I think that to some extent this comes down to a simple fact that for many people, like yourself, Edgerunners was their first into the world of anime - depending on one’s media literacy and experience this might sway their opinion one way or another. Besides, that’s not just a problem with Edgerunners, you could say the same about folks for whom Cyberpunk 2077 was their first experience with cyberpunk as a genre.

While not perfect, it’s a solid show overall and if it serves as a gateway deeper into the rabbit hole then I’d say it’s worth the praise.