I'd say Akira is more BioPunk, but that may be a moot distinction.
this post was submitted on 28 Apr 2025
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Cyberpunk
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What is Cyberpunk?
Cyberpunk is a science-fiction sub-genre dealing with the integration of society and technology in dystopian settings. Often referred to as “low-life and high tech,” Cyberpunk stories deal with outsiders (punks) who fight against the oppressors in society (usually mega corporations that control everything) via technological means (cyber). If the punks aren’t actively fighting against a megacorp, they’re still dealing with living in a world completely dependent on high technology.
Cyberpunk characteristics include:
- Dystopian city setting where mega-corporations rule
- Full integration of technology into society, featuring cybernetic implants
- Outsider protagonists (punks) who often are very familiar with the technology around them
- Hard boiled detective and film noir vibes and influence
- Themes dabbling in trans-humanism, existentialism, and what it means to be human.
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I'd say Akira at least starts out cyberpunk with the biker gangs in the first half of the movie before going full-on biopunk in the second half. I get what you're saying though. That's why a while back I asked whether people thought eXistenZ was cyberpunk.
back when it was coming out biopunk and cyberpunk were a lot more genre fluid
Why not both?
Where's the guy who just likes William Gibson novels? (me)
I'm on my fifth Gibson book right now and I don't see myself stopping until I'm done with all of them.
No Ghost in the Shell?
I think the meme was going for more of the "weird" examples of cyberpunk rather than the staples of the genre. There isn't even Blade Runner on there.
There is a literal still of Bladerunner 2049 in it.
OK, it's more than an aesthetic, but it's also an aesthetic.
On this note, please stop me from making irrational decisions.
I'm here to help: buy it!
Everything else would be irrational <(￣︶￣)>
Perfectly rational!
What a steal...
Hey I mean, when has irrational, unrestrained, idenity-forming/confirming consumerism ever led to some kind of dystopia or something?
If you're gonna make an irrational decision, at least steal the thing instead of paying the fandom tax.
Be the punk.
Is it the manga or the anime?
I’ve been looking for a high quality edition of the manga 👀
I believe it is manga.
meanwhile:
According to this cyberpunk is anime.
Anime had a huge influence on the development of cyberpunk, yeah. Ghost In The Shell was equally as influential to the genre as Mirrorshades back in the day, for example, even though the former borrowed heavily from the latter.
Is it cyberpunk if it isn’t neon pink? /s
For me, 90% of the Cool Cyberpunk Stuff is just vibey stuff from 1990s - early 2000s European demoscene
Biopunk, solarpunk, and a few other *punk genres are literally just cyberpunk with a different aesthetic. The things that define them are more about where the tech of that world comes from/how it's made while the rest of the tropes are exactly the same.
Yes and no… Solarpunk is quite varied IMHO in the worlds they explore and the ways they grapple with capitalism, environmental issues, etc
I know Akira but could I get some help identifying the name and media type of the others?
Example: Akira - Movie, Baroque - PlayStation game
Blame! Is a manga about big places. One big place in particular, the nonsensical mega structure made by malfunctioning robots that is heavily implied to have replaced most of the solar system.
Genocyber is an old euroguru anime from the 90s, i haven't watched it but i know it's a classic and i plan on getting to it
If we're discussing Blame I'd shout out Biomega.
Would recommend for aesthetic, vibe, and world building. Somewhere between cyber and bio punk.
Garage: Bad Dream Adventure - PC game
I believe that black and white photo of the dude's face half-covered is from Tetsuo: The Iron Man.
Also, BLAME! Is a massive manga but it has an anime movie on Netflix.
Are there any left that haven't been identified? I think everything else has been mentioned.
What about the genre originator (The Stars My Destination)?
Excuse me while I go for a jaunt.
Can cyberpunk be transphobic?
Sure. See when gravity fails. Happens to be both transphobic and inclusive. One of my favorite series though.
when gravity fails.
Funny how I remember the fact that I read this, and I looked at the summary on wikipedia, but I totally don't remember anything about this book. Like it totally had no influence on me.
When you are a ghost in a shell, the shell can be literally any shape.
That's kind of my point and my reaction to seeing Cyberpunk 2077 on the list. Similarly to what you said, in Altered Carbon, you're just a stack that can be inserted into any body. I see no future that's not post-gender. Facial fillers being so prevalent is already a hint of what's to come, but when you have more serious augmentations, swap out body parts at will or mind upload, gender would be more like clothing or customizing a character's appearance in a video game. That said, cyberpunk is not necessarily an accurate representation of the future, hence the open question.
Sure gender disappears but this is due to the dehumanization/objectification and commodification of humanity rather than any sort of social advancement.
A lump of mental and meat has no gender.