City Hunter '91

Just finished binge watching the whole of City Hunter and was surprised that the last season doesn't have a review. Oh well, no worries, I'll be the first to add one then.

Story: City Hunter needs no introduction. If you've watched the three seasons, you know what to expect from the fourth. It's your usual Ryo and Kaori comedy, but wait there's more. The fourth season also, for the first time, shows the backstory of Umibozou and Saeko and you get an episode of just comedy, no crime, nothing, cool huh?

Art: This is where things get controversial. The art is splendid, just like the good old ... 80's and early 90's anime, but there's a bit decline in terms of art quality. The art was top notch, in the first two seasons and slowly started taking a hit from the third season. Also, who the hell though changing Ryo's clothes looks good?

Sound: Whereas seasons 1 & 2 had some of the best OPs and EDs of all the anime I've ever watched, the last two seasons heavily disappointed me. It's better than the electronic cancer that is prevalent in most anime now, but comes nowhere close to the first two seasons.

Character: We get to see and learn a good bit about Umibozou from this season and that's always a plus. God bless him. Also, like each season, Ryo's sad past comes back to haunt him, again and again.

Overall: I thoroughly enjoyed City Hunter '91 and really wanted to give it an 8/10, but damn the last episode. When you know you're gonna end the anime, you better make a good finishing episode, sigh. I mean the last episode is good, but it doesn't feel like the last episode for the anime. It could have been done much much better.

So, should you watch it? Absolutely yes. If you've watched the first three seasons and love the comedy, art style and the aesthetics of the good old anime days, City Hunter '91 should be on your list.

City Hunter as a series overall is the epitome of late-80s retro anime. Everything from the visuals and soundtrack to the goofiness of Ryo’s mokkori obsession makes for an enjoyable viewing experience.

City Hunter ’91 is the fourth and final season of the series that we will likely ever get. While there are OVAs and movies released after this season, they are not considered canon. This season has a noticeable drop in visual and sound quality compared to the first two seasons, but the core formula remains the same: Ryo and Kaori accept a job tip, things go wrong, and Ryo saves the day—reminding us he’s ... more than just the pervy persona he puts on. There are hints throughout the series about Ryo and Kaori’s feelings for each other, and unfortunately, hints are all we get here as well.

The season has a few strong episodes (notably 10 and 12) and some weaker ones (episode 5 was a little too outlandish for me). Most episodes fall into the typical episodic City Hunter experience. By this point, it’s clear the franchise was milking itself with a large amount of enjoyable filler, but as a final season, it would have been nice to get some closure on major character relationships. Not much of lasting importance happens here, but it’s still worth watching if you’ve made it this far.

Ultimately, I’m left more disappointed that there’s no real ending or closure for these characters than upset with the season itself. It’s unclear whether the creators knew this would be the final chapter, so it’s hard to hold that against City Hunter ’91 specifically.

Overall: 8/10