While much of the attention directed at Yoshihiro Togashi's supposed magnum opus "Hunter x Hunter" is directed towards its anime adaptation release in 2011 by Madhouse, the original anime adaptation produced by Nippon animation in 1999 is an unsung classic in its own right. Having seen and loved both variations, I've always felt that between the two, 1999 is my personal favorite. Don't get me wrong, 2011 is a brilliant anime in its own right. However, I do feel like it lacks the same punch the original anime had and to me it doesn't matter whether 2011 has consistent art or a 10/10 soundtrack. I feel its handling of much of the story that '99 had told falls a bit flatter. A tldr is that 2011 is great, but '99 is even better in my honest opinion.
All of this in spite of 1999's greatest weakness: the fact that it visibly has a lower budget than many anime released around the same time. From the piss poor sound effects, the inconsistent art style as a result of constant animation outsourcing, the instrumentation of many of the songs on the soundtrack and in general the fact that the anime looks more like a mid-90s anime instead of one that would've come out right at the turn of the millennium. '99 should've been an awful or at the very least mediocre experience based on the production surrounding it. However, various circumstances surrounding the anime save this show from being an incredibly worthless experience. A talented set of animation teams including the likes of Akira Matsushima (who's brilliant take on the character designs are the "de facto" face of 1999's art style) and Norio Matsumoto (Who is far and away the best animator on the show and also would later become a household name for his work on Naruto just a couple of years later). A score by Toshihiko Sahashi, the genius behind music in shows like "The Big O" and "Gunslinger girls" among others. Most importantly, the visual direction mostly thanks to the brilliant direction on the end of Kazuhiro Furuhashi.
The direction of Hunter x Hunter 1999 is absolutely stunning and is 1000 steps ahead of many shounens including HxH 2011 Pre-Yorknew City. Every important moment and decision of the show is made more so monumental by the directing choices of this show. Every arc (with the exception of the still well handled Zoldyck Family arc) feels so distinct from one another no thanks to subtle changes in visuals and audio and many of Hunter x Hunter's best scenes are strengthened by the incredible directing choices.
It's a shame that many people choose to write off this adaptation for problems it doesn't even have. Many claim it has loads of filler when it doesn't have many at all. In fact, I'd argue that with the exception of two filler episodes, each filler episode the series has serves to strengthen the story being told even further. In general it's a theme among certain fans to write 99 off as being an unfaithful adaptation for certain storytelling choices but in reality most of them are smoking hot air. '99 is mostly faithful to the manga (and in reality it's more faithful to the tone of the manga in the Hunter Exams arc compared to '011) in every area. I'd recommend all Hunter x Hunter fans to give 1999 a good look. It's much better than it has any right to be and I think it stands far and above even some of the best anime released today. Overall, a top tier experience.
