Hunter x Hunter vol 1 by Yoshihiro Togashi

Gon is a pretty talented young man. He is sympathetic towards animals, doesn't get sea-sick through the worst of storms, and is naturally intuitive about situations he's in. His father was a Hunter, an esteemed person tasked with hunting dangerous animals, tracking down treasures, or even bringing criminals to justice. Gon's aunt wanted him to follow a different path, but the Hunter's blood runs strong, and Gon decides to attempt the trials in order to gain a Hunter's License. The license exam is extremely difficult - that is, after you finally get to the Exam Hall. There are plenty of trials along the way designed to weed out the folks who are in it for all the wrong reasons. Of the initial group who started out across the rough seas, only Gon and two others make it. They find the Exam Hall, where four hundred other hopefuls also wait for the real trials to start. But with only a few licenses to award, the exam promises to be even more challenging that what Gon has already experienced.

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This is the beginnings of what could possibly be a great adventure story. However, this is definitely for a more patient reader. There are some series that get the protagonist right into the "job" they are going to be doing, but I have a feeling this Exam is going to take at least one more volume, if not more, and then there will probably be some training that Gon has to go through. This series is for a reader who wants to see the character develop, not something that is already established, like One-Punch Man. Better for fans of My Hero Academia where most of the series is the characters growing into their roles. 

The art in this series is incredibly detailed. Backgrounds have a lot of extra details in them that make them very interesting to study. There aren't any boring characters either. Everyone has a pretty unique look and mannerism. 

VIZ rates this for older teens, but there isn't much in the first volume that seems inappropriate. There is a bit of violence and there are a few sort of scary/gory moments once they get to the exams, but that's it so far for this series.

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12

Publisher: VIZ Media
Publication Date: April 5, 2005
ISBN: 9781591167532 (Paperback)

Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Action Adventure, Humor, VIZ Media