Hunter x Hunter is perhaps one of the most beloved anime of all time, frequently cited by both casuals and critics as a shonen masterpiece. The purpose of this review is to explain why I, just another anime watcher, believe Hunter x Hunter to be an outstanding anime worthy of all the praise it receives. I will be shedding light on all of the praiseworthy features of this anime, but I'll also make sure to include some of the flaws and shortcomings. As with any other series, it's not flawless. Onto the review:
To begin, one thing that I find really distinguishes Hunter x Hunter from
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other series in the genre is how Hunter x Hunter handles its story arcs. Every arc in Hunter x Hunter is distinct. This is owed to a multitude of factors.
Firstly, Hunter x Hunter doesn't have a fixed main character. Yes, Gon technically speaking is the main character, but despite being the main character he's not central to everything that happens. In Yorknew City, for example, Kurapika takes the lead. In the Chimera Ant arc, he's just one part of a large scale conflict. Secondly, every arc in Hunter x Hunter has a unique concept. One moment the main characters are participating in a tournament on a skyscraper, the other moment they've been isekai'd into a video game. Each arc feels drastically different. Hunter x Hunter avoids feeling repetitive and formulaic because of this. It always feels fresh. Thirdly, tone switches are recurrent. Hunter x Hunter is able to transition from a light hearted shonen adventure to a psychological drama or crime thriller in the blink of an eye. It's able to traverse the entire spectrum rather than sticking to one side.
One of Hunter x Hunter's major lessons is to enjoy the detours. This fits incredibly well with the format of the anime, because in a way, every arc is a detour. There's no real sense of progress in a conventional sense. Hunter x Hunter is known for being unpredictable, subverting expectations and tropes, and delivering anti climaxes. Some would argue that the anime and arcs feel disjointed for this reason, but I personally like how the arcs transition from one extreme to another (this goes back to the tone switch I mentioned earlier).
Another thing to know about Hunter x Hunter is that while some of the story is definitely planned out, there's also a fair amount of improvisation. It's not like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood where the story was all planned out from the beginning. That being said, it's not like things come out of nowhere. Plot points and arcs are properly set up for the most part, with few exceptions. Hunter x Hunter is a vehicle for Yoshihiro Togashi to do whatever he feels like. It's a sharp contrast from Yu Yu Hakusho, where Togashi was held back from doing what he wanted. In Hunter x Hunter, he's achieved his freedom. To me, it's awesome to read or watch a story in which the author has no limitations or boundaries. When the author is having fun, I tend to feel that from the story and it helps my enjoyment as well.
Hunter x Hunter's characters are written in a realistic way, which is refreshing to see. In Hunter x Hunter, you can find some really emotional and organic character arcs. The characters for the most part avoid falling into stereotypes and archetypes. One thing that I particularly like about Togashi is that he doesn't fall into the common pitfall of shonen writers which is to give a flashback or backstory to every character. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with using flashbacks, but sometimes they're just really overdone and formulaic. Flashbacks are used sometimes in Hunter x Hunter, but I almost always find them to be meaningful and poignant. Some of the most captivating and fan favorite characters in Hunter x Hunter such as Chrollo and Hisoka are characters who we barely know anything about. It's through meaningful character interactions, dialogue, symbolism, personality, and moral ambiguity that Hunter x Hunter is able to imbue such a level of nuance, complexity, and depth to its characters.
The Nen power system in Hunter x Hunter is probably one of the most acclaimed power systems in battle shonen, and for good reason too. The power system is magnificent for one main reason: attention to detail. Everything from the different abilities created by Nen, the categorizations, the aura system, the idea of restriction and pledge, and Nen after death are explained really well. It's also very balanced and addresses another pitfall of battle shonen, which is power inflation. In Hunter x Hunter, a power hierarchy certainly does exist, but it's not concrete. A weaker Nen user can put up a fight against a stronger Nen user through a match up advantage, a creative use of his/her abilities, or through restrictions which can increase the power of his/her Nen. This is all shown masterfully in the Chimera Ant arc, in which the humans have to face the monstrous and all-powerful genetically gifted Chimera Ants. Despite being weaker, the humans are able to put up a fight through all of what I just mentioned, which goes to show how flexible the power scaling and power system can be.
Oh, and did I mention that Hunter x Hunter is amazingly produced? A 148 episode long anime where the animation is crisp and high quality throughout its entire run? Only two filler episodes when compared to the gazillion of filler episodes that tend to plague long running shonen? An incredible OST that ranges from light hearted adventurous tunes to jaw dropping orchestral pieces such as Kingdom of Predators? It's the same composer as Death Note. 'Nuff said.
With all that said and done, no series is perfect. Hunter x Hunter certainly does have its flaws just like everything else out there. One problem with the anime is its episode 1. An important figure is left out of the anime for some reason, even though he made an appearance in the 1999 version and in the manga. This figure is very important and makes an appearance later in the anime, so unfortunately the impact of his reappearance isn't felt in the 2011 adaptation since he wasn't introduced in the first episode. Another problem is the length of the Chimera Ant arc. This is perhaps my favorite arc in Hunter x Hunter, but simply put, it's not for everyone. The arc takes up more than a third of the whole anime, so if the arc is not to someone's liking, it can ruin the entire anime for them. Another flaw is that some Nen powers are not explained very well in the anime. The manga tends to explain them in the chapter title pages, which the anime doesn't adapt. The final major flaw is obviously the fact that Hunter x Hunter is incomplete. The anime offers a fairly bittersweet conclusion that while not a bad place to end, leaves more to be desired.
At heart, Hunter x Hunter is not flawless or perfect, but it doesn't need to be. It's a long running shonen after all, so there's a lot of room for errors. The pros far outweigh the cons as far as I'm concerned, and the pros are undoubtedly magnificent. Hunter x Hunter to me is a special series and an anime that is worthy of all the praise it receives on this site and many others. It's a true masterpiece.
Jun 12, 2021
Hunter x Hunter (2011)
(Anime)
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Hunter x Hunter is perhaps one of the most beloved anime of all time, frequently cited by both casuals and critics as a shonen masterpiece. The purpose of this review is to explain why I, just another anime watcher, believe Hunter x Hunter to be an outstanding anime worthy of all the praise it receives. I will be shedding light on all of the praiseworthy features of this anime, but I'll also make sure to include some of the flaws and shortcomings. As with any other series, it's not flawless. Onto the review:
To begin, one thing that I find really distinguishes Hunter x Hunter from ... |
