Title: City Hunter Complete Edition 23
Series: City Hunter
Author: Tsukasa Hojo
Read copy: Paperback
Published: August 23, 2012
Publisher: Panini Comics Planet Manga
ISBN: 8865899867
ISBN-13: 9788865899861
Un ricco e noto uomo d’affari riceve una lettera in cui qualcuno minaccia di rapire la sua giovane figlia. Preoccupato, decide di assumere una guardia del corpo, e lo fa affidandosi alla migliore che c’è sulla piazza. Per questo… si rivolge a Ryo?! Quando si dice “dalla padella alla brace”...
My rating:
Title: City Hunter Complete Edition 24
Series: City Hunter
Author: Tsukasa Hojo
Read copy: Paperback
Published: September 20, 2012
Publisher: Panini Comics Planet Manga
ISBN: 8865899875
ISBN-13: 9788865899878
Eri Kitahara è una giovane stilista emergente affascinata dalla moda e con la mania del buon gusto. È anche una vecchia amica di Kaori che si trova al centro di una brutta situazione… eppure City Hunter e la sua assistente non le interessano come guardie del corpo. Lei li vuole come modelli!
My rating:
Title: City Hunter Complete Edition 25
Series: City Hunter
Author: Tsukasa Hojo
Read copy: Paperback
Published: October 31, 2012
Publisher: Panini Comics Planet Manga
ISBN: 8863041717
ISBN-13: 9788863041712
Sonia Field è in Giappone per vendicarsi dell'uomo che ha ammazzato suo padre... una persona che conosciamo bene: Ryo Saeba! Si affida così al più abile sweeper in città, Umibozu, che, sorprendentemente, accetta! È il momento dello scontro finale tra i due ex mercenari?
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Title: City Hunter Complete Edition 26
Series: City Hunter
Author: Tsukasa Hojo
Read copy: Paperback
Published: November 22, 2012
Publisher: Panini Comics Planet Manga
ISBN: 8863042594
ISBN-13: 9788863042597
Michihiko Jinguji è davvero il nonno di Ryo? Lo stallone di Shinjuku sposerà quindi la bella Haruka? Prima di trovare una risposta a queste due domande, bisogna capire chi è che ha cercato di uccidere Haruka e perché lo ha fatto. Sempre più geniale, sempre più folle: Tsukasa Hojo si scatena sulle pagine di City Hunter!
My rating:
Title: City Hunter Complete Edition 27
Series: City Hunter
Author: Tsukasa Hojo
Read copy: Paperback
Published: December 20, 2012
Publisher: Panini Comics Planet Manga
ISBN: 8863042608
ISBN-13: 9788863042603
Continuano le avventure dello sweeper più pazzo (e arrapato) del mondo! Persino per uno come Ryo non sarà facile proteggere una persona che per lavoro si lancia con la macchina in acrobazie impossibili e pericolose! Ogni set, ogni ripresa, ogni stunt può essere l’ultimo per lui e per Yuki Oikawa!
My rating:
VOLUME 23:
Yet another double-case volume, but with a first story that leaves much to be desired in the secondary female character department. The environmentalist and animal-lover chick was TSTL to the max.
It's the second case that makes up for what the first one lacked. While it doesn't move the main story arc forward, it does wonders for the developing story between Ryo and Kaori.
Suffering from appendicitis and Ryo not really bothering in visiting her, Kaori befriends a young blind girl and much enjoys the company of the girl's widowed father. It looks like Ryo might have a rival for Kaori's affection, especially once Mayu decides Kaori would make a perfect wife for her father.
Of course, misunderstandings and usual stubborn silences reign supreme...But the reader had to wait until the next volume to see whether Kaori just might tell Ryo to take a hike (fans of course, won't be left in suspense, since we all know how that particular story ends).
VOLUME 24:
In the first chapter, we see the ending of the "saga" from the previous volume, where Kaori had possibly fallen for another man and Ryo had possibly driven into the other man's arms...But all is well in the end, since the little girl has misunderstood the whole thing.
But at least Ryo ran after Kaori in the end. 😉
The second case involves Kaori's friend from high-school turned fashion designer. Eriko Kitahara immediately tries to convince Kaori to model for her, while ignoring Ryo in all his fashionsenseless glory. Until she gets a hold on his chest and immediately wants him to model for her as well.
Yet someone doesn't want one of her designs to see the light of day, but lucky for her, Kaori and Ryo are there to run interference.
The third part of this volume isn't a case for City Hunter but more a continuation of the Eriko Kitahara story, as the designer decides to play Cupid and get Ryo and Kaori together (having figured out there something more between the two partners). The only problem is, she goes a little overboard in remaking Kaori, complete with new clothes, make-up and wig, so Ryo goes out on a date with her without knowing who she really is...Or does he?
The end reveals the truth and so does Umibozu to Kaori in the final chapter of this volume that leaves us with a cliffhanger as a woman comes to Japan determined to kill Ryo.
VOLUME 25:
More details about Ryo's mysterious past are revealed in the first few chapters of this volume as a woman comes to Japan determined to kill the man who murdered her father—Ryo. She hires Umibozu to do the deed and the "gentle" giant has his own motive to duel with our favorite sweeper.
The chapters add more color to the already quite full palette of the manga, give a glimpse into both Ryo and Umibozu's past, and, finally, start moving the Ryo/Kaori relationship/partnership to another level as Ryo celebrates his first birthday.
The final few chapters open a new story/case for the intrepid duo as an old man appears, claiming that Ryo is his long-lost grandson and wants him to marry him off to a young girl he's adopted twenty years ago. Everything indicates that Ryo and the old man truly are related, since they're both Mokkori driven...But the only obstacle standing in the old man's plan's path is Kaori and her presence in Ryo's life...Oh, and the man who's suddenly gunning for Ryo's would-be fiancée.
VOLUME 26:
Well, it turned out no one was really gunning for Haruka (Ryo's would-be fiancée), but for Ryo himself. A killer tried to prove he was the best, but he didn't count with the fact Ryo is only half of City Hunter (which our sweeper cheerily informed him at the end of the story).
In the end, City Hunter and Ryo's would-be grandpa and Haruka went their separate ways, but shippers' hearts went pitter-pat at Ryo's roundabout almost proposal he quickly turned into a joke. Oh, well, there's always tomorrow.
The middle chapter (#266) served as comic relief without adhering to any story or specific arc. It merely showed a normal day in the life of Umibozu. A normal day that was as far from normal as possible, but pretty normal and serene for a man like Umi.
The next case brought back many memories for Ryo, Kaori and Saeko as the detectives newest possible suitor (chosen, of course, by her father) carried an uncanny resemblance to the late Makimura Hideyuki, Kaori's brother.
The man was a cop determined to find and arrest the killer known as City Hunter, but Kaori, as always, worked her magic and succeeded in changing the man's mind (and heart).
And in the end, City Hunter finally got a new assignment (after 98 days)...They'll have to protect a stuntman who, to Ryo's delight, turns out to be a stuntwoman. And a hot one to boot.
VOLUME 27:
The stuntwoman turned out to be a princess suffering from memory loss due to hypnosis and trying to kill herself under the same hypnotic suggestion. Of course, our favorite sweeper rushed to the rescue, and of course, the princess ended up falling for him, determined to stay with him forever. (Bitch!)
I didn't particularly like this specific "chapter" in the City Hunter saga because of the client, the damsel in distress type who wanted to ruin the blossoming "romance" between Ryo and Kaori. Lucky for us all, the guy gently pushed her back into her old life (and gotten only a kiss in return).
The next case (to be concluded in the next volume) was all about girl power as Ryo and Kaori decided to protect a female Transpoter (more than a decade before the movie franchise was made). Someone wants the girl dead, no one knows why, the only thing they all know is, she's a freak about money—charging Ryo for every single touch he makes. Lucky for City Hunter Kaori's there to curb his enthusiasm so they might end up getting paid after all.
3 stars, 4 stars, bodyguard/military/merc/gov/cop/spy, favorites, manga/comics/graphic novels, suspense/mystery/adventure/thriller, Tsukasa Hojo
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