Hunter x Hunter (1999)
Original title: HUNTER×HUNTER
Hunter x Hunter is a 1999 Japanese-language sci-fi & fantasy series created by Nobuaki Kishima and Ryota Yamaguchi. It stars Junko Takeuchi, Kanako Mitsuhashi and Yuki Kaida.
Gon Freecss grew up believing his father was dead. Learning that Ging is alive, a legendary Hunter who left to chase his own horizons, the boy sets out to follow him. Becoming a Hunter means surviving a brutal, shifting examination, and along the way Gon falls in with a small band: the vengeful Kurapika, the level-headed doctor-in-training Leorio, and Killua, a boy raised as an assassin. Adapted from Yoshihiro Togashi's manga, this 1999 series is bright, adventurous, and darker than its cheerful surface suggests, built around tests of nerve, skill and character.
Quick answers
What is Hunter x Hunter about?
Gon Freecss grew up believing his father was dead. Learning that Ging is alive, a legendary Hunter who left to chase his own horizons, the boy sets out to follow him. Becoming a Hunter means surviving a brutal, shifting examination, and along the way Gon falls in with a small band: the vengeful Kurapika, the level-headed doctor-in-training Leorio, and Killua, a boy raised as an assassin. Adapted from Yoshihiro Togashi's manga, this 1999 series is bright, adventurous, and darker than its cheerful surface suggests, built around tests of nerve, skill and character.
When was Hunter x Hunter released?
Hunter x Hunter was released on 16 October 1999.
How many episodes does Hunter x Hunter have?
Hunter x Hunter has 62 episodes across 1 seasons.
Who made Hunter x Hunter?
Hunter x Hunter was created by Nobuaki Kishima, Ryota Yamaguchi and Yoshiyuki Suga.
Where can I watch Hunter x Hunter?
Hunter x Hunter is available on Pluto TV.
Where to watch Hunter x Hunter
Watch free: Pluto TV
Official site
Cast
- Junko Takeuchi as Gon Freecss (voice)
- Kanako Mitsuhashi as Killua Zoldyck (voice)
- Yuki Kaida as Kurapika (voice)
- Hozumi Goda as Leorio Paradinight (voice)
- Hiroki Takahashi as Hisoka Morow (voice)
- Shiori Ohta as Baise (voice)
- Tanuki Sugino as Bendot (voice)
- Yoshikazu Nagano as Chrollo Lucilfer (voice)
- Urara Takano as Illumi Zoldyck (voice)
- Akari Hibino as Feitan (voice)
- Yuji Kishi as Kaito (voice)
- Bunmei Tobayama as Netero Isaac (voice)
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A few thoughts on Hunter x Hunter
Readers ready for the source should reach for Togashi's manga, which runs deeper than this early adaptation. The tournament-and-training rhythm echoes in Saint Seiya, warriors leveling up through escalating trials, while Inuyasha offers the same blend of questing adventure and hard-won combat. For the modern shonen wave, Naruto covers similar ground.
Shonen adventures built on brutal exams and tournament trials
The Hunter Exam puts Gon through tests built to break weaker kids before a real fight even starts, and this angle follows shows built on the same gauntlet. Naruto and Dragon Ball Z Kai run tournament arcs that work the same muscle, Shaman King and The Law of Ueki turn a competition into the whole plot, and Black Cat follows its own hunter organization chasing marks for a living.
Fantasy quest novels about young heroes tested past their limits
Gon's journey doubles as a fantasy quest even before the Hunter Exam turns violent, the same shape these novels take with younger heroes carrying real weight. Brisingr sends a boy across a war he didn't start, Wizard and Glass slows down to show a hero's hardest test as a teenager, and The Scorch Trials pushes its cast through an ordeal built to break the weak ones.
Adventure anime that stay bright on the surface, dark underneath
Hunter x Hunter looks bright and adventurous on the surface, then keeps letting the world underneath turn genuinely dark, and this angle follows shows built on the same trick. Made in Abyss sends children into a beautiful pit that punishes curiosity without mercy, Inuyasha and Avatar: The Last Airbender balance colorful adventure against real loss, and Fate/stay night lets its magical battles carry real consequence.