Movies - City Hunter

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City Hunter is a popular Japanese anime and manga franchise that began in the mid 1980's. It's an action-adventure comedy that is reminiscent of Lupin III, yet it has its own unique charm.

The franchise primarily follows the exploits of Ryo Saeba, who works as a "sweeper" (He "sweeps" crime off the streets) and is one half of the City Hunter team. The other half is young Kaori Makimura, a tomboyish girl who deals primarily with business side of the company. The City Hunter is a covert, independent group who can be hired for missions like bodyguarding and private investigation. They primarily take on jobs involving pretty women, who get the firm's attention by writing the letters XYZ on a blackboard at Shinjuku Station (in Tokyo, Japan).

Over the course of the manga and TV series, other characters such as police detective Saeko Nogami (and her family) and tough guy Umibozu are introduced. City Hunter also occasionally explores the pasts of its characters, often with Saeba & Umibozu's long histories coming back to haunt them.

In a 2005 poll held by Japan's TV Asahi, City Hunter was voted #66 out of the 100 most popular animated TV series, as voted by TV viewers. A second TV Asahi poll, held on the internet, put City Hunter at #65.

City Hunter Characters

Main characters

Ryo Saeba (冴羽獠 Saeba Ryō)

AKA: Joe Saeba , Nicky Larson , Koke The protagonist of City Hunter. Ryo is a combat expert, having fought as a guerrilla, and having a long history of working in the underground. His mysterious past starts with him being the only survior of a plane crash in Central America as a toddler. He then grew up as an orphan in a rebel village during a civil war, learning to fight at a young age. After the war he ended up in the United States, where he worked as a hired gun, but eventually he found his way to Tokyo, Japan. There he formed the "City Hunter" team with Hideyuki Makimura (Kaori's brother), and it's sometime after that where the manga/TV series' timeline begins.

Saeba has many skills and talents which help him in his job. He is a highly skilled gunman, who can shoot any gun with great precision, though he usually uses a Colt Python. He expertly drives his classic red Mini Cooper, and uses its small size to his advantage in car chases. Saeba is also an expert in hand-to-hand combat, and his muscular body can withstand a lot of damage.

Though his fighting skills may make him sound like a terrifying man, Ryo is actually quite goofy when he's not in the midst of battle. In fact, one of the most unique aspects of Saeba's character is his ability to switch from a heroic, intelligent man, into a looney, lecherous pervert within a split second. Ryo loves women and he is constantly peeping at panties or patting breasts. In the manga his lust is often visible through his large "mokori" erection, but in the TV series it's toned down to cartoon faces and wandering hands. Despite his "ecchi" behaviour, he is a caring man who loves Kaori Makimura.

Kaori Makimura (槇村香 Makimura Kaori)

AKA: Kreta (Italian Anime Dub), Julia (Spanish Dub), Laura Marconi (French Dub)

The other half of City Hunter, and Ryo Saeba's partner. She is primarily responsible for getting clients, and other managerial type tasks. She also cooks and makes sure that Ryo's lechery doesn't go too far. Though Kaori's combat skills don't even come close to her partner's, she can stop Ryo cold with one of her hammerspace weapons. Primarily she uses a hammer (usually weighing at least 100 tons), but she uses other objects as well. She also learned how to set traps and plant explosives from Umibozu.

Like Ryo, she has a dual personality. Sometimes she acts (and looks!) like a tomboy, while other times shes desplays a very femine compassion. She is very empathetic, and sometimes feels other's pain so acutely that she herself breaks into tears. Another thing that saddens her is her secret love for Ryo, which is unrealized on Ryo's part because he had promised her brother (and his former partner) never to touch her as he lay dying.

In the manga Kaori drives a Honda Civic, but in the anime she has a green Fiat.
Secondary Characters
Hideyuki Makimura
AKA: Ernesto (Spanish Dub), Toni Marconi (French Dub), Jeff (Italian Dub)

Hideyuki is Kaori's beloved older brother, and was Ryo's partner in City Hunter before his death. Before he died, he was meant to tell Kaori a secret about her past, namely that she was found abandoned by Hideyuki's father and adopted. But he was killed just before he could do it. Hideyuki's final request to Ryo was for him to take care of Kaori.

Though he's killed off fairly early in the series, he is mentioned often, and his grave stone is even used as a plot twist in the final anime series.
Umibozu
AKA: Falcon , Seaghost (Spanish Dub), Mammouth (French Dub)

Umibozu, (means "sea monster", real name: Hayato Ijuin) is a "sweeper" in the underground just like Ryo Saeba. With his giant body, and his superb combat skills, he doesn't really need a partner. He is Saeba's equal in most things, and the two have somewhat of a rivalry going.
[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for City Hunter ]

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Movies - City Hunter

City Hunter Characters

Main characters

Ryo Saeba (冴羽獠 Saeba Ryō)

Kaori Makimura (槇村香 Makimura Kaori)

Secondary Characters

Hideyuki Makimura

Umibozu

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Movies - City Hunter

City Hunter Characters

Main characters

Ryo Saeba (冴羽 獠 Saeba Ryō)

Kaori Makimura (槇村 香 Makimura Kaori)

Secondary Characters

Hideyuki Makimura

Umibozu

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Ryo Saeba (冴羽獠 Saeba Ryō)

Kaori Makimura (槇村香 Makimura Kaori)