Review of Hunter x Hunter

Hunter x Hunter is that show for me. You know the one. Always heard of it in passing, seen it mentioned all over the place online, but never quite piqued your interest enough to really dig in, especially considering its size. This summer I finally had a solid week of absolutely nothing to do. So, the logical thing to do? Finish the entirety of an 148 episode anime in that time. Here are my thoughts after thinking on it for awhile. Story - 8 Strange, right? The story being the weakest aspect? A solid 8 is certainly nothing to scoff at, and let me clarify now. Hunterx Hunter, narritively, is one of my favorite shounen I've ever had the pleasure of watching. It does an excellent job of really making its world feel lived in and keeps things going at a decent pace throughout. The first arc does an excellent job of getting you invested and excited for the story, and it does a good job shifting gears from one arc to the next, whether it be by tone or just content in general.

Decent pace, however, does not a stellar story make. As much as I enjoyed the story overall, there were good chunks where it just felt like my engagement dipped pretty low and things ground to a halt. York New was by far the best overall arc in my opinion, and although those following it weren't terrible by any stretch, they never really surpassed it. If you're familiar with HxH, you already know the worst offender.

The Chimera Ant arc is certainly a divisive one in the community. Some say it's the best of the best and what really puts HxH heads and shoulders above other series in the genre. And some others say that its pacing is a constant back and forth and tends to drag more than it does excite. I happen to fall into the latter camp. Chimera Ant overall is a neat concept, and I think as it wraps up it has one of the best endings of any arcs in the series. But, for me, the pacing just made me start asking when it'd finally be over moreso than be excited to see the next development.

Greed Island arc also somewhat suffers from this, as a lot of things seem to happen, but it doesn't exactly feel like it's moving forward all that much in a lot of spots, and the finale is very anti climactic and just kind of slides forward into the next thing without much fanfare.

Overall, I definitely loved the story as a complete package, but there were just a few too many moments that felt like they went on a bit too long and dragged down the overall experience.

Art - 9

Although it doesn't necessarily flash its fancier stuff very often, this series still has likely the best consistently strong and appealing visuals of anything I've seen for a series this size. There's next to no moments of things being off model or badly done, and everything feels punchy and detailed, exactly as one would expect from a series like this. When this show really wants to show off though, it does so in spades. The bigger fights in the series had the budget to back them up, and it really shows.

Sound - 9

This OST is seriously incredible. From the upbeat adventurous fanfares to the menacing quieter pieces, it totally nails the atmosphere in every area. The sound design is also good, although I wouldn't say I'm qualified to really make that judgement. If you ever have the time, just sit down and listen through the soundtrack, you seriously won't regret it. Three thumbs up from me.

Character - 9

This is definitely this series' strongest suit. Every character that is involved with the plot is developed and fleshed out in some way, even some of the more minor characters. The main cast are all exceptionally developed and go through several different phases of shifting priorities, morals, and values. The relationships are strong, the one between Gon and Killua being a complete subversion of the typical protaganist/dueteragonist shonen duo and a welcome one at that. From ally to enemy, side character to primary partner, the characters in this series really shine.

Enjoyment - 9

I feel like it goes without saying at this point, but I had a blast with HxH. There were certainly points where things slowed down, and I'll fully admit there were points where I was outright bored. But the highs were so high they soar above the lowest lows to the point that I can overlook them enough to say the package in its entirety is a joy through and through. Everything works together so well, and the final episodes were a bittersweet farewell, only leaving me hoping for more.

Overall - 9

Hunter x Hunter is seriously an incredible series. It takes the typical shounen tropes and flips most of them on their head, while also doing some things new of its own. The characters are all endearing and memorable, the soundtrack is hands down one of the best of recent memory, and the animation is something to behold and always a joy. Hunter x Hunter is something I'd recommend to just about anybody, even those new to anime as a whole. The size may seem intimidating at first, but it'll slip by faster than you'll expect and leave you craving more. This is a must see for me.