City Hunter (the first season) is formulaic as an episodic show can get. It is more than 50 episodes of an absurdly untouchable MC that has an aim that'd make Spike Spiegel jealous, going around solving cases with his partner that follows him around with her famous ecchi hammer while he approaches girls in a manner that today wouldn't be as acceptable as it was in the 80's, and I'm putting that lightly. City Hunter is also tons of fun. I mean, hilarious over the top moments with insane action stunts that goes beyond common sense. It is a comedy for a good reason, a wise decision to help you suspend your disbelief the same way other shows do, like JoJo for instance. Why am I wasting this much time talking about City Hunter in a City Hunter 2 review? You probably guessed right, the latter is basically the same deal, but as I mentioned prior, improved. A lot.
I'm not gonna lie, the show overall is not simply better executed, it also brings some new stuff to the table. The main stories are now split is two episodes arcs, giving more room for the plot to breathe, for the events to have more weight and for you to grow more attached to the characters, making this second season not only more memorable, but also more emotional. That's right, the show manages to balance its solid comedy with some pretty engaging dramatic moments, something that was almost inexistent in the first season. The main couple also get plenty of development throughout the show, more surprisingly Kaori, who gets lots of moments to shine and even take care of some bad guys herself (with a freaking bazooka). The writing is not consistent though, far from it. This brings me to City Hunter 2 heaviest flaws: The amount of unnecessary and uninteresting fillers, (almost half of the show actually) and specific events that defies your willingness to simply shut your mind and go with the flow. And I'm talking about an anime where a dude can unrope a person with a bullet. Episode 50 for example, has possibly the most baffling plot twist I've ever seen in my life. I'm not joking. And I've seen my share of absurd fiction.
Now that we are over with the negative side, we can move on to the other good stuff CH 2 has to offer. Simply put, CH 2 has one of the most gorgeous character design I've ever seen in an anime. It's not something flattering to say, but the amount of pretty women this show has to offer is unbelievable. We are introduced to countless along the way and I was always surprised by the creators ability to come up with such details that made the female characters so awfully distinguishable from one another. And I have to emphasize the quantity since we see a new girl every couple of episodes.
The soundtrack is sweet and nostalgic. Usually when the show begins a new story, we get a familiar welcoming song that basically says "sit back, relax and enjoy". The suspense tracks are intriguing and the more romantic ones delightful. What I'm trying to say here is, although they aren't ambitious and grandiose pieces of work like Madoka or Attack On Titan, they provide the perfect mood the show is aiming for, giving it a strong sense of identity. The OPs and EDs are also great. Stylish and sexy 80's. Glorious stuff.
The voice acting is also top notch, Ryo's in particular. Veteran Akira Kamiya is a master of generating laughter with tone of his voice alone, fitting his character like a glove. He is so charismatic and distinctive that I only have to thank whoever cast the dude. What a perfect choice.
I always think about City Hunter with a smile. Is that type of show that makes you a little embarrassed about ignoring its glaring flaws cause it's so charming and likeable (although I don't consider it to be a guilty pleasure since it does what it intends pretty well).
On a final note, I have to say that CH 2 didn't age well at all. And that's probably why I like it so much. It possesses a kind of naivety that is now lost, so I think of it as this sort of little gem, forever stuck in its period of time. In other words, nostalgia. And that's all pretty weird cause I wasn't even born in the 80's. Anyway this is getting way too subjective if you know what I mean so I will finally say that it is worth going through the first season (that isn't bad actually) just to watch this one. Sure it could have at least 10 episodes less and it gets redundant from time to time, but all in all: Memorable characters; lots of laugh; entertaining as hell; great times.
