Ryohei Suzuki
Ryo Saeba
Overview
An exceptional marksman and hopeless playboy, private eye Ryo Saeba reluctantly forms an alliance with his late partner's sister to investigate his death.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
5 min readThe Playboy and the Sniper: How City Hunter Shoots for Relevance
I’ll admit it: I went into City Hunter (2024) with skepticism. The original manga, which ran from 1985 to 1992, is a relic of its time—a hyper-masculine fantasy where the hero, Ryo Saeba, is equal parts lethal marksman and unapologetic pervert. The idea of translating that into a modern live-action film felt like trying to update a vinyl record for streaming: the grooves are still there, but the static might drown out the music.
Yet here we are, with Yuichi Satoh’s adaptation arriving on Netflix like a neon-lit question mark: Can a character defined by his 1980s excesses still land in 2024?
The answer, it turns out, is a qualified yes—thanks in large part to Ryohei Suzuki’s performance, which manages to be both a loving homage and a necessary corrective. Suzuki doesn’t just play Ryo; he sells him, walking the tightrope between the character’s swaggering charm and his more problematic tendencies. There’s a moment early in the film where Ryo, mid-seduction, suddenly freezes—his eyes flicking toward a distant rooftop, his body tensing like a coiled spring.
It’s a split-second shift from playboy to predator, and Suzuki makes it look effortless. That duality is the film’s secret weapon. Ryo isn’t just a relic; he’s a contradiction, and Suzuki leans into that, letting the character’s flaws become part of the joke rather than the point of it.
The film’s biggest gamble is its attempt to modernize Ryo’s "mokkori"—the manga’s shorthand for his lecherous antics. In the original, Ryo’s behavior is played for laughs, but it’s also unmistakably predatory. Here, the film tries to have it both ways: Ryo is still a flirt, still a provocateur, but the camera often undercuts him, framing his come-ons as awkward or even pathetic.
It’s a risky move, and not always successful. There are moments where the tone wobbles, where the film seems to be winking at the audience as if to say, Don’t worry, we know this is gross. But the fact that it tries at all feels like progress. As Digital Trends put it, the movie is "ludicrous, immature, and totally unrealistic," but also—somehow—"my favorite action movie of 2024."
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsRyohei Suzuki Tackles a 2020s Makeover for City Hunter (2024)
The live-action adaptation of City Hunter—the iconic 1980s manga by Tsukasa Hōjō—has finally arrived, and it’s not just the action that’s been updated. The film, directed by Yuichi Satoh (Kisaragi, Poison Berry in My Brain), reimagines the playboy marksman Ryo Saeba for modern audiences, stripping away the original’s more controversial traits while keeping the core of the story intact. Starring Ryohei Suzuki in the titular role, the 2024 version is a Netflix-backed gamble to revive a franchise that’s been dormant in live-action for decades.
A Modern Ryo Saeba: Less Sexism, More Action
The biggest challenge for Suzuki wasn’t mastering the sniper’s sharpshooting skills—it was making the character palatable for 2024. The original Ryo Saeba was infamous for his lecherous behavior, a trait that wouldn’t fly in today’s cultural climate. According to The Straits Times, Suzuki acknowledged the hurdle: "That was the problem... rendering the elite sniper from the 1980s manga palatable for the 2020s" 
. The film reportedly tones down the sexism, focusing instead on Ryo’s reluctant partnership with his late partner’s sister, Kaori (Misato Morita), as they investigate his death 
.
This shift aligns with broader trends in adaptations of older manga, where creators often soften or omit outdated elements. Whether the change will satisfy purists remains to be seen, but the film’s existence alone is a testament to the enduring appeal of Hōjō’s story.
Behind the Scenes: A Star-Studded Cast and a Proven Director
Satoh, known for his work on Poison Berry in My Brain and Kisaragi, was tapped to helm the project, bringing a mix of action and dark comedy to the table. The screenplay was penned by Tatsuro Mishima (Yu Yu Hakusho), ensuring the script stayed true to the manga’s blend of humor and high-stakes drama .
The cast is stacked with recognizable names:
- Ryohei Suzuki (Tokyo Revengers, The 13 Lords of the Shogun) as Ryo Saeba.
- Misato Morita (Alice in Borderland, The Naked Director) as Kaori Makimura, the sister of Ryo’s late partner.
- Masanobu Ando (Battle Royale, First Love) in an undisclosed role, likely a villain given his history with antagonistic parts.
- Fumino Kimura (The 13 Lords of the Shogun, Rurouni Kenshin: The Final) and Asuka Hanamura (The Naked Director) round out the supporting cast .
The film was produced by Horipro, a major Japanese talent agency, which may explain the high-profile lineup . While no behind-the-scenes drama has surfaced, the sheer star power suggests a deliberate effort to attract both manga fans and general audiences.
**What’s Next for City Hunter?**
As of now, there’s no confirmation of a sequel or series, but the film’s Netflix release could pave the way for more. The streaming giant has been aggressive in acquiring and producing anime and manga adaptations, and City Hunter’s built-in fanbase makes it a strong candidate for expansion. Rumors of a potential TV series or even a Hollywood remake have circulated for years, but nothing concrete has emerged .
For now, the 2024 film stands as a standalone experiment—one that had to walk a tightrope between nostalgia and modernization. Whether it succeeds will depend on how well it balances the original’s spirit with contemporary sensibilities.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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