Approximately one hour ago, I finished watching the Hunter x Hunter anime, including all three OVAs. What a trip!
Probably the greatest strength of Hunter x Hunter are the characters. They're all well-developed and I can honestly say there isn't a single person I don't like. My only complaint is that out of the four main characters (Gon, Killua, Kurapica, and Leorio), Leorio is the only one that never gets his own story arc. Poor, underappreciated Leorio. >_>
The story of Hunter x Hunter is basically divided into three main arcs: The Hunter Exam, which goes to about episode 26 of the anime series, the Genei Ryodan arc, which covers episode 40 of the anime series until the end of the first OVA, and the Greed Island arc. You may notice that there's a rather large gap between the Hunter Exam and the Genei Ryodan arc. That's because there are several minor arcs in between, including one about Killua's family. However, everything does tie in to each other and is presented in chronological order, so you can't skip around the series.
Personally, I'd say the Genei Ryodan arc is the best. It's far enough through the series that you have close ties with all of the central characters, which makes it more enjoyable than the Hunter Exam where you're just meeting everyone for the first time. The Genei Ryodan arc also has a completely different feel to it. It's much darker than the rest of the series and focuses almost solely on Kurapica and his need to avenge the massacre of his clan. Of course, Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Hisoka have important roles to play as well, especially in the first OVA.
I actually went into the second Hunter x Hunter OVA expecting to be disappointed. The second and third OVAs carry Gon and Killua over as main characters, but Kurapica only has several short guest appearances and Leorio is practically non-existant. On top of that, I was so incredibly impressed with the first OVA that I didn't think it was possible to surpass it.
Despite everything, I did enjoy the last two OVAs, especially when Hisoka showed up. XD However, you should be aware that the second OVA is mostly filler to cover the time between the defeat of the Genei Ryodan and the core of the Greed Island arc.
If anyone here does watch Hunter x Hunter, I highly suggest you try to get the series and all three OVAs at the same time. The ending of the TV series is a massive cliffhanger which is resolved in the first OVA. In turn, the second OVA has a very open ending that is resolved in the third OVA.
It's become more and more difficult for me as I watch more and more anime to pick one absolute favourite series. While I'm hesitant to give Hunter x Hunter that spot, it's certainly up there. As far as I'm concerned, it's every bit as good as Full Metal Alchemist. Maybe even a little better . . .
Now, good news! For those of you who don't care about Hunter x Hunter at all and am tired of me rambling about how great it is, I'm done glorifying it now and will probably not dedicate an entire entry to it again unless I actually do write an essay comparing Hunter x Hunter's Kurapica and Yami no Matsuei's Kurosaki Hisoka. ^~^
Probably the greatest strength of Hunter x Hunter are the characters. They're all well-developed and I can honestly say there isn't a single person I don't like. My only complaint is that out of the four main characters (Gon, Killua, Kurapica, and Leorio), Leorio is the only one that never gets his own story arc. Poor, underappreciated Leorio. >_>
The story of Hunter x Hunter is basically divided into three main arcs: The Hunter Exam, which goes to about episode 26 of the anime series, the Genei Ryodan arc, which covers episode 40 of the anime series until the end of the first OVA, and the Greed Island arc. You may notice that there's a rather large gap between the Hunter Exam and the Genei Ryodan arc. That's because there are several minor arcs in between, including one about Killua's family. However, everything does tie in to each other and is presented in chronological order, so you can't skip around the series.
Personally, I'd say the Genei Ryodan arc is the best. It's far enough through the series that you have close ties with all of the central characters, which makes it more enjoyable than the Hunter Exam where you're just meeting everyone for the first time. The Genei Ryodan arc also has a completely different feel to it. It's much darker than the rest of the series and focuses almost solely on Kurapica and his need to avenge the massacre of his clan. Of course, Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Hisoka have important roles to play as well, especially in the first OVA.
I actually went into the second Hunter x Hunter OVA expecting to be disappointed. The second and third OVAs carry Gon and Killua over as main characters, but Kurapica only has several short guest appearances and Leorio is practically non-existant. On top of that, I was so incredibly impressed with the first OVA that I didn't think it was possible to surpass it.
Despite everything, I did enjoy the last two OVAs, especially when Hisoka showed up. XD However, you should be aware that the second OVA is mostly filler to cover the time between the defeat of the Genei Ryodan and the core of the Greed Island arc.
If anyone here does watch Hunter x Hunter, I highly suggest you try to get the series and all three OVAs at the same time. The ending of the TV series is a massive cliffhanger which is resolved in the first OVA. In turn, the second OVA has a very open ending that is resolved in the third OVA.
It's become more and more difficult for me as I watch more and more anime to pick one absolute favourite series. While I'm hesitant to give Hunter x Hunter that spot, it's certainly up there. As far as I'm concerned, it's every bit as good as Full Metal Alchemist. Maybe even a little better . . .
Now, good news! For those of you who don't care about Hunter x Hunter at all and am tired of me rambling about how great it is, I'm done glorifying it now and will probably not dedicate an entire entry to it again unless I actually do write an essay comparing Hunter x Hunter's Kurapica and Yami no Matsuei's Kurosaki Hisoka. ^~^
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