Hunter x Hunter
"For most professional hunters, this ID is more important than their own lives. At the same time, it is just a meaningless scrap of paper. The only thing that matters is what you have accomplished after becoming a Hunter."
- Satotz
Kurapika, the giant disgusting insect
Do you know where Yoshihiro Togashi found his inspiration for the character Kurapika? We'd say "guess what", but you'll never guess! Because Kurapika is based on the Ohmu, the giant insect creatures from Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä from the Valley of the Winds. To explain: Kurapika's eyes glow deep red when strong emotions are felt, just like the Ohmu. Even more: the Ohmu are hunted for their valuable body parts, just like Kurapika and the Kurta clan, whose scarlet eyes are a coveted trophy of the illusionists.
Hunter × Hunter: Better than Dragon Ball, Naruto and Co!
Okay. The headline is definitely bold. Maybe even blasphemy. I readily admit and point out, in mitigation, that Hunter × Hunter is better for me personally than Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece and what they are all called. Which is mainly (but not only) because of when and how I came into contact with the series. When I first got into manga, I got Dragon Ball manga to start with. It was a risk-free start, so to speak, because I already knew the anime. For Christmas, however, my sister, who knows as much about manga and anime as I do about decorative bedspreads (in other words, nothing at all), gave me this little book called Hunter × Hunter. I had never heard of it. And so it took me a while to start reading it. But once I did, the fascination never left me! I'll explain why in the following.
What is Hunter × Hunter?
When you want to track down a mystical place, treasure or something like that, you typically hire a Hunter. These quasi-elite humans are experts in these and many other fields and also enjoy all kinds of privileges in the world. If this is too expensive or not adventurous enough for you, you can also become a Hunter yourself. The only requirement is that you pass the Hunter exam. This is exactly what Gon Freecss has set out to do, in search of his missing father, a legendary Hunter. All of this just screams of a classic Sh?nen: A young protagonist who is brave, kind, a bit silly and immensely talented. And wants to become the best in his particular field. Nevertheless, Hunter × Hunter is NOT a typical Sh?nen!
Who is this about anyway?
The characters are by far the most important reason for my Hunter × Hunter fascination. Yes, protagonist Gon is the typical Sh?nen hero, but he doesn't stay that way. Where famous characters of the Son Goku or Naruto brand always remain true to their cheerful basic mood, Gon's personality changes much more in the course of the story. He just doesn't stay cheerful. He realises how complex the world is and that his own decisions sometimes have harsh consequences. On the subject of characters, however, I would say that Gon is almost the least interesting. Because the great strength of Hunter × Hunter are the many secondary characters, all of whom are wonderfully written! Have depth. Their own backgrounds and motivations. Whether it's Killua, Kurapika or even later antagonists like Meruem, pretty much everyone in the world of Hunter × Hunter is interesting. Which even leads to Gon being replaced as the main character again and again, for instance during the whole story around Yorknew City, where Kurapika advances to become the protagonist. While we're at it:
Mega stories, great fights!
Hunter × Hunter tells several great storylines, such as the Yorknew City arc I just mentioned. And I honestly couldn't say which storyline I like best, because they're (almost) all so good and different! Like, for example, the whole arc about the Chimera ants, in which the villain Meruem, whom I praised above, also appears and makes a grandiose development - but I don't want to spoil at this point. Then I'd rather say a word about the fights. First of all: I really like the fights in Dragon Ball, even if they are rather long and repetitive. Hunter × Hunter, however, does it better in all respects by not relying on constant, mostly pointless power-ups during the fights, but by introducing a rather complex Nen system with an infinite number of strategies and techniques. For me, this makes the fights more varied and, above all, more surprising. Often, at the beginning of a fight, I couldn't tell who would win it. Or in what way. (BTW: Still one of the best anime fights ever!)
.Not to mention: Cool merch!
I could go into much more detail, but I shy away from revealing too much about the story of Yoshihiro Togashi. (Who, by the way, is the husband of Sailor Moon mangaka Naoko Takeuchi, but that's just in passing). Best to read the manga yourself or watch the anime. Or better the anime, because there is not only one. And when you're done with that, you'll be really into the awesome Hunter x Hunter merchandise that's available at Elbenwald! We have cool Hunter x Hunter-T-shirts as well as warm Hunter x Hunter-hoodies. Away from clothing, it's the Hunter × Hunter-figures and Hunter x Hunter-mugs that go down best with our anime fans. keychains, pillows, basecaps - you'll find pretty much all Hunter x Hunter fan merchandise here!