Adapting a cult manga from the 1980s into live action, with real actresses, for television: this is the daring bet of Cat's Eyes on TF1. But who plays who in this funny series?
The event series was scheduled from Monday, November 11, on TF1. And the first channel is playing big with this fiction, the polar opposite of Josephine Guardian Angel, Camping Paradis and detective, comedic or dramatic series to which its audience has been accustomed. More than 40 years after the manga and 30 years after the cartoon, Cat’s Eyes returns in 2024, in a modern live action version, with real actresses and in a real setting.
Cat’s Eyes was first a popular manga in Japan, published from 1981 to 1985 and adapted for the first time into an animated series by Tokyo Movie Shinsha in 1983. Its 73 episodes were broadcast in several countries from 1986, marking an entire generation of viewers, including fans of Club Dorothée in France in particular.
What about the Cat's Eyes saga?
Cat’s Eyes follows the adventures of the Kisugi sisters, who became the “Chamade” sisters in the French version: Hitomi (Tamara Chamade), Rui (Sylvia) and Ai (Alexia). During the day, the three sisters run a café in Tokyo. At night, they become expert thieves, known as “Cat's Eyes”. Their goal: to recover works of art that belonged to their missing father. Inspector Toshio Utsumi (Inspector Chapuis), as clumsy as he is in love with one of the sisters, tries to get his hands on these elite burglars.
Highly anticipated, the TF1 series required a substantial budget, worthy of a blockbuster. Seven years of development and years of discussions with the manga's author, the Japanese Tsukasa Hōjō, were necessary to launch this project. This new Cat’s Eyes particularly attracted the mangaka because it would remain faithful, according to its producers, to the original spirit of the saga. Tsukasa Hōjō would also have been convinced by the bet of the “origin story”, a story in which we follow the beginnings of the three sisters before they become famous thieves.
Who is who in the TF1 series Cat's Eyes?
On the character side, 200 actresses tried out to land the main roles. It is ultimately Camille Lou (Tamara), Constance Labbé (Sylvia), and Claire Romain (Alexia) who slip into the shoes of the three heroines. Inspector Chapuis is played by rapper MB14, who will fall in love with Tam. Elodie Fontan plays Prudence, a hitwoman created especially for the series.
- Tamara Chamade / Hitomi Kisugi is played by Camille Lou. Main figure of the Cat's Eyes, Tam hatches the plans for their burglaries. The most athletic, but also the most romantic, she begins a love affair with Inspector Chapuis.
- Sylvia Chamade / Rui Kisugi is played by Constance Labbé. She is the eldest sister, the wisest and the strategist of the group. She runs the cafe by day and runs Cat's Eyes operations by night.
- Alexia Chamade / Ai Kisugi is played by Claire Romain. The youngest, a student keen on martial arts and gadgets. Intrepid and daredevil, she does not hesitate to throw herself into the fray.
- Inspector Quentin Chapuis / Toshio Utsumi is played by MB14. Responsible for stopping the Cat's Eyes, he will fall under Tam's spell without knowing his dual identity.
The series Cat’s Eyes takes place far from Tokyo where she was born, in contemporary Paris, and reinvents certain elements. Many emblematic places in the capital were used as settings, from the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre via Versailles. The filming, described as grueling by the team, had to be accelerated to adapt to the schedule of the Paris Olympic Games. But director Alexandre Laurent and producers Benjamin Dupont-Jubien and Mehdi Sabbar promised great surprises to fans before its broadcast, even the French theme of the animated series was used!
Above all, the TF1 series has retained the mixture of action, humor and the touch of romance of the anime which has become cult. Enough to appeal to both nostalgic fans and a new generation of viewers. A season 2 is already being written.
