The 3rd "City Hunter The Movie: The Most Scented Mission in History" - The result of a tremendous level of understanding and love for the original work! The 3rd "City Hunter The Movie: The Most Incense Mission in History"──The result of an unparalleled understanding of and love for the original story! This is the ideal live-action film born in France!

Japan is experiencing an unprecedented anime boom in 2025. In the world of live-action films, the presence of anime- and manga-based films is increasing even more than before.

On the other hand, many people may have the unfortunate impression that live-action movies based on anime or manga are "ah, so it's a live-action movie. ......

However! Are live-action movies based on anime and manga really all disappointing? Are we not just making up stories based on images without having seen the full-length films because we are influenced by the opinions of those around us?

So, let's re-evaluate some controversial live-action films based on anime and manga that have caused controversy in the past.

The 3rd City Hunter The Movie: The Most Incense Mission Ever!

City Hunter," the classic manga series that began in 1985 and sustained Weekly Shonen Jump (published by Shueisha) during its golden age, returns in 2018 with the live-action film "City Hunter The Movie: The Most Fragrant Mission in History. City Hunter" returns in 2018 as the live-action film "City Hunter The Movie: The Most Awesome Mission Ever"!

With its gun action, human drama, and sex appeal, "City Hunter" is a perfect subject for a live-action film. However, there are not many people who can express the coolness and comicality of the main character, the sweeper (scavenger) Saeba Ryo, as well as handle the intense action.

In the 1993 live-action version of "City Hunter," Jackie Chan played the role. He is a good actor in terms of appearance and sharpness of action, but the film is more kung-fu action, perhaps because of Jackie's attributes, and a rather comical image of Chieh is presented.

The 1993 version, which included a bit of current events, is also known for its powerful "Street Fighter II" parody. In the film, Chen, who was electrocuted when he ran into a video game machine during a hand-to-hand fight with an enemy, fights alongside his foe as a character from "Street Fighter II. It is interesting to note that the game's voices and BGM are used as is, while the action of the same game is represented in flesh and blood.

The enemy is Ken. Then, Noboru transforms into Edmond Honda, Guile, and Chun-Li one after another, but this is not a wild arrangement, but a special specification that existed in the pirated versions circulating at the time, and in a sense, it is just like the original work. In a sense, it is just like the original work. The way Ken's Tatsumaki Senpu-ka (tornado whirlwind leg) is performed in real life is also cool. The continuous rotation is handled with special effects, but Ken's tornado whirlwind legs are so detailed that they can hit a target in multiple stages.

On the other hand, Chun-Li transforms into Chun-Li and performs an open-leg kakato-drop while spinning vertically in mid-air. The motion itself is reminiscent of the kakatodrop in "Street Fighter Zero" and the vertical ascent to perform the move is reminiscent of the Tensei Ranka in "Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. Also, the way Guile teams up with Dhalsim, who appears out of nowhere, to face Ken is reminiscent of the "Dramatic Battle" mode in "ZERO. Since "Zero" was released in 1995 and "3rd Strike" in 1999, one might say that those who saw the movie were able to enjoy the new elements about two to six years earlier.

Side trips aside, the second live-action actor, comedian, and filmmaker to take on the role is French actor, comedian, and director Philippe Lachaux, who grew up watching the animated version of "City Hunter" broadcast in France in the 1990s and chose the latter of his two dreams: manga artist and film director. He chose the latter of the two dreams, and has since filmed comedies such as "Midnight in Paris! and other comedies, he spent 18 months writing the script for this film and received the OK from Tsukasa Hojo, the author of the original manga, to star in, write, and direct.

Particularly overflowing with love for "City Hunter" is the idea for "Cupid's Perfume," which is the key to this film. This perfume captivates anyone who smells it, regardless of whether they are of the opposite or same sex. In addition, those who are captivated by it become incapable of lying.

In this film, Yu sniffs the perfume and falls in love with the man who asks him to collect it. The catch copy of this film says, "Saeba Akira is in the greatest crisis (laugh).

Although Saeba Tsuyoshi tends to stand out for his comical elements, he also has a horrific past.

He was in a plane crash as a child, was raised by anti-government guerrillas, acquired exceptional fighting skills, became a sweeper in the United States, and came to Japan. In the U.S., he fought as if he were seeking a place to die, but he finally broke away from that way of life when he came to Japan. He became the "Shinjuku stallion" that everyone knows as Saeba, the No. 1 sweeper in the underworld and a good-natured, womanizing man.

This duality is reflected in his stance toward his partner, Kaoru. Although he cares for Kana, the sister-in-law of his best friend Makimura, more than anything else, he never expresses his feelings honestly. The way he speaks hatefully about her is as if he is trying to hide his true feelings.

Then she smells "Cupid's perfume," and her body becomes unable to express anything but her true feelings. For Yu, who wants to keep his feelings for the fragrance secret, this is also the biggest crisis of all. It is fundamental to the story to express the character's "personality" while putting him in danger. If the focus is "only" on the action aspect of City Hunter, it would be enough to just show strong enemies, but that would make the story too much of a battle story, and the way the relationship with Shang is used to sway fans who are familiar with the No. 1 sweeper and his strength is a great example of this, This is the result of his love and understanding of the original work.

In live-action adaptations of manga and anime, there are often "misinterpretations" that lead to different characterizations, but the character of "Yoshi" in this film has the iconic blue jacket, red T-shirt, and rolled-up arms that are typical of "Yoshi Saeba," and his behavior and actions are also very much like him.

He usually looks down his nose at beautiful women, but once he gets serious, he is no match for a pack of villains. He is strong but comical, comical but not too much for laughs. This balance is exquisite and truly "City Hunter.

Like in the original work, the character of "City Hunter" in this film also tries to mess with beautiful women and fails, but Rasho's "Date Man" style works well, making him less obnoxious and vulgar. It is so natural that it can be interpreted as one interpretation of "Saeba Akira".

The Japanese-American actor Saeba and the French actor Rachot have different facial expressions, but with the character modeling and stage set-up done so well, such discomfort will disappear in a few minutes.

One of the most interesting parts of the live-action version of Saeba is his performance in "Cupid's Perfume" when he is attracted to the old man. He invites Osan out for a drink, but is shocked when Osan turns him down, saying that he is with a woman at the moment. He wanders around in a daze, dreaming of a wedding with the old man, and then going out with him and having fun together (......). Eventually, he wanders into the waiting room of a fashion show where female models are changing, but he is too heartbroken to notice.

There are situations in comedies that are as humorous as they are serious. This scene is just such a case, and the gap between the womanizing Jiang and the damage done by the rejection of the old man is accentuated by the seriousness and enthusiasm with which Rachot plays the role. It is no exaggeration to say that he is a comedian and was born to make a "City Hunter" movie.

The cast members, whether it be Shang (Elodie Fontan), Kaibo (Kamel Gongfu), the natural enemy of Chie, or Makimura (Raphael Persona), all have great atmospheres. In particular, the appearance of Haiboju is so highly reproduced that one can only marvel at the fact that Haiboju actually existed.

Speaking of Shang, his trademark is the 100-ton hammer he uses when punishing Shang, and it also makes an appearance in this film.

However, the 100-ton hammer is a difficult prop to handle. (If a man has the strength to wield a 100-ton blunt weapon, he would be invincible without a gun.) In this film, the characters appear not in the real world but in the imagination. Combined with the effect lines and angles playing in the background, it is a 100-ton hammer that could not be better.

And the action scenes are also excellent.

In the latter half of the story, Shang is kidnapped by the enemy and taken hostage. He rides into the enemy's stronghold and defeats them one by one with traps and surprise attacks, but the fact that he is silent the whole time shows the depth of his anger and the strength he has when he really gets down to business, which is very impressive.

Then, "Kozue" rescues "Shang" and the two of them fight a great battle against a large number of enemies. Shang also fights with a gun in his hand, but he is unable to handle it well, perhaps because he is unfamiliar with it, and so he is supported by Soichi, who stays close to him. Despite the intense gunfight, the two seem to be dancing, with Kou wearing a dress, and their timing is very "City Hunter" like, never getting too close and never moving away from each other.

The way the two jump into a shield together is also very "City Hunter" like, showing their high level of understanding of the original story. The dubbing was done by Koichi Yamadera for the character of Chibi and Miyuki Sawashiro for Kou. Yamadera-san is especially good as the "sword" and you will be able to watch the film as a different interpretation of the sword without any discomfort.

When a manga or anime is made into a live-action film, tragedies often occur due to differences in interpretation. In this film, however, Mr. Rasho's talent and love for the original work are well combined to create a live-action version with little sense of discomfort. This is a happy case for both the fans and the sender, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that this is one of the goals that live-action film should aim for.

The fact that this film was not made by the Japanese team but by the French is also epochal in a sense, and we may see an increase in such loving international film adaptations in the future.

Most importantly, it is the appeal of "City Hunter" that has drawn Mr. Lachaux to the series since he was a child. The series celebrates its 37th anniversary this year, and one can only hope that more developments, including live-action adaptations, will follow.

(Text by Shinichi Yanamoto)