Review of Hunter x Hunter

At this point in my life it's hard to get through series over 30 episodes, let alone those that near the 150 mark as Hunter x Hunter does. That I got through it at all is a huge testament to how engaging Hunter x Hunter is, from opening arc to the conclusion. In fact, I would argue that there's really only a couple of places where the series lags: About midway through the Yorknew City arc and parts of the last third of the Chimera Ant arc. And even those aren't serious lapses--the series remains engaging on an episode-to-episode basis. As far as criticisms I canlevy, that's about it. Everything else here is so, so good. I was trying to describe what was making Hunter x Hunter to my sister and I said, "It feels like they asked themselves with every scene, 'How can we make this as good as we can?'" It speaks to how every little detail feels finely honed aesthetically, visually, and sonically.

The latter--particularly in regards to background music--is an element that floored me throughout. There's just so much compelling stuff happening in the soundtrack. Chaotic piano or choral singing. Sometimes the brilliance is in what the soundtrack DOESN'T do, such as a few fights where the music drops out completely and it's just the "whoosh, whoosh" sounds as the combatants cycle around each other. This is a series to watch while using headphones to catch everything that's going on.

But that would all be moot if it weren't for characters that compel the series. These are great characters, who are endearing from the moment they enter the screen. Part of their appeal is how they interact with each other, but also what types of things drive them. Our main protagonist, Gon, is on a quest to find his father, which is fine. But he walks a really interesting line where he loves the people around him, but he's also not going to let them get in his way; he lacks the moral hangups that distract/impede similar characters in shows like Naruto. Kurapika--one of Gon's friends--is flat-out only interested in revenge against the powerful group that wiped out his people.

It's an intoxicating combination.