Review of Hunter x Hunter
Just like to say, I haven't seen too much anime (about 2.5K episodes), so please be gentle. Hunter X Hunter at first seems underwhelming. At first glance, you look at it and say, "looks like naruto, or a typical shonen". Or of course, you may not say that. I was hesitant at watching Hunter X Hunter at first, my friend told me to watch it and he'll watch Boku no Hero Academia for me (don't think he did, but I don't care). After watching a few more animes, I decided to pick up Hunter X Hunter and boy am I glad I did. At first, Ididn't know what to think of it, I didn't what was going to happen or where it was going. I wouldn't say I was instantly captivated like I was with The Promised Neverland, but I felt like there was something special about it. I decided to continue watching. I noticed that the pace of Hunter X Hunter wasn't very fast, it really did take its time, but I found the beauty in that. It gave me an excuse to spend more time with it.
After the Hunter Exams Arc, I was gaining even more interest. I found that my favorite scenes weren't actually the fight scenes, but the training, and strong character development scenes. I do enjoy fight scenes and Hunter X Hunter pulls every single fight really well. It makes each fight feel it's own and unique which makes the audience feel engaged when a new fight starts.
After finishing the anime, I originally gave it a 7 or an 8. Although, the more I thought about the anime, the more I loved it. I would hear the music out of context and I then realized how much its music matches my taste in music. I noticed how unique of an anime it really is and how diverse the anime is. It then crept up to a 9 and eventually became my favorite anime. a 10/10.
The story seems pretty boring a first, a son tries to find out why his dad became a hunter. Seems pretty bland (for me at least). But soon I realized that's not what the story is, the story is the journey along the way, the characters we meet, the problems and conflicts we overcome, that's the story. Hunter X Hunter nails it on the head when it comes to this. The completely contrasting arcs, but always find it's way to link to the next, the way it sticks to being a shonen, the way it introduces new and different characters, it is all a work of art. I really found myself devoted to the storyline, of not just the protagonists, but also the villains.
Yoshihiro Togashi didn't slack when it came to letting the audience know every nook and cranny of each character's story. Even the little details found its way into the audience's ears, making that much more enticing to learn.
What can I say, the art for Hunter X Hunter for me is perfect. The shots and colors used drew so much emphasis on the little and big things. The way each character stuck to color so perfectly filled me with excitement and awe of how beautiful it was. I don't think art matters too much in an anime, but it really can help emphasize other aspects of an anime. I don't have too much to say about Hunter X Hunter's art, just that I found it worked excellently with the style of the anime's music, characters, and music. There were also many jaw-dropping sights.
Ah, music, something I truly am passionate about. I love classical music and jazz and I found both of those in Hunter X Hunter. Whether it be Leorio's theme, or In the Castle, it soothed my south and match my taste really well. I didn't expect this from an anime and I could say I was caught off guard. Anime really does have hype music, beautiful pieces, and goddamn absolute fire openings. Hunter X Hunter has all of these. The uniqueness of the decision made by Toshihiko Sahashi really stuck out to me, but again, the more I thought about, the more I saw that it helped Hunter X Hunter in so many ways. Music helps emphasize a certain emotion the audience is supposed to feel, and Toshihiko Sahashi didn't rest until he got you to feel what you wanted to feel. The instruments used, the genre, the tonality, it did more than its part to help Hunter X Hunter become what it is today.
What can I say, the characters in Hunter X Hunter are hilarious, enticing, and down-right epic. You have Gon and Killua, the duo that we as the audience care so much about, Leorio, the one that brings comfort to Gon and Killua (and some humor). Kurapika, the tragic backstory found in every anime. But let's also not forget their enemies, and when I say enemies, I mean, people with different views. How can we hate any character in Hunter X Hunter? Hisoka, a pervy pedophile, who else brings us awkward moments, but that what makes his character so different. Where else do we see awkward moments in Hunter X Hunter when Hisoka isn't around (I'm sure there are, but that is not the point).
Meruem, the big bad guy of it all. At first, we want him to lose, we want Gon, Killua, Knuckle, and the gang to win, but the more we spend time with Meruem, the more we see how he is like. Furthermore, when the Chimera Ant Arc was closing, I felt something I hadn't felt since Death Note. I wanted no side to win. I loved all the characters (except Pouf), but I knew that there had to be a victorious side. Overall, each character has their own traits to bring to the table that, again, really makes Hunter X Hunter as unique as it is.
In the end, I enjoyed Hunter X Hunter thoroughly, and the enjoyment didn't stop when I finished it, I got so much enjoyment thinking about it, enjoyment reliving the memories through youtube clips and talking about.
Overall, I CANNOT think of something where Hunter X Hunter failed (excluding the hiatuses :c). People may disagree with my decision on Hunter X Hunter, but this is one of my tastes, this feels like it matches what I like so well that I wish I could remove the memories of me with Hunter X Hunter, just so I can relive it again.
10/10 - Hunter X Hunter is a "1 in a million" anime to watch.
- Rain