Hunter x Hunter Review pronounced Hunter Hunter (no X).
This Anime is so great on many levels. It has a little bit of everything but it never loses sight of what it's trying to say. Male themes are abound and many facets are explored especially the complex relationships between males. Friendship and the bittersweet relationship between a father and a son.
It also explores themes like revenge, achieving dreams, belief in oneself, competition, succeeding with integrity and many many more.
This is all done with absolutely no fillers. This Anime is 62 episodes long. 3 ova's (between 8-14 episodes each I believe) and it is still not finished.
Here is a breakdown of what I think are important factors in an Anime Series.
Animation
The animation for the first 62 episodes are well done. Of course some who compare it to the latest and greatest will be disappointed but I believe they are missing the point. The anime is done in a very fitting style according to the story with emphasis for realism. Sometimes the characters are light and sometimes they are quite serious and dark. This is not a cutesy Anime not all characters have big eyes and colourful hair. It knows when it should be what according to the story. I actually like the TV animation better than the G.I ep. It was more realistic to my eye.
Characters
This is where this Anime truly shines. The main characters are Gon, Killua, Kurapica and Leorio. They are all interesting and bring something important to the table. My personal favorites are Gon and Killua. They have a great friendship where each of them shine with their own qualities and help each other in all situations. (A very brief introduction to the characters)
Gon - He is a boy who is pure of heart, caring and sincere. But he is strong and determined to achieve what he wants. It is important to note that he never once does something underhanded even when faced with a person who means to harm him. A boy who knows who he is and what he stands for.
Killua - He is a boy with a very dark side. The most interesting character in this series IMO along with HISOKA.
Kurapica - A man with a very important mission worth dying for.
Leorio - A man who has inner demons. He is hard on himself but caring of others.
Hisoka - Ahh...Hisoka. What can I say, he is the most wicked anime character I've ever seen. Even when he is madcrazy he is cool. He's one of those guys that you hate to love but you do anyway.
Secondary characters are also well thought out and have a purpose.
Story - First arc. People all over the world try to compete in a life and death test for a Hunter License (kind of like a elite license to kill for money). This is just one of about 6 arcs. The test is far from easy. Aside from brute strength it tests mentality, psychology, etc. The story has more twists than you can imagine. More importantly the twists are imaginative and interesting. There are many arcs and each character has intercepting story lines as well as individual ones. There is never a dull moment.
Music and Sound Effects are Great. I think the Opening and Ending themes are very well chosen. It always seems to fit the arc. The sound effects are first rate ie when they are on the airship hear the trapped air of an aircraft in the background. Realism for sound is highlighted. Also there are many different background themes so it never gets repetitive. Second OP is alternitive rock, reminds me of early Our lady peace stuff.
Voice Actors I watched this Anime entirely in Japanese with English Subtitles. Amazing voice actors, every single one of them. If I had to say I would choose Hisoka as the best and Gon and Killua as tie for second place.
Entertainment Factor Is it fun to watch though?? Yes it is. It's even better the second time around, I kid you not! This is one of those Animes where you become invested in the characters because you get to see them happy, sad, defeated, vulnerable, scared, having fun and more. This anime is quite long but trust me you will not be complaining. Most likely you will be like the other Hunter x Hunter fans waiting anxiously for the new episodes. It is also important to note that people actually die in this anime and even main characters kill people. It's quite violent at times and the fighting system used in this anime is very interesting. There is no 2 moves per character that they use over and over again...Thank God! Better than Naruto IMO. Also this anime is very funny at times even if you don't speak Japanese like me. Thanks Fansubbers, keep up the good work =)
Anything Negative to say? Just one tiny thing. It starts off a little slow in the first 5 or so episodes for character development. I guess that's why this anime isn't as well known as some others. *sigh* definitely a loss for those people who stop watching because there is not enough action for them in the beginning. All in all this Anime is a must see. You will not be sorry. It is still available on AnimeSuki. Enjoy
This Anime is so great on many levels. It has a little bit of everything but it never loses sight of what it's trying to say. Male themes are abound and many facets are explored especially the complex relationships between males. Friendship and the bittersweet relationship between a father and a son.
It also explores themes like revenge, achieving dreams, belief in oneself, competition, succeeding with integrity and many many more.
This is all done with absolutely no fillers. This Anime is 62 episodes long. 3 ova's (between 8-14 episodes each I believe) and it is still not finished.
Here is a breakdown of what I think are important factors in an Anime Series.
Animation
The animation for the first 62 episodes are well done. Of course some who compare it to the latest and greatest will be disappointed but I believe they are missing the point. The anime is done in a very fitting style according to the story with emphasis for realism. Sometimes the characters are light and sometimes they are quite serious and dark. This is not a cutesy Anime not all characters have big eyes and colourful hair. It knows when it should be what according to the story. I actually like the TV animation better than the G.I ep. It was more realistic to my eye.
Characters
This is where this Anime truly shines. The main characters are Gon, Killua, Kurapica and Leorio. They are all interesting and bring something important to the table. My personal favorites are Gon and Killua. They have a great friendship where each of them shine with their own qualities and help each other in all situations. (A very brief introduction to the characters)
Gon - He is a boy who is pure of heart, caring and sincere. But he is strong and determined to achieve what he wants. It is important to note that he never once does something underhanded even when faced with a person who means to harm him. A boy who knows who he is and what he stands for.
Killua - He is a boy with a very dark side. The most interesting character in this series IMO along with HISOKA.
Kurapica - A man with a very important mission worth dying for.
Leorio - A man who has inner demons. He is hard on himself but caring of others.
Hisoka - Ahh...Hisoka. What can I say, he is the most wicked anime character I've ever seen. Even when he is madcrazy he is cool. He's one of those guys that you hate to love but you do anyway.
Secondary characters are also well thought out and have a purpose.
Story - First arc. People all over the world try to compete in a life and death test for a Hunter License (kind of like a elite license to kill for money). This is just one of about 6 arcs. The test is far from easy. Aside from brute strength it tests mentality, psychology, etc. The story has more twists than you can imagine. More importantly the twists are imaginative and interesting. There are many arcs and each character has intercepting story lines as well as individual ones. There is never a dull moment.
Music and Sound Effects are Great. I think the Opening and Ending themes are very well chosen. It always seems to fit the arc. The sound effects are first rate ie when they are on the airship hear the trapped air of an aircraft in the background. Realism for sound is highlighted. Also there are many different background themes so it never gets repetitive. Second OP is alternitive rock, reminds me of early Our lady peace stuff.
Voice Actors I watched this Anime entirely in Japanese with English Subtitles. Amazing voice actors, every single one of them. If I had to say I would choose Hisoka as the best and Gon and Killua as tie for second place.
Entertainment Factor Is it fun to watch though?? Yes it is. It's even better the second time around, I kid you not! This is one of those Animes where you become invested in the characters because you get to see them happy, sad, defeated, vulnerable, scared, having fun and more. This anime is quite long but trust me you will not be complaining. Most likely you will be like the other Hunter x Hunter fans waiting anxiously for the new episodes. It is also important to note that people actually die in this anime and even main characters kill people. It's quite violent at times and the fighting system used in this anime is very interesting. There is no 2 moves per character that they use over and over again...Thank God! Better than Naruto IMO. Also this anime is very funny at times even if you don't speak Japanese like me. Thanks Fansubbers, keep up the good work =)
Anything Negative to say? Just one tiny thing. It starts off a little slow in the first 5 or so episodes for character development. I guess that's why this anime isn't as well known as some others. *sigh* definitely a loss for those people who stop watching because there is not enough action for them in the beginning. All in all this Anime is a must see. You will not be sorry. It is still available on AnimeSuki. Enjoy