Hunter x Hunter breaks from conventions of the standard Shonen genre; Hunter has its share of Seinen esque elements and shocking situations. One of Hunter’s trademark things is that it does not focus on fighting 100% of the time when compared to other Shonens. Its focus is more on strategic tactics, and psychological aspects. The narrator does a great job at explaining and showing this. Also since almost anyone can die in this anime, it really adds a lot of Drama with the characters because it avoids cliches.
Nen is one of the main ability’s in the series. Being able to manipulate your own life energy and use it as a weapon. However Nen has a strict set of rules and it has limitations. What I like is that it is not plot armor and it can only do so much; I would say it’s more of a tool. I also like the classification system and different types of Nen people possess and can use.
Story & Plot: The story starts off and takes place on Whale Island. A boy named Gon Freecs adventures out into the world to find his father from learning about his profession as a Hunter. Gon wants to find out what being a Hunter means. On his journey he meets people, makes friends, and experiences a lot of things.
There are 7 arcs in total for the Hunter x Hunter anime. They are all unique in every aspect, but fans will tell you that the Yorknew City Arc and the Chimera Ant Arc are fan favorites and among the greats of anime arcs.
Characters: The main cast consists of 4 protagonists
Gon Freecs – Gon is a young kid who is the main protagonist of the story. He is very friendly, adventurous and determined kid. Gon also possesses inhuman senses and is very athletic and rustic. Gon is an interesting character like none other I’ve ever seen.
Killua Zoldyck – Killua is an assassin of the Zoldyck family. He is shown to be similar to Gon in his happy attitude and mischievousness. The other side of him however, can be extremely violent and bloodthirsty. He is also extremely fast and is a quick thinker. His relationship with Gon is the most intricate thing in the anime.
Kurapika – Kurapika is the sole survivor of the kurta clan. Kurapika is a very distant person and he does not open up to people easily. He is very intelligent while also being heavy on morals. Kurapika is a very distant person and does not open up easily to others. He is the friendliest in the group and has some interesting interactions with the other main three.
Leorio Paradinight – Leorio is a guy who aspires to become a doctor to help the poor and many others. Although Leorio can be impulsive and short tempered at times, he is very trustworthy and he puts his friends first before himself and his dreams. He is often the comic relief character and he is closest to Kurapika in friendship.
Animation & Art: Studio Madhouse really does justice to Togashi’s work. The animation is top notch and the art is always solid, colorful, and very grungy at times.
Sound & Music: The sound effects are really high quality. The music was composed by Yoshihisa Hirano. At first the music didn't click for me but after listening to the soundtracks again I have to say the music works very well.
Voice Acting: Japanese voice acting is great; familiar voice actors in the industry are present in this anime.
Final Verdict: You have an intricate and detailed cast of characters, a very well written story for each arc/plot for it to flow nicely, and you have an interesting world as well. I would definitely recommend Hunter x Hunter to anyone. If you’re a fan of Togashi’s previous work Yu Yu Hakusho, you will definitely enjoy it.
