Ru Review: Hunter x Hunter

[DearSweetAru]

[size=medium]This series I reviewed in sections, mostly based on their seasons.
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 [size=small][size=medium]SEASON 1 REVIEW[/size][/size]

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[size=small]If it isn't obvious... Killua is and always will be my favorite.[/size]

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Mind you, this is for the newer one with like... 5 seasons.

I own up toooooo... I think volume 15 or so of the manga (I need to get back into collecting it again, omfg). I've already watched the previous, much shorter anime. So, I decided to start watching the new, extended version of it when it popped up on Netflix (and squeed when it was in Japanese, fuck English dubs).

I noticed some scenes they took out, which you honestly wouldn't clue in without reading the manga. They do add a bit to it, but at the same time there aren't scenes that are a HUGE deal to take out; which, honestly, is common with Yoshihiro Tagashi's work. Just like with YuYu Hakusho (which I love the fuckin' shit out of) stuff got taken out that happened in the manga, but it doesn't change anything about it. It doesn't really take away. It was just an added spice that you get through reading (like the fact that Yusuke's mom went to the Dark Tournament with them in the manga).

Anyway, as said, it wasn't a big deal that they were removed. Mostly some scenes from the first phase when they are running down the loooong ass tunnel. There was also some bits missing from when they reached phase 2 with the Gourmet Hunters. If they wanted to keep to ACTION ACTION ACTION I can see why it was removed. They got their point across without the added scene, though with how they ended the first season... I kinda wish they just added those scenes instead.

Season 1 is 100% focused on the Hunter Exam. The end reveals who all passed and season 2 starts with them having their licenses, splitting up, blah blah.

I loved pretty much everything, except for bits that... really don't spoil shit.

For one, they kept having fuckin' summary episodes. The way they would do this is by having Gon sending a letter to his aunt. I was hoping maybe it would take up a bit of the episode... but no. The entire episode would be a summary of what had happened up to that point. Some of it you would hear Gon talking ass she read the letter and sometimes it wouldn't be in order (like if he's focusing on Killua then it'll be about Killua then he goes to another character and starts from wherever).

When it first happened I was like, "Oh, okay. I guess maybe it was awhile from the last episode?"

Then they did it again.

The fuckin' LAST EPISODE was Gon summarizing shit to his aunt. AGAIN. The episode before that they could have easily ended season 1 and it would have been perfect, but no. They had to do a bullshit summary episode.

And every episode starts off with the SAME brief description of Hunters, then goes into the theme.

And in season 2 every episode starts off with a brief description of Nen.

I really hope this doesn't happen every season. I think Imma end up skipping to the start of the episode every time, even though I like the theme for it.

Which, the themes is something that made me happy and confused at the same time.

Happy, because it's like YuYu. The beginning theme remains the same, more or less, though HxH adds in different background scenes once a new season starts (so far. I haven't finished season 2 yet, so this could change). However, the ending theme changes, which is what YuYu did. The beginning stayed the same and the ending would change to fit what was going on more, which I liked.

What confused me... was listening to Japanese screaming rock as the ending theme for season 1. SOMETIMES I like screaming, but not often, and hearing it in another language just confused me. Namely because it's an anime. In all the anime I have watched I have NEVER heard screaming until the new version of HxH. I can see how it fits with the fighting.

However, season 2's ending does not contain screaming. I'm not sure if maybe they got bad feedback, decided season 2 needed something different, or what. 

Rock isn't uncommon for his pieces.

YuYu was made in 1990, so the music for it was late 80s-early 90s music of Japan. Rock for them and probably light rock for us. If you listen to extended pieces they contain guitar and whatnot. So I suppose since HxH is from the 2000s they decided to incorporate the newer, screaming rock.

Overall? I still love HxH and I plan on finishing it.

I love the characters, the stories, and the ideas. It's such an interesting concept and I need to get back into collecting the manga. 

Gon and Killua's relationship is so fuckin' adorable. I absolutely love seeing them together. I love that, sure, they have great potential, but they are still kids. They still don't understand the world. They still have so much to learn. Killua being the cocky one, believing he is the best, only to find out he has a long way to go before he can reach that. While Gon just wants to learn more and find his dad.

I can't wait to watch more.

Namely can't wait until they are finally in the game world. I loved that part when reading the manga.​

 

[DearSweetAru]

[size=medium]SEASON 2&3 REVIEW[/size]

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I already started season 4 and totally forgot I was doing reviews by season for Hunter x Hunter. That's just how into this show I am. I fuckin' marathoned the majority of it while working on some artwork. I'm at a part where I either haven't read yet (I own about 15 volumes of the manga) or I just don't remember it. Either way, I still thoroughly enjoy the show.

The music has changed. Well, mainly the ending theme. The intro changes the people you see based on which plot arc it is on (since, ya know... some characters die and go away...). Ending theme changes entirely each season. I expected as much because it's what YuYu Hakusho did and that is the same creator. YYH didn't change the images in the intro theme, though the ending did change every season.

I know no one really cares about beginnings and endings when it comes to review; but I thought it was a fun tidbit. FUN RANDOM FACT YOU WON'T EVER CARE ABOUT.

However, I'm not really writing this piece to review it so much as say... I'm extremely glad I am watching it.

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Now, hear me out. If you really don't like shonen anime AT ALL, then, yeah. Steer clear from Hunter x Hunter, YuYu, DBZ, and the likes. You'll feel some repeats because that's what shonens tend to do. They are very heavy on action, fighting, etc. HxH isn't the same though. Sure, anyone could say that about any of them, but I really feel this is true when it comes to this anime in particular.

I love the shit out of YuYu. It was my first anime that I knew was an anime when watching it. I'm still working on collecting the manga (because when I like something enough I refuse to read it online and force myself to buy it to continue it); and have seen the entire series in Japanese and English. It will always have a soft spot for me, but you can tell from YuYu to HxH that Togashi matured as an artist.

Sure, both have a bunch of jokes befitting the time period he made them in (Japanese YuYu has a lot of jokes from the late 80s-early 90s). I love the characters of both and feel for both... but it was HxH that really sent the message home. I can't say it's because HxH was better at doing it. It might just be all the shit I'm going through in my life right now that resulted in it resonating with me.

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You are constantly watching the characters fail and overcome their shortcomings. You see them almost give up and push themselves through hard times. They acknowledge who is better than them and don't let it get in the way of their goals. Some of them start off cocky and think they are the best (Killua); but realize just how much they need to improve. You see revenge obsession that could have gone wrong, but thanks to having great friends they were able to persevere. You see them uprooting themselves from their homes and having to adjust to the world around them. They are learning. They are growing. They watch people die and face life threatening scenarios.

They never give up.

You watch them as they go through vigorous training to get better. Breaking bones, almost dying, falling unconscious for days... but they don't let anything stop them. Namely Gon, who really doesn't get as much credit as he deserves when it comes to fan base.

He was ranked 3rd favorite character of the show. I don't have to look up who 2nd and 1st were. I'd imagine it's safe to assume 1st was Killua and 2nd was Kurapika, just like YuYu (Hiei, Kurama, Yusuke). People like the goofy but deadly killer of Killua, much like they did Hiei in YuYu. Then Kurapika is super pretty boy that you could easily mistake as a girl, like Kurama. They both go through plenty of character development, but without Gon they would be nothing.

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Killua would still be an empty killing machine, blindly following his family and not understanding what it is he really wants to do in life. Sure, he initially left to go to the Hunter's Exam out of boredom, but he would have ended up going right back home after without Gon. He wouldn't have traveled around. He wouldn't have gone to Greed Island. He wouldn't have learned Nen. You see this consistently throughout the show as he fails to express to Gon how much his friendship means to him. They have such an adorable relationship.

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Kurapika would just be hellbent on revenge, completely forgetting what meaning life holds at all. When he is with Gon he realizes how dire the situation is and how much he is really in pain. He lost his clan. He is the last of his people. It's all very sad and the fact he dedicated his life to offing the spiders because of it just makes it more so. There's an episode where he is convinced they are all dead and he just looks... lifeless. Life lost all meaning, because ultimately once all of the troupe is dead he really won't have anything else left to life. It is Gon who reminds him his main focus should be to get the eyes of his clan back. Gon who reminds him what life is without trying.

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Gon consistently touches the hearts of all the characters in the show without trying. It's just how he is naturally and, honestly? I can see why. It isn't something Togashi forced. It's not one of those instances where you feel like the creator is trying to make you like a character when there's really no reason to. Not an instance of, "HE IS MAIN CHARACTER LIKE HIM HE HAS NO FLAWS."

If Gon were a real person this is how the world would react to him.

He doesn't see good and evil. He has a genuine, natural curiosity. He wants to learn as much as he can and he never gives up. He wants a fair fight, no matter who he is up against. 

It is really... inspiring.

Just watching it all. Watching all the characters grow. It makes me wish I had a Gon in my life or I could be the Gon in someone's life. Who knows. Maybe I do and just don't realize it on both accounts.

I was feeling distraught, lost, and alone. No matter how many people were there for me and how many people tried to make me see differently it was how I felt. I'm well aware these are all fictional characters... but watching it helped me open my eyes. 

Sometimes that's the kind of eye opener you need. An outside perspective completely unrelated to you. A movie. A song. An anime.

I am not gonna give up and I am not gonna let my shitty family get to me anymore. Sure, it hurts like a bitch, but they don't control me anymore. Sure, moving resulted in a loss of friends, but I can make new ones. I can keep going. I can move on.

I am not alone. I have a lot of awesome friends all holding me up and my dad.  Sometimes they get busy, but when I ultimately need someone they are there for me.

I need to own this series. Manga, anime, and all.

[size=x-small]Shower tiiiiimme~[/size][/align]​

 

[DearSweetAru]

[size=medium]SEASONS 4&5 REVIEW[/size]

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In truth, this is mostly focused on five.

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WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT FUCKIN' SEASON ENDING WAS THAT, SEASON FIVE?! UGHHH! OMFG.

Sometimes Hunter x Hunter does a GREAT job ending seasons, like how they ended season 4 on a cliffhanger. That was neat. Leave ya going, "DOES HE FINALLY MEET GING?!" It takes Gon a helluva lot longer to find his dad than the Winchester brothers; Ging is a sneaky bastard.

So, before I rant and rave about how PISSED I am over how that season ended... I'll start with discussing 4.

Season 4 they are still on Greed Island, which is a really awesome arc. If you like video games and the idea of one actually being real, then it is the saga for you! It's really awesome and makes it so not only Nen users reign. It's also easy for someone to get so caught up they never want to leave.

There are various cards which all can come into play each with their own limitations on uses. You are told from the get-go in when Gon enters Greed Island that he will NOT be seeing Ging at all, so it really isn't a shock when ya don't see him on the island. In this saga the primary focus is Gon and Killua getting stronger; meeting their second master; and beating the game.

Overall it is Ging testing his son's true strength, assuming Gon made it that far. Ging is being very presumptuous that his son will be exactly like him, but he got lucky that he really is. I wonder if we'll ever see the mother, but I wouldn't be surprised if not (or if she would only appear in the manga).

It is a really fun arc. I love watching them on Greed Island and seeing how they overcome their shortcomings. Bisky was a nice addition to the bunch and it was fun seeing her again in later episodes.

However... it's season 5 that I really want to ramble about. I have to put it into a spoiler tag because it's near impossible to rant about it without spoiling it.

Mind you, I don't suddenly hate the series. I just get peeved when shows decide to give shitty season endings. It wasn't a legit cliffhanger. It was just an abrupt stop.

SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT

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So Season 5 is the beginning of the Chimera Ant saga. At first I was really, really skeptical on the whole ordeal.

Why?

Because Chimera Ants are a type of ant that evolve based on what they eat. The Queen can give birth to a shit ton of soldiers, like any ant, and how strong they are is based on what she eats. So, the start of this season was all about how the a Queen Chimera Ant managed to eat a bunch of shit, make strong soldiers, and one of those lackies brought her humans. Resulting in me sitting there going, "Um... do I really give a shit about ants...? Please tell me you are going somewhere with this, Togashi."

Luckily I trust the creator enough, otherwise I may have stopped because it was a really slow start. However, of all the seasons, this is the darkest one by far.

Lo and behold, humans are the most nutritious. As a result, the Queen continues to demand more and more. The first humans you see you they even dedicate most of an episode to just so you can get attached to them... then watch them die.

Characters from earlier one will pop up... and die brutally. I'm not saying random ass side characters you don't feel anything for. I'm talking about characters they introduced, explained, blah blah. You sit there thinking they are a good guy so they HAVE to live... but nope. Eaten alive, lobotomy... the works.

There were dark aspects before in both this and YuYu Hakusho, but how this was executed is really what made it dark. You'd see someone perfectly healthy one second and BAM. Dead on the ground. Earlier seasons you knew and vaguely heard about bad circumstances, but you didn't really see too much. This one you watch someone get their brain prod; see starving slaves walking around on bleeding elbows and knees; people getting stomped to death; and yeaaaaah. 

I still wouldn't consider it "gore" by any means. Eaten alive you see the back of the creature, blood everywhere, you get the point. So it's nothing considered rated R, but it is so much darker than before.

What has me peeved is the ending.

Season 5 stops during combat. It's not even significant combat. Killua is fighting one of the random ass Chimera Ants who is angry that Killua called him an octopus (despite clearly being one). The end. That's how season 5 stops. Abruptly. Which is all that Netflix has, so I have to go on crunchyroll or something to watch the rest of it. WTF.

I also find it irritating that watching the theme pretty much ruins a lot of the premise. The King being born is such a huge deal, but you can see what he looks like and his royal guards in the theme long before any of them exist. So when they explain how the ranking works early on you're already like, "Oh, those are the guards and that's the King." The end.

[size=x-small]And the big baddy kind of makes me think of a love child between a ninja turtle and Frieza from DBZ... >____>[/size][/align]​

 

[DearSweetAru]

[size=medium]ENDING/SEASON 6 REVIEW[/size]

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[size=x-small]DEM FUCKIN' FEELS[/size]

[size=medium]WHY DID IT HAVE TO END?! NOOOO![/size][/align]
If you want an anime that will send you up and down a roller coast of feels, then Hunter x Hunter is definitely the series for you! Mind you, I mean the 2011-2014 one. If you are watching it on Netflix, then you DEFINITELY need to continue on a different site or torrent it or something; because Netflix will leave you feeling unfinished  and angry. Honestly? I wouldn't even trust what Netflix considers "seasons," since, much like YuYu Hakusho, Hunter x Hunter is more into sagas than actual seasons.

You have the Hunter Exam, Zoldyck Family, Heavens Arena, Yorknew City (aka, the black market auction), Greed Island, and Chimera Ant.

The series starts off utterly adorable. The darker aspects more or less removed at this point; since there were some stuff that occurred in the manga that were entirely left out.

[size=x-small]Please tell me I'm not the only person who thinks this is Lambchop the Human.[/size][/align]
Before I dive into it, which I'm going to go over each arc in spoilers, I am going to say that this is definitely one of my favorite anime if not my absolute favorite. You get a feel for all of the characters present before you. At some points you even hate yourself for feeling sorry for the bad guy. It plays with your emotions and you really do end up attached to so many characters presented. There isn't necessary a character which lacks development. Even side characters aren't left out, even if they aren't to thoroughly delved into. It's an extremely fun show that doesn't lose what it was originally about. You watch the characters gradually grow with each obstacle they face. People die. Not just side characters. People just straight up die and it's not in a predictable fashion. It constantly keeps you on your toes and leaves you wanting more. Even the last episode does.

I very rarely cry, at least when it comes to TV shows, movies, and the like. It is not common for me to feel emotionally invested. Without an ample amount of character development I really won't give two shits.

But Hunter x Hunter?

I cried.

There were a shit ton of moments where I was bawling my eyes out and going, "nonononononononononono." So, if you are one of those weirdos who trusts my judgment... Don't even bother with the review. Just go fuckin' watch it. Right now. NOW.

WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?! GO WATCH IT. MY RANTS AREN'T THAT INTERESTING ANYWAY!

[size=x-small]Look at her! Seriously. She's fuckin' Lambchop![/size]
[/align][size=medium]QUICKIE/GENERAL SUMMARIES OF THE SEASONS[/size]

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HUNTER EXAM
The Hunter Exam is when you get to meet everyone! Well, pretty much everyone. You meet the main characters Gon and Killua. You also meet Leorio and Kurapika who you swear would end up mains... but they don't. Kurapika kinda disappears entirely after awhile. Leorio does as well, but comes back towards the end of the Chimera Ant arc. Overall, the protagonist is Gon Freecs with his best friend Killua Zoldyck.

Gon is on a search for his father, Ging, whom left the island they are from around the same age Gon is at the start of the series (which is like... 12?). Ging is a very well known hunter and the entirety of the show is dedicated to Gon seeking him out. Ging is mudda fuckin' Yusuke from YuYu Hakusho.

This arc is extremely fun. There are a little bit of dark aspects, but nothing you would go, "Woah, wow? Really? I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" at. This saga has the most humor of all of the arcs, since this is prior to Gon realizing the harsh reality of life. At this point he is still an innocent flower. He has no opinion concerning what is good or bad, but he does have a sense of pride and honor.

I thoroughly loved this arc as they introduced the various kinds of hunters. At first you are wondering, "What is a hunter? What do they do? Do they just kill things?" only to find out there is a lot more to it. Sure, there are hunters that specialize in killing, but then you have your Gourmet Hunter who hunts around for the best, most rare ingredients to make luxurious meals.

I have never grown tired of this arc. I read it in the manga and watched it in both versions of the anime. It really gives you a feel for who Gon and Killua are; and establishes the beginning of their adorable friendship.

Zoldyck Family
This is when Gon, for reasons I'm not revealing, runs off to Killua's property to get him back and make him realize Gon considered him a friend all along. He has to go through a variety of trials to get there, all while gaining the favor of the help. There is just something really likable about Gon that they can't quite understand.

The family and servants are baffled, since Killua has never had friends before. Not that Killua didn't want friends, but his family ensured he never would. You learn more about Killua's past, why he is the way he is,and how fucked up his family is.

This arc solidifies their enduring friendship and is when the group splits their ways. You don't see Leorio and Kurapika again until they are in Yorknew City.

[size=x-small]Seeing Killua cry breaks my heart :<[/size]
[/align]HEAVENS ARENA
This is another fun arc! :> This is where they get to learn Nen and start getting bad ass SUPER POWAHS! They are trying to save money to possibly buy a game called Greed Island (ooo foreshadowing to another arc), which costs a lot.

In the arena you have to beat people up to get up in the ranks. Each level gets you more money when you win. You can make it all the way up to the floor masters whose asses you can kick to get a perma-suite (you can only lose it if someone kicks your ass) and a bunch of luxuries. However, Gon and Killua don't give two shits about this XD which I find so hilarious.

You get to watch them get more powerful, yadayada. You also get to be introduced to Nen, which is pretty damned fun. You meet Wing, which is the first master the boys have. Hisoka comes back, because, ya know, that dick just can't ever go away.

Yorknew City
This arc gets pretty sad. The gang all meets up again and it's evident Kurapika has changed a lot. He's so obsessed with killing the spiders (crazy killer people; you can find out more about them if you watch it... SERIOUSLY WHY ARE YOU READING THIS SHIT) and getting his clan's eyes back that he loses sight of what life is all about. So, a lot of doom and gloom. Killua and Gon kind of keep the mood up, but it's hard when Kurapika is such a huge emo kid. Major downer, man.

They all try to help him out and Gon even tries to convince him to stop killing the spiders; and instead focus on getting the eyes back. However, this is hard for Kurapika to ignore.

This season it starts to delve into darker elements. It's gradual and doesn't necessarily catch you off guard, but definitely not what you'd expect after season 1. 

Introducing: THE SPIDERS DUNDUN

Gon and Killua do end up obtaining Greed Island, though I'm not going to say how. Come to find out it's a game you have to possess Nen to play. They enter the game and head onto the next arc, leaving Leorio and Kurapika.

[size=x-small]Creepily adorable, no?[/size]
​[/align]Greed Island
This is one of my favorite arcs! But, maybe it's just the gamer in me.They get to explore what they believe is a gaming world. You have to collect all 100 reserved slot cards to win the game, in which you get to bring any 3 reserved slot cards with you into the real world.

A lot of people choose to live in the game instead of bothering trying to go home. Not Gon and Killua though! In this arc they meet Bisky, their second master who helps them get bad ass with their Nen. It's really neat watching them grow, learn, and get stronger throughout this saga. They find unique ways to use the cards and use strategic measures to their advantage.

Chimera Ants
This is where the series reaches its darkest point to where my jaw was dropped. I could not believe what was going on.

At first the saga is really boring and I was disappointed. Like, ants? Really? That's the big baddie? But then you learn more about the Chimera Ants and how they work and then you're like, "Shit, those are some scary mother fuckers."

In this one they do a very good job at making you hate the big baddies. Sure, you understand where the ants are coming from, but how they are doing it is dickish. At first I thought they were trying to pull some bullshit of how humans treat other animals, but realistically it is how the ants would work in that scenario. Anyway, eventually the big baddies are introduced who are absolute dicks. Seriously. I hated myself when I felt sorry for the worst one towards the end, but it was so hard not to.

People die out of nowhere left and right; and rather brutally. Eaten alive, lobotomy, the works. I was floored. I could not believe all the shit that was happening at all.

Meanwhile you watch some serious transformations with Gon and Killua.  Like... I don't wanna ruin it, but it was heartbreaking. I cried so much during this saga.

The Elections
Not... technically a saga, but it felt weird to put it with Chimera Ants. After everything they have some special elections I'm not gonna get too into. During this there a lot of heart-wrenching things and it is when you see Leorio again. Not gonna lie, I bawled my eyes out wen he was reunited with Gon. You'll understand why if you make it to that point.

It's all really sad and sweet for the characters involved. Killua faces some very hard decisions.

In the end Killua and Gon split up. Not that they aren't friends anymore, by any means, but they decide to go their separate ways. Of all of the things in this series this broke my heart the most, especially knowing how much they mean to each other. I know it's realistic to life, since eventually friends do split up... but it still made me cry.
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[size=x-small]If you can't tell... I cried a lot. Much feelz.[/size][/align]
My summaries are all very lame, but I really don't wanna ruin it for anyone who wants to watch this awesome series. I would rewatch this, which is saying a lot coming from me. I rarely rewatch shows, ever. YuYu Hakusho I have, but not much else.

EASTER EGGS
Much like Pixar, Hunter x Hunter has a SHIT TON of Easter eggs in it, but you will only notice them if you have watched YuYu Hakusho. In the background you can find charms and stuffed animals of characters from it, as well as the creator himself. Yoshihiro Togashi likes to draw himself as a dog with glasses when he's talking to his readers in the manga and you can see this dog in a lot of places. It made me squee.​

 

[Demon_skeith]

Good review, and I really need to get into this anime one of these days.

 

[DearSweetAru]

You definitely should! It is a really great show.