Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, a stunningly drawn video game with eye-searingly vivid settings and character designs, caused a stir when it was released a few months ago. What animation is genuinely capable of is on display in David Martinez's tale of a society that is both incredibly technical and painfully unjust.
While David’s journey is a gripping coming-of-age tale of revenge and ambition, not all of Edgerunners' narrative choices seemed to be wise. The time skip between the first and second part, for example, served to show David’s physical change, but it might have slowed down the pace of the show, resulting in a less-than-satisfactory ending.
David's physical and psychological changes were visible due to the time skip
David's body has entirely changed between Episode 6 and Episode 7, going from being that of a skinny child to an amazingly muscular man with a full series of implants, even though the period between the two episodes is never indicated in the show. David has undergone a startling transformation, and if that was the goal, it was achieved effectively: he is hardly recognizable.
Along with his physical appearance, his personality has also changed; the unsure, impulsive, and innocent adolescent is now a revered figure and devoted boyfriend. His friendship with Lucy also demonstrates how she changed from being aloof and uncaring to being able to love and be loved in return. Although Lucy is no longer an edge runner, she appears happier and more content in her relationship with David.
Even if all the implants are obviously having a negative impact on David's psyche, he initially comes across as composed and confident in himself. Ironically, the time jump serves to demonstrate that, despite the passing of Maine and Dorio, nothing in this warped world has changed and probably never will.
Without the time skip, Cyberpunk Edgerunners' ending would have had more impact
Although the time leap in Cyberpunk Edgerunners undoubtedly increased the shock value of David's physical transformation, it's possible that it had the opposite effect. Despite Maine's death is a crucial turning point in the narrative, its effects are diminished because the audience never sees what happens just after. Months (or more) have passed by the time David returns, and he has already transitioned from mourning to acceptance. Without the time jump, the authors could have used David's wrath as fuel for his decisive conflict.
The opponent doesn't change, but his actions don't have the same effect as they would have if they had happened just after Maine and Dorio were killed. The main purpose of the time skip was to give the audience a chance to recover their breath prior to the end, which was a bad decision considering that the writers wanted the viewers to be moved and excited by the decisive battle. Faraday is still the evil character hiding in the shadows since the world and its laws haven't altered.
It was possible to manage David and Lucy's metamorphosis differently. To demonstrate David's training, they could have used a montage, as they did in the first few episodes, or they could have shown David's desperate attempt to get stronger by implanting him with more and more devices and showing the repercussions on his body and brain as they materialized.
While it doesn’t necessarily ruin Edgerunners, the time skip could have been dealt with better or even avoided. David and Lucy’s relationship had been growing since the very beginning and David’s physical metamorphosis had started in Episode 1, with his first implant. A wiser choice would have been to show the effects of Maine’s death on both of them: on one side, grief and hopelessness, and on the other, a hunger for a quiet and peaceful life finally devoid of war -- both potent catalysts for an explosive final arc.