Netflix announced that the new Japanese live-action adaptation of Tsukasa Hōjō’s City Hunter manga achieved the top spot on Netflix’s weekly global top 10 non-English films rankings and Netflix’s top 10 films in Japan for the week of April 22-28, its debut week on the platform. The film garnered 5.3 million total views and 9.1 million hours viewed.
City Hunter also secured a place in the top 10 films on Netflix in 32 countries, including Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The film premiered worldwide on Netflix on April 25.
Unlike previous adaptations set in Hong Kong, South Korea, and France, this City Hunter film was shot on the real streets of Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward. While it transitions the setting to modern-day Tokyo, it preserves iconic elements from the manga, such as protagonist Ryō Saeba’s signature long coat.
“City Hunter” Live-Action Film: Cast, Crew, and Themes
Ryōhei Suzuki portrays Ryō Saeba, with Misato Morita as the heroine Kaori Makimura, Masanobu Andō as Ryō Saeba’s partner Hideyuki Makimura, and Fumino Kimura as detective Saeko Nogami. Yuichi Sato directed the film, Tatsuhiro Mishima wrote the screenplay, and Yoshihide Otomo composed the music.
Shinichi Takahashi served as the executive producer, with Keisuke Sanpei and Kosuke Oshida as producers. The film was produced by Netflix in collaboration with HoriPro and Office Shirous.
The theme song of the film, titled “Get Wild Continual,” is a new rendition of the iconic ending song “Get Wild” by the band TM Network, featured in the original City Hunter anime.
The City Hunter manga, available in English on Coamix and Imagineer’s MangaHot app and website, follows the adventures of Ryo Saeba, also known as City Hunter. He takes on various tasks, from bodyguarding to contract killing, but only if there’s a beautiful woman involved or if the client’s sincerity touches him. Alongside his partner Kaori Makimura, Ryo combats the evils lurking in the shadows of the city.
“City Hunter” Legacy: From Manga to Live-Action Adaptations
Created by Tsukasa Hōjō, the City Hunter manga ran from 1985 to 1991, spanning 35 volumes. It has inspired four television anime series, an earlier anime film, and numerous video and television specials, including a 2015 original anime DVD.
The original anime debuted in April 1987, while City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes premiered in February 2019, followed by City Hunter The Movie: Angel Dust in September of the same year.
Discotek Media acquired the license for the original City Hunter anime projects and the City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes film in April 2019. Crunchyroll streams the City Hunter television anime series, specials, and films.
City Hunter has also seen live-action adaptations, including a 1993 Hong Kong film starring Jackie Chan, a Korean television series in 2011, and a French film in February 2019. Additionally, a separate Chinese live-action film adaptation is being developed in China.