Boner Cheering Screening at Tokyo theater is latest sign of returning to post-pandemic (ab)normal

Relaxed regulations will allow fans to cheer as live-action version of anime’s greatest pervert gets wild, tough, and hard.

As Japan continues to pull out of the pandemic, we’re seeing the lifting of restrictions related to entertainment events and other large-scale gatherings. In one of the most long-awaited relaxations, last month the government removed prohibitions against loud cheering, so now fans are free to vocally root for their sports heroes at the stadium, sing along with their favorite artists at concert halls, and shout “Boner!” at the movie theater.

OK, so that last one is a special case for one theater and one movie it’s showing. Still, the lifting of the ban on cheering was a prerequisite for the Shinjuku Piccadilly theater in Tokyo to hold its upcoming “Boner Cheering Screening” on March 26.

That specific date is already a hint for superfans, but to clarify things for those unaware of its significance, the Shinjuku Piccadilly is not a porno theater, and the film that’s the subject of the Boner Cheering Screening is not a porno. Instead, it’s Nicky Larson et le parfum de Cupidon, also known as the 2019 live-action adaptation of anime/manga City Hunter.

First released in France in 2019, Nicky Larson et le parfum de Cupidon (“Nicky Larson and Cupid’s Perfume”) is based on the French-localized version of City Hunter. The film was then re-localized for its Japanese dub release in the franchise’s country of origin, restoring the characters’ names from the anime/manga original. Regardless of whether the main character is being called Ryo Saeba or Nicky Larson, though, he’s still a private eye with an open and unabashed appreciation for the female form, so much so Ryo’s catchphrase “Mokkori!”, onomatopoeia for the sound of him popping a boner, has entered the Japanese lexicon as a whole.

March 26 is Ryo’s birthday, and with Shinjuku being his in-anime base of operations, the Shinjuku Piccadilly picked that date for a special Mokori Cheering Screening of the live-action movie. Ordinarily, Japanese theatergoers tend to stay quiet as they watch, so as not to bother those around them, but in recent years revival screenings, with cheering expressly allowed and encouraged, have been gaining in popularity, and you can expect the City Hunter fans in attendance to synchronize their shouts of “Mokkori!” with Ryo’s. Tambourines and bells will also be allowed at the Mokkori Screening, along with cosplay, light sticks, and character art paper fans. Wearing of face masks is still required.

The screening starts at 6:30 p.m., with tickets priced at 2,000 yen (US$15.50). Tickets will be sold at the door if still available, but reservations are also scheduled to be offered through the Purechike online ticketing service. Oh, and if you are bringing a character art fan, it might be a good idea to review the otaku etiquette rules for them.

Related: Purechike
Source: Comic Natalie via Otakomu, Filmaga
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