The magic of this anime, in my opinion, is its originality. It might give the impression of a typical shounen, but don't be fooled. The arcs are unique and the writing is excellent.
And as for it being childish, it's only so for select moments. Believe me, just keep watching.
Story:
So... let's be honest. It takes a while to kick off, but it does have a few moments, even at the beginning, that keep you going. It's hard to define the storyline itself, because it keeps changing, along with the whole tone of the series. This, I think, distinguishes HxH from other long-running shounens were everything starts feeling the same. The world is huge and the way we're introduced to it little by little is quite cool and intriguing.
Sound:
There are many memorable soundtracks, each of them quite different from the other- particularly during the Chimera Ant arc. The opening and closing songs grew on me even though I disliked them at the beginning.
Characters:
Strong point right here. Well-delevoped, round characters full of surprises. Like the story, it takes a while for character development to kick-off, but the result is a very original, non-archetypal cast. Killua stands out in my mind, as do most of the characters -- except for the bomber and perhaps a few other extras. And while many seem to be typical at the beginning, they all grow to be quite unique. *Spoiler* --- for instance the Ant King.
Art:
The art is quite good, as is the animation. Many fights have you literally on the edge of your seat.
Negative points?:
Well, a few. The pacing, tbh. It tends to slow down to a painful crawl at moments (think Chimera Ant Arc) and then pick once more.
And while the main characters are awesome, many extras are typical and downright annoying. (think the octopus in the Chimera Ant)
Also, constant narration, so those of you who are put off by a narration... well, some parts might drive you crazy.
Point worth mentioning: Manga is on-going, but at a mind-numbing slow pace.
So basically, I'd recommend this anime for anybody that is sick of typical shounens with bad writing and endless fillers. It's an incredibly satisfying anime with very inventive plot lines and characters.
Don't let the first few episodes scare you off... this is a great anime. So great that i can't resist giving it a 10 rating out of simple enjoyment.
