Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“He’s like a pervert Aladdin,” a character says about Ryo Saeba, the protagonist of the action-comedy movie “City Hunter,” which is adapted from the popular manga series “Shitī Hantā” by Tsukasa Hojo. It appeared in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 1985 to 1991.
Directed by Yûichi Satô, the movie stars Ryohei Suzuki as “City Hunter” Ryo Saeba, a private Tokyo detective, who is obsessed with busty women, but is otherwise busy solving crimes with his partner Hideyuki Makimura (Masanobu Andô), a former police officer. When Hideyuki dies in a violent attack, Ryo is forced to team up with his sister Kaori (Misato Morita), to investigate his death. Their biggest clue is a missing cosplayer called Kurumi (Asuka Hanamura), who might be linked to a string of mysterious crimes taking place in the city.
As soon as “City Hunter” (“Shiti Hanta”) begins, you can’t help but feel like you’re being pulled back to the 1990s. Even though the story is very much set in the present, the aesthetics, comedy, and portrayal of characters feel slightly dated, likely because the creators tried to maintain the tone of the original manga, although they do add a lot of their own tweaks. One thing remains the same – protagonist Ryo Saeba is super strong, an ace shooter, who is mad about girls with big bosoms, and Ryohei Suzuki hilariously manages to capture the essence of the playboy-detective character. Interestingly, Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward emerges as the second-most vibrant character in the film, with the cinematography vividly bringing to life its neon-lit streets, lively clubs, and patrons dressed in an array of colors and fashions, showcasing the area’s eclectic and dynamic spirit.
With a 1 hour 42 minute runtime, you cannot help but feel that maybe “City Hunter” should’ve been made into a proper action-comedy series by Netflix, instead of a choppily paced movie, where some characters just don’t get enough time to grow on the viewers. Besides, two of the most prominent characters in the movie are portrayed as total bimbos – Misato Morita as Kaori is earnest about avenging her brother, but has no coherent plan and is far too naive and trustworthy of strangers; while Kurumi (Asuka Hanamura) is a total Otaku, who’d rather be murdered by goons than miss out on a cosplaying event. Their scenes are just not as funny as the creators intend them to be. Instead, it’s some of the situational comedy that gets you laughing, like a scene where Ryo Saeba crashes into a couple’s house while they are trying to take a nice warm bath together, and then goes flying out the window like a “pervert Aladdin”.
Which brings me to the action sequences of “City Hunter” —some evoke the playful, acrobatic style of Jackie Chan’s action-comedy era, while others are more stylized, reminiscent of the high-octane action found in Mission Impossible style films. Obviously there are a lot of exaggerations, but they are mostly fun, especially the chaotic climactic fight between Ryo Saeba and practically a platoon of armed goons, with some help from the clumsy Kaori.
Like I’ve already mentioned, “City Hunter” has a lot of potential to become a full-fledged action-comedy series. Netflix and the producers should have considered investing a bit more money to maximize its potential, since some of the costumes, especially Kurumi’s cosplaying clothes look underwhelming. Nevertheless, this 2024 version is an amusing watch, especially for those who aren’t familiar with the manga and can experience the mad adventures of Ryo Saeba and his oddball personality with fresh eyes.
Rating: 6 on 10. Stream “City Hunter” on Netflix.
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