The 2011 version of the Hunter x Hunter anime premiered it's English Dub on Toonami last year. It wasn't the first I'd heard of the series, of course, but I hadn't gotten the chance to watch it and I was looking for a new weekly anime to get into. Plus I just love watching things on Toonami, it's so nostalgic. And so 36 episodes/ three arcs later, it's finally time for me to give my thoughts on this series. In short: it's AWESOME.
SPOILERS THROUGH EPISODE 36/ THE END OF THE HEAVEN'S ARENA ARC
I've heard about how great Hunter x Hunter is, especially since I like to watch the Shonen-battle series like Dragon Ball, Fairy Tail, Naruto. Everyone said this was the best of them (though many would say Yu-Yu Hakusho is the best...and it turns out they were created by the same guy).
I obviously can't say either way which is the best since I've only seen 36 episodes, but I've thoroughly enjoyed what I've seen so far. I liked the characters from the get-go, I liked the grounded elements of the early goings and felt that there was a natural power creep as the show advanced. You expect Gon to be some uber-strong character to be able to keep up with everyone else, but he really isn't. He's strong, yes, but isn't like kid Goku or anything like that.
That little tidbit surprised me at first, but it helped me like the show more and appreciate what the opening arc was all about. Really, the Hunter Exam arc was a means of showing the characters' weaknesses more-so than their strengths, at least by the end. Think about it: we knew Gon was excitable and had a big heart, but that big heart was also what got him in serious trouble during the final parts of the exam. Kurapika had control issues with his rage, despite a kind-hearted nature. Leorio had a brilliant mind but a feeble physique. And Kilua was a cold-blooded killer just looking for something to do.
Examinig their weaknesses while the group came together and coalesced in the trials helped show their better natures though, and proved to us why these four should be our main characters when there were other, much stronger, characters out there. I imagine there could've been a perfectly average series about Hanzo, what with him being so strong and all, but it wouldn't have been as interesting as following a young fisherman, a dangerous but young assassin, a gambler, and a lone survivor.
There were times in the Hunter Exam that things did get a little boring. Some of the more mundane tasks early on made me yawn. I loved the battle the heroes fought against the prisoners. Sure there were a pair of fights that required physical strength, but Gon and Leorio's fights were super cool and interesting. Leorio's had me on the edge of my seat, too. Kilua also had his first real "this kid is awesome" moment here, too. He just stole my heart.
Eh?
Eh?
Despite a lack of real action in the first arc, and by action I mean combat, there were still good fights throughout it. Gon and Kilua versus the Chairman was a fun fight, as we got to really see how skilled Kilua can be as a fighter. There was another good fight, but I'll get to that when I talk about...him.
The Hunter Exam was overall a good time, though, executing good bits of world-building while also crafting the characters and establishing their motivations. Things wouldn't be easy for them. There were no random power-ups for them and our heroes really did scrape by just barely. It was a harrowing adventure, for sure.
The Zoldyck Family arc was...average. It was short so we didn't have to sit through it long, but I found it a bit of a slog to sit through. It was kind of obvious that Kilua was eventually going to make it back to the group, so really it was just a test of Gon, Leorio, and Kurapkia's resolve. That was the sort of thing we saw in the previous arc, though.
I guess this part of the story did help establish how incredibly powerful some people in the world could be. You already knew that Kilua had to be pretty strong given the strength of his brother, but then you get the stuff with the butlers, the guard, and even his father. It was another good bit of world-building that I'm sure will pay off down the road, what with Kilua's father saying cryptic things about Kilua's friendship with Gon,
I loved the Heaven's Arena arc from start to finish. I couldn't wait to watch each new episode. A big part of that was the new things we were introduced to: Zushi/ Wing, and Nen. Nen as a concept isn't anything incredibly new, but I like how it was foreshadowed throughout the Hunter Exam arc and that only certain users could pull it off.
Nen did serve as a means for making Kilua and Gon super-strong, but it makes sense given where the story at the end of the first arc was headed: Gon was going to fight Hisoka in Yorknew City and had to find some way of powering up to just compete with him. It could also serve as a means of Gon catching up with Kilua, in terms of raw power.
Interestingly, the arc actually begins with the two ripping through their opponents...something I found myself enjoying? I was curious why, and then I remembered the training that Gon did while they were trying to open the doors to the Zoldyck estate. Of course Gon would be that much stronger. Not to mention the training he must've done aboard the airship.
It's little seeds like this, planted throughout the series, that make me appreciate Hunter x Hunter a lot more. The boosts in power aren't random, and they aren't the focus. Gon learning Nen doesn't happen overnight, it happens over the course of several battles that he does lose. Him losing to Gido was an excellent move to show how far Gon had to go.
Now, of course, nothing is perfect and Gon does get the hang of it pretty quick compared to Zushi, but it's not like it's just a day. He sits and trains with just Ten for two months. And there is a palpable change in the time spent at Heaven's Arena. Gon's character progresses as well as his strength.
Zushi and Wing were a great dynamic to bring into the show. Zushi was great comic relief while also acting as a gateway into Nen, and Wing was comic relief mixed with a mentor for the boys. I like Zushi a little more than Wing just because of how cool he is, but I do hope Wing comes back around to fight a big bad, I'd love to see him in action.
The first half of the Heaven's Arena arc was pretty good, but then he reappeared and suddenly the stakes were raised that much higher and things got that much more exciting. And he is the reason I like Hunter x Hunter as much as I do.
HISOKA.
THIS GUY.
Hisoka rocks. At first I hated his gimmick. Couldn't stand it. A clown, really?
And then he killed that guy in the Hunter's Exam arc. And then he had that absolute beatdown against Gon, who was our protagonist. And then he stood them up in Heaven's Arena. And then that final battle against Gon like are you kidding me?
Hisoka embodies a great villain because he is a perfect foil for Gon. A man who has all the power in the world and doesn't know what to do with it versus a boy who needs all the power in the world to do what he needs. Hisoka doesn't care about life unless it challenges him, and he knows that Gon can carry such a challenge. Of late I've become bored with the "I'm sparing you so you can be a challenge," trope from villains, but Hisoka pulls it off. He understands the potential and just won't waste his time.
He enjoys the thrill of the kill. His battle with Kastro proves that, as he slowly tears his opponent down until Kastro is basically just a sack of meat begging for the fight to end.
Not to mention Hisoka is hilarious and his English actor, Keith Silverstein, just brings it to every single performance.
By far the best moment of the show, for me, has involved Hisoka. And Gon. And REDEMPTION.
After Hisoka punched Gon out and told him to return the pin, I couldn't wait for Gon to get his revenge. I thought we were going to have to wait the whole series to get that moment, but nope. Episode 35, kids, and it was great. It was so well animated, well-acted, the music was wonderful.
I don't think I've ever been so excited to see a hero punch a villain square in the face. And to top it off, Gon hands him the badge right back and OH it's just so cool.
Sorry I turned my fanboy on there at the end, but, hey, it's an exciting show! Hunter x Hunter has so far exceeded my expectations and I only expect things to get better from here. The animation seriously stepped it up in these last few episodes, so I hope to see more of that. Overall, this is just a fun series to watch on the weekends, and there isn't much more to ask for.
Hunter x Hunter (2011) rocks. Watch it. Or keep watching it. Whatever works.
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