Review of Hunter x Hunter

I decided to write a review specifically for those who have already watched some or most of the show and are unsure if they want to continue, or if they havent started it because they are assuming they won't like the show I have seen Hunter X Hunter in passing on streaming sites for years. At first sight, it did not appeal to me whatsoever. My assumptions based on the cover were that it was a not so original Shonen that was a rip off of Pokémon, geared towards children. Anyone who has seen even one episode knows this is definitely not the case.The cover is usually of Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio, portraying them as the 4 main characters which I would have to disagree with. If only there was a cover that gives the viewer more of a perspective on how dark and cutthroat the hunter world is. Although the beginning starts a bit slow, after about 5 episodes in I was hooked. What I decided to watch as background noise while I worked on something demanded my complete attention, and I pretty much watched the whole Hunter Exam arc in one night.

Story: Seriously such great story telling and characters. There are 6 arcs that make the series. Hunter Exam, Heavens Arena, Phantom Troupe, Greed Island, Chimera Ant, and the Chairman Election. The first three flowed pretty smoothly into each other. I'm not going to go into the details of the story, but explain my personal experience from watching. I think the idea of a big change to the story coming unexpectedly can be a turn off for people, as this doesn't normally happen. When Nen was first introduced into the show in the Heavens Arena, it threw me off at first and my immediate reaction was to reject it. I'm sure this isn't the case for many, but perhaps I'm just not used to longer series with arcs as I normally watch short animes. There are many big, unexpected changes that happen throughout the series.

My only complaint when it comes to story is I think certain changes come a bit too unexpectedly. For example, the beginning of the Chimera Ant Arc. I can see why some stopped watching at this point and absolutely hated it. I also felt this way when I first got to this part of the series. I was so disappointed because until then I was completely addicted and never once got bored or uninterested. As I stated in the paragraph above, I think the flow and the introduction to new characters are very hard to take in at first. I started reading reviews and comments on MAL about the series and became very discouraged about continuing. I pretty much convinced myself that I wouldn't like the direction if was going and was completely influenced by others who said they had stopped watching. After a week or so of taking a break from the show, I found myself thinking about it and it's characters. I decided to give it another shot because I had so much love for it so far.

Well, I wasn't disappointed! Once I started watching it again, I went back to being completely hooked. My advice to those reading reviews/posts like I did recently, do not be influenced by other's opinions on Chimera Ant Arc! Especially if they never bothered to complete the show. I'm not going to promise you'll love it, but I guarantee that it gets better. The beginning is a lot to digest, but once the plot thickens you might be like me and get completely hooked again. I absolutely despised the Ant arc at first, and didn't understand all the positivity about it at all. After finishing the show, my perspective is completely different. One of the best stories of all time, I recommend the show to anyone who likes anime. It is far from perfect, but the world itself is just amazing.

Also, the theme song grows on you.