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How Different is the Hunter x Hunter Manga Compared to the Anime?


How Different is Gon Hunter x Hunter Manga Compared to the Anime
Credit: Madhouse

Hunter x Hunter is a popular shounen anime series that has spawned two television anime adaptations. Now the manga has finally returned, it's only natural to wonder how different the Hunter x Hunter manga is compared to the anime.

Related: Is the Hunter x Hunter Manga Finished or Still Ongoing? Current Status Explained

Hunter x Hunter Manga Vs Anime: Which is Better?

Hunter x Hunter manga vs anime Gon
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In terms of fillers, the first Hunter x Hunter anime differs from the manga, whereas the second Hunter x Hunter anime reboot has many cuts that were previously covered in the first.

Hence, reading the manga is highly recommended if you want to experience Hunter x Hunter all at once.

The first Hunter x Hunter anime, released in 1999, differs greatly from the manga in terms of fillers and extra scenes. Aside from that, the anime ends up not stretching after the Greed Island Arc, skipping half of the fun of the series.

To make up for this, the anime has a lot of fillers and extra scenes between Killua and Kurapika for everyone's enjoyment.

In any case, the 1999 anime did a much better job of introducing and developing the characters than the 2011 reboot. This is crucial for the Chimera Ant arc, which is featured in Hunter x Hunter's latter premise.

The 2011 reboot of Hunter x Hunter, on the other hand, is more canon and faithful to the manga. It doesn't have any fillers, but it skips over some material that was previously covered in the 1999 anime.

Notably, the 2011 Hunter x Hunter anime adaptation executed the manga's story arcs better than the original anime adaptation.

The downside is that the first arc was not properly executed in the 2011 anime, which was a huge mistake.

Regardless, the anime is a masterpiece and a good adaptation that will change your life and anime standards until the end of time.

Differences Between the Hunter x Hunter Manga and Anime

differences between Hunter x Hunter manga and anime
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Some notable differences between the Hunter x Hunter manga and the anime are as follows:

  • In the anime, the Palace invasion was left as narration.
  • Some details, such as Gon's animal friends, how he ended up in Aunt Mito's care, and even Aunt Mito's drinking habit, are omitted in the anime.
  • Kite's first appearance and introduction.
  • Leorio is more powerful in the manga than in the anime. He is less featured and less victorious, allowing his skills and abilities to deteriorate.
  • Some specifics about the Hunter exams are changed.
  • Half of the manga's Chapter 102, which is about the Phantom Troupe and an old story in Meteor City, is omitted.
  • The anime omits two special chapters about Kurapika's backstory.
  • Chapter 339 marked the end of the anime adaptation.
  • Some crucial information about Gyro in the Chimera Ant arc.
  • Because of narration, there are minor differences in exposition.
  • The manga is less censored and more brutal.

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For more articles like this, take a look at our Anime, Manga, and Hunter x Hunter pages.