Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus Reveals a New Vision of Cyberpunk Japan - IGN Fan Fest 2025

The Blade Runner universe expands its reach with Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus, the first Blade Runner story set in Japan. This IGN Fan Fest 2025 interview with writers Kianna Shore and Mellow Brown delves into the creation of this new series, exploring its unique aesthetic and its connection to the broader franchise.

Instead of directly referencing established cyberpunk works like Akira and Ghost in the Shell, Shore and Brown drew inspiration from post-3.11 Tohoku Disaster Japanese media (like Your Name, Japan Sinks 2020, and Bubble) and contemporary Japanese society to craft their vision of a 2015 Tokyo. They contrast this Tokyo with the familiar dystopian Los Angeles of previous installments. Shore describes her Tokyo as "hopepunk," while Brown portrays it as a seemingly utopian surface masking a brutal underbelly.

Tokyo Nexus, set in 2015, is a standalone story within the larger Blade Runner timeline. While featuring subtle nods to the films, it functions independently. The narrative focuses on the partnership between Mead, a human, and Stix, a replicant, two battle-hardened individuals reliant on each other. Their complex, codependent relationship forms the emotional core of the series.

The story unfolds amidst a conflict involving Tyrell Corp, the Yakuza, and Cheshire, a new company challenging Tyrell's replicant market dominance with its own military-grade models. Cheshire's ambitions and acquisition of escaped Tyrell scientists promise significant ramifications for the Blade Runner universe.

Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus Vol. 1 - Die in Peace is available now. Order your copy on Amazon. This interview also touches upon other IGN Fan Fest 2025 reveals, including IDW's Godzilla shared universe and a sneak peek at an upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog storyline.