Hunter x Hunter (2011) - Season 1

Hunter x Hunter (2011) is a shonen anime based on the manga of the same name by Yoshihiro Togashi. In the anime, we follow twelve-year-old Gon who wants to become a Hunter in order to find his father.

Hunter x Hunter (2011) is twelve years old and I thought it would be a good time to finally write a review about it. Why? Well, a friend of mine recommended the anime a few months ago. Like every other series I get recommended, I put this one on my watch list, not knowing when I would have time to finally watch the anime. Of course, you start every series with the first season. But it wasn't clear to me how long the first season actually is, so I stuck with the first arc, the Hunter Exam arc, which contains the first 26 episodes of the anime.

We follow this group during the first arc as they have to perform all kinds of bizarre tests.

Hunter x Hunter is a shonen anime in which we follow the young lad, Gon (Megumi Han, Ultraman (2019)). Gon grew up on a small island after his father abandoned him as a baby to become a Hunter. Hunters are people who devote themselves to revealing ancient secrets and finding lost treasures, among other things. Gon, now twelve years old, is determined to follow in his father's footsteps and also wants to become a Hunter. But to become a Hunter, Gon must first pass an exam. Hence the first arc is also called the Hunter Exam. During the Hunter Exam arc, Gon encounters three other contestants, Kurapika (Miyuki Sawashiro, Fairy Tail), Killua (Mariya Ise, Fairy Tail), and Leorio (Keiji Fujiwara, Naruto). We follow this group during the first arc as they have to perform all kinds of bizarre tests. Including making sushi, traversing a deadly jungle, and hunting other contestants.



Let me start by saying that I found the first arc quite lighthearted. In many shonen-style anime, such as Bleach, the series begins quite open. What I mean by this is that storylines haven't really started yet. Writers can then calmly describe and build up the world per episode. It makes for easier world-building without throwing you right into a story. Hunter x Hunter (2011), on the other hand, changes this by immediately starting a storyline. At that time, that was not too common. And personally, I think it works fine.

The characters are well thought out and are not without problems. They have their own characteristics that make them unique.

When you look at the characters, you see an obvious shonen cast. A young lad at the helm of the story with an array of good supporting characters. The characters are well thought out and are not without problems. They have their own characteristics that make them unique. They have a background or ambition that is very well told and develops as the story progresses. For example, Leorio wants to become a Hunter because of the money, but Kurapika wants to become one to hunt down the criminals who killed her clan. However, that's the first layer. The further you look, the more you learn about the true aspirations of the characters. Something that I am personally very fond of.

What can I say about the animation? It's just okay. Madhouse, the same studio behind Death Note and Parasyte -the maxim-, did a damn good job. If an anime from over a decade ago still holds up, it's easily an A in my book.



Overall, the Hunter Exam arc is a strong introduction to the Hunter x Hunter (2011) universe. It introduces us to several ambitious characters and the world they live in. It doesn't shy away from the chance to tell you more about those same characters and world. You are immediately thrown into the deep end with this first arc. But since it takes its time to tell you everything, that's not a problem.