City Hunter 2: Collection 1 (1988)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Directed by Kanetsugu Kodama
Written by Hidemi Kamata, based upon the manga by Tsukasa Hojo
Voices by Akira Kamiya, Yoko Asagami, Tessho Genda, Martin Blacker.

Features:

• Trailers
  

Dindrane's Anime Warnings:

• More mokkori than you can shake a stick at
• Gender bending
• Violence
• Sexuality
• Hints at incest in one episode

Released by: ADV
Region: 1
Rating: 15+
Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format.

My Advice: Get it, and fear the mokkori.

City Hunter 2 tells the story of Ryo Saeba, a "sweeper," which is a bodyguard who actively seeks out and neutralizes those who endanger his clients; he's also a legend in the Japanese underworld because he never fails. His skills with any kind of gun are unparalleled. Of course, he's also a shameless womanizer, and that will make the viewer take him a little less than seriously, which is entirely the point. As for his partner Kaori, she tries to keep him in line, but when his first case of the set has him hired as the bodyguard to a gorgeous swimsuit model named Akemi, Kaori has her hands more than full--and so does he, especially since the girl in question is only fifteen and believes that her horoscope destines her to marry Ryo, her "ideal partner." Too bad for Saeba that "Kaijin X" is no laughing matter.

Each episode brings a new case and new trouble for Ryo. The Akemi story arc comprises the first four episodes, wherein Our Hero battles the Silver Fox assassin, who knows the best way to distract Saeba and escape is to throw a frilly bra at him. Other episodes are much lighter, including Saeba simultaneously protecting and scamming on a young princess, a ring of pro wrestlers who fix matches, and even one where we learn more about Kaori's past and family.

For all the comedy and action, there's still a surprisingly good bit of character development, more than you'd expect from either a pure comedy or a real action-fest. Kaori and Ryo have actual personalities, even beyond the surface levels of their roles; they also have some depth and complexity to their relationship, above and beyond Ryo's penchant for teasing the less-than-feminine Kaori. The real depths of their relationship have yet to be uncovered, for all Ryo's seeming horror when Silver Fox calls her his lover.

The audio quality is very good, with crisp dialogue nicely balanced with sound effects. There is no English dub, which is a shame for such a popular and worthy show, but the Japanese cast is as experienced and enjoyable as you'd expect. Incidentally, Ryo's favorite vague sexual reference, "mokkori," basically refers to the (cough) tenting action of male sexual excitement and/or the accompanying mental state, though it's a slang word extremely rarely found outside the world of City Hunter and the Internet. Ryo will use the word interchangeably as a noun, a pronoun, or an adjective, with cheerful and complete disregard for any moral or linguistic purity.

The features are essentially non-existent. We get some ADV previews on the first disc, and trailers for the show on the fifth disc, and that's it. It would have been nice if this set had been boxed with the live action version, at least, or perhaps some manga. As old as this show is, interviews with cast and crew or commentaries might be a lot to ask, but surely some translator's notes or maybe cultural commentary would be doable. On the other hand, useful translator's notes frequently precede episodes wherein extra understainding of cultural or linguistic words might enhance viewing, such as before episode five when the story of the loyal dog Hachikou is briefly explained.

If you love cop comedies or noir with a comic twist, then you'll love City Hunter 2. As an action-comedy, it's great bet--genuinely funny with great action and lots of interesting twists and turns. If you've seen the live action version with Jackie Chan and enjoyed it, then you'll like this even more. The show is exactly what it tries to be, fine action with a hefty dose of comedy, kind of like Ranma 1/2's Happosai as a sharpshooter. So remember, when you're in trouble, post a message to "XYZ" on the Shinjuku Station bulletin board, and Ryo will be there to help you--if you're a beautiful young woman, anyway.