Nicky Larson et le Parfum de Cupidon (live-action movie)

City Hunter’s creator Tsukasa Hôjô had been refusing several offers to adapt his work over the years, because most of the time these works were simple action stories. However, when he met Philippe Lacheau he was impressed with the prepared screenplay: "In Philippe's scenario, there was everything: drama, laughter, things a bit naughty. He had taken into account the totality of the work."

Philippe Lacheau was a big fan of City Hunter (known in France as "Nicky Larson"), having watched the anime as a child in the 1990s.

Philippe Lacheau spent eight months following a diet and physical training to gain 8 kg of muscles for the role of Nicky Larson.

Vincent Ropion, the French voice actor of Nicky Larson in City Hunter, appears in the film as a journalist.

Jean-Paul Cesarini, singer of the City Hunter French dub theme song, appears in the film as a singer.

A character in the film is named Mr Mokkori. The word "mokkori" means "bulging", referring to a large body part (usually female) popping out under cloth, and is the catchphrase of Ryo Saeba (dubbed in French as Nicky Larson).

Director/actor Philippe Lacheau and writers Pierre Lacheau and Pierre Dudan watched the City Hunter anime and read Tsukasa Hôjô's original manga to get a good idea of how to make the film.

At the beginning of the film, Laura takes a picture of a number under the code XYZ. In the "City Hunter" manga/anime this code is used by Nicky's clients to contact them, by writing it on a specific location.

Staging the action sequences was a new challenge for Philippe Lacheau to face upon directing the film.

At the very end of the film, a gust of wind lifts a skirt right in front of Nicky, who notices. At that moment, a raven crosses the screen croaking. This is an anime tradition: when somebody does something stupid or foolish, a crow flies past, crying "A-ho! A-ho!" The word "aho" is Japanese for "idiot", and sounds similar to a crow's cawing. This happened a lot to Nicky Larson in the "City Hunter" anime/manga.

During Mayor Mokkori's TV interview, the bottom banner says at one point "Les mini pouces ont été reconduits à la frontière" (The Littles have been taken back to the border). This is a reference to the title of both the 1967 children's novels by American author John Peterson. Which was also adapted into the 1983 animated TV series.

The movie contains several anime easter eggs in the French language auduo track for people in France who watched anime during the 80's during the Récré A2/Club Dorothée programming block. Therefore, merely readung the English sub will cause you to miss the jokes, as the translator may not be anime saavy and mistranslate. Several jokes in the movie are made about popular anime in France, but you have to know their French dub names. For example: a) Nicky's painting, le Chevalier du Zodiac (Saint Seiya), b) Nicky calls a waitress, Ranma in the strip bar, c) when Nicky flashbacks to unrequited attractions, the second memory shows a wedding between "Jeanne and Serge" (Attacker You!), d) the airport intercom announces that "little Remi is waiting for his family at Gate 1" (Nobody's Boy Remi), e) two of the kids playing soccer in the park are named Olive and Tom (Captain Tsubasa), f) The Explosion at Athena Park news headline (Saint Seiya).

Frédérique Hoschedé, who was the mc of the Récré A2/Club Dorothée programming block, plays the customs agent who prevents Gilbert from bringing the perfume on board the plane. When she comments on GIlbert's socks that are in his luggage, it is a reference to the title of one of her most beloved songs (as she is also a popular singer).

Other anime references scrolling on the bottom of the screen during the news broadcast of the explosion at Athena Park: a) the Education segment (High School! Kimengumi), b) the Miscellaneous segment (Space Adventure Cobra), c) the Health segment (Fist of the North Star), d) the Football segment (Captain Tsubasa).