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City Hunter Live Action seems to have had an incredible reception. Fans certainly didn’t anticipate this because anime as a medium has had a terrible track record when it comes to live-action adaptations. There have been plenty of terrible adaptations that instilled fear among viewers. This is why members of the animanga community often hesitate to watch live-action adaptations.
There is no doubt that Dragon Ball Evolution is one of the worst live-action adaptations that have been released, and it shows just how terrible the outcome can be if the production team doesn’t stick to the source material.
However, that does not seem to be the case for the City Hunter live action film that was released on April 25, 2024. This is a Netflix-exclusive film, and the fanbase was quite happy with the end result. They took to social media platforms like X to share their opinions on the same.
Why did fans react to the City Hunter Live Action film that was released in April?
City Hunter was initially launched as a manga series way back in 1985. Since then, it has received anime adaptations as well as live-action adaptations. In fact, prior to the release of this movie, there was a live-action adaptation that also featured Jackie Chan. This movie, however, doesn’t fall short in any way. Fans are very happy with how the movie captured the essence of the manga series.
The biggest reason for the fans’ praise is the way it has retained certain elements from the manga while discarding elements that do not translate well in the medium of a live-action film. Fans were quite happy with the way the movie was shot as well as the choreography for the fight sequences featured in the film. City Hunter Live Action is one of the few titles that isn’t adding to the already-existing bad track record of anime live-action adaptations.
How fans reacted to the Netflix City Hunter Live Action film
"This is a rare exception", said one fan.
"It will never be as good as Jackie Chan city hunter," said another.
"Jackie's is fun and all... But this is easily the best City Hunter adaptation bar none," replied another fan.
It's quite clear that fans have been comparing Netflix's City Hunter Live Action movie to the one that featured Jackie Chan, even before they watched it. The hesitation is quite relatable since anime and manga as media have rarely had decent live-action adaptations. One Piece is the only live-action in recent times that has received similar praise. That being said, even die-hard fans seem to swear by Netflix's City Hunter Live Action film.
"Yeah it was amazing ! The actor that played Ryo really did a good job he even sound like him!," said one fan.
"I am so excited to watch this when I have time," said another.
"Some of Netflix's recent live action stuff has been pretty decent, like also Yuu Yuu Hakusho & Parasite: The Grey. I'm actually super interested to see what they adapt going forward!," said a netizen.
It's clear that fans are happy with how Netflix is approaching anime live-action adaptations, and City Hunter is no exception. Furthermore, fans also appreciated the actor who played Ryo Saeba, Ryohei Suzuki. Not only was his acting good, but his impersonation of the character and the voice were quite similar to the original anime as well. A good casting choice and a director who has a love for the source material play a crucial role in how live-action adaptations turn out.
Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2024 progresses.
Related Links:
5 live-action anime adaptations universally hated (and 5 that are well-liked)
10 reasons why many live-action anime adaptations disappoint fans
Netflix’s One Piece Live-action Review: The best anime live-action yet?
