Hunter x Hunter

Hunter x Hunter (ハンター×ハンター Hantā Hantā) is a shounen manga series by Yoshihiro Togashi. It has been published in Weekly Shounen Jump since the late 1990s (when it was considered a Big 3 Manga) and was adapted into two different animes, once in 1999 and once in 2011. It has also been adapted into ten video games which have only been released in Japan, as well as two musicals and a live action play.
Togashi is also the creator of the comedy manga series Yuu Yuu Hakusho, which fans have noted shares many similarities with Hunter x Hunter.
==Synopsis==
Hunter x Hunter is set in a universe with certain individuals known as Hunters. A Hunter is a licensed profession for those who specialize in fantastic pursuits such as locating rare or unidentified animal species, treasure hunting, hunting down lawless individuals, and taking on dangerous tasks such as fighting evil and adventuring through uncharted territories. 
The story focuses on a young boy named Gon Freecss, who discovers that his father, Ging Freecss who he was told was dead, is actually alive and a world-renowned Hunter who left home to go off on adventures. Gon Freecss sets out to become a top Hunter in order to follow in his elusive father's footsteps and reunite with him. 
Along the way to becoming an official Hunter, Gon partners up with the clumsy aspiring doctor Leorio, the young man out on a bloodthirsty mission to avenge his slain clan Kurapika, and the mischievous ex-assassin Killua. Each with their own goals and desires, the four of them take on the Hunter Exam—notoriously difficult with a high probability of death. Throughout their adventures, Gon and his friends will meet a plethora of challenges to face, monsters to fight, and characters to meet—all while learning what being a Hunter truly means.
===Manga===
====Arcs====
* Hunter Exam arc
*Zoldyck Family arc
* Heavens Arena arc
*Yorknew City arc/Phantom Troupe arc
*Greed Island arc
*Chimera Ant arc
*Hunter Chairman Election arc
*Dark Continent Expedition arc
* Succession Contest arc (current)
===1999 anime===
In 1999, Hunter × Hunter was adapted into a 62-episode anime television series. It follows the manga from the beginning and ended in 2001 at the Yorknew City Arc/Phantom Troupe Arc, having covered most of the manga. The violence is lessened for younger audiences. Three OVAs covering the Greed Island arc were released.
===2011 anime===
A new Hunter × Hunter anime adaptation was announced in July 2011. It restarts the story from the beginning of the manga in an attempt to adapt it more accurately. It stopped airing in 2014, ending with the Election Arc.
==Characters==
*Gon Freecss is an aspiring Hunter, who is on a journey to catch up to his legendary Hunter father, Ging Freecess. An enhancement-type Nen user.
*Killua Zoldyck is an ex-assassin from an infamous family of deadly killers, and is Gon's loyal best friend. An transmutation-type Nen user.
*Kurapika is the last known surviving member of the Kurta Tribe, He sets out to become a Hunter in order to enact his vengeance on the Spiders, as well as to recover his tribe member's lost eyes. A conjurer-type and Specialist Nen user.
*Leorio Paladiknight is an aspiring doctor, and later the Boar of the Zodiac group. An emitter-type nen user
*Hisoka Morow is an antagonist notorious for his cruel and deceitful fighting tactics. He is self-motivated and seeks out strong opponents. He particularly fascinated by Gon's potential. Hisoka is a transmuter-type nen user.
* Illumi Zoldyck
* Chrollo Lucilfer
* Ging Freecss 
* Alluka Zoldyck
* Meruem, the Chimera Ant King
* Neferpitou
===Hisoka's Personality Test===
"Hisoka claims that he is able to judge a person's nen type based on their personality. According to him, all people of one aura type are generally of the same personality type. However, he also states that this method is similar to trying to find someone's star signs or blood type just from personality analysis — it is not always correct. According to his theory:
*Enhancers are determined and simple. Most of them never lie, hide nothing, and are very straightforward in their actions or in their thinking. Their words and actions are often dominated by their feelings. They are generally very selfish and focused on their goals. This is reflected in their nen as enhancers typically rely on simple and uncomplicated hatsu techniques.
*Transmuters are whimsical and prone to deceit. Transmutation users have unique attitudes, and many are regarded as weirdos or tricksters. Often they put forth a facade while hiding the truer aspects of their personalities. Even when they don't hide their personalities they rarely reveal their true intentions. Many transmuters rely on techniques that give unique and unpredictable properties to their nen that reflects their personalities.
*Emitters are impatient, not detail-oriented, and quick to react in a volatile manner. Many of them are quick-tempered and hot-blooded. They resemble the enhancers in building their impulsivity, but the difference with them, they probably tend to calm down and forget easier. Because of the nature of emission, many hatsu techniques created by emitters are primarily long range.
*Conjurers are typically high-strung or overly serious and stoic. They are often on guard as to be cautious. They are very observant and logical, rarely falling into traps. Being able to analyze things calmly is the strength of conjurers. Many of the items that conjurers create are often used by them in a very deliberate and practical, logical fashion.
*Manipulators are logical people who advance at their own pace. They are all for arguments and tend to want to keep their families and loved ones safe. On the other hand, when it comes to pursuing their own goals, they do not listen to what others might have to say about it. While manipulators often use techniques that allow them to control their opponents they also prefer to use an inanimate medium to control that can be used versatility (such as smoke or pieces of paper hardened with shu).
*Specialists are individualistic and charismatic. They won't tell you anything important on them, and refrain from being close friends, but, because of their natural charisma that draws others, they are always surrounded by many people. Because specialization is unique and can have many facets, most specialists possess only one hatsu technique."
Full Character List
==Ships==
* Killugon (Gon/Killua)
* Leopika (Kurapika/Leorio)
* Kurapika/Chrollo
* Hisoillu (Hisoka/Illumi)
* Hisogon (Hisoka/Gon)
==Controversies==
===Hiatus x Hiatus===
Although the series has been ongoing since 1997, health problems--namely, back problems--have prevented Togashi from keeping the normal weekly schedule of Shounen Jump. In the last three years, he has been releasing in ten chapter chunks. The art in these ten chapters has been more intricate than his art has ever before been, but some of the art from the Greed Island Arc and the beginning of the Chimera Ant Arc, when Togashi was still attempting (and failing) to keep to a normal schedule for Shounen Jump, was much sketchier and did not live up to industry standard in their original releases. These issues were fixed for the tankoubon releases, but some fans blamed Togashi for not producing the manga at a rate and style which they expected from him.
===Alluka===
In the story, Killua goes to great lengths to free his sister Alluka and her alter ego Nanika from his family's control during the Election Arc. Ever since, fandom has argued over Alluka's gender. There is at least one occasion of someone in the Zoldyck family referring to Alluka as a boy, while Killua firmly and continuously refers to Alluka as a girl. Some see the tension between the pronouns that Alluka's family uses and the pronouns Killua uses/Alluka's appearance to be a subtle depiction of a trans narrative. Togashi has written a trans character before in Yu Yu Hakusho, but it is not considered a good depiction.
This FAQ by olivemeister, a former fic writer for the hxh fandom, for the hxh wikia where there was much argument over Alluka's pronouns on her character page, gives a great breakdown of the canon-based arguments for Alluka being a girl.
===Killugon===
There is controversy regarding Killua and Gon's relationship, namely as a result of issues that arise during the Greed Island Arc. The relationship is shown by the narrative to become toxic, and some read their relationship as abusive, whether it is platonic or romantic.
==Fanworks==
=== AMVs ===
* Numb by RoseKitsune - popular Kurapika AMV using source from the 1999 anime (2005)
===Zines===
*Jump for the Stars - cinematic-style multifandom zine featuring shounen anime series as movie posters (2022)
*Smile Again - Hunter x Hunter art zine created to celebrate the release of the 2011 anime's English dub (2016)
===Doujinshi===
Circles that publish Hunter x Hunter doujinshi include PIKAPIKA and Special Cat.
==Resources==
*Hunter x Hunter on Baka-Updates Manga
*Ice-Cream and Chocolate, a Killua/Gon ship manifesto
*Hiatus x Hiatus tracks the sporadic updates over time.
===Communities===
*hunterxhunter, a LiveJournal community
*h_x_h, a Hunter x Hunter yaoi community
*ore_ga_inakya, a Killua/Gon community
===Fanworks===
*Hunter X Hunter Club on y!Gallery
*Hunter X Hunter and Hunter X Hunter crossovers on FanFiction.net
*Hunter X Hunter fanworks on AO3
Category:Hunter x Hunter