“City Hunter,” directed by Yuichi Sato, is a Japanese movie adaptation of the beloved manga series created by Tsukasa Hojo. Running at a duration of 1 hour and 44 minutes, it made its debut on April 25, 2024, and is now available for viewing on Netflix.
Plot Summary
This story is about a man called City Hunter, whose real name is Ryo Saeba. He’s like a secret hero who helps people without anyone knowing. One day, a lady asks him for help because her sister, Kurumi, is missing. So Ryo and his friend, Hideyuki Makimura, start looking for her. But when they find Kurumi, she’s not normal. She can jump really high, and there’s something strange about her neck and jaw – green veins start showing up. Then, something terrible happens: Hideyuki Makimura gets killed. Now, Hideyuki’s little sister, Kaori Makimura, wants Ryo to find out who killed her brother and why, so she clings onto Ryo Saeba.
As Ryo investigates, he discovers a drug that was involved, and lots of other hidden secrets. It turns out there’s a dangerous union behind everything.
What is City Hunter’s initial task, and what hidden truths does he uncover along the way?
A woman seeks help from City Hunter to find her sister, Kurumi, who vanished after planning to meet someone in Kabukicho. She worries Kurumi might have been kidnapped, especially with strange events in Shinjuku recently. Despite reporting to the police, she turns to City Hunter as her last hope after hearing rumors about XYZ online. City Hunter, also known as Ryo Saeba, and his partner, Hideyuki Makimura, start the search. While Hideyuki waits in the car, he gets distracted by girls in a sauna but is brought back on track by his partner. They locate Kurumi in a building, surrounded by threatening men.
Ryo Saeba breaks in, rescues Kurumi, and fights off the men. Kurumi, frightened, runs away, leading Ryo Saeba and his partner into a tunnel where she displays strange abilities, including jumping extremely high and green veins appearing on her neck. They lose her, and tragically, Hideyuki Makimura dies. His younger sister clings to Ryo Saeba for help despite his initial reluctance. Through her persistence, they eventually find Kurumi. Ryo Saeba discovers that Kurumi has no sister, realizing the woman who sought help was actually after Kurumi herself.
Before Hideyuki’s death, Hideyuki passes something to Ryo: a small container with a blue liquid that Kurumi had dropped during her escape. Ryo shows this to Kurumi, who reveals that she was looking for her friend, Kento, who suddenly disappeared. She was kidnapped and injected with something, causing her to pass out, but she managed to escape with the liquid.
What does Ryo Saeba learn from detective Saeko Nogami about Kaori Makimura and Kurumi’s connection?
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Ryo Saeba meets with Saeko Nogami, who gives him analysis samples of a blue liquid. It’s revealed that this liquid matches samples collected from the bodies of suspects, including the one who murdered Ryo’s partner, Makimura. The liquid boosts brain activity for a short while, greatly increasing muscle strength. However, it also makes people aggressive, and when its effects wear off, they die. Ryo recognizes it as “angel dust,” a drug used in a past war and banned due to its cruel effects. This blue liquid seems to be a stronger version. If it weren’t for the deadly side effects, the world would have wanted it, but only Kurumi could tolerate it, which is why people are searching for her.
Ryo learns more from Saeko before leaving, including information about Kurumi Makimura and Kaori. She tells him about a similar incident 20 years ago in Japan, where a man became violent and assaulted a cop, leading to his death. The cop who shot him was Kaori Makimura’s father. He adopted the daughter of the man he killed, who is Kaori. Apparently, he had been investigating the drug on his own for years.
How does Kurumi get captured by the enemy?
Kaori Makimura and Kurumi prepare for an important cosplay event, with Ryo joining them. Kaori is responsible for keeping Kurumi safe. Ryo dresses as a cowboy, with a unique horse-shaped headgear on his pants. At the event, two enemies keep a watchful eye on Kurumi as she performs.
Ryo tries to prevent photographers from taking Kurumi’s pictures, but discovers injections aimed at Kurumi hitting a horse instead. As he tries to escape with Kurumi on his back, he encounters the woman who sought his help, claiming to be Kurumi’s sister but actually a villain searching for her. They fight, and Kaori flees with Kurumi to safety.
Kaori meets a man in a suit whom she trusts, believing him to be good, and hands Kurumi over for safety. However, he betrays them, taking Kurumi to a garage where two men arrive with a suitcase filled with money in exchange for her.
How is the female villain, who fought with Ryo at the cosplay festival, captured by the police? What leads to her demise?
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Ryo playfully nicknames the female villain “Miss Mokori Sweater Puppies.” During the fight, she gets shot by her own partner who mistakenly aims at Ryo, knocking her unconscious. Ryo entrusts her to the female detective, Saeko, who takes her to the car. However, on their journey, blood suddenly splashes as a device inside her neck explodes, a consequence of her failed mission, resulting in her death. Saeko informs Ryo that the female suspect died while being transported into custody. She mentions an implant in the back of the suspect’s neck, describing the perpetrators as ruthless. Saeko recalls the suspect’s last words about a union, providing only that information.
What happens when Kurumi is captured?
Kurumi is tied to a bed, and a woman takes care of everything. Kurumi sees her friend Kento on a camera, whom she was looking for. The woman takes a blue liquid, saying it’s the color of the future. She tells Kurumi that all they need now is to mix her DNA into it, and in two days, it will be ready.
She talks to a man about how everything is finally happening, thanks to Lore’s technology and funding. Together, they believe they can change the future’s color. The man then cuts the woman’s throat with a small knife, and the guards kill everyone except Kurumi. The man touches her chest, saying “for the union,” and takes Kurumi away.
What occurs during the final confrontation when Ryo and Kaori search for Kurumi?
Ryo and Kaori locate Kurumi using a tracking device hidden in her earring. Upon arrival, they find everyone at the location dead. As they explore further, they stumble upon a place where numerous operations are underway. Suddenly, a large group of men in black armour and armed with guns confronts them. Ryo tries to distract them with a playful remark, but it backfires, leading to gunfire and their retreat into hiding.
Kaori carries a heavy backpack containing Ryo’s guns, which he uses to eliminate the attackers. One man emerges, using Kurumi as a shield and threatening Ryo to join their ranks. He questions Ryo’s decision to waste his skills in their “boring” city, contrasting him with his old partner. Ryo lowers his gun and approaches him.
The man activates a tablet, releasing a monstrous figure injected with enhanced strength. As the man takes Kurumi and escapes, Kaori pursues them. Meanwhile, Ryo engages in combat with the monstrous figure, eventually defeating him.
Kaori, blocked by a glass barrier, learns the truth about her father from the man. He reveals her father’s involvement with a union and his betrayal as a test subject for a drug. Enraged, Kaori strikes the glass, prompting Ryo to break through and confront the man. Ryo shoots the man multiple times, eventually breaking the glass and rescuing Kurumi.
With the situation under control, Kaori, struggling with her emotions, points a gun at the man but cannot bring herself to shoot. Help arrives as police and a female detective, Saeko, secure Kurumi and Kaori’s safety.The man isn’t fatally shot as anticipated, but instead, it’s decided that he should be handed over to the police, potentially becoming a valuable source of information.
