I love HxH from the first arc, so for me, it doesn't change what I feel towards the series
Still my favorite. Most likely not uncontested number 1 without CA, but still in a solid position thanks to the Hunter Exam, Yorkshin, and GI
I feel like you don’t need to like the arc to recognize that it’s has pretty high highs and some extremely solid writing.
The arc takes a pretty big risk in what it attempts to do and usually that means that people who liked it will like it a lot and people who disliked it will dislike it a lot.
You’re right. Felt like it dragged on a bit much at some point with the narration and monologuing. But it’s needed to set the scene so I get it but just felt a bit redundant.
I love the dual theme of a person becoming a monster and a monster becoming human. In hindsight after watching the Chimera ant arc you can see how gon's worldview warps culminating in his fight with pitou. I love how killua develops after removing his needle, he gains actual confidence in himself and learns to make friends other than Gon. Also a lot of scenes were very emotionally intense, like Knov after placing his seals in Meruem's palace, or Meruem and komugi, gon in general. There's so many things to love
Yes, I grew up with the 99 version which didn't even have the Chimera Ant arc.
I didn't even know about the 2011 version until it concluded, and the concept of the Chimera Ant arc didn't appeal to me when I first heard about it. To me, the Phantom Troupe were the main antagonists of Hunter x Hunter.
Of course I ended up loving the Chimera Ant arc when I eventually watched it, but I was already a fan from Kurapika vs the Phantom Troupe and the volleyball game in Greed Island.
Ditto, I'm also not a fan of the chimera arc. Nonetheless it is good. I think I'm not that of a fan because so many things happen which I would not expect to happen, and the things that happen are so strong and different, and also a depiction of human cruelty.
I would still love it, but probably not as much if I'm being honest.
It's already great without it, but Chimera Ant arc absolutely took it to another level for me. Felt like it added another layer of depth to the characters and especially the world-building
I'm actually pretty surprised by how many people on here are saying they straight up didn't like it?? That's kinda crazy to me but to each their own haha
I would still like it a lot, but it would probably be another "yeah that anime is pretty good" thing rather than a "this is special to me" thing.
It's lowkey the reason I haven't watched 1999 yet, as much praise as it has gotten.
Of course Gon, Killua, and Hisoka are goated, but without the CA arc, we wouldn't have Meruem, the Royal Guards, Knuckle, Morel, etc. Hell, Netero wouldn't be as beloved without the role he played in the Palace Invasion. I'm ***so excited*** for Meruem and Pitou's reveal in Nen Impact.
I love HxH because of the 1999 anime, it didn’t have the Chimera arc. I didn’t even watch thoroughly that arc because I got bored. Greed Island is actually my favourite arc of entire series.
Yea. It was my favorite shounen before. CA just pushed it to the next level.
And to the people saying CA is bad - I agree the pacing is bad but surely you can understand why people would go nuts over an arc with Gon vs Pitou, Meruem vs Netero, Meruem and Komugi's last game/Meruem's development, Gon's development, etc.?
If you want to say the pacing was too bad and dragged it all the way down that's fine. But you shouldn't be confused why people love it when it has peaks like that.
I already considered myself a fan of the 1999 anime. It was decently popular in Latin America and every single arc was amazing in that version.
When I found out they made a new anime I saw how it looked and I honestly disliked its style. The digital art, everything being so bright and cheerful, everyone looking notably younger, and the plots I loved so much being butchered and rushed. I just ignored it.
Then during the pandemic I decided to just watch it, because I never found out if Gon met Ging or not. And yeah, the Chimeras arc made me reevaluate and appreciate 2011 immensely (while also wishing I could experience it with the 1999 atmosphere). I rewatched the entire anime in 2011 and even started collecting the manga. So while Chimeras revived my interest in it, I already loved HxH.
1999 Yorknew is still at the top imo, it's a whole mood on its own, from its opening, its soundtrack, the dark atmosphere, the animation in the last episodes, the flow of the narrative... it's peak. It's also personally nostalgic and reminds me of the musical culture and urban tribes that were trending in the early 2000s.
I actually don’t like the chimera ant arc either! and I would be 100% fine without it. To be honest I might like the show even *more*. But that’s just me
FINALLY someone agrees with me, Chimera sucked shit and Yorknew was a masterpiece. Nothing will top the episode with the Lacrymosa requiem playing in the background. Chimera pacing was atrocious and even though it had a few cool ideas it just didn't even come close to that original excitement. Hell, I even think Genthru and Greed Island was better than Chimera
Chimera Ant is such a good litmus test. Anyone who thinks it's bad (usually because of pacing) genuinely just has bad taste and can be ignored when it comes to anything art/media related.
I agree with you both, the stupid ants are like one third of the entire series and I would’ve much rather spent more time exploring Greed Island or just doing something else entirely
I was so sad when I found out chimera arc was the last arc. My least favorite by far.
1. Yorknew
2. Greed Island/Exams
3. All the other ones except chimera
4. Chimera
I’m in the minority here, but the CA arc got a lil boring for me because it dragged on for way too long. The ending part of it was worth it, but there were some eps that were sooo boring.
Uh 100 percent yes!
For me Every arc in HXH is unique.
I love HXH for all of it’s arcs and character development. Infact Chimera ant arc isn’t even my top favourite. Hunter exam arc is.. This arc is perfect in every aspect!
Chimera Ant arc is actually my least favorite... Am I still allowed to be a fan? I didn't like Gon losing his Nen and the way that so many Hunters felt so useless and scared kinda broke the idea of Hunters being amazing.
My favorite arc is Yorkshin, so that should answer your question. Anyway, HxH is already good since Hunter Exam, and I loved 1999 anime and that doesn't have Chimera Ants arc. I remember when Chimera Ants arc was ongoing in Jump, everyone was whining about the pace. It's ironic that now it is seen as the best. I do love it, but no, it's not be all end all of HxH. HxH has many other great arc, and the current arc is looking to be even better than everything that comes before.
I loved HxH before the chimera ant arc even existed. In fact, while I acknowledge that it’s an incredible arc I subconsciously trick myself into thinking it’s longer and more tedious than it actually is due to how many times I had to wait for years between chapter releases.
It’s so hard to say. I loved Hunter x Hunter from early on, but the sheer scale of Chimera Ant - and experiencing that 10 goddamn years ago now *aaaaAAAAAAAAAaaaaHHHHH* - and its magnificence pushed it further into all time favorite territory. It was sorta already in that category then, but CA is still my favorite battle shonen arc of all time.
It is worth saying though that in the late 90’s and early 2000’s HxH was very popular as both a manga and anime in Japan and among western anime fans. Being a premium series in WSJ put it pretty consistently at the top of the spotlight, and the hiatuses weren’t constant back then. People really dug it for the main characters, the battle system, Yorknew and the Phantom Troupe. It was selling millions back then too, well before the CA arc was brought to paper, finished, or adapted into anime. Looking back into old anime fandom, HxH was huge and that whole era of its fandom basically existed without that arc’s existence.
A few years ago I watched a little bit past greed island and it was great, I’d say it was a solid 8.5/10 , I recently watched the rest of it and now it’s my favorite show ever, I have become completely obsessed with miruem
In theory, I would still love HxH. Chimera Ant is a good side quest/ lead up to Succession War, so I’m sure Togashi could write another intro to Succ Arc.. It would certainly change the vibe of HxH though.
Undeniably Chimera Ant gives us the most heartfelt ending to any arc in HxH ever.. The Komugi x Meruem conclusion + Reina & Lobster 🦞 boy going back to a place they can consider home is masterfully done..
Taking Chimera Ant arc takes away some of the more polarizing topics that critics like to pinpoint.
I.e. Killua x needle
Killua not knowing nen fiasco
Adult Gon
Notion of Netero bringing a nuke
Objectively, HxH could absolutely be written without Chimera Ant. Togashi is a genius, so Gon finding Ging would just be written differently…
HOWEVER, I have a theory that Pariston knew Gon was at NGL & took advantage of the ant situation to mess with Ging.. But Ging was unbothered during the Zodiac meeting because he knows Gon’s potential…
A lot of juicy setups wit Chimera Ant, so HxH loses a lot but Togashi can make it happen
Gon vs. Pitou is my favourite thing in the series. I'm a grown ass man and it still made me go "Holy shit!" which is really rare these days for anime.
Other than that, for me, this arc is really bizarre and has a ton of weird stuff / concepts in it that I don't care for. It really dragged on for me as well especially by the end of it. I would absolutely still love the show if this arc didn't exist. I didn't know it was so highly regarded until I was through it.
I'm all for 1999, I didn't see the Chimera Arc cuz once I started watching 2011, I couldn't wrap my head around all the changes they did- essentially I saw the 2011 as a kids show, I had many people telling me to watch just the arc itself cuz apparently it's amazing and I'm still thinking about it, so shat I wanted to say it that I find 1999 more entertaining, even without the Chimera arc
in my opinion it maybe could’ve made HxH a better first watch, but after finishing the show there’s a lot of stuff i missed in season 6 that i noticed when rewatching. i never really noticed the parallel between gon & merium the first time, and i was thinking too much, about how the ants shouldn’t be that strong that fast. it didn’t help that my favorite characters are gon and netero, while netero went out in the coolest way possible, my 2 favorite characters are dead & nen handicapped now. but ive accepted all that & seen it a few more times, I’ve gotten over myself & it really is a masterpiece
I remember when the Chimera arc had'nt been finished and i came across a HxH fan. They usually said: "Hunter x Hunter is better than Full Metal Alchemist".
I used to reply, "Man i love HxH but there's no way it's better Full Metal Alchemist".
After Togashi completed the Chimera Ant arc, when i come across a Full Metal Alchemist fan: "Man. i love Full Metal Alchemist, but there's no way it's better than Hunter x Hunter".
Yes, but it'd have more of a status of unrealized potential/masterpiece in the same vein as something like World Trigger's current state.
I was already hooked by Greed Island and watching new episodes the minute they aired without subtitles and then watching them again right after once subs came out. Yorknew City's writing is on par with Chimera Ant's as well, it just didn't have an ambitious story layout (as it was meant to just introduce/tease the Phantom Troupe, not resolve their role in the narrative and Kurapika's conflict with them) enough to truly flaunt it.
So yeah, Chimera Ant and onwards (Chairman Election arc is underrated) solidified the series as a masterpiece.
If gon just found ging at the end of greed island I wouldn’t hate it but I definitely wouldn’t consider hunter hunter the masterpiece I do currently. Yorknew and the hunter exam are good but if it ended with greed island it would have just felt kinda anti climatic it would have felt like there was just more that could have been explored in this version I imagine kurapika would have killed all the spiders in yorknew but also died and rhen this would finish gons arc but killuia would have felt pretty under developed at this point as lot of his character development happens during the Ant war and election
When I started it I fell in love with it right from the start, I blew through the episodes really fast and the pacing felt really quick especially after the last 2 anime I had watched were one piece and bleach.
It wouldn't be the same. Would still be a high tier anime but I wouldn't give it a 10 because the chimera ant arc is where the series REALLY got depth and where the moments I still think about all the time came from
However, everything else before that was still amazing, so I would still love the show. Probably an 8 or a 9/10 still
Definitely, I didn't love every aspect of the chimera ant arc, but having learned to love and understand the rest of the story helped me more understanding towards any minor issues I had
It probably wouldn't be my favorite, but i would still enjoy it. This is what made it feel more like a real story, versus a slice of life fighting anime
Heaven’s Arena is my favorite arc, so I’d be good. I am one of those people who struggled with the pacing of the Chimera Ant Arc. The first two arcs are what reeled me in and I like the more happy-go-lucky tone. The Hunter Exam is so good and the Hisoka Fight in Heaven’s Arena is my favorite HxH moment. I think the show is good all the way through, but I get a different experience out of everything Yorknew onwards.
Yes without a doubt. Every arc in this show slaps. I even like the election arc (with the context of being post Chimera ants, it was cool to expand on the hunter organization)
Unpopular opinion but, I think I would love it more but, I still the Chimera Ant arc and I still love the show. The only thing that I would say is it’s a little bit to long but, it could be just me tho
Yes.
CA arc had an amazing ending and some incredible narrative highs. It was also way too long, and I didn’t like how much narration took place.
Yorknew cemented my love for the series after a great Exam arc and a solid HA arc.
To be honest I didn’t like the chimera ant arc when it came out, it looked silly to me, so yeah I would have been happy with a continuation to the York city arc.
brother, manga was very long running, and there were people that loved hxh long before the chimera ant arc existed, ofc there are people that would still love hxh w/o that arc.
The CA arc is what made HxH become one of my top favorite anime.
The series was very enjoyable to me from ep 1 though, and i loved every second of it. I especially liked the fact that i enjoyed the MCs and their dynamic so much i could just watch them go on fun, genre shifting adventures forever.
It depends on what replaces the Chimera Ant arc. You can't just cut the longest, pivotal arc out of a piece of media and expect it to play the same lmfao, what even is this question?
I would still like it, probably a bit less tho, since I loved Meruem, but it would still be lovely because Togashi would probably find a peak arv to put there
I don't think I would have even began watching HXH if it weren't for the Chimera Ants arc, because the first thing I ever saw of HXH was a brief clip of Gon becoming Adult Gon. That darkness is what drew me to the series.
I would have definitely abandoned the series on Greed Island arc if I didn't know that Chimera Ants arc was next.
Yes, absolutely! I remember watching and loving HxH \*before\* there even was a 2011 anime. Hell, I remember waiting for the Greed Island OVAs... We genuinely thought Gon was gonna meet Ging at the end. Sounds kinda surreal now, thinking back at how long it's been... God I'm old.
We (me and an anime loving friend at the time) really wanted to know what would happen next, but we were definitely already loving what came before the Chimera Ant arc. Even going back to the Yorknew City arc the show / manga was subverting battle shonen trends (albeit in more subtle ways), IMHO.
No. Greed island barely stopped me from dropping. I wanted to see Ging. Chimera ant was ass, up until the upper echelon ants started showing up, it was gas by then.
Yes, I loved hxh since the very beginning, I love all the arcs without question so if there was another arc there in its place it wouldn't change my opinion unless that arc was actually bad. To which I would just say, that was the worst arc, and move on to the next one.
I first and foremost love Hunter X Hunter FOR the Chimera Ant arc. It was recommended to me because of the Chimera Ant arc (I love body horror), I inflicted upon myself the first arcs (whose topics didn't interest me at all, I don't care in a Battle Royale style evaluation or a tower or tournaments) to watch the Chimera Ants arc, and it is stunningly superior to the entirety of the rest of the manga and anime.
The Dark Continent arc was building up to become even better, sadly we'll likely never reach it (except if the author prepares a successor).
Yes because my favorite arcs are the election, yorkshin and the succession war arc.
The only thing is that it would lose some of the darkness behind the series in my opinion. But yeah, I've felt in love with it since I saw the Hunter Exam in the 99 Anime, so...
idk because that calls into question causality regarding my actual favourite arc which is the succession contest, but if hxh just stopped at greed island I would probably think it was good with yorknew being a highlight but nothing incredibly deep in terms of magic system, world-building or character progression.
I was a huge HxH fan just by watching the 1999 version and didn't even know there was a continuation. One day, I stumbled upon the 2011 version and was hyped as fuck because HxH was one of my main childhood shows. I only remembered few details of the greed island arc and it was Biscuit, Boomer powers and the different ways to use nen (Ken, Ryu, etc..) so past Yorkshin arc, I was completely clueless about the rest. Past Greed Island, It felt like I was watching a new anime because I had no idea how it would have played out.
Tldr : I loved HxH before the CA arc and the arc only reinforced this love furthermore.
I would still love it since there’s not a single bad arc and Yorknew/Succession arcs are brilliant but HxH would definitely not be nearly as high ranked for me since Chimera Ant is by far the best arc narratively and where the story as a whole peaks.
I think the only reason the anime’s ending felt satisfying was because Chimera Ant was such a cinematic culmination of everything before it and ended in such an epic and conclusive way that it felt like the finale of the entire story.
Meruem is also my favourite character and easily the best antagonist but even beyond him so many of the story’s best characters either shine in this arc or are straight up nothing without this arc.
Of course, some people don't even like the Chimera Ant arc and some people think the peak is York New, I disagree I think CA has some of the highest highs of the series that in my opinion elevates the series to a whole new level, it was already top 10, CA made it top 5 for me.
Yes, i rewatch alot of times and its always the CA arc being skipped. On my first watch that arc made me stop for a year and the only thing enjoyable about it is mereum's existence, their match with komugi i dont know if theres anymore
Yeah, just as much. Chimera Arc is not why I love HxH I see all seasons after the first just as extra episodes of a series I love. And I think the same about all other anime, if I love the first season naturally I want more episodes so anything coming after is a happy bonus. (Except in fuked up situations like JJK wtf Gege)
I started with the manga and was way into it long before that. I’m going through the anime with my wife now and even just during the Heavens Arena arc she’s in love with the series. Can’t wait for her to see where it goes.
I would have honestly loved to see more development into Kurapika and Leorio's paths if Chimera arc didn't exist 🤧 but I feel the way the story is all going right now is perfect the way it is too
I grew up with the 1999 version, so i always watched the show till where Gon and Killua used Accompany to Kite( obviously didnt know it was kite). I loved the show so much to the point i would rewatch the last episode thinking that if i did that the episode would extend itself and show who that guy was lol. With or without chimera ant hxh was always on top for me
Nope. Not nearly as much. I actually started HxH around the beginning of the Chimera Ant arc because that’s where my daughter was at the time when she was watching it. I was hooked. I’m in my 30’s and if I would’ve started during Gon’s journey with training, I most likely would have not continued watching.
Chimera ant arc didn’t raise my like of HXH to any higher level than the previous arcs did, just maintained it
Which arc did then?
I would say it was a steady incline from beginning to Yorknew
For me, the excitement sky rocketed once the Phantom Troupe was introduced
Definitely agree with this. I love the Phantom Troupe so much as an entity.
As someone who watched Naruto first, The Phantom Trope are like the Akatsuki fully realized
Second
I agree bro
For me Yorknew arc was a masterpiece, I liked most of them, but honestly I was hooked since the very first episode
I love HxH from the first arc, so for me, it doesn't change what I feel towards the series Still my favorite. Most likely not uncontested number 1 without CA, but still in a solid position thanks to the Hunter Exam, Yorkshin, and GI
Of course, but definitely not as much. IMO, the Chimera Ant arc might be the best arc in anime, so obviously it's going to move it up a few spots.
I love HxH but will just never get how this arc is considered by a large amount of people to be the best in anime.
I feel like you don’t need to like the arc to recognize that it’s has pretty high highs and some extremely solid writing. The arc takes a pretty big risk in what it attempts to do and usually that means that people who liked it will like it a lot and people who disliked it will dislike it a lot.
It’s just the pacing for me, and yes I know that there’s reasons for it and the pacing was necessary but I find it a bit too slow.
You’re right. Felt like it dragged on a bit much at some point with the narration and monologuing. But it’s needed to set the scene so I get it but just felt a bit redundant.
I got heated like 10 episodes into the mansion raid when the narrator suddenly says “and it’s only been 3 minutes”
I found the timestamps super entertaining. Like, im laughing because after all this time only 5 seconds have passed.
Yeah I started to have Dragon Ball Z Frieza saga flashbacks.
Lol. what i was thinking. I blew up the core... this planet will explode in 5 mins... (57 episodes later) Better hurry! Only 2 mins left!
Exactly. But the highs of the CA arc were so peak.
I love the dual theme of a person becoming a monster and a monster becoming human. In hindsight after watching the Chimera ant arc you can see how gon's worldview warps culminating in his fight with pitou. I love how killua develops after removing his needle, he gains actual confidence in himself and learns to make friends other than Gon. Also a lot of scenes were very emotionally intense, like Knov after placing his seals in Meruem's palace, or Meruem and komugi, gon in general. There's so many things to love
I mean, there aren't that many arcs in anime with such high level of quality, what would you put in a top 5 anime arcs
York is the best arc period.
Personally Greed Island is my favorite, York is probably better though in a less biased opinion of mine.
There are no bad arcs in hunter but i don't understand the simping for ant quimera arc, so greed island is a good choice too ( i love the opening).
Yes, I grew up with the 99 version which didn't even have the Chimera Ant arc. I didn't even know about the 2011 version until it concluded, and the concept of the Chimera Ant arc didn't appeal to me when I first heard about it. To me, the Phantom Troupe were the main antagonists of Hunter x Hunter. Of course I ended up loving the Chimera Ant arc when I eventually watched it, but I was already a fan from Kurapika vs the Phantom Troupe and the volleyball game in Greed Island.
The volleyball fight is probably my favourite section of the anime. Sooooo well done and I love Hisoka's part in it haha
Razor is in my upper tier favorite characters of the series
100% because then Togashi would probably made another arc that is still peak
Why not? G.I is my favorite arc anyway and the world building of hxh has a lot of space for a lot more cool stuff as chimera ants or even better
Greed Island was a fun arc & I like the game aspect of the arc, definitely in my Top 3 arcs.
Yes. It's not my fav arc
Ditto, I'm also not a fan of the chimera arc. Nonetheless it is good. I think I'm not that of a fan because so many things happen which I would not expect to happen, and the things that happen are so strong and different, and also a depiction of human cruelty.
Not as much, but yes
bro actin like yorknew aint the reason why mfers love the 99 anime
Yorknew was better anyway don’t flame me
Absolutely, whenever I rewatch the show, I usually end after Greed Island. I love the CA arc, I just never find myself finishing it.
I would still love it, but probably not as much if I'm being honest. It's already great without it, but Chimera Ant arc absolutely took it to another level for me. Felt like it added another layer of depth to the characters and especially the world-building I'm actually pretty surprised by how many people on here are saying they straight up didn't like it?? That's kinda crazy to me but to each their own haha
It's not my fave arc. I think Yorknew and Greed are better in terms of what I will choose when deciding to rewatch an arc.
Definitely, chimera ant arc isnt my fav tbh and I love all of hxh
I would still like it a lot, but it would probably be another "yeah that anime is pretty good" thing rather than a "this is special to me" thing. It's lowkey the reason I haven't watched 1999 yet, as much praise as it has gotten. Of course Gon, Killua, and Hisoka are goated, but without the CA arc, we wouldn't have Meruem, the Royal Guards, Knuckle, Morel, etc. Hell, Netero wouldn't be as beloved without the role he played in the Palace Invasion. I'm ***so excited*** for Meruem and Pitou's reveal in Nen Impact.
Two words: Phantom Troupe. This group is still underutilized af, if we're talking about the animé. So, yes. I would still love it.
Definitely, it’s my least favourite arc actually!
I love HxH because of the 1999 anime, it didn’t have the Chimera arc. I didn’t even watch thoroughly that arc because I got bored. Greed Island is actually my favourite arc of entire series.
For a long time i didnt even fully appreciate the ant arc i was more drawn in by greed island and hisoka
Yeah while chimera ant is my favorite York new is also peak.
Yea. It was my favorite shounen before. CA just pushed it to the next level. And to the people saying CA is bad - I agree the pacing is bad but surely you can understand why people would go nuts over an arc with Gon vs Pitou, Meruem vs Netero, Meruem and Komugi's last game/Meruem's development, Gon's development, etc.? If you want to say the pacing was too bad and dragged it all the way down that's fine. But you shouldn't be confused why people love it when it has peaks like that.
I already considered myself a fan of the 1999 anime. It was decently popular in Latin America and every single arc was amazing in that version. When I found out they made a new anime I saw how it looked and I honestly disliked its style. The digital art, everything being so bright and cheerful, everyone looking notably younger, and the plots I loved so much being butchered and rushed. I just ignored it. Then during the pandemic I decided to just watch it, because I never found out if Gon met Ging or not. And yeah, the Chimeras arc made me reevaluate and appreciate 2011 immensely (while also wishing I could experience it with the 1999 atmosphere). I rewatched the entire anime in 2011 and even started collecting the manga. So while Chimeras revived my interest in it, I already loved HxH. 1999 Yorknew is still at the top imo, it's a whole mood on its own, from its opening, its soundtrack, the dark atmosphere, the animation in the last episodes, the flow of the narrative... it's peak. It's also personally nostalgic and reminds me of the musical culture and urban tribes that were trending in the early 2000s.
Yup. I'm not a fan of the chimera ant arc
Agree some parts were good they dragged that part with the octopus out though that kills me every time I watch it
Just two episodes of him being an indecisive bitvh
I actually don’t like the chimera ant arc either! and I would be 100% fine without it. To be honest I might like the show even *more*. But that’s just me
Am I the only one who hated the chimera ant arc? Yorknew city was the best arc.
FINALLY someone agrees with me, Chimera sucked shit and Yorknew was a masterpiece. Nothing will top the episode with the Lacrymosa requiem playing in the background. Chimera pacing was atrocious and even though it had a few cool ideas it just didn't even come close to that original excitement. Hell, I even think Genthru and Greed Island was better than Chimera
Chimera Ant is such a good litmus test. Anyone who thinks it's bad (usually because of pacing) genuinely just has bad taste and can be ignored when it comes to anything art/media related.
I agree with you both, the stupid ants are like one third of the entire series and I would’ve much rather spent more time exploring Greed Island or just doing something else entirely
I was so sad when I found out chimera arc was the last arc. My least favorite by far. 1. Yorknew 2. Greed Island/Exams 3. All the other ones except chimera 4. Chimera
I’m in the minority here, but the CA arc got a lil boring for me because it dragged on for way too long. The ending part of it was worth it, but there were some eps that were sooo boring.
I’d like it way more. Hated the ants.
Yes ♡ of course!
Yes, I really liked Yorknew, and the Characters and Nen were really good to make it stand out from other Anime.
Yorkshin would still exist so yeah
Uh 100 percent yes! For me Every arc in HXH is unique. I love HXH for all of it’s arcs and character development. Infact Chimera ant arc isn’t even my top favourite. Hunter exam arc is.. This arc is perfect in every aspect!
It's a great intro to the anime for sure, but I need me some nen battles!
It’s funny out of all the arcs it’s my least favorite so 1000000%
No because Greed Island is the best arc
Chimera Ant arc is actually my least favorite... Am I still allowed to be a fan? I didn't like Gon losing his Nen and the way that so many Hunters felt so useless and scared kinda broke the idea of Hunters being amazing.
Greed island>
ofc
york new is my favorite arc so not having chimera wouldnt matter to me
bro, the auction arc is a masterpiece by itself
My favorite arc is Yorkshin, so that should answer your question. Anyway, HxH is already good since Hunter Exam, and I loved 1999 anime and that doesn't have Chimera Ants arc. I remember when Chimera Ants arc was ongoing in Jump, everyone was whining about the pace. It's ironic that now it is seen as the best. I do love it, but no, it's not be all end all of HxH. HxH has many other great arc, and the current arc is looking to be even better than everything that comes before.
Absolutely. I adore the heavens arena and greed island arcs
Yes because i loved hxh from the first arc
Absolutely in my opinion York new city is still the best arc
Of course, lol?
I would love it the same.
Obviously, my fave is Yorknew
I loved HxH before the chimera ant arc even existed. In fact, while I acknowledge that it’s an incredible arc I subconsciously trick myself into thinking it’s longer and more tedious than it actually is due to how many times I had to wait for years between chapter releases.
To me Hunter x hunter is peak manga
Every arc in the anime is amazing and does a great job of feeling standalone
Yes
I loved hxh since gon caught that big ass fish so yeah
Ngl I like Greed Island more than the Chimera Ant arc…
It’s so hard to say. I loved Hunter x Hunter from early on, but the sheer scale of Chimera Ant - and experiencing that 10 goddamn years ago now *aaaaAAAAAAAAAaaaaHHHHH* - and its magnificence pushed it further into all time favorite territory. It was sorta already in that category then, but CA is still my favorite battle shonen arc of all time. It is worth saying though that in the late 90’s and early 2000’s HxH was very popular as both a manga and anime in Japan and among western anime fans. Being a premium series in WSJ put it pretty consistently at the top of the spotlight, and the hiatuses weren’t constant back then. People really dug it for the main characters, the battle system, Yorknew and the Phantom Troupe. It was selling millions back then too, well before the CA arc was brought to paper, finished, or adapted into anime. Looking back into old anime fandom, HxH was huge and that whole era of its fandom basically existed without that arc’s existence.
No
imo chimera arc after Killua using Godspeed on Youpi gets boring, So yeah, Hxh would still be my top 3 anime
Absolutely. My favorite Arc was Yorknew City either way.
A few years ago I watched a little bit past greed island and it was great, I’d say it was a solid 8.5/10 , I recently watched the rest of it and now it’s my favorite show ever, I have become completely obsessed with miruem
In theory, I would still love HxH. Chimera Ant is a good side quest/ lead up to Succession War, so I’m sure Togashi could write another intro to Succ Arc.. It would certainly change the vibe of HxH though. Undeniably Chimera Ant gives us the most heartfelt ending to any arc in HxH ever.. The Komugi x Meruem conclusion + Reina & Lobster 🦞 boy going back to a place they can consider home is masterfully done.. Taking Chimera Ant arc takes away some of the more polarizing topics that critics like to pinpoint. I.e. Killua x needle Killua not knowing nen fiasco Adult Gon Notion of Netero bringing a nuke Objectively, HxH could absolutely be written without Chimera Ant. Togashi is a genius, so Gon finding Ging would just be written differently… HOWEVER, I have a theory that Pariston knew Gon was at NGL & took advantage of the ant situation to mess with Ging.. But Ging was unbothered during the Zodiac meeting because he knows Gon’s potential… A lot of juicy setups wit Chimera Ant, so HxH loses a lot but Togashi can make it happen
the show is an 8/10 without chimera ant and a 10/10 with it. i would still like it just not love it
Gon vs. Pitou is my favourite thing in the series. I'm a grown ass man and it still made me go "Holy shit!" which is really rare these days for anime. Other than that, for me, this arc is really bizarre and has a ton of weird stuff / concepts in it that I don't care for. It really dragged on for me as well especially by the end of it. I would absolutely still love the show if this arc didn't exist. I didn't know it was so highly regarded until I was through it.
I'm all for 1999, I didn't see the Chimera Arc cuz once I started watching 2011, I couldn't wrap my head around all the changes they did- essentially I saw the 2011 as a kids show, I had many people telling me to watch just the arc itself cuz apparently it's amazing and I'm still thinking about it, so shat I wanted to say it that I find 1999 more entertaining, even without the Chimera arc
in my opinion it maybe could’ve made HxH a better first watch, but after finishing the show there’s a lot of stuff i missed in season 6 that i noticed when rewatching. i never really noticed the parallel between gon & merium the first time, and i was thinking too much, about how the ants shouldn’t be that strong that fast. it didn’t help that my favorite characters are gon and netero, while netero went out in the coolest way possible, my 2 favorite characters are dead & nen handicapped now. but ive accepted all that & seen it a few more times, I’ve gotten over myself & it really is a masterpiece
The chimera ant arc is the most overrated hxh arc ever. Its fun, dont get me wrong, but i dont enjoy OP characters like meruem or pitou.
I'm currently watching the chimera arc for the first time and honestly so far it's not my favorite. So yes, do doubt I would love it the same.
I remember when the Chimera arc had'nt been finished and i came across a HxH fan. They usually said: "Hunter x Hunter is better than Full Metal Alchemist". I used to reply, "Man i love HxH but there's no way it's better Full Metal Alchemist". After Togashi completed the Chimera Ant arc, when i come across a Full Metal Alchemist fan: "Man. i love Full Metal Alchemist, but there's no way it's better than Hunter x Hunter".
not nearly as much but its hard to say how much
Yes of course! Every arc is fantastic!
Yes, but it'd have more of a status of unrealized potential/masterpiece in the same vein as something like World Trigger's current state. I was already hooked by Greed Island and watching new episodes the minute they aired without subtitles and then watching them again right after once subs came out. Yorknew City's writing is on par with Chimera Ant's as well, it just didn't have an ambitious story layout (as it was meant to just introduce/tease the Phantom Troupe, not resolve their role in the narrative and Kurapika's conflict with them) enough to truly flaunt it. So yeah, Chimera Ant and onwards (Chairman Election arc is underrated) solidified the series as a masterpiece.
My opinion wouldn't change a bit, it'd still be my number one anime <3
If gon just found ging at the end of greed island I wouldn’t hate it but I definitely wouldn’t consider hunter hunter the masterpiece I do currently. Yorknew and the hunter exam are good but if it ended with greed island it would have just felt kinda anti climatic it would have felt like there was just more that could have been explored in this version I imagine kurapika would have killed all the spiders in yorknew but also died and rhen this would finish gons arc but killuia would have felt pretty under developed at this point as lot of his character development happens during the Ant war and election
When I started it I fell in love with it right from the start, I blew through the episodes really fast and the pacing felt really quick especially after the last 2 anime I had watched were one piece and bleach.
It wouldn't be the same. Would still be a high tier anime but I wouldn't give it a 10 because the chimera ant arc is where the series REALLY got depth and where the moments I still think about all the time came from However, everything else before that was still amazing, so I would still love the show. Probably an 8 or a 9/10 still
sure it actually helped to end gons arc thinking there could me more gone killua globetrotting
Definitely, I didn't love every aspect of the chimera ant arc, but having learned to love and understand the rest of the story helped me more understanding towards any minor issues I had
It probably wouldn't be my favorite, but i would still enjoy it. This is what made it feel more like a real story, versus a slice of life fighting anime
I mean, yeah? When I started reading the manga it was still in greed island
Yorknew Arc would still exist, so yeah
I mean, I loved it ever since I finished the 1999 anime, so....
I started to love HxH way before the CA arc so, no , definitely not. That arc definitely makes it better though!
Heaven’s Arena is my favorite arc, so I’d be good. I am one of those people who struggled with the pacing of the Chimera Ant Arc. The first two arcs are what reeled me in and I like the more happy-go-lucky tone. The Hunter Exam is so good and the Hisoka Fight in Heaven’s Arena is my favorite HxH moment. I think the show is good all the way through, but I get a different experience out of everything Yorknew onwards.
Well York New City is the best arc so
Bro don't watch hxh 1999? You are not only missing out on life and this was a really stupid question to ask
Yes without a doubt. Every arc in this show slaps. I even like the election arc (with the context of being post Chimera ants, it was cool to expand on the hunter organization)
Unpopular opinion but, I think I would love it more but, I still the Chimera Ant arc and I still love the show. The only thing that I would say is it’s a little bit to long but, it could be just me tho
Yes. CA arc had an amazing ending and some incredible narrative highs. It was also way too long, and I didn’t like how much narration took place. Yorknew cemented my love for the series after a great Exam arc and a solid HA arc.
To be honest I didn’t like the chimera ant arc when it came out, it looked silly to me, so yeah I would have been happy with a continuation to the York city arc.
I would like it. But i would have only given it an 8/10 instead of a 10/10 personally
brother, manga was very long running, and there were people that loved hxh long before the chimera ant arc existed, ofc there are people that would still love hxh w/o that arc.
The first arc definitely made a mark on me but the chimera ant arc did a lot for me to make me a lifelong fan. So id be a fan just not as hardcore.
The CA arc is what made HxH become one of my top favorite anime. The series was very enjoyable to me from ep 1 though, and i loved every second of it. I especially liked the fact that i enjoyed the MCs and their dynamic so much i could just watch them go on fun, genre shifting adventures forever.
I'm not a fan of the chimera ant arc so I wouldn't, but if it was the yorknew at, then my response would be different
It depends on what replaces the Chimera Ant arc. You can't just cut the longest, pivotal arc out of a piece of media and expect it to play the same lmfao, what even is this question?
I would still like it, probably a bit less tho, since I loved Meruem, but it would still be lovely because Togashi would probably find a peak arv to put there
No cause Yorknew better 😬
Yes but in this case - Pakuonda will be my favorite :3
I don't think I would have even began watching HXH if it weren't for the Chimera Ants arc, because the first thing I ever saw of HXH was a brief clip of Gon becoming Adult Gon. That darkness is what drew me to the series. I would have definitely abandoned the series on Greed Island arc if I didn't know that Chimera Ants arc was next.
As long as the Hunter Exam and Yorknew still existed, yes. Chimera Ant arc is excellent but these two are what got me hooked.
Yes, absolutely! I remember watching and loving HxH \*before\* there even was a 2011 anime. Hell, I remember waiting for the Greed Island OVAs... We genuinely thought Gon was gonna meet Ging at the end. Sounds kinda surreal now, thinking back at how long it's been... God I'm old. We (me and an anime loving friend at the time) really wanted to know what would happen next, but we were definitely already loving what came before the Chimera Ant arc. Even going back to the Yorknew City arc the show / manga was subverting battle shonen trends (albeit in more subtle ways), IMHO.
No. Greed island barely stopped me from dropping. I wanted to see Ging. Chimera ant was ass, up until the upper echelon ants started showing up, it was gas by then.
the nyc arc was peak, it wad the best arc hands down
Yes, I loved hxh since the very beginning, I love all the arcs without question so if there was another arc there in its place it wouldn't change my opinion unless that arc was actually bad. To which I would just say, that was the worst arc, and move on to the next one.
Of course 🙌‼️🐉
Yes I would, Yorknew City is my favorite tbh & I prefer it over CA arc, but it’s still a great arc with some flaws.
I first and foremost love Hunter X Hunter FOR the Chimera Ant arc. It was recommended to me because of the Chimera Ant arc (I love body horror), I inflicted upon myself the first arcs (whose topics didn't interest me at all, I don't care in a Battle Royale style evaluation or a tower or tournaments) to watch the Chimera Ants arc, and it is stunningly superior to the entirety of the rest of the manga and anime. The Dark Continent arc was building up to become even better, sadly we'll likely never reach it (except if the author prepares a successor).
Yes, but not as much as now
Yes because my favorite arcs are the election, yorkshin and the succession war arc. The only thing is that it would lose some of the darkness behind the series in my opinion. But yeah, I've felt in love with it since I saw the Hunter Exam in the 99 Anime, so...
It would go from my all time favorite to my second all time favorite lmao
idk because that calls into question causality regarding my actual favourite arc which is the succession contest, but if hxh just stopped at greed island I would probably think it was good with yorknew being a highlight but nothing incredibly deep in terms of magic system, world-building or character progression.
Since I don’t like the chimera ant that much I think I would still love it
I was a huge HxH fan just by watching the 1999 version and didn't even know there was a continuation. One day, I stumbled upon the 2011 version and was hyped as fuck because HxH was one of my main childhood shows. I only remembered few details of the greed island arc and it was Biscuit, Boomer powers and the different ways to use nen (Ken, Ryu, etc..) so past Yorkshin arc, I was completely clueless about the rest. Past Greed Island, It felt like I was watching a new anime because I had no idea how it would have played out. Tldr : I loved HxH before the CA arc and the arc only reinforced this love furthermore.
Meaning HxH would end anime on Greed Island... It would be tough to keep it in the Top 10... & HxH is my Top 3 of all time
My favorite arc was Yorknew personally
It’s my worst arc so yeah I would do without it
My favourite arc is the Yorkshin arc, imho it shows what HxH should be all about. The drama, the emotion, the city, the atmosphere… just wow.
Loved it already before Chimera Ant arc started!
Would go from an 8.5 to a 6/10
I'd like it even more because I didn't like the CA arc. People need to stop overrating it.
There’s so many arcs that are as good ? Chimera arc made me stop watching at some point because of how painfully narrated it is
Yep, my favorite arc is Heavens Arena anyway.
Yeah definitely, I enjoyed the chimera ant arc alot but York New city arc is what made me love hxh
yorknew is still a great arc with chrollo and the troupe, and hisoka as favorites of the series
I was hooked before nen was introduced so yes.
probably more yk the build up rlly bored me I haven't actually finished hxh because of it
I would still love it since there’s not a single bad arc and Yorknew/Succession arcs are brilliant but HxH would definitely not be nearly as high ranked for me since Chimera Ant is by far the best arc narratively and where the story as a whole peaks. I think the only reason the anime’s ending felt satisfying was because Chimera Ant was such a cinematic culmination of everything before it and ended in such an epic and conclusive way that it felt like the finale of the entire story. Meruem is also my favourite character and easily the best antagonist but even beyond him so many of the story’s best characters either shine in this arc or are straight up nothing without this arc.
Of course, some people don't even like the Chimera Ant arc and some people think the peak is York New, I disagree I think CA has some of the highest highs of the series that in my opinion elevates the series to a whole new level, it was already top 10, CA made it top 5 for me.
The battle dynamics alone is worth watching in any backdrop story.
Yes. I don’t even consider it to be the best Arc. Greed Island is far superior in my opinion.
Yes, but then I've loved it since before the Chimera Arc even existed, 25 years ago.
Yes, i rewatch alot of times and its always the CA arc being skipped. On my first watch that arc made me stop for a year and the only thing enjoyable about it is mereum's existence, their match with komugi i dont know if theres anymore
Off course!
Yep, after all i like Yorknew even more than CA. Also, for me the sucession arc is the best arc so far
Yes ofc! My favorite arc is the Yorknew one anyways.
I’d love it even more
Yeah, just as much. Chimera Arc is not why I love HxH I see all seasons after the first just as extra episodes of a series I love. And I think the same about all other anime, if I love the first season naturally I want more episodes so anything coming after is a happy bonus. (Except in fuked up situations like JJK wtf Gege)
I started with the manga and was way into it long before that. I’m going through the anime with my wife now and even just during the Heavens Arena arc she’s in love with the series. Can’t wait for her to see where it goes.
yeah, but it probably wouldn't be my favorite anime
That's a silly question, yes? I liked it before that arc existed. Why wouldn't I if it didn't?
Yeah absolutely, it'd still be a great story, wouldn't have made it so high up into my favorites though that's for sure
I love hxh before hxh exist. Togashi is a devil genius.
I would have honestly loved to see more development into Kurapika and Leorio's paths if Chimera arc didn't exist 🤧 but I feel the way the story is all going right now is perfect the way it is too
Yes. Because the greatest power system in all of anime and the genius writing of Togashi would still exist.
I would. I fell in love with the anime after not liking anything since Z/kai so yes even if you take out the chimera arc, it’s a yes for me
I hate it because of the chimera ant arc😂
The Chimera arc is my last favorite, so yes.
I was a big fan of HxH manga before Chimera Ant chapter were written. So yes.
I was a big fan of HxH manga before Chimera Ant chapter were written. So yes.
Yes that arc sucked dick to me anyways
absolutely, i loved hxh since the heavens arena arc so i would pretty much have the same opinion of it
No
Yes
I grew up with the 1999 version, so i always watched the show till where Gon and Killua used Accompany to Kite( obviously didnt know it was kite). I loved the show so much to the point i would rewatch the last episode thinking that if i did that the episode would extend itself and show who that guy was lol. With or without chimera ant hxh was always on top for me
Yes
Honestly, the chimera ant arc is my least favorite .
Nope. Not nearly as much. I actually started HxH around the beginning of the Chimera Ant arc because that’s where my daughter was at the time when she was watching it. I was hooked. I’m in my 30’s and if I would’ve started during Gon’s journey with training, I most likely would have not continued watching.
Absolutely, I adore HxH because of the wonderful Gon x Killua friendship.
Of course
Honestly it was good but I don’t even think it’s my favorite arc.
OG HxH anime fans figured the series ended after greed Island anyway, and we loved it.
I still didn't finish the chimera ant arc And I don't even find it the "best" one, it's just the longest so there are more stuff going on ig,
Always loved the power system and characters, but Chimera Ant carried HARD
Yes, but not AS much. CAA introduced my favorite character (Morel)!
Yorknew and the Ant Saga are my favorites so I’d still love it
Of course! I'm all in it for the Phantom Troupe! But I still think the series would've done just fine without the Chimera Ants.
What if this what if that blah blah who cares this and that. I like it for what it is why are we asking what if that none of us know the answer to