City Hunter #1 Summary and Reviews

City Hunter #1
by Hojo Tsukasa

City Hunter #1
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Book Summary Information

Author: Hojo Tsukasa
Artist: Hojo Tsukasa
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2003-07-02
ISBN: 0972503765
Number of pages: 190
Publisher: Gutsoon Entertainment

Book Reviews of City Hunter #1

Book Review: A classic not to be missed!
Summary: 5 Stars

This series is from the 90s, and with close to 40 volumes, I admit, it is an investment. But, for those willing to take the plunge, what a world you will find!

Hojo's art is about precision. He's painstakingly thorough (very!), and you as the reader reap the benefits by getting such realistic environments and action sequences, they run like cinematographic masterpieces. His drawing pen is like a camera capturing scenes as they're played: every frame, a perfect snapshot as he fusses over motions, angles, expressions, all the tricks of a skilled photographer. This visually-stunning style makes his art...voyeuristic, and downright masculine by its obsessive indulgence in detail. It may be why he started out as a shonen (boys) mangaka (he has all the dynamic quality of one!)

Except he devotes that skill to the telling of and about beautiful objects. The typical character is physically an Adonis/Aphrodite, an idealist's dream. Hojo enjoys showing off the human body as it moves, jumps, and stretches in appealing positions. He is also fashion-conscious to extreme, accessorizing his characters with the hairdo's, clothes, shoes with the flair of a learned designer. This trait, in making things so darn neat and pretty, is...feminine, which, interestingly, is suggestive about the artiste. The Hojo universe is friendly to ladies, e.g. Ryo Saeba himself, while an expert in guns and martial arts, is at the whim of his partner Kaori. He empowers his women; they're the ones with mystery, strength, and character. The man simply loves women - how can any young female not be flustered?

Art aside, City Hunter endures for its storytelling. Yes, it's one detective mystery after another, and there are many. But they're each as unique and memorable as the clients they represent. There's intricate plotting involved, to hold up the series for so many volumes, building up momentum, adding in character depth, sustaining the reader's attention all the way to the finale! As you get familiar with this world, there's a whole lot to discover about Japanese culture and society (Shinjuku's!), their particular habits, what gets expressed or not expressed in relationships so that there's a fair amount of realism amidst the fancy gun play and skirtchasing.

You kinda mature along, like Ryo (from his dark and moody beginnings to becoming the rascal so adept at turning Kaori purple with rage and jealousy!)

If you like City Hunter, I highly recommend other favorites, like F. Compo and Under the Dapple Shade. Tsukasa Hojo is a virtuoso.





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