I started watching Hunter X Hunter ages ago. Then life did what it does and got real, and then I got distracted, and then I finally made my way back to the series and have finally completed it! Well, the anime anyway.
About Hunter x Hunter
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Shounen, Super Power
- Key themes: Friendship, ambition, morality under pressure, found family, training and growth
- Type: Series
- Average rating: 8.9/10
- Episodes: 148
- Duration to watch: +/- 49 hours 30 Minutes
- Age restriction: PG-13
- Trigger warnings: Violence, body horror (later arcs), peril involving children
- Release date: October 2011
- Animation Studio: MadHouse
- English dub: Yes
- Source: Manga by Yoshihiro Togashi (continues beyond the anime)
- Kanji: ハンター×ハンター
- Watch Hunter x Hunter on Crunchyroll
- Website
- Hashtags: #ハンター #HxH #HunterxHunter
Gon Freecss leaves Whale Island to take the infamous Hunter Exam and search for his father. Along the way, he teams up with Leorio, Kurapika, and Killua — four very different goals, one brutal path. As they train in Nen and face threats from the Phantom Troupe to the Chimaera Ants, the show shifts tone with each arc, testing loyalty, limits, and what “being a Hunter” costs.
My Thoughts:
Killua. Okay seriously, Killua.
I started this as the next long-running anime as my 5 a day. So it really should have taken me a month to watch this at most, but it took so much longer for a few reasons. Firstly, life happened, and as mentioned above, I got distracted. Secondly, the story had a slow start for me, and it took a while before I actually managed to get hooked on the story. I was interested in the budding friendship between Gon and Killua, and my interest was piqued by Hisoka and his devious antics.
Hunter Exam arc
The whole Hunter Exam arc was tedious for me, but it was an important one for character introduction and relationship building. I enjoyed the way the participants were forced to work together as well as against one another. The head-to-head fights were also pretty good. Honestly, I only really got interested when the plot took a turn and gave us more insight into Killua and his family. I was so happy when Gon decided to go after him.
Heavens Arena arc
The Heavens Arena arc was fun to watch, the battles and seeing Gon and Killua having fun and becoming better friends. I loved watching Killua develop his electricity abilities and Gon develop his abilities as well. It was a great arc to show how Nen can be used in different ways and what Nen really is. It made the Hunter world that bit more credible and explained a lot of the stuff we had seen in the Hunter Exam arc. My favourite battle in this arc was Hisoka vs Gon.
Phantom Troupe arc
I really enjoyed seeing some more familiar faces in the Phantom Troupe arc. It was nice to also have a switch-up and change the focus from Gon and Killua to Kurapika for a bit. The characters we meet in this arc are fun, and I actually liked the deplorable Phantom Troupe. The action was decent, and I am glad at how this arc wraps up.
Greed Island arc
During the Greed Island arc, I realised how much I actually dislike Gon’s dad. This was a really cruel arc, honestly. Just the whole idea and reality of the game got to me. Once again, the training was great, and I loved how this arc naturally flowed and followed from the previous arc without the obvious arc switch. This arc really allowed the boys to get a better understanding of what they could actually do and in which direction they should go.
Chimera Ant arc
My favourite of the arcs would be the Chimera Ant arc. Even though it is a really long and I mean long arc at 61 episodes, it was worth it. That’s over 40% of the entire anime dedicated to a single arc, but a whole lot happens. The full plot development and accumulation of the story was brilliantly done. This, for me, was one of the more emotive arcs where we really get to see many mindsets of the characters and what it really means to be a hunter in this world. I did not expect the level of emotion and heartache that I would be exposed to in this arc. The last half really took my breath away, and I doubt I will ever not think of this arc when I look back at this series.
Election arc
The last arc, the Election arc I was of two minds about. I loved the shift to Killua (I bet you saw that coming), and I was taken by surprise with the election quite a few times. The zodiacs annoyed me, as did the continuous back and forth, but on the whole, it amused me. I loved seeing the human side to Killua, who decided to free his younger sister. I am going to guess she is a girl, even though throughout the arc they referred to her as both a brother and a sister.
The ending of this arc, with the discussion between Gon and his father, was kind of a letdown for me. Most of the anime had been building up for their reunion, and personally, I felt something was missing. It was not all that it was cracked up to be, and I don’t feel that this is the way the anime should have concluded.
In the end credits, we see quite a few unexplored scenes, which let you know the story is not quite over yet.
Favourite Character: Killua Zoldyck
There is no contest for my favourite character in this series. It is, hands down, without a doubt, Killua. For me, he just ticked all the boxes. For me, he had the most growth emotionally throughout the series, and honestly, he was the reason I came back to HXH. He was also a big part of why I stayed. If he had not been part of the series, I probably would have taken even longer to get back to it and complete it.
Character that irritated me: Gon Freecss
Gon, as the main character, was slightly more restricted in the direction he could go. Although saying that, he still irritated me. The irritation probably results more from the way that he treats Killua, or more likely, the way Killua keeps getting hurt and worries about Gon. So yeah, my fave character is influencing my choice here. More than just that, his actual personality is the type of person I would get irritated with really quickly in the real world.
Character liked Just because: Hisoka Morow
What can I say? I love the crazies and the bad a** characters. He is powerful, smart and confident. He helps shape the plot without being too much of an influence. He is just one of the characters that are neither good nor bad, but just self-interested and do what they want when they want. It was a refreshing addition.
Would I recommend this anime? Yes, I would. I am so happy that this anime does not rely on Gon to take on the ‘big boss’ for the end of every arc. He is not the overpowered character that we typically see in shounen, where the power of friendship is what ups his abilities immediately after having his butt handed to him. The story did a great job of showing the work put in after every defeat to improve and get stronger. They did not rely on a single main character to save the day but made use of the organisations, rules and people already in the world in such a way that we constantly met new faces and went on an adventure. Now I am going to start the whole journey over again with the manga!
Hunter × Hunter builds a layered world where every arc has its own identity, tone, and impact. Some stretches drag, but the payoffs are unforgettable.
Strong world rules, clear cause-and-effect, and character growth that feels earned. Not every stretch lands, but the highs are towering. I’m glad it doesn’t rely on the protagonist to solve every crisis; the wider world actually matters.
What did you think of Hunter × Hunter? Did a particular arc stand out for you?
My rating: 8/10
Strong world-building, earned character growth, and towering highs. Not flawless, but it’s a series that leaves you thinking long after the credits roll.
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