I had it on my mind to do a quick write up on Cat’s Eye and City Hunter by Tsukasa Hojo at some point. I was looking at something else on Amazon and saw that the omnibus Volume 1’s for both titles are currently on sale for $2.99 each, so I at least wanted to mention them.

I don’t have numbers on this but licensing of older manga seems to be a tough sell for Engligh audiences. Even popular titles or old flagship Shonen titles. Which is partly what made Abrams/Kana’s decision to reprint two of Tsukasa Hojo’s books such a pleasant surprise. But then again, new adaptations certainly help

Cat’s Eye ran from 1981-1985, originally collected in 18 tankobons, and is now being reissued in 3-in-1 omnibus editions. There was an anime series from 1983-1985, and a new anime series started last year.

Cat’s Eye has been adapted into live action multiple times and there’s even a French live action series!

Cat’s Eye has hijinks, derring-do, and romance. There is something of a classic Hollywood feel here with some screwball energy thrown in, especially between Hitomi the art thief and her police officer boyfriend. It has a nice balance to it with multiple new art heists taking place (often wrapping up in a single chapter) while a larger story emerges.

So far I’ve only read the first volume but I had a blast with it and can’t wait to catch up to the rest of the series.

At the time of this writing, Cat’s Eye Volume 1 is on sale for $2.99 on Kindle.

City Hunter ran from 1985 to 1991. It was originally collected in 36 tankobons, and is now being reissued in 3-in-1 omnibus editions. It too has been adapted multiple times and has multiple spin offs. According to wiki there are four anime television series, three anime television specials, three made-for-television animated films, two animated feature films for theatrical release, several live-action films (including a Hong Kong film starring Jackie Chan and a French film), video games, and a live-action Korean TV drama. A Netflix film adaptation dropped in 2024.

The main character, Ryo, is a crime jack of all trades who does detective work or acts as hit man or whatever else needs to be done. He’s a solider and is a perfect shot. Sounds all dire and serious and shit, right? City Hunter has wild tonal shifts and often swings between serious or action moments and pure comedic ones. He’s also an absolute horn dog and a menace to all women he meets (though it never works out).

City Hunter is fun but those tonal shifts are a lot. This probably goes a long way to explaining why I like Cat’s Eye the best of the two titles. Cat’s Eye has a light touch and does venture into the comedic at times but never fully into broad or crude comedy (I can’t stress enough just how many erection jokes there are in City Hunter). But also, while I had seen the Jackie Chan film adaptation this was all new to me. I think I’m going to revisit it now that I better understand the tone.

At the time of this writing, City Hunter Volume 1 is on sale for $2.99 on Kindle.

Both are worth a try for manga fans and those looking to try some older titles that were once quite popular and spawned large franchises. They are also worth checking out for crime comics fans looking for something a little different. Again, I like Cat’s Eye the better of the two.