Anime had an incredible cultural impact in 2024, taking over streaming services like never before. Specifically, Netflix welcomed a variety of new anime series and films to its platform this past year, with a list of content so varied, there is sure to be something to entertain any anime fan.

There are many fantastic anime movies on Netflix, including Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End Of Evangelion, Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop, and A Whisker Away, to name just a few. However, Netflix's best 2024 anime movie is, surprisingly enough, a live-action film.

City Hunter Is Netflix’s Best Anime Movie of 2024 That You've Never Seen

The Movie Is Based on the Action Shonen Manga by Tsukasa Hojo

Netflix's best live-action anime movie of 2024 was City Hunter, based on the 1987 anime by the same name. Airing from April 6, 1987, to March 28, 1988, City Hunter tells the story of a ruthless mercenary named Ryo Saeba who is so strong and skilled at combat that no enemy can defeat him. Saeba ran an underground detective agency with his partner, Hideyuki Makimura, until Makimura was tragically killed. Saeba began to look after Makimura's sister, Kaori, after his death, and an unlikely romance began to blossom between the pair, adding another layer of drama to the already action-packed shonen series.

In the film, main character Ryo Saeba was played by Ryohei Suzuki, Misato Morita played Kaori Makimura, and Masanobu Ando played Hideyuki Makimura, transforming into the familiar manga characters phenomenally well. The Netflix listing describes the plot of the film as: "An exceptional marksman and hopeless playboy, private eye Ryo Saeba reluctantly forms an alliance with his late partner's sister to investigate his death." The movie is categorized under the streaming platform's action section, meaning watchers unfamiliar with the franchise may not know about its original manga origins and array of past anime and film adaptations that came before the Netflix one.

City Hunter Has Enjoyed Many Live-Action and Anime Adaptations Over the Years

From Anime Reboot Series to Feature-Length Live-Action Films, There Are Plenty of Options for Fans To Watch

Based on the manga by Tsukasa Hojo, City Hunter has grown into a popular franchise with numerous anime and live-action adaptations in both film and television. Most recently, Netflix created their own rendition of the series, which was released on the streaming platform on April 25, 2024. Viewers gave the film a whopping 82% score on Rotten Tomatoes' Popcornmeter, indicating an overall favorable opinion from fans of the franchise. It can be difficult to reboot a familiar story while still staying faithful to the original, but the new City Hunter Netflix film seems to have done just that.

In 2023, City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes movie was released. Thanks to all the new anime and live-action reboots of City Hunter, new viewers are discovering the thrilling franchise and seasoned fans are receiving another opportunity to interact with the heart-racing story they have grown to love. 2024 was one of Netflix's best years for anime yet, and for those deciding which of this year's movies to check out first, City Hunter's 2024 live-action adaptation should certainly be at the top of the list.

Source: @dr_mafoony on X, Rotten Tomatoes