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The broadcast series of Hunter X Hunter (1999) was the first adaptation of the long-running manga by Yoshihiro Togashi, the creator of Yu Yu Hakusho; three OVA sequels and stage versions came later. Gon, the 12-year-old hero of the popular adventure, wants to follow in the footsteps of his absent father and become a Hunter. To obtain the requisite license for this demanding profession, he and hundreds of other applicants must undergo a rigorous and often deadly battery of tests that demand stamina, dexterity, intelligence, and imagination. As he begins the exams, Gon makes three friends with complimentary skills that enable them to overcome the obstacles. Aspiring doctor Leorio provides first aid; Kurapika carefully analyzes situations; the scion of a family of assassins, Killua possesses deadly knowledge. What half-pint Gon lacks in size, he makes up in speed, agility and pluck. His father’s old fishing rod is the only weapon he needs. In the first episodes, the mismatched quartet tackles challenges that range from seeing through an elaborate ruse to killing and roasting gigantic wild pigs. The endless squabbles between Leorio and Kurapika provide comic relief. Unlike the brawling Yusuke in Yu Yu Hakusho, Gon has a reflective side that balances his enthusiasm. He’s not as funny as Yusuke, but he’s more likable. Gon recognizes that a hypothetical question on a test could pose a serious ethical dilemma in the real world, a thought that would never occur to Yusuke. Hunter X Hunter has been eagerly awaited in the US, and otaku will find this highly entertaining series was worth the wait. (Rated T+ Older Teen: violence, grotesque imagery, alcohol use) –Charles Solomon
(1. Boy Setting Out for a Journey x Leaving Behind the Sound of the Wind, 2. Encounter x Hesitation x Departure, 3. Pride x Stormy Waters x Duel, 4. Decision x Shortcut x Detour, 5. Lie x Truth? x Kiriko, 6. Steak x Marathon x Exam Begins, 7. Trauma x Limit x Sweet Trap, 8. Conjurer x Smile x Beasts Beware, 9. Menchi x Furious x Second Phase? 10. Failing x Panic x Heavenly Voice, 11. Exploration x Guts x Stowaway, 12. Good Boy? x Bad Boy? x Killua, 13. Pro x Con x Trap, 14. Candles x Policy x Dispute, 15. Transient x Life x MajitanI)
Product Description
Hunters are a special breed, dedicated to tracking down treasure, magical beasts, and even humans. But such pursuits require a license, and less than one in a hundred thousand can pass the grueling qualification exam. Gon might be a country boy, but he has high aspirations. Despite his aunt’s protest, Gon decides to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a legendary Hunter. The journey begins on the long, arduous road to the Exam Hall, where he meets Leorio and Kurapika, two applicants with the same determination. Gon and his two companions must now prove their worth and earn the right to call themselves Hunters!
Contains episodes 1-15/ Bilingual (English and Japanese) with optional English subtitles
The `HUNTER X HUNTER’ series is one of the most popular and long-running manga series in Japan. Written and designed by Yoshihiro Togashi (creator of `Yu Yu Hakusho’), the manga series began in 1998 and is still ongoing to this day.
As for the animated series, the 62-episode TV series which was shown on FUJI TV began in October 1999 and ended in March 2001.
As the series is celebrating its 10th Year Anniversary, it’s fitting that finally one of Japan’s beloved anime series makes its way to the US with a 15-episode vol. 1 box set courtesy of Shonen Jump Home Video.
The first volume focuses on a young boy named Gon who is rescued by a hunter, Kite.
Kite is looking for another fellow Hunter named Ging Freecss. A man that Kite served as an apprentice for who has a gift of being able to communicate with animals but also a reputation of being one of the greatest hunters ever.
Kite learns that Gon has the same abilities as Ging and wants to learn more about this young boy and discovering that Gon, may be the son of the well-known hunter.
Gon was told his father died long ago but learns that he is still alive and immediately wants to follow his father’s footsteps by becoming a hunter and also hoping he can find and meet his father.
A hunter is a person who is granted special privileges in the world. They can roam in areas that the public is not allowed to visit, they can go to establishments without having to pay for it, they have a license to hunt and do other jobs that are only specific to those who have a hunter’s license.
But not everyone can become a hunter. Only a few become hunters and in this case, only one hunter can be chosen. Also, to make it more challenging, only a few make it past certain tests. But for Gon, he is determined to follow his father’s footsteps and will do what it takes to become a hunter.
Gon is different from other hunters since he was raised by a loving relative and lived in a village where there has not been much strife or conflict, so he is a bit naive about the world around him. In fact, his motivation in becoming a hunter is so opposite of what other hunters are wanting it for. But Gon’s pure and positive attitude seems to have an effect on the people that he meets.
As for Gon, he has the ability to communicate with animals like his father and carries a fishing pole that acts like a weapon and helps him swing to different areas. He is also learning more and more about his abilities as he continues on in his hunter training with his friends.
Along the way, he meets three others who will be taking the hunter exam and the four form a friendship and become a circle of friends helping each other out. Gon befriends:
Leorio – Gon meets Leorio, a man who wears a business suit and sunglasses who has a hot temper but has a good heart. He seems to want to be a hunter because of money but why he wants the money is explained in this first volume. Leorio is a great fighter and if his hunger is full, he exhibits tremendous strength.
Kurapika – Gon meets Kurapika while traveling on ship to another island. Kurapika tends to get at odds with Leorio in the beginning because both have different reasons for wanting a Hunter license. For Kurapika, his motivation to get a hunter’s license is for revenge and it is explained during his storyline on volume 1. Kurapika is intelligent, a balanced fighter and also is a conjurer and specialist with the ability to materialize objects with his imagination.
Killua Zoldyck – The fourth member of the team is Killua, a mysterious boy that finds Gon’s purity interesting and thus immediately, because of how Gon is, Killua immediately becomes friends with the three. Killua comes from an upbringing of an assassin and is a trained killer. He somewhat has a split personality. He can be seen as a happy, young person intrigued by people but when in battle, he can turn and become a deadly individual who enjoys the thrill of killing. Killua is learning to control himself and his weaknesses as shown in this first volume.
The first volume is literally an introduction to the four friends who want to become hunters and during their adventures of traveling to a variety of islands and areas, are faced with immediate and deadly challenges that they must be prepared for. You learn of their motivations of becoming a hunter but how they learn to help each other in achieving success during their long training.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
The animation of “HUNTER X HUNTER” has similarities to Togashi’s other popular work “Yu Yu Hakusho” in terms of character designs. Also, with the series created back in 1999, you expect to see quality of a TV anime series created in the 90s completely different to the digital colorful quality of anime TV series of today. So, you do get noise on the video as would be expected from an older animated TV series.
But for an anime TV series created in the late 90s, you get a lot of shading through the backgrounds and dungeon areas. You get to see the luscious backgrounds painted. The cool aspect of “HUNTER X HUNTER” animation-wise is that the main characters are continually on the move, so you get something different with each episode in terms of scenery and backgrounds.
I watched the series in both Japanese (with English subtitles) and via English dub. Both voice acting tracks are well done and as for the English dub, I’ve always felt that VIZ media are typically on top of their selections for voice actors with series like “Naruto”, “Bleach” and “Death Note”. The same can be said for “HUNTER X HUNTER”, the voice actors for Gon and friends are well done.
I typically dislike children or teenagers who sound too much older than they are in anime series but I’m happy that the voice acting was well done for Gon and the others.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
There really isn’t much in terms of extras. You get a trailer for Shonen Jump Manga, Shonen Jump Home Video but fortunately you can find the production storyboards (a total of 15).
I suppose that the theme of a young boy and his friends trying to get a license can be compared to a series like “Pokemon” but with “HUNTER X HUNTER”, there are no monsters being caught and although Gon is a young guy, pure-at-heart, his friends are trying to overcome their own personal issues from their past.
But what makes “HUNTER X HUNTER” a fun series is the fact that you have four individuals who are so different from each other, they learn about themselves and about others through their friendship. Having to work as a team during their training and their adventures and knowing that not many people make it far in their training.
The first volume focuses more on the character development on each character and their team dynamics. But with so many episodes still left in the series, you can only expect that the adventures will become more difficult, challenging and that the storyline will continue to get even more wilder and interesting as it progresses.
With the odds against them, instead of working as individuals, the four work as a team despite their differences and with a storyline that features a good balance of humor, action but also some seriousness, “HUNTER X HUNTER” is an enjoyable adventure-based anime series thus far.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Exciting Anime!
This is one of the best Anime I have ever watched. I first saw it while it was still in Japan. when I received this I was delighted to find that when you switch it over to…
I can’t believe Hunter x Hunter the anime has finally crossed over to the US waters. This is my top most favorite anime of all time, and the gateway anime that lead me to the anime addiction I now bare.
As mentioned by one of the other reviewers, if you are looking for a story with great character development, enough action and a great story, the first anime I will always recommend is hunter x hunter.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hunter x Hunter FINALLY makes its debut in America!
This all time favorite anime series of mine is finally making its debut in this 15 episode 3 disc set.
Hunters: skilled, capable individuals who seek out certain items and people. Sometimes for themselves, for money, or just for the thrill.
It’s a pretty promising idea. And the first volume of “Hunter X Hunter” does a pretty good job using that potential, turning Yoshihiro Togashi’s second major action manga into a crisp, well-written little anime. The first couple episodes are start the series off rather slowly, but fortunately the action and plot escalate after that.
Determined to find his missing father — a legendary Hunter — Gon Freecss convinces his aunt to let him take the Hunter exam (by catching a monstrous fish). With his new traveling buddies — the solemn, mysterious Kurapika and the kindly but not-too-bright Leorio — Gon sets out on a sea voyage to the island where the exam is held, only to find that the journey is the first part of the Hunter exam. And it’s the easiest.
Things get no easier when they arrive at their destination, and end up dealing with kidnapper beasts, a creepy old lady and a bus that doesn’t go to its destination. And after they join their fellow prospective Hunters, everyone starts on an hours-long endurance run. Though Gon makes a new friend on the run — Killua, scion of an assassin clan — other prospective Hunters are determined to put their rivals out of the race.
And Gon soon realizes that the most dangerous part of the test is the other potential Hunters — particularly the murderous clown Hisoka, who’s take a liking to him. And there are still many traps and challenges ahead of the little gang — including a vast tower filled with some very dangerous new opponents…
The storyline of “Hunter X Hunter: Volume 1″ is actually rather simple. But much like its hero, the series takes a little while to actually get anywhere — the first few episodes are VERY slow. One of them is entirely devoted to Gon wandering around a sea port and getting in trouble with local businessmen.
Fortunately, the plot speeds up and grows a bit darker, once our heroes get off the board and join the other wannabe Hunters — we get some blood, some fight scenes (a foggy duel between Hisoka and Leorio) and some mild comic relief (Killua skateboards through one challenge). And the stories are lightly peppered with glimpses of the characters’ darker pasts, such as Leorio and Kurapika’s nightmarish hallucinations of their pasts.
The animation is another plus for “Hunter X Hunter” — it’s crisp, clean and colourful, as well as refreshingly simple. And Togashi’s invented world is a vaguely tropical one that resembles ours in most ways, although there’s plenty of weird flora and fauna around (human-faced monkeys? Exploding mushrooms? Wild!).
Gon is a nice earnest kid with amazing powers, but he doesn’t really do anything to capture the imagination here. Killua is way more intriguing — a preteen assassin who initially acts chilly and jaded, but starts to warm up as he befriends Gon. Kurapika and Leorio initially seem merely like the Smart Pretty Guy and the Awkward Dim Foil, they are fleshed out nicely throughout the first volumes. And we’ve already got a wonderfully creepy villain in Hisoka, a lanky clown-faced killer with a pack of razor-edged cards.
The first volume of “Hunter X Hunter” starts VERY slowly, but the succeeding stories about the Hunter exams make up for the beginning. A different, unique kind of action anime.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not as good as the manga
I was very excited when the Hunter x Hunter anime series was going to be on sale in the U.S. I am a huge fan of the manga series and I expected great things from the anime, but I…