Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus Unveils Cyberpunk Japan's Future at IGN Fan Fest 2025

The Blade Runner franchise has truly flourished through its expansion into the world of comics, with Titan Comics at the helm, broadening the cyberpunk universe through a variety of spinoffs and prequels. Currently, they are delving into Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus, a groundbreaking series as it marks the first Blade Runner narrative set in Japan.

As part of IGN Fan Fest 2025, we had the privilege of engaging with writers Kianna Shore and Mellow Brown to gain deeper insights into this new series. We explored how they adapted the iconic Blade Runner aesthetic to a fresh setting across the globe. Take a moment to view the exclusive artwork in the slideshow gallery below, which illustrates the journey from script to the visually stunning realization of the series, and then continue reading to uncover more:

Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus Behind-the-Scenes Art Gallery

6 ImagesTokyo has long been a staple setting in seminal cyberpunk stories like Akira and Ghost in the Shell, yet it's only now that Blade Runner ventures into this territory. We were eager to learn how the writers envisioned Tokyo in this alternate universe version of 2015 and how it diverges from the familiar, neon-drenched, rain-soaked Los Angeles of the Blade Runner films.

“Brainstorming Tokyo in the Blade Runner universe was an exhilarating process!” Shore shares with IGN. “Having lived in Japan in 2015 and recently visiting exhibits on future visions, I wanted Tokyo to stand apart from Los Angeles, reflecting their unique histories and socioeconomics. My aim was to craft a hopepunk Tokyo.”

“Los Angeles in Blade Runner is depicted as a crumbling, fractured city where neon masks its decay,” Brown explains. “But turn off the lights, and you see the true hellscape. Our Tokyo, on the other hand, is a seemingly utopian society where freedom is tightly controlled. Step out of line, and it becomes just as terrifying, but in a different way.”

Interestingly, both writers drew inspiration not from the iconic Akira and Ghost in the Shell, but from other media and contemporary Japanese life to shape their vision of Tokyo.

Shore elaborates, “While I drew inspiration from the greats, it was crucial for me to explore how Japanese media portrays the future post the 3.11 Tohoku Disaster. Anime like Your Name, Japan Sinks 2020, and Bubble provided valuable insights.”

“My goal was to avoid reiterating anime already influenced by Blade Runner, such as Bubblegum Crisis or Psycho-Pass,” Brown adds. “When crafting cyberpunk, you reflect on your own environment’s future trajectory. The original series captured '80s fears of Japan's rise as a superpower. I focused on Japan's current societal fears and aspirations, and what could go awry or succeed if dangerous forces had their way.”

Set in 2015, a few years before the events of the original Blade Runner film, we were curious how Tokyo Nexus fits into the broader franchise. Are there connections that fans can grasp, or does the Japanese setting offer a completely new experience?

“Tokyo Nexus stands alone in its setting, timeline, and story,” Shore assures. “Yet, it wouldn't be Blade Runner without the influence of the Tyrell Corporation and a mystery to unravel. We've included nods and Easter eggs to the films, but the comic can be enjoyed without prior knowledge of the franchise.”

Mellow expands, “Our story continues the narrative arc from Blade Runner: Origins and leads up to Blade Runner: 2019. We're addressing complex questions within the universe, like the Kalanthia War and Tyrell's monopoly on Replicants. All of this is building toward a covert civil war among Blade Runner factions vying for dominance. Tokyo Nexus lays the groundwork for one of these factions to emerge as a global superpower in that conflict.”

Tokyo Nexus revolves around the partnership between a human, Mead, and a Replicant, Stix. Their dynamic, rooted in their status as battle-scarred veterans relying solely on each other, is central to the series.

“Mead and Stix are best friends and platonic life-partners,” Shore describes. “Having endured unimaginable trials together, they are deeply committed to protecting each other—even from themselves. Their goal is survival, but it requires them to rebuild trust.”

“Their relationship is beautifully unhealthy,” Brown laughs. “We play with the 'More Human Than Human' theme. Stix, the Replicant, craves life, while Mead, the human, is worn down by systemic pressures, acting mechanically. They depend on each other to navigate life, having survived a horrific ordeal that has fostered a potentially shattering co-dependency.”

“Cheshire is attempting to break into the Replicant manufacturing industry,” Shore hints. “Their latest model is a military-grade Replicant, supposedly superior in strength and speed, built on Tyrell’s foundational technology.”

Mellow adds, “Cheshire is more than just a criminal syndicate; they have grand ambitions. By leveraging refugee Tyrell scientists in Tokyo, they've unlocked vast potential, setting their sights on the stars in this universe…”

Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus Vol. 1 - Die in Peace is now available in comic shops and bookstores. You can also order the book on Amazon.

Additionally, as part of IGN Fan Fest 2025, we offered an early glimpse at IDW's new Godzilla shared universe and a sneak peek of an upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog storyline.