When I watch something what I generally look for is something that can both entertain me and make me care about what’s going on. It usually does this by exceeding in a few certain areas: compelling characters, good pacing, an interesting conflict etc. Rarely does something come along that not only ticks all the basic boxes for being a solid piece of entertainment but manages to rise above that and become something truly breathtaking. This is especially true in the realms of long running series, either in Japan or over here in the west. They generally conform to certain cliches and ground rules that they are reluctant to step outside, and while they may be highly entertaining and engaging for a few hundred episodes, they seldom offer much in the way of innovation or depth. So what does it take for a series to be everything one desires out of a work of fiction? To be fun, engaging, consistent, balanced, upbeat and entertaining but also deep, thought provoking, intense, genius, powerful and heartbreaking?
Well, it just has to be Hunter x Hunter, that’s what.
Hunter x Hunter 2011 is the second adaptation of the classic manga series by Yoshihiro Togashi, which started running in 1998 and has been running ever since(though with many hiatuses). Now, to clear my position I must clarify that I have no great bias against long running shounen series, they are actually pretty fun and often quite engaging. That being said, I also must clarify that this show is in a totally different league to all its competition but that is purely a testament to how absolutely amazing it is and not an attack on other long running shows. Merely by glancing at the score for this show on MAL’s top anime section you can guess that a whole lot of people love this series, in fact most people who have seen it love it. Despite this, I still think that people have not properly expressed why its so good as most of the reviews just tell people how different it is from other long running shounen without expanding on its merits independent of that fact. But that seems like enough rambling for now, lets get down to business!
Story-
Hunter x Hunter’s initial premise may be the aspect that puts the most people off because it has a supposedly cheesy shounen vibe to it. Now while I can partially see this it just seems like a silly complaint. Judging a book by its cover is something I vehemently dislike, though elitist anime fans are guilty of it all the time as are closed minded fanboys. So there’s a 12 year old kid called Gon Freecs who wants to find his father by taking an exam to become a hunter. This sounds kind of typical of an adventure show. However, the moment Gon sets foot into the hunter exam, we see the kind of world he lives in, and trust me its not a very pleasant one. The exam is gruelling, candidates try to trick others and even sabotage their chances of passing, murderers are allowed to participate and all kinds of other unpleasantries. Now instead of getting some OP power up or plowing through exam with the power of friendship Gon struggles through affair with perseverance, determination and just plain luck. This is very reflective of HxH as a whole. The main characters set themselves very simple goals but often end up being totally outclassed, being bit players in bigger schemes or having to settle for much less than perfect victory. The way it is written allows our protagonists to participate in an engaging scenario and have to deal with that scenario and grow as characters without them being the central players in all the conflict.
The series’ fighting system, Nen, is a very complicated one but is balanced enough to provide the viewer with interesting fights and strategies without seeming like a convoluted mess of a power system. It also serves to balance our protagonists with some of the more powerful enemies in the series and provide methods in which they can have an advantage over their enemies by virtue of their creative use of their powers. Another great thing is how aside from strategy, the most important thing about fights in this series is experience. Hunters in the series don’t just suddenly become powerful, they have to spend years honing their skills on various missions and jobs that give them the experience and knowledge they need to be formidable combatants.
The best way to describe the ins and outs of the plot would be to discuss the structure which, like many long running shounen, is divided into arcs. There are 6 arcs in the whole show(if you discount the 4 episode Zoldyck family mini arc which I don’t see as a full arc, just an extension of the first one). All of these arcs focus on our main characters reaching a goal they have set themselves while revealing more and more about Hunter x Hunter’s fascinating world. They all vary in tone, length and style but all still feel like different parts of the same journey. Each one is written with extreme detail and care, paying close attention to structuring the individual arc’s story in such a way that it feels complete by the end but there is always still room for the journey to continue. They also all conjure up different moods and themes. The hunter exam arc is an engaging underdog story that introduces the diverse cast of characters, the Phantom troupe arc is a dark, urban thriller that focuses on the thematic idea of a cycle of revenge and the chimera ant arc is a very long, dense war arc that brilliantly explores the ideas of evolution, human nature and morality.
The sense of pacing in each arc is excellent and the writing is flexible enough to change the pacing depending on the scenario. For example, during the palace invasion section of the chimera ant arc the pacing slows down to immensely slow speed in order to capture the brutal intensity of the situation and the sheer amount of things happening at once. These changes in pace irk many viewers though to me I can’t see how the series would work without them as they are necessary for squeezing the full dramatic impact out of every moment. The tension in every arc is also unparalleled in its intensity. A combination of the pacing, the characterization and the scenarios make some moments in this series almost heart stopping in how tense they are. This combined with the very clever dialogue and battle strategies that HxH employs mean that its a very polar opposite watching experience than most shounen in that you really have to be paying attention to soak up the full effect of everything. A thing I see a lot of people complaining about is the lack of a big climax in every arc. In many shounen series there would be a big epic battle to end each arc where all the villains die and all the heroes nearly die. HxH arcs don’t have this no but they do have emotional and thematic payoffs that to me anyway feel just as satisfying as as a big battle would.
My favorite and what I consider to be the best arc would definitely have to be the chimera ant arc. Its based around the idea of another species evolving to a point where their intelligence and numbers rival that of humans and a long and bloody war breaks out between them and the human race, led by the hunter association. This arc is where the previously mentioned tension is used to full effect and all the intelligence of the writing is used to construct a truly breathtaking 60 episode experience, its one of those stories that can’t really be explained and just has to be experienced.
Now to talk about about weaknesses. While there certainly aren’t many major weaknesses, for the sake of being a fair critic I do have to mention them. Of all the arcs, the Greed Island arc would have to be labelled as the weak point of the series. Now, don’t get me wrong, the arc is still solidly written and entertaining enough but I feel it has a fair share of problems. Firstly it takes place inside a virtual reality game and it feels like a bit of a tonal shift from the rest of the series. It distracts from the very interesting world of HxH to kind of do its own thing for 20 episodes. I also think the villain in this arc is pretty weak and cliche which is surprising as this show generally has really brilliant villains. I just feel that the arc feels less like it takes place inside the gritty world of HxH, full of assassins and thieves and more like its from a different show.
Other weaknesses are minor ones such as a few minor plot holes here and there and some questionable character decisions but considering the ambition of the show, this is somewhat to be expected. Other people point out pacing issues, an inconsistent first few episodes and other perceived problems but I honestly can’t see these let alone think they are major issues. Overall, the weaknesses, of which there are few, do little to harm the impact of the series in any meaningful way and doesn’t stop HxH stand out for having one of the most complex, unique, varied and engaging stories in all of shounen.
Score- 9.2/10 Very solid arcs, great tension, brilliant pacing, genius writing and full of intriguing ideas
Characters-
You thought the story was the best thing about this show? Well think again because the characterization may be even better. Firstly I should mention that this show has an absolutely humongous cast. There must be at least 200 named characters by the end of the show and most of them serve some kind of purpose within the narrative. For this section though I am just going to discuss the main characters, the villains and some of the other standouts.
Gon Freecs is our hero and from the offset he may seem like a rather typical shounen protagonist. He’s upbeat, determined and stubborn. However, over time we learn that Gon is not a simple individual nor is he driven by any typical goals. He searches for the lifestyle of a hunter to see why his father decided to become a hunter and hopefully one day to meet him. But, Gon is an underdog throughout most of the story and many of his traits end up causing him to lose more than he wins. His determination and stubborn nature cause him to suffer great physical and mental damage over the course of the series. His determination and naive nature lead him to have a lack of critical thinking ability and a warped sense of morality. Despite this, we understand Gon’s emotions and drive enough to want him to overcome the obstacles in his way and we don’t connect with him just because he’s the good guy but because he is a very understandable character.
Killua Zoldyck is Gon’s polar opposite in many ways but also shares some traits with him. Cold and logical, Killua was raised to be a professional assassin but abandoned his family and that destiny to take the hunter exam. He hides his trouble childhood and family problems behind the facade of a normal kid. His friendship with Gon is one of his main reasons for not wanting to go back to his life as an assassin and the relationship dynamic between the two continuously evolves in each arc.
Kurapika is a revenge driven exam candidate who Gon meets on the way. Also cold and calculating like Killua he has dedicated his life to finding the thieves who killed his tribe and harvested their scarlet eyes(Still think this is a kids show?). He claims he doesn’t need friends as they only distract him from his goal of vengeance which he is aware will lead him to dark places. His character may seem to be simple and closed minded but his motives and choices become increasingly complex as events play out especially during the Phantom troupe arc where he becomes the main character for 20 or so episodes.
Leorio is the oldest of the main characters and is taking the exam so he can train to be a doctor in order to help his poverty stricken hometown. He may appear to be the token comic relief character but he has a lot of depth to him and proves to be a useful ally to the other main characters even though he is not particularly useful in battle.
These main characters all have great dialogue and chemistry with each other and the interactions between them form the initial charm of the series. However the show would not be half as interesting if it weren’t for the villains. The villains are equally as interesting if not more so than the protagonists. For example the morally ambiguous psychopathic clown Hisoka casts a great sense of threat in the early episodes but his motivations are arguably more sinister and bizarre than they initially appear. Then there’s the Phantom troupe who, even though they are ruthless thieves, have a definite sense of camaraderie and enough personality to help you see them in a different light than just being bloodthirsty killers. Even the non-human villains have a lot of depth to them. I am of course referring to the chimera ants, whose characterization both as a species and as individuals is absolutely fascinating. The standouts among the ants include the ant king Meruem whose journey throughout the arc is equal parts emotionally shattering, thought provoking and unforgettable, his royal guards Shaiapouf and Neferpitou who receive a lot of visible depth and development and also some of the other normal ants like Welfin, Ikalgo and Colt.
Even the background characters and characters who only show up for a brief role in the story can leave quite an impact, that’s how great this show is at packing personality and detail into every aspect of its narrative. No, not every character is given focus(that would be impossible!) but the show is pretty impressive with how it measures everything out carefully to provide you with enough information to be satisfied while still keeping you wanting to come back for more.
Score- 9.5/10 A whole lot of them but somehow it manages!
Art-
Hunter x Hunter was animated by Madhouse who are revered for many high quality TV anime productions over the years such as Death Note, Black lagoon and Monster. They are generally known for their high quality animation and this show is definitely no exception. To keep up a show looking this good for 148 episodes is just staggering. The art style itself is initially quite colourful which is probably another reason why people dismiss this anime as a kids show. Though as you make your way through the series you realize that the art style is actually very flexible. Its incredibly detailed and crisp use of colour and texture is able to create a variety of different environments and atmospheres. From the lush paradise of Gon’s home of whale island to the urban fuzz of Yorknew city everywhere in the show feels distinct and detailed which adds to the overall tone of each arc. The same can be said for the character designs. The great thing about them is that they are all unique just like all the characters themselves and no two designs look the same. While the designs themselves are wildly creative they have been criticized by some for being a little too bizarre and at times cheesy. This I can agree with but I don’t see exactly what the problem is here, its a lot better than having a cast of indistinguishable muscular psychos who beat each other up for episode after episode. HxH’s designs may be rather quirky but the show still manages to come across as much more mature than many shows with more realistic designs.
The animation is pretty solid for the most part though at times it is clear that Madhouse are on a budget of some sort as there are occasionally skimps and still frames in some of the fights so this is a thing that occurs a lot in shounen due to what I assume is an absurd amount of money required to keep animation quality consistent for hundreds of episodes. Though when the fights look good they REALLY look good. The intensity and breakneck speed of the fights is captured perfectly and adds to the already sky high tension of these scenarios. This is a pretty solid effort for such an ambitious series animation wise and a few hiccups here and there can certainly be forgiven.
Score- 8.8/10 Beautiful landscapes, mostly great animation and unique character designs
Sound-
As far as the OST goes its wide and incredibly varied. There are many tracks, some that play throughout and some that are restricted to specific arcs. Most of the music is orchestral but it incorporates other genres and elements too such as electronic beats, distorted guitars and piano ballads. The soundtrack also evolves to match the tone each arc and each scenario. Early in the series songs like ‘The world of adventures’ with its circus like mood signify the initial adventurous tone of HxH. Later on in the Phantom troupe arc we get more dramatic and operatic pieces like ‘Riot’ which reflect the chaos of the events happening in that arc. Then there are specific character themes like Hisoka’s flamenco influenced character theme which sums up his insanity and unpredictability so well and the Zoldyck family theme which sounds fittingly foreboding for such a dysfunctional family. But, by far the best of the music comes from the chimera ant arc where it really helps to add to the tension and mood of everything that happens. The haunting and frantic violin piece ‘In the palace’ forms a great backdrop for a lot of the tension in this arc. Then there’s the battle theme ‘Hegemony of the food chain’ which starts reservedly before erupting into a storm of distorted guitars that adds to the frantic nature of a lot of the fights that occur in the arc. Finally you have the heart crushingly beautiful ‘Understanding’ and ‘Elegy of the dynast’ which greatly enhance some of the most solemn moments in this arc. I’m not going to lie, i’ve spent many a time since I finished this series curled up in my chair listening to these pieces reflecting on the brilliance of this arc. This is a massive soundtrack. Its fitting, impactful, beautifully composed and greatly complementary to the HxH experience.
As far as OP and ED’s go, there’s not a whole lot to say. Throughout the series it maintains 1 opening and i’m not going to lie, this probably wasn’t the best idea. Don’t get me wrong the song itself ‘Departure’ is infectiously catchy and good to introduce the series but with how dark everything gets as it goes on it feels a little redundant and unfitting. Thankfully the 6 ED’s are much more varied. They match the tone of their respective arcs and parts of the show very well. My favorites would have to be ‘Hunting for your dream’, an upbeat power metal song which got me so pumped to watch the next episode during the Phantom troupe arc and ‘Hyori ittai’, a more solemn acoustic song that always made me reflect on the episode I had just watched during the latter stages of the chimera ant arc where it played.
When it comes to voice acting I have to give a fair amount of credit to the seiyuu for doing a pretty damn good job with such a large and varied cast. The voices fit the characters and are more than competent at pulling off all the comedic, dramatic and emotional scenes when the show needs them to. Megumi Han and Mariya Ise play the parts of Gon and Killua very well, sounding very convincingly like 12 year old boys and perfectly capturing the personalities of each character with extraordinary flair. If I had to choose other standouts I would go with Daisuke Namikawa as Hisoka who sounds so delightfully insane its legitimately frightening at times. Next would be Miyuki Sawashiro as Kurapika who sounds convincingly like a person severely haunted by their past but strong enough to endure it. Finally my last standout would be Koki Uchiyama as the chimera ant king Meruem who really gives life to the king’s journey throughout the arc though saying anymore would be spoiling.
Score- 9.4/10 Beautiful OST, great voice acting, could have done with more openings
Enjoyment-
Do I really have to tell you that HxH is an enjoyable show? Well it damn well is, one of the most enjoyable i’ve ever watched. Though i’ve been mentioning all the little details and nitty gritties that make HxH completely genius these are all things I picked up after contemplation, the show itself gives you almost no time to think about those things! Every episode, every moment, every event is utterly thrilling or engaging in a different way. Even episodes that are mostly talking or contemplating are still highly entertaining due to the wealth of things each character and the show itself has to say. You will marathon this show, it is inevitable, you just won’t be able to stop yourself. But, at the same time, you’ll also be tempted to take systematic breaks to prevent your heart stopping and to savour the experience of watching such a fantastic show. The tension is, as I previously mentioned, unparalleled and that is a great factor to the enjoyment. Also, the series has an absolutely brilliant handle on cliffhangers that almost unfairly tease you into clicking the next episode button. So yes, this is an entertaining show, from beginning to end it never feels like a slog despite its length and in fact will probably leave you wanting more.
Score- 9.6/10 Tension through the roof, cliffhangers everywhere, not a slog in any way
Conclusion- What else am I to say? This is without a doubt a show of the highest caliber, it deserves to stand up there with FMA as one of the greatest adventures anime has to offer. If there was more of this show, i wouldn’t hesitate to get on it. I know the writer takes many hiatuses but can you blame him? Do you really expect him to write stuff this good consistently? This is one of the greatest anime, scratch that, one of the greatest TV series I have ever watched to completion. I’m sorry for being redundant, I know everyone and their mother loves this series and has articulated how much they adore it on this very site. My cries of love for it may very well be drowned in the veritable cascade of fans that have taken the same emotions to the slate but I tell you, there is no anime more worthy of that treatment than this one.
Final scores
ONS(Overall narrative score, Story+Characters+Enjoyment/2)=9.4/10
OAS(Overall aesthetic score, Art+Sound/2)=9.1/10
OFS(Overall final score, average of all categories)= 9.3/10
