Ryohei Suzuki, Fumino Kimura, ©Courtesy of Netflix 

Like all long-running manga-anime series, the “City Hunter” franchise has a complicated history of adaptations. Technically, this is the first live-action Japanese film based on Tsukasa Hojo’s Shonen series, but previous non-animated film adaptions were produced in Hong Kong (starring Jackie Chan and Gary Daniels) and France (as “Nicky Larson et le Parfum de Cupidon”).

However, it is not the first Japanese live-action depiction of detective Ryo Saeba. In 2015, he appeared as a featured character in the “Angel Heart” TV series, based on the manga spin-off of the same title. Do not panic if this trivia is confusing. The new Netflix film goes back to the franchise’s origin story. It updates the very-1980s setting to the current-day, but Saeba remains as randy as ever in Yuichi Sato’s “City Hunter,” which premieres today on Netflix.

Saeba keenly appreciates the charms of Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood, which is often likened to New York’s Times Square. You might say he enjoys the sophisticated entertainment and club scene. Frankly, many characters put it more bluntly calling him a pervert. However, his extensive after-hours contacts regularly provide helpful tips.

Ryohei Suzuki and Masanobu Ando, ©Courtesy of Netflix 

Consequently, Saeba and his partner, ex-cop Hideyuki Makimura, quickly track down a client’s missing cos-player sister. However, the terrified Kurumi flees her would-be rescuers with a heightened athleticism that bewilders the detective.

Apparently, Shinjuku has seen a lot of that kind of weirdness lately. Makimura’s former colleague, Tokyo police detective Saeko Nogami is investigating a string of random rage-killings apparently committed by homeless people amped up with super-strength by a mysterious drug. In fact, Makimura’s sister Kaori witnesses his murder at the hands of one such juiced derelict, shortly thereafter.

Having sworn to protect Kaori, Saeba unsuccessfully tries to keep her out of the City Hunter business. Understandably, she needs answers and wants justice. She also develops a sympathetic interest in Kurumi. Obviously, the mysterious cabal responsible for the virulent rage drug dosed her too, but her body reacted differently.

Given the franchise’s reputation for comedic fight scenes, it makes sense Jackie Chan was a popular choice to play Saeba in the 1993 Hong Kong film. However, the detective’s lusty pursuits make him a bit of a challenge to portray in live action film, especially for hyper-sensitive audiences.

Misato Morita, ©Courtesy of Netflix 

Fortunately, Sato and actor Ryohei Suzuki concocted a successful formula. First and foremost, the director keeps the pacing so snappy, viewers never have time to complain about the detective’s horniness. Suzuki’s leading man looks, goofy charm, and rubber-boned facility for physical humor also go a long way towards winning over the skeptical, while still pleasing longtime fans. Instead of feeling smarmy, his performance as Saeba is roguishly endearing, sort of like Sam Malone in “Cheers,” but with much more gunplay.

Misato Morita is suitably grounded as Kaori, while Asuka Hanamura always looks waifishly lost as Kurumi. Yet, seductive Moemi Katayama delivers one of the film’s highlights fighting with Saeda at a cosplay convention, clad in a skin-tight Emma Peel-ish cat suit. Their wild sparring match will surely be rewound and re-watched repeatedly, because it is quite a spectacle. Clearly, Sato and screenwriter Tatsuro Mishima understand what franchise fans want and deliver accordingly. They even devised a way to jokingly include the giant hammer Kaori frequently bonks Saeda over the head with in the anime.

Frankly, Sato’s live-action “City Hunter” is a funnier, more accessible introduction to the franchise than “City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes,” the last anime feature to have legitimate DVD release in North America. It is all very slick, but still faithful to the “City Hunter” longtime fans know and love. Recommended for the established fanbase and anyone who appreciates crazy escapist action, “City Hunter” starts streaming today (4/25) on Netflix.

Grade: B+

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Here’s the trailer of the film.