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Hideo Kojima, Kazutaka Kodaka Praise Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Anime

Game creators Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear, Death Stranding) and Kazutaka Kodaka (Danganronpa) are among the legions of fans on Twitter singing praise for Studio Trigger's Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime series based on CD PROJEKT RED's Cyberpunk 2077 game.

Kojima tweeted on Tuesday: "I just watched 'Cyberpunk Edgerunners' in one sitting! Awesome! Great! Under the recent domestic anime situation, there was a feeling that famous Japanese studios were consumed by the overseas market, but not this one! This is a miracle of squeezing the trigger to the world! For my generation, the world view and visuals remind me of Yoshiaki Kawajiri's 'Cyber City OEDO 808'."

Meanwhile, Kodaka tweeted: "I like the anime 'Cyberpunk'. Including the difficult setting." He also took the opportunity to plug the Akudama Drive anime, his own narrative take on a cyberpunk setting, adding: "If you liked it, you might also like 'Akudama Drive'!"

Akudama Drive is an original anime created by Studio Pierrot and Too Kyo Games. It premiered in Japan in October 2020. Kazutaka Kodaka (Danganronpa game franchise) is credited with the original story draft.

The Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime premiered last Tuesday with 10 30-minute episodes.

Hiroyuki Imaishi (Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill, Promare) is directing the anime at Trigger, while Yoh Yoshinari (Little Witch Academia, BNA: Brand New Animal) is the character designer and animation director for the anime. The following are newly announced staff members: Hiromi Wakabayashi (Kill la Kill, Promare) as the creative director, Masahiko Otsuka (Star Wars: Visions ‘The Elder’) and Yoshiki Usa (SSSS.Gridman, SSSS.Dynazenon creative director) as the scriptwriters, Hiroyuki Kaneko as the assistant director, Yuto Kaneko and Yusuke Yoshigaki as assistant character designers, and Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill games) as music composer.

Netflix describes the anime:

The series tells a standalone, 10-episode story about a street kid trying to survive in Night City — a technology and body modification-obsessed city of the future. Having everything to lose, he stays alive by becoming an edgerunner — a mercenary outlaw also known as a cyberpunk.

CD Projekt Red released the "open-world, action-adventure story" for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in November 2020.

Sources: Hideo Kojima's English Twitter account, Kazutaka Kodaka's Twitter account