Review of Hunter x Hunter

This review includes spoilers, so read at your own risk. If one were to ask what a perfect shonen anime looks like, Hunter x Hunter might be the closest they would ever find. It is the pinnacle of story elements fused with artistic elements to tell a narrative. Story: The story starts off fairly simple, a boy wants to become a Hunter by completing a rigorous exam to find his father. However, on the way, he encounters a variety of detours and blocks that he must overcome should he ever want to complete his goal. Togashi perfectly weaves these together so that the story isrelevant but doesn't seem too focused to the point where variety is lost. Examples would be the Zoldyck and Yorknew City arcs where the ex-assassin Killua and revenge-driven Kurapika respectively are the concentrations in the arc, and Gon must play his part in their stories, as they play in his own. Another part of Hunter x Hunter that is clever is the way each arc is connected to the previous and next. At times, an story takes a "random adventures" approach where the characters go on random adventures which may become irrelevant to the overall story unless they foreshadow something, and hinder plot progression. However, Hunter x Hunter doesn't waste time doing this; instead, each arc is relevant to the story and without it, the story is crippled. Something else that Hunter x Hunter does quite unconventionally is the change in power levels. Generally, as the plot progresses, the strength of characters increase in ascending order. In Hunter x Hunter, the power levels fluctuate as the plot goes on, meaning that even though all the antagonists are generally stronger than Gon is, the levels go something like "overwhelmingly strong to strong to god strong" rather than just "strong, overwhelmingly strong, god strong." The battles are unique in Hunter x Hunter; they use a lot of strategy, tactics, and mental power rather than brute force and raw skills. Even a character in the series notes that technique overshadows raw power. When it comes to themes, Hunter x Hunter perfectly emphasizes them without being to explicit until the very end. An example would be the Chimera Ant arc, where the central theme was that humanity was the greatest monster of all. It was subtly pointed to throughout the arc, as the Chimera Ants were corrupted by their human genes, and at the end, it was more explicit, when Netero used the Rose and it is even stated itself. The anime ended on a note that was appropriate and settled the story.

Art: The art is flawless in the Hunter x Hunter 2011 anime. Characters are drawn in proportion and detailed; unlike its manga counterpart at times. The backgrounds are amazing and the objects are placed accurately within the space. What is most intriguing is that the colours are generally bright which gives the series a happy-go-lucky feel to it at first, but then as the story goes on, the atmosphere becomes darker, but the colours generally remain the same, but it doesn't distract the viewer from the emotions evoked by the story, which is difficult to accomplish, but Madhouse pulled it off.

Sound: The soundtrack in Hunter x Hunter is amazing. To begin, there is such a variety of soundtracks that evoke each mood in the anime from happiness to sadness to fear to suspense. The soundtrack does not have a constant mood throughout the pieces, but rather the moods change as the settings change, and eventually, as the characters change. The OP is the same throughout the series, which can get repetitive, but the lyrics are altered for the sequence of arcs. This is made up for, however, by the EDs, which are catchy and generally represent the themes of the arcs in which they are played. The voice actors are appropriate for each character, and they really stand out at times when they need to, like Knov's mental breakdown and Gon's outrage.

Character: The characters in Hunter x Hunter are phenomenal and are what give the story its essence. To begin, there is a variety of characters from the happy-go-lucky Gon to the vengeful Kurapika. It helps the show avoid being repetitive and predictable. What is interesting in Hunter x Hunter is the dimension that is being added to these characters, and this helps them avoid looking cliche and purely archetypal. Kurapika, despite being revenge-driven cares deeply for his friends and doesn't want to involve them in his dangerous, personal mission. He acts as a voice of reason and rationality in the group, preventing conflicts from escalating. At the same time, whenever he is around the Phantom Troupe, it is up to the other characters to be a voice of reason and rationality, to prevent HIM from escalating conflicts. Another person would be Hisoka. Hisoka, the whimsical magician, has an odd pleasure for Gon and fantasizes about killing him, but strangely enough, he comes to help Gon out whenever he most needs it. In terms of character development, Hunter x Hunter takes the cake. This was most prominent in the Chimera Ant arc. The central antagonist, Meruem, starts off as a violent character, believing that the world belongs to him and himself only, and that he is the epitome of strength. However, after meeting a blind girl named Komugi who can outsmart him, he ponders on the true meaning of strength and his own identity. It goes to the point that at the climactic battle of the arc with him and Netero, he tries to reason things out whereas Netero demands a fight. Komugi on the other hand, goes from overly humble and self-deprecating, to confident and self-valuing. Gon himself takes a change from cheerful and naive about pain to being unable to contain it himself.

Overall, I have enjoyed this series for the reasons stated above, and it's a shame it cannot be continued due to the tendencies of the manga. It is near-perfect.