If there is one anime series that endlessly sparks the thrillseeker in me, it’s Hunter x Hunter! Even from its theme song, Departure, anyone can tell that this series is nothing but endless escapades, exhilaration, and eccentricity!
Created by Yoshihiro Togashi, this series follows the life of Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio; four aspiring hunters, or licensed professionals, in discovering uncharted territories, encountering exotic beasts, and pursuing riches. We follow this incredible squad as they adjust to the intense world around them, face unrelenting foes, and endure psychological dilemmas on vengeance, familial abuse, and forgiveness.
Gon is our rambunctious main character who seeks to follow in his absent father’s footsteps to become as great a hunter as him. Killua is a young former assassin who befriends Gon, and from this friendship, he gradually strays from the path of bloodshed and darkness set by his family.
Kurapika, my favorite character, is the calm and collected voice of reason in the group and wishes to avenge his massacred Kurta Clan, who possessed the valuable Scarlet Eyes. Throughout the series, he grapples with his scarlet-tinted rage and grief. Almost the complete opposite, Leorio is our impulsive, greedy comic relief character and aspiring doctor with a secret desire to aid those who are poor, stemming from his childhood in poverty.
The power of friendship is the oldest cliche in the book, yet in this series, it is meaningful and tender. Our main four have incredible chemistry; with each arc, their friendship blends with the cutthroat world of Hunters.
Gon and Killua’s friendship sparks quickly with a striking balance between lightness and darkness, respectively: the life of the ambitious son of an elusive yet famous Hunter versus the life of an up-and-coming assassin weighed down by familial business.
Gon is Killua’s first friend, and he often feels unsure if Gon even reciprocates the friendship (which he clearly does). Arc by arc, he learns to break away from the sheltered, sanguine world of his upbringing and join an open-ended life with Gon and their friends. Kurapika and Leorio offer an additional balance of levelheadedness and zaniness, mirroring their younger friends and completing the squad perfectly.
The antagonists in this series are fantastically maniacal. Hisoka is an enigmatic magician, elusive yet dangerous, charismatic yet deplorable.
This may be an unpopular opinion, but Chrollo did not do it for me as a character. Even if he doesn’t quite intrigue me like other villains do, he operates well as a menacing, looming presence against a character like Kurapika. Illumi, Killua’s older brother, is a delightful minor antagonist and his bloodlust can make him eerie and unsettling.
The world of Hunters is perilous, enthralling, and whimsical, from the many trials of the Hunter Exam to the underground dealings in Yorknew City. With each arc, this series knows how to adjust its tone accordingly and how to spotlight its characters. The Hunter Exam arc perfectly introduces this winding world with our main four facing the many tricky yet strategic assessments to be a proper Hunter. The Heaven’s Arena arc sees Gon and Killua as our leading duo undergoing intense training to get stronger (as typical in Shonen); along the way, we’re introduced to the series’ power system: Nen.
I am in no way an expert when it comes to power systems (I struggled to define cursed techniques in my Jujutsu Kaisen article), so I’ll keep this brief. Nen is a technique involving the manipulation of aura to gain supernatural-like powers. To discover your nen ability, you take a water divination test involving a leaf floating on top of a glass of water.
The Yorknew City arc unravels more grim overtones of this series, focusing on Kurapika recovering the stolen eyes of his dead clan members by joining the Mafia. During this arc, he channels his grief and rage by targeting the Phantom Troupe, the band of criminals responsible for the Kurta Clan massacre. Not only is the plot intricate and emotional, but we see how Kurapika reacts when he finally encounters the infamous troupe and the stakes in enacting revenge.
I’ll admit, Greed Island is my least favorite arc, but I can see why it’s important. We see Gon join a game created by his father and get one step closer to finding him at last. In these early arcs, the series is light and adventurous without being superficial – you are drawn into a vast world of unknown creatures and hidden regions and become invested in our main characters honing and specializing their aura (known as Nen). They often microdose on tragic backstories and don’t dwell too much on darker subjects until Yorknew City, of course, the Chimera Ant arc.
As the series’ longest arc, it fully plunges into complex storytelling, merciless deaths, and dreadfully high stakes. Everyone and their grandma has heard of the name, Chimera Ant, even if they have never watched the series. I don’t think a measly review could even cover everything compelling about it, but let’s just say it stretches the imagination of what a Hunter is.
What do I mean by this? I mean, our main four must face the limitations of their powers once a real threat to humanity is within proximity. The man-eating insects, known as Chimera Ants, are wiping out major populations, dictated by their king and the arc’s antagonist, Meruem. As the offspring of the Chimera Ant Queen, Meruem ruthlessly emerges as an arbiter of violence, viewing humans as mostly useless.
Driven by world conquests, he is a formidable force and a severe threat, yet something in him gradually changes when he meets Komugi, a blind young woman and a world champion in Gungi, an ancient board game. Through their Gungi matches, Meruem continuously loses yet becomes captivated with her, learning to respect and even love her. As his foil, Komugi inspires a change of heart for the previously ruthless tyrant.
Between the bleak and brutal moments in this arc, their interactions during these matches show Meruem softening to humanity and the potential of humans to coexist with the ants. I love how this series can still wiggle in a tenderhearted subplot that subtly but brilliantly impacts the main plot. It’s seriously no wonder why anime fans laud this arc as a gold standard in every aspect, especially since it introduces amazing characters such as Kite and Neferpitou.
The only thing that keeps it from being my absolute favorite arc is the emotional intensity. I appreciate how this arc is such a foreboding contrast to the rest of the series, but I’m not usually in the mood to have my emotions turned inside, even when I know how it all ends.
As with any anime series, I can do without uncomfortable conventions like Hisoka being unnecessarily creepy toward Gon or the occasional exaggerated female designs. Giving this series its flowers, however, fanservice and filler content is minimal. One review isn’t enough to cover all the beautiful nuances, themes, and colorful characters, but any excuse to talk about my favorite anime series is more than okay with me!
Check it out, and if you happen to stumble upon a fan of the series, be sure not to say the ‘x’ in Hunter x Hunter!
