At some point next year, or maybe in 2016, an anime will come along where I’m swept along, where my entire body is shaken to its core, and I bow down to how awesome it is.
Since I’ve finally taken anime “seriously” — as in, I’ve been trying to keep in touch with shows seasonally — in 2011, there’s been only 5 anime that I’ve watched that made me realize how great anime can be, and stand up to the best of everything (like TV shows and films):
1) Usagi Drop (2011)
2) Mawaru Penguindrum (2011)
3) Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2012 is when I finally watched it)
4) Kill la Kill (2014)
5) Hunter x Hunter (2014)
All of those shows ended. Hunter x Hunter, however, has the distinction of being a long running shounen that exceeded its own limits, and was about as much of a watch for me every SATURDAY (then Tuesday) for most of 2013 after I spent the time catching up. Unfortunately, the anime had to stop at some point. Well, not really. It could just have been like other long running shounen anime and added filler episodes. Instead, it could only adapt what was up to the manga. And well, with Togashi’s continuous issues in doing his manga (unfortunate to say so), the anime was left at a point where it couldn’t continue.
I don’t have the confidence to say it’s going to return anytime soon, or with even the same people working on it.
So, I can only think about what HxH has done for me, and what it’s going to leave behind as the next crop of anime pops up:
- We’ve been robbed of a great talent in Togashi. I did actually watch Yu Yu Hakusho way back when it was on Adult Swim/Cartoon Network, and I enjoyed Level E, but never tried to get into HxH for reasons that start with “Hiatus” and end with “Hiatus”. That’s literally been a constant joke while I was on the outside looking in and hearing about it. In some cases, his taking time off is justified (think he had to take care of a kid and got sick), but then it gets to the point where you can hardly believe it. After watching HxH, I’m now saddened at his future. While the series still sells, you have to first wonder when he’ll ever get back to work on the manga, then wonder when’s he gonna finish it, and then finally if he somehow manages to finish it, this could be the last series he ever works on. Maybe Shueisha can deal with him, but will they choose to? Will Togashi have another work up his sleeve? Whatever the case, the more you think about it, the more you realize he could have brought forth more wonderful works to us, and for a lot of reasons, he can’t. It really sucks.
- It did actually showcase that anime can be GREAT. As in, it should be getting seen by everyone around the world. Sure, like every medium there will always be those shows or films that suck, but for anime, it really feels like you have to scrape and claw just to find good anime. Maybe even decent anime, something you wouldn’t recommend but is just a pleasant watch. I admit it is a shame some of its best episodes happen later and not early enough, but those best episodes showcase not only what a studio can do with a medium (manga), but showcase what anime can really achieve, which seems like it’s few and far between each year. From just visuals to words to sound, anime can go to places others are restricted from getting access to. I think HxH is proof of that.
- Maybe now I’m understanding what’s good, and what’s not. Actually I’m betting I’m still a ways a way from getting there, but HxH has aided me in that. From what I ultimately hope to get out of an anime, why I get invested in certain scenes or characters, etc. Only time will get me to understand what I think will be worth my time and what actually isn’t, but this anime sped up that process.
- Ep 126. Don’t even have to say any more than just that, really.
I’m going to guess a breathtaking anime will pop up at some point as I continue to watch more anime, so HxH will eventually be challenged. But for now, with 2014 about in the books, and this anime being in my mind in the books for good, I definitely know it’s gonna leave a hole in my heart, and re-watching it will be much trouble in the future.
Still, a thanks is in order. And I think much deserved, honestly, to all involved on this wonderful series.
