Meta Runner

Meta Runner

Background information

**Format**
ActionAdventure

**Created by**
Luke LerdwichagulKevin Lerdwichagul

**Directed by**
Luke Lerdwichagul

**Produced by**
Kevin Lerdwichagul

**Running time**
11 - 18 minutes

**Country of origin**
 Australia

**Original channel**
 SMG4 // Glitch Productions

**Production Company**
SMG4 Productions

**Animation Studio**
Glitch Productions

**Meta Runner** is an Australian computer-animated drama-mystery science-fiction web series created by Luke and Kevin Lerdwichagul. The series is in a separate canon to *SMG4*, a machinima series on Luke's YouTube channel of the same name.
The series follows an amnesiac cyborg girl named Tari in a world where video games, speedrunning & esports are everything as she discovers she has the uncanny ability to warp into video games.
The first episode of Meta Runner was released on July 25th, 2019.

Premise
In a futuristic world, society is now centered around video games, serving as not just entertainment, but also jobs in livestreaming and lifestyle. Among the gamers are “Meta Runners”, a group of gaming individuals who replace their limbs with cybernetic arms that allow them to boost their gaming performance.
The series tells the story of Tari, a Meta Runner who was the subject of an experiment called Project Blue led by former scientist, Dr. Sheridan, who was commissioned by the TAS Corp. organization. In a sudden accident causing an explosion, Dr. Sheridan was apparently killed along with a former Meta Runner, Lucinia, inside the laboratory. After waking up in the now abandoned and wrecked establishment, Tari finds herself in Silica City with no memory of what happened except for a few flashbacks. After witnessing a speedrunning tournament of Ultra Jump Mania performed by Belle Fontiere, Tari decides to play the game for herself, but she suddenly gets teleported into the game where she befriends Theo. Intrigued by Tari’s newfound ability, the head of TAS Corp., Lucks plans to use her to benefit his organisation.
Tari and Theo get sucked out of the game and try to escape, but Tari gets captured while Theo escapes and is found by another meta runner, Lamar Williams, who rescues and takes both of them to a hidden base in a ramen restaurant where they meet up with two other meta runners, Sofia Porter and Masa Shimamoto. Together the three are a small undercover group called the MD-5 who've been trying to expose all to TAS Corp. by exposing the organisation's cruel actions to the public, but to no avail. The MD-5 then invites Tari to join them, citing that with her help, they'll finally be able to put an end to Lucks' evil affairs once and for all.

Characters
*Main article: Character Guide*
Games
*Meta Runner* features a wide variety of video games that Tari plays (usually by transporting herself within the game). These usually pay homage to a certain genre of games.
* **Ultra Jump Mania:** A game where a boy named Theo travels through levels across an island known as SimpleFlip Island. He uses coconuts and other fruit-based weapons to attack enemies and reach the goal. The game is an homage to the platformer genre of games. Tari plays this game in the episodes Wrong Warp and Out of Bounds, while she and Belle play a corrupted version of the game made by Lucks in Hack and Slash, Friendly Fire, Nightmare Mode and Fatal Error.
* **Nova Explorers:** This game was implied throughout the first two seasons as it has a crossover with Pocket Gakusei and was partly shown in the ads in Wrong Warp.
* **Battle Blaze:** A game where you use various weapons to shoot your opponents around the map. The game is an homage to the first-person shooter genre of games. Tari plays this game with Masa in the episode Aimbot.
* **Tempest:** A game where wizard-like characters use magic spells to eliminate their opponents all around a giant map. The game is an homage to the battle royale genre of games. Tari plays this game with Masa, Lamar, and Theo as part of her plan in No Clip, One Shot, The Run, and Shutdown.
* **Fast Food Fight (game):** This game does not have a known gameplay but it is assumed that it is relatively a cooking game.
* **War Tech Fighters:** A game where war mechs fight in space with swords and shields. The game seems to pay homage to the 2D fighting genre of games. Masa is briefly seen playing this game in Hard Reset.
* **Turbo Crash 9:** A game where players use vehicles to eliminate other players around the map. Players can tag-team, so one player can control the vehicle while the other controls the weapons. It seems to pay homage to the battle royale and racing genres of games. Masa and Lamar play this game against Marco to win a new Meta Runner arm in Unreal Engines.
* **Pocket Gakusei:** A dating simulator where Tari acts as a student in a school and must go out with a girl to gain her trust. The game is an homage to the dating simulator genre of games. Tari uses this game to plan her escape with Lamar, Sofia, and Masa in Transfer Student and Heart to Heart.
* **Hidden Heroes:** A game where cyborgs use swords, bows, and other weapons to defeat hordes of ninja-like cyborgs in a Japanese setting. The game is an homage to the hack-and-slash genre of games. Tari, Lamar, and Masa use this game as part of Tari's plan to escape in Hack and Slash, Friendly Fire, and Soft Lock.
* **Skybreakers:**A pirate game that appears for Season 3 which takes inspiration of open world adventures and is more reliant on ships and sky islands as well too.

There are a host of other games that are mentioned or implied through background or dialogue inferences. These games are:
Dragon Kart: This is mentioned by Belle during Season 1 of Meta Runner firstly at Sequence Break. Also was shown in the billboards at Wrong Warp.
Drifters: This was shown in the billboards and background at Wrong Warp.
Light Rider: This game was shown briefly alongside with five other games by the street in Wrong Warp.
Mr. Mero: This game was shown briefly alongside with five other games by the street in Wrong Warp.
Borderworlds: This game was shown at billboards prominently in Wrong Warp.
Blue Dead 3: This game is a parody of Red Dead Redemption it seems shown in Wrong Warp first as an add.
Avator: A brief poster of this was shown in Wrong Warp though unclear whether this is a game or movie.
Siegecraft: This game is a parody of Starcraft it seems and can be shown in the opening of Season 2.
Asterfire: This game was shown in the opening of Season 2.
Subdivision Infinity DX: This game is shown as a billboard in Soft Lock.
Infinite Beyond the Mind: This game is shown as a billboard in Soft Lock.
Emissary: This game is apparently a monster based card game shown in the ads of Hack and Slash.
Tomb Skateboards 6: This game was shown as a billboard for Fatal Error.
Future Samurai: This supposed game was shown as a billboard for Fatal Error.

Music
Season 1* **Opening Theme:** "Always Running" by MattxAJ and AJ DiSpirito
* **Ending Theme:** "Breeze" by Kimi

Season 2* **Opening Theme:** "Only Up" by Lizz Robinett and AJ DiSpirito
* **Ending Theme:** "Steady" by Matthew Guerra and AJ DiSpirito

The Final Season (Season 3)* **Theme Song:** "Trade" by MATTHEWGU4, Lizz Robinett, and AJ DiSpirito
* **Theme Song:** "BlueJay" by Lizz Robinett and AJ DiSpirito

Episodes
*Main article: Episode Guide*
Trivia* As confirmed by Luke and Kevin, while Tari is the main character, this series takes place in a different universe, outside of SMG4's continuity.
* When one of the Meta Runners enters the menu on their prosthetic arm, one of the symbols is the logo for Glitch Productions.
* One of the billboards has a picture of Saiko on it.
* The series is animated using both Maya and Unreal Engine which is the first time Glitch Productions is using more complicating animation software, as they just use Garry's Mod for SMG4.
* Meta Runner was originally known as Project Blue in its development, the same name as the code name for T.A.R.I.
* Based on the Meta Runner Season 3 Reddit AMA, Glitch Productions stated that they have fleshed out the world and backstories of characters long before the characters even met.
* Based on the Meta Runner Season 3 Reddit AMA, Glitch Productions stated that they have written and designed three spinoffs where one takes place before the events of Meta Runner, one that takes place five years after Meta Runner, and one that takes place in a Meta Runner school with an all new cast.
* Based on the Meta Runner Season 3 Reddit AMA, originally Season 2 was going to feature more characters that Tari would pull out of the video games where there was one design of a wolf like character from an FPS style game.
* Based on the Meta Runner Season 3 Reddit AMA, it is very much confirmed there are LGBTQ+ characters in the show.
* Based on the Meta Runner Season 3 Reddit AMA, it is confirmed that the world has regular schools but the main curriculum is based around video games.

Gallery
*Main article: Meta Runner/Gallery*
Videos
Let's Talk About Meta RunnerMETA RUNNER - "Tari's First Game Warp" - CLIPTari's Live Stream - Animated Short - META RUNNERMETA RUNNER Official Trailer (NEW Animated Series)Meta Runner - Always Running - AJ DiSpirito ft. MattxAJ (Lyric Video)Meta Runner Season 1 - Official OpeningMeta Runner - Breeze - AJ DiSpirito ft. KIMIMeta Runner Voice Actors Read MemesFast Food Fight (Ft. TheOdd1sOut & Arin Hanson) - Meta Runner SpecialMeta Runner Voice Actors Read Memes 2Can Akinator Predict Our Meta Runner Characters?Deleted Scenes from Meta Runner Season 1Meta Runner Season 1 FULL Soundtrack - AJ DiSpiritoMeta Runner Season 1 Movie (Official Trailer)Meta Runner Season 2 (Official Trailer)Meta Runner Season 2 - Official OpeningMeta Runner - Behind the ScenesONLY UP Meta Runner Music Video AJ DiSpirito ft. Lizz RobinettSTEADY (Official Lyric Video) - AJ DiSpirito ft. Matthew Guerra - Meta RunnerMeta Runner Season 2 FULL Soundtrack - AJ DiSpiritoMETA RUNNER SEASON 3 TEASER (Final Season)Meta Runner The Final Season (TRAILER)Meta Runner- Source (THE BEGINNING OF IT ALL)The Final Goodbye. - A Meta Runner ConcertMeta Runner- The Final Season FULL SOUNDTRACK - AJ DiSpirito
Sources