Singapore film distributor Encore Films brings sexy back with the Singapore release of Tsukasa Hojo’s CITY HUNTER: SHINJUKU PRIVATE EYES — the first feature film from the venerable manga franchise in over two decades. CITY HUNTER: SHINJUKU PRIVATE EYES will open in cinemas islandwide from 23rd May 2019.

CITY HUNTER: SHINJUKU PRIVATE EYES : Synopsis

The number-one private eye Ryo Saeba and his partner Kaori Makimura receives a new job assignment in Shinjuku. The client is a model, Ai Shindo, who wants a bodyguard because she has been targeted and followed. Ryo agrees to the pretty model’s request immediately and is excited when he visits the changing room at the photo studio.

Ai is a campaign model for the IT company whose CEO, Shinji Mikuni, is the childhood friend of Kaori. The two childhood friends meet up again after a long time at the photo studio, and Mikuni asks Kaori out for dinner. However, Ryo appears expressionless about the date and goes out with Ai.

On one hand, Umibozu and Miki received news that the mercenaries are gathering in Shinjuku, and their target is after Ai… While going after the mercenaries, Saeko from the police department discovers a great secret! The massive weapon dealer Vince Ingrado is in Japan, together with the arrival of a new weapon.

Will the “City Hunter” be able to protect both Ai and the Shinjuku city!?

CITY HUNTER: SHINJUKU PRIVATE EYES : Impressions

While the new film has been updated to fit with Reiwa-era aesthetics, the main selling point is the Showa-era nostalgia that it delivers in spades. There’s plenty of big hair, leotards, off-colour jokes, and 100-ton mallets to go around, plus perfectly timed remixes of the original 80s soundtrack — which are sure to please long-time fans.

Director Kenji Kodama, who directed the first three TV series and the three previous films, returns for this new feature-length adaptation. The original voice actors Akira Kamiya and Kazue Ikura also return as “Ryo Saeba” and “Kaori Makimura” respectively, making the movie a twenty-year reunion for all three.

Our favourite scene in CITY HUNTER, however, involves another classic Tsukasa Hojo series altogether: “Cat’s Eye”! The three Kisugi sisters make a brief appearance, likewise voiced by their original cast members Chika Sakamoto as “Ai Kisugi” and Keiko Toda as “Hitomi Kisugi”. Sadly, Toda will also serve as the voice for “Rui Kisugi” as the original actress Toshiko Fujita passed away in 2018.

With another live-action French feature film adaptation “Nicky Larson” down the pipeline, 2019 is shaping up to be a landmark year for CITY HUNTER. So if you’re in the mood for some 80s-style action, head for the cinemas as CITY HUNTER: SHINJUKU PRIVATE EYES plays in Singapore from 23rd May 2019.

CITY HUNTER: SHINJUKU PRIVATE EYES
城市猎人: 新宿 PRIVATE EYES
Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy
Language: In Japanese with English and Chinese subtitles
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence and Nudity 些许暴力及裸露画面)
Runtime: 96 min
Release Date: 23 May 2019
Singapore Distributor: Encore Films