Story - 8
This anime follows the adventures of Japan's premier hired gun, Ryo Saeba. I gave the story a 9 as there is really no overarching story, or various story arcs. Instead, this series is rather episodic, with many single story episodes with a few 1-3 mini arcs spread throughout. This, however, can also be seen as a forte to this series, as this series isnt hindered by fillers, drawn out fights, repetition, or slower parts like some other series of similar lengths are. Each episode is interesting, especially the mini arcs which usually tend to be deeper in nature. Basically, almost all the episodes follow the basic formula of a beautiful female client who calls upon the help of the highly skilled Ryo Saeba. Do not worry if this sounds repetitive, as each episode definitely holds its own.
A great overall story is usually a big must for me in judging an anime, but City Hunter easily gets away with this with its engrossing episodes and strong character interactions (especially if you consider day-to-day living, slice-of-life, etc) and various developments. Basically, this aint no Death Note in terms of plot, but there is a tale of being to be told.
Art - 10
I give the art in this anime a 10. First of all, I am judging the art based on the time period it was made. Still, even compared to modern drawing techniques, this anime would get a 9. The art in this anime is fantastic, even by todays standards. The backgrounds are highly detailed and truly give a correct feel for the atmosphere of the settings. The drawings of Shinjuku really come to life as a bustling metropolitan area. Details are not spared in any way.
Drawings of the characters are also top-notch. There is a perfect mix of realism and cartoonism. The characters are realistically drawn, with the exception of some disproportion during the comedic moments.
Sound - 10
The soundtrack of City Hunter is a serious plus for this series. The opening and closing songs perfectly capture the late 80's feel of the series. The background musics are also fantastic and are reminiscent of an 80's/early 90's Hollywood cop movie. Fitting songs pretty much play at all the right times during the series.
Character - 10
City Hunter makes up for a lack of overall story with incredible characters. This is especially evident in none other than the main character, Ryo Saeba. Ryo Saeba is typically seen as lazy, easy-going, jovial, and perverted man despite his reputation as one of the most skilled sweepers in the world. However, underneath this appearance is an extremely complex character with an intriguing past. Furthermore, he also has a very strong sense of justice and has a strong sense of what is right and wrong. He is pretty much what many of more recent series' main characters are based on (ex - Spike from Cowboy Bebop, Onizuka from GTO, etc).
Besides Saeba is a host of other characters. There is his partner, Makimori, who is also a very complex character. There are also re-occurring characters whose relationships with Ryo become uncovered during the course of the series.
Basically, this series has very likable, three-dimensional cast that will make sure that you keep on watching.
Enjoyment- 10
The enjoyment factor for this series is immense. High quality action, loads of comedy, and engrossing characters pretty much define this series. Although City Hunter might seem like a serious, action oriented series at first, the comedy in this series is plentiful and is amongst the best i have seen in an anime.
Overall - 10
This timeless classic excels in pretty much everything and is definitely unique amongst the 1000s of animes out there. I am very glad that I didnt miss this great series about one of the greatest characters in anime.
