Photo: Takarazuka Revue official website
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Anime’s greatest pervert inspires all-female stage play in Japan with Takarazuka 'City Hunter'

9 Comments
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24

In addition to being a private eye and bodyguard, Ryo Saeba, star of "City Hunter," is also the greatest pervert in the anime/manga world (really, he won the election and everything). So really, we shouldn’t be surprised that in Ryo’s latest caper he’s going to once again be caught up in circumstances that find him surrounded by beautiful young ladies.

The twist, though, is that this time around Ryo is going to be a beautiful young lady too. The Takarazuka Revue, Japan’s renowned all-female theater troupe, has announced that its newest production will be a stage adaptation of "City Hunter." Rather than adapting an existing story from the 1985 "City Hunter" manga or one of its many anime installments, this looks to be a new story, and a musical one to boot, with the official title "Musical City Hunter: The Stolen XYZ."

As always, the entire cast for the Takarazuka stage play will be made up of women, with Sakina Ayakaze playing Ryo and Kikiwa Asazu as Ryo’s partner/love interest/violent punisher Kaori. Other characters slated to appear include Mick Angel, Kaori’s older brother Hideyuki, and even the bald and brawny Umibozu, who’s visible on a background billboard in the production’s poster.

The costume designers are staying mostly true to Ryo’s iconic (and very cosplay-friendly) outfit, though it looks like his customary crimson T-shirt is now made out of leather. And yes, Kaori’s pervert-pulverizing hammer seems set to make an appearance (the one shown in the poster bears the message “In celebration of the stage adaptation!”

▼ Ryo and Kaori as they appear in the "City Hunter" anime

CH-3.jpg

This isn’t Takarazuka’s first time adapting a popular anime series, but "City Hunter’s" character artwork, both in the original "Tsukasa Hojo" manga and in the anime character designs by Sachiko Kamimura, is filled with the broad-shouldered builds that were in vogue during the late '80s and early '90s. That inspiration should make for an interesting challenge for Takarazuka, but if the all-female troupe could pull off a play with Abraham Lincoln as its central character, they should be able to find a way to make Ryo work too.

Tickets go on sale July 17, with the musical opening on Aug 7 at the Takarazuka Grand Theater in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture, where it will run until Sept 13 before moving to the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater from Oct 2 to Nov 14.

Source: Takarazuka Revue official website via Japaaan, Comic Natalie

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Anime’s 10 biggest male perverts, as chosen by Japanese fans

-- Why can’t anime heroes dodge the attacks from angry female characters who swing hammers at them?

-- Rurouni Kenshin comes to picture-perfect life as photos of stage musical’s cast are released

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

9 Comments
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This kind of hentai isn't a "pervert", is it? It is a "hustler", a "player", a "playboy/playgirl" or some cooler expression an uncool person like me doesn't know. A pervert is someone who steals women's underwear or wants to have sex with squirrels.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Agreed. might as well call it "Pervert Hunter."

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Agreed @kohakuebisu 8:19am: “lecher, playboy, philanderer, libertine, etc” doesn’t get the same number of ‘clicks & views’ as “pervert” gets in a Japanese publication.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Ryo Saeba is an obvious ‘Sonny Crocket’ ripoff from 80’s Miami Vice.

HOW will the female Takarazuka performer simulate the “male” character’s trademark “mokkori”?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

HOW will the female Takarazuka performer simulate the “male” character’s trademark “mokkori”?

Obviously you don't know much about Takarazuka if you are asking that.

I have seen them many times ( clients invited me) and I have known doubt they will have no problem.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Will Female Ryo Saeba still be H toward other females on stage?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Ouch. It was a legitimate question @Antiquesaving 11:06am:

- “Obviously you don't know much about Takarazuka if you are asking that.” -

Yes. Admittedly, so.

And, with all due respect, sir, may we remind you, not everyone here has had your extensive experiences.

The occidental perceptions of Takarazuka are of epic, melodramatic and ‘romantic’ themes and not necessarily, ‘racy or raunchy’ themes.

- “The costume designers are staying mostly true to Ryo’s iconic (and very cosplay-friendly) outfit, though it looks like his customary crimson T-shirt is now made out of leather.” -

Doesn’t mention ‘other‘ trademark ‘reactions’ of the character when he encounters certain ’types’ of females. So, ...

- “HOW will the female Takarazuka performer simulate the “male” character’s trademark “mokkori”?

Care to enlighten us, the uninitiated’ plebeians?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

The headline and article titillates but doesn’t clarify so, another ‘legitimate and relevant’ question is posted by @SamitBasu 11:30am:

- “Will Female Ryo Saeba still be H toward other females on stage?” -

Can the ‘hardline’ Takarazuka aficionados ‘come to grips’ on how this stand-out, ‘sticking point’ of the character’s authentic portrayal will be handled by an all-female cast?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Jackie Chan's 1993 City Hunter was also partially based on this but it wasn't even partially perverted. And 2011 Korean drama same titled was also based on this but never hope pervertness in their dramas but they do in the movies.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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