Review of Hunter x Hunter

This anime. THIS. ANIME. Story: (9) The story starts off lighthearted, jovial, and almost with a Pokémon-ish vibe to it. Like Gon, our main character, the story starts off naïve and hopeful. Don't let the beginning fool you. An aspect I really enjoyed about the story was how easily and smoothly the show could shift from light to dark and then suddenly back to light. It was almost eerie in a way. Like how babies or dolls sometimes seem scary in all their happy cuteness. Going into this show, I wasn't very impressed. Frankly, I was expecting more because of all the praise surrounding it.Overall, however, as I began to watch more, I realized the anime definitely lived up to its praise. Two wonderfully crafted arcs include the Yorknew City Arc and the Chimera Ant Arc (particularly the Chimera Ant Arc; if you've done some research into the show, you've likely heard of it).

The complexity and sheer masterful writing in the arcs I mentioned were so brilliant, both contrasting and complementing the more training-oriented, lighter arcs which I definitely enjoyed.

Sound: (9)

I love anime openings and unfortunately, the opening song does not change. Ever (though the animation for the openings do) However, this almost works for the anime in a way, acting almost as an identity associated with the anime (so when you watch the last episode, you'll be feeling nostalgia and likely singing along to the all-too familiar song).

The soundtrack itself, however, is amazing. I love the Zoldyck family theme, and I adored the endings in particular. They suited the anime well and were composed beautifully.

There's quite a bit of controversy surrounding this topic, but I'll bring it up anyway: I do believe the character theme soundtracks are better suited to the characters now than in the 1999 version. I adored Killua's theme, which effectively summarized his internal emotions, his upbringing as a puppet of darkness, and his desire to be freed from his family and the burden of being heir to an assassin family. It was melancholic, thought-provoking, and eerie.

Character: (10)

This is the key factor that resulted in such a high rating for the anime. The sheer complexity of the characters baffle me, especially in regards to Gon and Killua, and their relationship. I can tell you now that if you go into the anime expecting Gon to be a typical shounen hero (i.e. Natsu, Naruto, Luffy), you'll be surprised. I love the multi-dimensions of the main characters and their backstories, their unpredictability and uniqueness.

The side characters are also memorable and intriguing (the intrigue of the Zoldyck family, the Chimera Ant King and his Royal Guard), and there is intensely well-done development on part of Killua and some others.

Most importantly, the deconstruction of a typical shounen hero was my favourite part of the main character, Gon. He starts off as a seemingly typical shounen hero, happy, optimistic, and stubborn, with a set goal in mind and a relentless desire to get stronger. When tragedy strikes, however, we get to see a darkness in him that I haven't seen in other shounen heroes before, and it has you questioning who's really the villain or hero of the story. I adored that complexity. There are other aspects that deconstruct typical shounen protagonists as well, such as the instances where Gon's selfishness shows out as a result of his stubbornness and set goals.

Killua, who I'd classify as the deuteragonist (or even another protagonist), is such a contrast to Gon that it's riveting. Since he's my favourite character, I could talk about his development all day. But I'll save you the long and tedious read for perhaps another time.

Enjoyment: (10)

Overall: (10)