'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2', the follow-up to 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners'—which received immense praise for blending striking visuals with an even more memorable story and cast of characters—held a VIP premiere in South Korea.
The premiere featured an advance screening of Episode 1 of Edgerunners 2, followed by a Q&A session with CDPR General Producer for Edgerunners Satoru Honma and Studio Trigger Vice President Yoshiki Usa. Producer Satoru Honma has been involved in producing the Edgerunners series at CDPR since 2017, while Vice President Yoshiki Usa serves as executive producer following his work on the previous season, overseeing planning and development at Studio Trigger.
Regarding Episode 1 of Edgerunners 2 shown at the screening, per the studio's request, we can only touch upon general impressions. To put it briefly, it feels somewhat more like a traditional Japanese anime than its predecessor. Judging solely by Episode 1, the overall tone is also noticeably darker.
All four main characters who have been revealed make an appearance in Episode 1, and it should be quite engaging to see their respective backgrounds and how their relationships unfold. Of course, it is difficult to judge the overall mood or character development based on a single 20-minute episode alone, but personally, Talia and King felt much more impactful and intriguing in the actual episode compared to what was previously shown in teasers.
Unsurprisingly, the difference between the Japanese and English voice tracks seems to have a significant impact on the show's atmosphere. While the main episode was screened with Japanese audio, the main trailer shown after the episode was in English, and the difference stemming from the voice acting felt quite distinct.
What kind of story will Edgerunners 2 deliver this time about those living on the brilliant "edge"? The show will be released exclusively on Netflix on October 20.
Q&A Session "Please Look Forward to Edgerunners 2 Without Any Preconceptions"
This is a question you must have heard dozens of times, but is David Martinez really dead?
Satoru Honma = I think I've heard this question thousands of times, not dozens. Bartosz Sztybor, who serves as writer and showrunner at CD Projekt Red, has publicly stated on multiple occasions that David is definitely dead, so he is likely dead.
The Cyberpunk universe, including the original game 'Cyberpunk 2077', has film noir elements built into its genre identity. Since David and his crew were ultimately criminals who killed people without hesitation, perhaps that kind of ending was inevitable. Please watch 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2' yourself to see what ultimately happens to its main characters.
Yoshiki Usa = When I first heard the question, I was really surprised. I was amazed that anyone could watch the final episode of the previous season and still think there was a possibility David might not be dead. Of course, there are plenty of characters in other works who were thought to be dead but turned out to be alive. So I won't explicitly comment on David's life or death.
However, if viewers ended up wishing David were still alive, it is proof that he ran all the way to the edge—to his absolute limits—as a cyberpunk, so I think David himself would be satisfied.
Was there any unexpected fan reaction after Season 1 was released? In particular, were there any characters or scenes that received surprising responses?
Satoru Honma = Above all, the fact that it achieved such massive success globally, including in Korea, was itself unexpected. Studio Trigger is an animation studio known to any anime fan, but CDPR was a complete newcomer to the field of animation.
Even so, in order to preserve CDPR's identity within the show, we needed a learning process step by step to figure out how strongly we should push our creative opinions with Trigger. As a result, the fact that a work was created for both Trigger fans and CDPR fans to enjoy was also unexpected. I'm truly thrilled with that outcome.
Yoshiki Usa = I feel similarly. Commercial success isn't something you can simply target, so we focused as much energy as possible on making a good show first.
What was unexpected was how many more people started playing Cyberpunk 2077 after the anime was released. It was fantastic to see both the anime and the game receive praise.
We created the show with the utmost respect for the original game, and players returning to the game indicates that the direction we pursued was correct. We are glad to repay CD Projekt Red through the game's success, and because we ourselves are deeply attached to the game, it makes us even happier.
Also, I wrote the screenplay for Episode 6 where Rebecca appears, and if I had known everyone would fall in love with Rebecca like this, I would have put even more effort into writing her (laughs).
Among Korean fans, there is still debate over whether David was truly "special." What qualities of David do you think made him special?
Satoru Honma = From CDPR's perspective, when we first wrote the script, we approached the project with the view that no one in Night City is special. The traditional Japanese anime trope where a young boy gains special power and performs heroics with it differs somewhat from the storytelling of Western studios like CDPR.
I won't give a definitive answer as to whether David was genuinely a special existence. However, I think David himself believed that he was, at least.
Yoshiki Usa = As a character, David has no special lore or setup built into him. If I had to point to anything, it would be that he happened to obtain a Sandevistan by chance and had a higher tolerance for implants than an average person. However, even that isn't a unique or unprecedented form of specialness in Night City.
I feel a bit apologetic saying that there is nothing special about his lore setup. But that's strictly speaking about the setting; if there was something special about him, I think it resided in David's heart, the actions stemming from it, and the results. There was no special setup, but there was a distinct "David-ness."
Humans are fragile, so most people wouldn't risk their lives to fulfill a loved one's dream, nor would they pick a fight with Adam Smasher single-handedly for that dream. But David did. I think that in itself is what defines David.
I cannot give a definitive answer about his specialness. However, I feel the fact that there is a cocktail named after him at the Afterlife serves as one point of judgment.
What do you think is the appeal of the Cyberpunk genre? And where do you see the Edgerunners series fitting into it?
Satoru Honma = Personally, what pleased me most when working on cyberpunk media was that there are many elements based on Japan. Although companies like Arasaka mostly appear as villains, it's still nice to see Japanese culture and corporations featured in the work.
However, in Edgerunners, we had no intention of forcibly pushing Japanese elements to the forefront. In the Cyberpunk 2077 game, there is a very famous melee weapon, the katana. The fact that it didn't appear in the anime is a good example of this approach.
Yoshiki Usa = The cyberpunk genre mixes various elements, and having many Japanese or Asian elements is one of its key features.
However, unlike traditional cyberpunk works—such as Blade Runner with its dark, decadent atmosphere and constant acid rain—Cyberpunk 2077 features blue skies. That in itself was wonderful and striking, and from Studio Trigger's perspective, we thought it was extremely appealing. While it contains many Japanese and Asian elements, being able to portray a bright and vivid world felt great.
There was no special intention behind the absence of katanas. It was simply because Director Imaishi loved guns so much on the previous season. As we discussed whether to include this gun or that gun, we just didn't have time to fit swords in. Furthermore, animating sword fighting motions is inherently complex and difficult to produce.
What was the topic of the most heated discussion between Trigger and CDPR during the production of Edgerunners 2?
Yoshiki Usa = It's hard to speak specifically because it could be a spoiler or give hints about future developments.
Without giving things away, the direction proposed by CDPR was difficult to execute from an animation standpoint. But rather than giving up because it was tough, there's a reward in overcoming difficulties, so we worked on it with a mindset of refusing to lose.
CDPR's requests leaned closer to a live-action approach, so we spent a lot of time agonizing over how to translate that into drawing and animation. Also, if you keep adding everything you want, a 21-minute anime turns into 30 or 40 minutes, so the production process itself was a challenge.
Another point of discussion was that Edgerunners 2 focused on capturing the feel of classic anime through modern technology. Because of that, I think the director and art director worked extremely hard, and the staff on set had a tough time as well. Since I don't draw, I didn't suffer through that struggle personally (laughs).
Satoru Honma = From what I observed, there was considerable discussion regarding the design of the character Talia.
Besides the design already revealed, Talia has various other designs prepared. It's difficult to elaborate due to spoilers, but there was an immense amount of discussion between both companies regarding Talia's design.
For example, Talia is a character deeply devoted to the doctrine of Maelstrom. Anyone who played the game knows Maelstrom is famous for grafting a large, red optic unit onto the center of the face. So we discussed whether to give the female lead such a massive red optic on her face, how to incorporate Maelstrom elements, and how far we should go with bold choices.
Talia is not 100% Maelstrom, so making her look somewhat half-committed to Maelstrom was actually an intentional choice.
There are probably many fans hoping for a romance between D and Talia. Is that something they can look forward to?
Satoru Honma = I had no idea fans were hoping for a romance between the two (laughs). Please watch the show to see how their paths cross.
What I can say, however, is that family is one of the key themes in Edgerunners 2. Considering that D comes from a Nomad background, the concept of family is an important element for him as well. I hope viewers pay special attention to the significance of family in the story.
Yoshiki Usa = Romance between D and Talia? I'd like to say "no comment" to that (laughs). In fact, romance wasn't a central theme in the previous season either. We didn't view it as a major priority during production. The rules of Night City and noir themes were among the key elements, but romance wasn't. Yet, as a result, the previous season ended up having romance after all.
This new series aims to present a theme and story very different from the first season. What we aim for and try to depict is quite different, but if viewers feel romance in it, perhaps those elements exist too. The best thing about an original work is that you don't know the ending until you watch it. Please look forward to Edgerunners 2 without any preconceptions.
Finally, do you have any closing words for Korean fans looking forward to Edgerunners 2?
Satoru Honma = Thank you to all the Korean fans who showed so much love for Edgerunners. Recently, thanks to the efforts of the CD Projekt Red Korea team, Edgerunners merchandise such as apparel has been increasing in Korea. It makes me very happy to feel the anime's popularity in Korea.
Edgerunners 2 is actually a completely new story rather than a direct sequel. Although Director Igarashi, who worked on the previous season, is participating again, everyone approached production with a fresh perspective and mindset. Once Edgerunners 2 is released, I hope you watch it through to the end and share your thoughts. Thank you so much for all the love and affection you've shown for Edgerunners.
Yoshiki Usa = Being able to present a follow-up titled 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2' is above all thanks to everyone who enjoyed and praised the previous season. Truth be told, when we were making Edgerunners Season 1, there were no plans for a sequel at all.
This work is completely different from the first season. However, because the core concept is based on Night City in the world of Cyberpunk 2077, it may seem like an entirely separate story while still being connected. That connection might make certain things possible, so please watch it until the end.
The moment a work is released, it leaves the creators' hands and lives on in the hearts of those who watch it. I would love to hear what emotions you feel after finishing this series. If you get the chance, please share your thoughts. It would make me truly happy if both the previous season and this new work remain in your hearts for 10 or 20 years to come.
