I spent a good deal of the last nine years doing a hefty catch-up job in anime. Serial work-ups of Tsukasa Hojo’s hit IP, City Hunter, is certainly on my to-do list, although with this week’s release of a new live-action treatment on Netflix, I grew compelled to dive in.
As a newbie to the City Hunter fandom, I already had some idea on what to expect in the years since having already seen Jackie Chan take the mantle for his own 1993 film. Director Yuichi Sato’s treatment from Tatsuro Mishima’s script taps into the same silly and cartoonish goofball energy, albeit for most of the way laying up the narrative with a slick, edgy and refreshing approach that does City Hunter justice, without losing its attraction or appeal.
Celebrated actor Ryohei Suzuki leads the way as Ryo Saeba, a “sweeper” in Shinjuku who regularly partners with ex-cop Hideyuki Makimura (Masanobu Ando), the disproval from local law woman Saeko (Fumino Kimura) and her superior, Ito (Tetta Sugimoto) notwithstanding. For what it’s worth though, their partnership brings results.
Ryo and Hideyuki routinely take assignments through secret messages left by applicants on a chalkboard at Shinjuku Station, and despite Ryo’s depraved demeanor and lack of self-control around beautiful women in any distance, Hideyuki couldn’t ask for a better partner.
Ryo is the best at what he does, whether its solving cases, or thinking on his toes when situations are at their most precarious. He’s street smart, his fighting skills are second to none, and when it comes to getting his gun off, he’s an absolute crackshot.
His latest case takes a turn for the worse, however, when he and Hideyuki get sent on a wild goose chase on the streets of Shinjuku, in hot pursuit of a suspected runaway named Kurumi (Asuka Hanamura). Moments later, it’s not long before the thickening plot results in Hideyuki’s murder at the hands of a crazed man behind the wheel of a truck. With Hideyuki dying in his arms just as he’s handed a pair of mysterious blue vials, Ryo makes a deathbed promise to protect his partner’s adopted sister, Kaori (Misato Morita).
The movie follows Kaori and her quest to find her brother’s killer with Ryo reluctant to lend a hand. It’s not for lack of caring though, as Ryo is more concerned with the amount of danger Kaori may soon end up facing. Nevertheless, Ryo begrudgingly takes Kaori on a relentless tread into Shinjuku’s underworld for answers, seeking consultation from respected confidant, Akutsu (Isao Hashizume).
Their inquiry soon finds them landing in Shinjuku’s cosplay community, and after finding Kurumi, begin setting in motion plans to eke a little closer to solving the mystery behind the city’s recent spike of deaths, including miscellaneous crazies with seemingly superhuman abilities connected to the puzzling blue substance Ryo was handed earlier.
The result is a whipsmart and energizing story that propels you into yet another win for the streamer on the live-action manga adaptation front. Suzuki lends a fantastic portrayal of the title character that invariably one-ups that of its predecessors. Mortia’s performance contributes a collectively moving look into her take on Kaori, someone who is clearly way in over her head, but whose intentions and purpose are never lost on the viewer.
Admittedly, I was a little annoyed by the film’s initial footchase as I feared it would cue another pet peeve for me when it comes to annoying characters. I was pleased when it made more sense as I kept watching and was drawn into the story. To add, it only contributed to Ryo’s importance in each scene he’s in, and just how astute he is on one hand, apart from his apparently jejune and depraved persona. Who he is at his core becomes all the more clearer along the way, which truly leaves you something to appreciate.
It does beg asking though, if there’s any real threat level for Ryo when it comes to the action. And, it’s okay to ask, because it’s difficult to sympathize with any protagonist in a film of this kind if they just appear to be invincible between each act. Sato answers that question aptly, and with poise in his direction with action director Takashi Tanimoto paving the way for the action scenes in all their spectacle and glory. No, Ryo isn’t bulletproof. Regardless, and as I stated earlier, he’s the best at what he does. It also helps that Suzuki is no stranger to throwing down on camera, which makes seeing him in the lead role for such a long-celebrated manga property a thing of beauty.
I can’t place exactly where in the lore Sato’s City Hunter sits among otakus, so I’ll simply leave that up to those of you willing to make those deductions. What I will say is that Sato and his team live up to the promise of delivering another finely-made live-action adaptation in a continuing era of finely-made live action adaptations.
