Review of Hunter x Hunter
It goes to show that you truly cannot judge a show by looks alone. Upon first glance at the profile picture, I assumed Hunter x Hunter (2011) was too goofy for my taste. My curiosity finally peaked when the show’s conclusion was announced in 2014. Watching HxH was an adventure itself, and I still regard it as one of the best (if not, THE best) battle shounen in existence. There are nonexistent fillers, individuality among the characters, and an excellent separation between comedy and gravity. In the beginning, HxH appears as a kids show with a 12-year-old protagonist with the goal of becoming a hunterand meeting friends along the way. However, as it progresses, it becomes more active, mature, and sinister, especially in the Chimera Ant (episodes 76-136) and Phantom Troupe (episodes 37-58) arcs. Those two are my favorite arcs (in that order) because of the storyline, character development, gore, and action. There are no fillers, only two recap episodes in the beginning (episodes 13 and 26). If you skip those two episodes, you’re not missing out on anything, unless you want to just breeze through those. Drama is involved throughout the series to establish relationships and connections between characters. The pacing was well-executed, showing the protagonists’ objectives and the improvement of their powers and strengths instead of just making them into copy-paste characters who are completely invincible. It executes comedy and seriousness very well. There is no playing around during battles and wasting time. There are two things that bothered me with the story. There was this insane power up in the Chimera Ant arc that I found to be your typical generic shounen trope. Although the primary goal was reached, the ending was incomplete in some parts. Some drama was stirring up in some parts of the world, and the anime doesn't investigate it further. However, I'm glad they decided to end the series instead of having a bunch of fillers until the mangaka decides to quit hiatus.
Yoshihiro Togashi, the creator of HxH, created an excellent story with one of the best forms of character development I’ve ever seen. It is really impressive. Despite being the main character, the show did not make Gon to be more superior than the others. Every person has a common goal, and the show gives the main cast their own screentime. Each has a special past that consists of them being accustomed to certain attacks, diseases or develop a major ability that helps them along the way. The protagonists are not always superior either. They’re human. They lose battles, but they make comebacks and become stronger than ever. You watch the characters experience trial-and-error and deal with frustration and pain. As heartbreaking or exciting as it may seem, some of your favorite characters will die. Even the villains show realistic emotions that made me feel sorry for them in their final moments.
The background design is very artistic and bright. The choreography in the fights are engaging. The painted still images are amazing and highlights the characters' main features well. There are thrilling scenes with dead bodies and dismantled body parts. The character designs were unique and distinguishable. The fanservice is a nice addition (especially Hisoka), and it wasn’t thrown out there in the wrong moments.
The seiyuu are very talented. I love that females played the voice of Gon, Killua, and Kurapika. I fell in love with the theme song, which has different versions throughout the show. I love the majority of the ED, especially “HUNTING FOR YOUR DREAM” by Galneryus and “Nagareboshi Kirari” by YUZU. One consistent thing that really annoyed me throughout the Greed Island arc (episodes 59-75) is the use of music for a particular scene. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a death, an aftermath of a massacre, or a sad memory, they always seem to play a score that reminds me of a cheerful video game. However, after I rewatched the series, I hardly noticed it.
I was hesitant to watch HxH at first, because the only experience with battle shounen I had was Bleach at the time. Bleach was a horrible experience with common shounen tropes. I decided to give it a chance, and HxH is a fun experience. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it. As you read above, this show has many strengths that separates it from other battle shounen. HxH became one of my favorite shows because of the points I mentioned previously. The character development and the maturity of HxH have to be the highlights of the show for me. Because of the incomplete ending, I would recommend reading the manga. However, it appears that the manga ended where the anime left off. Yoshihiro has been on hiatus for awhile, so there’s no helping that. Anyway, don't miss out on this great opportunity. Give Hunter x Hunter (2011) a shot.