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This is my first time writing a review for an anime.

I know that there are 80 million other reviews out there that are better than mine but I still want to put my thoughts about this show for everyone to read :)

I’m pretty new in the anime community, so my apologies if my opinions don’t go with what you think based on my lack of anime knowledge. I’ll get better I swear!

Also, I’m not gonna waste time talking about the synopsis of this show; MAL has written a pretty good one for you already. Make sure you read it ;)

Intro: This show can be compared ... to that one kid in school who’s not known by a lot of people, but once you get to know him/her, it changes you. This show is not like the other Shonen out there, simply because its popularity stays on the DL. But that’s what makes this show unique; it’s a hidden gem just waiting to be polished (*cough* *cough* BRISKY *cough*). I’m glad that this will be the first anime I’ve ever done a review on, so here we go!

Characters: You easily get emotionally attached to the characters. It’s pretty hard to name a character in the show that you truly hate because once you learn about their story and past, then you see the reasons for why their personality is the way it is. The characters all have a different way of thinking, and because of this, you’re able to gather more information about the storyline and plot development. The relationships between the characters all vary and are never the same from when they first meet. This allows the viewer to really see the character development happening. You also see some character development physically (especially with Gon like WOAH DUDE). Long story short, the characters are a lot of fun and figuring out their different personalities is even more fun. ~10/10~

Art: I’m not so familiar with art styles and how they vary throughout anime, so I'll keep it short and compare it to what I’ve seen so far. The colors and shadows that are used go very well with the ambiance of the show and its Arcs. The fight scenes are always animated to its best and never fails to go downhill after every episode. Just like one MAL reviewer said (Cresherhsm), it’s shocking how this show aired for so long, yet it kept up the solid animations and fighting scenes all the way until the end. The simple art allows the viewer to really focus on the show while still getting enjoyable animation. ~10/10~

Music/Sound: The music in HxH is beautifully written and really brings everything together. The intro/outro music starts off strong and gets even better after every new Arc. It’s upbeat, fun, and really brings out the Shonen feel of the show. The soundtrack throughout the show is amazing, and it never fails to have a song that goes great with what’s happening. There are some parts during the show where they could’ve used a different song to really capture the moment, but other than that, the music really goes great with the show. ~9/10~

Viewer Experience: I had SO much fun watching this show. The way each episode ended really makes you want to keep going and further the story. If you get emotionally attached to a show (guilty) then you’ll have many emotions going through you while watching, like happiness, anger, sadness, and that “feel good” sensation that really makes you more positive minded. HxH does everything it can to give you new information, and that’s really helpful when it comes to seeing the real deep meaning of the show. The way Togashi wrote HxH is far beyond from what I've seen with basically anything. They did an exceptional job at forming the Arcs and distributing the information only at times when they wanted you to know about it.

This show also keeps you thinking and making guesses at what happens next. All the fights that happen during the show are heavy on strategic thinking and the characters always seem to have the mindset that they are 2-3 steps ahead (when they really aren’t lol). HxH never fails to make you think and predict the next outcome, especially with the battles. ~10/10~

Negatives: I believe that this show is perfect and does not have any major negatives. But with such a perfect show like this, the only way to get some negatives is to be really picky about the show and find its minute imperfections.
- The beginning of the show really doesn’t set a good scene for what actually happens during the show. The first few episodes make the show seems like a typical Shonen where the adventures are gonna be fun and everything will work out for the protagonist when realistically, it’s the exact opposite. There’s a lot more to the show, and it has a really deeper meaning than you think, so once you get past the first few episodes, (honestly, once you get past the Hunter Exam Arc) then the show really shows its true colors.
- The sounds during the show sometimes don’t fit well with what’s happening. But this detail is very small, and it doesn’t distract you from your overall experience. Just, in my opinion, there just could've been better sound selections at some parts.
- The pace of the anime sometimes slows down and gets mediocre in the writing. This can be seen in the beginning of the Chimera Ant Arc. This could just be a little mistake, and Togashi just didn’t take their time at that one section to fine tune. However, this is a pretty noticeable difference if you’re super focused on the show. There are some episodes scattered here and there where the writing and/or its pace isn’t its usual best, but once again, it doesn’t take away from your overall experience.

Final Opinion: With my “amateur anime knowledge opinion”, the only thing I can really say is... invest your time in this show. This show is an easy one to marathon (I did it in under a month while still having school work!) and it’s most definitely worth your attention. The times staying up all night and avoiding homework were really, really, REALLY worth it and I don’t regret anything. I went into this without reading the manga or watching the 1999 original, and I still managed to understand everything happening.

While this is a review written by a rookie in 2017, where are thousands of other titles that have recently been released, I don’t think any other Shonen can top this one or will ever be able to top it. It’s super unique and everything about it is just fantastic.

Favorite Character(s): Kurapika, Killua
Favorite Quote: “I do not fear death, I fear only that my rage will fade over time.” ~Kurapika

Characters: 10/10 (Amazing personalities)
Art: 10/10 (Beautiful)
Music/Sound: 9/10 (Great but misused at parts)
Viewer Experience: 10/10 (Incredible and worth your time)
OVERALL: 10/10 (Masterpiece)

I hope I did pretty good on my first review! :D Feel free to tell me how I did and how I can get better moving forward :)