Set in the year 2808 in the city of Oedo (Tokyo), it tells the story of three criminals who are enlisted into fighting crime in exchange for reducing their sentences to the point where they are able to earn their freedom.

Each one is also armed with a jitte (the traditional weapon and symbol of authority of the ancient Edo Police), although they also have access to more powerful weaponry.

Novels Cyber City Oedo 808 Volume 1, Rebellious Lone Wolf (Beowulf) (電脳都市OEDO808〈1〉反逆の孤狼(ベオウルフ), first published in December 1990.

Jonathan H. Kantor of Looper.com ranked it as one of the "12 Best Cyberpunk Anime Movies", regarding it to have "elevated the genre through gripping storytelling and exceptionally well-written characters.

He states that the series “rounds off a nicely paced trilogy of stories starring an intriguing cast of different characters and set in a gray, leaden metropolis.