In any given instance I think it's only fair to wonder how easy it might be to jump into a full-length film, that's based on pre-existing source material, when one has no prior experience with that source material. If the writing is adept enough, one should think a flick would be appreciable by both longtime fans and newcomers alike. Thankfully, in the case of the 'City Hunter' franchise, I don't think that's any particular concern; for a body of work that plays with a blend of action and comedy, to be honest the storytelling needs to be only halfway cogent to ensure our entertainment. And so it is here: even if we assume, reasonably enough, that some tidbits would be more meaningful with prior knowledge of the manga or anime, 'City Hunter: .357 Magnum' is a blast in no time at all. Unabashedly cartoonish in following the escapades of hopelessly lascivious and boorish (but highly competent) Saeba Ryo and his private detective agency, a tale of intrigue is saturated with wild action sequences and profuse humor, and this is a great time all around!
Underneath the layers of witty quips, big personalities and complicated relationships, exaggerated character designs and reactions, and sheer bombast that's ready-made for 'Looney Tunes,' there's an earnest, compelling narrative here. Scribe Endo Akinori provides an engrossing story of disparate threads woven together, with vibrant characterizations and strong scene writing. All this flows to one extent or another from Hojo Tsukasa's manga, certainly, but the picture itself is Endo's baby, and director Kodama Kenji faithfully delivers on every mood and idea that there is to be gleaned in these eighty-seven minutes. Just as much to the point, the more dramatic or violent notes, and the most frivolous ones, are swirled together so perfectly that the movie very dexterously shifts from one vibe to the other, sometimes back and forth within the same scene. Among kindred fare, not even some of the most popular live-action flicks can switch things up so easily, and the result really is equal parts funny, exciting, and engaging.
Hand in hand with the writing, the animation is fantastic; 'City Hunter: .357 Magnum' readily shows that it could have easily embraced pure action, pure comedy, or pure detective drama if it wanted to. It's not that the visual experience is specifically remarkable, but there are no faults to be found in the lovely character designs, the beautiful backgrounds and environments, the fluid action sequences, or the dazzling effects. Static and active elements alike boast excellent detail, and whether a moment is being amplified for laughs, given extra flair in accordance with intense violence, or exercised with more restraint where appropriate, the animators turned in terrific work. And in pretty much every other regard, for that matter, this is very solidly made. True, some odds and ends are less sure-footed, for example beats that aren't perfectly fleshed out, a piece of dialogue that's too on the nose, and so on; the plot could have been shored up with more detail, and by being a tad lighter on its feet. Still, the title knows what it is, and far more than not it's quite well balanced.
One hardly needs to go out of their way for this, and it's not going to change your life. But it's highly enjoyable all around, and very well put together; what more can we really ask for? I'm glad I took the time to watch 'City Hunter: .357 Magnum,' and sometimes a passing diversion is all we really need out of a feature. It's worth checking out if you come across it, and that's good enough.
