# Spicy City (1997)

> Nightclub hostess Raven presents a set of sleazy, violent, and bittersweet neo-noir tales set in a future city.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/5875

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 6
- Episode runtime: 25 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: animation, science fiction, crime
- Created by: Ralph Bakshi
- Network: HBO, Teletoon
- Cast: Michelle Phillips, Alex Fernandez, Michael Yama, Carlos Ferro, Matthew Flint, Joey Camen, Marnie Mosiman, Ralph Bakshi
- TMDB rating: 6.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0149524/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: sleazy, sensual, darkly humorous, bittersweet, gritty, lighthearted

## Synopsis

Spicy City (1997) is an American adult animated neo-noir anthology series created by Ralph Bakshi for HBO and Teletoon. Its six episodes of roughly twenty-five minutes each are framed by Raven (voiced by Michelle Phillips), a classy femme fatale and nightclub hostess who introduces stories that involve her guests and sometimes herself. Supporting voices include Alex Fernandez as Mano, Michael Yama as Otaku, Carlos Ferro as Paco, and Matthew Flint as Stern, with Bakshi himself voicing Stevie. Each tale is self-contained, so the engine of the show is the mood and the hook of each night's story rather than a single continuing plot. The stories range across sleazy and sensual encounters, violent crime, and cyberspace thrillers, and some turn lighthearted and fantastical while others are bittersweet and tragic. The future setting is a glossy, rain-slicked city of nightclubs, back alleys, and clones. The overall tone is seedy, witty, and melancholic, with a raw adult edge. Fans of Heavy Metal, Black Mirror and Cowboy Bebop will find resonance in its mix of cyberpunk style, moral darkness, and sly humor, though the show was canceled after one season and never returned for more.

## Shows like Spicy City

- [Texhnolyze (2003)](https://ember.film/tv/8185)
- [Love, Death & Robots (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/73756)
- [Cyber City Oedo 808 (1990)](https://ember.film/tv/56858)
- [Secret Level (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/155505)
- [Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/1028)
- [A.D. Police Files (1990)](https://ember.film/tv/59595)
- [The Big O (1999)](https://ember.film/tv/16892)
- [Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne (2008)](https://ember.film/tv/39200)
- [Lastman (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/60415)
- [Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/87984)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt