If you were into anime for any amount of time, it’s likely “Hunter x Hunter” came up at some point. The show is widely known as one of the best anime series of all time and still has a cult following while on hiatus. “Hunter x Hunter” was first serialized in the magazine “Shonen Jump” in March 1998 and went on to become one of their best-selling series spawning multiple adaptations and media. To examine why it had the impact it did means we have to examine what made it so great in the first place.

“Hunter x Hunter” follows the journey of Gon Freecss as he tries to find his father who left when he was a child. On the surface, the series appears to be your typical shonen anime with a bright-eyed protagonist setting out on a journey and meeting a cast of colorful friends along the way. While the first few episodes play into this typical storyline, the show starts to break the formula later on.  

The first thing you can see immediately is how it stands out from other shonen anime when it comes to its protagonist, Gon. Right off the bat, Gon is established as an above-average person in terms of his superhuman strength and durability. In other shows, that would mean that the character must have some kind of prophetic destiny or genetic advantage. However, Gon is always on the underdog side in every major fight he’s involved in and any win he gets feels earned and often comes with great sacrifice. It’s through those fights we can see some of the best storytelling at work. 

The side characters excel too. Seemingly one-dimensional archetypes explode into unique characters with their own motivations and conflicts. This comes into play especially with the series’ villains, known as The Phantom Troupe. They never act like stereotypical antagonists and follow their own code of conduct unlike villains in other shows.

The fights in the show are actually few and far between compared to other shonen anime, but with this scarcity comes intense attention to detail and strategy. You will never see a screaming contest in “Hunter x Hunter.” Instead, viewers are presented with calculated, cerebral fights with the help of its unique magic system, Nen. While the show does falter with the introduction of Nen, it excels in every other aspect.

The most surprising thing in retrospect is the subject matter it engaged in. The show’s magnum opus, the Chimera Ant Arc. The Chimera Ant Arc manages to flip the show on its head thematically and tackle things like human nature, genocide and the cruelty of humanity. The best part is that it commits to these themes and fully explores them, even if the pacing leaves much to be desired.

“Hunter x Hunter” is an anime that shatters what shonen anime is typically capable of and will remain a classic from years to come. The series is available on Netflix, Peacock, HBO Max and Hulu, among others.