Unless you've been living under a rock, you've no doubt heard of CITY HUNTER, Hojo Tsukasa's tale of a six-gun-slinging professional with a penchant for women and a heart of gold. Both the original manga and its anime adaptation ended many years ago, and there have been a few TV movie specials plus a handful of cameos in Hojo's other stories. But the numerous CITY HUNTER fans, unwilling to let go, have clamored and waited for a sequel. Well, be careful what you wish for.

That long-awaited "sequel" is finally here in the form of ANGEL HEART, but it's not of the "more of the same" variety that many have hoped for, because one of the major characters is dead. If the thought of your favorite CITY HUNTER character meeting an untimely demise seems unbearable, you're best advised to hit the "back" button on your web browser immediately.

Still here? OK, but don't say I didn't warn you.

ANGEL HEART gets off to a decidedly tragic start—as the story begins, a professional killer by the code name "Glass Heart" jumps off a building, stricken with remorse over the people she has killed. Meanwhile, on the eve of her wedding with Ryo, our beloved Kaori leaps in front of a truck, saving the life of a child at the sacrifice of her own. Two days later, a donor's heart is stolen during transport, and is transplanted into the now-comatose Glass Heart.

A year later, things have changed in the world of City Hunter: the XYZ bulletin board is no more, and Ryo has given up his City Hunter title. Though he still chases skirts as usual, his friend Saeko cannot help but notice the fury in Ryo's eyes as he refuses to acknowledge Kaori's death. Unbeknownst to Ryo and his friends, the recipient of the donated heart has woken up from her coma by a voice in her heart; overcome by memories that aren't her own, Glass Heart sets out to Shinjuku to learn the identity of her donor. As Umibozo prepares to close the coffee shop, he is alerted to a familiar presence, and greets the late-night guest. "Welcome back, Kaori."

While Ryo still factors in heavily in the story, the main focus is on Glass Heart as she struggles to cope with the conflict between her training and the kind-hearted voice in her heart. As Glass Heart tries to come to terms with the persona inside, the crime syndicate that once employed the female killer is gearing up for an all-out street war in the heart of Shinjuku. Together with the man formerly known as City Hunter, the erstwhile assassin with a heart of an angel must now try and put a stop to the crisis.

When I first heard about ANGEL HEART's tragic premise, I was at a loss for words. CITY HUNTER may be fiction, but Kaori's character and her kindness was very real to her fans. Hojo may have anticipated a backlash, and thus chose to describe ANGEL HEART as a "parallel universe" to escape the wrath of his readers. (Knowing how serious some Hojo fans are, I don't blame him.) But as shocked and saddened I was to learn about Kaori's death, I personally consider ANGEL HEART to be a valid sequel. If anything, Kaori's sacrifice and gift greatly intensifies the drama and the themes of positive change in ANGEL HEART. The scene where Ryo is reunited with his lost love, if only in spirit, is very touching and quite possibly one of the more memorable moments in the CH universe, and to brand the story as a "parallel universe" really cheapens the emotional impact.

This isn't to say that ANGEL HEART is all sturm und drang—though Ryo's loss may move you to tears, Hojo knows exactly when to provide much-needed comic relief with his trademark humor, as Ryo looks for booty in all the wrong places and usually gets beaten up for his trouble. And once the crisis erupts, our "retired" professional gets right down to business, using his skills and instincts to great effect. The reader is also treated to Hojo's amazing artwork, which is nigh perfect and better than ever, and the author is also not beyond offering the reader a fair amount of fan service. It wouldn't be CITY HUNTER without the attractive females, after all.

Of course, it wouldn't be CITY HUNTER without Kaori either, and through it all you can feel the presence of our beloved heroine, helping a lost soul through her troubles and emotions, and guiding her onto the right path. Don't let Kaori's fate or the "parallel universe" moniker stop you; this is easily the most satisfying manga this Hojo fan has read in a long time. If you consider yourself a true CITY HUNTER fan, then you owe it to yourself to read this manga. "Angel Heart," indeed.