Review of Hunter x Hunter

4333 words. 1.0 - Why I think Hunter X Hunter is a masterpiece. 1.1 > I will start with some "common criticism". A lot of people says that Greed Island is a bad and boring arc and thats the reason why HxH can't be a 10/10, etc. I somewhat agree with Greed Island being boring but I just think the situations were a bit unfortunate, Greed Island was placed between the two best arcs of the show (Chimera Ants and Yorknew) which both of them are easily a 9/10 and a 10/10, because of that this arc may feel underwhelming. The arc on itself isn't bad, but isn'tclose of being the best arc.

Another common issue is the consistency and pacing of CA's arc. Personally, I was too immersed in the story to notice the pacing, afortunately I've watched HxH two times and withso I can say the pacing is slow but that doesn't makes it bad. For Argument's sake, the pacing helps to build the tension of the Castle Invasion, and set up the tense atmosphere. It also makes the final payoff inmmensely more satisfying and overall more enjoyable. In terms of consistency is to be expected, most Shonen anime are often inconsistent, but they still leave a large impact due to their peaks.

Finally, people saod that Chimera Ant carried HxH and without it, it wouldn't be good. Well, yes if you take a major plot point that the entirety of the series before it was building upto, you'd expect the show to worsen. I don't understand people who say this tbh.

> This is not your average shonen.
Hunter x Hunter had a very stereotypical Shonen beginning with the Hunter Exam Arc, a common Shonen trope (which I still found entertaining btw). It does a good job of showing innocence and simplicity, similar to Gon's character initially.

The sense of security from the innocent starter arcs are challenged by unsettung deaths, and the lack of acknowledgement of these deaths, and later outright genocides by the Phantom Troupe, nuclear radiation, suicide, and manslaughter. This sets HxH aside from the average shonen, as it builds up to the tragedy of the CA arc from the very beginning with dark undertones and themes of human pain, such as deaths in the exam arc, that can go unnoticed.

These themes are what I believe make the show a masterpiece. Everything sees so intricately woven from the start in order to build up to the climax of the anime. The darkness and tragedy of HxH is present from the very beginning of the series, but only becomes more clear as the show progresses,which in my opinion, makes the show so much better.

1.2 > Gon Freecss - Trauma?
While shonen protagonists are often care-free and easy going, Gon is different. Gon Freecss is a realistic example of an abandoned child, not knowing the difference between right and wrong as he had no parents growing up, who is thrown into a kill or be killed world where he had to get stronger in order to have any chance of meeting his father.

The harsh conditions he was presented obviously have taken a toll on his wellbeing, and his slow struggle to hide it shows through as we progress through the series, just as how the arcs become darker as we progress. Even from the beginning, Gon withstands torture stubbornly just to prove his worth in a cruel, unforgiving world.

Gon constantly struggles with self-worth, the "trials" his father presents him (metaphorically) makes him feel like he is not strong enough and would cause him to question wheter he is truly worthy of meeting his father. This constant feeling of a lack of self-worth would cause mental repercussions and we see the consequence of this in the CA arc, during Gon's rage at losing Kire, the only thing he had close to his father, Gon being able to express these emotions unlike other care-free shonen MC's is what really sets him apart for me, and he feels more human if anything.

1.3 > Chimera Ant - Darkness and Tragedy.
The CA arc presents a direct challenge to humanity, questioning us about our cruelty and showing us how merciless we are by making the humans the equivalent of animals to the chimera ants. It is a representation of humanity's selfishness to survive, that we disregard and destroy everything else. By putting humans to slaughter, CA highlights how strange, apathetic and unloving humans are.

I am sure that you have heard everything about "Meruem becomes human" and whatever, but what does that actually mean? By first showing us how lacking of love humans are, CA shows us how it is actually love and kindness that builds a human being, ie. Meruem becoming humane after Komugi's company. It shows how in order to become truly human we have to learn to love rather than step on everything for our selfish needs. These are the implications I have taken away from it and I think it's a beautiful message on what it means to be a human being.

And finally, one of the most iconic rage scenes in Animanga, the anger of Gon. As I said beforem the mental health repercussions Gon has as a consequence of events in his life are now openly shown in the form of pure power. Gon is willing to take the consequences of his actions as that is the price to pay and his resolve to take revenge (however immoral this may be) is unbreakable.

1.4 > Meruem - The king.
Upon being bon, Meruem murdered his mother. For him, everything resolved around power; you were either strong or you were controlled. He saw himself at the top of the food chain, the most powerful being, killed mercilessly and even cannibalised on "unworthy ants. He fit the definition of an apathetic demon perfectly, viewing the weak as just a food source. He was astounded that rulers often come to be by bloodlines, deeply rooted in the belief that the strong should rule regardless.

There were two exceptions to this however: a blind female Gungi player, weak and vulnerable, yet gaining the respect of the King, and the Chairman of the Hunter Association, Isaac Netero, who was human but still gained the respect of Meruem. These two humans caused a change of heart in Meruem, proposing co-existence of humans and ants.

Despite being alive for only a few months, at the end of his life, Meruem was a man. He started off as a baby, naive and simple, and by gaining empathy, he became a man, learning to love humans and experience love himself. Meruem's character development is phenomental, and the depth he has through the CA arc is amazing, which solidifies him as my favourite antagonist of all time. Despite myself, I was able to sympathise with Meruem, a sign that Togashi did what he did right. Causing your audience to sympathise for an antagonist just shows how well written is this arc and character.

1.5 > This Day X and X this moment (HxH episode 135)
The relationship that Meruem and Komugi have is the purest form of love and is honestly very emotional and touching. Komugi being blind, has no way of judging Meruem for his appearance, so their love is solely from each other's company. The Chimera Ant arc tells a bittersweet story of love that is more evocative than many romance-tales.

Their relationship is the best example of "love is blind". Meruem saw all those under him as the same, so he didn't differentiate when it came to Komugi. Komugi cannot even see Meruem but possesses a strong devotion to him as a result of their matches and how kind he is to her, something she has not previously experienced.

Komugi helped Meruem to understand the beauty of humanity and that is the ability to accept one another and recognise the divine within each other, despite their differences.

The final scene that Meruem and Komugi share speaks volumes about how they feel. Komugi grieves at the fact Meruem is poisoned, but expresses a stained happiness when she finds out it is contagious, knowing that Meruem will not die alone, but Komugi with him, together. It is a depressing, painful scene yet powerful and sweet, and the strength of their relationship is shown.

"In the end, it was the blind girl who helped the God to see".

1.6 > An unfinished masterpiece.
Hunter X Hunteris a touching tale about human depression and problems, a need to constantly be on top in a relentless world. It shows us that in order to be truly human, power, rank and hierarchy mean nothing, and it is compassion and the ability to take care for one another that makes us humane, and I think that is the main message that Togashi tries to convey throughout the series.

Hunter X Hunter also encapsulates suffering and pain, and the gives us a realistic, flawed, imperfect main character, which in my opinion, is perfect. Hunter X Hunter doesn't feint happiness and pleasantries like many other shonen, and this is what makes it a masterpiece.

"But HxH is not finished how can it be a masterpiece?"

Despite its infamous hiatus, Hunter X Hunter is still a masterpiece. It is just an unfinished one, and I am curious to se how Dark Continent lives up to CA, no matter how distant of a dream that is HxH, with its depth and intricately woven writting, left me with a moral and had a powerful impact on me and that is what makes it so good. I could go on and on about Hunter X Hunter, I just love it so much.

2.0 - Gon is one of the most under appreciated MC ever.

2.1 > The Disrespect
As of lately, I feel people are undervaluing the importance and incredible characterisation of Gon. Gon not only is barely getting any recognition from viewers as one of the best shounen mcs, but also he sometimes is seen as a downside of HxH. You may think "oh no one disrespects Gon!" That's just not true. I have seen people on almost all platforms calling Gon "mid", "boring", "unimportant", and some people say he is just a generic shounen mc. No, Gon isn't a generic MC and no, Gon isn't boring. Gon should be considered in the upper echelons of not just shounen mcs, but mcs in general.

2.2 > What makes him good.
Gon has some of the best characterization I have ever seen in a protagonist ever. He at first looks like the surface level shounen right? Well what if I told you that Gon is one of the most well created main characters in all animanga? He may not seem like he has that much depth to his cahracter, at first glance but if you look for the fdetails it is nearly impossible not to spot them. Gon is a character who since the beginning was selfish, ruthless, inconsistent. Let me explain how.

2.3 > True Personality.
Unlike your typical shounen protagonist such as Naruto or Ichigo. Gon isn't nearly as strong as the rest of the cast. Compared to Meruem and Netero, he is a mere weakling, a bug. In the Hunter Exam he knows how weak he is and thinks that he needs to push himself to be less dependent and become an afterimage of how people would consider strong. That's why he went so far to punch Hisoka, and he went so far to see Killua. Doing all of this is to prove his self worth and prove that he can see his father again. As all of this is happening gets clearer and clerarer that Gon is not going down a spiral like people think, but showing his true character. Yes, Gon is portrayed sometimes as a nice caring main character who is a bit childish. However, throughout the series it is shown that Gon has been inconsistent, ruthless, selfish and sometimes losing morality. Also, yes, Togashi has been consistent with his portrayal in every single arc. Notice how Gon would sometimes not care at all when people were dying in the Hunter exam, but also helping random people on the boat with their sea sickness. This is proof of his inconsistent behaviour. This all alluded to the all so famous Chimera Ant arc where his true personality shines.

2.4 > Chimera Ants Arc.
Gon's character climaxes in the beautiful arc that is called the Chimera Ant. So much happens in this arc and honestly in my eyes its the peak of shounen. Notice how during the Chimera Ant, Gon's nice and caring behaviour is no where to be found. He is willing to whatever it takes to complete his goal. Gon when killing the chimera ants felt zero mercy and sympathy. When he loses Kite who is a person who he really cares about, he loses his final sense of morality. From then on, Gon did everthing almost instinctively. Remember how I said that Gon was childish?
Gon acting instinctively with a childish rage makes him act completely irrationally and threatening to kill Komugi. He no longer looked at Komugi as a living breathing human but a tool to use to get what he wants. He no longer sees human lives who aren't close to him as human. He has become a monster. The funniest thing is, this is the exact thing that he criticised back in the Yorknew City arc with the Phantom Troupe which is more proof of his inconsistent nature.

2.5 > The fight with Pitou.
Gon at first as we know acted out of instinct and a childish rage. He just lost someone important to him and is now no longer thinking about morality or about anyone else. At this point, Gon has already become a monster. He is using a human being as a kind of bargaining chip to get wath he wants. Once, Pitou says "Gon, I'm sorry to say this but I must kill you for the King". This makes Gon think that Kite will not be saved after all. This is the last string for Gon and he has completely embodied something that he dreaded, he hated. He embodied a monster, Gon proceeds to without mercy beat the living shit out of Pitou. The Gon who cared for people inconsistently for the time being was gone. The Gon who acts selfishly and forgot what morality is has taken over. Gon brutally urders Pitou without any hesitation. It ends with Gon's fist with blood stained all over it. However, Pitou's headless body still tries to attack him. At the last second Killua saves Gon and Gon ends up losing his arm. After the fight, he feels like he redemed Kite. But he sacrificed his humanity for it.

2.6 > Conclusion.
I didn't even cover all of Gon's character as I could have Gon in-depth with his dynamic with Meruem, his duo with Killua, and much more. However, based off what I have said alone, I feel as if though Gon isn't appreciated enough as a character. People are calling this guy "mid", "boring", "trash", when his true character even before the Chimera Ant was right before our eyes. Isn't if odd how people say that Killua would have been a better protagonist than Gon? Gon in the end is a child. Children's thought process in tough situations can lead to mental breakdowns and Gon is a prime example of that. One of my favourite examples of characterisation in all of anime.

Gon: 9.4/10

3.0 - Netero is a 10/10 character.

3.1 > His Past and Supposed Self
Before we even get into his character, it is pivotal to understand that Netero is a character who is situated to seem as if he seeks enlightenment. This is represented by 1) His long ears (in Buddhism, this represents the renunciation to the material world), and his extreme dedication to his prayer training.
His desire to be enlightened is shown even further by his nen manifestation, the Boddhisatva (translates to enlightened being)
Keep in mind that nen represents a user's personality in HxH, this is INCREDIBLY to understanding his character.

3.2 > Signs of Netero Displaying a Fake Persona
Here they are four cases that showcase Netero's blatant hypocrisy.
1) Him stopping Zeno from attacking Meruem behind the back, but he proceeds to win his battle against Meruem via a cheap shot (the bomb), and he always had the rose bomb up his sleeve, so he would have won anyways. This is deceptive, and against the Buddhism.
2) Netero claims renunciation from the material world, but he RUNS THE HUNTER ASSOCIATION. What Buddhist would run an association that leads to the deaths of many? What Buddhist that strives for God would run the most "material world" association?
3) His extremely egocentric/competitive was shown through him not letting Gon or Killua win the dodgeball game earlier on in the series. Why did he have to go so far against two preteens? What did he accomplish? It was nothing but an ego boost to him.
4) Him taking Meruem to an abandoned warzone location for their fight. In what initially seemed like his compassion towards his comrades, could be understood to be his desire to not let anybody know of his true, corrupt and unfair nature. It could very well be possible that he did not want to show his cheating nature (rose bomb) to humans.
Is Netero just a "kind old man"? It is clear that Netero has a facade, and this became clear later on.

Fast forward to their fight, Netero says this: "A prayer comes from the heart".
Netero's belittling of people was foreshadowed all the way back in the Hunter exam, when he only used on leg and one arm to play dodgeball against Gon and Killua. As a man of Buddhism, it can be inferred that the arm and leg he lost was karma for his past wrongdoings. Netero's true self still has not been revealed yet though, he still seems as though he is fighting for humanity.
Netero's immaturity and aggression was also on full display during his fight with Meruem. Meruem opted for peace the entire fight. He said he had no intentions to fight, he only resorted to fight because Netero said he would tell Meruem his then unbeknownst name. Are these really the actions of a Buddhist, a religious person of peace and love? Why does he go so far to fight? He literally deprived Meruem of his identity, for his ego. That's a hate crime.
Netero's minimalistic "harmless old man" characterization early on in the series is so powerful because he isn't harmless until threatened. Take candy away from a baby and they will cry. Same logic here. Also, survival of the fittest. Netero was 110 years old before passing, him dying at the age and Meruem dying as a baby shows his desire to stay the apex predator, no matter the costs.

3.3> "A prayer comes from the heart"
What if the heart if filled with malice? There is no "good" or "bad". as shown by this arc. Here, Netero stabs the vert heart that is his only connection to God. Without two hands, and only an arm left, Netero now has no way left to pray, aside from his heart. Why did he stab it? Why did he intentionally break his so-called connection to God? Because he had always valued nurture (human evolution) over nature (God's creation).
If is here that we see that Netero's prayers were never to serve God, but rather they were to serve himself. His last resort was not his Zero hand, his ultimate nen ability and his faith in God, but it was a human invention. His last resort was a bomb, meant to keep humanity alive, and destroy God's nature (chimera ants, the superior species).
Also, another detail. Buddhists commonly shave their heads (it is called tonsure) as a renunciation to their worldly desires and the material world. Before travelling to NGL, Netero only cut a little bit, not all of it. He kept a portion of his ego, just in case (shown by him not revealing the Rose bomb until his nen was defeated).
The poison being directly attached to his heart also puts into perspective how his “prayer from the heart” was tainted. And its crazier because it was tainted by humanity. Humanity made the poison and this “human desires” caused him to reglect his god. Again, Togashi is a sensational writer.

3.4 > Dynamic with Meruem
In Buddhism, after you die, there are two possible realities for you:
This depends on your karma. If you have a heart full of hatred, you will end up being reincarnated. If your heart becomes light and your attachment to the material world is nothing, you will become free from reincarnation, and you will become enlightened.
1) Samsara (the cycle of death and rebirth)
2) Moksha (liberation from this cycle of death and rebirth, becoming pure light)
Netero's attachment to the world was greater than his attachment to God (consciousness), so he will inevitably be reincarnated. He died in hate. He will be reincarnated, and he will once participate in the cycle of hatred.
Meruem, after being reborn (through Pouf and Youpi), had no attachment to the outside world. His last wish was to spend his last moments with a fragile blind girl. He died in love. He is now free, and he will remain as a light body forever.

3.5 > His True Colors
"If there is a hell, I'll see you there".
The line that reveals it all, and it recontextualizes his entire character. Netero ever believed in God. It was all a facade, as shown by his weak faith here ("IF there is a hell") Why would he say if? Wouldn't someone that dedicated his life to enlightenment indubitably believe in God's word? Netero saying "I'll see you in hell" implies that he knows he is a bad person. Why else would he say that? What other bad things did he do?
Even for Netero to attack with the Bodhisattva, he MUST pray. This line reveals that all his actions before were a lie. He had lied to himself that he was a man of God so many times that it became part of his personality (shown by his Nen manifestation, the Boddhisatva). But when his life was on the line, he showed his true colors, and he remembered his atheistic, egotistic nature (there is no nen ability shown here, just him). His nen ability also makes the aura around him gold, while his true aura (reference to the image with the quote in the top) is filled with dark bloodlust.
Netero’s laugh at the end is essentially him laughing at Meruem (which translates to “the light that illuminates all”) and embracing his ego. He has no intention of hiding it, he full embraces it, and rejects God completely, even though he is breaths away from dying, wow. (Also, the anglicized name Isaac means “He laughs/will laugh.”)
This line completely recontextualizes his "a prayer comes from the heart" line, as what he said was true, but his prayer was never one of love, but rather, it was out of hatred.
3.6 > Breaking news: Hunter association chairmen dies in valiant effort against the Chimera Ant King"
And finally, the rose bomb. The perfect conclusion to a perfect character. The rose bomb not only represents Netero, but it also represents humanity as a whole, when threatened. With no context, outsiders from far away will look at his rose and say, "look at that beautiful rose". But with context, the true nature of it is harrowing. Would they have the same reaction if they were told that this rose could have killed many people?
If you see an image of the bomb, you will notice the thorns on the rose bomb. Even though roses are beautiful, if you touch the thorns, it will hurt you. Similarly, the happy, old, Netero, will do nothing to you if you do not do anything to threaten his place in society. But the moment you decide to take something away from him, he will kill you. And he will make it look beautiful, too, and get sympathy from the outside world. As that is the nature of humanity.

Netero is just an allegory to the self-deceptive, manipulative, egotistic human that strives for power. This isn't limited to anthropocentrism, it also applies to capitalism, and any other thing that makes you climb up the ladder. Netero will live though the parasitic human race, until he gets reincarnated, and does this all over again.

3.6 > Conclusion
Netero's decision to kill Meruem is essentially him ridding the world's opportunity of a utopia. He chose his own individuality instead of following orders from a Chimera Ant. The cost was world peace, but what's more important, world peace, or self-preservation? If I were to ask you right now if you would die to save seven billion lives, would you do it? Humanity's strive for individuation is their greatest strength, and also, their greatest weakness. The only thing that really connects humans together is our collective desire to live, but not out of concerns for others, but rather, out of concerns for ourselves. The reason humanity will never obtain world peace is because of ego, yet that very ego is our reason to live, as who are we if we don't have an identity?
Survival of the fittest, but not in evolution, but rather, in ego. The bigger ego wins. Through our own collective selfishness, we are forever united. That is the true nature of humanity in a nutshell.
One of the best dichotomies ever: Netero 10/10
HxH right now has two 10/10 for me, looking forward into an analysis of Chrollo and with that the third 10/10.