This review is written from the perspective of someone who first experienced Hunter X Hunter through this series. I had read some of the early chapters of the manga beforehand but I went into this series almost completely blind. And even after watching the 2011 anime, I still think that this series is worth watching for any Hunter X Hunter fan.
Story (8/10)
The series obviously has the same general premise as the manga and 2011 anime, although it's set up in a different way. The 1999 anime follows the manga and introduces a certain character during a flashback in the first episode (although the series doesn't get far enough to show this character's second appearance, making the decision not really pay off in the end). The 2011 anime ommitted this characters first appearance and as such they appear out of nowhere later. In regards to filler, it is there, there's about 6 filler episodes in the first story arc and many more filler scenes scattered throughout the series. In my opinion it doesn't interrupt the flow of the story too much and is actually some of the more enjoyable filler that I've seen in a Shounen series.
Art (8/10)
The Art is a mixed bag. I think that the actual drawings and animation is excellent for a series produced in 1999. But the actual resolution of the DVD's makes the show look TERRIBLE. It honestly looks like the show was stored on tape and really makes the art suffer. Particularly the backgrounds which now look like a blurry mess. Luckily the overall art direction of the show is enough to overcome that hurdle and it looks stylistically pleasing despite the abysmal resolution.
Sound (7/10)
The sound is another mixed bag. The music is nice although it's relatively subdued compared to most other Shounen series. The voice acting is very hit or miss. I liked Gon, Killua and Hisoka's voices. Kurapika's VA sounded kind of lifeless at first but got better over time. And Leorio's VA just sounds off. The sound effects for the series are... not good. They always sound over the top and out of place and feel compressed in some strange way. One thing I must say though. Don't watch the Dub. Just Don't. Gon and Killua's voices are terrible. Kurapika is okay. Leorio's actually pretty decent and Hisoka's is just good.
Characters (9/10)
The characters are the best part of the series. They all have distinct personalities and are very likeable. I find myself caring for the characters more here than in the 2011 anime due to the fact that the filler scenes are mainly used to explore the relationship between the characters and it really helps each of them.
Enjoyment (9/10)
The series has a few hiccups here and there, but I'm willing to overlook that considering the amount of enjoyment I had while watching the series.
Overall Score (8/10)
