Hunter x Hunter's plot comes across quite simple; the story of Gon Freeccs, a young boy who sets out on a journey after learning his Father isn't dead, in order to become a Hunter. With an engaging storyline and characters that are both multi-faceted and ones in which the audience can connect with, it's an anime that will definitely leave a good impression on people despite it's surprising lack of popularity. The thing about Hunter x Hunter is that it isn't really like your typical shounen anime. There are some questionable characters and turns in the show where you're left wondering what will happen next, while at the same time adds in a good amount of light-hearted comedy and sentimental moments to ease out the tension. At 148 episodes long divided into seven unique arcs, it's definitely longer than most people are use to (12 - 24 episodes average), but is most definitely worth the extra time and dedication.
The animation in HxH is quite frankly flawless, I applaud Madhouse for their efforts. When you make a comparison of the remake to the original, it's quite astounding how different, yet still fitting, the style is. Another bonus is that the quality of the animation never seems to falter through out the series and pleasantly stays consistant. With plenty of fighting scenes carried out so smoothly, there are times you'll want to pause and go frame by frame just to admire it. Another thing I love is how they show the characters expressions that capture the mood so perfectly, this is even more so during dramatized scenes where there are close ups of characters facial expressions of anger and sadness. The scenery and background are also lovingly done, whether it's the busy streets of York New city or the wild nature of the NGL, it really captures just how open the world is in HxH, where as in many anime the characters can almost feel boxed in by their environments.
The sound for the series is quite fitting. The OST is particularly great and only progressively gets better as the series goes on. The Chimera Ant arc I found had plenty of wonderful tracks, my particular favourite being the one during Netero vs. Meruem. As for the voices, everyone's voices fit quite perfectly and do a splendid job in portraying their characters.
When it comes to the characters, it's really incredible how unique each of them are, many of them definitely transcending typical anime archetypes. Togashi has done an amazing job developing them through out the story, even minor characters and the antagonists. You can't help but love everyone simply because of how well they have been portrayed that the audience is easily able to connect with them.
While I said that HxH was an anime in which many people could find it hard to complain about, there have been a few things that fit into that very, very small category. One unique element of HxH is the narration of the storyline that is done, while definitely not the first anime to do so, it has a unique way of doing it that sets a different pace to the storyline and add in a bit more dramatization. For some people, including myself, it's an element that only adds to the plot and allows the audience to become more drawn into the show and gives in a third person perspective to how things unfold exactly; for others however, the narration can be a bit of a put off and upset the balance in which people find in it. The narration is used especially during the Chimera Ant arc in which many people can find it to be a bit too heavy. Really it's a hit or miss thing for many people, so this is more so a subject that is set to personal opinion.
The pacing many find can be another issue. The beginning of HxH starts off a bit slow, about three or four episodes it takes for people to really get into it, which can cause some people to drop the show and that leaves me really upset because of how much they will be missing out on due to more or less a lack of patience. But really when you have tons of anime coming out each season, it can be hard to really wittle it down to what is worth your time and what isn't (hint: HxH is definitely worth your time). The Chimera Ant arc again also can have a bit of a pacing issue; as the biggest arc within the anime, it's definitely a long journey in which the audience can feel exhausted about and wondering when exactly it'll be over. There are episodes where you can get bored easily, however I find there is always something that enables the audience to come back and get interested once more.
Overall, when you watch Hunter x Hunter, as with any other anime, a big thing that it comes down to is how much you really enjoyed the show overall. You can get as analytic and deep into it as you want, but how much fun did you have watching it? That's a question only you can answer. For me, I enjoyed Hunter x Hunter immensely. To be honest, it's probably now one of my favourite animes now. It's hard to describe how much you can actually enjoy a show, especially one as well done as Hunter x Hunter; there was a point in the show where I was crying for about two hours straight. While the first few episodes can seem slow and the overall synopsis quite simple and bland, don't let it fool you. Hunter x Hunter is so much more than it appears, and gives to the audience a whole new experience that is hard to deny. So do yourself a favour and go and watch Hunter x Hunter
