Hunter x Hunter Anime (1999 + 2011 versions) and Manga Differences + Opinion - Greed Island Arc (Part 1)

Life update (skip if uninterested)

Well, I definitely took a much longer break than I expected to. It's been nearly half a year, kinda crazy how time flies. Short version of it all is that I got busy with real life and then lockdown happened in Sydney (still going on) and I honestly just didn't have the motivation to do this. It's pretty crazy because I'm usually a home person, but even I'm mentally exhausted lol. Anyway, I finally decided to continue my HxH rewatch, and lol, I was so close to finishing this post but it took me so long. Apologies if anyone was actually curious about my opinion lol. Anyway, on to the post!

GREED ISLAND ARC PART 1 - HEADING TO MASADORA

 Sometimes I wonder if I should call it the 2003 anime now since we're dealing with the Greed Island OVAs lol, but I guess for consistency, we'll just leave it as it is with it being the 1999 anime since it is basically a continuation of it.

1999 anime Greed Island OVA (2003) episodes 1-8 (i.e. ep 71-78)

2011 anime episodes 59-63

Manga chapters 120-139

Auction for Greed Island

As usual, the 2011 anime skips out minor background details that can be kinda important such as Gon and Killua commenting on being glad they wore suits to the auction, knowing that there is only one Greed Island game for sale the first day, explanation on how to bid, but most importantly, also a bit more of an explanation of what Nen erasers are, and that they are rare, and having the skill to erase a dead person's nen would be even fewer and could be counted on one finger, and that's why killing Kurapika (for the Spiders) would not be a good idea. The manga also clearly shows Phinks' thoughts that they know Chrollo is looking for a nen eraser, and I think the 1999 anime does this in an interesting way by having the Spiders kinda explain and talk about it so we know their next course of action and I liked that. I also really liked how the 1999 anime followed the manga on how Gon and Killua took care to go to the auction by taxi to avoid the Spiders etc but still bumped into them lmao, but anyway it just flowed much better seeing them enter the auction, pay money etc. On the other hand, I do feel like the 1999 anime exaggerates Kurapika's fever, since in the manga, it was bad but wasn't something so dragged out and mind breaking I guess, it's honestly pretty unnecessary and kindaa weird lol. I really liked how the 1999 anime kept with the manga that there was a bit more of a panic when Gon doubled the bid, since the auctioneer did have to ask if anyone was going to bid further before Battera increased it loll, and it was funny how Killua admitted that he was going to try it too if Gon didn't do it lmao, which I definitely feel sorry for Zepile because they had no money and might have gone to jail for it hahaha.

Screening for Greed Island

 I also much more appreciate the manga and 1999 anime showing that Battera is especially strict on picking people to enter the game because he currently owns 32 copies of the game and has sent 100 people in, but more than half refuse to come out now, and that some have literally stayed for years. They kinda explained this in the 2011 anime but not to the extent that it makes you think yeah it's understandable since really, Battera is a billionaire anyway lol. Also, in the 2011 anime Tsezguerra sounds like he only went into Greed Island once and came back out, but in the manga and 1999 anime, he tells Gon and Killua that he is qualified to screen them because just in these past 6 months, he's already gone in and out 5 times so he's much more capable rather than "lucky" or something. Also, the 2011 anime is much more clunky when it comes to the flow because in the manga and 1999 anime, Battera clearly tells Gon and Killua that he will be buying all the copies of Greed Island that will be for sale at the auction, and that if they want to play Greed Island, they should come to the screening that they're holding on September 10th. Battera is much more friendly and acknowledges them in the manga. But I'm sad that the 1999 anime cut out the part where steam comes out from Gon's ears every time Killua tries to help Gon think of an "ultimate technique" lol, that part is so cutee! In fact, Killua barely helps him think and just kinda pushes him to do it himself so that's kinda sad lol. I'm also disappointed that they skipped the part showing chibi Kurapikas licking and playing with chains lmao. Anyway, I feel like the 1999 anime also made Gon a bit more childish with his tantrums here and I have to admit, that was kinda annoying LOL, especially when Gon asked Kurapika to stay to teach him, but it doesn't mention like it does in the manga and 2011 anime that he didn't say that for himself, but because he wanted Kurapika to stay and focus on them rather than going to the auction and see the Spiders. I'm also sad that the 1999 anime doesn't really show or say much about Squala's death and how Eliza's inconsolable grief pushed their boss into returning home rather than staying for the auction.

I think it would have been nice for context to see Leorio reading the newspaper wondering why Battera is so curious and insistent on finishing the Greed Island game (this is omitted in the 1999 anime and shown later in the 2011 anime through the TV instead). I also think it was kinda sad that in the 1999 anime Gon knew Kurapika was leaving but didn't send him off since I feel like he would no matter what, so yeah it would have been better if they just followed the manga and 2011 anime where Kurapika leaves without telling Gon or Killua so they can focus on passing the exam. Anyway, the things Zepile said in the 1999 anime were rather cryptic so it's kinda crappy that they cut out the part in the manga where Zepile laments for being a show-off saying he could earn that much in money ~4 days but instead he ended up having to borrow some money from an underground bank, and it's then after some contemplation that he realises how convenient and useful a hunter licence is, and decides to learn more about it and possibly become a Hunter lol. The 2011 anime kinda shows it, but both anime kinda cut most of it so it just feels kinda random lol. I think it would have also been nice if the 1999 anime mentioned that Battera spent half of his fortune on the Greed Island games this time around.

As for the actual screening, it's kinda interesting that the 2011 anime doesn't mention anything related to Tsezguerra actually being a Single Star Hunter! Something interesting to note is that Tsezguerra always says "Show me your Ren" so it felt kinda confusing (to me in the 2011 anime) why he always specifically says Ren when he allows Killua to use Hatsu, but anyway in the manga and the 1999 anime, Tsezguerra tells Killua that "show me your Ren" basically in communication with Hunters means that he wants to see the results of their training and not literally specifically Ren. I personally think it's nice to clarify this because it kinda shows that Killua and Gon are not only still new to the nen thing, but in terms of even just the Hunter world, there are still a lot of things for them to understand and learn. Anyway, in terms of understanding that the selection process wasn't going to strictly be something like once they get 32 people, it'll end, the 2011 anime did it better than the 1999 anime since it gave time for Killua to understand for himself that he was thinking too hard rather than just the Puhat guy explaining it to them. It also felt weird to have Killua seem so scarred over the idea of overcoming his dad telling him that he should never show 100% of his power unless he's guaranteed to succeed.

GREED ISLAND START

A fascinating thing the 2011 anime does is make it that when Gon enters Greed Island, the "NPC girl" that explains the rules to him is much more "human" in the manga, because the moment he enters, she asks if he is Gon and then relays Ging's message to him. Whereas, in the 2011 anime, they make it that when Gon reaches the stairs, then it kinda activates and makes her recognise that this is Gon and he has a message from Ging. Personally, I think this was a weird change to make, mainly because the 2011 anime makes it seem as if she really is an NPC when she isn't and basically takes away the hint/clue that she probably isn't an NPC. Anyway, minor nitpick but I enjoy how the manga and 1999 anime transition properly from the end of Yorknew to Greed Island with Gon and Killua catching the reserved train to Battera's castle where he has the consoles, since it flows better and really shows that this is the start of a new arc. As usual, the biggest problem with the 2011 anime is that it really doesn't like to spend much time showing the city and surroundings to give you a better grasp and view of the place that they are in. Even when it comes to the introduction of the first city Killua and Gon visit, they barely show the existence of other things you can get as prizes such as finding a lost dog, and instead immediately jumps to the Rock-Scissors-Paper Tournament. It also cut out Killua and Gon asking the shop owner more details about the tournament and how this tournament is special compared to previous ones because everyone has a chance of winning, so there are more people participating this time around. So really, the NPC could answer a few of their questions rather than just saying its' predetermined dialogue. Another important aspect the 2011 anime cuts out is the part when Gon and Killua try to pay for the sodas they drank with real money, only to realise that there is in-game currency that takes up slots in the Binder Book, which imo really helps to develop the world of this game and I think it's pretty crappy to cut it out. Also funny to see the NPC want to call the police on them lmao, and then see them washing dishes and discussing how it would be difficult to store a lot of change (in terms of money) since they are separated into 1000, 5000 etc and it would take up a lot of space in their free slots like that. To be fair, the 1999 anime doesn't show Gon and Killua discussing how this may affect their limited storage of cards, but it does show the game currency and washing dishes part which I think is important for introducing the concepts of Greed Island to them.

Another nitpick! When the first player guy died from an explosion in his abdomen, and the shady guy appears telling Gon and Killua that he was killed by nen and not a spell from the game, the guy properly explains to Gon and Killua the current situation with "player hunting", and how the maximum limit on how many copies of one card can exist is the reason why hunting players has become a thing so that cards previously inaccessible will become accessible once players holding these cards die. This is shown in the manga and 1999 anime, but not the 2011 anime, and I think it was a silly choice of the 2011 anime to omit/delay it with him saying he'll explain this properly to Gon and Killua later, because if he wants them to trust him and follow him, he has to provide information that makes it worthwhile for them to believe his words are true and worth following for more to understand the world better. However, I do think the 1999 anime revealing how the guy was bombed was unnecessary and is like a spoiler loll. I also prefer how in the manga, Killua puts more thought into whether they should follow the guy and takes into account stuff like it's an open area, the guy said he'll explain stuff and he can choose to join or not after that etc instead of just kinda following him in the 2011 anime because he told them where they can get spell cards lolll. One thing that isn't really important but I felt was necessary to have been talked about which wasn't in the 2011 anime was the guy explaining to them that the only way to remove spells cast on you was to leave the game, and for that to happen, you need a certain spell card used with a certain condition, and that these are rare but their group have alot of them. I think just this by itself makes their offer very tempting to the people who ended up joining (which makes it all the more sad later on).

I hate to complain but I don't like how the 2011 anime decided to skip over explaining the Magnetic Force cards etc and Gon's "trick" for winning in janken against Killua all the time. I think it really kills some needed characterisation for both Gon and Killua. The 1999 anime skips over the leaving the game part with a card etc too, but at least they kept the janken part. I always really liked that part because I always found it so funny how frustrated Killua was for losing to Gon all the time. It makes it all the more funnier for Killua to win against Gon in the actual tournament by using his left hand hahaha. It's also sad that both anime cut out the discussion between the group (that Gon refused to join) about the internal dissatisfaction between members about the splitting of money with new members etc. As usual, they're not crucial to the story, but it really helps to know the context. One thing the 1999 anime didn't mention that they should have was the "List" card which tells you how many people have a certain card, and that is how people know that no one has one of the SS cards. However, as usual despite the stuff that is omitted, I do think that the 1999 anime attempts to explain more stuff about the cards than the 2011 anime does such as the casting range of short range and long range spells. But yep, if you want to know the cards more in detail, the manga is the best because it actually shows page listings of all 40 of the attack/defence spells, describing their use, range and rank which imo is very interesting, and you can really see how much effort Togashi put into establishing the world of Greed Island. But yeah, I would have liked to see in the anime the guys using the Leave card to demonstrate that there is a card that can make you forcibly leave Greed Island. Just like how I would have liked the 2011 anime to show how cool of a card Accompany is. Also disappointed that the 2011 anime does not show how the group takes caution in revealing their hideout. They only let group members fly to a player and then walk from there rather than revealing the hideout itself. On the other hand, totally unrelated but it would have been so cool to see cards such as Levy(?) being used to steal the cards of players in one's surroundings, it just sounds so fun! Anyway, by showing the explanations of each card, it also lets me know why exactly Prison is the card these guys need a spare of before exchanging their 40 spells for the Angel's Breath, since Prison protects all the designated card slots in your Binder. But at least the 2011 anime explains the importance of Prison, whilst the 1999 anime does not, which follows the manga I guess haha.

Greed Island Tutorial(?)

Honestly, I feel like the 2011 anime just hates explanations of anything in general lol. Anyway, they cut out the back story of the guy who tried to use Thief on Killua after winning the Sword of Truth card from the tournament. Honestly. yeah he's a mob character, but his back story helps to understand the situation in Greed Island. Basically that there are people like him who aim to make a living in the game by selling rare cards and hoping to leave Greed Island after that, rather than having any hope of finishing the game. His thought process also explains that this sword card is actually quite rare since you can only get it once a year, so basically there are only 10 copies. It also showed how getting spell cards in Masadora is basically like buying Pokemon cards where you get it in a pack and it's all random. It also cuts out the part where Killua has thought of an idea on how to protect his cards from random mobs like these. Anyway, the most disappointing part was when the 2011 anime cut out Gon and Killua's strategy in protecting their card by not only having Gon keep the card in his free slots instead of the designated numbered slot, but also putting trash cards like stones in all his free slots, so that unless they try to use the rob card to specifically steal the Sword of Truth, these amateurs wouldn't be able to steal it with cards like Thief which steal random cards in your Binder. It just helps you better frame the idea of spells and cards in this game with a small introduction imo. Kinda like a tutorial! Anyway, also nice to see that the 1999 anime kept to the manga and showed how Gon and Killua have been earning money by selling Gargida cards. Minor nitpick as always lol, but I really appreciated the 1999 anime following the manga with Gon and Killua having to pay 3000 jennies to get info on where Masadora was, since it made it feel much more like a game haha. I also prefer the explanation from Shalnark in the 1999 anime and manga since it delves deeper into his thought process and how he came to the conclusion of Greed Island being a part of the real world, as well as divulging more characteristics of Shizuku's vacuum and Kortopi's copying skill. Btw, personal preference but Biscuit looks better in the 1999 version lol, I hateeee how she looks like a baby in the 2011 anime lol.

Personally, I prefer the 1999 anime when it comes to following the manga for when Biscuit gets pissed off looking at Gon and Killua wasting their potential and not properly using their Nen to figure out the weak points of the monsters they encountered and just running away. Not only does it follow the manga better than the 2011 anime (since it cuts out how Gon and Killua thought the lizard thing was a Rank A monster etc), but by spending time showing it all, you can tell that Greed Island/the monsters was made to train people into properly utilising their Nen and learning how to use it better, which is pretty much exemplified through the weird horse with bubbles. As for the Binolt training, minor differences that aren't really worth mentioning haha, they're all basically the same.

Overall, if I had to pick, I'd say for the first half, I preferred the 2011 anime, because both versions cut out and/or add things and despite those changes, the 2011 anime still showed the important stuff..better I guess lol. However, when it comes to Greed Island itself, I definitely prefer the 1999 anime. I feel like the 1999 anime gives you a better grasp of the world of Greed Island. It definitely made me feel more immersed with the world with stuff like in-game currency, trading Gargida cards, learning how to deal with people trying to steal your cards etc. It just has a better introduction to the game and provides a much better context to the characteristics of the game, the spells, the types of players and how different people use these spells etc. It must have been frustrating for the Greed Island OVA to end here back in the day though lol, they didn't even make it to Masadora yet! Lol.

Hunter x Hunter Anime (1999 + 2011 versions) and Manga Differences + Opinion - Yorknew City Arc (Part 2)

 YORKNEW CITY ARC PART 2 (THE FRACTURED SPIDERS)

1999 anime episodes 58-62, OVA (2002) episodes 1-8 (i.e. ep 63-70)

2011 anime episodes 49-58

Manga chapters 89-120

Kidnapped to the Spiders Hideout

I think what the 1999 anime really likes to do is give the characters more apparent emotions, especially with showing how killing Uvo impacted Kurapika so much that he looks so dead and lifeless now, like a corpse wanting revenge even if it's not something he can handle, all he can do is remember the pain of his brethren and fight for that. Anyway, the 2011 anime pretty faithfully follows the manga (although I would say the 1999 anime follows it better by having details such as the Spiders discussing the Mafia actions etc), but one thing I really love about the manga is the art for Hisoka, because dang when he was ready to kill Killua at the hideout, he looked so much more ominous compared to the anime that I could much better comprehend how fearsome he must have been for Killua with a face and aura like that lol. One thing I would have preferred the 2011 anime better portray was that when Killua and Gon escaped from Nobunaga, it was night time and really dark, and that made it difficult for Nobunaga to better assess their locations in the darkness, which made it easier for them to run away imo, since in the anime it seemed more like the sun was just setting and there was still some light. In this case, I personally prefer the 1999 anime since it shows very well how everything is completely black and that's why Nobunaga decided to rely on his En just in case. Anyway, all three versions are practically the same and have their goods and bads, I think the 1999 anime has the edge with the darkness though haha.

Requiem of the Spiders and the Auction

One thing the manga and 1999 anime does that the 2011 anime doesn't is have Kurapika assess that the other assassins compared to Silva and Zeno have a clear difference in strength, this is obvious I guess but I think it's important to know that Kurapika and the others know their places. I also find it amusing that Zeno hands out his business card to the rest, makes the situation less boring I guess? I think it would also have been cool to see the other Mafia guy punch Nostrade, mainly because it shows that Nostrade is someone who climbed up to the ranks at the jealousy and hatred of others, and Nostrade fully intends on using his daughter Neon to go even higher regardless of what people think. I also think it was sad that the 2011 anime didn't show that the Mafia people did suggest to drive Neon to the hospital when she fainted, since it makes them seem so incompetent to just go along with Chrollo without even thinking about other options. The 2011 anime also failed to mention that when Kurapika checked the Hunter website again, it was evident that not only was Neon's photo there, but Baise and Basho's photos were newly added too, which I think is important to note since it shows that they're definitely closing in on Kurapika. Although I think that in terms of animation and music choice for the requiem, the 2011 anime excels in every way, I do think it would have been nicer for the 2011 anime to show that the Mafia did have some sort of countermeasures so they're not completelyyy incompetent against the Spiders lol. As usual, the details in the 2011 anime are lacking imo, which I think is where it follows the manga to a fault, since when it's a manga, it's easier to overlook due to page and panel limits, but in the anime, I find that there were little things they could have added which don't affect the story but can provide a better view of the battlefield. For example, in the 1999 anime, it shows Gon calling Leorio during the chaos to check on how he's going since Kurapika wasn't picking up his phone, and through Leorio's view, we can see a bit more of the chaos in the city. (However, I do admit that just following the manga and showing Leorio and Zepile partying while the chaos was going on is kinda funny loll) At the same time, Kurapika is also in contact with Melody and Basho and understanding a bit more of the situation outside so we as viewers can get a better expansive view of things going on from different perspectives rather than the usual Spiders killing people perspective lol. 

I also prefer Shalnark's ability in the 1999 anime because you literally see him play with his phone controlling the guy killing people as if he's playing Space Invaders and I loved seeing that because I've always thought that Shalnark's ability is super fun and cool. But I guess the 2011 anime having it like a first person shooter game is amusing too haha. Personally, when it comes to Zeno & Silva vs Chrollo, I definitely prefer the 1999 anime. I feel like for the 2011 anime, they make things more flashier and dragged out than needed when the fight was pretty clear-cut and fast in the manga and 1999 anime. I think the way the 2011 anime animated it made the fight "disappointing" because it seems to try to hype it into something more than it is, whereas in the manga and 1999 anime, it really isn't anything extravagant. I think one thing the 1999 anime saddeningly didn't animate was Silva thinking back to his first meeting with Chrollo back in the day (probably when he killed a Spider member) and how much he has grown in that time. Also, this is just my opinion (of course) but Kurapika punching that Mafia guy in the 1999 anime felt so much more satisfying, especially when he cried about his nose lmao. I also found Kurapika in the manga and 1999 anime much more scarier and chilling when he threatened Zenji (bald Mafia guy) than it was in the 2011 anime, like I could actually feel and understand why the guy felt so overwhelmed and couldn't help but back off. Although the dead bodies of the Spiders being fake shouldn't have been too much of a surprise, there was still a sense of "how" and "why" when it came to the manga and 1999 anime, whereas for the 2011 anime, I feel like it showed more hints that Kortopi just copied them all, but that's just me maybe lol. Anyway, the 1999 anime deviates from the manga and 2011 anime in the part where instead of Kurapika calling Gon to tell him that the Spiders are dead and then hanging up, Kurapika in the 1999 anime laments about this by himself and then it skips to the part in the manga where he meets up with Killua, Gon and Leorio the next day planning to tell them the "bad news" that they're dead and now he has no meaning to his life, but before Kurapika can say that, Gon happily congratulates him that now that all the Spiders are dead, he can finally be free and focus on finding the eyes of all his brethren. At that moment, Kurapika's eyes finally gain back the colour and brightness he lost during the time he separated from them, and I think that was really well done to "end things" since this was the last episode of the original 1999 anime run. I think they wanted to make it a bit more conclusive for Kurapika's story, whilst also revealing at the end that the bodies were indeed fake to show that the story with the Spiders does go on. Personally, I think that with the limitations, the last episode was done really nicely and I liked it alot. I also think that scene was done much better in the 1999 anime with the evident change in his eyes and expression, it made me so happy for Kurapika!

One thing both the 1999 and 2011 anime cut out is the detailed part about Meteor City. Basically, the Mafia are trying to find information on the Spiders but can't because information does not exist in the sense that most if not all of the Spiders come from a place called Meteor City where no births or deaths are recorded, so technically none of them "exist". And, in that sense I guess it's seen that Meteor City is where all the "rubbish" not recognised anywhere goes. Interestingly, the manga also talks about how there was once a case where a guy from Meteor City was falsely accused of murder, and when the true perpetrator was found, all the judges, lawyers and those involved in the case were killed and left with the message along the lines of "we accept everything, so don't take anything back", which I guess kinda shows why even though the Spiders are heartless towards everyone else, they care for their own and are unified with a bond that transcends family, partners or friends. Another interesting thing was that the people who were sent to kill these people basically sacrificed their lives one for one to kill them, which kinda shows how crazy and dangerous they are, but also how far they would go for people who are one of them, which also shows why if anything happens to any of the Spiders, the others would never let go of it even if it's not necessary for them to function with a leader. On the other hand, the 1999 anime OVA cuts out the part before Kurapika explains his powers where Leorio says Kurapika feels more confident and stronger, whereas Kurapika says Leorio is the same haha. It's not important but it kinda breaks up the flow without it. Anyway, I personally find the Meteor City explanation to be quite important to give better context towards why some of the members such as Nobunaga are so obstinate about not leaving Yorknew City without getting revenge.

Something unimportant but expected that was not shown in the 2011 anime was Phinks telling Chrollo that he doesn't know his birth date or blood type (to do the fortunes), honestly I'm more surprised that most of them know it hahaha. One thing I would have appreciated the 1999 and 2011 anime explaining was how Hisoka made the fake fortune paper to deceive the Spiders. In the manga, it explains that everyone sort of hides their abilities even from the other members so it's pretty impossible for them to know everything about each other's abilities and can only make assumptions about what they see, so even though Machi has seen Hisoka's abilities, she does not know the full extent of deceitful texture etc and didn't realise he could replicate the ink and paper with it. I'm also disappointed that the 1999 anime cut out the part discussing whose abilities did Hisoka supposedly tell the chain user about since I think it's a good way to tell how knowledgeable Hisoka is about the Spiders and having his own monologue shows how much he hopes to use Kurapika to keep the Spiders here. The 2011 anime does the minimum at least haha, but I guess the 1999 anime OVAs really got a dip in animation and quality for adapting the story. Anyway, minor nitpick but in the 2011 anime when Killua didn't want Kurapika to agree to get Gon's help on catching the Spiders, I feel like they overdid Killua's insistence on wanting Kurapika to say no, when in the manga and 1999 anime, he really only thinks about it in three instances hoping that Kurapika will reject Gon, making it more understandable rather than annoying? Lol.

One thing I'm rather disappointed in was the 2011 anime omitting Kurapika explaining to the trio that even if he placed a nen dagger to their hearts to protect Kurapika's abilities/secrets, it wouldn't logically be beneficial at all since they wouldn't be able to effectively counterattack with a restriction on them. Like, I know it's nice that by omitting it, it feels like Kurapika completely trusts them and doesn't mind if it ends up biting him back, but at the same time, Kurapika is a logical person, so he would have thought about it regardless of whether he would actually do it.

Execution of the Plan at Beitacle Hotel

The plan at Beitacle Hotel is probably my favourite part in this arc, so it's nice to watch the different renditions again. Personally, whilst the 2011 anime excels in the animation department, especially the battle sequence when Killua and Gon try to escape from the Spiders in the dark, I feel like I enjoyed everything else about this part in the 1999 anime. A minor but important gripe for me is that there was not enough detail on the inner thoughts of Killua and Gon after they got captured in the 2011 anime. This is especially prevalent when they arrive at the hotel. In the manga and 1999 anime, you can see and hear how frantic and desperate Killua and Gon both are in trying to think of a way for them to communicate with Kurapika and Melody on when and how they should enact the plan they thought up of. However, in the 2011 anime, Leorio basically speaks right after they enter the hotel, so any tension and fear that Gon and Killua are experiencing are pretty much diminished. The 2011 anime cut out Killua's desperation in wanting to find Melody to try and convey a way in finding a time for them to take action at the same time, as well as their sheer desperation in just finding a way to get out of this situation. But, as I said, it was definitely much better in the 2011 anime for watchers to be able to properly see what actually went on when Killua and Gon tried to escape the clutches of the Spiders. The 1999 anime keeps the darkness aspect showing how difficult it was for the Spiders to act in the dark, but still able to keep Gon and Killua at bay, which was cool in its own way, but kinda difficult to follow imo. Something the 1999 anime definitely excelled in was showing the tension during the last few minutes before the 7pm chime, because I think it really did well how anxious Gon and Killua were, and how scary it would be if Pakunoda touched them. 

The other thing I enjoyed in the 1999 anime was the process of Pakunoda's thoughts. The 1999 anime added a bit more of her perspective to it, but aside from that, I feel like the 1999 anime showed better her mindset on why she preferred prioritising Chrollo over the Spider even if it meant going against what Chrollo and others wanted, and I was thankful for that. Mainly because I for one have always enjoyed how "normal" the Spiders are. Maybe others would be disappointed that the Spiders aren't as cool or interesting as they're hyped up to be, but I personally always enjoyed how it shows that these guys aren't all-powerful (e.g. not knowing Hisoka is a traitor, not realising why Kurapika chose to be a part of the Nostrade family etc). Anyway, by giving Pakunoda's perspective, it really gives more depth to the idea of the Spiders and the individuals. I also think that the 1999 anime giving Pakunoda her own theme and music was done really well, because it set up that atmosphere well for her dilemma. And also, just in general, I like the atmosphere of the 1999 anime much better though haha. I think it was also really good how the 1999 anime showed some of the specific memories that Pakunoda was able to see, because it kinda helps to understand things better imo? However, at the same time, I feel like this is also a flaw, because if Pakunoda could really see exactly all those memories, then she would have realised that Kurapika was not someone who would sacrifice Gon and Killua to kill Chrollo. But, I guess at the same time, Pakunoda didn't want to risk Chrollo's life for something she wouldn't be sure of. Something I found weird in the 2011 anime was why Phinks and them so easily decided that they couldn't follow Pakunoda anymore just because Kurapika found out and told them to go back to their hideout, and I was right, because in the manga and the 1999 anime, Kurapika clearly tells Phinks that they have a nen user that can see through lies, and that's why Pakunoda left without telling them anything, making it more understandable and comprehensible for the rest of the Spiders to give up on chasing after Pakunoda. Personally, I think this was important.

An interesting moment that the 2011 anime omitted was Kalluto appearing at the Spiders' Hideout to help Illumi seamlessly sneak into there and pretend to be Hisoka. Maybe it's not very important or interesting to others, but I think it's quite important in the sense that we are finally getting to see that aside from Illumi and Milluki, Kalluto is also quite active as a part of the Zoldyck family missions (other than with the assassination of the Mafia Ten Dons) and isn't really just following their mother around. I think it also adds to the mystery of what kind of sibling Kalluto is. Personally, I think it was much better how the 2011 anime followed the manga and showed the conversation between Pakunoda and Killua and Gon at the auction house when Phinks remembered her thoughts and feelings through her memories, but I guess I'll acknowledge that the 1999 anime probably chose to show it early because they might not have been sure if they would be animating the Greed Island Arc. Anyway, whilst I enjoy and prefer the music in the 1999 anime, I did find it a bit weird and out of place when they did stuff like have Pakunoda be shocked when Chrollo was returned to her and didn't show anything towards her, contrasted with how Kurapika and everyone was so happy to be reunited with Killua and Gon. Like, I feel like it just feels more like Pakunoda in the 2011 anime and manga for her to understand why Chrollo would be "cold" (aside from the fact that he can't talk to any of the Spiders' members because of the Judgment Chain) because she made this choice knowing that Chrollo wouldn't be happy with her, and she accepts that but still chose to do it because she obviously values him more than the idea of the Spiders as a whole, so I think that scene was weird. Also, although I enjoy seeing Hisoka be his crazy self, I do think I preferred the 2011 anime and manga where Hisoka had that silly dumbfounded face after finding out that Chrollo can't use his nen when he wanted to fight with him lol, so yeah I was disappointed in how the 1999 anime changed that to make it seem like there was more...tension? I know that a lot of people didn't enjoy how the 1999 anime added that extra bit with Pakunoda walking home and returning a cat to its' friends instead of just the meow she did to a cat along the way home in the manga and 2011 anime, but I think that little walk really helped to digest the feelings she had towards the whole situation and what she was determined to do, and also how far she was willing to go if it was for Chrollo. Personally, even though I do have gripes with some things the 1999 anime changed, I also think a lot of things flow better in the 1999 anime instead of just boom boom boom that happened and that happened etc with the manga and 2011 anime tbh.

Overall, I probably prefer neither version haha! I feel like this happens often, but anyway, both versions had parts I didn't like and that makes it difficult for me to call either of them superior to the other. Naturally, the 2011 anime will always win when it comes to animation and how fluent their battle scenes are. However, it's hard to replicate the beauty of that dark atmosphere in the 1999 anime that I can't help but love. As usual, I also really enjoy the extra details that the 1999 anime adds/follows the manga with since the 2011 anime likes to cut those every now and then, but at the same time, I can't give the edge to the 1999 anime when they like to change things like the Hisoka vs Chrollo scene near the airship. Sometimes the 1999 anime adds things that are nice, but it is also because they are more flexible sometimes that things feel weird and I guess that was more apparent in the last bits of this arc. Anyway, in terms of my feelings, they're both about the same to me if you don't care about animation quality that much, since the OVAs do have quite a dip in animation imo. On to my favourite arc, Greed Island! It's honestly my most excited one to compare because everyone shits on the Greed Island OVAs (or it's just reddit), but when I watched them back in the day, I absolutely loved them haha.

Hunter x Hunter Anime (1999 + 2011 versions) and Manga Differences + Opinion - Yorknew City Arc (Part 1)

YORKNEW CITY ARC PART 1 (YORKNEW AUCTION & KURAPIKA'S BATTLE AGAINST UVOGIN)

1999 anime episodes 48-57

2011 anime episodes 39-48

Manga chapters 67-88

Kurapika interview for Nostrade Family bodyguard & Appearance of the Spiders

Interestingly, the manga and anime all open with different perspectives for Kurapika. Both anime seem to prefer giving the most background on how Kurapika learnt nen and then kinda shows the process from that to finding his job as a bodyguard. Whereas for the manga, Kurapika's abilities are pretty much a mystery and it immediately jumps into the interview part. Personally, I don't really like how the 2011 anime showcases the "important" bodyguards before the interview even starts because it takes out the tension of the whole thing and it doesn't feel very engaging. Not to mention, they're not thaat important later anyway so it's kinda a waste lol. Anyway, it doesn't allow you as the watcher to form your own first impression from the way they act in the interview but are instead given screentime to make them seem "cool" if that makes sense haha. Although I appreciated the 1999 anime putting its own flair to showing the bodyguards and the music, I think it kinda made it obvious who were the ones not being tested. Anyway, minor difference that no one cares about either, but in the manga and 1999 anime, when Baise uses Instant Lover on Squala, she records him acting as a dog to her, and I guess the way he acts is much more explicit than the 2011 anime haha. 

I'm not sure why the 2011 anime skipped it, but in order to earn money to buy copies of Greed Island, Gon and Killua decided to have a race to see who could earn the most money by September 1st. I also think that the 1999 anime adapted the liveliness and fun of them investing and failing, and then arguing about it better haha, I think it really shows how cute and childish they both are lol, and shows that they did try methods of earning money before Leorio came along. One thing I prefer from the manga and 1999 anime is also the appearance of the Spiders. There's no cocky appearance of Hisoka with everyone waiting for him, no mystery as to what Chrollo looks like, everything is shown very straightforwardly and I think I like that much more than how the 2011 anime did it. I personally think the 2011 anime made it more "corny" and cliché than was necessary for their introduction, since I feel like what makes the Spiders cool aren't stuff like this, they don't need all these superfluous stuff imo, since I've always rather enjoyed how "normal" they actually are. But, I can understand why they would want to do that to make it kinda "fancy". In addition, I also enjoy the manga and 1999 anime reason for Gon buying a phone is to keep in contact with Kurapika more easily rather than just randomly, oh might as well get a phone like in the 2011 anime, since it's kinda like dude, why didn't you get one ages ago?! Lol. I'm also sad that the 2011 anime didn't even bother showing Leorio haggling for the phones! It's unnecessary but i's a pretty funny and cool moment for Leorio imo. 

Yorknew Auction & Shadow Beasts

When Melody and Kurapika shared their past, a minor thing the 2011 anime didn't show was Melody offering to show Kurapika a photo of her original self before she listened to the Dark Sonata. It's not important but I think it was an interesting omittance since I personally am curious about what Melody looked like before haha. A minor difference between the manga & 1999 anime was that in the 2011 anime, they had Feitan kill the remaining mafia guy instead of  Franklin just shooting him. Honestly, even though it was cool of Feitan to do something in the 2011 anime, I personally thought it felt out of place for him to bother, especially when Franklin could shoot him so easily. However, I did enjoy how flashy the 2011 anime made things, alongside all the corpses and blood. When Uvogin was facing off against the mafia guys whilst waiting for the Shadow Beasts, it's interesting to note that in the 2011 anime, he threw a rock that straight up pierced the eye of the guy sniping him, but in the manga and 1999 anime, he threw the rock to the torso blasting both the sniper and the guy next to him showing how much force and impact it caused. As usual, I personally prefer the Uvogin from the 1999 anime and manga, I think he has more of that "wild" feel with his attacks and appearance that the 2011 anime didn't replicate. I also love how in the 1999 anime, Shalnark and the rest were playing cards since the whole thing started like they said they would haha, I think it really shows how boring the whole thing was for them  before it even started and it's kinda the same for the viewers, since that's how it's supposed to be. However, when it comes to Uvogin destroying the three Shadow Beasts with just his head, the 2011 anime was definitely superior in animation and the whole transition from biting Leech's head off and spitting out the skull and then shouting to blast Porcupine's eardrums. One thing I'm not sure why the 1999 anime changed was Dalzollene being with Kurapika and them when capturing Uvogin, maybe they wanted to keep it cheap on costs for VA etc since they don't do much anyway? Hahaha. They also made Basho be the one driving the car for them too when it's supposed to be Kurapika lol.

On the other hand, what an insult to Uvogin that Dalzollene was able to pierce his wound in the 1999 anime loll. I definitely think it's more in line with his strength to have the sword break from Uvogin's nen as shown in the manga and 2011 anime. Personally, I'm not sure if I liked the 2011 anime having Shalnark showcase his ability already by controlling the mafia guy Dalzollene spoke to since I feel like there wasn't really a need for that, especially since it's not like Shalnark used the guy to contact Dalzollene considering it was the other way around, so I don't see the reason why they needed to do that. In this case I prefer the manga and 1999 anime where it doesn't show that and just has Phinks and them rock up to save Uvogin, since I'm sure it's simple enough for them to find him without needing an explanation. I found it unnecessary for Dalzollene to try and buy time for the others to escape since Uvogin already shouted so loud, but I guess it's nice that there's a bit of camaraderie between the Nostrade Family bodyguards even if it's only been a short time. Something I appreciated the 1999 anime adding in was having Nobunaga do the usual Spider thing when they can't decide on something - the flip the coin decision, and Uvogin asking Shalnark for his help to find Kurapika, since Uvogin obviously wouldn't have been able to find him so fast if Shalnark wasn't there, which was also why Shalnark felt bad about it afterwards. I think having this part made it clearer that even though the Spiders aren't exactly "friends", they do care for each other. I think it was also a bit sad that the 2011 anime omitted Squala and them saying that Uvogin was running around looking for Kurapika, since I think it's important for context.

A big difference when it comes to Gon, Killua and Leorio discovering the bounties on the Spiders' heads from the Mafia would be how they got there. In the 2011 anime, it was pretty straightforward with some guy taking them to earn more money at an underground wrestling gym, but in the manga and 1999 anime, Leorio gets to show off a little by defeating a huge guy in arm wrestling and betting the 8 million they had on that, and then the guy tells them to go over to the underground betting ring at 5pm. Also, when they get there, it wasn't as obvious as in the 2011 anime that the conditional auctioning for the Spiders was a last minute thing since in the manga and 1999 anime, the trio kinda realised it for themselves looking at the setup of the place rather than the guy stopping people that were already fighting in the ring. Anyway, the difference isn't really important, but I do think it would have been nice if the 2011 anime followed the manga so that Leorio could have a bit more time to shine, since even though he may not be as strong as Gon and Killua when it comes to nen, he is still pretty strong without fully grasping nen.

Uvogin vs Kurapika

One thing I prefer with the manga and 1999 anime was the little part before the Uvogin fight where it shows Leorio, Killua and Gon thinking of ways to find the Spiders. It' s not important, but I think them discussing Kurapika and whether he needs help etc, and having Gon say that they'll wait for Kurapika to reach out to them just seemed to make more sense to have it before the Uvogin fight, since it kinda contrasts how much Kurapika doesn't want to drag them into his personal affairs, but at the same time Gon and them are ready any time to help him as long as he needs it. It also shows how there was a lot of trial and error with them doing four hour stakeouts and other things to try and locate the Spiders before they decided to buy information.

 As for the fight itself between Uvogin and Kurapika, I personally think the 1999 anime does it better. In terms of the actual fighting, the 2011 anime definitely looks much more fluid and clear, but the 1999 anime has its charm with the darker atmosphere and roughness of it. But the main reason I prefer the 1999 anime is because I feel like I can empathise and understand the 1999 Kurapika better than the 2011 one (and I just don't feel anything towards the one in the manga because I guess that's how it is too lol). In the 2011 anime, Kurapika's "arrogant facade" is more annoying to me tbh? LOL. I feel bad, but I think the way the VA speaks and says things makes everything he does sound so derogatory and arrogant so you kinda feel sorry for Uvogin instead lol. However, in the 1999 anime, with stuff like the anime original scenes showing Shalnark concerned over Uvogin, Kurapika's Master telling him that he should stop before it's too late and that he's too kind to carry this burden, I think it makes the whole fight have a different feeling, which is that whilst Kurapika is fighting Uvogin, you can understand so much more how much this is hurting himself, and how Kurapika feels like he lost a part of himself after it. Honestly, in the 1999 anime, it hurt to watch Kurapika in pain, but in the 2011 anime, I honestly didn't feel much for it. Maybe it's my own perception problem but I personally feel like the 1999 anime portrayed Kurapika's feelings better because by adding the anime original scenes, I feel like they understood Kurapika better imo.

Auction catalogue, Trade Market & Zepile

Honestly, I would have liked to see Killua make a bigger deal out of Gon pawning his Hunter Licence like it was in the manga and 1999 anime lol, since it emphasises how crazy Gon can get haha. I also think it was saddening that the 2011 anime likes to cut out details such as when they bought the auction catalogue. Not only does the catalogue provide them information on what exactly was being auctioned, it also gave the entry card to the auction which is limited to bringing a maximum of five people in and only one person can bid. Something I also enjoyed was the amount of detail the catalogue goes into the items it auctions by explaining how they check if it's a fake and how you can login to Greed Island and other specifics of it, which explains why the catalogue is so thick and why it would be worth the money, but it's so thin in the 2011 anime lol. It also elaborates on how one copy of Greed Island will be sold each day of the auction until the 9th and 10th when there will be two copies sold each day for a total of seven copies. Honestly, it may sound like useless information no one cares about, but I think it's important in context to understand this, and to also understand why it's worth it to buy the auction catalogue lmao, since it seems so useless in the 2011 anime where they just kinda confirm that the starting bid will be $8.9 billion lol. I also love how when they're discussing about their funds for it, Killua says they still have Leorio's Hunter Licence lmaoo. 

In addition, in the manga, Leorio is the one who explains to Gon and Killua how the market works with placing bids on paper, so honestly sometimes I feel like the 2011 anime likes to make Leorio redundant lol. Oh and I found it weird why Leorio, Killua and Gon were talking really loudly about the Ben's knife and how it's worth something blah blah but the seller didn't really care etc, and it's true that it's weird because in the manga and 1999 anime to an extent, Killua got Leorio to bargain with the seller to get the knife for 300 Jenny straightaway without even needing to bid, and then it was after they obtained it that they went somewhere more secluded to discuss why this knife looked special to Gon and what Killua knows about it. I also really like the backstory the knife had (rather than the simple one the 2011 anime had where it was just made by a killer), where Killua told them that the blacksmith forged these knives as a souvenir for each person he killed and even engraved a number on all of them, and when he was in jail he even wrote a book about it all lol, which is very fascinating to me. It was also nice to know that the knife was in fact worth 5 million. Maybe it's petty of me, but I found the explanation for why the auction people couldn't take their items to be so..standard in the 2011 anime as if they didn't say anything? Lol, whereas in the manga, they properly explained that these items were decided at least 6 months ago and they're already working on the next catalogue so it was impossible for them to auction other new items right now, especially since they take great care in checking the authenticity of the items and the condition etc which I found very reasonable and I would have preferred to hear that lmao. It was also very nice that the manga and 1999 anime clearly showed how much they bought the three pieces for and how much money they earned when they got some random guy to appraise it.

What I found to be sad was also how the 2011 anime kicked out the whole Merchant's Market thing. Like yeah, it described some of the techniques, but what I really enjoyed from this part in the manga and the 1999 anime was that Gon and Killua got to personally experience and understand these techniques first hand by seeing appraisers do their job in the market, and to see how hard it can be to sell items even if they are authentic because buyers will always be wanting to purchase these items at a cheap price, so I really liked how important Zepile was to helping Gon and Killua identify the items but also sell them properly for the highest price. In terms of the whole arc, it's not important but I personally think it really helps to expand the idea that Gon and Killua are really discovering the world around them together. Honestly, Zepile may not be the most important character but he was definitely much more useful for Gon and Killua's learning than just selling their stuff for them in the 2011 anime lol. I also think that Gon finding the actual discussion between Zepile and the price droppers/negotiators to be interesting was much more understandable than just thinking the techniques were interesting in the 2011 anime. However, I can understand why the 2011 anime would opt to cut this part shorter if they needed more time since even though I think the manga better demonstrates Gon's pure curiosity of things and has no interest in how others may view it, and how he only cares about how he views it (and obviously Killua literally just does not care lmao), it's not a necessary event.

Overall, I definitely prefer the manga and the 1999 anime. Not only do I like the atmosphere more, but I also think the designs of the Spiders look better in the old version? Like yeah, they look nice and crisp in the 2011 anime but I think the roughness in the 1999 anime suits them more. Anyway, the reason I prefer the 1999 anime more is because when it comes to this part, there's nothing in the 2011 anime that makes it more worth a watch other than the superior animation. Maybe that's enough for most people to watch it, but for me I never minded the HxH manga even when they looked like sketches so I can live with anything lol. On the other hand, the additional context the manga and 1999 anime bring to table with Zepile, and the better insight into Kurapika's feelings in the 1999 anime makes me better understand how sensitive and kind Kurapika is on a deeper level, and it aligns with his character well. This may sound mean but I can say that right now, I hate the Kurapika in the 2011 anime but I really like Kurapika in the 1999 anime, and it's that kind of difference that makes me prefer the 1999 anime.

Hunter x Hunter Anime (1999 + 2011 versions) and Manga Differences + Opinion - Heavens Arena Arc

 HEAVENS ARENA ARC 

1999 anime episodes 37-47

2011 anime episodes 27-38

Manga chapters 44-66

Unsurprisingly, all the way to the 200th floor of the tower, the manga and both versions of the anime are pretty much the same with minor differences. I think the most notable difference would be that in the 1999 anime, they put in the anime original funny elevator lady and having Killua waste all his money on snacks again and try to steal Gon's money lmao. Honestly it's a minor difference but it was a difference that I nostalgically remember because it was hilarious haha. It's sad that the 2011 anime doesn't have moments like this to really make itself stand out since I think it really lacks in character interactions that they could have put in to make the story less bland but it's okay haha. Kinda sad the 2011 anime cut out that random commentator next to Killua who called Killua an amateur for thinking Gido would get dizzy spinning after a while hahahahaha.

In the manga and kind of in the1999 anime after Gon broke his arm fighting Gido, and was practising Ten, he thought about his goals - namely finding Ging since it's considered the most difficult hunt, but he also thought about Ging, Kite and Hisoka hoping to reach their levels. The 2011 anime completely omits this. I'm also kinda sad that the 2011 anime doesn't have Killua say that he spent 150,000 Jenny on the tickets to Hisoka's match, and that he could have bought 1000 chocolates with that money hahaha. I love how in the 1999 anime, the funny elevator lady appears during this scene too hahha. Amusingly, the 2011 anime seems to follow the 1999 anime in having the anime original scene of Gon turning off the TV when Hisoka's match is about to come on (since the manga just shows him pulling up a fist restraining himself). I also would have preferred the 2011 anime to keep in the part where Kastro asks Killua if he still wants his autograph haha, not that it's important but it was amusing banter and doesn't make the conversation as rigid. What I definitely prefer in the manga and 1999 anime that the 2011 anime omitted was Hisoka's thoughts during his battle against Kastro. It's understandable that some people don't like these inner monologues, but since you don't get to see Hisoka all the time and what he's thinking about, it's nice to know how he reacts in a fight against people aside from the main characters. On an unrelated note, Kastro looks so much better in the 1999 anime imo haha. I honestly wish the anime added Hisoka eating off some flesh on his arm (probably for the trick) because it was so random and feral, I loved it hahaha. Awww, on the other hand, I'm disappointed that the 1999 anime just did a shortened version of the fight against Kastro like a flashback, so that was saddening. The 2011 anime is also superior in its analysis of the fight between Kastro and Hisoka, since not only does it show the whole fight properly, it also kinda does a play by play of the important bits on the TV with Gon to properly understand how Hisoka used his abilities.

In the manga, the narrator gives more context to Hisoka saying stuff like he's someone that doesn't say everything and will forget Kastro's face by tomorrow etc, whereas in the 2011 anime, Machi says this, which is kinda awkward because even though Machi is to an extent interested in Hisoka, I honestly doubt she knows him well enough or cares enough to say something like that in her mind tbh. Minor change, but I would have appreciated if the 2011 anime talked about how Killua lied to Wing and them that he found Zushi somewhere and "saved" him in that sense, since it made it kinda unclear that Killua actually didn't tell them the truth. On the other hand, I do want to note that I really like how the 2011 anime shows nen and all the auras, I feel like it's much clearer than the 1999 anime even though they pretty much say the same thing haha. I'm also kinda sad the 1999 anime didn't show Zushi use Gyo to watch the recording of Hisoka's match to see how many strings of nen he made. Kinda weird but the 1999 anime pushes whole  debacle with Zushi nearly getting kidnapped and just streamlines all the way to  the Hisoka vs Gon match, which is kinda interesting. I can't say whether I like it or not though, since I can understand wanting to see the fight against Hisoka and the fights against Gido and the other guy are rather inconsequential so moving it around isn't too big of a problem I guess lol. Actually, nah I take it back LOL. I prefer the 2011 anime in this case because I feel like it makes more sense for Hisoka to adhere to his condition that Gon must win one battle on the Floor 200s before he fights him, and I really like seeing how Gon and Killua have grown with their nen abilities before Gon faces Hisoka. Not only has Gon grown stronger, he also feels a bit more mature, and I like how Hisoka seems to acknowledge that and happily be his opponent, so yeah, it makes less sense for Hisoka in the 1999 anime to ignore the condition he set before and just fight him when Gon hasn't exactly shown him his growth using nen. I also like it that in the manga and 2011 anime, Gon is the one to call Hisoka and arrange a time for their match very confidently, so I think if the 1999 anime followed the manga, it would have made a much better impact for the match between Gon and Hisoka rather than just rushing it.

As for the Water Divination Test to see what type of Nen User they are, the 2011 anime exaggerated Gon's progress by fully overflowing the glass of water and cracking the cup badly that Wing needed to tell him to stop (it only had a crack in the manga but didn't overflow like a waterfall haha, and Wing just told Gon it was good), but it was cool to see. As for Hisoka vs Gon. the 2011 anime obviously has the advantage with the superior animation quality, but I have to say it does enjoy dragging out some of the scenes for more impact, which isn't necessarily a bad thing though because it does it quite well. On the other hand, the 1999 animation might be more bland, but I do enjoy how straightforward it is with the fight, I'd say it's pretty much like the manga. Btw, lmao at the 1999 anime for adding in the Togashi dog mask cameo for the random commentator talking about Gon's stone plate throw to get a punch on Hisoka (Togashi draws himself as a dog when he writes comments etc in the manga). On that note, it's kinda amusing that the 2011 anime made it that Hisoka kicked a stone plate all the way to the entrance, when in the manga and the 1999 anime, he kicked it to the spectators, which I kinda preferred more mainly because it's fun to think about how less he cares about the audience loll. Otherwise, Hisoka's chain of consecutive attacks was definitely cooler in the 2011 anime, but I liked the music change in the 1999 anime more. It's also kinda cute how the 1999 anime kept Machi in the audience to watch over Hisoka's match. Something funny but not important is that in the manga, Killua actually suggested going to Whale Island to meet Mito, and Gon said okay since he hadn't been back in a while lol, whereas in the 2011 anime, Gon says he wants to go back to show Mito his licence haha.

Whale Island Mini Arc - Killua Meeting Mito

I know no one cares, but I have to say, I love how the manga and the two anime adaptations always have different food. The food Mito prepares for Gon and Killua look better in the manga than the 2011 anime, but the 1999 anime has the most extravagant feast LOL. I also found it hilarious how Killua hates red pepper or something in the 1999 anime and tries to pick it out but is reprimanded by Mito into eating it hahaha. Honestly though, even though the 1999 anime feels the most "homely" and comforting, the 2011 anime did feel pretty fun. I'm sad that the 2011 anime didn't have Gon and Killua talking about Mito wasn't joking when she tried to break the Hunter Licence hahaha, it's so cute. As usual, since the 2011 anime didn't talk about Konta (foxbear) and Kite, it kicks out the parts in the manga and 1999 anime where Gon tells Killua about where he used to play with Konta, where he met Kite etc, I think the best thing that the 2011 anime wasn't able to show was how Konta caught some fish for Gon to welcome him back to Whale Island. It's sad that Konta won't be able to interact with Gon (since female foxbears don't like humans and leaders of the forest shouldn't interact with humans much either) but I really liked how Konta still did what he could showing how much he cars for Gon, and it shows how just as Gon loves his memories with Konta, it's the same with Konta. Anyway, it's obvious that I prefer the 1999 anime for this part, but that's mainly because by sharing Gon's memories to Killua, it really shows how Gon really lived here and wanted to show Killua his home, whereas for the 2011 anime, it honestly just feels like a fun little adventure of a place Gon is familiar with, it just doesn't have the same feelings in it. I know most people don't like the 1999 anime original part with the poachers and how they try to make Killua learn to be more "moralistic" and kind by teaching him that all lives matter and that he shouldn't end it so easily when the foxbear cub hasn't even died yet and is trying his best to live, but I didn't mind it. I feel this scene doesn't make it that Killua needs to become "soft" or anything, but I think it allows him to understand what kind of people Gon and Mito are, and how living in itself isn't necessarily futile even if you think there's no purpose, because anyone who is struggling to live shows that they have a purpose to doing that. Anyway, I loved the idea of saving the cub with nen, and LMAO at Konta being surprised his cub can use nen now because of it, that was hilarious hahahaha.

Although I still think it's ridiculous of the 1999 anime to make Gon's mother Mito's sister, and have Ging be even more of a jerk in this version because he legit left Gon to them after the sister died lmao, I do think the flashbacks with young Ging and Mito hit more close to home here. I think that's mainly because the 2011 anime cut out the part when Ging and Mito talk, especially when he said stuff like "Found you" amd "Let's go home" after always being the first one to find her when she gets lost. I think the 2011 anime just didn't have the same nuance when it came to that. But honestly the sister thing is weird and doesn't make sense, so yeah I'll just say the manga is the best for this part lolll. Anyway, for the tape recording, the 1999 anime changes it to Ging saying that he has a recording of Gon's mum's voice if he wants to hear it, instead of asking Gon if he wants to hear about his mother, which I guess they had to change if they wanted to be consistent with the idea of her being Mito's sister that's dead lol. Anyway, episode 45 of the 1999 anime delves into Kurapika and a bit more into his nen powers and motivations etc but I think that's more related to next arc so there's not much to say for now. I guess the 1999 anime wanted to break it up in between but yeah oh well lol. Honestly, though, it's more spoiler-ish to have it there since this isn't shown until later in the manga.

Overall, the Heavens Arena Arc is pretty short and straightforward, and I think when it comes to the entirety of it, I would prefer the 2011 anime. Of course when it comes to the silly entertainment value, the elevator lady makes the whole arc so much more fun alongside other silly stuff, but I think the explanation of nen is crucial for the rest of the story, so I think it's better to miss out on jokes than the clearer and easier to understand explanation of nen in the 2011 anime. In addition, the fights are definitely animated better, mainly with Kastro imo, I think the play by play Wing did in the 2011 anime really helped to enhance the experience and I think that's not something watchers should miss out on. Also, the rearrangement of fights in the 1999 anime made it a bit more awkward than it should have been imo. Otherwise though, I do think the feelings and thoughts portrayed in the 1999 anime were told better, but that's only my opinion. 

Anyway, this post was late haha, I was supposed to have finished it in early November because I finished most of the post by that time, but I got distracted I guess lol. This will probably be my last post of the year, so Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year! And I will continue on into my favourite arc - Yorknew City/Phantom Troupe Arc in 2021!

Hunter x Hunter Anime (1999 + 2011 versions) and Manga Differences + Opinion - Hunter Exam Arc (Part 4)

   HUNTER EXAM ARC PART 4 (FINAL PHASE & KUKUROO MOUNTAIN)

1999 anime episodes 26-36

2011 anime episodes 18-26

Manga chapters 32-44

Interview on the Airship

 HAHAHA, it's anime original, but I absolutely love how in the 1999 anime Bodoro makes everyone think that the final phase is going to be a written exam, it's just hilarious seeing them try to study and do other silly things without really affecting the story. It honestly also made me kinda like Bodoro, so when he died, other than being shocked at Killua, I was also pretty sad about it lol. Anyway, something I found interesting with the interview part was that in the 1999 anime, they decided to make Killua say that he least wanted to fight with Pokkle, but at the same time state that the "truth" was that he didn't want to fight Gon because they're friends now. Honestly, even though it's not a part of the manga, I found it quite heartwarming because it was nice to have that confirmation that Killua likes Gon that much haha. Anyway, I also liked how in the 1999 anime, Killua did ask Gon about how it went trying to get Hisoka's number plate, but Gon couldn't really talk about it initially because of his feelings of frustration, but then later on after talking about it with Kurapika, he feels like he can tell Killua about what happened. I just found that it made sense for Killua to ask about it since he knew who Gon's target was, and I think anyone would be curious, so I'm actually surprised he didn't ask about it in the manga haha. So yup, I'm glad they added that part in the 1999 anime. 

On a lesser important note, I preferred how the 1999 anime had the photos of rest of the applicants on the table during the interview for the interviewee to pick from, and I liked how the question they were answering was subtitled because it made everything much clearer. It wasn't necessary, but I really liked that they did that. In this aspect, I'd say the 2011 anime followed the manga to a fault because even though it wasn't too confusing who they were talking about, and what question they were answering, it did feel better to show it properly imo.

Tournament (Final Phase)

Honestly though, it's kinda funny when you put into perspective how before in Trick Tower of the 2011 anime, Killua was adamant on him and Gon passing, but the moment the idea that Gon had more potential than him was stated, you can see he's rather perturbed and even looking down on Gon to an extent, which is kinda why I didn't like how they did that Trick Tower part for the 2011 anime imo, because Killua is interested in Gon but he's not like Kurapika and Leorio where they've been affected so much by him that they wouldn't hesitate to give up on their chances to become Hunters to protect him, or at least he doesn't realise it until he's confronted with whether being "strong" is more important or being able to be a normal kid with Gon.. 

Anyway about Gon vs Hanzo, it's not a difference per se for the specific match, but I really wanted to talk about how because the 2011 anime omitted Kite, it really made Gon's stubbornness for wanting to see Ging (his father) no matter what less understandable in a sense. A lot of Gon's reasons for becoming a Hunter and wanting to see the world Ging experiences is because Kite told him all about it and he knows how strong and cool Kite is, so knowing that Kite is his disciple that admires Ging so much makes his dream of seeing Ging much more tangible than just chasing after some guy who left him as a baby imo, and this change really makes Gon's character rather shallow and boring in the 2011 anime imo. Another thing I didn't like about the 2011 anime was that as usual, because they kicked out Kite, Satotz telling Gon about Ging being the Hunter he admires makes it less meaningful, because for the 2011 anime, Gon is in awe that Ging does stuff like that and is even respected by Satotz but in the manga and 1999 anime, Gon realises for himself that it's Ging because he's probably heard it from Kite, which really recontextualises the scene and proves that Kite isn't being biased about Ging, he really is that amazing. I also really liked how Satotz convinced Gon to take the Hunter Licence in the 1999 anime, it felt like it was understandable and it really put into perspective that it's true that getting this licence is just the beginning and that he shouldn't be so focused on "deserving" it or not in his own terms.

It's interesting that the 1999 anime decided to change the order of the matches and have the first match be Hisoka vs Kurapika rather than have it as a flashback with Satotz telling Gon, but think I can see why, because it is definitely much more fun to open with Hisoka's match and then kinda go down with Gon's stubbornness in the next haha. One thing I enjoy much more with the 1999 anime is that they bothered to animate the fight for Hisoka vs Kurapika. It's true that the 2011 anime was "faithful" in that all the manga did was say Hisoka and Kurapika fought for a while and then he said something to Kurapika, and then forfeited, which is why it was such a missed opportunity for them to actually do something like the 1999 anime did! I'm sure a lot of people would have been hyped for a Hisoka fight, so it's kinda saddening that they didn't bother to creatively add this in their own way, which is why I think the 1999 anime is superior for this part because not only does it show effort, but it's also not something hard to animate in terms of "content" because Hisoka is obviously stronger than Kurapika, so they don't need to think of fancy ways for Hisoka to fight whilst being able to keep in line with the story. However, that's just me being nitpicky lol. I also found it funny in the 1999 anime how Leorio kept telling Kurapika to lose to Hisoka so that they wouldn't need to fight him lmao. I also love how overall for the whole tournament, the 1999 anime puts in effort to have commentary from the people watching, so it's not as "boring" as it is in the 2011 anime haha. 

Illumi vs Killua was definitely much better portrayed in the 1999 anime for me. The tense atmosphere, Killua and Gon's crazy heart beating, Killua descending into darkness and everything was just shown so much better to feel the same fear and sadness Killua felt when confronted by Illumi. On an unrelated note, Illumi is so much hotter in the 1999 anime LOL. Anyway, something crucial the 2011 anime cut out was the existence of Ging's Double Hunter Certificate that Gon picked up from Kite in the beginning of the story. Gon asks Satotz about this and he tells him about how the numbers on the bottom of the card/certificate show that Ging was a part of the 267th Hunter Exam and was the sole Hunter to come out of it that year. I also liked how the manga and 1999 anime delved into the whole thing about contacting each other through home codes and kinda talking more about this system that Hunters can use to search for information etc since the 2011 anime doesn't really elaborate on what Hunters can use to go about their searches for stuff. I didn't really like how the 1999 anime made Kurapika and Leorio prioritise their respective goals for becoming a Hunter first, and then realising that maybe they should go along with Gon to find Killua though, since I feel like even though Gon and Killua are best friends, Kurapika and Leorio obviously really care about Killua as well (since they kept trying to talk to him after his fight with Illumi) and I don't think they would have just thought about leaving like that.

Killua's Home (Kukuroo Mountain)

I always love how Killua's home is a tourist attraction lmao. Although for some, the 1999 anime having original stuff might not be want they want, but I actually enjoyed that version the most! I really liked how they took the time to show the scenery from them getting on the train to Kukuroo Mountain, it really helped to show that they're in a different place rather than how straightforward it is in the manga and the 2011 anime. I especially love how the tour guide lady insists on them calling her Coco-chan lmao, it's just stuff like that which makes the story flow better and feel more personal imo. I also really liked how in the 1999 anime, Coco-chan and the driver were pretty chill when the bounty hunters were eaten, which I think makes a lot of sense, since I feel like if there's a lot of people who come to the Zoldyck estate for their heads, the drivers and tour guides should be used to this already lol. I loved how chill she was and she just continued talking about their deaths like an attraction whereas the real tourists wanted to get the hell out of there loll. I also kinda liked how in the 1999 anime it took a while for Gon and them to convince Zebro to actually do something, since I feel like he's so chill about trusting them in the original that you can understand why the butler guy would be annoyed hahaha.

Surprisingly though, for the Testing Gate, the 2011 anime really made Leorio, Kurapika and Gon super weak lol! Like, I'm not one to complain but when I was watching it, I was like how could they be so weak that they needed all three of them to open the first door??? Within line of my expectations, the manga and 1999 anime show that Leorio was able to open two doors by himself and Kurapika and Gon could open one by themselves. I also found it weird that in the 2011 anime, Kurapika and Leorio stopped Gon from training with them because of his broken arm, he's not a baby, lol! Anyway, the 1999 anime is definitely much more faithful and I also liked how they did the transition of scenes for their training more. Rather than them doing specific weight training in their own time in the 2011 anime, the 1999 anime has them incorporate their training with the chores that Zebro tells them to do, so you can really see that they basically trained themselves by making anything they did force them to get used to the weight and make them stronger. Also nice that Gon wasn't babied and actually trained too lol. I also really liked the 1999 anime original scenes where Mike chased after Gon when Leorio accidentally opened the intruder gate, it was really cool and I think it showed better how much Seaquant liked them. Since this part was short in the manga, it really let them have more freedom to do their own stuff and I really appreciated that the 1999 anime did that, since in the 2011 anime not only were they portrayed to be weaker, it also felt very bland imo. 

Honestly, I really loved how the 1999 anime did the bit with Canary. In the manga and 2011 anime, she's pretty forgettable, but with the 1999 anime, they bothered to put a whole episode for her and her dilemma on wanting to be a good servant to the Zoldyck family but also being friends with Killua. I think I really liked how they decided to put that little bit where Killua wanted to be friends with her as a child before Gon even meets her to establish the kind of person she was already, because then it made it so painful for her to have to hit Gon so badly later on. Like, here is this kid that is doing what she always wanted to do for Killua but could not and she's the one wrecking Killua's chance of having a friend, so it really humanised Canary and made her much more understandable and nice to see. It's kinda interesting that in the 2011 anime, Canary is the one who approached Killua and seemed to want to befriend him more than he did loll, and it was only because Killua's mother was there that she wasn't able to be his friend, but honestly it kinda makes you think, if she really wanted to, they could have hid the fact that they were friends, so now it kinda makes it silly in a sense that they actually bonded but she never bothered to do anything else for 10 years knowing the life he led. Whereas, I feel like I can understand her situation in the 1999 anime more since she always drew that line between them as servant and master, so when Gon came along and broke that, it made her understand how that line restrained her all these years from doing what she really wanted to do, and now there's someone who is willing to go over and beyond that line to save the one she always wanted to save, and I think that was more emotional for me. I also think the 1999 anime integrating Canary's emotions and thoughts into her "fight" against Gon made it much more emotional than kinda just talking about her past later in the 2011 anime. Anyway, I personally think the 1999 anime was better in terms of story and interpretation. Btw, I also didn't like how the 2011 anime showed Killua's mother and Milluki already when I feel like Canary getting shot by the mother was supposed to be more of a shock and surprise without for sure knowing who that person was, since you gotta admit, his mother looks really interesting haha.

On another note, I find it funny how in the 1999 anime, Killua was supposed to have dropped his skateboard when he was walking back to the estate, but when he meets Milluki, he uses the skateboard to hit him lol! Anyway, I'll say the rest of the arc is pretty much the same for all three versions with minor differences, so yay, I guess they could agree on something! Lol. But I did enjoy how the 1999 anime as usual adds minor banter between Gotoh and Canary to show that he really loves Killua and just wanted to see if what Canary said was true, that Gon and them were really his friends. I won't deny that Canary definitely looks much better in the 2011 anime though! But the 1999 anime is more faithful to her appearance haha, not that it matters, because even though she looked better, I liked her character in the 1999 anime more lol.

Overall, it's kinda funny! I was honestly starting to think that maybe I romanticised the 1999 anime with my nostalgia but I think I still agree with childhood me haha. Not only does the 1999 anime talk about Kite and the Double Star Hunter Certificate and elaborate on more little things such as how Hunters can gather information with the cyberspace that they're given access to with their licence etc, it also really integrates well the characters and their motivations, especially with Canary. Honestly, if I just read the manga and watched the 2011 anime, I would completely forget about Canary by the next arc, but I think the way the 1999 anime characterised her made me really like her and think that she and Gotoh are the most faithful to Killua. The 1999 anime also made the invasion into Killua's home much more exciting because of that and Mike tbh haha. So yep, I definitely enjoyed what the 1999 anime did with the last bit in regards to Tournament and the Zoldyck Estate the most because I think they put a lot of effort into it and I could really feel it. The anime original scenes were also much better than what they did before and really enhanced the original story imo, so yep 1999 anime is the winner for this part hahaha~ Not saying that the 2011 anime is bad though, I just prefer the old version haha.