Angel Heart

TV-Series

Description

"Angel Heart" is a spin-off of the popular manga and anime series "City Hunter," created by Tsukasa Hojo. The story is set in an alternate universe where the characters and settings share similarities with "City Hunter" but diverge in key aspects. The narrative centers on a young woman named Xiang-Ying, also known as Glass Heart, a highly skilled assassin raised by a shadowy organization in Taiwan. After undergoing a heart transplant, Xiang-Ying begins to experience vivid memories and emotions from her donor, a woman named Kaori Makimura. These memories lead her to Tokyo, where she seeks to uncover the truth about Kaori’s life and death.

In Tokyo, Xiang-Ying crosses paths with Ryo Saeba, a private detective known for his sharp skills and womanizing tendencies. Ryo, who was deeply connected to Kaori, becomes entangled in Xiang-Ying’s quest as she struggles to reconcile her identity as an assassin with the compassionate emotions inherited from Kaori’s heart. The series explores themes of identity, redemption, and the impact of past lives on the present, as Xiang-Ying navigates her dual existence and forms bonds with Ryo and his associates.

The supporting cast includes familiar characters from "City Hunter," such as Umibozu, a powerful martial artist, and Miki, a resourceful informant. These characters provide continuity for fans of the original series while contributing to the new narrative. The plot intertwines episodic detective cases with a larger, overarching story about Xiang-Ying’s journey of self-discovery and her attempts to break free from her violent past. The series balances action, drama, and emotional depth, offering a mix of intense confrontations and poignant moments as Xiang-Ying grapples with her conflicting identities and the legacy of Kaori’s heart.

Information

Angel Heart

エンジェル・ハート

Type: TV-Series

Anime Episodes: 50

Movie/Episode length: 30 min.

Date: 10/03/2005

Official Website:"Angel Heart" DVD Official Website

Categories

Genre

Drama

Episodes

Staffel 1

1Angel Heart

In Taipei,a young assassin named Xiang Ying attempts suicide by leaping from a high building. Ryo Saeba, a private detective from Tokyo working a separate case, catches her mid-fall and prevents her death. The girl belongs to the syndicate “Suzaku” and had trained as a killer from childhood, but she had grown unable to continue taking lives. Her body is critically injured, and she is transported to Japan where doctors perform a heart transplant. The donor is Kaori Makimura, Ryo’s former partner who died in a traffic accident shortly before these events. After the surgery, Xiang Ying wakes with no memory of her past but experiences vivid flashes of Kaori’s memories and personality. She escapes the hospital and finds her way to the Cat’s Eye coffee shop, the base of Ryo’s detective agency. Ryo recognizes Kaori’s mannerisms in her and understands that the transplanted heart carries Kaori’s will. He offers her a place to stay and a new identity, naming her “Kaori” after his late partner. Xiang Ying accepts the new name but insists on living under her own terms, deciding to join Ryo’s work as a sweeper—a cleaner of the criminal world—rather than continuing as a hired assassin. The episode closes with the two forming an uneasy partnership, bound by the heart that connects them and by the unresolved threat of the syndicate that will seek her out.

2Episode 2

Ryo Saeba reluctantly accepts the task of monitoring Kaori’s heart donor,a young woman who now calls herself Kaori Makimura. The woman, a former assassin, struggles to separate her own violent instincts from the gentle memories embedded in her new heart. At the Shinjuku cat café, she attempts to live quietly, but a local gang’s demand for protection money forces her into action. Without Ryo’s knowledge, she tracks the gang members to their headquarters and neutralizes them with precise, non-lethal strikes, leaving the leader tied up for the police. Ryo discovers her involvement and confronts her, stating that her actions now tie her to his world. She insists she only wanted to protect the café owner, who reminds her of the original Kaori. The confrontation ends with Ryo offering her a choice: stay and accept the consequences of her past and present, or leave Shinjuku entirely. She chooses to remain, acknowledging that she will face both the criminals seeking revenge and the lingering memories of the woman whose heart she carries. The episode closes with a rival gang arriving to reclaim the territory, setting up a direct threat to the café and Ryo’s unofficial protégé.

3Episode 3

4Wandering Heart

5Farewell...Kaori

6Episode 6

Kaori receives a call from a former police colleague requesting assistance with a series of bomb threats targeting public buildings. She agrees to help but keeps the operation separate from her work with Shinjuku’s underworld contacts. Ryo accompanies her to a surveillance point where they observe a suspect exchanging a briefcase near a metro station. Kaori identifies the man as an ex-demolition specialist she had arrested years earlier. The suspect notices their presence and triggers a small detonation to create chaos,escaping into the crowd. Ryo pursues him through the underground passages while Kaori coordinates with the police to evacuate the surrounding area. The suspect takes a hostage inside a maintenance tunnel and demands a vehicle for escape. Kaori negotiates directly, reminding him of their past encounter and appealing to his remaining sense of professionalism. The man hesitates, giving Ryo an opening to disarm him from behind without casualties. After the arrest, Kaori reflects on the distance that has grown between her old life in law enforcement and her current methods. She tells Ryo she does not regret leaving the police but acknowledges that some duties still call to her. The episode closes with a new case arriving at the Cat’s Eye café: a photograph of a young woman with a red X drawn over her face, sent by an anonymous client.

7Memory of the Heart

Ryo Saeba and Xiang Ying accept a request from a woman whose son,Shota, has been kidnapped. The kidnappers demand a ransom delivered within a strict deadline, threatening to kill the boy if police become involved. Xiang Ying volunteers to handle the exchange while Ryo tracks the captors from a distance. During the handoff, Xiang Ying experiences sudden flashbacks showing a young Ryo with Kaori during a similar rescue attempt. The memories originate from Kaori’s heart, causing Xiang Ying to freeze at a critical moment. Ryo, noticing her hesitation, intervenes and neutralizes the kidnappers, securing Shota’s release. After the mission, Xiang Ying confronts Ryo about the vision, demanding to know whether the memory belongs to her or to Kaori. Ryo confirms it was Kaori’s, explaining that such remnants will persist. Xiang Ying realizes she cannot fully separate her own will from the heart’s influence. The episode closes with her reaffirming her determination to continue as a cleaner, now aware that Kaori’s past actions will repeatedly shape her decisions.

8Episode 8

Ryo Saeba takes a job from a girl named Kaede who claims she wants him to kill her father,a yakuza boss. Kaede conceals her true background as a child assassin trained by the organization that murdered her family. Ryo notices her movements and techniques mirror those of his late partner, Shinji. Shinji died years earlier in a mission that Ryo still blames himself for. Kaede’s real target is the man who ordered her family’s massacre, but her handlers order her to kill Ryo first as a test. Ryo confronts her during the attempted assassination, disarming her without lethal force. He reveals his past with Shinji, explaining how revenge consumed Shinji and led to his death. Kaede breaks down, realizing her pursuit of vengeance only perpetuates the cycle of violence. Ryo offers her a chance to leave the assassin life behind, giving her a photograph of Shinji as a reminder. Kaede chooses to depart from the city, seeking a new beginning. The episode ends with Ryo reflecting on his own guilt while accepting a new request from a client whose stolen painting ties back to a former ally.

9Chinese Rain

Ryo and Kaori receive a request from a Chinese restaurant owner whose establishment has been threatened by a triad gang. During the investigation,they encounter Xin Hong, a young man from Shanghai who is secretly tailing the same gang members. Xin Hong reveals himself as the son of Li Jianqiang, a former associate of Ryo from his time as a sweeper in Shanghai. Li Jianqiang was killed by the triad after refusing to hand over a ledger containing incriminating evidence against their operations. Xin Hong carries a photograph of his father and a gun, intending to kill the triad boss to complete his own version of justice. Ryo physically stops Xin Hong during a confrontation, disarming him and reminding him that revenge would not restore what was lost. Kaori observes the emotional weight behind Ryo’s intervention, recognizing that Ryo sees his own past in the boy’s determination. The triad boss attempts to eliminate both Xin Hong and the restaurant owner, forcing Ryo and Xin Hong to work together in a direct firefight. Xin Hong ultimately chooses to hand over the ledger to the police instead of pulling the trigger, accepting that his father’s memory does not require bloodshed. After the triad members are arrested, Xin Hong decides to return to Shanghai to rebuild his life, thanking Kaori for her steady presence. Kaori reflects on the different forms of parental love shown by Ryo’s restraint and Xin Hong’s late father’s desire to keep his son away from the underworld. The episode closes with a new assignment arriving at the Cat’s Eye coffee shop, hinting at another case tied to a past connection of Ryo’s.

10The Man Who Sold His Life

Lee,a former assassin with a terminal illness, arrives at the Cat’s Eye café and demands that Saeba Ryo kill him. He offers his remaining life as payment, insisting that only a professional like Ryo can grant him a dignified death. Ryo refuses, dismissing the request as a pointless act of self-destruction. Shortly after, a crime syndicate abducts Lee’s daughter, Yuki, to force him into one final assassination. Lee admits he originally planned to die rather than carry out the killing, but Yuki’s captivity changes his calculus. Glass Heart intercepts the syndicate’s men and learns the location of their hideout. She confronts the kidnappers directly, incapacitating them and freeing Yuki before the syndicate can execute their leverage. Lee arrives at the hideout expecting a confrontation, only to find his daughter already safe. The syndicate’s leader tries to shoot Lee, but Ryo, having tracked the situation, disarms him with a single shot. Lee faces the choice to walk away from violence entirely, realizing Ryo and Glass Heart dismantled the threat without requiring him to kill. The episode closes with Lee and Yuki leaving together, though the syndicate’s remaining network hints at unresolved retaliation.

11父娘の時間

Xin Hong loses his confidence and decides not to tell Glass Heart her real name,but accidentally says 'Xiang Ying'. Embarrassed, he claims Ryo invented the name, and Glass Heart accepts it. Ryo arranges for Xiang Ying to guide Master Li around Shinjuku without revealing that Li is her father. Master Li observes his daughter from a distance during the outing, never disclosing their connection. Li and Xiang Ying step into a photo booth together, and upon seeing the printed pictures, they notice both wear the same expression. Ryo formally accepts responsibility for Glass Heart by agreeing to adopt her on Master Li’s behalf. Glass Heart continues to struggle with having no name of her own, unaware that the man she spent the day with is her father. Xin Hong remains in Shinjuku and begins working at the Cat’s Eye café. Master Li departs without revealing his true identity, leaving the father-daughter relationship unspoken. The shared expression in the photographs becomes a silent acknowledgment of their bond that neither can yet voice. As Master Li returns to his organization, Glass Heart moves forward with her new life, still ignorant of the connection she unknowingly forged.

12Episode 12

A terminally ill former boxer,Shinji, seeks to see his daughter Yuka before he dies. Yuka works at a hostess club and has become entangled with a yakuza group that pressures her for money. Saeba Ryo takes the case after Shinji approaches the Sweeper service. Xiang Ying accompanies Ryo and observes the strained relationship between father and daughter. Yuka rejects Shinji’s attempts to reconcile, blaming him for abandoning the family years ago. Ryo confronts the yakuza enforcers who threaten Yuka, forcing them to back off through physical intimidation. Xiang secretly arranges for Shinji to witness Yuka’s workplace, showing her the sacrifices he made to pay off her debts. When yakuza members return to abduct Yuka, Shinji steps in despite his failing health and holds them off long enough for Ryo to intervene. Yuka sees her father’s determination and finally acknowledges his efforts. They share a quiet moment as Shinji’s condition worsens, leaving the question of whether they can make up for lost time before he dies. Ryo and Xiang leave the pair together, but the yakuza’s leader remains free and vows revenge, setting up a direct confrontation.

13Episode 13

Li Jianqiang accepts a protection job from the Chinese syndicate to guard Xiang Ying,who is visiting Japan. During the assignment, he recalls his past as a mercenary in Southeast Asia, where he was ordered to eliminate a village. A young girl named Van saved his life after he was wounded, and he promised to protect her. He later discovered Van had become an assassin and was killed in action. The syndicate’s current leader, Chen, reveals that he arranged the mission specifically for Li to confront his memories. A squad of assassins attacks the safe house, and Li engages them while shielding Xiang Ying. After the fight, Li tells Xiang Ying about his failure to protect Van and his resolve to never break another promise. Xiang Ying acknowledges his determination and accepts his protection without hesitation. The episode ends with Chen hinting that a larger organization is moving against the syndicate, setting Li and Xiang Ying on a collision course with new enemies.

14Revival, City Hunter!

15Find Papa!

16Episode 16

Ryo removes the explosives from Kaede’s apartment,completing the mission assigned by the client. Kaede learns that her husband, who supposedly died in an accident, had been alive and working undercover for the police. The client, Kaede’s mother-in-law, confesses she hired Ryo to investigate because she suspected the truth behind her son’s disappearance. Kaede confronts the police officer who oversaw the undercover operation, demanding to know why she was kept in the dark for years. The officer explains the operation required absolute secrecy to protect Kaede as well, leaving her torn between relief and anger. Ryo watches from a distance, refusing to accept payment after learning the family’s pain. Kaede finally visits her husband’s grave, placing a letter she wrote to him, and resolves to move forward. Meanwhile, Saeko receives a new request: a woman asks for help finding her missing daughter, who may be tied to a human trafficking ring. Ryo accepts the case, knowing it will force him into direct confrontation with a criminal network. The episode closes with Ryo and Kaori beginning surveillance on a suspicious nightclub linked to the ring.

17Encounter in a Dream

Xiang Ying repeatedly dreams of herself as a child unable to find Ryo. Ryo advises her to mention the dreams to Doc during her regular medical check-up. Upon arriving at Doc’s clinic,Doc momentarily mistakes Xiang Ying for Kaori because of her similar mannerisms. While waiting for Ryo, Xiang Ying drifts into a sleep and receives a series of visions drawn from Kaori’s memories. She first sees Kaori moving through the city to reach an injured Ryo and bring him to safety. In another vision, Kaori stands in her home while her brother, police detective Hideyuki Makimura, criticizes her choice to pursue nursing. Hideyuki examines the unconscious Ryo, finds that all his identification documents are forged, and dismisses him as a stray dog who should be handed over to the police. Kaori refuses, insisting that Ryo is her patient and under her care. The visions end with Ryo regaining consciousness in Kaori’s apartment at night. Believing Kaori has noticed he is awake and fearing arrest, Ryo silently reaches for a weapon, preparing to kill her before she can alert anyone.

18Familial Ties

Xiang Ying remains in a reverie,witnessing extended visions of Kaori’s past. She sees a wounded Ryo in a clinic where Kaori, believing him to be unconscious, holds him and weeps. Ryo, who had been feigning sleep while concealing a weapon, experiences an unfamiliar sense of peace from Kaori’s embrace. Kaori tells Ryo she sees herself as a stray dog taken in by the Makimura family, leading Ryo to discard his intention to kill her. After Ryo leaves the clinic, Detective Hideyuki encounters him but allows him to pass. Ryo warns Hideyuki that his life is in danger and later saves him from an ambush. Ryo confesses that his original mission was to assassinate Hideyuki, a mission he abandoned after meeting Kaori. Ryo then decides to join Hideyuki as a sweeper. In a vision of the past, Kaori chooses the name Ryo Saeba for him from a list of aliases. The vision culminates with Kaori and Ryo accepting the young Xiang Ying as their daughter. Xiang Ying finally awakens and tells Ryo she dreamed of Kaori-mama, solidifying the family bond formed through Kaori’s memories.

19Elder Chen's Restaurant

Chen opens a Chinese restaurant named Genbumon,a reference to his former Genbu unit, near the Cat's Eye cafe. Ryo volunteers Xiang Ying and Xin Hong to work as waiters because no requests appear on the message board. Both former assassins struggle with serving customers, as their training taught them to eat alone and quickly to minimize vulnerability during missions. A group of yakuza led by Mochiyama arrives at the restaurant to cause trouble. Xiang Ying and Xin Hong defend the establishment using their combat skills without hesitation. The yakuza boss recognizes the staff as former operatives of the Zheng Dao Hui and shifts from confrontation to assistance. Mochiyama remains at the restaurant to help with operations instead of causing further disruption. Ryo uses the situation to teach Xiang Ying and Xin Hong the value of sharing meals slowly with loved ones. The two assassins begin to understand the concept of enjoying food as a social experience rather than a survival task. Chen’s restaurant establishes a permanent base for his watchful presence over Xiang Ying’s daily life. The episode closes with Xiang Ying taking her first small step toward embracing ordinary human connections.

20Angel Heart

Claire Novak tracks a lead on her missing mother,Amelia, to a bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she confronts Ronnie Cartwright. After Ronnie shoves Claire to the ground and knocks her unconscious, the police contact Castiel, who summons Sam and Dean Winchester for support at the hospital. Claire admits she received a postcard from her mother two years earlier and resumes her search alone, prompting Sam to find her at a motel while Castiel and Dean question Ronnie. Dean slams Ronnie’s head against a table during the interrogation, forcing Ronnie to admit he took Amelia to a faith healer named Peter Holloway years ago. Ronnie later calls Holloway to warn him, but Holloway appears, blinds Ronnie, and stabs him with an angel sword. Sam reviews Amelia’s credit card records and discovers Holloway’s property, leading Castiel to find Amelia imprisoned in a barn, where Holloway has been feeding on her soul for two years. Dean deduces Holloway is a Grigori, an ancient class of angel, after noticing unique markings on Ronnie’s stab wound during a mini-golf game with Claire. Holloway, whose true name is Tamiel, captures Sam and reveals he has fed on human souls since the dawn of man. Dean arms Claire with a revolver and drives her to Holloway’s farm, where Claire reunites with Amelia moments before Tamiel attacks. Amelia jumps in front of Tamiel’s sword to shield Claire and dies from the wound. Claire kills Tamiel with his own sword, and Amelia ascends to Heaven, reuniting with Jimmy Novak. Dean arranges for Claire to live with Jody Mills, and Claire asks Dean to watch over Castiel before departing. The episode sets up the escalating strain of Dean’s Mark of Cain as a growing liability in future hunts.

21Episode 21

A professional sniper positions herself on a rooftop overlooking a busy intersection,her scope fixed on Kaede Makimura as she walks with a client. Ryo Saeba detects the glint of the scope and shoves Kaede out of the line of fire moments before a bullet strikes the ground. The sniper, a woman named Miyuki, retreats through the city’s back alleys, leaving behind a trail of decoys. Kaede pursues Miyuki alone, refusing Ryo’s offer to take over the chase. Miyuki leads Kaede to an abandoned warehouse where she reveals that a former partner of hers died during a mission Ryo completed years ago. Kaede counters by stating that her own past as an assassin taught her the emptiness of revenge. Miyuki fires a shot aimed at a support beam, causing debris to fall, but Kaede dodges and disarms her with a throw of her trademark jacket. Ryo arrives and secures Miyuki, who later confesses that a syndicate hired her to draw out Ryo by targeting Kaede. The syndicate’s leader watches the outcome from a distant car and orders a new plan that shifts the threat from Kaede to Ryo’s civilian contacts. Kaede returns to the office, acknowledging that she still has much to learn about protecting others without resorting to lethal force. Ryo remains silent, his gaze fixed on a photograph of his late partner, signaling his determination to confront the syndicate before it can strike again.

22Episode 22

Ryo Saeba and Kaori Makimura locate Li Kōshū,a former assassin who holds information about Glass Heart’s past. Glass Heart confronts Li in an abandoned warehouse, demanding the names of those who trained her. Li refuses to speak and attacks, forcing Glass Heart to defend herself with her combat skills. During the fight, Glass Heart hesitates to land a killing strike, demonstrating her rejection of the assassin’s code. Ryo intervenes, disarming Li without lethal force, reinforcing his own rule against killing. Li reveals that the organization’s leadership has already been destroyed, leaving Glass Heart with no direct target for revenge. Kaori privately warns Ryo that Glass Heart’s growing emotional attachment may lead her to seek dangerous new missions to fill the void. Later, Glass Heart visits a memorial for a victim she killed years earlier, placing flowers as an act of atonement. A figure in the shadows watches her, indicating that remnants of the organization still monitor her movements.

23Melody of Departure

Yume cannot bring herself to shoot Ryo or Xiang Ying,leading the Genbu unit to dispose of Walker. Haruka decides to adopt Yume and prepares to leave for Vienna so Yume can continue her violin lessons. Xiang Ying feels awkward about her relationship with Yume, but the two share a happy farewell at the airport after Yume plays her violin one last time. Following Yume's departure, Xiang Ying begins to relax and enjoy life in ways she never could as an assassin. She travels with Ryo on the Yamanote train line around Tokyo, experiencing the city without the weight of her former profession. During the ride, Xiang Ying peacefully falls asleep on Ryo's shoulder, a moment of vulnerability and trust that her assassin training would have previously forbidden. The episode closes with Xiang Ying embracing a quieter existence, having resolved the immediate threat from the Genbu unit and found a new sense of belonging. This newfound peace is immediately complicated by the lingering presence of other syndicate elements who may not accept her withdrawal from their world.

24With The Beat...

25The Man Called a Demon

A former assassin known as the Demon,Lee, lives quietly with his daughter in a seaside town. A syndicate sends assassins to eliminate him, forcing Lee to confront the past he tried to bury. Ryo Saeba and Xiang Ying arrive after learning of the contract on Lee’s life. Lee refuses assistance, believing he must face his sins alone. Xiang Ying observes Lee’s struggle and recognizes the same burden of her own former life as an assassin. During an ambush at a pier, Lee shields his daughter from gunfire, sustaining injuries. Ryo intervenes with precision shots, disabling the attackers without killing them. The syndicate’s leader, a former comrade of Lee, appears and offers Lee a choice: return to the organization or see his daughter killed. Lee rejects the offer and, with Ryo’s support, disarms the leader, forcing the syndicate to retreat. After the confrontation, Lee remains in the town, no longer hiding but choosing to protect his daughter openly. The episode closes with Xiang Ying reaffirming her commitment to atone for her past, while a new client arrives at the Cat’s Eye café, hinting at another case involving a former assassin.

26Episode 26

27Am I In Love!?

Xin Hong takes Xiang Ying to a romantic film,hoping to create an opportunity for intimacy. Xiang Ying dismisses the movie for its lack of action, revealing her continued detachment from conventional romance. After the film, they encounter Yoshiki Natsume, a street artist whom Xiang Ying finds strangely familiar, though he does not recognize her. Investigating on her own, Xiang Ying learns that Yoshiki attended school with Kaori and was in love with her. Through Kaori’s memories embedded in her transplanted heart, Xiang Ying experiences Kaori’s past emotions toward Yoshiki. These inherited feelings cause Xiang Ying to question whether her own affections are emerging or if Kaori’s lingering attachment is surfacing. She begins to believe she might be in love with Yoshiki, blurring the boundary between her identity and Kaori’s. Xin Hong observes her preoccupation with Yoshiki, silently confronting his own unexpressed romantic interest in Xiang Ying. The episode hinges on Xiang Ying’s internal conflict as she navigates emotions that feel both foreign and personal. The uncertainty leaves her unsettled, unable to determine if her heart beats with Kaori’s past or her own future.

28Promise

Xin Hong observes Xiang Ying drawing closer to Yoshiki and jealousy takes hold. Xiang Ying herself struggles to understand the nature of her own feelings. Seeking clarity,Yoshiki shares his past with Kaori, recounting how he left for Paris after sketching a portrait that captured her inner soul. He then gives that same portrait to Xiang Ying. Xiang Ying reveals to Yoshiki that Kaori’s spirit continues to live through her transplanted heart. The conversation brings to light the unfinished business between Yoshiki and Kaori. Xiang Ying accompanies Yoshiki to the train station, offering him a farewell that Kaori had regretted never being able to give. As the train departs, Xiang Ying confronts the truth that her feelings for Yoshiki originated from Kaori’s memories rather than her own. The moment forces her to distinguish her own identity from the heart she carries. With Yoshiki gone, Xiang Ying must now face the emotional separation from Kaori’s past while navigating the implications for her present relationships.

29Episode 29

30This City Means Everything to Me

Sayuri arrives in Tokyo and confronts Ryo,expressing her disapproval of Xiang Ying living with him while he continues the City Hunter business. She threatens to take Xiang Ying back to New York. Chen, Master Li’s right-hand man, intervenes and persuades Sayuri that Tokyo has world-class medical facilities and that the city itself appears to sustain the compatibility between Kaori’s heart and Xiang Ying’s body. Xiang Ying recounts Kaori’s past: after Kaori’s father died, she was befriended by Hideyuki Makimura, the son of the family that adopted her. Hideyuki became the first City Hunter, but his death led Ryo to inherit the role and dedicate himself to protecting the city. Through this story, Sayuri recognizes the profound bond linking Xiang Ying, Kaori’s heart, and Shinjuku. She decides to return to New York alone, trusting that Xiang Ying belongs with Ryo. On her final night in Japan, Sayuri shares a bed with Xiang Ying, and the girl experiences a dream-like vision of Kaori’s early life. The vision reveals intimate moments from Kaori’s childhood, deepening the fusion of Kaori’s memories with Xiang Ying’s own consciousness. Sayuri departs peacefully, leaving her blessing behind. Xiang Ying steps more firmly into her place within the City Hunter household, yet the weight of Kaori’s memories continues to shape the path ahead.

31Episode 31

32The Girl from the Organization

Bai Lan spots Liu Xin Hong on a Shinjuku street and follows him to Cat’s Eye cafe. She was Xin Hong’s former teammate and friend from his days in the Qing Long unit of the Zeng Dao Hui. When Xin Hong left the organization for Shinjuku,he entrusted his Qing Long ring to Bai Lan for safekeeping until his return. The two spend the day together reconnecting. Ryo notices men tailing them and alerts Xin Hong. As Bai Lan departs, she gives Xin Hong her own ring, and Xin Hong realizes she has been reassigned to the Byakko unit. Chen later informs Xin Hong that Bai Lan is on an infiltration mission targeting the Jun’yo Kai, a group opposing Zeng Dao Hui. The target is a man named Shunsuke Hayakawa. Xin Hong understands Bai Lan’s visit was a final farewell before she commits to a dangerous assignment that may not allow her return. The episode closes with Xin Hong left to grapple with the knowledge that his former friend now walks a path that will force her into direct confrontation with the Jun’yo Kai.

33Episode 33

Ryo and Xiang Ying travel to Hokkaido to locate Yuki,a former assassin who left the syndicate known as "The City of Ice." Yuki now lives in a remote town with her young daughter, attempting to hide from her past. The syndicate dispatches a hunter named Shinji to eliminate her, threatening the quiet life she has built. Xiang Ying bonds with Yuki’s daughter while Ryo confronts Shinji, revealing the hunter’s personal connection to Yuki. Shinji hesitates when he sees the child, forcing him to question his orders. Yuki offers herself in exchange for her daughter’s safety, but Ryo intervenes to prevent bloodshed. The standoff ends when Shinji chooses to abandon his mission, acknowledging the life Yuki has created. Yuki and her daughter prepare to leave the town, seeking a new place to remain hidden. Before departing, Yuki entrusts Xiang Ying with a reminder of the cost of leaving the assassin world. The episode closes with Ryo and Xiang Ying returning to Tokyo, aware that other remnants of the syndicate may still pursue Yuki.

34Episode 34

Ryo Saeba traces the source of the poisoned bullets to a pharmaceutical company. He discovers that the company's head,Dr. Mikuni, orchestrated the assassination of Kaede five years earlier. Glass Heart accompanies Ryo to the company's headquarters, where they confront Mikuni. Mikuni reveals that Kaede had infiltrated his organization to obtain evidence of illegal human experiments. Glass Heart realizes that her own past as a killer for the same organization ties her to Kaede's mission. She nearly loses control, but Ryo stops her, reminding her that revenge would betray Kaede's ideals. The police arrive to arrest Mikuni, but a bomb planted by his subordinate detonates, allowing him to escape. In the aftermath, Glass Heart finds a diary Kaede left behind, detailing her hope for a world without assassins. Glass Heart vows to continue Kaede's work by protecting the innocent. The final scene shows Mikuni meeting with a mysterious figure who promises to eliminate the Saeba agency.

35Into the Future

Hayakawa corners Bai Lan and threatens to kill her,accusing her of betrayal. Bai Lan convinces him of her loyalty, and Hayakawa then reveals he suffers from terminal leukemia. The two confess their devotion to each other, and Hayakawa gives her a ring originally meant for his daughter. A fire engulfs the building where they stand. Xin Hong attempts to rush inside, but Ryo and Xiang Ying stop him, insisting that only Bai Lan can save herself. Inside, the group finds Hayakawa already consumed by flames. Ryo and Xiang Ying help Bai Lan escape the inferno. Ryo later reports that Bai Lan perished in the fire, but in truth she leaves for Palawan in the Philippines, a place Hayakawa loved. She begins working as an elementary schoolteacher there. Two months later, Xin Hong receives a letter from Bai Lan describing her newfound happiness and expressing her wish that he find similar happiness with Xiang Ying. The letter closes a chapter on Bai Lan’s past while leaving Xin Hong to consider the future of his own relationship with Xiang Ying.

36The Girl Who Brings Happiness

Saeko Nogami wanders Shinjuku alone after drinking,her loneliness weighing on her. A young girl approaches her outside her apartment, hands her a flower, and disappears. The next morning, Saeko dismisses the encounter as a zashiki-warashi, a spirit said to bring good fortune, yet she notices other small, unexplained acts of kindness around her home. Xiang Ying takes on the investigation, tracking the girl through the city. She observes the girl collecting small offerings from local shopkeepers who all report increased business since the child began appearing. When Xiang Ying loses the girl in a crowd, she interviews the merchants, learning that each considers the girl a lucky charm. Saeko later finds the girl reading in a park and buys her a picture book. The girl, who gives her name as Miki, reads aloud and stays close to Saeko, sensing her loneliness. As Saeko falls asleep that night, she dreams of an ordinary family scene: herself, Ryo, Xiang Ying, and Miki gathered together as a household. The dream reveals Saeko’s unspoken desire for connection beyond her professional life. Xiang Ying’s pursuit of the girl brings her closer to understanding the quiet struggles of those around her. Miki remains an enigma—her origins unclear, her effect on those she encounters undeniable—leaving Saeko and the others to wonder whether fortune follows her or she simply chooses whom to help.

37Episode 37

Ryo and Kaori receive a request from a former client,a widow named Yuki, who asks them to locate a man she believes is her late husband’s illegitimate son. Kaori takes the lead in the investigation while Ryo watches from a distance, suspicious of the client’s true intentions. Kaori finds the young man, Kenji, working as a mechanic and learns he knew nothing about his father. Yuki reveals she wants to offer Kenji a share of her husband’s estate, but her actions hide a deeper motive to reclaim a family heirloom that Kenji unknowingly possesses. When Yuki attempts to steal the heirloom, Kaori confronts her, forcing Yuki to admit her resentment toward her husband’s affair. Kenji chooses to give the heirloom to Yuki freely, severing any claim to the inheritance, and walks away. Kaori returns to the office troubled by the bitterness left behind, and Ryo quietly notes that some wounds never fully close. Later, a cryptic phone call warns Ryo that an old enemy has resurfaced, pulling him back into a past he thought he had left behind.

38Episode 38

39Episode 39

A former soldier,Takeda, arrives in Shinjuku carrying a briefcase that conceals a bomb. He walks directly to the Saeba residence and demands to see Kaori Makimura’s grave. Ryo Saeba meets him outside and recognizes Takeda from a past military operation where Ryo served as a civilian contractor. Takeda accuses Ryo of causing the death of his unit and opens the briefcase, revealing a timer counting down. Xiang Ying, now living with Kaori’s heart, steps forward and places herself between the two men. She speaks to Takeda about the memories she carries and the peace Kaori found after leaving her assassin past. Takeda hesitates, and Ryo offers himself as a target if it will end the cycle of revenge. The timer reaches zero, but the device does not detonate; Ryo had removed the detonator earlier during a momentary distraction. Police surround the area and take Takeda into custody, but Ryo asks for him to be released. Takeda leaves Shinjuku, admitting that his anger had been aimed at his own guilt. Xiang reflects on the weight of a life continued through another’s sacrifice. The next morning, a new client request arrives at the Cat’s Eye coffee shop, hinting at another case involving a personal debt left unpaid.

40Episode 40

Ryo and Xiang-Ying track the Doctor to his underground facility after decoding data from the previous raid. The Doctor reveals his plan to eliminate the remaining members of the Falcon organization and install a new order through staged assassinations. Xiang-Ying confronts the Doctor directly,demanding he account for the lives lost in his experiments. The Doctor dismisses her accusations, stating his actions were necessary to create a world without corrupt power brokers. Ryo engages the Doctor in a shootout, using precision to disarm him without a fatal shot. The Doctor detonates charges set throughout the facility, intending to bury them and destroy evidence. Xiang-Ying uses her enhanced abilities to locate a structural weak point, allowing the group to escape through a collapsed tunnel just before the main complex explodes. Police recover the Doctor’s body from the rubble, confirming his death. Ryo informs Saeko that the Falcon network has been dismantled but warns that a power vacuum may lead to new factions. Xiang-Ying reflects on her role, deciding to continue her work as a private detective alongside Ryo rather than seeking a normal life. A new client arrives at the office, requesting help to locate a missing heiress connected to a rival syndicate.

41My Whereabouts

42A Newscaster's Love

43My Everyday Life

Sanemichi Bando,Tomomi’s boss, reveals to her that Ryo Saeba is City Hunter, but Tomomi refuses to accept the claim. Yang Fang Yu, leader of the Black Panther group, abducts Tomomi from the street. Ten years earlier, Ryo saved Fang Yu while both worked as mercenaries, and she fell in love with him. Ryo promised to send her an email every Christmas, but because of Tomomi, he missed this year’s message. Fang Yu challenges Tomomi to a drinking contest, and Tomomi loses consciousness. Xiang Ying arrives and confronts Fang Yu to rescue Tomomi. Fang Yu challenges Xiang Ying to a fight, but as they begin, Fang Yu sees an image of Kaori and admits she still holds feelings for Ryo. Later, Tomomi thanks Ryo for changing her life. When Ryo returns home, he finds Xiang Ying, Fang Yu, and Bando partying together in his apartment, turning his personal space into an unexpected gathering.

44Episode 44

45The Human Nuclear Warhead - Yang

Yang Fang Yu abducts mercenary Max Neumann,suspecting him of kidnapping researchers. Neumann denies involvement, and Fang Yu releases him after planting a tracking device on his person. The bug leads Fang Yu and her allies to a ship moored offshore where the researchers are held. On the ship, Fang Yu confronts her lover, Cheng, and discovers he used her to smuggle a virus into Japan. Cheng orchestrated the entire scheme, including the attempt to create a vaccine from the virus. Betrayed and enraged, Fang Yu rejects Cheng's explanations and severs all ties with him. She swims alone toward the ship, abandoning her former allies to pursue personal revenge. Ryo and Kaori follow her, attempting to prevent her from crossing a line into becoming a killer again. Fang Yu's transformation from a deceived operative to a lone avenger reaches its breaking point. The episode closes with Fang Yu closing in on her target, leaving Ryo and Kaori racing to stop her before she commits an irreversible act.

46Mother Heart

Fang Yu boards the ship with the intent to kill Cheng. Xiang Ying stops her and,after knocking Cheng unconscious, proposes an alternative plan. Cheng regains consciousness to find himself dressed in a wig and women's clothing. Fang Yu informs him that he will personally carry out the research to create the vaccine, wearing the outfit as punishment for his deception. She then releases the captive researchers. After Xiang Ying and Kaori explain the purpose behind the researchers' abduction, the group decides to remain on the ship and continue their work. The immediate threat of violence subsides as the focus shifts to forcing Cheng to atone through labor rather than death. Xiang Ying's intervention redirects the confrontation from vengeance to a form of penance that serves a larger goal. The researchers' choice to stay transforms their role from victims to willing participants. With Cheng now bound to the task of vaccine development under humiliating conditions, the central conflict pivots from personal retribution to the collective effort required to produce the cure.

47Bright Future!?

Xiang Ying encounters a woman on the street who warns her of an impending accident; moments later,the accident occurs exactly as predicted. Xin Hong later brings Xiang Ying to a fortune teller named Pure Reisen, who reveals she is the same woman from the street and introduces herself as Reiko Kawamoto. Reiko predicts that Xin Hong will remain unmarried ten years from now and that Xiang Ying should already be dead. Weary of foreseeing others’ futures, Reiko asks City Hunter to give her life purpose by finding a man whose future she cannot see. Following a night of heavy drinking, Xiang Ying escorts the intoxicated Reiko home. The next morning, Reiko encounters Ryo and believes he is the ideal man because his future remains invisible to her, but upon sobering up she expresses deep disappointment. Meanwhile, young police officer Shougo Shimazu faces the consequences of Reiko’s earlier prediction that his relationship with girlfriend Si Zhong would end badly. After rejecting a senior policewoman’s marriage proposal, Shimazu receives a demotion. Reiko’s quest for a man whose fate she cannot read remains unresolved as her disappointment with Ryo leaves her searching anew.

48Episode 48

Xin Hong and Xiang Ying bring Ryo and Reiko to a village to protect police officer Shougo Shimazu from a predicted death. Reiko uses her psychic abilities to pinpoint the time of the threat,foreseeing Shougo will die during the village festival. The burden of witnessing unavoidable tragedies weighs on Reiko as she shares the vision. On the festival night, Xiang Ying intercepts multiple gangsters moving through the area. One gangster escapes her pursuit and flees with a firearm. Shougo hears the gunshots from a distance and immediately heads toward the location of the confrontation. The escapee with the gun and Shougo now move toward the same point, setting up the predicted fatal encounter. The episode closes with the converging paths of the armed gangster and the unsuspecting officer, leaving the success of the protection effort in immediate doubt.

49Get My Life

Xin Hong waits at the location where Reiko predicted Shōgo would be killed. Reiko staggers toward him,heavily intoxicated. The gunman whom Xiang Ying is pursuing arrives and takes Reiko hostage. Shōgo cycles toward the scene, and the gunman fires at him. Xin Hong leaps into the bullet’s path and crashes into Shōgo. Xin Hong survives with a shoulder wound, and Shōgo remains unharmed. Reiko later explains to Shōgo and Si her reasons for advising them to stay apart, clarifying her belief in unavoidable fate. Ryo tells Reiko that both Xin Hong and Xiang Ying have defied predicted deaths before, which drove them to protect Shōgo so fiercely. Reiko acknowledges that fate can be altered. She offers to read Xiang Ying’s future but instead glimpses her own happy future with her child. The realization shifts Reiko’s perspective on destiny and her own life.

50Last Present

During the Christmas season,Yang Fang Yu invites Xiang Ying and Ryo Saeba to attend the wedding of Su Qing, one of the orphans from Yang’s shelter. Su Qing, now an adult, is marrying a Japanese man, and her adoptive parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hotta, host the ceremony. At the wedding, Xiang Ying recognizes the Hotta family and recalls that Kaori Makimura knew them personally. She also identifies a ring Su Qing wears as the one Kaori bought for the girl when she entered college. The discovery weighs on Ryo, reminding him that he never married Kaori before her death. Later, Ryo gives Xiang Ying a ring he originally purchased as a present for Kaori. Xiang Ying accepts the gift and reflects that receiving Kaori’s heart has become a source of blessing in her life rather than a burden. The exchange solidifies the bond between Ryo and Xiang Ying as they acknowledge Kaori’s enduring presence through her heart and memories. The episode closes the series with Xiang Ying fully embracing her identity as Ryo’s daughter and the living connection to Kaori.

Cast

Kaori Makimura
Laurence Bréheret
Kazue Ikura
Doc
Marc Brétonnière
Bin Shimada
Umibozu
Benoît Allemane
Mr Li
Vincent Ribeiro
Saeko Nogami
Ivana Coppola
Yōko Asagami
Yan Fanyui
Megumi Ogata
Xin Hong Liu
Chihiro Suzuki
Shan-In "Glass Heart" Lee
Mao Kawasaki

Ryō Saeba
Vincent Ropion
Akira Kamiya
Xin-Hong Liu
Yann Le Madic
Hideo Mochiyama
Luc Boulad
Naoki Tatsuta
Fang-Hui Yang
Céline Duhamel
Xiang-Ying "Glass Heart"
Monika Lawinska
Umibouzu
Tesshō Genda
Master Li
Kinryū Arimoto

Comment(s)

Staff

Director
Toshiki Hirano
Screenplay
Sumio Uetake
Yasunori Yamada
Shōichi Satō
Tomoyasu Okubo
Kōichi Taki
Masashi Suzuki
Yoshimichi Hosoi
Naoki Tozuka
Keiichirō Ōchi
Episode Director
Kyōsuke Mikuriya
Ken Andō
Toshiki Hirano
Yasuhiro Matsumura
Takao Yotsuji
Yoshihisa Matsumoto
Yasuichirō Yamamoto
Toshihiro Ishikawa
Hiroto Katō
Ichirō Ogawa
Akira Iwanaga
Shūichi Hirokawa
Yasunaga Tsuji
Yukio Okazaki
Hayato Goda
Matsuo Asami
Rokō Ogiwara
Naoki Horiuchi
Tomio Yamauchi
Mihiro Yamaguchi
Makoto Hoshino
Osamu Yamasaki
Seimei Kidokoro
Kōsuke Kobayashi
Shichi Ishii
Music
Taku Iwasaki
Character Design
Atsushi Aono
Takashi Saijō
Art
Osamu Honda
Animation Director
Hajime Yoshida
Yasutaka Hanabusa
Takeshi Imai
Satoru Minowa
Shinichi Suzuki
Atsushi Aono
Masaki Kudō
Takashi Saijō
Toshiko Sasaki
Yukari Kobayashi
Chūichi Iguchi
Masatomo Sudō
Junko Yamanaka
Akira Watanabe
Hikaru Takanashi
Dan Kongōji
Hiroto Katō
Keizō Shimizu
Ichirō Ogawa
Yōsuke Kabashima
Hideaki Matsuoka
Kenji Hattori
Mayumi Oda
Yoshiaki Matsuda
Toyoaki Fukushima
Hiroyuki Notake
Konomi Sakurai
Masaaki Susowake
Keiko Yamamoto
Kenji Matsuoka
Ippei Masui
Usaku Myouchin
Katsunori Shibata
Dae Hoon Kim
Masahisa Koyata
Sang-Yeob Kim
Kōki Sugawara
Satoshi Okamoto
Shutaro Mito
Tota Hachisu
Hajime Kohida
Director of Photography
Yoshihito Kuwa

Series Composition
Sumio Uetake
Storyboard
Hajime Kamegaki
Osamu Tsuruyama
Akira Nishimori
Toshiki Hirano
Shigenori Kageyama
Ichizō Kobayashi
Susumu Nishizawa
Yoshihisa Matsumoto
Kenichi Maejima
Yūichirō Miyake
Shinichi Tōkairin
Hiroto Katō
Akira Iwanaga
Hidetoshi Namura
Sōma Ōgami
Jun Hayami
Unit Director
Shouji Takizawa
Original Manga
Tsukasa Hōjō
Art Director
Osamu Honda
Hiromu Sato
Chief Animation Director
Atsushi Aono
Takashi Saijō
Sound Director
Yukio Nagasaki
Producer
Masayuki Nishimura
Shuichi Kitada
Yuu Takahashi