Japan has its way of bringing a new flair to any genre in popular media, and City Hunter does this to the romantic spy category. Contending with the likes of James Bond would be Ryo Saeba, the heartthrob private detective of City Hunter with a flair for chasing after ladies in between missions.
Beginning as a manga series, Ryo’s exploits with his former partner’s sister, Kaori Makimura, are eventually adapted across various anime and movie adaptations, as well as a spin-off series. With the manga being released in 1985 and the most recent anime adaptation released in 2019, fans of action anime might want to give City Hunter a shot. However, given the expansive nature of these various materials, just how would each City Hunter adaptation fare?
11 City Hunter: The Secret Service (1996)
At its core, City Hunter: The Secret Service is appropriately short for a TV special, and it’s a rather deep story on the onset. While James McGuire dreams of freeing his people of Guinam from military oppression by being its president, his past is threatening to endanger not just his career but also his daughter Anna, who just so happens to be a Secret Service officer assigned to guard him. With Ryo being on the payroll as one of his bodyguards, the City Hunter becomes a part of McGuire’s dream as well.
Given that The Secret Service is not necessarily an OVA, it makes sense that its animation and soundtrack is par for the course with the typical City Hunter episode. Unfortunately, its plot is messy - and this is despite the light-hearted City Hunter premise of an already-formulaic action anime. Aside from flashbacks interspersed with multiple twists and turns, the overall direction of The Secret Service seems lost outside its interesting premise. While worth a watch for the avid viewer, The Secret Service quickly loses its luster for the eagle-eyed fan.
10 City Hunter 3 (1989-1990)
Of all the City Hunter seasons, it’s perhaps the third iteration that implemented the most changes across the board. Known as City Hunter 3, the high-octane anime keeps much of the formula established throughout the series: a client asks Ryo and Kaori for assistance in matters the police won’t handle, and the two (2) take it upon themselves to finish the job. However, a lot of fans often point out the overall change in tone - especially through production - that made this season the most contested.
A glaring thing to notice here is the choice of fashion for both Ryo and Kaori, which leaned away from their usual combos that often blended in with the rest of the crowd but were enough to set them apart. Not to mention, the rather elevated focus on the lightheartedness of the series despite the glaring serious tones did hurt the consistency of the series.
9 City Hunter: Death Of The Vicious Criminal Ryo Saeba (1996)
Considered as the third TV special of the series, City Hunter: Death of the Vicious Criminal Ryo Saeba is a spinoff of the franchise with a familiar take on the City Hunter anime formula. This time around, Ryo is contacted by a popular newscaster of Mega City TV, who is somehow targeted for murder by her own employers. While Ryo’s natural sleaziness might be regarded as inappropriate in today’s setting, Ryo’s more outward “mokkori” catchphrase is fitting both the standalone OVA premise as well as the original 90s release.
The combination of both the classic anime’s formulaic case-of-the-week framework on top of an explosive (quite literally) plot makes Death of the Vicious Criminal Ryo Saeba quite the spectacle, especially for fans of the classic show. Although “Death” is quite misleading here, Ryo’s characteristic “sleazy action star” personality has taken an emphasis here, making this perhaps one of the best places for his characterization. Although it’s proven that Ryo can also shine outside the “mokkori” tag, fans of City Hunter looking for the most outward representation of Ryo as an iconic protagonist may look at this OVA.
8 City Hunter ‘91 (1991)
The fourth and final season of the City Hunter anime takes the form of City Hunter ‘91, appropriately titled for its surprises that once again tried setting a new atmosphere for a City Hunter series. Perhaps the most notable aspects of City Hunter ‘91 would be some of the few spins given to the episodic case format, where entire episodes were dedicated to pure comedy as well as backstory of the relationship between Ryo and hit side character Umibozou.
However, some elements of the anime do take a hit that make it quite a letdown for fans. Aside from the lackluster opening and ending songs, the outfit changes for Ryo and Kaori were deemed a bit lacking in terms of overall appeal. Perhaps most disappointing would be the final episode, as it’s formatted not to “feel” like an episode to cap the series. While this provided City Hunter ‘91 with a lighter, more “open-ended” note to imply that Ryo will always be in pursuit of his “mokkori,” capping the saga would a decent finisher would’ve been able to encapsulate the series more efficiently.
7 City Hunter: .357 Magnum (1989)
It’s no action flick without a rather complex plot, and City Hunter: .357 Magnum doesn’t fail fans with an interesting premise befitting the first movie of the franchise. When police officer Saeko Nogami witnesses an assassination done by the enigmatic “Red Shinigami,” things get a bit tricky when it’s revealed that the same assassin is a special agent with diplomatic rights. It doesn’t help that hit pianist Nina Steinberg has a connection with this killer, plus looks that the likes of Ryo couldn’t resist going “mokkori” for.
High points for the film include a bit of exploration for Ryo’s backstory, as well as a complex enough story that still fits the formulaic case episode format of the series. However, fans of the series shouldn’t expect a deep story and a unique take on animation for a franchise-based film, which might make the movie a bit shallow in terms of plot and overall presentation.
6 City Hunter: Bay City Wars (1990)
It’s not uncommon for an anime series to have an OVA, with City Hunter: Bay City Wars being the first of the franchise. Set in the futuristic Bay City hotel along Tokyo Bay, Ryo Saeba and Umibozou find themselves stuck in a middle of a crisis while City Hunter ladies Kaori and Miki attend the structure’s inauguration. As it turns out, deposed General Gilliam of the Costello Republic attended the event at the said hotel, threatening violence against the United States government. With a deadly nuclear missile and time running out, everyone has to rely on Ryo and his quick thinking to save the day.
High stakes is the name of the game for this OVA, and Bay City Wars doesn’t fail to deliver. Minus the usual quips of Ryo and his sleaziness that wouldn’t necessarily fit the humor of fans today, its classic take on 90s anime action and high-octane sequences, on top of its longer take on the series’ case format, remain proof of what makes City Hunter a cult classic.
5 City Hunter: Goodbye My Sweetheart (1997)
Also known as City Hunter: The Motion Picture, City Hunter: Goodbye My Sweetheart remains a standout City Hunter film despite its usage of the classic anime’s episodic case format, perhaps thanks to staying true to form to the franchise’s well-choreographed action sequences as well as Ryo’s signature lecherous “appeal.” In the story, actress Emi Makaze hires Ryo to find her missing brother, who unfortunately turns out to be “The Professor,” an ex-soldier who wants to destroy Tokyo’s Shinjuku district.
At its core, Goodbye My Sweetheart feels like an episode of the television series, making it a decent follow-up to the overall City Hunter saga. While Ryo maintains his rather “mokkori” sleazy attitude, it’s not as pronounced compared to other media in the franchise, allowing him to showcase his more admirable qualities such as his innate charm as well as his skill with the gun.
4 City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes (2019)
Set in 2019, City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes has Ryo and Kaori still operating the City Hunter business across Tokyo, with their newest client being model Ai Shindo who is apparently the center of a city-wide conspiracy. Seeing Ryo and Kaori “updated” with modern animation is a sight older fans would love, and refreshing enough to see City Hunter’s classic elements in a more timely take.
At its core, it doesn’t take Shinjuku Private Eyes a lot to showcase the best of what City Hunter could offer: action sequences that highlight Ryo’s skill in gunplay, a fresh take on his relationship with Kaori, and even the latter’s moments of greatness that prove it doesn’t take an action scene to show one’s awesomeness. Moments of weakness do exist in the adaptation, though, with dated tropes such as Ryo’s innate sleaziness, as well as Kaori’s constant - and quite literal - hammering whenever Ryo gets out of line. Moreover, while Shinjuku Private Eyes is a standalone story, a lot of its appeal may stem from familiarity with the overall City Hunter story and formula.
3 City Hunter 1 (1987-1988)
As with most other franchises, nothing ever beats the original. While others would say much of the original City Hunter series is rather episodic and generic, it’s in the little details where the first season cements itself as an icon not just in 80s anime but in anime history in general. Fans would immediately get dragged into the plot after seeing the captivating effort placed in the landscapes, as well as the mood-setting classic JRock/JPop tunes.
Even the art style can be a fresh take for modern fans, as the way protagonist Ryo is drawn can help him blend in with most characters compared to extremely stylistic protagonists today. While it’s true that designs for the likes of Kaori and Seiko can be too much of an eye-candy, its art style remains unique even today. Even its episode layout of Ryo saving a damsel before being rejected, as well as stories being heavily centered around moods and themes, can be seen in other landmark anime such as Cowboy Bebop.
2 City Hunter 2 (1988-1989)
Following the success of City Hunter, it makes sense that the second part of its manga story would be adapted into anime. Known as City Hunter 2, the story still has Ryo and Kaori continue to solve various crimes across the city, especially ones that the police wouldn’t be bothered enough to handle.
However, while the show remains as formulaic as ever, more care has been taken to ensure the darker themes of City Hunter 2 are handled much better. Moreover, the frequency of slapstick comedy makes the show something easier to digest for newcomers. While the lighter tone does make for rather lackluster story arcs, the extended interactions with characters did help develop the personalities of Ryo and Kaori further, transforming them into more likable protagonists.
1 City Hunter: Million Dollar Conspiracy (1990)
Now who wouldn’t appreciate Ryo in a suit? City Hunter: Million Dollar Conspiracy has Ryo take on the enigmatic Emily O’Hara as a client. Hailing from Los Angeles, the beauty that is Emily is revealed to be a CIA agent on the hunt for Douglas, the killer of her older brother. Unfortunately for Ryo’s partner Kaori, Douglas kidnaps her for his own nefarious purposes.
As with a typical City Hunter film, there’s layers to unpack throughout Million Dollar Conspiracy. And unfortunately for sleazy Ryo and the rather light-hearted nature of the series, the twists and turns aren’t necessarily as explosive as that of other action flicks. However, the story in Million Dollar Conspiracy remains more fluid compared to other films, and there’s more to Ryo’s personality in the movie now that Kaori’s life is more evidently in danger. While things get back on their usual pace at the end of the film like with other stories, Million Dollar Conspiracy is arguably one of the more noteworthy films of the franchise where “thriller” does qualify as its genre.