Review Genocyber 👹A Confusing Plot, Focused on Deaths and More Deaths

Welcome to another art post here in the community.

You know when you watch something that leaves you kind of lost, kind of shocked, but deep down you feel like you've seen something different? That's what happened to me when I finished watching

Genocyber.

And man, what a crazy anime.

I had heard about this title a long time ago. I knew it was old, I knew it was heavy, but I had never actually sat down to watch it. Lately, I decided to give it a try. I like anime from the 90s, especially when it has that dirty, somewhat distorted look, very Akira-style.

And Genocyber goes in that direction, but in a more aggressive, raw way.

Remembering that I shared a review of Akira in the community. Here: Review AKIRA (1988) 💊 The Masterpiece That Redefined Animation and Stands the Test of Time

Ugly, but beautiful visuals?

The visuals are the first thing that grab anyone's attention.

They're ugly and beautiful at the same time, you know?

It's not that clean and polished art style we see nowadays. Everything is kind of crooked, full of shadows, blood, flesh, metal, destruction. It feels like the anime's world is always about to explode and sometimes, it actually does. There were scenes where I stopped and thought, damn, did they really show that??

It's a hopeless world, where people mean nothing and technology only exists to destroy faster.

It really reminded me of Akira in that sense, but Genocyber takes it further.

While Akira tries to show that maybe there's still a way out, Genocyber basically screams that it's all over. Humanity lost, and what's left is only pain.

Where is the protagonist?

The anime doesn’t have a clear protagonist.

It revolves around a creature called Genocyber (ironically), which appears in different situations, but always bringing tragedy. It’s a mix of machine and psychic power, a bizarre thing that feels alive, but at the same time, feels like nothing but concentrated pain and rage. And when it shows up, you know things are about to go bad.

Something I found interesting is how the anime mixes science fiction with something more spiritual, almost mystical I'd say.

It’s not just a robot killing people.

There’s something deeper behind it, like the anime is trying to say that there’s a price for everything we do with technology. And that price always comes back, in a very violent way.

I admit I didn’t understand everything.

The story is kind of messy, shifts scenes, switches characters, and sometimes feels like nothing makes sense.

Gratuitous death? Or just a faithful representation?

But at the same time, I believe that’s part of the experience Genocyber isn’t an anime to watch expecting logic or a happy ending. It’s more like an animated nightmare. You feel it, get scared, ask yourself what's going on, and in the end, you're left thinking about what you just saw. One thing I have to warn is that this anime isn’t for everyone. There's a lot of graphic violence, really heavy scenes. Like, “why would someone animate this?” kind of stuff.

But I didn’t find it gratuitous.

It’s part of the anime’s atmosphere, which wants to show the cruelest and sickest side of humanity. You can tell the goal wasn’t just to shock for the sake of it, but to make you confront horror head-on.

The soundtrack is also weird.

Sometimes it’s just noise, other times it’s an uncomfortable silence. There’s no cute music, nothing to soothe you. And that fits everything. But we have to remember the anime is really old.

Did I like it?

Well… I don’t know if “like” is the right word at this point.

But I found it interesting.

It was a unique experience, and I don’t regret watching it. It made me think about a lot of things from the use of technology to how we treat life. And it also showed me that you can make art out of chaos. You can send a strong message even through a twisted, disgusting, hopeless anime.

Genocyber FORM