Hunter x Hunter is one of those rare anime that manage to excel in most categories, such as animation, characters and story, while setting the standard high for their respective genre in the process.
I’ll get right to it, should you invest countless hours watching Hunter x Hunter?
Absolutely, yes. Hunter x Hunter is superlative, and it’s easy to get lost in how well everything works together. Sound, animation and story all come together wonderfully, convincing me that both Madhouse and Togashi (the mangaka of Hunter x Hunter) are capable of great feats in animation, of storytelling.
Alright, if you’re still not convinced then let’s get started.
Hunter x Hunter starts with the seemingly simple story of a boy, Gon, who is ready to venture out into the world in order to find his father, who has long since vanished. From there, our protagonist undertakes the Hunter exam, where we are also introduced to the rest of the main cast, who each have their own motivation in becoming a Hunter, such as Gon, who is following in his father’s footsteps, Kurapika, who wishes to exact revenge upon the group of people who killed his entire clan or Killua, who is only participating as a means to challenge himself.
I am impressed as to how Togashi was able to take a seemingly fun and simple plot, and just push it to its limits. Hunter x Hunter can, at one moment be cheerful, while in another, be heartbreaking, or just blow you away with how dark it gets, without feeling that there is a jarring change. It all just flows really well from one arc to the next, and mostly from one episode to the next. Hunter x Hunter’s world and characters is one that feels rich, and constantly explored, and seemingly without limit, while also having a sort of nostalgic charm due to Togashi’s cartoon-y character designs.
That being said, while all of Hunter x Hunter’s arcs as a whole may be impressive, some individual episodes falter as they introduce relevant characters and information. In the context of the whole arc, one may realize that an individual episode was important because it introduced a certain character or plot point, but individually, it may be unimpressive or boring.
Each character and supporting character is distinct in their own way, while also being entertaining to watch. Character development is superb, particularly for antagonists, while being equally impressive for our main cast. Gon’s development is more subtle, however, since it occurs throughout the series, rather than the antagonists, or say Killua, since his development is constantly being explored. Equally impressive is how Gon’s character also manages to take the ‘innocent, and naïve’ character trope that is often seen in action anime, while giving it its own twist. For example, Gon is innocent but that does not always mean that he does what is right, instead he acts based on what he believes to be right in his own heart, as another character puts it. Development for antagonists, as I already stated, is great, particularly during the Chimera Ant arc (which spans 61 episodes). Supporting characters are fun, despite usually falling under a gimmick of some sort, and aren’t treated like cannon fodder (which I imagine would be different if they were part of another show).
Animation is one of Hunter x Hunter’s strong points. Despite running for more than 140 episodes there is never a visible drop in quality. Characters move smoothly, and the lighting is exceptional when it needs to be. All of Hunter x Hunter’s fights are visually impressive, and even that does not do them justice, considering how amazing some of them are. That is not to say the animation is always great, but it never falls below being acceptable, a feat for an anime as long as HxH.
Some of the character designs come down to a matter of taste and opinion. Some may consider them to be a bit too eccentric, while others may not mind. Most of the main cast has what I would consider a nostalgic vibe, especially Gon, who looks like he could fit into nearly another battle manga or anime. Some of the characters do look rather silly, while providing a darker contrast to some of HxH’s darker themes and messages. It does come down to a matter of taste, however, since while I did enjoy most of the character designs, some of them were rather jarring, or gimmicky even.
Hunter x Hunter boasts a great, varied soundtrack, and most of the ET’s are simply fantastic. Particularly the 5th ET, which I found myself replaying on more than one occasion, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ET’s are also great, each of them fitting their respective arc wonderfully (especially the 3rd ET) while also being great standalone tracks, which I will probably find myself going back to in the near future. The OT, disappointingly, does not change over the course of the entire anime (save for some minor changes), which is a bit of bummer; though it does set the tone for the anime by giving the viewer the impression that adventure lies ahead. This brings me to another of the show’s flaws, which is inconsistent use of background music, which ranges from perfect to bad. The show sometimes, for example, uses an ominous tune when there is really no need for one since there is no tension in that scene, and it kind of tricks the viewer into believing that something is hiding just around the corner, which is usually not the case. When the background music does work, it works extremely well.
Finally, we are brought to overall enjoyment, which is high. Through its many twists and turns, Hunter x Hunter is always riveting, addicting, and fun. This is not a series I could have imagined waiting week by week in order to watch what happens next because of how enjoyable a rollercoaster it has been, through its many intricate ups and downs. Anyway, if you have the time to spare then I would definitely recommend that you check out Hunter x Hunter. Thanks for reading!
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