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

The Blade Runner franchise has experienced a remarkable resurgence on the printed page, thanks to Titan Comics. Their expansion of this cyberpunk universe includes numerous spin-offs and prequels, most notably Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus—the first Blade Runner story set in Japan.

As part of IGN Fan Fest 2025, we spoke with writers Kianna Shore and Mellow Brown about this new series, exploring how they translated the iconic Blade Runner aesthetic to a new global setting. Below is an exclusive slideshow gallery showcasing the series' journey from script to stunning artwork. Read on to learn more:

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

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Given Tokyo's prominence in seminal cyberpunk works like Akira and Ghost in the Shell, we were eager to learn how the writers envisioned this alternate-universe 2015 Tokyo, and how it differs from the rain-soaked, neon-drenched Los Angeles familiar to most Blade Runner fans.

“Brainstorming Tokyo within the Blade Runner universe was incredibly fun!” Shore told IGN. “Having lived in Japan (coincidentally in 2015) and recently visited relevant Tokyo exhibits on envisioning the future, I aimed to create a Tokyo distinct from Los Angeles, reflecting its unique history, experiences, and socioeconomics. My goal was a ‘hopepunk’ Tokyo.”

“I appreciate how Los Angeles in Blade Runner is broken, decrepit, and fracturing, with neon masking its decay. Turn off the lights, and you see a hellscape,” Brown explained. “Our Tokyo parallels this. It’s a beautiful utopia, but people feel constrained. Disobey, and the paradise consumes you. It’s just as frightening, but differently so.”

Interestingly, both writers consciously avoided direct homage to Akira and Ghost in the Shell, instead drawing inspiration from other media and contemporary Japanese life.

Shore stated, “While I drew inspiration from classics, it was crucial to understand how Japanese media portrays the future post-3.11 Tohoku Disaster. I watched anime like Your Name, Japan Sinks 2020, and Bubble.”

Brown added, “I personally aimed to avoid iterating on anime already inspired by Blade Runner, such as Bubblegum Crisis or Psycho-Pass. Cyberpunk often reflects one’s vision of the future (hence LA’s 80s theme and the original series’ fear of Japan’s rise). I wanted to reflect the hopes and fears of modern Japanese society and explore potential positive or negative outcomes.”

The Blade Runner timeline spans the 21st century, but Tokyo Nexus is set in 2015, years before the original film. We explored its connection to the larger franchise: would fans find familiar elements, or is this a completely new experience?

“Tokyo Nexus is standalone in setting, time, and story,” Shore confirmed. “Of course, it wouldn’t be Blade Runner without Tyrell Corporation’s influence and a mystery to solve. There are nods and easter eggs for fans, but it’s also enjoyable for newcomers.”

Brown added, “We’re building upon the story from Blade Runner: Origins and shortly before Blade Runner: 2019. We’re addressing complex questions like the Kalanthia War and Tyrell’s Replicant monopoly. This leads to a massive, secret civil war between different Blade Runner organizations vying for dominance. Tokyo Nexus shows the origins of one of these organizations.”

Tokyo Nexus centers on the partnership between human Mead and Replicant Stix. Their bond is central to the series, portraying them as battle-hardened veterans relying solely on each other in a harsh world.

“Mead and Stix are best friends and platonic life partners,” Shore explained. “They’ve been through hell, bled and wept together. They only want to protect each other, sometimes from themselves. Survival is their goal, requiring them to trust again.”

“It’s beautifully unhealthy,” Brown laughed. “We played with the franchise’s ‘More Human Than Human’ theme. Stix, a Replicant, thirsts for life, while Mead, a worn-down human, is mechanical and pragmatic. They need each other, their survival creating a codependency that could shatter them.”

The series depicts Stix and Mead caught in a conflict between Tyrell Corp, the Yakuza, and Cheshire, a Japanese company challenging Tyrell’s Replicant market dominance.

“Cheshire competes in Replicant manufacturing,” Shore teased. “Their newest Replicant is a military model, supposedly stronger and faster, built on Tyrell’s foundation.”

Brown added, “Cheshire is a crime organization with ambitions beyond petty crime. Acquiring refugee Tyrell scientists in Tokyo unlocks immense potential…”

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

IGN Fan Fest 2025 also included early looks at IDW's new Godzilla shared universe and a sneak peek of an upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog storyline.