We have already spoken to you once about shonen mangas in our article Top 5 Japanese shonens but beyond that it is a subject that we rarely mention but which is nevertheless particularly close to our hearts. This is why today we are going to review with the aim of making you discover for some or rediscover for others one of the best shonen, in our opinion, which is none other than Hunter × Hunter.
Characters
Gon Freecss
The main character of the story, Gon is a little boy straight out of Whale Island, where he grew up until he was twelve years old. This place being very forested, he developed a deep love for animals but also a very powerful sense of smell. We also see him having a particular love for fishing which explains why we often see him depicted with a fishing rod.
At the age of twelve, he decided to leave his small island in order to discover the world around him and become what we call Hunter for a very specific reason that we will reveal to you in the second part of this article. Beyond that, for the biggest fans of the character, we recommend that you take a look at the Gon Shop website where you will find many products of all kinds such as Hunter x Hunter figurines or t-shirts. effigy of the manga.
Killua Zoldik
Coming straight from one of the most prestigious assassin families, Killua can be considered the second most important character in history. He meets Gon during the hunter exam and quickly becomes friends with him, both being very determined in their nature and also sharing the same age. Inseparable throughout the manga, he is unequivocally one of the most charismatic characters in the manga with his half-dark style and his phenomenal power.
Kurapika Kuruta
Just like Killua and Leorio who we will talk about shortly after, Kurapika met Gon in one of the tests that it is necessary to go through in order to become a Hunter. He is also the last survivor of the Kurata clan and seeks to avenge the assassination of his loved ones which took place when he was twelve years old. Following these traumatic events Kurapika is seen in the manga as someone quite withdrawn into himself who does not let many people into his circle of friends. However, those who have this privilege like Gon, Killua or Leorio are all the more important to Kurapika.
Leorio Paradinaito
Leorio is the least powerful of the manga's four main characters. However, this does not prevent him from showing unfailing determination as we see for example at the very beginning of the manga when he pushes himself to be able to follow his comrades up the very long climb of stairs at the very beginning. from the hunter review. He is a very comical character who dreams of becoming a doctor in order to help the most vulnerable people.
Hisoka Morow
Hisoka is a very controversial character throughout the manga. This is not one of the four main characters but it was important to present him as he is present in the unfolding of the story as Gon's rival. He is a magician who draws his strength from his cards and who has a very atypical, even sadistic personality as he takes pleasure in finishing off his opponents. However, only high-ranking fighters entertain him because he does not find it interesting to waste his time with weak characters in combat.
The history and universe of manga
After reviewing the main heroes of the Hunter x Hunter series we will now get to the heart of the manga's story without going into too much detail for those who have never read the manga before. After leaving his whale island, Gon heads to the hunter exam where he hopes to obtain a Hunter license. The reason that pushes him to take on this test which only admits one candidate in 10,000 and where only one every three years manages to obtain his license on the first try is the desire to find his father, Jin Freecss. He himself is in fact one of the greatest Hunters of his time and Gon is ready to do anything to find the reason that pushed her to leave the family home and leave her son to be able to go on the adventure of this world.
It is therefore during this exam that Gon will meet his three friends who are Killua, Kurapika and Leorio. Following this test, numerous arcs will follow as in any classic shonen and during which everyone will develop their ability to use what we call nen . It can be compared to the chakra found in Naruto in the sense that it is a source of energy drawn from the vital force but this one differs slightly because it comes in four forms:
- The ten
- The zetsu
- The ren
- The hatsu
Everyone has different properties and each character must develop them by working to increase their abilities. Both Killua and Gon will develop new powers, such as the control of electricity for Killua. Finally, Gon will find his father at the top of a world tree and what they say to each other... we'll let you find out for yourselves!