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Hunter x Hunter, the anime that deconstructed the shortcomings and honed the strengths of the battle shounen genre, and did things that were otherwise deemed impossible for a battle shonen. This is a review of why you should watch this masterpiece.


Story: 10/10

Hunter x Hunter is about the adventures experienced by a young boy on his journey to find his father who had left him years before. But the story is not mainly focused on the journey to reach his goal but on the adventures faced by the protagonist and his friends on his journey as is said by a character - "You should enjoy ... the little detours to the fullest. Because that's where you'll find things more important than what you want." The story of Hunter x Hunter is something anyone would find simple at first but evolves into something much more complex as it goes on. The story is told in an arc by arc format in which each arc contains different genres but the manner by which the genres changes when the arcs shift is flawless. The story could change from an all-out mafia war to a lighthearted isekai. The worldbuilding is exceptional with each place having its own set of rules. The story of HxH is mostly unpredictable and has great pacing except for some parts. The themes conveyed are highly impactful that although the main audience of the show are teenagers(as it's a shonen) they can change the perception of even a fully grown adult. It also contains an arc that I consider one of the most well-written arc in anime. There aren't any plot holes in the story that I discovered. There is also no kind of plot armor, power of friendship, or unnecessary deus ex machina - The characters have to face the consequences of their actions. The power system, which is the best I have seen in anime, is highly creative and balanced. The power scaling is well-balanced and focuses more on strategy and intelligence over "who is stronger". The ending is great ​and a satisfying conclusion to the story.


Animation and Art: 9/10

The studio, Madhouse has done an excellent job in adapting this anime like many others it has made. ​The art and animation are excellent compared to most anime released at its time and can also stand up to those of this time. The anime did a good job in adapting the art of the manga which is known for its inconsistent artwork. Some of the fights also have impressive visuals.


Sound: 10/10

​Hunter x Hunter has some of the best OSTs I have heard like Requiem arenea, Legend of the martial artist, Restriction and Pledge, Hegemony of the food chain, only to name a few. The OSTs are amazing and make the best moments a lot better. The opening, although is the same song for the whole show, creates a good vibe for every arc. The Ending themes are some of the best I have heard in anime and the songs match the vibe of every arc. The second and fifth ending themes were especially good and are my personal favorite. The Japanese voice actors have also done a very good job in expressing the character's feelings. The voice acting in some of the best moments was outstanding.


Characters: 10/10

​Hunter x Hunter has some of the most well-written characters I have seen in anime to date. All the main characters have their unique characteristics, depth, motivations, and goals which have been done impressively. The protagonist may seem like a generic shounen protagonist in the beginning but is shown to be much more complex later on. Hunter x Hunter also has the best antagonists I have seen in anime. They are not evil for the sake of being evil but rather have their own ideals and motivations except for one antagonist that I felt poorly written but is out shadowed by the other well-written ones. Each arc has its own primary antagonists - there is no main antagonist. The character development in some characters is phenomenal and is done in a very believable manner and not sudden. One of its antagonists has the best character development I have seen in anime.


Enjoyment: 10/10

Hunter x Hunter was extremely enjoyable to me and I haven't felt any part as boring. But some parts are mainly focused on world-building(which only account for nearly 15% of the show) that some may find unenjoyable because of pacing issues. But it wouldn't be a problem if they were able to bear the pacing issues of anime like Bleach and Naruto. It was also very memorable and had a deep impact on me.

Hunter x Hunter is an anime that I would recommend watching only after completing a few battle shonen as only then would you be able to understand what makes it stand out compared to most battle shonen out there, otherwise it would escalate your standards for a battle shonen.

Overall: 10/10