Yoshihiro Togashi wrote and illustrated the Japanese Manga series, Hunter x Hunter. Since March 1998, it has been serialized in Shueisha’s shonen Manga magazine: The Weekly Shonen Jump, although this Manga has regularly been on hiatuses since 2006. As of October 2018, the segments have been collected into 36 tankobon volumes.
Hunter x Hunter was converted into a 62-episode animated tv show created by Nippon Animation and directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi that aired on Fuji Television from October 1999-March 2001.
Here’s a data table on Hunter x Hunter:
| Written by | Yoshihiro Togashi |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | March 16, 1998 – present |
| Volumes | 36 |
| Magazine | Weekly Shonen Jump |
In my opinion Hunter x Hunter is one of the best Anime of all time. The characters have been written so beautifully that you can’t help but fall in love with them.
The Anime shows epic battles and powerful displays. It has a great storyline and amazing animation and it gives side characters ample screen time. The series also has a really good OST.
So, does this revered shonen Anime series deserve the praise it gets, and, should you watch it? Let’s find out!
The Setting of Hunter x Hunter
X Hunter Hunter takes place in the universe of Hunters.
They are licensed, elite members of humanity capable of tracking down top-secret treasures, deadly monsters, or even other people if necessary.
These hunters can also gain access to areas that ordinary people cannot.
To receive a license, one must pass the Hunter Association’s odd yearly Hunter Examination, which has a success record of less than one in a hundred thousand.
What’s so good about Hunter x Hunter?
Hunter x Hunter is a shonen genre classic.
Its animation is lively and riveting, its acting is delightful, and its score is among the best in Anime. However, where Hunter x Hunter truly excels is in its storytelling and the unique way it unfolds its complicated ideas.
Hunter x Hunter addresses the concept of growing up with deftness and depth, it challenges its hero to face a world that’s dirty and scary but yet worth investigating. It also motivates its audience to do the same. Whether it’s something as easy as shifting away from your hometown or something more serious like getting through a horrific and violent childhood,
Hunter x Hunter is a work of art in narrative, and its influence can still be seen in popular shonen today.
The series starts so brightly and with such calmness that one would think it’s a show made exclusively for children under 10, yet as the protagonists carry on through the story, their bright vibrant world seems to get darker, monotone, and more solemn.
Before you know it, this once innocent child whose only life goal was to catch a large fish on his home island, now made bloodthirst and revenge his only goal when facing off one of the strongest creatures in the Hunter x Hunter universe. Gon, the protagonist even forsakes his life and future all so he could finally kill the creature who killed Kite (who could be viewed as a fatherly figure for Gon).
This series is not afraid to take up gore, death, and violence all in the name of achieving its goal of telling a compelling saga of Gon, a child who in a sense was forced to grow up too quickly.
Revenge remains a large plot device for the series, It starts with Gon’s friend, Kurapika wanting revenge on the infamous Phantom Troupe, for killing Kurapika’s clan to Gon going rouge to once again Kurapika trying to finish off the Phantom Troupe once and for all.
Another reason why Hunter x Hunter is so well-received is that it’s not afraid of shining to spotlight on its side characters, you’ll find entire arcs dedicated to a single side character trying to achieve their goals and ambitions. This way, Hunter x Hunter achieved impressive world-building and gave other characters the attention they deserved.
Here’s a video explaining why you should watch Hunter x Hunter:
Which Is Better Hunter x Hunter Or My Hero Academia?
Is this even a question? Of course, it’s Hunter x Hunter.
Both shonen has a broad array of characters with distinct powers, as well as a concentration on the battle and a quick pace. My Hero Academia’s themes are more childish and lighthearted, whereas Hunter x Hunter is deeper and more serious. HxH has more at risk and is smarter, however, MHA has its moments of brilliance and suspense as well. Both offer an excellent balance of plot and character development.
Everyone has a preference, however, one can’t compare such a lore-rich in-depth series like Hunter x Hunter to a very basic, clique shonen series like MHA. There’s no comparison. Almost everything in Hunter x Hunter is better. The narrative, theme, narration, storytelling, protagonists, villains, characters, and their complexity, character growth, world-building, character interactions, and tale diversity are all strong suits of Hunter X Hunter.
Hunter x Hunter flipped the shonen formula upside down. It avoids excessive strength leaps, has a very well-developed fighting system, finishes each arc with an unexpected twist, as well as the character’s reactions to various situations which is always genuine to their personalities. It’s the polar opposite of the majority of other series in this category.
Because it deviates from genre cliches, it’s one of the most surprising series I’ve watched, while also being among the most believable.
However, I’m not calling My Hero Academia bad by any means, It’s still a great series, and in some factors, it performs arguably better than Hunter x Hunter.
For example, My Hero Academia has an animation that’s leagues above Hunter x Hunter, each punch, each attack, and each scream holds a certain weight and depth to it, a battle between two powerful quirk users would always result in collateral damage, whether that be to the surroundings or other people.
My Hero Academia also has a much more diverse cast, and similar to Hunter x Hunter, it gives side characters their due screen time. The villains are relatable and sometimes you root for them to win.
Is Hunter x Hunter as good as One Piece?
These 2 great series are way too different from one another to be compared objectively, in my opinion, both are very good in their rights.
Both Anime have simple stories. Hunter x Hunter is a simple story about a boy finding his father while One Piece is the story of a young man Monkey D. Luffy whose dream is to find the legendary treasure known as the One Piece and become the King of the Pirates.
Both Anime have great protagonists who have been developed very well.
Luffy (the protagonist of One Piece) is a jolly and fun-loving character who has great ambitions, he’s never afraid to risk his life when it comes to protecting his crew and is very loyal. Gon (the protagonist of Hunter x Hunter), on the other hand, is very athletic and has inhuman senses. He tends to act without thinking which sometimes leads him into trouble.
Talking about side characters both Anime have great characters who are well developed. Hunter x Hunter has a great side cast with amazing characters like Kurapika and Killua but they’re nothing compared to 900+ characters handled very cleverly in One Piece. You can’t leave any character in the past because any character of the past can be relevant to the present.
Lastly, both Anime focus on different themes. Hunter x Hunter has talked about topics like human nature and recovering from trauma. One Piece talks about dreams, friendship, slavery, oppression, etc.
A Quick Review on Hunter x Hunter
Hunter x Hunter follows Gon Freecss, whose life purpose is to find his father Ging, a great hunter. Gon decides that in order to find his father, he needs to become a hunter himself, and he sets out to do so.
He meets Kurapika, Leorio, and Killua along the route. They set out to take the Hunter Exam together, and Gon’s journey to becoming a renowned hunter starts.
The HunterXHunter anime story is divided into seven arcs: Hunter exam, Zoldyck family, Heaven’s arena, Yorknew city, Greed island, Chimera ant, and Chairman election.
After being licensed, Gon and his comrades face off against the Phantom Troupe before entering the video game Greed Island in pursuit of clues to locate Gon’s father, Ging.
The two then become embroiled almost immediately in preventing the man-eating Chimera Ants from taking over humanity.
If you’re looking for a story with plot twists and developments that happen faster than the blink of an eye, this is the anime for you.
Conclusion
- Yoshihiro Togashi wrote and illustrated the Japanese Manga series, Hunter x Hunter. Since March 1998, it has been serialized in Shueisha’s shonen Manga magazine: The Weekly Shonen Jump, although this Manga has regularly been on hiatuses since 2006. As of October 2018, the segments have been collected into 36 tankabon volumes.
- Hunter x Hunter addresses the concept of growing up with deftness and depth, it challenges its hero to face a world that’s dirty and scary but yet worth investigating.
- Different strokes for different people and all, however, one can’t compare such a lore-rich in-depth series like Hunter x Hunter to a very basic, clique shonen series like My Hero Academia. There’s no comparison.
- You can’t compare Hunter x Hunter and One Piece as both are masterpieces. Both Anime have simple stories. Hunter x Hunter is a simple story about a boy finding his father while One Piece is the story of a young man Monkey D. Luffy whose dream is to find the legendary treasure known as the One Piece and become the King of the Pirates.
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