Review by Josh

I had been putting off watching this series for over three years before I finally succumbed. I really wasn’t expecting much. A single week and 62 episodes later, I was begging for more. Wincing at the thought of what the future would bring for the fictional, yet completely loveable characters. Hunter X Hunter was an emotional roller coaster with uncontested anticipation that no other shounen anime has given me.

Hunter X Hunter is nothing like its predecessor, Yu Yu Hakusho, and thankfully so. This series breaks every cliche shounen action/adventure have garnered. Few other series have shown such creativity and mind-twisting ideas. Yet HxH is very simple. The main character, Gon, begins an adventure to find his mysterious father, a legendary Hunter. Along the way, he gains many friends with his pure heart, never looking back, never betraying his goals or loved ones.

Among Gon’s best friends are Killua, the 12 year old deadly assassin with a shady past. Leorio, a kind and compassionate man who merely puts up a greedy front to cover his noble intentions. And Kurapica, the quiet young man set on a path of self destruction to avenge his slaughtered race. Gon’s enemies are also out of the ordinary; many have similar aspirations, but are simply following a separate path. These conflicting attributions make for some of the best battles. These battles are unique, short, and to the point. Many are full of psychological warfare, bringing up ideas and methods I’ve never even began to ponder.

That’s what Hunter X Hunter really is. So unique and imaginative, yet undeniably simple and sophisticated.

The music and animation are rather average, with a few breakout openings and endings and the progressive upwards turn in animation. The character design is…Well, let’s just say it’s the only downfall of the series. Don’t get me wrong, the animation isn’t bad, the characters are simply not unique. Many of the main characters look like they were directly pulled out of other anime series (Yu Yu Hakusho, Cowboy Bebop, Trigun to name a few). These aspects make groups of characters look disconnected and amateur, but this did not detract from how personally involved I felt with them.

I felt passion for the characters. I felt their pain, their enjoyment. To me, this is what really makes a great anime.

This series has not been given enough attention. I believe it to simply be bad timing and a manga that has developed into a sort of “cult classic,” being put on hiatus and missing deadlines for the past three years. Hunter X Hunter could easily best the current shounen-hits, Naruto, Bleach, and maybe even One Piece. There’s not a single episode without action. It’s constantly go, go, go. The mind-provoking storyline sends a chill down my spine and I’d recommend any shounen anime/manga fan check out this series.

I do feel the need to mention that there are “tournament” story-arcs in Hunter X Hunter. I’ve long felt that tournaments in anime meant one thing: a cop-out giving the author/animators time to decide what to do with the series. HxH blew away those preconceptions with a meticulously developed battle system that not only accomplished its short-term objectives, but also tied in with the rest of the series with new characters and a new twist on the old use of ki or chi “power.”

Hunter X Hunter Screenshots