History YMMV / CityHunter

** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1x0cGFy07U[ Ai Yo Kienaide]], the anime's first opening theme, definitely qualifies. It's well sung with a catchy tune that also captures the sweeping feel of Tokyo's vista and Ryo and Kaori's reliance on one another, all while encapsulating TheEighties perfectly.

** In another arc, [[{{Tsundere}} Kaori]] asks a child if she wants to play with a ''UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem''.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM3hRFWnTVI Ai Yo Kienaide]], the anime's first opening theme, definitely qualifies. It's well sung with a catchy tune that also captures the sweeping feel of Tokyo's vista and Ryo and Kaori's reliance on one another, all while encapsulating TheEighties perfectly.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhLdgee_EXk Get Wild]], the ending theme for the anime's first season, is also an amazing number, which fostered the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84GYa28nZcY best anime]] [[FadeIn fade-in]] ever. Don't deny it -- it really is. It's a rare example where, while most anime change their endings more than their openings, this one lasted the full first season, that's just how much awesome it is.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIGjb18q2Ts Get Wild]], the ending theme for the anime's first season, is also an amazing number, which fostered the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84GYa28nZcY best anime]] [[FadeIn fade-in]] ever. Don't deny it -- it really is. It's a rare example where, while most anime change their endings more than their openings, this one lasted the full first season, that's just how much awesome it is.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIGjb18q2Ts Get Wild]], the ending theme for the anime's first season, is also an amazing number, which fostered the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84GYa28nZcY best anime fade-in ever]]. Don't deny it - it really is. It's a rare example where, while most anime change their endings more than their openings, this one lasted the full first season, that's just how much awesome it is.

* SpiritualAdaptation: The manga and anime can be viewed as if it were written by Creator/ShaneBlack in vein of ''Film/LethalWeapon'' (which was released the same year the anime came out - 1987).
* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''Franchise/LupinIII''. Think of Ryo as a mix of of Jigen and Lupin (a sharpshooter with an eye for women) and Saeoko as a mix of Zenigata and Fujiko (a manipulative female in the police force).

** Even in ''Shinjuku Private Eyes'', despite things like smartphones existing, still have the characters sport Eighties hairstyles and when the [[spoiler:Moebius control console gets shot apart at the end by Ryo, the internals look like something from a late 1980s computer.]]

* HilariousInHindsight: With the ''real'' Manga/CatsEye making [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-01-10/city-hunter-shinjuku-private-eyes-anime-film-trailer-reveals-appearance-by-cat-eye-trio/.141901 an appearance in the 2019 City Hunter movie]], the Cat's Eye cafe being in the series and Ryo being acquainted with their {{expy}}, Kasumi Aso just became retroactively funnier.

** In another story, Ryo compares one of the {{Mook}}s with ''Film/{{Commando}}'' since "''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' is too old now".

* CompleteMonster:
** Manga: [[SerialKiller The BMW Devil]], an early VillainOfTheWeek, drives an expensive car to abduct, [[SerialRapist rape]], and then murder young women. This unfortunate fate befalls one woman's sister, prompting her to seek out the City Hunter, [[HitmanWithAHeart Ryo Saeba]]. Upon learning of Ryo's involvement, the Devil murders his one accomplice before trying to murder Ryo as well. Boasting he plans to double his body count, then double it again and again, the Devil attempts to rape his last victim's sister before Ryo interferes. The Devil furiously attacks them both, furious with them for interfering with his "pleasure".
** Anime:
*** ''City Hunter 1'''s "Lady Vanish: Boutique of the Shadows": The [[NoNameGiven unnamed owner]] of Boutique Orphe lures women into his clothing store to kidnap and inject them with a serum that [[AndIMustScream stiffens their muscles]], turning them into "[[LivingStatue living mannequins]]." Having done this to over 19 women, the owner plans to [[HumanTraffickers sell them]] to a gang in Hong Kong, hoping to make Kaori Makimura his 20th victim.
*** ''City Hunter 2'''s "Goodbye Hard-Boiled City" 2-parter: The [[NoNameGiven unnamed leader]] of the [[TerroristsWithoutACause Black Army]] is one of the most dangerous villains ever faced by Ryo Saeba. Under his command, the Black Army committed acts of terrorism in several countries, and every time he hypnotized an innocent woman to make her believe she was the leader of the group, using her to do the dirty works in his place. After obtaining a nuke, the leader sends a ransom of one hundred billion yen to the Japanese government, threatening to blow up all of Tokyo if they don't pay within 24 hours. When the young Rumi sees them, the Black Army [[SheKnowsTooMuch makes several attempts on her life]], but she's saved by Ryo Saeba. The Black Army leader decides to kidnap and hypnotize Ryo's partner Kaori, and uses her to try to kill both Rumi and Ryo, and also to lead his henchmen from a distance. Once the police find the nuke's location, they send cars to evacuate the area and some agents to stop the terrorists, but the Black Army [[CopKiller massacres all of them]]. Later, the leader orders Kaori to shoot Ryo, and when the police find his position and come to arrest him, he asks her to activate the nuke and destroy Tokyo immediately out of spite.
** Movies:
*** ''Bay City Wars'': [[TheGeneralissimo General Gilliam]] is a former South American dictator who previously overthrew the Costero Republic, using it as a front for his massive drug operation. Giving up his leadership to avoid capture from the United States military, Gilliam hides out in Japan to plot his revenge. Invading the Tokyo Bay City Hotel and holding everybody inside hostage, Gilliam plans to use the hotel's computer to [[NukeEm activate a series of nukes and wipe out all of America]], while also planning to [[FakingTheDead fake his death]] by detonating explosives around the hotel, willing to sacrifice the hostages and [[BadBoss his own men]] to accomplish this.
*** ''Goodbye My Sweetheart'': [[MadBomber Satoru Yamauchi]] and [[TheBrute Kouichi Tatsuoka]] are a pair of infamous convicts who willingly assist "The Professor" in his scheme to hold all of Shinjuku hostage for 10 billion yen. Satoru crafts bombs with gleeful intent to see the entire district go up in flames, while Tatsuoka does what he can to ensure as many innocent casualties as possible for when the bombs eventually go off.
*** ''Shinjuku Private Eyes'': [[BigBad Shinji Mikuni]] is the leader of the terrorist group which torments Ai Shindo on a daily basis. Having kidnapped her father years ago, Shinji forced the latter to build drones, which later [[DrivenToSuicide drove him to suicide]] as soon as he realized [[WarForFunAndProfit what Shinji's master plan]] really was. In the present, Shinji targets Ai in order to get the key and release the drones her father locked away, doing so by sending armed attackers after her even when she's in public. Shinji is also obsessed with killing Ryo, which he attempts to do by swaying his childhood friend Kaori over to his side, and getting angry when she refuses. After attacking the innocent people of Shinjuku with the drones and killing one of his own partners, Shinji turns the gun on Kaori herself for not wanting to help him gain power, and makes a speech to her about how MightMakesRight, and she'll die for not being as strong as he is.

* CompleteMonster: This lighthearted comedy film has the [[VileVillainSaccharineShow surprisingly vicious villain]], [[BigBad Donald "Don Mac" MacDonald]], a thief who takes over a luxury cruise ship to rob wealthy guests. Mac has his troops kill the sailors and forces the captive guests to play a cruel card game with him, shooting them after he wins. When the captives escape and counterterrorist operatives are dispatched to the boat, Mac has his men shoot the unarmed guests on sight and plants explosives throughout the ship, killing countless operatives before trying to escape with his plunder.

*** ''City Hunter 1'''s "Lady Vanish: Boutique of the Shadows": The [[NoNameGiven unnamed owner of Boutique Orphe lures women into his clothing store to kidnap and inject them with a serum that [[AndIMustScream stiffens their muscles]], turning them into "[[LivingStatue living mannequins]]." Having done this to over 19 women, the owner plans to [[HumanTraffickers sell them]] to a gang in Hong Kong, hoping to make Kaori Makimura his 20th victim.

*** ''City Hunter 1'''s "Lady Vanish: Boutique of the Shadows": The unnamed [[HumanTraffickers owner]] of Boutique Orphe lures women into his clothing store to kidnap and inject them with a serum that [[AndIMustScream stiffens their muscles]], turning them into "[[LivingStatue living mannequins]]." Having done this to over 19 women, the owner plans to sell them to a gang in Hong Kong, hoping to make Kaori Makimura his 20th victim.

** Anime: The [[NoNameGiven unnamed leader]] of the [[TerroristsWithoutACause Black Army]] is one of the most dangerous villains ever faced by Ryo Saeba. Under his command, the Black Army committed acts of terrorism in several countries, and every time he hypnotized an innocent woman to make her believe she was the leader of the group, using her to do the dirty works in his place. After obtaining a nuke, the leader sends a ransom of one hundred billion yen to the Japanese government, threatening to blow up all of Tokyo if they don't pay within 24 hours. When the young Rumi sees them, the Black Army [[SheKnowsTooMuch makes several attempts on her life]], but she's saved by Ryo Saeba. The Black Army leader decides to kidnap and hypnotize Ryo's partner Kaori, and uses her to try to kill both Rumi and Ryo, and also to lead his henchmen from a distance. Once the police find the nuke's location, they send cars to evacuate the area and some agents to stop the terrorists, but the Black Army [[CopKiller massacres most of them]]. Later, the leader orders Kaori to shoot Ryo, and when the police find his position and come to arrest him, he asks her to activate the nuke and destroy Tokyo immediately out of spite.

** ''Bay City Wars'': [[TheGeneralissimo General Gilliam]] is a former South American dictator who previously overthrew the Costero Republic, using it as a front for his massive drug operation. Giving up his leadership to avoid capture from the United States military, Gilliam hides out in Japan to plot his revenge. Invading the Tokyo Bay City Hotel and holding everybody inside hostage, Gilliam plans to use the hotel's computer to [[NukeEm activate a series of nukes and wipe out all of America]], while also planning to [[FakingTheDead fake his death]] by detonating explosives around the hotel, willing to sacrifice the hostages and [[BadBoss his own men]] to accomplish this.
** ''Goodbye My Sweetheart'': [[MadBomber Satoru Yamauchi]] and [[TheBrute Kouichi Tatsuoka]] are a pair of infamous convicts who willingly assist "The Professor" in his scheme to hold all of Shinjuku hostage for 10 billion yen. Satoru crafts bombs with gleeful intent to see the entire district go up in flames, while Tatsuoka does what he can to ensure as many innocent casualties as possible for when the bombs eventually go off.
** ''Shinjuku Private Eyes'' movie: [[BigBad Shinji Mikuni]] is the leader of the terrorist group which torments Ai Shindo on a daily basis. Having kidnapped her father years ago, Shinji forced the latter to build drones, which later [[DrivenToSuicide drove him to suicide]] as soon as he realized [[WarForFunAndProfit what Shinji's master plan]] really was. In the present, Shinji targets Ai in order to get the key and release the drones her father locked away, doing so by sending armed attackers after her even when she's in public. Shinji is also obsessed with killing Ryo, which he attempts to do by swaying his childhood friend Kaori over to his side, and getting angry when she refuses. After attacking the innocent people of Shinjuku with the drones and killing one of his own partners, Shinji turns the gun on Kaori herself for not wanting to help him gain power, and makes a speech to her about how MightMakesRight, and she'll die for not being as strong as he is.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment:
** During a story Ryo gets a truly idiotic and half-asleep face, and, according to an old friend of him, it meant he was practically undefeatable, and the last time Ryo had that look he wiped out an enemy platoon in half an hour ''alone''. It became really funny when Ryo's RoaringRampageOfRevenge for the villains having indirectly [[ItMakesSenseInContext made him impotent for a while]] devastates their HQ, but becomes much harsher what had happened the previous time he had that face: [[spoiler: he had been drugged with [[PsychoSerum Angel Dust]], leading to Ryo massacring an enemy platoon in horrible ways]].
** Ryo's fear of flying on airplanes, and even of airplanes in general, caused quite a few laughs at Ryo's expenses, even having Umibozu scaring Ryo with a toy airplane. Then Kaori remembered that Ryo is the only survivor of a plane crash...

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: ''City Hunter'' was very popular in Europe (particularly France, where it enjoyed a prevalent run on TV with the title ''Nicky Larson'' and a SoBadItsGood dub, and it spawned an original live action movie titled ''[[Film/CityHunterTheCupidsPerfume Nicky Larson et le Parfum de Cupidon]]'' in 2019), Hong Kong and ''especially'' Taiwan, but was only a mild hit in Japan. In the US, its fame remain limited as well, mostly due to being an older series whose anime adaptation wasn't dubbed until recently.