Film: 
DVD: 
Original Story by Tsukasa Hojo
Directed by Kenji Kodama
Music by Tatsumi Yano
Features:
- Trailers
Dindrane’s Anime Warnings:
- Minor violence visited upon bad guys and one randy good guy
- Visible erections
- More visible erections
- Much discussion of erections and randiness
Released by: ADV
Region: 1
Rating: 15+
Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format.
My Advice: Check it out if you like randiness…er, I mean comedy action shows
[ad#longpost]ADV gave us the third collection of City Hunter, and it’s a doozy. Ryo is continuing his efforts to keep the city safe for sweet young things (and maybe get a little sum-sum on the side), along with his sidekick Kaori, whose real job seems to be keeping Ryo focused on getting paid and off mokkori. These thirteen episodes focus on the same “pretty little thing being hassled by mean ol’ ugly guy” formula that made the saga of Ryo such a success.
This particular set of episodes was not as strong as those of the previous two seasons. Perhaps the “damsel in distress who won’t have anything to do with Ryo” formula is finally wearing a bit thin. However, there are still a lot of laughs to be had from this set, and fans of the show will be well-pleased, even though new fans might be better won over by watching the two earlier seasons. Those of you who just want to know whether or not Ryo ever admits his feelings for Kaori (or vice versa) will just have to watch… but make sure you do.
There were a few minor video problems in the last season, but they’ve been cleared up for this collection. The show looks as good as you can expect from a decade-old TV series; the colors are clear and bright, the outlines crisp, and the general viewing pleasure is solid. The sound is good, but dub fans should be warned that there is only a Japanese track with English subtitles. Keep in mind, however, that eschewing English voice actors allows ADV to release this season at a very good price.
The extras are a bit slim, but again, fewer bells and whistles equals more anime for the buck. We basically only get some trailers for other ADV releases, including the City Hunter OAVs and movies. For a smaller season release, it would have been nice to have had some choice extras, like a commentary on the effect of the show on anime, a comparison to other versions of the property, or interviews with creators and/or voice actors. How about a discussion with some ADV execs about why they bought this property? We’d love to know how such choices are made.
If you enjoy comedy cop shows or just grand silliness with a sexy twist, you should enjoy this. You do not need to have seen the previous seasons, as the episodes themselves are quite, well, episodic. Ryo’s personality comes through loud and clear from the first sight of him, and, with Kaori, you can catch on quickly and just hope he doesn’t get into too much trouble. Get it if you need to relax and laugh, but if you have kids, be aware that the 15+ rating is due to sexual situations, language, and themes. The violence is what you would expect from a cop show that’s basically a comedy, which is to say that it’s nothing severe.
