Review of Hunter x Hunter
The most appropriate word to describe hunter x hunter is "refreshing". It is a shonen anime unlike any other shonen I've seen. It not only deviates from the stereotypical layout found in every shonen anime, it completely defies all that. It is truly an anomaly in the world of anime which let's face it is filled to the brim with clichés, run of the mill tropes and predictable storyline. That is not to say it doesn't have flaws. It has some major ones but what truly sets it apart is that unlike other shows of the same genre hxh does a decent job of overcomingthose flaws.
For me the best thing about hunter x hunter isn't the great story or the diverse and interesting characters. The best part is how it never follows the universal anime trope of the protagonist magically overcoming any and all odds, defeating everyone and generally being invincible. Instead it focuses more on the characters themselves meticulously defining them through their adventure's and developing them. The protagonist's willpower never helps him beat others who are clearly stronger than him just Couse someone believes in him or he has to do something and can't afford to die!!
The story of hxh is basically a fantasy set in the future. A world where myth and magic live side by side with technology and modern civilization. The first 20 episodes or so are slow, dull and frankly horrible. But bear with the first arc and I guarantee you you'll fall in love with it. The pacing is uneven throughout the series constituting a major drawback. It goes from slow to rapid to slow quite a few times. The plot points are nudged along by a third person narrative and the writing and world building are both top notch. Overall its pretty darn good.
The art and sound are both commendable as well. Being a Madhouse production its expected but comes as a pleasant surprise.For a 148 episode show not only is the animation consistently good it gets better as the series progresses. The show though changes the intro every arc it doesn't however change the song. As for the outro there are three songs all of which are equally good. Within the episodes it has some very good orchestral soundtracks though they're a little stretched because of the number of episodes.
The characters in hxh are in a way both gratifying and disappointing. There are almost no bad characters in the show and even the side characters are well developed and detailed thanks to the shows length. But it doesn't really have many exceptional characters either. Most of them fall in the "decent" category. For a show with such a large cast that is truly disappointing. The villains on the other hand fulfil every criteria. They're smart, menacing, nuanced and over all very complex. You think you understand them but then they go do something you wouldn't dream they would do.
Overall despite its flaws I found hxh to be an incredibly enjoyable and smart fantasy/action anime complete with great animation, music, story and characters. It'll suck you in and hold you enraptured. Though it drags out the finales that is only a minor point. It will continuously surprise you with the tone shift and revelations. It somehow manages to be both charming and gritty. For me without a doubt its much better than full metal alchemist brotherhood.