Copyright © Hojo Tsukasa / Shueisha * YTV * SUNRISE

When I first heard that AD Vision had the rights to the CITY HUNTER series, I was cautiously optimistic. "It's about time," I thought. I'd be able to get high quality copies of a good show, but will they actually release all of it, especially with their penchant for releasing two episodes on a tape?
ADV then released their first CITY HUNTER project, CITY HUNTER: THE MOTION PICTURE. Only it wasn't a movie, but the 1996 OAV originally called GOODBYE MY SWEETHEART. Okay, so they started out with the last segment of the series instead of something earlier, and they renamed it to boot. Hmmm. Next came CITY HUNTER: .357 MAGNUM, which was originally the theatrical movie MAGNUM OF LOVE AND DESTINY.

Sigh!

I was starting to lose total faith in ADV. Not only were they renaming these projects, but there was no explanation as to what makes these characters tick. Why do Kaori and Ryo always fight but still remain together? Who is this Falcon guy? How'd he end up running a coffee shop with Maki? Will Ryo sleep with Saeko? And where does Kaori get these hammers?
Then I saw that a new division, ADV Fansubs, was starting up. They are a group of fansubbers hired by AD Vision to translate the television series from the beginning as fast and economically as possible. They would release four episodes on each tape.

Yes!

So far, two volumes of the 1987 CITY HUNTER TV show have been released. Based on the manga by Hojo Tsukasa (Cat's Eye), the first volume introduces us to Saeba Ryo, a private detective who is both the ultimate crack shot and the ultimate lecher. During these episodes he shows his ability to both shoot through a moving train to hit a man's belt buckle and to rescue a lady by grabbing her rear in mid-skydive. Ryo is known to accept a night of passion (or "mokkori" as he puts it) in lieu of money for his services. Thus, he usually takes cases involving women, especially ones requiring protection, which he'll happily provide at his apartment.
His partner, Makimura Hiroyuki, keeps Ryo in line. Playing the straight man, the bespectacled Hiroyuki answers the message boards at the Shinjuku train station when a client writes the letters XYZ, indicating a call for help. Cases on this tape include a murder victim's vengeful sister, an international arms cartel, a murdered boxer and disappearing women. This last case involves Hiroyuki's sister, Makimura Kaori, who becomes Ryo's partner in the following episode.
Volume 2 starts off with a deadly serious episode — a stark contrast to the usually comedy filled world of CITY HUNTER. Hiroyuki meets with a drug dealer who wishes to hire Ryo for a hit. Makimura refuses and is subsequently killed by The General. Makimura's final request is for Ryo to take care of Kaori and give her a keepsake of his family. Ryo accepts and violently avenges his best friend with somber jazz music in the background.
The next episode involves an actress seeking protection (Mokkori! Yes!) from an assassin trying to kill her. Unfortunately, it turns out to be Ryo's friend Umibozu (AKA: The Falcon), a massive, bald-headed mercenary who's terrified of kittens.
The other episodes follow standard CITY HUNTER fare. With Ryo being lecherous and Kaori subduing him with wresting holds and her 100-ton "mokkori" hammers. (No one knows where the hammers come from, but they're useful for Kaori and painful for Ryo.) Also in the mix is Nogami Saeko, a police officer who partnered with Hiroyuki. She uses her incredible beauty to either charm Ryo into helping her or to get crooks to snitch, otherwise she might just beat the hell out of them. Generally, she escapes Ryo's request for "mokkori" payments.
If you've watched the videos or heard fans talk about this series, these tapes are a good way to learn about what has made CITY HUNTER such an enduring series with its slapstick comedy, intense action and the developing romance between Ryo and Kaori. The TV shows are episodic and can get repetitive, but they're still fun. It's good to see ADV Fansubs release them in this format. However, they have quite a task ahead of them since there are three sequel series (CITY HUNTER 2, CITY HUNTER '91, CITY HUNTER 3) with a lot of episodes. Still, if fan support holds out, I'm sure we'll see these released at some future date. At least, I hope we do.

Released in North America by ADV Fansubs
VHS, Subtitled, $19.95
Available now in the USA
Where to buy