If you like FMA, Naruto, Bleach, Attack on Titan or Death Note, stop reading and go watch it now until episode 3 at least. This show is one of those classics that inexplicably managed to go relatively unnoticed by anime fans, although this remake gave it some deserved recognition. Be warned, though I mention other series along the way I'm not hating on them, I like them but I'm just comparing them to this series.
OVERALL 10/10
This remake is another gem by Madhouse. I also recommend the first anime by Nippon Animation, but the remake covers a lot more of the manga that started in 1998. This is an incredible series and, contrary to what you might think given its episode count, DOES NOT HAVE FILLER ARCS. There are two recap episodes and that’s it. The show is faithful to the manga 99% of the time and there are only two instances that I found upsetting about this adaptation, though they don’t hurt the series overall and you wouldn’t notice them unless you read the manga or watched the NA version.
This series is about hunters: professionals that travel around the world on different, generally dangerous missions. They often specialize in a specific field, so you have archeological hunters, who find and restore ruins; gourmet hunters, who find exotic ingredients (probably the inspiration for Toriko XD); blacklist hunters, who find and catch criminals, and so on. The flipside is that there are numerous benefits to being a hunter, but it is really difficult to become one.
STORY AND SETTING 10/10
This series is ideal for marathoning, because almost every episode moves the story forward in a significant way. The story is very good, but given it is from the 90s, it starts a bit slow and generic so it may turn off impatient people. Bear with me, after the third episode the plot takes off. Every arc is totally unique but somehow connects with the rest, and there's a lot variety to choose from: an arc with chuunin-like exams and survival games, a (short) training and fighting arc, a complex thriller involving maffia and terrorism (my personal favorite), SAO done well, and one that I will not mention because it's probably the best and I won't spoil it. The plot twists are almost never predictable: the author is expert in trolling the viewer in a pleasant way. If you are tired of watching battle shonens in which every arc ends with a fight between the protagonist and the arc villain, this series is for you. The author is never afraid of subverting tropes. In some arcs the protagonist plays second fiddle or even is put on a bus, but that’s because there are actually four main characters and the story is set in alternate world similar to ours in which not everything is solved with punches. Therefore, the focus is always more on adventure; battles always take a second or third place. That doesn’t mean the battles are lame, though, there aren’t many, but they are always good because there is a great focus on strategy and psychology. As you might expect from other series of this genre, there are superpowers involved, but the author developed a pretty detailed and consistent system that makes sure there are no asspulls like in other shows, and DEATHS ARE FINAL. The nen abilities (the superpowers akin to chakra, cosmos or ki) are very imaginative and interesting, and not always created for fighting. I recommend to watch at least until episode 37, in which one of the best arcs in anime history starts. While the manga hasn't finished (actually it's on hiatus as of this writing), the anime ends at a point that feels like a very good conclusion but still leaves the door open for continuation. This is when you will hate the author, Yoshihiro Togashi, because he is prone to hiatus and the last one is one year long and counting. And yes, the current manga arc is very promising :C There are two non-canon movies as well: they are entertaining but for the most part an excuse for flashy battles that do not follow the rules of nen.
CHARACTERS 10/10
This series has some of the best characters I have ever seen. Gon, the protagonist, is initially an homage to child Goku, your standard idiot hero with pure heart and simple mind, except that he wants to become a hunter to find his father, who abandoned him to become a hunter. A bit generic, but as the series goes on, he starts developing and meets and befriends other hunter candidates that are increasingly complex and interesting. One particular example is Kurapika, the most obvious inspiration for Sasuke but less emo and more balanced. Special mention goes to Killua, Gon's best friend and a polar opposite to him in almost every way (no wonder he's a fan favorite). Oh, and he's also a former assassin, cute. As you might guess, what’s interesting about this series is that morality sometimes gets thrown out of the window just like in FMA: whether the protagonists or the villains are right sometimes depends on you. In fact, some villains are so charismatic, mysterious and complex that they steal the show every time they appear, even in short appearances. This is particularly true for the Spiders (the likeliest inspiration for Akatsuki but done right), Hisoka, and Meruem. There are no romantic subplots, but one arc (widely considered the best one) contains one of the best love stories I've ever seen in anime, I was moved to tears.
SOUND 9/10
The sound effects are very good. The music is just awesome, as expected of the same composer that worked on Death Note (expect some familiar motifs). Mozart’s Lacrimosa is played in one especially epic scene, and if you don’t get goosebumps from it you’re probably not human. The only problem is that a few tracks are misused and break the mood of some scenes and the SAME OPENING SONG is used in all 148 episodes, albeit with a few remixed versions (yes, it's annoying enough to not give Sound a 10). The are many endings songs which kinda make up for it. The all-star cast of voice actors do a great job. Many voices will ring a bell: KENN, Ayumi Fujimura, Miyuki Sawashiro, Kouki Uchiyama, Hiroki Takahashi, Daisuke Namikawa, Aya Hirano, Fumihiko friggin' Gendo Tachiki, ROMI PARK, MAMORU MIYANO, BANJOU GINGA!! you get the point, the list goes on and on. With Kana Hanazawa and Hiroshi Kamiya the list would've been perfect :C
ART AND ANIMATION 9/10
The art is pretty good, although the mood and style is a bit more colorful and happy than the dark style of the NA version, which nailed it in my opinion. The art style and effects improve upon the manga but manage to stay faithful, and the animation is pretty good for a long-running series. I don’t remember instances of cringe-worthy “quality animation” that made Shippuuden and other series so infamous. However, some episodes feel a bit uninspired in their use of angles and animation, probably to save budget for more action-packed episodes. There are a lot of gory scenes in the manga that were cleverly toned down (no lazy black fog censoring), since this was aired on a Sunday morning timeslot.
ENJOYMENT: 10/10
Totally recommended, and a mandatory watch for battle-adventure shonen fans.
The NA version became my favorite anime of all time, but I can't deny the awesomeness of this remake. Even after witnessing other hits such as Attack on Titan, Evangelion, FMA or Death Note, this series remains my favorite.
