Are you a Cyberpunk anime fan who can’t get enough of the genre? The post-apocalyptic setting, which is also futuristic, the throwback atmosphere, and the incredibly badass main characters! The entire setting is irrestible, isn’t it?
There are not a lot of cyberpunk anime, as it is not a major genre in the niche, but I have compiled a list of some of the best ones that I am aware of.
What Are Cyberpunk Anime?
Cyberpunk is a dystopian science fiction subgenre that focuses on a “combination of lowlife and high tech,” featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as AI and cybernetics, juxtaposed with societal collapse, dystopia, or decay.
The Japanese cyberpunk subgenre began with Katsuhiro Otomo’s manga Akira in 1982. Otomo’s 1988 anime film adaptation popularized the subgenre. Akira inspired Japanese cyberpunk works like Ghost in the Shell, Battle Angel Alita, Cowboy Bebop, and Serial Experiments Lain. 1982’s Burst City, 1985’s Megazone 23, and 1989’s Tetsuo: The Iron Man are early Japanese cyberpunk works.
List Of The Greatest Cyberpunk Anime Series
- Ghost In The Shell
- Psycho Pass
- Ergo Proxy
- Serial Experiments Lain
- No guns life
- Trigun
- Megalo box
- Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040
- Texhnolyze
- The Animatrix
- Cowboy Bebop
- DRAMAtical Murder
- AD Police
- Cyberpunk: Edgerunner
Cyberpunk: Edgerunner
This is an upcoming anime at the time of writing this article. However, it is already getting huge hype in the cyberpunk anime fandom, so it is safe to assume that it will make the list once it is released.
The story surrounds a kid surviving on the streets in a city of the future that is obsessed with technology. Like every other Cyberpunk story, body modification is a central theme of this anime’s plot. Despite the fact that he has nothing left to lose, he makes the decision to become an edgerunner, which is a type of mercenary outlaw also known as a cyberpunk.
AD Police (Retro Cyberpunk Anime Series)
As the current wave of criminal activity in Genom City continues to worsen, the A.D. Police are under increasing pressure to put a stop to the increasing number of mutating cyborgs known as VOOMERS.
During the entirety of this crisis, the personal relationships that exist between the members of the elite team of robot hunters are put through tremendous amounts of strain.
When Special Officer Kenji Sasaki finally comes around to the idea of accepting Hans Kleif as his new partner, he takes an unprecedented leap of faith.
However, he must still battle his own personal demons if he is ever going to survive the threat that faces the A.D. Police. Additionally, he must get to the bottom of this technological mystery and prevent the VOOMERS from turning Genom City into a high-tech wasteland.
DRAMAtical Murder
Toue Inc. bought the Japanese island of Midorijima to build a luxurious utopian prison. Its residents are the world’s richest. After Platinum Jail was completed, the island’s original residents were abandoned and moved to the Old Residential District.
Rib and Rhyme are popular island games. In Rib, gangs fight turf wars, while in Rhyme, players fight in virtual reality. Rhyme requires a “All-Mate” (an AI that looks like a pet) and a “Usui” to mediate.
Aoba Seragaki prefers a quiet life with his grandmother and All-Mate, Ren. Aoba’s hopes of living a normal life are dashed after being forced into a Rhyme match and hearing rumors about missing Rib players.
Cowboy Bebop
There is not a single otaku who belongs to this generation who has not at least heard of this legendary cyberpunk anime.
The events of Cowboy Bebop take place in the utopian future year of 2071, when humanity has successfully colonized all of the planets in the solar system. The movement of people and goods between solar systems has become increasingly common.
Bounty hunters are enlisted to assist the Intergalactic Police in bringing violent offenders to justice so that the galaxy as a whole can continue to function normally.
One such bounty hunter is Spike Spiegel, who travels from world to world, engaging in battles and bringing criminals to justice in exchange for monetary rewards.
The Animatrix
Witness the true beginning of the Matrix in this cyperpunk anime series.
See how humans created machines and how the machines rebelled against their masters.
Learn the effects of the great war that humans and machines fought, which in the end resulted in the destruction of humanity.
Watch the ship Osiris and its efforts to warn the remaining humans of the imminent attack. Follow a hero who happens to break free from the Matrix. Investigate the exploitation of a glitch in the overall system. Watch the story of the Child and how he was discovered by Neo. Journey with an investigator who tracks the well-known hacker Trinity. And discover the secrets of the Matrix in other wondrous ways.
Texhnolyze
People in Lux city live in fear and despair under the rule of criminal gangs. Almost isolated from the surface, the gangs’ only contact with the outside world is their “raffia” mining operation.
Only available in Lux, this rare substance is used in “texhnolyze” transplants to replace body parts with cybernetic prosthetics. These don’t trigger an immune response in their hosts, so “Class” can study them.
Keigo Oonishi is a self-righteous man with texhnolyzed legs who hears the “voice of the city.” He is delegated executive authority to Organo, an organization specializing in cybernetics.
A mysterious visitor named Kazuho Yoshii commits a series of crimes that pits Lux’s gangs against each other. In the chaos, Ichise, an ex-boxer mutilated by Organo and texhnolyzed by Eriko “Doc” Kamata, and Ran, a young florist who can see the future, emerge. As Lux descends into madness, Ichise and Ran face the city’s worst crisis.
Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040
Following the devastating earthquake that struck Tokyo, a new city known as MegaTokyo has emerged from the rubble in its place.
Humans now live side by side with androids known as Boomers, who perform many of the menial and laborious tasks that humans despise.
However, these artificial servants come with a price: they have a tendency to go haywire and attack the humans they were built to serve.
Boomers are able to do this because humans despise these tasks. The A.D. Police force was established in an effort to put a stop to this threat. However, the weapons at their disposal can only serve to aggravate the Boomers.
The fate of MegaTokyo rests in the hands of the Knight Sabers, a group of four young women armed with high-tech, armored suits and enough firepower to stop an army. However, the question remains: will this be enough to stop MegaTokyo’s most dangerous threat?
Megalo box (Cyberpunk Boxing Anime Series)
Megalo Box is an advanced form of boxing that incorporates the use of mechanical limbs, also known as gears, in order to compete. The gears allow the wearer to increase their speed as well as their power.
Junk Dog is a skilled boxer; however, in order to comply with the directives of his boss, Gansaku Nanbu, he is required to throw his matches in order to make money.
All of this changed after he had a fight with Yuuri, who was the champion of the Megalo Box.
The champion competed against Junk Dog in a match held in an underground location and won the match after only one round of combat. After that, he went on to provoke Junk dog into challenging him in the official boxing match if he was going to take boxing seriously.
This event ignited a fire in Junk dog’s heart, and as a result, he became determined to engage in a rematch with the champion in the context of an official bout as soon as possible.
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Trigun
Vash the “Stampede,” also notoriously known as “The Humanoid Typhoon,” is the subject of a significant reward for information leading to his capture. People are so terrified of him that even mentioning his name makes them quake in their shoes. According to the urban legends, he is notorious for leaving a trail of blood behind him wherever he goes.
But the truth is that Vash is a carefree airhead who is fixated on donuts and has never been responsible for the death of another person. If what you say is true, then why does everyone be afraid of him and why does he have such a large bounty? What kind of life did he lead in the days gone by? This anime, which is modeled after the wild west and has a runtime of 26 episodes, reveals everything.
No guns life
After the war, a post-apocalyptic setting serves as the backdrop for the cyberpunk anime series known as No Guns Life. The technology that was utilized during the war to create cyborg soldiers has recently been made available to the general public.
Those individuals who made the decision to replace their natural limbs with artificial ones were referred to as “Extends.” Over Extends was the name given to the cyborg soldiers that were deployed as weapons during the conflict.
One such over extend is Juzo Inui. He owns and operates a consultancy that focuses on resolving issues that are a result of extends.
However, his everyday life is thrown into disarray when an odd Extend hires him to protect an unconscious child. Seems like the child has some unkown pursuers.
Who is that youngster? Why is someone trying to get him? Where can we find out more about the threats that are hiding in the shadows? And what role does Juzo Inui play in all of this? That’s what No guns life is all about.
Serial Experiments Lain
The words “I have only abandoned my body, I still live here” were written in an email that Chisa sent to her friends several days after she committed suicide and passed away.
Lain has neither the desire nor the experience to handle basic technology. However, opening the email leads her to a virtual world of communication networks similar to the internet.
Lain’s life is upended by cryptic mysteries. Men in Black start following her around, asking her questions and knowing more about her than she does. As reality and cyberspace blur, Lain experiences surreal and bizarre events where identity, consciousness, and perception take on new meanings.
Serial Experiments Lain is a psychological avant-garde mystery series by Chiaki J. Konaka, author of Texhnolyze. It follows Lain as she makes choices that affect both the real world and the Wired. Lain will realize their significance in closing one world and opening another.
Ergo Proxy
In a barren future, A.I.s control all aspects of life in mechanized dome cities.
In this world, humans are manufactured on a production line, and autoreivs live alongside them. Re-l Mayer is one of the few residents of Romdeau who can think.
Her grandfather’s position and Daedalus’ affection have given her more free will than usual. But Re-l has begun to question the city’s sanctity and the citizens’ perfect way of life.
With proxies causing havoc and Vincent influencing her life, Re-l must travel outside the city to find answers and discover the mystery behind “the awakening.”
Psycho Pass
In the future, Sibyl orders every aspect of life. It can read each resident’s mental state and predict who will commit crimes in the future based on aptitude tests.
Akane Tsunemori is a new Inspector who works to catch latent criminals and prevent crimes. Some caught criminals join the police force as Enforcers to gain insight into criminals’ minds.
Akane is warned not to get too close to them because they’re considered hunting dogs. Akane is skeptical of Sibyl’s advice but determined to work with her Enforcers to protect her city’s peace.
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Most Popular Cyberpunk Anime Of All Time)
It is the year 2029, and while many people are hastening to accept the changes that cybernetic technology will bring to mankind. The scummier side of mankind is even quicker to capitalize on the opportunities it presents.
In this television series, the protagonists follow the activities of Public Peace Section 9, a government agency that works covertly to apprehend the most dangerous of these criminals.
Come along with Major Motoko Kusanagi and her team as they guide you through a world that is incredibly vivid and filled with plots that are rarely seen to have such depth and intrigue.
