Hunter x Hunter (2011) Review

Story:
(Revisited)
The beginning arc of the series offers some character introductions and a whole lot of explanation about the world of HxH. The in-depth story lines are less visible, but are already being treated in the background. At this time in the story, it's in the form of remarks and interactions between characters. The further this Hunter Exam arc progresses, however, the more individual stories are being fleshed out. Whether these are grudges, family problems, or simply a quest to find someone. The very end of the Hunter Exam neatly flows into the next arc, which instantly takes a further dive into the story behind one of our main characters. It's one of the things HxH does differently from some other Battle Shounen series, the flow from one arc to the other in the story (up till this point) feels very correct.
As such, it's evident that this series is more fleshed out than most Shounen series.
Story: 8/10 (I had a hard time not giving it a 9, for the sole reason of the series not being finished yet, by which Story is harder to judge than any other factor.)

Art:
This is something that stood out from the very first scene. Hunter x Hunter has this very unique style, which can make characters seem more like cartoon characters, yet they come out of a manga. Big noses and lips, a lot of aspects could be called 'old-school'. However, it is still performed in a way that makes it amazing to look at. Background rendering, lighting and shading, special effects to add atmosphere to scenes... The animation and art is simply top-notch. Now I have seen animes made by studio 'Bones', and I have seen the famous 'Hellsing Ultimate', so to deserve a 10 for art in my book, is pretty hard.
Art: 10/10

Sound:
I really had to get used to the background music. At first the style appeared to me as weird, but soon enough I loved it. The happy, energetic themes during the normal situations (especially) fit Gon. However, the music can change altogether to become more like traditional drumming, something that manages to create heavy tension every time I watch it. Situations where the anti-hero (because I can't call him an Antagonist) Hisoka goes insane are perfectly portrayed through the amazing soundtrack. Dangerous situations, which could burst into action at any given moment are perfectly portrayed because of the amazing soundtrack. Sound effects in the background can suddenly boom through your boxes or headphones, in an impressive fashion. Voice acting is great, and the mad, happy or insane sides of characters are correctly given life.
Sound: 9/10

Character:
Logically, a series focused on Hunters needs an adequate amount of character development. And this is easily noticed as nearly every character will have some special trait, something weird, or threatening. Some have a clear amount of intelligence, another acts on impulse, and yet another will be patient and observes the situation. However, there is one thing that bugs me, a pet peeve I developed because of 'Naruto'. Loads of characters will think or say that Gon has something special, etcetera, etcetera. This is something that can throw their character into disarray, because no person thinks the same way. Regardless, there are a bunch of characters that stomp on that statement as if it were an ant. I'm speaking of the Phantom Troupe arc. The arc took your expectation of Gon and Killua being powerful, and threw it down a cliff. These characters are, at times, obviously aware of their own dominance and power, and will act likewise. The mere tension their presence creates in the series has an amazing impact.
Character: 10/10

Enjoyment:
Enjoyment is an aspect that requires the combination of all the other aspects, but most importantly, requires them to be in-sync. This case is performed brilliantly. The series is dark when it needs to be dark, because the characters are, the soundtrack is, the lighting is, and the dialogue is. In fact, the tension in this series is so strong that even when nothing is happening and only a simple conversation takes place I am often glued to the screen. There aren't many anime that will make somebody come closer to the screen just because he is so focused. This series manages it every time.
Enjoyment: 1