{ "id": "epqh5979bw", "slug": "hunter-hunter-1999-tv-series", "title": "Hunter × Hunter (ハンター×ハンター) (1999 TV series)", "updated": "2026-10-25", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_anime_manga", "label": "Anime and manga", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_anime_manga" }, { "id": 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"label": "Asia (other) · 1946 to 2000", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t1946" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t1946.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t1946.culture" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t1946.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t1946.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t1946.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t1946.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t1946.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t1946.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t1946.culture.performance.screen.series.series_anime_manga", "label": "Anime and manga", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t1946.culture.performance.screen.series.series_anime_manga" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t1946.culture.performance.screen.series.series_anime_series", "label": "Anime series, episodes, and franchises", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t1946.culture.performance.screen.series.series_anime_series" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t1946.culture.performance.screen.series.series_anime_series.anime_shonen_jump_franchises", "label": "Weekly-magazine shōnen franchise anime", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t1946.culture.performance.screen.series.series_anime_series.anime_shonen_jump_franchises" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Hunter × Hunter (ハンター×ハンター) 1999 TV series: Nippon Animation's first anime adaptation of Togashi's manga, 62 Fuji TV episodes (1999–2001) directed by Furuhashi, covering the manga's first 11 volumes before OVAs, distinct from the 2011 Madhouse remake.", "snippet": "Hunter × Hunter (ハンター×ハンター) 1999 TV series: Nippon Animation's first anime adaptation of Togashi's manga, 62 Fuji TV episodes (1999–2001) directed by Furuhashi, covering the manga's first 11 volumes before OVAs, distinct from the 2011 Madhouse remake.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_anime_series.anime_shonen_jump_franchises", "markdown": "# Hunter × Hunter (ハンター×ハンター) (1999 TV series)\n\n**Hunter × Hunter (ハンター×ハンター)** (1999 TV series) is the first television anime adaptation of [Yoshihiro Togashi](https://www.edgepedia.org/yoshihiro-togashi)'s manga *Hunter × Hunter*, produced by Nippon Animation and broadcast on the Fuji TV network for 62 episodes from October 16, 1999 to March 31, 2001.[1](https://www.nippon-animation.co.jp/work/1803/) • [2](https://hunterxhunter.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Episodes_%281999_series%29) Directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi, who had previously directed the *Rurouni Kenshin* television series, it follows Gon Freecss, a boy who leaves his home on Whale Island to take the lethal Hunter Examination and search for the father who left him as an infant.[3](https://edencell.com/customer/FaQ/FaQData/files/wusonedo-fisesofa.pdf) • [4](https://www.fujitv.co.jp/b_hp/hunter/) The series covers only the first eleven volumes of the manga; the remaining adapted arcs, the Yorknew City and Greed Island arcs, were released separately as original video animations (OVAs).[2](https://hunterxhunter.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Episodes_%281999_series%29)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Broadcast | Fuji TV network, October 16, 1999 to March 31, 2001[1](https://www.nippon-animation.co.jp/work/1803/) |\n| Episode count | 62 episodes, about 23 minutes each[2](https://hunterxhunter.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Episodes_%281999_series%29) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426719/) |\n| Studio and director | Nippon Animation; directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi[3](https://edencell.com/customer/FaQ/FaQData/files/wusonedo-fisesofa.pdf) |\n| Manga coverage | Only the first 11 volumes; Yorknew City and Greed Island arcs continued as DVD OVAs[2](https://hunterxhunter.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Episodes_%281999_series%29) |\n| Main voice cast | Junko Takeuchi as Gon, Yuki Kaida and Cheryl McMaster as Kurapika, Kanako Mitsuhashi and Annika Odegard as Killua, Hozumi Gôda and Jonathan Love as Leorio (Japanese and English roles)[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426719/) |\n| Ratings | IMDb 8.6/10 from about 13,000 votes; Newtype reported a Japanese TV rating of 10.5 for Q4 2000[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426719/) • [3](https://edencell.com/customer/FaQ/FaQData/files/wusonedo-fisesofa.pdf) |\n| English release | Licensed by Viz Media as of August 2008; first box set released that December[2](https://hunterxhunter.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Episodes_%281999_series%29) |\n\n## Story and premise\n\nThe series opens with Gon, a boy raised on Whale Island by his aunt Mito, who had been told his parents died; the discovery that his father Jin (Ging) is alive and ranks among the world's foremost Hunters drives him to leave home.[4](https://www.fujitv.co.jp/b_hp/hunter/) The Hunters themselves are defined in the Fuji TV synopsis as a sought-after profession that only about one person in tens of thousands can qualify for, one that brings social standing, fame, and money.[4](https://www.fujitv.co.jp/b_hp/hunter/) In the first aired episode, a giant fox bear attacks Gon and the hunter Kite saves him, telling him his father still lives; Gon then announces to his aunt that he plans to take the Hunter Exam.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/hunter_x_hunter_1999/s01)\n\nDuring the demanding examination Gon meets his three central companions: Leorio, Kurapika, and Killua.[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426719/) The television run proceeds through the Hunter Exam, Zoldyck Family, Heavens Arena, and Phantom Troupe (Yorknew) material, ending before the story's later Chimera Ant and Chairman Election arcs, which no anime would cover until the 2011 remake.[7](https://www.animepapa.com/article/evaluating-the-canon-material-in-hunter-x-hunter-what-you-need-to-know/)\n\n## Production and adaptation choices\n\nFuruhashi's adaptation keeps close to the manga in its early episodes but diverges in tone and content as it progresses. The Hunter Exam arc adds minor filler scenes that expand character interactions, and the series inserts original episodes during and after the Yorknew City arc, alters parts of Kurapika's backstory, and fabricates an extra phase of the Hunter Exam not present in the source.[7](https://www.animepapa.com/article/evaluating-the-canon-material-in-hunter-x-hunter-what-you-need-to-know/) Compared with the 2011 remake, the 1999 series spends considerably longer on the exam: one side-by-side analysis calls 1999's version more \"substantial,\" featuring an entire extra leg of the Exam, while the 2011 series stays nearer the manga's pacing.[8](https://anibproductions.wordpress.com/2017/03/24/hunter-x-hunter-1999-vs-2011-part-1-the-hunter-exam-pt-1/)\n\n**Why it stopped.** When the anime had covered most of the available source material by 2001, Nippon Animation chose to end the adaptation rather than continue it with filler.[3](https://edencell.com/customer/FaQ/FaQData/files/wusonedo-fisesofa.pdf) The manga's serialization went on hiatus during production, and as a result the 1999 series could not complete the story.[9](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2098220/faq/) The Yorknew City and Greed Island arcs were instead finished as three separate OVA series, which observers criticize for visibly lower animation quality than the television episodes; the Greed Island OVAs in particular are described as rough, and they skipped some material the 2011 anime kept.[10](https://www.resetera.com/threads/comparing-the-animation-of-hunter-x-hunter-%E2%80%9899-vs-%E2%80%9811.608451/)\n\n## Style and tone\n\nThe 1999 series is frequently described as darker and slower than its successor. Comparisons note its atmospheric direction, distinct color palette, and a soundtrack many still associate with Gon's early adventures.[7](https://www.animepapa.com/article/evaluating-the-canon-material-in-hunter-x-hunter-what-you-need-to-know/) Both the 1999 and 2011 adaptations aimed to be faithful to Togashi, but they come at the material with stylistic differences that fans have cataloged scene by scene, including a widely circulated comparison of the Gon versus Hisoka fight between the two versions.[11](https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2012/8/28/video-hunter-x-hunter-gon-vs-hisoka-fight-1999-versus-2011-comparison) Viewers who watched both report that the 2011 version tells the same story more quickly, with different opening and ending themes.[12](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/3812/what-are-the-notable-differences-between-hunter-x-hunter-in-1999-vs-2011)\n\n## Reception\n\nCritical reception for the 1999 television adaptation has been generally favorable. Miyako Matsuda of *Protoculture Addicts*, Carl Kimlinger of Anime News Network, and Derrick L. Tucker of THEM Anime Reviews all praised the narrative and characters; Matsuda singled out the adventure-filled world and the values of friendship, effort, and victory that Togashi built into it.[3](https://edencell.com/customer/FaQ/FaQData/files/wusonedo-fisesofa.pdf) In Japanese audience measures, Newtype listed a television rating of 10.5 for the fourth quarter of 2000, and the show ranked sixth among Japan's top ten anime series for February 2001.[3](https://edencell.com/customer/FaQ/FaQData/files/wusonedo-fisesofa.pdf)\n\n**Polls and rankings.** Readers voted the series 16th best anime of 2000 in the Animage Anime Grand Prix, and fourth the following year; in 2001 Animage's staff placed it 94th among the most important anime of all time, and a 2006 [TV Asahi](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-asahi) web poll in Japan ranked it 28th.[3](https://edencell.com/customer/FaQ/FaQData/files/wusonedo-fisesofa.pdf) On IMDb the series holds an 8.6/10 from roughly 13,000 user votes.[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426719/) The series has enjoyed more modest popularity than its manga source, and in 2010 Mania.com listed it among series needing a reboot, a wish the 2011 remake then fulfilled.[3](https://edencell.com/customer/FaQ/FaQData/files/wusonedo-fisesofa.pdf)\n\n## Compared with the 2011 series\n\nA second adaptation by Madhouse aired from October 2011 to September 2014 on Nippon TV and retold the entire story from the beginning, adding the Chimera Ant and Chairman Election arcs that the 1999 series never reached.[8](https://anibproductions.wordpress.com/2017/03/24/hunter-x-hunter-1999-vs-2011-part-1-the-hunter-exam-pt-1/) • [13](https://yomikomi.jp/hunterxhunter/anime-dokomade/) The two versions make different trade-offs. The 2011 series invents no storylines and runs faster, though some fans feel its Hunter Exam and Heavens Arena arcs move too briskly; the 1999 series retains a darker atmosphere and puts Kite, the hunter who inspires Gon's journey, in its opening episode.[7](https://www.animepapa.com/article/evaluating-the-canon-material-in-hunter-x-hunter-what-you-need-to-know/) • [6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/hunter_x_hunter_1999/s01) The 1999 version is also described as more serious and deeper in its character treatment, while the 2011 version has more vibrant colors and a soundtrack many consider stronger.[14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvf71yVmLcU)\n\nIn 2026, the ShoPro-run Jump Channel began streaming *HUNTER×HUNTER* episodes free on YouTube, scheduling the Hunter Exam and Zoldyck, Heavens Arena, Phantom Troupe, Greed Island, Chimera Ant, and Election arcs from May 29 onward, two weeks per episode batch.[15](https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001893.000002610.html)\n\n## References\n\n1. [ハンターＸハンター｜作品紹介｜日本アニメーション NIPPON ANIMATION](https://www.nippon-animation.co.jp/work/1803/)\n2. [List of Episodes (1999 series), Hunterpedia](https://hunterxhunter.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Episodes_%281999_series%29)\n3. [Hunter × Hunter, anime and manga overview with reception data](https://edencell.com/customer/FaQ/FaQData/files/wusonedo-fisesofa.pdf)\n4. [ハンターＸハンター 番組紹介, フジテレビ](https://www.fujitv.co.jp/b_hp/hunter/)\n5. [Hunter x Hunter (TV Series 1999–2001), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426719/)\n6. [Hunter X Hunter: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/hunter_x_hunter_1999/s01)\n7. [Evaluating the Canon Material in Hunter X Hunter, Anime Papa](https://www.animepapa.com/article/evaluating-the-canon-material-in-hunter-x-hunter-what-you-need-to-know/)\n8. [Hunter × Hunter, 1999 vs 2011: Part 1, AniB Productions](https://anibproductions.wordpress.com/2017/03/24/hunter-x-hunter-1999-vs-2011-part-1-the-hunter-exam-pt-1/)\n9. [Hunter X Hunter (2011) FAQ, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2098220/faq/)\n10. [Comparing the Animation of Hunter x Hunter '99 vs. '11, ResetEra](https://www.resetera.com/threads/comparing-the-animation-of-hunter-x-hunter-%E2%80%9899-vs-%E2%80%9811.608451/)\n11. [VIDEO: \"Hunter x Hunter\" Gon VS Hisoka Fight 1999 versus 2011 Comparison, Crunchyroll News](https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2012/8/28/video-hunter-x-hunter-gon-vs-hisoka-fight-1999-versus-2011-comparison)\n12. [What are the notable differences between Hunter x Hunter in 1999 vs 2011?, Anime & Manga Stack Exchange](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/3812/what-are-the-notable-differences-between-hunter-x-hunter-in-1999-vs-2011)\n13. [〖HUNTER×HUNTER〗アニメはどこまで？原作何巻まで, よみこみ](https://yomikomi.jp/hunterxhunter/anime-dokomade/)\n14. [HUNTER X HUNTER | 1999 VS 2011 WHICH ANIME IS MORE FAITHFUL TO THE MANGA? COMPARISON, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvf71yVmLcU)\n15. [ジャンプチャンネルにて、TVアニメ『HUNTER×HUNTER』全話を順次配信決定！, PR TIMES](https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001893.000002610.html)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Anime and manga › Anime series, episodes, and franchises › Weekly-magazine shōnen franchise anime*\n\n*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/hunter-hunter-1999-tv-series", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/hunter-hunter-1999-tv-series.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Hunter × Hunter (ハンター×ハンター) (1999 TV series)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/hunter-hunter-1999-tv-series. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Hunter × Hunter (ハンター×ハンター) (1999 TV series)](https://www.edgepedia.org/hunter-hunter-1999-tv-series)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/hunter-hunter-1999-tv-series](https://www.edgepedia.org/hunter-hunter-1999-tv-series). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Hunter × Hunter (ハンター×ハンター) (1999 TV series)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/hunter-hunter-1999-tv-series. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Hunter × Hunter 1999 TV series: Nippon Animation's first anime adaptation of Togashi's manga, 62 Fuji TV episodes directed by Furuhashi, covering the manga's first 11 volumes before OVAs, distinct from the 2011 Madhouse remake." }