Blade Runner: Black Lotus

Episodes 1-2

I find myself in a strange place when reviewing Blade Runner: Black Lotus. Blade Runner is certainly one of the most influential films of the 20th century, and one which I certainly enjoy and hold in high regard. However, I have largely spent time with the many works that it inspired over the years (not the least of which being a host of dystopian sci-fi anime OVAs from the bubble era). Because Blade Runner is a work which is often known as much - if not more - for its aesthetic influence as it is known for its thematic importance. Blade Runner was so effective at codifying and popularizing the look at feel of cyberpunk that many people only consider these aesthetics, rather than their moral or societal implications. It is, perhaps, the ultimate irony that a cautionary look at a dystopian future where all aspects of human life are commodified, atomized, and reproduced has itself spawned a sea of hollow imitations - in spirit and in name.

Blade Runner: Black Lotus is another entry in the Blade Runner mythos. What was once a single film with a vast influence has now become a franchise in the modern sense - a new film, new shorts, new animated series. In Black Lotus we have a series that takes place in 2032, after the events of the first film and in the mix with the other short films release in recent years but before the sequel film Blade Runner 2049.

All of this preamble is to say that Blade Runner: Black Lotus's first episode is, well, what I expected. That is as much praise as it is scorn. Elle is an amnesiac replicant coming to Los Angeles to find out about her past and what is locked inside the small electronic device she carries. She wanders the streets, meets a few colorful characters, fights a few more, and sets off on her journey to find herself. Nothing about it is ground-breaking, but everything is executed professionally.

But is that really enough in 2021 (I mean -our- 2021, not the 2021 of the franchise)? That remains to be seen. You can't throw a rock without hitting cyberpunk media across the years that have aped Blade Runner's style to a tee. There is a solid core - “who am i?” is that most fundamental of narratives, regardless of setting - with great voice casts in both dub and sub, meaning that it has plenty of space to grow. But there is little here that hasn't been done by Blade Runner or its many imitators countless times before.

The visual language exists in a similar middle ground. The CG looks fine, at times exemplary (such as during the action sequences), but seldom wows. The characters are just a touch too stiff in their mundane movements for my tastes, especially when it comes to elements like the movement of hair (or lack thereof). But the body language is appropriate and looks natural, as well as the many backdrops and locations which are vital to a used/lived-in future setting. The look of the series is consistent with the tone - series with an eye to verisimilitude - but not photorealistic.

This look largely serves the show well, but feels lifeless in its lower ebbs. The most egregious element to me is the semi-gloss look of characters' skin, at times making them appear to be claymation dolls struggling to pose. The semi-realistic look is best served when the action picks up and the bit of blur from their movement and camera work helps it all come together.

Still, I couldn't help but wonder if the series would not be better served going for a more stylistic look. Black Lotus has all the visual language of a live action work in the Blade Runner universe… of which we already have many, plus imitators. It never fully leverages the animated space, and its setup is serviceable but nothing exceptional thus far. A lot of Blade Runner: Black Lotus's success is going to be riding on how much Elle's story evolves into its own unique tale because there is heavy competition - from Blade Runner itself, and the chorus of lookalikes that have come in its forty-year-wake.

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Episode two is, well, more of the same. At this point we are still building up the structure of the series: introducing side-characters and plot threads to follow. We get a tough beat cop, a corrupt politician, a scene at an underground fight club, an ominous scheming corporate overlord. I'm not particularly well-known for my ability to predict future plot points, but if you were to ask me what I would expect in a cyberpunk story I would have rattled all those off in the first dozen or so. We have seen it before and seeing it here is, well, more of that.

Not to say that any of it is poorly handed. Much like episode one, episode two is well done even if predictable. I've got no new qualms nor insights into the writing, cinematography, or pacing. It all hums along at a steady pace and looks, sounds, and feels all right. It's a combo menu item at a chain you like - you point at the picture and get exactly what was ordered, no more no less. There are a few new dramatic twists, particularly the sequence with the corrupt senator hunting a band of replicants across the wastes with a group of his buddies in dune buggies. But then, the rich hunting people for sport is certainly a well-worn trope too.

My hope going forward is that Elle's story expands and goes outside the ordinary. “The cyberpunk you've come to expect” is simply not an engaging enough hook on its own. We have a cliffhanger here with J and Elle that I hope yields some fertile ground for a new angle. At this point the only real shocker was the hunting scene, and I hope we can get more twists along those lines. The visual language continues to communicate a very realistic style, one where I don't think we will see much experimentation (which, personally, I think is a shame),, so a lot will hinge on the plotting and characterization to introduce new element and spice things up.

My fear is that by playing things too safe - visually, thematically, narratively - Blade Runner: Black Lotus will simply end up as more of the same in a crowded field, no matter how well-done.

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Grant is the cohost on the Blade Licking Thieves podcast and Super Senpai Podcast.

Blade Runner: Black Lotus is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Adult Swim.