Review of Hunter x Hunter

After finishing Hunter x Hunter (hereafter HxH) one week ago, I felt compelled to create an MAL account solely to review this series. HxH is great, bordering on excellent, show, but its flaws are too sizeable for it to deserve its current rating or to measure up to what i consider the benchmarks of quality in this genre (madoka, code geass). Its fatal flaws are twofold: the weakness of its final arc and the disappointing underutilization of interesting characters. As a whole, HxH tells a compelling story; the first three episodes suggest that the show is cast from the same mold as other shonen pieces, butthe following episodes oblierate that expectation and confirm that HxH has no shonen peers (looking at you, Bleach and Naruto). Moreover, the story is far more tightly crafted than a 148-episode series has any right to be: I can think of only two episodes that I consider filler, with the rest all directly pushing the plot forward in an entertaining way that makes for easy binge-watching.

Given the high bar that HxH set for its own writing, you can imagine my disappointment upon discovering that the show's final 12 episodes, which focus on the Hunter Association's internal politics, constitute one of the weakest arcs in the series. This plotline is poorly foreshadowed. Although we know from the previous arc that the Vice Chairman is maneuvering for position, it is not clear what is at stake should he win. The other characters loathe the Vice Chairman, but we're never shown why. Moreover, it's not clear why we should care about this election, and an attempt to give it larger meaning -- by focusing on the importance of reforming the Hunter Exam and the Hunter Commandments -- is sloppily executed, as that concept is introduced mid-way through the elections and there had been no previous indication that those institutions were deficient. Additionally, there is something of an earth-shattering revelation about the Vice Chairman -- that he has sequestered a sizeable number of human mutants in land the Hunters Association now controls -- that is completely dropped. Although I enjoyed the arc's exploration of Zoldyck family dynamics, one of the Zodlyck family members serves as something of a 'deux ex machina' that, while interesting, could have at the very least been foreshadowed during one of the previous Zoldyck family encounters. I understand that the penultimate Chimera Ant arc is intended to serve as story’s climax, but that is no excuse for the final arc’s underwhelming performance.

As a whole, HxH creates rich characterizations of its protagonists and antagonists alike, which sets the show apart from its peers. It is therefore a shame that the show failed to take full advantage of those interesting characters. I am less concerned about the disapperance of Kurapika, who experiences solid character development during the Yorknew City piece, and Leorio, whose role seems confined to comic relief, than I am about the limited part that Hisoka, Chrollo Luclifer and the Phantom Troupe, and the Zoldyck family play during the meaty Chimera Ant arc and the ultimate Election arc (elements of the Zoldyck family are important players in that arc, however). Rather than leverage existing characters, the show introduces a cast of newcomers, some of whom are compelling (Kite) and others of whom are not (Knov, Morel, Knuckle, and Shoot in Chimera Ant; the Zodiacs during the Election). Hisoka is hinted to have more complicated motivations and backstory than one initially assumes, and the Greed Island arc suggests that something big is in the offing for Chrollo--but nothing comes of those threadlines. Instead, Hisoka is completely absent in the Ant arc (which is surprising for his character, who relishes tests of strength) and relegated to mere hired help during the Chimera Ant episodes. Completely absent during the Election season, Chrollo's Phantom Troupes makes a one-episode apperance in the Ant arc that is so inconsequential that I deem it one of the few examples of filler.

I do not wish for readers to gain the incorrect impression that HxH is a bad show. It is generally well done, and I would strongly encourage each and every one of you to watch it. Other reviews have done much credit to its strengths, and I simply want to focus on the weaknesses that that other respondents have neglected. From the reviews, I expected a masterpiece, especially during the finale of the Chimera Ant arc. The episodes were strong, but because my expectations had grown unrealistic, I was left with a bad taste in my mouth. I merely wish to prevent further viewers from having their enjoyment of an otherwise-entertaining show diminished in that same fashion.