episodes 1-10
its so easy to forget how GOOD this is. with the amount of shonen there is out there, its easy to get overwelmed or lose yourself in pacing or how big the world is but hxh's opening is still one of the strongest maybe ever.
gon, leorio, and kurapika are given such memorable and strong personalities to start and while they clash its also just as easy to see where they fit together. when killua is later dropped in, the dynamic feels already so established it feels like putting in that last piece of the puzzle.
on first reaction, i think erica mendez as gon took just a second to get used to, after being so familar with megumi han, but i think she gets the vibes down right. so far we havent seen the more extreme sides to gon yet, so i anticipate whats to come...
matt mercer leorio is matt mercer. not sure what else to say. erika halatcher as kurapika is fine for now, again i think the yorknew arc will really be a make or break performance. and bless christina danielle valenzuela, but killua is currently the one throwing me in for a loop. something about her voice isnt quite connecting to me as 'killua', childish but cutting. really hope im wrong here though
episodes 11-20
falls to my knees. oh my god. yes. THIS is hunter x hunter. this covers end of phase 3 of the exam (the tower) to the end of the hunter exam.
episode 11 has such a weird characterization choice for leorio in the tower it jumpscares me every time. doesnt allign at all with what he is actually like and its such a weird tone shift. i guess even togashi needs a second to get to his character because what he did during his 1 on 1, well he would not say or do that now. that episode ends on killuas 1 on 1 though which is shocking on its own way but at the same time go murder boy go.
i actually think i respect netero even more on subsequent rewatches. he could so easily take every single person that has appeared so far, and honestly the fact gon could make him use both arms is very impressive. hindsight makes any time anyone wants to challenge him way funnier, like ohh buddy. no.
while i respect netero more on rewatches, i think hisoka actually gets far far more unsettling. hes here to kill. the way he just toys with everyone, the expectations he has and intends to fufil... really chilling. the zevil island phase fully showcases this, how he is ready to hunt just about anything as long as itll give him a challenge.
and of course, the arc ends with probably my favorite piece of charaterization / foreshadowing in hxh, the gon vs hanzo fight. i think its really the moment where gon turns from silly determined shonen protagonist to 'oh. this guy is insane.' im an absolute sucker for charaters who are persistent to terrifying degrees, being kind but willing to risk it all if it means their goal. i think this shared similarity between gon and kurapika is really interesting actually, i think theyre more similar than some people give them credit for. of course that fight also fully confirms that leorio has taken up a sort of big brother role to gon, and in the midst of everything about to come, im really happy their dynamic stays this way.
and this brings us to killua. oh killua. little guy. its simultaneously funny and sad to see him completely dismiss everyone except for gon, which then is revealed that killua doesnt even think himself good enough to be his friend. the first time i watched it i absolutely minimum teared up at episode 20, being controlled and so scared, all he wants is a friend!!! this is kind of before the two of them go to really extreme lengths for one another (see: chimera ant arc) but their bond is already so strong.
final thoughts is banger arc. immediately gripping and creative in usage of character and fighting, which is constantly dynamic and changing with adapting to the world around them. introduced everyone in an easy to understand but clear foreshadowing for future nuances and development. i love hxh.
