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Discotek Licenses Entire City Hunter Anime Franchise Including City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes Film (Updated)

posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
New film opened in Japan on February 8

Sunrise announced at its panel at Sakura-Con on Friday that Discotek Media has licensed the original City Hunter anime projects as well as the recent City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes anime film.

ANN confirmed with Discotek Media that the company has the license to the following installments in the franchise:

Tsukasa Hōjō's 1985 manga City Hunter inspired four television anime series, one anime film, and several video and television specials including a 2015 original anime DVD. ADV Films released most of these anime projects in North America. Jackie Chan starred in a 1993 Hong Kong live-action film that very loosely adapts the original manga. A Korean live-action television series adaptation premiered in 2011, and Hulu streamed this version in the United States. A French live-action film adaptation opened in France on February 6. A separate Chinese live-action film adaptation has been green-lit in China.

The original manga follows Ryō Saeba, a sniper and a private eye ("sweeper") based in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward with unrivaled marksmanship and an over-the-top obsession for the opposite sex. He serves as a bodyguard and other duties for his clients.

City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes (pictured at left) opened in Japan on February 8. The movie then began hosting 4DX screenings in Japan on March 1. The film has earned more than 1.5 billion yen (about US$13.4 million) as of April 14.

Director Kenji Kodama, who has directed most of the previous City Hunter anime, returned as the chief director. Yoichi Kato (Aikatsu!, Yōkai Watch, Monster Strike the Animation) penned the script. Kumiko Takahashi (Birdy the Mighty, Card Captor Sakura) was the character designer and Taku Iwasaki (Gurren Lagann, Gatchaman Crowds) composed the music. Sunrise animated the film. TM Network's song "Get Wild," the ending theme song for the first City Hunter television anime, was also the ending song for the film.

The new film moves the setting to present-day Shinjuku.

Update: Confirmed news with Discotek and confirmed which anime the company has licensed.

Update 2: Discotek confirmed on Twitter it will screen the City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes film in U.S. theaters.

Source: Sunrise panel at Sakura-Con

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