Hunter x Hunter is the best TV show in existance. I’m sure you object to that, for various reasons, but I’ll try to explain why.

hunter x hunter

Gon and Killua

First off, I’m not what you’d call a rabid anime fan. So if you hate anime and are preparing to reject it solely on that fact, know that I wear a similar hat. I’ve seen my share of anime, which is to say a lot from pre-2006. I kind of stopped watching all anime after that, when many shows had the exact same undertone: two people like each other, but they’re too embarassed or stupid to say it, so there’s a bunch of awkward situations where they almost touch and some fan service followed by nose bleeding and eventually it all ends but they still aren’t together. It’s not really my cup of tea.

But, out of this tangled mess of tired anime stories rose a few amazing series, including many people’s old favorite, Evangelion, and other series like Full Metal Alchemist, Hikaru no Go, and Cowboy Bebop. The point I’m trying to get across here is that you if you don’t like anime, you will like Hunter x Hunter because it doesn’t have any of the nonsense that usually makes people turn away from anime.

As a show, Hunter x Hunter posesses all that makes you love The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Harry Potter and World of Warcraft. Yes, I threw a video game in there. The show is fantasy based, in a world I would dream to live in. The characters are easy to love, well developed, and also surprising in their various quirks. There is magic and lore, technology and abilities, and a story that wraps it all up like a Christmas gift. The first time I watched Hunter x Hunter, I felt something I hadn’t felt since I first watched A New Hope as a child. There’s a new world, with things that aren’t possible in our mundane lives, and you want to see as much of it as possible.

Hunter x Hunter was originally developed as an idea based on “hunting”, that is to say, gathering items. This is why I threw World of Warcraft in there. WoW is basically just collecting gear and tuning it, and that same vibe is present in Hunter x Hunter, but less obsessive and more fun. It’s also not like Pokemon, in the sense that it’s not childish and each episode is part of a larger arc, not that I dislike Pokemon. But it needed to be said.

Now, when you inevitably decide to watch it, please don’t get the crap Funimation put on the American networks. Stick to the original Japanese version with voice actors who actually are able to voice act, and use subtitles. Anything less is an insult to your life.