"After becoming 12, Gon leaves his home and takes on the task of entering the Hunter exam, notorious for its low success rate and high probability of death to become an official Hunter. He befriends the revenge-driven Kurapika, the doctor-to-be Leorio and the rebellious ex-assassin Killua in the exam, with their friendship prevailing throughout the many trials and threats they come upon taking on the dangerous career of a Hunter."-MyAnimeList
This was a show I was reluctant to start because of its childlike appearance. I got around to watching it because I was bored and I'd already been watching Naruto, so I was basically down for anything. The first episode was actually better than I was expecting- it looked like a stupid kids' show, but still decent and might entertain me for a few hours.
To my surprise, the show's Hunter Exam began to impress me with its clever writing, interesting characters, and intriguing trials that were more than just big burly men shouting at each other or ninjas having who-can-destroy-the-most-amount-of-landscape contests. The battles were about wit, strength of character, and being prepared.
I have to talk about the fights for a minute. I like fights, however no other anime's fights have had the same effect on me as the fights in Hunter x Hunter. They're well animated and look amazing, and they give me thrills like no other anime has ever given me. They made a three episode long dodge ball game look awesome - these people are amazing.
It really won me over with the Yorkshin Arc (starts around episode 40), which was about when it starting really sinking in that this wasn't a kids' show. (The main characters pull money scams with no repercussions, the bad guys were actually being somewhat good people, and there was an awful lot of people getting beheaded.)
After that, it just kept getting better and better. The Chimera Ant Arc blew me away with the sudden drastic dark turn of the show (which had already been on the darkish side), and the sheer amount of characters they were killing, along with the character development and new dynamics we were being treated with. The OST also takes a leap in quality, now being composed of epic instrumentals.
The characters and character development are wonderful. The way you learn more and more about the universe as the main character, Gon, does really made me feel as if I was right there progressing with him. Gon himself is a very interesting main character, being a stereotypical stupid, strong, earnest, and optimistic character but it really works. Gon is also selfish and the series isn't afraid the show that. I find Gon to be really adorable and lovable, and I normally don't like characters like him.
World building and set up are done like no other shounen anime I've seen. In the Chimera Ant Arc, you know the main villain is incredibly dangerous and the show creates such a sense of danger for this character fifteen episodes before he's even introduced.
I think, behind Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, this is one of the best shounens I've even seen.
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