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A review by danthebruv
Hunter x Hunter, Vol. 1 by Yoshihiro Togashi
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Hunter x Hunter
Volume 1:
The Day of Departure
(4th June 1998)
The first volumes of Hunter x Hunter is charming. Prior to reading, I am already a fan of the world, story and its characters so I am familiar with the goings on of the plot. It's strikingly similar to the anime, in that it is a lighthearted yet intriguing start that doesn't do all to much with its plot so far, but makes up for it with a quick and effective introduction of various loveable and interesting characters that will continue to develop.
The characters and the world are one of HxH's strong suits and it's no different here, light on what it brings to the table, sure, but it's a fun and well written setup for a much larger story yet to come. Other than the anime having the main advantage of colour, moving visuals and audio, I'd actually say the manga for this first volume is somewhat superior in that it introduces Gon's character in a much more organic way.Whilst the anime glosses over the backstory with Kite (mostly due to the fact that they weren't sure they'd ever make it to the Chimera Ant Arc,) the manga has the whole opening segment be with Kite instead of it being a flashback later on.
It helps to establish Gon's reason for his quest more thoroughly and much earlier on, and alsosets up his relationship with Kite at the very beginning rather than it seeming like something in hindsight , which will make the later arcs much more impactful I'm sure.
Anyway, great start, nothing huge or mindblowing as of yet, but the anime starts in a very similar fashion; it's slower with its approach but the build up of characters, abilities and the world of Hunters is done with so much care that the longer wait is worth it because these early building blocks will push together to form something incredible.
Volume 1:
The Day of Departure
(4th June 1998)
The first volumes of Hunter x Hunter is charming. Prior to reading, I am already a fan of the world, story and its characters so I am familiar with the goings on of the plot. It's strikingly similar to the anime, in that it is a lighthearted yet intriguing start that doesn't do all to much with its plot so far, but makes up for it with a quick and effective introduction of various loveable and interesting characters that will continue to develop.
The characters and the world are one of HxH's strong suits and it's no different here, light on what it brings to the table, sure, but it's a fun and well written setup for a much larger story yet to come. Other than the anime having the main advantage of colour, moving visuals and audio, I'd actually say the manga for this first volume is somewhat superior in that it introduces Gon's character in a much more organic way.
It helps to establish Gon's reason for his quest more thoroughly and much earlier on, and also
Anyway, great start, nothing huge or mindblowing as of yet, but the anime starts in a very similar fashion; it's slower with its approach but the build up of characters, abilities and the world of Hunters is done with so much care that the longer wait is worth it because these early building blocks will push together to form something incredible.