The Hunter × Hunter manga series began serialization in March 1998 in the Shueisha magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump. With 310 chapters to date, it has been published in 27 tankōbon chapter collections in Japan so far. However, the manga has gone on hiatus a number of times in recent years. Hunter × Hunter was translated into English and released in North America by Viz Media beginning in April 2005. In 1999, the manga series was adapted into a 62-episode anime series produced by Nippon Animation and directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi, and premiered on the Japanese terrestrial television network Fuji TV and the satellite television station Animax. Three separate original video animations (OVAs) totalling 30 episodes were also produced by Nippon Animation and released in Japan from 2002 to 2004. The television series has been licensed and released in North America by Viz, and it aired on the Funimation Channel beginning in 2009. There are also numerous audio albums, video games, musicals, and other media based on Hunter × Hunter.
Plot
Twelve years prior to the start of the story, the famous Hunter Ging Freecss left his infant son, Gon, with his aunt Mito on Whale Island. Gon, raised believing his parents were dead, finds out from Ging's apprentice, Kite, that his father is still alive. Gon then leaves his home to follow in his father's footsteps as a "Hunter" by taking the "Hunter Exam". Hunters are elite members of humanity capable of tracking down secret treasure, rare beasts, and even other individuals. Prior to the exam, Gon meets and befriends three of the other applicants, Kurapika, Killua Zaoldyeck, and Leorio. After the exam, Kurapika departs to find work and Leorio leaves to attend medical school. Gon and Killua decide to gain combat experience by training at the "Heavens Arena", a 251-story building where thousands of martial artists compete daily in fighting tournaments. There, they meet the kung fu master, Wing, who teaches them about "Nen", a chi-like life energy that can be used to manifest superhuman powers.The third story arc reunites the main characters for the world's largest auction in a sprawling metropolis called Yorknew City. Gon, Killua, and Leorio try different methods to make enough money to buy "Greed Island", a video game that could help Gon find his father. This story arc introduces the Phantom Troupe, a group of thieves who, among many other crimes, slaughtered all the other members of Kurapika's clan. Kurapika crosses paths with them while working as a bodyguard. Finally Gon and Killua's find the Greed Island, the seemingly-magical video game that sucks players within. The goal of the game is to collect a number of set cards, although almost everything in the game, from food to money, can be turned into cards. Inside Greed Island Gon and Killua are joined by Biscuit Krueger, a master and experienced teacher of Nen who trains them. As part of their reward, they are allowed to take three cards to be used in the real world. Using the card "Accompany", Gon and Killua travel to a player under the username "Nigg", who they believe to be Ging. However, it ends up bringing them to Kite instead.
Alongside Kite, Gon and Killua briefly work as biological researchers in the country of Kakin. As they investigate a giant insect limb found on the country's shores, the group discover it came from a man-sized Chimera Ant queen, an insect that devours other creatures and then gives birth to progeny that inherit the characteristics of the different species it has eaten. The queen washes up onto island nation called the Neo-Green Life (N.G.L.) Autonomous Region, inhabited by a neo-luddite culture. She quickly develops a taste for humans and builds a colony in order to conceive both an army of offspring and a Chimera Ant king named Meryem. The Chimera Ants proceed to wipe most of the population out before Gon, Killua, and Kite arrive. The queen dies during labor, and the king and his Royal Guards flee the N.G.L., secretly overthrowing the government of the nearby Republic of East Gorteau soon thereafter. Under the guise of the former king of the Republic, Meryem initiates the process of forcibly awakening Nen in the civilians of East Gorteau in order to form his own personal army to conquer the world, resulting in the deaths of millions unable to awaken Nen. As Ants formerly under the queen's rule rejoin the king, the Hunter Association mobilizes quickly to stop the oncoming genocide by sending in an extermination team of Hunters to East Gorteau. Distraught over the murder of Kite at the hands of the Royal Guards, Gon and Killua join the extermination team in order to take revenge for their friend.
Production
The publication history of the Hunter × Hunter manga has been plagued with hiatuses beginning in November 2005. These hiatuses were often attributed to rumors of the author suffering from an unspecified illness. Since that time, the manga has settled into a schedule of being serialized for ten weeks (ten chapters) with no delays for any chapters, but then going back into hiatus for several months until the publication of the tankōbon collecting the most recent ten chapters, upon which the serialization continues for another ten weeks. The latest hiatus began after the publication of Chapter 310 in May 2010.
Media
Manga
The Hunter × Hunter manga is currently being serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan. Shueisha compiles the manga's chapters into tankōbon volumes, of which 27 have been released. An English version of the manga began publication in North America by Viz Media starting in April 2005. With a translation by Shaenon K. Garrity, Viz marketed the manga as part of its "Shonen Jump Advanced" line for readers in their older teens and young adults. Twenty-six volumes have been released in North America as of January 2010.Anime
Viz Media licensed the Hunter × Hunter anime, via The Ocean Group, for distribution in the Region 1 market, where it was released across four DVD boxed-sets. The first set was released on December 9, 2008 and the final was released on December 1, 2009. The series began being broadcast in the United States on the Funimation Channel in the spring of 2009.
Original video animations
A pilot OVA for Hunter × Hunter was shown as part of the "Jump Super Anime Tour" of 1998. Produced by Studio Pierrot and the directed by Noriyuki Abe, it depicts the early events of the manga up to Gon's voyage from Whale Island. Since the completion of the television series, three subsequent OVAs produced by Nippon Animation have carried the story from where the broadcast left off. The first OVA was directed by Satoshi Saga and released in eight episodes among four volumes from January 17 to April 17, 2002. The second OVA season, Hunter × Hunter: Greed Island, was directed Yukihiro Matsushita and was released in among eight episodes among four volumes from February 19 to May 21, 2003. The third OVA season, Hunter × Hunter: G.I. Final, was directed by Makoto Sato and was released in 14 episodes among seven volumes from March 3 to August 18, 2004. None of the OVAs have been released officially in English.CDs
The background music for the Hunter × Hunter anime and the three OVA series was composed by Toshihiko Sahashi. The original anime series features two opening themes, "Ohayou." (おはよう。, lit. "Good morning") by Keno and "Taiyou Wa Yoru mo Kagayaku" (太陽は夜も輝く, lit. "The Sun Shines at Night") by Wino, and three closing themes: "Kaze Nouta" (風のうた, lit. "Wind Song") by Minako Honda, and "EJan-Do You Feel Like I Feel?" (Eじゃん-Do You Feel Like I Feel?) and "Hotaru" (蛍, lit. "Firefly"), both by Nagai Masato. The first OVA series features the opening theme "PALE ALE" and the closing theme "Carry On", both by Kurosawa Keniti. Hunter × Hunter: Greed Island features the opening theme "Pray" by Wish* and the closing theme "POPCORN" by Mikuni Shimokawa. Hunter × Hunter: G.I. Final features the opening theme "Believe In Tomorrow" and the closing theme "Moshimokono Sekai De Kun To Boku Ga Deae Nakattara" (もしもこの世界で君と僕が出会えなかったら, lit. "If You And I Can't Come Into This World"), both by Sunflower's Garden.A large number of audio CDs for the Hunter × Hunter have been released by Marvelous Entertainment. The three-volume soundtrack for the anime television series contains a total of 129 instrumental and vocal songs. The Original Video Animation Hunter × Hunter Sound Trax for the first OVA series contains 18 songs and the Original Video Animation Hunter × Hunter: Greed Island Original Sound Tracks for the second OVA series contains 30 songs. In addition, character-specific and story arc drama CDs, as well as a 17-volume radio drama titled Hunter × Hunter R, have been published throughout the anime adaptations' release period.
Musicals and theatrical play
There have been two musicals based on Hunter × Hunter in which the Japanese voice actors portray their respective characters. The first, Musical Hunter × Hunter (ミュージカル ハンター×ハンター), was originally performed during December 2000. It is an original story that appears to take place in between the end of the "Yorknew City" arc and the beginning of the "Greed Island" arc. Gon gets a mysterious phone call, to come aid the citizens of Elrais. Once they get there they find that the country's four best performers have been kidnapped. It is later found that the kidnappers are controlling Madame Isabel (who is like a ghost). They plan to use her power to take revenge on Elrais. It is up to Gon and party to rescue the performers, and save the country. The second musical, Musical Hunter × Hunter: The Nightmare of Zoldyck (ミュージカル ハンター×ハンター ナイトメア・オブ・ゾルディック), was originally performed during August 2002. This is an alternate re-telling of when Kurapika, Leorio, and Gon go to Kukuroo Mountain to fetch back Killua. This includes a farewell party at the Zoldyck mansion, and Illumi placing a "switch" in Killua's mind. This switch will cause Killua to become murderous and attack his friends, if he ever tries to fight Illumi. Both musicals have received separate DVD and audio CD releases, as well as a dual DVD release from Marvelous Entertainment.There is also a live-action play titled Real Stage Hunter × Hunter: "A Longing for Pakunoda ~ A Spider's Memory ~" (リアルステージ ハンター×ハンター「A Longing for Phalcnothdk 〜蜘蛛の記憶〜」) that was originally performed during August 2004. It is a darker retelling of the kidnapping in the Phantom Troupe story arc. Hisoka, Leorio, a number of Phantom Troupe members, and all Nostrade bodyguards are absent from the plotline. In addition, Kurapika is played by Kimura Akiko; the voice actress of Mito Freecss and Biscuit Krueger in the Hunter × Hunter anime. Killua and Gon are played by their respective voice actresses. It contains flashbacks of Pakunoda's (played by Ikeda Yukiko) memories and experiences with the Spiders, including Kurapika's capture of Chrollo Lucilfer (played by Konishi Hiroki).
Video games
There are ten Japan-exclusive video games based on Hunter × Hunter, many of which are either developed or published by Konami or Bandai. They range from role-playing and strategy games to action and adventure games. These include one title for the WonderSwan, three for the WonderSwan Color, two for the Game Boy Color, one for the Game Boy Advance, two for the PlayStation, and one for the PlayStation 2. Characters from the franchise have also appeared along with other Weekly Shōnen Jump properties in two fighting games, Jump Super Stars and Jump Ultimate Stars, for the Nintendo DS.Other media and merchandise
A series of three film books based on the anime series has been released by Shueisha from December 3, 1999 to August 24, 2001. A guidebook to the anime titled Hunter x Hunter Characters Book: World × Character × Blessing (HUNTER x HUNTER キャラクターズブック World × Character × Blessing) was published by Shueisha in January 2001, while a guidebook to the manga titled Hunter × Hunter: Hunters Association Official World and Character Guide (HUNTER × HUNTER ハンター協会公式発行ハンターズ・ガイド) was published by the company on June 4, 2004. There is also an extensive collectible card game by Bandai, a small line of action figures, and a collection of mini-figurines.Reception
The Hunter × Hunter manga has been largely successful commercially, having sold sold over 44,000,000 copies in Japan alone as of January 2008. Volume 24 of the manga was the sixth best-selling manga in Japan in 2007, while Volume 25 was the second best-selling manga in the region during its release week. Volume 26 was the best-selling manga in the first two weeks of its release, and has sold approximately 811,995 copies as of November 3, 2008. Volume 27 sold 488,446 copies in Japan in its first week alone and 918,059 copies by the middle of 2010. In North America, volumes 23 through 26 have ranked within the top 300 best-selling graphics novels list of sales estimates by Diamond Comic Distributors.Jason Thompson, author of Manga: The Complete Guide, described the plot of Hunter × Hunter as "an almost random collection of psych-outs, battles, puzzles, and trickery" that works on both a chapter-by-chapter basis and on a larger scale. Publishers Weekly gave a positive review to the first volume of the manga, finding that Togashi "shows a deft touch" with its standard story, as well as calling his artwork "clear and graceful" and his characters "endearing and complex". Charles Solomon, a writer for The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, admired the moral seriousness of Gon, a quality that gives the protagonist "an appeal his relentlessly upbeat counterparts lack."
The Hunter Hunter anime series has enjoyed much more modest popularity than its manga source material. Newtype listed the it as having a Japanese television rating of 10.5 for the fourth quarter of 2000. The show's viewership was ranked number six among the top ten television anime series in Japan for February 2001. In a 2006 web poll conducted in Japan by the network TV Asahi, the Hunter × Hunter television series was voted as the 28th best anime of all time. The series was voted as the 16th best anime of 2000 in the Animage Anime Grand Prix, but rose to fourth place the following year.
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