Review of Hunter x Hunter

Like many others, the hype surrounding hunter x hunter and its combat system were the reasons I watched the show. And honestly, it is that same hype that made me enjoy it less. I mostly talk negatives in this review, which unfair to the show and unfaithful to the overall score, but given the popularity of the show (and not wanting to stretch this out TOO MUCH) I'd rather point out the flaws that stick out in my eyes. And that's what I want to begin with... the combat system did not feel like this crazy amazing thing I was led to believe. Now don't getme wrong, the base is all there. The amount of detail and thought put behind it is like nothing my novice eyes have seen. But despite all that exposition and charts and explanations we get, stuff still feels vague. And what I felt like too few fights did not help elevate that feeling. It feels like a system that can be easily exploited by the "freedom of imagination" that it is praised to be. And that would have never matter to me if I didn't overthink it from the start because of my expectations.

I understand that this is a subjective feeling in what should be ,for the most part, an impartial review. The anime itself is really not as much at fault, but given the show's reputation it is clear that many people will come to expect certain things hence the need for me to point out and critic this aspect of the show.

Quick last thing on the combat (sorry), I loved some of the fights, Morel is one of my favorite characters because of his fights. Killua's lighting and yo-yo where also stuff, I greatly enjoyed especially because we get to see him testing stuff out and coming up with new ideas. On the other hand, I can't help but feel like I am missing something (sorry if I am), but Gon's ability feels stagnant and really boring to me, but at least it doesn't ruin the enjoyment of most of his fight. Hate me all you want for the next thing I am about to say but "fast coin throwing" is the biggest disappointment of an ability from what I thought was an interesting character.

AND NOW MOVING AWAY FROM THE COMBAT....
The show was overall great. The characters are great. Gon enthusiastic and stubborn nature never feels annoying and not genuine and his growth through the show is amazing (my god I loved episode 116) and doesn't feel random. Killua has a great backstory and his character creates both antithesis and similarities with Gon creating a realistic friendship. Most antagonist have something unique (ok maybe not bomber) and I am not gonna lie, the emotional scene with Meruem got me hard.

Soundtrack is great albeit a little repetitive at times. The second ending really stands out and blends amazingly at the end of each episode hyping you for the next.

Animation is also outstanding with no dips in quality. It's also very brutal and bloody, making it more immersive and less "cartoony" really setting up the mood for the whole series.

I have to make a note about the much talked Chimera Ant arc as it is the most controversial. It is slow. After so much build up and things are soon as to go down, hunter x hunter hits you with tons of narration. Now, the execution is unique, that is for sure. And I loved parts of it, mostly in combat. But there are parts where it is actually useless, giving you information you already know or padding what could have been said in a few words. If you are invested in the show, it won't make you drop although maybe it ll halt your binging for a bit. But it is a definite negative of the arc because of the overuse of its storytelling method. To be honest, I am more disappointed, by another part of this arc. Just to be safe, SPOILERS AHEAD PLEASE SKIP TO NEXT PARAGRAPH. Ok, I really don't like how Meruem is brought back after the bomb explosion. I get that the emotional scene later on need to happen and I am all for it. But I had to suspend my disbelief way too much. He survives an up-close nuke, is burned to a crisp and has lost both legs and hands and he just comes back stronger. This COULD have been done more realistically, but the show wants to complete subversion for suspension effect. It downplays the previous fight AND makes the virus later on all the more unbelievable in my opinion. I see no reason for it to be this way other than cheap thrill and tension and it's one of my big complaints of the arc.

Conclusion:

Hunter x hunter is worth watching. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT. If you can leave all the hype behind, you are almost guaranteed to have a good time and perhaps, a new show to call a favorite.