The story is very similar, almost exactly, to the story of the manga or the new adaptation. For those who are watching it for the first time, it covers Gon, Killua, and Bisky's journey as they work towards finishing the game. There are a lot of complicated nen battles and in all honesty, it's best watched in one go. While this arc is one of the less popular and certainly not my absolute favorite (that would be Yorknew) it has a lighter feel to it than any of the arcs (excluding the exam arc) do. It focuses more on Gon and Killua's growth and the logistics of the complicated game, as well as the real advances in Gon's plan to find his father. Overall, I personally found it rather heartwarming and a really good training/growth arc for all the characters.
Throughout the course of the OVAs, the art has only improved. Granted, it's still nothing compared to the 2011 adaptation, obviously, but it's gorgeous in a timeless way. Personally, even as someone who doesn't watch 'older' anime often, I forgot the animation was even 'outdated'. It's very smooth and detailed, and it's easy to tell how much effort went into it.
In the beginning, the opening and closing seemed off to me and I didn't like them at all, but by the end of the 14 episodes, they had grown on me and I'd become attached. It's not music I would listen to on my own time, but it was something almost nostalgic and it will forever remain in my memory like a warm blanket. As for the background music, I think it was well done. Nothing ever seemed out of place to me.
I think the characters and their growth were the most important to this arc overall. Hisoka is shortly at the front and center once more, but his ambiguity of character and swaying loyalties are highlighted in this OVA, creating another layer to him that warns the fans to never rely on him. Being a Hisoka fan, I've always appreciated this grey area of his character and enjoyed this aspect a lot. Gon and Killua undergo a lot of development as well. While some may argue that this is just a training arc, it's momentous for their relationship as they begin to trust eachother through anything (not that they didn't before) and grow in their abilities considerably. I've seen some argue that Killua, who was formerly much more powerful than Gon, has taken a lesser role in this OVA, but I think it suits his personality. He belongs in the shadows, he watches and waits, while Gon jumps ahead and is rather impulsive. That's how they work together, and that's what this OVA develops.
I binged this in around a day, the only thing getting in my way being my other irl responsibilities, unfortunately. Despite having seen the 2011 adaptation, this was still such a fun ride, and there were even things I didn't expect, even the second time around. It was just very entertaining and heartwarming overall, and I would definitely watch this again and try to get more of my friends addicted to it.
I would recommend this if you: liked any other OVA or adaptation of HxH, liked the manga, like full immersion MMORPG anime, like massive-scale games, like 'training'/development arcs
I would NOT recommend this if you: didn't like any other adaptation or OVA of HxH, like more 'plot heavy' arcs, dislike 'training' arcs
Have a great day everyone!
