The film “Nicky Larson” on Netflix, a very good adaptation of the manga “City Hunter”

NETFLIX – Nicky Larson fears no one and especially not good adaptations. With the arrival of Nicky Larson on Netflix this Thursday, April 25, the manga City Hunter by Tsukasa Hōjō is adapted once again into live action. This time, it is Yūichi Satō who directs the film in live action and who must convince fans of the license.

In Nicky Larson, the hero played by Ryōhei Suzuki is a private detective who is not afraid to rub shoulders with the underworld in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo. He is also a sniper and a lecherous pervert who accepts any mission as long as a pretty girl asks him.

After the death of his partner Tony Marconi played by Masanobu Andō, Nicky must team up with Laura, the sister of his ex-teammate played by Misato Morita. Between them, they will do everything to track down those responsible for Tony’s murder in order to avenge his death.

Check out the trailer below:

A humorous action film

This adaptation is primarily an action film that incorporates huge doses of comedy. During a cosplay convention (an activity which consists of dressing up as a fictional character), Nicky finds himself on stage and faces a tough opponent, in front of a crowd who have come to watch a parade of cosplayers. When the hero finally manages to defeat his enemy after long minutes, the two fighters are cheered by the crowd who then think that it is a happening. And Nicky, all smiles, greets the audience even though he has just risked his life in a duel.

The film knows how to be dramatic and serious when it needs to be while adding humor at the right times. As Nicky says, “I always take my job seriously”, before reappearing in a cheap cowboy costume that fools no one. And this scene is a perfect example of why Nicky Larson is a good adaptation of City Hunter. We find there the very essence of comics. “It’s the number one rule to respect the work of the original manga”explains the director in an interview with AFP.

The character’s gimmicks such as the detective’s inability to control himself when he sees a beautiful woman or his unparalleled precision with a firearm are obviously present. And it was the main actor Ryōhei Suzuki who ensured that everything was faithful to the manga. As a joke, Yūichi Satō even describes his actor as“encyclopedia on legs” and of “fanatic” of the work of Tsukasa Hōjō.

A realistic approach to the universe of “City Hunter”

The references are provided in such a way as to make everything more credible. The emblematic gigantic hammer that Laura uses (notably to reframe Nicky when he is too perverse towards a girl) is introduced through the cosplay convention for example.

If we compare Yūichi Satō’s film to Philippe Lacheau’s version released in 2018, we notice that Nicky Larson and the scent of Cupid is more of a comedy that leaves room for action. Where Philippe Lacheau’s film chose an artistic direction that tends more towards the cartoon, Netflix’s production is anchored in the real world. A difference which can be explained by the fact that Philippe Lacheau adapted more the French version of the series from the 1990s which is more attenuated than the Japanese version.

With all that, the new live action Nicky Larson can boast of being successful and Tsukasa Hōjō’s manga consolidates its place in the exclusive club of works which have had the right to very good adaptations. Something to worry about TF1, whose live-action series taken from Cat’s Eye (created by the same author) is scheduled for fall 2024.

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