Art/Animation: 9.2/10
Sound/Music: 9/10
Character: 9.6/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Overall: 9.7/10
Note: This is to any newcomers to the series. No spoilers in this review.
It has been a long time that I watched an anime that evaluates and explores many aspects of the genre, especially coming from a Shonen demographic anime. While I started watching this series, I was skeptical from the anime by watching the first five episodes, considering that it brings a light-hearted, child-like feel. I stopped watching it for a while because it didn't bring any interesting I found captivating. As time passed by, I doubted myself for not even continuing this series. Many older fans of anime get thrown off by the demographic how anime such as Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Fairy Tail,etc demonstrate a protagonist in search for glory to become someone important and known to others. Antagonists are shown later in the series soon later confronts the hero in a long-dragging, continuous fight. Eventually, the hero will overcome their goal during a long voyage of his traveling with their friends in either constantly wining in every single battle with their closest rivals, having a bigger ambition to accomplish to become "someone" important, or making a difference in their power level in a outrageous moment while being in a ridiculous, near death, battle..These characteristics of what these series provided hindered me from watching a long, ongoing anime from predictable wins and losses from the Shonen heroes. However, one anime takes all these Shonen tropes and throw it out of the window. That anime is Hunter X Hunter.
Story: The premise of the story takes us to a journey in Whale Island with our hero, Gon Freecss, a young 12 year boy who is destined to become a talented hunter just like his father, Ging, who is a legendary hunter known to many. Hunters are highly skilled professional fighters who have the exceptional ability to lure others into a trap at will, find uncommon creatures at sea or land, or search for undiscovered treasures. On his quest, he finds other companions such as Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio who also strived to have the same goal to become the best hunter while they participate in the Hunter Exam. This appears to be like a typical, light-hearted Shonen premise in most cases. The pacing in the beginning of the series can commences very slowly for most people. This creates a hindrance with older audience who are used to Seinen type anime such as Monster, Berserk, Gantz, etc. However, gradually, the development of the story arcs within each episodes creates a further relationship between each character in a more complicated situations. While it appears to be a cheerful, humorous at first, it ultimately alludes how each story links up to create a further character development for a protagonist Shonen hero like Gon to overcome mentally and physically especially in the 6th arc of the series, the Chimera Ants Arc. Over the course of the episodes, the arc steadily deconstructs the elements of the Shonen demographic into a true brutal, psychological nature of what it really means to be a hunter or even a human. As the story progresses within each episode, you will appreciate what the previous arcs has to offer in order to fully understand how the characters feel, hell even the villains' motivations and thoughts as well.
Art/Animation: Madhouse studio did an excellent job adapting Yoshihiro Togashi's (creator of Yu Yu Hakusho) long hiatus manga since 1998 into a more faithful anime adaptation. They keep up with the action orientated sequences fluid into constant beating from facial expression, anticipation, and even suspense. However, some older fans from the 1999 version may disprove of how "colorful" art style that the show presented from facial expression and animation wise. But, I'm not going to go into details with the flame war between two series from 1999 and 2011. They also meticulously improved the quality that the original manga drawing lack into a more vivid, watchable experience. For example, the character designs in the manga are considered poorly drawn due to Togashi's long hiatus since his sickness is very challenging overcome for years. This Conclusively, Madhouse excelled Hunter X Hunter manga into a more faithful adaptation it deserves story wise.
Sound/Music: At first, the opening of the anime really suited to the atmosphere and how really addicted the song can really be. Even though the opening theme, "Departure" by Ono Masatoshi doesn't change arc after arc, the song becomes a tradition that really suits the mood of the show. It appeal repels me from watching every second of the episode that I couldn't stop watching episode after episode without knowing what is going to happen next. It brings such strong anticipation and curiosity to viewers what is the next moment is about to happen. The music sets the setting of traveling and exploring the world of Hunter X Hunter. It gives off how much is there in the world that is undiscovered. In the future, people will looked back and feel nostalgic how the atmosphere suits very well in the HxH universe.
Character: This is where the anime leaves positive note on how well-written the character development really is. While Togashi was writing the manga his hiatus on the manga really makes the story more unique than most Shonen series I witnessed since they emphasis long term fights, rather than a thought-out character development. Gon and Killua are like yin and yang. They build a long, ongoing friendship through the series, learning and knowing their weakness they have to overcome. Not only the main characters have to conquer their own conflicts in each arc, even some minor/supporting characters get screen time in some episode so they wouldn't appear to have a very generic, one dimensional personality. Within each episode, the characters flesh out their morality from what is right or wrong. While in battle, the anime dives into their consciousness on how they can resolve the situation. Tactics and skills play a very important role in the Hunter X Hunter universe. You have to ask yourself, is killing your sworn enemy really going to bring satisfaction for everyone? Can your desire really lead to contentment for your own preservation? These questions lead you to think that the characters are not always what they seemed to be when you start to watch how they first interact each other.
Enjoyment: Personally, I found this anime to be worth of my time, if not the best. Masterfully well-developed writing. Though-out tactics to weaken an opponent rather than random overpowered abilities for no particular reason. The only downside is the pacing might start off slow in the beginning, but Hunter X Hunter truly delivers what a classic Shonen anime can be without dragging its viewers into unnecessary cliché. At first the show starts to grow as an innocent, cheerful child then it matures into a merciless, cold-hearted butcher regarding to the characters' dark past and essential role that will affect them emotionally and ethically later on in the series. Each have their own motives they have to undergo mentally. I enjoy every minute of humor yet complicated growth of each character the series has build to recent episode.
Overall: The anime has surprised me in a so many ways that I just want more from its universe. As of today, the manga is on hiatus due to Togashi's back pains. Who knows when the manga is going to come back? Maybe in two years or even a decade from now. What we know now is that Hunter X Hunter is exceptional to the Shonen tropes that most common anime suffer from. After years of watching anime, I never witnessed of how unforeseen this anime can be from the same demographic as the big 3. For any one that is new to the anime, go watch it now. Be patient and you will gradually be rewarded for one of the best writing you will ever experience in a Shonen anime.
