Cyberpunk is one of the most fascinating sub-genres in science fiction and has been exploited numerous times in film and television in animated and live-action format, with creators even focusing their careers on it.
In recent years we have been able to see a real resurgence of the cyberpunk genre on the big screen, although it is not that it has never completely disappeared, it has simply begun to pay more attention to it in a mainstream way. This subgenre of science fiction has fascinated creators of all stripes for decades, and in the cinema we have seen great franchises rise in this setting, such as The Matrix (which will return to theaters with a fourth film) or Blade Runner and its sequel.
Recently we were talking about almost essential cyberpunk series and films, and it is true that a good number of the titles that we proposed were of Japanese origin ... the Japanese have made an art and a science out of creating cyberpunk works both for film and series: Ghost in the Shell, Alita, combat angel, Akira, Cowboy Bebop, Psycho-Pass ...
Cyberpunk is strongly linked to the new wave of science fiction that emerged back in the 60s and 70s of the last century, with writers such as Philip K. Dick or Harlan Ellison, who were disassociating themselves from the utopian and perfect fantasies that explored the genre previously and focused on a somewhat darker environment. Neuromancer, William Gibson's novel published in 1984 was crucial to the establishment of this genre, while in Japan Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira manga and its film adaptation catapulted the popularity of cyberpunk.
In cinema we began to see the first small teasers with Blade Runner by Ridley Scott, which precisely adapted one of Philip K. Dick's novels, and over the last decades it has been settling more and more in the audiovisual world with a list of productions behind their backs. But what is this about cyberpunk and why has it fascinated creators and the public so much? Why has it reached so much in our society through cinema and television?
A dark reflection of our society
As we said above, cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction, so of course it has certain futuristic elements and almost impossible by our current standards. Cyberpunk is so fascinating because in a way it allows us to explore what humanity could become in its darkest side.
This subgenre is characterized, among many other things, of course, by the terrible dystopias in which it is set, with immense social inequalities between rich and poor, with a part of society being especially vulnerable to the incredible technological advances that are no longer available. They are at the service of most of the population.
Already this base scenario is presented as a perfect environment to explore human relationships and reactions to this world, and it is also perfect to get into issues such as searches for identity, the importance of the individual in front of society or philosophical questions such as the existence of God and our purpose on earth. Come on, that becomes a cocktail with elements of existentialist science fiction and socially unequal dystopias, with what is already a more than appetizing canvas for many creators.
We like losers
Cyberpunk environments are corrupt, with important megacorporations or entities that control the world or the universe and that turn the individual into a smaller and smaller being in front of them. These stories fully transport us to huge stages, with large cities full of neon, glass and metal in which the protagonists live on the margins of society. These huge futuristic cities, apparently full of color and progress, end up in stark contrast to the poverty and marginalization of most of their inhabitants.
Because that's another, the protagonists are not usually clean and perfect heroes who fight for a common good and a bright future. The main characters in cyberpunk stories are usually antiheroes, criminals in the face of the laws established by large corporations, deserters and marginalized people who are far from being the cream of society.
This does not mean that our protagonist is a bad person, eye, but the fact that they are full of imperfections and have difficult things allows us to also want to see them succeed against the rest of the world ... even if the ending is not as happy as we hope, or have a bittersweet aftertaste. Because let's remember, this future that we have to live is not as perfect as we were promised.
As if all this were not enough, the cyberpunk genre marries perfectly with crime stories, investigations and noir, so it is not surprising that many creators have found themselves comfortable in cyberpunk settings.
Virtual worlds, transhumanism, endless cities, the margins of an unequal society... Cyberpunk is science fiction, yes, but a type of science fiction and futurism that seems to be closer to our own reality and that seems even a dystopian fable to warn us about how our present could become if we get too distracted.
