clear that this universe was rich and full of many amazing stories that would be a blast to uncover. This idea led to the release of The Animatrix, a collection of short stories in a feature-length film with varying animation styles that are pretty engaging in their own way.

The Animatrix was a glimpse into the vast potential left behind by The Matrix, and it's a shame that this void hasn't been filled since. Still, fans of The Matrix who haven't seen this amazing animated movie yet are missing out on something special, with this compilation doing a better job of conveying what The Matrix is all about than the three sequels ever did.

21 Akudama Drive

MAL Rating: 7.6/10

20 Akudama Drive

  • Japanese Title: Akudama Doraibu (アクダマドライブ)
  • Studio: Pierrot

This is another show that came out not too long ago but was able to capture the public's attention. 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.

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Akudama Drive reflects 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 a cultural critique of a police state make it a fresh and satisfying work, although the characters lack some depth. It is available to watch on Hulu and Funimation in the US.

19 Texhnolyze

MAL Rating: 7.8/10

Texhnolyze anime Ichise
Texhnolyze
Sci-Fi
Thriller

Release Date
April 16, 2003
Studio
Madhouse

A mind-bending experimental thriller directed by Hiroshi Hamasaki, this 2003 classic embraces what cyberpunk is supposed to be. In a Matrix-like subterranean society, the series follows Ichise, a clandestine fighter who will get immersed in a search for meaning that will put him in between the different factions ruling over the city of Lux. Each faction represents a certain philosophical point of view, as if a debate turned into a gang war.

Texhnolyze is a story about discovering the hidden truth and one's purpose or destiny. Ichise's journey has its moments where its detailed composition shines. Sometimes violent and dark, Texhnolyze might not be for everyone. But for fans of profound cyberpunk stories, this might be one of the best.

18 Ergo Proxy

MAL Rating: 7.9/10

17 Ergo Proxy

Ergo Proxy
Sci-Fi

Release Date
February 25, 2006
Studio
Manglobe

Ergo Proxy is a much darker and more thrilling show than Edgerunners. The series is set in a dystopian future where, after an ecological 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 take the city to ruin, all from the point of view of the Regent's (the city'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 immense value with its approach, but it also succeeds at making it exciting. The only thing this show has against is that it hasn't been published in a lot of places.

16 Paprika

MAL Rating: 8.0/10

15 Paprika

  • Japanese Title: Papurika (パプリカ)
  • Studio: Madhouse

This masterpiece by Satoshi Kon is the first film on this list. Paprika tells the story of Atsuki Chiba, a psychiatrist with a group of investigators in a major company. The company has developed a device, called DC Mini, that allows them to consciously navigate through dreams to 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.

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Once again, identity questioning is one of the central topics, while using a setting in a much more near future that brings the film a more relatable nature despite the fictional components. On top of that, the splendid work present in the shots and scenes by Satoshi Kon puts this film in an excellent position.

14 Serial Experiments Lain

MAL Rating: 8.1/10

13 Serial-Experiments-Lain-key-art

Serial Experiments Lain
Psychological

Release Date
July 6, 1998
Creator
Yasuyuki Ueda
Studio
Triangle Staff

Serial Experiments Lain is a cult classic that brought a unique approach and 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 who 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 who is at a key point of her life to construct her identity. It is available to watch on Funimation.

12 Trigun

MAL Rating: 8.2/10

Trigun
Trigun
Action
Sci-Fi

Release Date
April 1, 1998
Studio
Madhouse
Creator
Yasuhiro Nightow

The series based on the manga by Yasuhiro Nightow could be considered both a classic and a new release. The original anime adaptation came out in 1998 and continued long after the anime came to an end. This post-apocalyptic space-western follows Vash the Stampede, the most wanted outlaw with a bounty of $$60 billion. This show proposes the coexistence of advanced technology with a wild west life on a desertic planet. It also offers great action scenes and mysteries to unravel.

A new reimagined version of the show with the title Trigun Stampede debuted in January 2023. Although it's unfinished, it already offers a more colorful and exciting interpretation of the story. Both of them are great options. The original anime has 26 episodes, while the first part of Trigun Stampede accounted for 12.

11 Heavenly Delusion

MAL Rating: 8.2/10

Heavenly Delusion Trailer
Heavenly Delusion
Sci-Fi
Adventure
Mystery

Release Date
April 1, 2023
Studio
Production I.G
Creator
Masakazu Ishiguro

It's always a pleasant surprise when a show like this catches everyone's attention, even if it wasn't the most anticipated or the most popular series of the season. As is often the case with cyberpunk anime, Heavenly Delusion is set in a post-apocalyptic Japan. The story follows Maru and Kiruko and their journey to find "Heaven." Faced with powerful monsters and treacherous humans, they will need Maru's special ability and Kiruko's futuristic yet mysterious weapon to survive.

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At the same time, it also follows the story of a group of children living inside a top-of-the-line facility, something that should be in possible in the world Maru and Kiruku have to live in. This show's ability to build expectations and suspense, control the pace, and submerge the spectator into a thrill of mystery and doubt is unmatched. Already great with just 13 episodes, the show will only get better as Production I.G continues adapting the manga by Masakazu Ishiguro.

10 Akira

MAL Rating: 8.2/10

Akira Cover
Akira
Sci-Fi
Action

Release Date
July 16, 1998
Studio
Tokyo Movie Shinsha

The Akira manga gave birth to the cyberpunk genre in the manga/anime industry with its release in 1982. The anime adaptation, though it differs in some points from the manga (which was unfinished at the time the film was made), is considered alongside Blade Runner to be a major icon and reference for cyberpunk cinema. Akira put anime on 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 a biker gang, Tetsuo and Kaneda, stumble across a secret government project that intends to create mass destruction weapons by biologically engineering children. The themes, design, world-building, and animation presented in Akira are still a major cinematic influence.

9 Ghost In The Shell

MAL Rating: 8.3/10

8 Ghost in the Shell

Ghost in the Shell
Sci-Fi

Release Date
December 8, 1995
Studio
Production I.G
Director
Mamoru Oshii

All that is left to mention is the classics, the films that set the example for this genre to develop. They have been the subject of thousands of analyses 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 around the world.

Set in the year 2029, technology has evolved to a point where almost every part of the body can be switched to a cybernetic component while maintaining consciousness, which is referred to 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.

7 Psycho-Pass

MAL Rating: 8.3/10

6 Akane and Kogami holding Dominators

Psycho-Pass
Action
Thriller
Sci-Fi

Release Date
October 12, 2012
Studio
Production I.G, Tatsunoko Production

No one went as far as Psycho-Pass when it came to utilizing the cyberpunk genre to explore philosophical inquietudes. The show's detailed setting reflects an authoritarian society ruled by a system that automatically calculates a person's crime coefficient; in other words, their probability of committing a crime. If it goes over the established maximum, they can be detained or even executed. It also records their personality traits and their mental health. All together, this creates the Psycho-Pass, the form of identification in this futuristic world.

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Through the eyes of Akane Tsunemori, an Inspector of the police force that oversees the population crime coefficient, the show displays the holes and contradictions of this allegedly utopian society which makes it even more interesting given that she is a character with strong utilitarian values. The show is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.

5 Neon Genesis Evangelion

MAL Rating: 8.4/10

4 rebuild of evangelion shinji ikari

Neon Genesis Evangelion
Sci-Fi
Mecha
Drama

Release Date
October 4, 1995
Studio
Gainax, Tatsunoko Production
Directors
Hideaki Anno

There has always been debate about whether Neon Genesis Evangelion is cyberpunk, or even if it should be considered mecha. That debate only speaks to its complexity and depth. 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, gigantic weaponized robots, in the hands of a few selected children. One of them is Shinji Ikari, forced by his father Gendo Ikari to pilot Unit-01. What starts as a simple fight with robots quickly turns into a psychological thriller loaded with philosophical conjectures. Both the original series and the movies, including The End of Evangelion and the reboot, are a must-watch for anyone interested in the cyberpunk genre.