Anime’s relationship with science-fiction is well-documented, but beyond the plethora of Gunpla models and Evangelion cosplays, one subgenre stands out specifically for its animated content. Depicting a harsh projection of a near future for Japan and the world, cyberpunk is a genre rooted in the 1980s, but remains painfully timeless due to its persistently relevant themes.

With its visions of society ravaged by various forms of decay, outrageously powerful corporations, and a bleak aesthetic, cyberpunk allows anime’s creative sides to shine. It’s a subgenre that is still growing thanks to a surge in mainstream adoration of its offerings across TV, movies, and video games. But some cyberpunk anime are a cut above the rest.

Bubblegum Crisis

As a series of OVAs, Bubblegum Crisis is a short, yet surprisingly deep glimpse at Japan, annexed by the United States ostensibly to keep the peace. The anime dives into a society threatened by Genom and their Boomers, effectively androids used for ill means by Genom. This threat necessitates the A.D. Police and formation of the Knight Sabers.

Bubblegum Crisis is a fascinating product of 1987, where cyberpunk was still new. It’s got tight animation that stands the test of time, particularly for episodes #5-8, diegetic music to draw in the Macross fans, and a likeable main cast of characters. The series ages well, although it’s certainly best enjoyed with the original Japanese audio and English subtitles.

Ergo Proxy

Commonly shortlisted among the ill-fated Studio Manglobe’s best works, Ergo Proxy joined a year chock-full of acclaimed, bleak offerings. Sitting alongside hits like Death Note, Hellsing Ultimate, and Black Lagoon, Ergo Proxy was an original anime for the studio, with patience being preached to the viewers to let its philosophical message sink in.

Ergo Proxy’s story focuses on Re-L Mayer as she investigates a series or murders for the Intelligence Bureau. However, as she unearths the truth, in the cyberpunk tradition such as found in Deus Ex, she soon finds a vast conspiracy beneath the surface. With reveals of Proxies, pseudo-humans, and a fascinating ending twist, Ergo Proxy is a common must-see.

Texhnolyze

Among 10/10 cyberpunk anime, stories written by Chiaki J. Konaka will feel right at home. When not writing mind-bending seasons of the Digimon franchise, Konaka has penned some of the most upsetting, deeply memorable anime in the medium. Texhnolyze is not for the faint of heart, but when watching cyberpunk anime, it’s best not to expect a happy ending.

Set in Lux, as the world of Texhnolyze is falling apart, the anime follows Ichise, a pit fighter with a bitter past and unresolved family issues due to previous trauma. The story brings him in the middle of a conflict between warring factions, with ideals of human evolution and the threat of extinction at stake.

Ghost in the Shell

With an anime franchise rapidly expanding as we speak, Ghost in the Shell has become far more incredible beyond its Young Magazine run as created by Masamune Shirow. Its seminal 1995 movie is such a cyberpunk masterpiece, it’s regarded as on a level of book adaptations so revered it sits alongside Solaris and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Unlike many other cyberpunk anime regarded as 10/10 whether by reevaluation or a cult fandom who knew all along, Ghost in the Shell was a critical success that paved the way for other successful anime based on manga. While hunting for an initially predictable terrorist threat, the Puppet Master, Motoko Kusanagi’s journey would uncover a more complicated, human story.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

While itself another one of Studio Trigger’s more garish visual offerings, the anime far exceeds the quality of its source material, namely the vision of Night City rendered by Cyberpunk 2077. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ bold, stylish take on the game was a breath of fresh air, rehabilitating the game it was based on, and it’s hard not to see why.

Following David Martinez, the anime shows his struggles in a disparate society despite aspirations to join the uncaring Arasaka Corporation as an executive once he complese school. However, with a horrific tragedy leaving him destitute and desperate, David meets Lucy, who drags him into a more shady, but far less lonely, life. It’s also one of Netflix’s best anime ever.

Psycho-Pass

Unlike virtually all other great cyberpunk anime, Psycho-Pass has a reasonably long run under its belt as an original series. With two sequel anime and four movies, Psycho-Pass thrived under the direction of Naoyoshi Shiotani and Katsuyuki Motohiro and the exceptional animation of Production I.G.

Psycho-Pass tells the story of the Ministry of Welfare Public Safety Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Department with Inspector Akane Tsunemori as the protagonist of the first anime. It follows her as she watches over Enforcers, latent criminals as determined by their Crime Coefficient. However, as Akane soon learns, this raises the question whether freedom is worth trading for order.

Serial Experiments Lain

Chiaki J. Konaka’s most recognized work, Serial Experiments Lain is practically synonymous with great cyberpunk anime. It’s an excellent production out of Triangle Staff with an eerily prescient glimpse at a future addicted to technology, how it affects human identity, and how humanity perceives reality. It’s also an argument that an anime can be great without traditionally fluid animation.

The anime follows Lain Iwakura who follows the voice of an apparently dead classmate onto the “Wired”, where “God” can supposedly be found. As other forces attempt to collapse the barriers between the Wired and reality, Lain must face a decision as her role in these events grows more clear.

Akira

Much like Ghost in the Shell, Akira stands as one of the best anime movies ever made, and is commonly hailed in the mainstream for its prolific influence. The Akira bike slide is iconic and a fixture in stylish action cinema, and its striking animation, vibrant streaking lights, and horrifying final act accentuated by a powerful, almost primal musical score.

Even though Akira is a small taste of the manga it adapts, its story is poignant, set in Neo-Tokyo after a calamitous explosion. Hot-headed biker Shōtarō Kaneda is swept into a calamitous event as his friend Tetsuo Shima has a fateful run-in with an esper, whereafter Tetsuo gains uncontrollable psychic powers, unleashing chaos in a spectacular finale.

Most cyberpunk anime tend to thrive as shorter-lived affairs. This is because they exist to send a message and convey a meaningful visual experience beyond just building and delivering hype. This also makes it easier to recommend generational hits like Akira, and lengthier anime like Psycho-Pass, to those seeking a truly special cerebral experience.