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Many people take a look at the childish exterior of this show and without second thought don't even give HxH a chance, but a show that managed to climb in the top lists of many sites and become the favorite anime of many users, certainly does something right that it deserves your minimum attention if nothing more.Every review more or less is a subjective experience of a series, so give me the chance to tell you why I loved this show as much as I did, and what I consider as pros, and what may be seem as cons.

First of all I love ... battle shounen as a genre, Dragon Ball was my first cartoon (at least that's what I thought it was) at the age of 13. I've seen a lot of battle shounen and I loved almost all of them back then, but as I grew older and more experienced in anime I inevitably outgrew this genre as the writing seemed "childish", repetitive and too predictable so the result was that my enjoyment collapsed. What I was craving for was an anime that would entertain my intellect but at the same time would retain the charm a battle shounen can have, something that would resonate with my "adult child"(if that makes sense). That's when HxH 1999 was discovered and consequently HxH 2011.

Story/Characters

Not only this show is the charming coming of age story of Gon who embarks on an adventure to find his dad, which retains all those elements that you loved as a child, it is also a well written, structured and thought out, intelligent story that will satisfy your adult mind and feed your intellect exactly what you may be looking for. Wonderful world building, charming and unique characters with depth and development throughout the series that have their own motivations and as the show progresses prove to you that they are more than just some generic archetypes, good characterization which brings interesting and realistic interactions and dynamics between them, unpredictable storyline with jaw dropping moments, superb dialog that reflects realism and maturity, proper build up for any major event that makes you care about what happens, profound and powerful emotional moments, great comedy that isn't silly or too "childish" which blends well with tension,drama and action; a creative well thought out battle system which allows for strategic fights that will keep you glued to your seat, and last but not least lots and lots of fun. All that right here combined with perfect pacing makes for an entertaining and engaging story that will make marathoning HxH the easiest thing in the world, and soon enough you will be wishing it was more than just 148 episodes,even episodes with no action are engaging and have some sort of plot or character development. Of course this doesn't mean that as a battle shounen HxH is void of cliches and tropes but even if there are, how they are used in the story and executed is what makes it differ, everything makes sense and every little detail is explained explicitly or not, paying attention is required as the show is dialog heavy and many things are implied,as a result many conclusions can be drawn by association.

The writer seems to have general knowledge of the world; like human psyche, political and social structures, religion, world economy, history and etc... Combined with his imagination and the nature of the show the result was seven (one is a mini arc) different arcs in their genre, tone, atmosphere, length, themes and at points pacing as well. I know I said “perfect pacing” but that depends on the viewer if he likes the slow down pacing in some arcs. The transition between them feels smooth and logical except maybe for the Chimera Ants arc, but for the rest of them there is subtle at points and at others not so subtle foreshadowing. You will encounter some cheerful and lighthearted arcs, and some that are really dark and grim. Some may view the fact that there is no thematic continuity between arcs, or that some arcs end in an anti climatic manner as a negative aspect or as a "flaw", but ultimately it boils down to personal preference and nothing more, personally I like those aspects of the show because an adventure of this type and life itself isn't predictable, and you never know where the next turn might throw you and what challenges you might encounter, I prefer those realistic aspects because it reminds me a simple valuable truth, that today we are alive and tomorrow we are not, so it's all about living life at its fullest no matter where you are at.

Obviously nothing is flawless and even if for me this is the nearest thing to perfection, I'll try to point some things that might be perceived as flaws. I already mentioned the transition between arcs, so I won’t expand on that. Although this adaptation is very faithful to the manga, the first chapter and the introduction of an important character to Gon and plot was cut out from the first episodes and introduced in episode 75, which made some motivations and actions "clouded". First episodes seem a little childish and it might take a while for the show to reel you in. The 6th arc (Chimera Ants arc) is the longest in the series and has questionably a few pacing issues and some viewers might lose interest, combined with heavy narration in the second half of the arc and different expectations from the viewers, frustration might arise and enjoyment may collapse, but for an arc that was the most ambitious arc in any shounen I've seen, a story that was far from ordinary, full of reflective ideals that were penetrating and influential, controversial opinions is the least that you should expect. So although the arc might be powerful it doesn't mean everyone will enjoy it, this again depends on your preferences. The last thing that comes to mind as a "negative" is the ending, it leaves some sub plots unresolved and a few questions unanswered, although it does have a satisfying ending for a manga that is on hiatus, and ultimately it works really well with the overall theme of the anime.

Animation

For a long running show the animation is very consistent, this doesn't mean that every episode is greatly animated, it just means that the budget is distributed intelligently and the episodes that needed the boost got it. The fights are really well animated and detailed, with great choreography, and the action scenes are impressive. One of the most astonishing features are the distinct facial expressions, rarely an anime captures so many raw emotions just by the expressions of the face. The colors are vibrant and generally adjust to the tone of the scene and the atmosphere of the arc really well. Character designs are unique, interesting and at some cases really weird, which makes almost all of the chars distinct and memorable.

Sound

This part here gets progressively better as the arcs get progressively more interesting and shift in themes, genre and tone. At the beginning arcs you might notice a misuse of sound that doesn't fit its respective scene in tone but generally the soundtrack is impressive. There are some really remarkable and memorable moments mostly in the Chimera Ant arc. OP song is the same from start to finish and the only songs that change are the ED songs. Voice actors are incredible and fit very well almost to every character except maybe for Kurapika. Jaw dropping performances can be expected from Megumi Han(Gon), Ise Mariya(Killua), Daisuke Namikawa (Hisoka), Ginga Banjou and Nagai Ichiro (as Netero).

Enjoyment

Rarely I rewatch an anime and I've seen this 4 times already. This show has easily the most impactful moments that I'll remember forever from any anime and any media in general. Marathoning this show was as easy as breathing and when it ended I felt sick and wanted more, it was like an addiction but a very fun addiction.

Overall

"The world is like a ride at an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it, you think it's real, cause that's how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round; it has thrills and chills and it's very brightly colored and it's very loud and it's fun... for a while. Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they begin to question: "Is this real, or is this just a ride?" And other people have remembered, and they come back to us, and they say, "Hey - don't worry, don't be afraid - EVER - because... this is just a ride." Bill Hicks

This anime is just a ride, a fun and powerful ride that will lead to many roads and detours, a battle shounen that will satisfy a casual viewer and a more experienced one, so give this show a chance and you might discover a detour of your life that will take you to new entertainment heights.

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is popular for it's manga and I had no idea what to expect when picking up this anime. Manga is not my means of entertainment but the anime as it was presented to me intrigued me to watch it. It was recommended to me as a masterpiece, a must watch and as one of the best shounen with intelligent fights. So is it a masterpiece? To put it objectively, yes and no.Please evaluate the review after you have read it, thank you. Keep reading.

First of all for those who have no idea what this is about let me clear this up for ... you. It's about the rivalry between good and evil,mortal and immortal, between men of courage and those who succumbed to their fear of death and their mortality, those who find love and happiness in a family and those who believe happiness is in power and immortality. It's about men doing manly things and accepting their role and fate it is as gar as something can be. Sounds simple right? Well that's because it is. The story is in no way complex and one might say it's cliche and we have seen this before but the selling point of this show is it's over the top execution and exaggeration in everything it does. Characters who seem like they can't speak in a normal way and just yell all the time on top of their lungs, ridiculous over the top situations, exaggerated statements of obvious things(eg. sky is blue, he punched him, he is falling OMG!!! etc), ludicrous fight scenes where the mc's stop in the middle of the fight to take a great pose just to seem cool or say something awesome, over the top moments and unrealistic conclusions of fight scenes or storyline. Here arises a question of whether is this good or bad, is it enjoyable or not, does this fit the anime or falls flat on their faces? It does and it doesn't.Let me explain.

The story consists of two parts or more accurately of two arcs. The first nine episodes are the 1st arc and the remaining episodes are the 2nd arc. Each arc has different main male character, different villains and stories but they are nicely connected together and to the main premise of the story. There are two magic elements that make this whole over the top approach work. The first is the fact that this show doesn't take itself too seriously like ever. The second and most crucial part in my opinion is the pace in which the story is developed. This is where the problem in the first arc lies for me. It was so horrible that I actually wanted to drop the show but glad that didn't. In the first part the pace is so fast that it overwhelms you with it ridiculousness, exaggeration and unrealism. Character development and story progression feels rushed. The motives for some characters to become close friends with mc are questionable and unrealistic. The main villain is bad just to be bad at least some of his actions indicate this or they are just plain stupid and pointless not to mention that some of his motives are not believable. So much stuff is unexplained or seems ridiculous that it falls literally flat on your face. Some people might like this but this is actually the main reason why someone might drop this show not giving it a chance which it deserves.

After that the second part comes and here is where the magic starts to happen.The pace slows down dramatically and becomes incredibly fitting to the show. The main character changes, the story gets a lot better and the villains are just incredible. The development and progression of the story and characters becomes perfect. Suddenly the intervals between the yelling, the over the top fights, the posing, the exaggerated claims, the ridiculous moments and the unrealistic elements fall in perfect equivalence and if before they were overwhelming now they start to entertain you. The enjoyment skyrockets. The dialogues are funny and even the statements of obvious facts start to be enjoyable.One last thing to mention about the story is that the fighting system is fairly simple although individual elements can be complex and on top of that some strategical thinking takes place in most of the battles fought.

Soundtrack in this anime is top notch. From your typical action and tension scenes to your melodramatic moments ost's are in perfect synch and fit incredibly well to every scene. Voice actors are just insanely good and bring out the manliness and badassness of the characters in the right fashion not to mention how well they fit to every character with no exceptions.

Animation is amazing.Bright and intense colors are very pleasing to the eye and they enhance the over the top effect of the anime awesomely well. The facial expressions are distinct and the surrounding backgrounds are well portrayed which accomplishes the atmosphere and the mood of every scene. The battle scenes are very well depicted although the details of the background are left out it's in no way at the expense of the enjoyment overall. The only flaw that could be noticed is that at some moments it felt like I was watching a series of still frames but other than that it was very good.

One aspect where this show exceeds is it's characters. The writer knows how to create enjoyable and memorable characters. Mostly this is true in the second arc because the pace is what determines the development of the characters as well. That doesn't mean that we don't come across with likeable characters in the first part. The second part has the most perfect male lead ever. Masculinity level over 9000. He is funny,smart,strong,charming and generally a badass. Side characters are very likable and memorable as well and almost none of them is pointless to the story. Villains are well developed and have their own personalities and ethics, some of them are real warriors and men with a capital "M". You will definitely feel attached to some characters in a minor or a major way. They pose, they scream on top of their lungs, they have their own code and morals in life which they follow,they chase their goals and accept their fate like true warriors, they spout exaggerated claims and they are really enjoyable to watch.

Enjoyment factor is over the roof. If you are like me than you might find the first 9 episodes horrible but I strongly recommend to stick with it until episode 11 and then decide if you want to drop this show or not. If you want an easy fun ride where real men embroil themselves in epic fights for their honor, pride, their code in life or to protect their loved ones and humanity and they do it in an exaggerated, over the top, ridiculous way than this show is for you. Stop everything you are doing and go watch this but leave your critical self out the door and don't expect realism in a show where its primal goal is to amuse its viewers. Although you will find your fair share of intelligence,drama,action and comedy. I would have scored this a 9 if it wasn't for the first arc.

Story: 8/10
Art: 8/10
Sound: 10/10
Characters: 8/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

*Every feedback is appreciated, thank you.*

Fairy Tail is definitely one of the most popular shounen anime and if you are thinking of watching it based on this fact alone, then I encourage you to read some reviews first. I have one small request, reader. Please try to keep your egos in tact and read the review before evaluating it. We all have our reasons to like or not a show.Thank you. Stay tuned.

I am still amazed at myself that I managed to watch all of this series, but that only indicates that there are some positives to it and I somehow enjoyed it all. What can be said about the ... story? Nothing really special, a girl named Lucy wants to become a wizard in a famous guild and after she meets Natsu, one of its members, she manages to join him and thus, they form a team and start on taking missions and embark on journeys. Natsu is trying to find his parent, a dragon who raised him and taught him rare magical skills and abilities based on fire. Although the concept of guilds, which is taken from online games is interesting, it is in no way original.

The story progresses in arcs with each arc being connected nicely with the next one and the transition between them feels smooth and logical. The atmosphere and the nature of each arc generally remain the same lighthearted and cheerful vibe following the vibe of the anime on its whole, except for some moments and scenes which need to be dark to show the contradiction between good and evil. Although, the story of each individual arc can be described as cliche, you could at least expect the execution to be masterful for a popular anime like this, right? No, they decided to shit all over the place with the word mediocrity, though there are some glimpses of good storytelling and directing in some arcs, but this is exactly what they are, glimpses. Individual elements of each arc are interesting but the story itself is unoriginal, although how it's told and executed is what counts the most and this show had the potential to be great, but they vomited it all out to appeal to the general public and/or their target group If this was their purpose than they nailed it. Linear, repetitive and predictable storytelling and the use of generic guidelines as in any typical shounen of this type leave no room for the element of surprise for some rare plot twists that might exist.Also the amount of fan service, aka huge breasts for almost every female and semi nudity for males, is staggering at the least. Generally, the arcs are short and leave no room for good development and the pace of each arc is out of place. I felt that some arcs needed faster pace but others slower, go figure. Some episodes are uneventful with no action and on top of that no story or character development of any kind. Dialogues are mediocre and superficial for the most part but there are comedic moments where combined with sound and animation made me actually laugh hard. The blend of action, comedy and drama is mediocre and as I already mentioned "Oh the potential!!!!".

Animation is one of this anime strong parts. For a long running show, it is pretty consistent in quality and is very good. Colors are bright and cheerful which suit the anime very much and they adjust well to the atmosphere and the mood of the scene. Facial expressions are distinct and well portrayed. The designs of characters are unique and suit their personalities quite well which in consequence make them somehow memorable. The only complain I had is in the moment of fight scenes which could be depicted better and in more detail.

My favorite part ironically or not was the sound. My gosh it was incredible!!! I actually searched and downloaded some soundtracks of this anime and I usually don't do that. The sad music and ost's in the epic moments of the anime are just amazing. OP and ED songs are really great you will love them trust me.Incredible is the fact that the soundtracks match their arc themes and the moments of sadness,joy,tension,mystery and action too damn well. There were parts in the anime that wasn't that melodramatic but with the right ost it actually managed to invoke from me a sad emotion. Also, I don't remember any misuse of sound, it was just perfect. Voice actors are all good and for the most part, fit well to the characters.

Fairy Tail's characters is another disappointing fact. We are introduced to a large cast of characters who are one dimensional and static. Main characters are flat and underdeveloped. I understand that combined with short arcs there isn't much room left to develop so many of them, but they could at least try. Every stereotype of this genre can be found in this series, from the typical hotheaded male protagonist to the evil villain who becomes good and changes sides and the fact that most of them remain the same throughout the series makes this show even more predictable. It's impossible to be caught by surprise when you expect for them to act based on their generic stereotype and they act exactly like that in any given situation. The villains of the show are equally as underdeveloped as the main characters. Of course, there are some exceptions and we can see glimpses of good development here and there which are later ruined to the bones. So much good development is so brutally destroyed, that it is frustrating even to imagine the potential of this series. Nonetheless, there are likeable characters whom you will want to cheer for but that doesn't change the fact that most of them are flat and superficial.

The last disappointing fact I want to mention, is the fighting scenes. Battle system is your typical "raw strength+power ups wins" concept. Almost no amount of thought or originality can be traced anywhere. Some abilities are cool, but that's it. The battles are won by overpowering the enemy and no strategical thinking is involved. Superficial and annoyingly tiring dialogues and monologues which ruin the pace of the story take place in every fight scene and I mean literally in EVERY fight scene. I know that concepts like friendship and comradeship are important, don't misunderstand me, but not when they are in excess and feel like they try to nail it in my brain with a drill and on top of that, at the expense of the story. Power levels are confusing as one reviewer stated. There are no trainings but main characters manage to win enemies they shouldn't be able to win like ever. Oh yea, I forgot the power of friendship and nakamas!!! Silly me.

Generally this whole thing can be summed up in 6 steps.
Step 1: A strong enemy appears. MC's are beaten up by the enemy.
Step 2: MC's yell about friendship and the power of nakamas.
Step 3: They power up emotionally and physically by the power of friendship and random stuff.
Step 4: MC's overpower the villain.
Step 5: No training of any kind whatsoever.
Step 6: New arc. Go to step 1.
When an anime can be summed up like this than in my books this is not good at all.

All in all, Fairy Tail generally has a vibe of positivity and lightheartedness. If you like characters that seem cool, raw power, mc's that overpower their enemies who rely on their friends and protect each other, if you like good animation with awesome soundtracks mixed perfectly to every scene, if you liked something like D-Gray Man or Bleach than you should watch this show and I am sure you will enjoy it very much. I definitely recommend this to children, as well. But if you are an experienced anime viewer or if you like intelligence, good story, plot and character development, if you like insane plot twists and strategic battle scenes with complex fighting systems or if you want to watch something of this genre but don't have much time than don't waste it on this and watch something like Hunter x Hunter or Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood.

Story: 4/10
Characters: 4/10
Art: 8/10
Sound: 10/10
Enjoyment: 6/10
Overall: 5/10

*English is not my native language, excuse me for any mistakes. All feedback is appreciated.*
**EDIT** It has been pointed out to me that this review has an elitist tone, this was definitely not my intention and I don't consider myself to be superior or more intelligent than any of you.**