Review of Hunter x Hunter
Hunter X Hunter has always been a favorite anime of mine. Ever since it used to air the old series on TV, I used to watch it every day after coming back home from school. I would never have imagined that a series like this could ever need a reboot and that it could actually surpass it. The quality of the anime is way better than the original series, but as far as character designs go, I have to say I prefer the older version compared to this one. I actually dropped this a couple of years ago as it was airing and I recentlydecided to pick it up again.
Story - The story is pretty interesting. Sometimes it can be light-hearted and cheerful, and sometimes it can get pretty dark and tragic. Characters die in this anime. Gon wants to become a hunter and finally meet his dad, sounds pretty simple right? Well it isn't really as one has to put his life on the line to become a hunter and even after becoming one. That might sound very interesting, but the most interesting aspect I found in this anime is actually in other characters like Kurapika. The best arc for me was definitely the Phantom Troupe arc, and I feel it was kinda short-lived compared to the long Chimera Ants arc. What bothers me is that despite the anime is over, the story is not. There are a lot more things that have yet to be explored and resolved, which the anime leaves open. Sometimes I felt like there isn't much action going on an a lot of dialogue and narration especially during the Chimera Ants arc. The narration kept going on for a good 4-5 episodes without much happening, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the episodes.
Characters / Art - Gon isn't a bad main character, but I felt he is over-shadowed by other superior characters, like Kurapika, Hisoka and Killua. My favorite character was definitely Kurapika as I said even his arc stood out more than the other arcs for me. Revenge is always an interesting subject, and even his past intrigues me. I also like how Gon and Killua don't end up being the strongest characters in the series like most other shounen anime after an arc or two. There are actually a lot stronger characters in the series, way beyond their level sometimes. As for the quality of the animation and character desgins, I think the quality is top-notch and very smooth animation, but as character desgins go, I prefer the older version because I think they are more "mature-looking" and fits more with the series. It might also be my nostalgia goggles talking here, but that's the way I feel.
Overall - I enjoyed the series, I would recommend it not to just any specific anime fan, but to all anime fans. It's not perfect by far, it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's definitely worth a try. I would definitely like to see more of this, but we might have to wait a little while because of the constant hiatus regarding the original creator of Hunter X Hunter. I might try reading the manga where the anime left off sometime in the future.