Story and Art by Togashi Yoshihiro
Copyright © 1998 Shueisha

It had been well over a year since the last episode of LEVEL E appeared in JUMP when the name of Togashi Yoshihiro reappeared in ads for issue #14 of 1998. What genre will he draw this time? After all, he had previously written a love-comedy (TENDE SHOUWARU CUPID), an adventure-turned-fighter manga (YUU YUU HAKUSHO), and a sci-fi series (LEVEL E). But once the issue was released, it was obvious that Togsahi was drawing something in yet another genre: fantasy adventure.
In this world, "Hunters" range from those that seek treasure to those that seek the ultimate eating pleasure and even to those that want to preserve and protect the various monuments created by man. However, because each Hunter has so much power in the world, aspiring Hunters must pass a qualifications examination.
Enter Gon. Gon was a child who is about to turn twelve who lived peacefully with his Aunt Mito on Whale Island. She had told him that his father Ging had passed away, when actually he was still alive and well as a Hunter. But three years before the start of the story, Gon bumped into Kite, a fledgling Hunter who came to Whale Island to get information about Ging, and learned that his father was still alive. Ever since, Gon's dream has been to become a Hunter and find his father. He finally convinced Mito to let him take the Hunter Qualifications Examination. On the day of his departure, Mito apologizes to Gon for lying; she confesses that she took custody away from Ging. Gon replies that he will come back and see her once he becomes a Hunter. But the ship that was taking him out of Whale Island was already part of the process to weed out people who were not worthy of even taking the examination.
On the ship, Gon is greeted by two more regular cast members, Reolio and Clapika. Reolio, a tall, slender man with extensive medical knowledge, was someone who wanted to be a Hunter for the money. Clapika, a slim figure, was the last of the Kuruta clan and wanted to be a Hunter to seek revenge on a group of thugs that killed off every other member of his tribe. Together with Gon, they face challenge after challenge on their way to become Hunters.
The first thing that the reviewer noticed was that Togashi's art style had reverted back to the simple, "cute" style seen in his early works rather than the detailed, "mysterious" style seen in LEVEL E. Yet in this simple art form, there is a sense of refinement that was absent in his earlier works. Those expecting the art style from LEVEL E might be slightly disappointed, but that incredible sense of detail shows in key points of the story.
The pacing for each story arc seems to work well with the series. The story moves quickly enough to see each story building to a climax which leads to the next, yet moves slowly enough that there is ample time for the main characters to become well-developed. It succeeds in keeping many readers on their toes, and often leaves readers of JUMP with cliffhangers big and small.
The characters are all very solid, and Togashi reveals parts of their personalities slowly, while still keeping things secret. A good example of this would be Clapika. It is apparent he is unforgiving of the thugs that killed the Kurutas off; yet the readers are still completely left in the dark about Clapika's gender! (This reviewer believes Clapika is male, so Clapika has been referred to as a "he" in this article.) Also, many speculations out there see the main characters as reincarnations of YUU YUU HAKUSHO characters (Gon being Yuusuke, Reolio being Kuwabara, Clapika being Kurama, and Kirua being Hiei), but that is for each reader to decide after reading both.
With its simple (but good) art, an enchanting plot, and solid characters, HUNTER x HUNTER has become one of the front-runners of JUMP soon after its beginning almost a year ago. This series, along with ONE PIECE, makes this reviewer feel that the trend in the current manga industry really is moving back towards manga that concentrate on the adventure aspect more so than the fighting aspect.
It is certain that the world of the Hunters will keep growing and that Gon's adventures will keep enchanting the readers. But be on the lookout for subtle changes in the latest installments of HUNTER x HUNTER, because Togashi now has a powerful ally for creativity: his wife (as of January 6, 1999) Takeuchi Naoko.

Currently serialized in Weekly Jump
Volumes 1-3 available now
Volume 1: ISBN4-08-872571-9
Volume 2: ISBN4-08-872606-5
Volume 3: ISBN4-08-872630-8
¥390 plus tax (each)
Available Now
Where to buy