Niki Larson on Netflix: the new film will be the most faithful adaptation of the manga!

“When her silhouette appears, the bad guys begin to tremble, they know they can never escape this vigilance.” Anyone who grew up with Club Dorothée cartoons will recognize the words in the credits of Niki Larson, the animated series adapted from Tsukasa Hojo’s manga City Hunter.

Several adaptations have already seen the light of day

The subject of a lot of criticism due to its inappropriateness for young children at the time of its broadcast, the series has at least reached us in a censored version. Much of the dialogue was rewritten for the needs of the French version, and graphic passages (particularly nudity and violence) were removed during editing.

Among the biggest manga successes of the 80s, City Hunter was adapted several times for the cinema under the name of Niki Larsson: a parody version of Jackie Chan saw the light of day, especially in the 90s, as well as a French version created and performed. Philip Lachaux (Nikki Larson and Cupid’s Perfume).

The most faithful adaptation to the original manga?

A new live version will be released on Netflix soon. This is the first live-action film to be filmed in Japanese: Ryo Saeba (Nicky Larson in VF) will be played by Ryohei Suzuki and his partner Kaori (Laura) will be played by Misato Morita. The film also stars Masanobu Ando and Misaki Ayame.

The new trailer for Niki Larsson’s new film claims to be a faithful adaptation of the manga, both in story and tone, mixing humor and action. Fans of the original work will also appreciate the many sounds featured in this trailer, and especially the use of music from the anime’s end credits (Get wild).

Live action on the rise on Netflix and TF1?

Niki Larsson confirms Netflix’s interest in live-action hit manga. After the disappointments of Death Note and Cowboy Bebop, the platform achieved more convincing results thanks to Alice in Wonderland, One Piece and the Yu Yu Hakusho series. While we wait for the My Hero Academia movie and the Death Note series created by the creators of Stranger Things…

Let’s also remember that Cat’s Eyes, another iconic manga by Tsukasa Hojo, will be turned into a TF1 live-action series this year. Claire Romain, Constance Labe and Camille Lou are currently filming the series.

Niki Larson’s film can be seen exclusively on Netflix from April 25.

Discover the list of movies currently available on the platform!