Is Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Trigger's Most Mature Show Yet?

gamerant.com:

This article contains major spoilers for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.If you’re an anime fan, the name Hiroyuki Imaishi might ring a bell — he was the director of the classic mecha anime Gurren Lagann, and is better known these days as the founder of Studio Trigger and the man behind Kill La Kill, Space Patrol Luluco, and Promare. However, his most recent directorial effort, the Netflix original Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, strikes a decidedly different tone than his past works.

Edgerunners is unique among Studio Trigger’s filmography for a few reasons: for starters, it’s their first time producing an installment in a preexisting multimedia franchise. Additionally, as a series developed for streaming, it features much more graphic violence and sexuality than their past anime. However, there’s another sense in which Edgerunners is more mature than its fellow Trigger anime, and it’s arguably the most important distinction of all.

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Hiroyuki Imaishi — and by extent, Studio Trigger as a whole — has developed a distinct artistic style over the years. Simply put, Imaishi’s work is big, loud, and epic, with an emphasis on larger-than-life characters and over-the-top fight scenes. Big weapons, bigger robots, and melodramatic speeches are all recurring trends, often mixed with plenty of raunchy humor. And of course, the story is sure to end with the hero and villain facing off in deep space, no matter how little sense it might make. And sure enough, Edgerunners has plenty to offer in terms of sex, violence, and stylish visuals. However, it all takes place in a world that feels somewhat out of place within Trigger’s catalog.

While Imaishi often deals with sci-fi concepts in