Manga Recommendation of the Week – Hunter x Hunter
Of course, I am talking about this, this week. I mean this giant is coming back from its long sleep and all of us fans can’t be more excited. The author said he has 10 chapters planned, we dont know what that means yet but we’re all in for it anyway. Yes, my boys, Hunter x Hunter is soon to return from its 4 year-long hiatus and I am happy as hell.
So welcome back to another week of our manga recommendation series! This week let’s talk about Hunter x Hunter. One of the best and one of the most iconic shonen series to ever exist. Lots of ground to cover here so let’s get started!
Introduction
Hunter x Hunter is written and illustrated by Togashi Yoshihiro. It was serialized from 3rd March 1998 to 26th November 2018 in the Shonen Jump magazine and has been on hiatus since then. There have been multiple hiatuses in the tenure of the manga; but, the one going on right now is the longest one so far. The manga currently has 36 volumes or 390 chapters.
Hunter x Hunter is a great example of how to do a shonen well. It takes a lot of the common shonen tropes and executes them in its own way. It is very fast-paced and twist-heavy. Hunter x Hunter has some of the best world-building I’ve ever seen in a manga overall. It is something you must experience yourself.
Plot
Hunter x Hunter’s plot starts off simple enough. A young boy called Gon aims to become a strong hunter to find his father, Ging. Hunters do all kinds of jobs in this world, from exploration to bounties and hence, their exams are also very tough. Gon aims to become one of the best hunters to ever live just like his father and go on adventures. And you better believe it, he has quite a few roadblocks ahead of him.
It has a pretty simple straightforward base setting but, as you may expect, it doesn’t take long for things to get complicated. The plot is very fast-paced, we go through story arcs very quickly. And the world-building is just excellent; from the map to the explanation of nen powers everything is done really well.
Characters
Hunter x Hunter has a lot of strong characters. From the good guys like Gon to the bad guys like Merium, the series has a lot of good characters. The series also does a really good job on morally grey characters like Kurapika, Hisoka, and Killua. Even Merium become more akin to them than a pure bad guy by the end. Just lots of great characters to talk about and almost all of them get more than a fair share of character development.
Art
Hunter x Hunter has really good art. The manga does a great job of making stuff look really intimidating when it is supposed to. The fights look really good and the character designs are awesome too. I still remember the moment when Gon lost it… and it still gives me chills. The art went from awesome to god-tier in thatΒ oneΒ scene.
Why should you read Hunter x Hunter?
Some quick pointers on why you should check out this manga:
- Awesome plot
- Great characters
- Fast-paced
- Lots of fights
- Awesome art
- Coming back from hiatus soon!!
Conclusion
That is all for now. Let me know what you guys think in the comments. Hunter x Hunter is one of the best shonens ever written for sure, there is a reason why people dont give up on this manga even after all the hiatuses. With that said though, I will take my leave here. See ya!!
