Aniplex has released the first trailer for their upcoming revival of City Hunter as well as details about the cast and story. The original City Hunter manga followed a young man named Ryo Saeba as he gets into and out of trouble while solving cases as a private eye, a job also known by the name of sweeper. Ryo also happens to be a skilled sniper and frequently finds himself distracted by women. He sells his talents to wealthy or desperate individuals through his secret City Hunter operation.
The City Hunter franchise has been laying dormant of late with relatively little keeping the property alive aside from several live-action adaptations developed around the world. The manga ran from 1985-1991 and anime adaptations and films were released throughout the late 80s and early 90s. The final anime incarnation of the property, a television movie named The Death of Vicious Criminal Saeba Ryo, released in 1999. Three live-action movies based on City Hunter released throughout the 90s including City Hunter starring Jackie Chan in 1993. In 2011, Fox partnered with South Korean company SSD to adapt and release a City Hunter television series that’s currently available for streaming through Hulu. The upcoming City Hunter anime film releasing next year will be the first time in 20 years that the franchise has been seen in animation - and now we know its name.
Fully titled, City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes, the commitment Aniplex has to the legacy of City Hunter will surely please long-time fans of the franchise. As translated by Anime News Network, the cast of the original City Hunter will return. Akira Kamiya (Ryo Saeba), Kazue Ikura (Kaori Makimura), Harumi Ichiryusai (Saeko Nogami), Tessho Genda (Umibozu), and Mami Koyama (Miki) have all lent their voices to the production. Even Kenji Kodama, the guiding force behind a vast swath of City Hunter’s anime run, will return to direct. The film has been animated by Sunrise, the studio behind the original anime series. The trailer even makes use of the original anime’s ending theme, “Get Wild” by TM Network, and it will reprise its role in the film as the music for the credits.
City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes brings the series into the present day. Set in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward, the story revolves around Ryo taking on a case to act as the bodyguard for the young model Ai Shindo. Thrown into the mix is a mysterious foreign arms dealer named Vince Englert. Things certainly seem to escalate at some point with Ryo shown going up against an armed response team and drones.
The footage of the film, frankly, looks gorgeous. The throwback to the 80s style done up with crisp, modern animation techniques and a hefty big budget has undeniably been put to good use. It’s undeniably gratifying to see all of the little touches they’ve kept in Shinjuku Private Eyes - even Kaori’s comically large pervert hammer makes an appearance! All of these nods to the original help the film to feel authentic and connected to the rest of the series without being too overbearing for newcomers unfamiliar with City Hunter.
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City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes will premiere in Japan on February 8, 2019.
Source: Anime News Network
