Hunter x Hunter - 1999 vs 2011 (Gon vs Hanzo) 

As good as the chimera ant arc was, I can only imagine how crazy it would have been animated in the 1999 style

1999 really hits different. With its music, intense blood, and dark atmosphere. It really brings out the seriousness in scenes that are meant to be as created by the creator.

I hope when people watch this they gain more appreciation for the artistry and attention to detail that went into ‘99, because it is criminally overlooked compared to 2011. There are many episodes like this you could dissect in ‘99 when it comes to music, tone and direction.

this moment, bodoro death, kurapika on the street with scarlet eyes, and pakunoda death are done INSANELY BETTER in the 99 version, its just art.

Both fights were really good. But the 99 version is the real winner. The storyboarding, direction and animation was more visually impressive compared to the 2011 battlem

been watching the 2011 version and didn't realize the 90's version existed but this makes me want to go back and watch the whole series with 90's anime. just feels like i'm missing so much more emotion and depth. the 2011 version is more kid like it seems and the 90's version looks to be more serious

The 90’s version really captures the dark and intense moments well that 2011 didn’t really get right until the end of Chimera Ant. I prefer the new color palette though and wish more shows would use a brighter color scheme without also sacrificing the really dark/serious tones

Yo, man, you've really killed it with this video. It's not just about giving HxH '99 some love (which I do appreciate 👌), but it really feels like you're coming into your own with your recent videos. The topics are super interesting, the edition is both funny and fresh. Really amazing work!

Finnaly someone noticed all of this. I remember when I watched 99 version and it was AFTER I watched 2011 version - I had shivers of excitement very often even if I knew what's going to happen... When I watched 2011 I had this sensation just 1 or 2 times in the late chimera ant arc an that's it. Whole HxH in 99 stylistic and ost would be dope...

Never watched HxH but from this video it’s obvious that there was a lot of detail put into the art, direction, and framing in the 99 ver. It’s almost cinematic the way the “camera” moves around to grab odd angles and perspectives rather than just static shots with zoom ins; not to mention the tension you can feel in the way the characters are drawn in critical moments.

As an animator, it's nice to see an anime side by side analysis so well done and entertaining

I'm sure that you already came across this masterpiece but I would LOVE to see a breakdown of " legend, a dragon ball tale"s short animation in your style .

this video is a great example of how the 1999 version went the extra mile with their direction and aesthetic. good, clear explanations. dope vid 👍

At LONG LAST, the 1999 version gets all the love it deserves. I've watched and finished both versions and the 1999 version has always been far superior to me, it has so much more personality. When the story is lighthearted and funny, it feels light and funny, and when the story is dark, it feels dark and keeps you at your toes. Not so much with the 2011 version, everything feels too bright and colorful all throughout, it comes out as flat in comparison. Also in the 1999 version, each characters' nen has its own color, but in the 2011 version they're all just plain white. Another point lost. The 2011 version is good. Great, even, but once you've watched really dark anime outside of the typical shounen genre, even the supposedly dark scenes feel just the average kind of good, something's just lacking. I'm a musician so I pay attention to the music and it's safe to say that lots of love and thought were put in the 1999 soundtracks, many of them don't just fit the character and scene, they also give life to them while being very memorable. When someone mentions HxH, what I remember is the 1999 harmonica soundtrack "Ohayou", just because it's so heartwarming to listen to and is actually iconic to the show. Although it's just an instrumental version of the opening, it's a masterpiece of a composition and made it feel as if the opening itself was made specifically for the show. The 2011 music is too generic and often times don't fit the scenes at all (like the marching band style music you mentioned). And I think there's no need to sugarcoat the goofy eyecatch music playing in the middle of an intense scene, they could have replaced the music to something darker just for those moments but they didn't. It's a very poor and lazy decision that completely kills the atmosphere. I've been wanting to say a thing or two about the 2011 animation but couldn't put it to words. I don't study animation so something just feels off and there's so much that feels missing to me as an average viewer, but this video perfectly conveyed what I was trying to say. Thank you so much for making this, and for those of you who haven't watched the 1999 version yet, go watch it, it hits different.

I've been trying to convince my son to watch the 99 version as he is now a huge fan of HxH, he thinks there is now way it could look as good.... He's gonna learn soon...

So glad my favorite animation youtube channel is talking about my favorite series. I love all versions of HxH. Animation wise 99 is just simply amazing! Thanks for covering this!

I consider myself a bit of a rare breed who prefers 99 despite watching 2011 first and considering both 10/10. I think 99 just generally has better atmosphere, music, pacing and character design.

Oh boy, thank you so much for dissecting the film language of the 90s version! I was doing the same to anyone who would listen about One Piece's Sanji vs Kuroobi fight! That one shot from 1999 where Sanji's black leg just bisected the entire frame was *chef's kiss* They just don't do it anymore :( I also never noticed the passage of time in the 1999 HxH! That's why it felt weightier, the characters actually LIVE in the story.

1999 HxH shows a more adult anime than 2011…

In the 90’s anime, you can see Gon’s bubbling insanity surface a little as he stubbornly tries to get his own way yet again. His expression is chilling. I wish the 2011 did better about that; I think they waited too late to show just how dead Gon’s eyes truly look in those moments.

said it before and ill say it again. While both are good adaptations, the 1999 version did so many things miles better that the 2011 version. if you've been watching anime for a while, you'd actually know that. nothing to do with nostalgia or whatever crap some ignorant people say. 2011 version would've been perfect if it understood and complimented the original tone of the manga as well as the 1999 version did.

so that's what felt different in the 2011 version, which i just finished recently. i watched the 99 version as a kid and i remember hxh being much darker, and it felt like there were much higher stakes. like i remember feeling nervous about the part of the hunter exam arc where leorio was stuck in the cave with the snake guy and gon had to hold his breath. the coin flip thing with gotoh in the 99 version also felt high stakes. i agree, the 2011 version really had many moments where they were like scenes from generic shonen, and the emotional impact wasn't really there for me as compared to the 99 version. thanks for this video, my dude. you put into words what i've been feeling.

I am really glad that you are starting to cover other series!

The 99 animation was hard to animate with those wall angles the level of geometry is insane

80s and 90s aesthetic shit on modern day anime

99's direction was way better

As a fan of the 1999 version, you said everything I wanna say that I can’t put into words while watching the 2011 version. The newer one in my opinion feels more “cartoony” and Gon feels more like of a caricature of a character than the older one which gives more depth.

I will say, this fight is enigmatic of a lot of the issues that plague the early parts of the 2011 run. A lot of these issues become less prevalent in the later part of the run. It’s nice to see that the team grew throughout the run and really hit their stride in terms of stylization part way through

Well researched, impressive video. Great job explaining technical aspects in a dynamic, entertaining way.

Imagine if we had Chimera ant arc in the 90's... Oh ma gawd

I just started watching this series and wasn't aware there were 2 versions. The light hearted feel of the 2011 version feels at odds with some of the dark aspects of the show. That being said I still have enjoyed it so far. After seeing the 1999 clips I may go back and watch them specifically as they remind me of the style in YuYu Hakusho another of my favorites.

I watched 99 after watching the newer one and man do I wish it had more episodes, the tone, the pacing and the music is so perfect, the voice acting is better in the new one but the old animation wins for me. Killua looks different in both and sounds menacing in the old one.

Your content is what this world needs man, thank you very very much for this type of comparation videos, keep up the great work, shoutout from DR 🇩🇴 hope ypu can do another vid like this with kurapika vs uvogin fight animation.

There's a degree of love and attention to detail put into the old version that just wasn't placed in the more recent one.

I always thought the 2011 version wanted to speedrun the series until the chimera ants, where the 1999 left off. After ep76 the 2011 quality goes up and by the end of the arc reached its peak, the dramatic conclusion and the fights are top quality, especially the Palace Invasion and Meruem & Komugi dying. The 1999 version is a work of art, instead of just animating panels, they're creating a cinematic piece, it really looks like someone is recording with a camera within the HxH world. The attention to detail and dedication the animators put into it, everything handmade is really admirable and we should be grateful for it. You can see the peak of this during Pakunoda death, that scene is a work of art, a masterpiece. We just have to be grateful to have 2 great adaptations of this amazing manga (We don't talk about greed island ovas, Nippon Animation was no longer the studio and they used digital animation)

Now I'd love to see a comparison between the Hunter x Hunter Hisoka vs Gon fight as the 2011 one actually has a really nice fight scene. Although yes the one thing the 2011 does suffer from is music choices in many scenes. It does have quite a few good tracks though

1999 is just superior in everything. 2011 is too positive, too bright, and isn't serious enough. It's like 1999 doesn't have flaws, but anyone who says 2011 is better is either blind or massively biased.

This is a really great in-depth analysis and really made me appreciate 90s anime more.

For a long time I tried to convince people to watch this series, no one saw it in Spanish because of its poor translation, then anime became fashionable and these types of anime were forgotten, except for people who really appreciated anime, and got the anime in its original language. I always highlighted this chapter and you present it perfectly with the qualities that you highlight here, I appreciate this work because it was what I always wanted to show to my friends who only watched anime series based on new technologies. Terrible what they did in my opinion with the new hxh, especially the absence of that atmosphere of these directors that you distinguished. Thank you!

This was amazing! Please do more Hunter x Hunter! Not enough people realize how much 1999 HxH portrayed a lot of scenes more effectively than 2011!

I love to hear a thorough explanation of the artistic choices in comparison to each other, you really killed it! It was also nice to know what names were actually behind it, and know what else they did. It brought more insight and I wouldn't have thought of seeking out that information by myself. This was great! im sure you're tired of hearing this, but I am a big enjoyer of the 1999 kurapika v uvogen fight, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it and have further insight about the decisions and the people who worked on it.

Basically, the '99 version was more of a show, don't tell type of style. The '11 style is, as with most anime that came out then and now, lots of exposition and pointing out the obvious.

Why is it always hardcore DBZ fans who know more about animation than every other Shounen fanbase lmao. Enjoy your sub, you truly know what you're talking about. HxH 1999 is a masterpiece that 2011 cannot even come close to comparing to. Adaptations should take creative liberties to enhance the source material if I want 1:1 manga panel comparison I'd just read the manga. Which MADHOUSE are infamous for or were so...

Easily one of my favorite videos on RU-vid. Real life thank you for this one and all the other work you do! Especially anything dbz

You’ll have 100k subs by mid next year if you keep the quality up like you did in this video. Great work!

My husband asked me to watch the show cause he absolutely loves it, and when I did, I found the original thinking that was the one he had watched. I'm glad I did because it feels much more alive than the colorful remake.

These videos are really awesome, I honestly never thought of animation at this level. Not sure why YT recommended me this but I am glad it did

I congratulate you on this amazing video. both as a director and an animator, I found this extremely useful and amusing. Well done!

Started with the 99 version back in the day and have been an advocate for how much better the animation was.

This is a really well put together video man, thanks for your work.

This was brilliant, thank you

I really like this new direction you’re beginning to take. It’s great to see you break down some of my favorite animators (not that that matters) on all types of series

IMO : What's good about Old Anime is that they were in a square aspect ratio, they have a focus on every action and emotion in a certain moment (if animated correctly of course) which emphasizes the importance and impact of that scene. Unlike Modern Anime (not all aspects are bad though), you'll have to fill more content in that space to make it not boring which may result in over-saturation of eye candy which is sometimes confusing in the brain. So you'll have larger space to animate that taxes a lot in your work, so to lessen it, you'll sacrifice the quality of animation to release it faster, and that is why Old Anime has the most excellent Animation Quality that by far cannot be matched by Modern Anime.

Love this review and all your work, it's helped me to understand all the extra efforts and perspective from the animators and appreciate even more their job. Hxh 99 has a dark tone with its palette, scenes and music that complement the strong emotions of the cast. I wish hxh could have continued this way so bad.

This is a great video, with tons of depth analisis. Very nice!! But as someone who works in the industry, calling the background+framing combo storyboard feels a bit off, as storyboard tends to concentrate in the cinematic action, it's more about what the characters general feel of the scenes is rather than a completely settled camera framing and movement which is what is done over at the Layout department and thus we call it Layout. If it's more nuanced like very crazy camera movement or crazy perspective that's usually relegated to the Down And Dirty department also called The Workbook. Storyboard>> Cinematic action, how the scenes feel and the characters actions and emotions in those scenes. Down And Dirty>> Cleaning up and setting up camera movement of the sets and perspective in conjunction with layout. Layout>> Setting up framing for the camera of characters and setting taking into account their actual heights and proportions and locking down what the backgrounds are going to be in conjunction with DnD (Down and Dirty) if necessary.

Hands down the 99 version is superior. Mind you the 2011 has its merits and credits are well, however 99 captures the essence of Togashi's vision with HxH. The animation, the atmosphere, the musical scores, etc are just in-depth that it made the show stand out compare to the generic shonen feel of the 2011 animation. Just imagine if the Chimera Ant arc was directed in the 99 era, it would have been an epic masterpiece. Final verdict, the 99 version feels like a more mature shonen boarding a seinen while the 2011 version is a standard new wave shonen that appeals to the younger audiences. Both from the genius of Togashi however the older version just hits the right notes. While some may consider it outdated, it holds up very well like many things of old i.e. cars, houses, tools, you get the idea. To those of you who've never watched the 99 version, I would highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed.

I genuinely thought this scene was just a generic shounen episode in the 2011 anime

See this is why man…not even gonna finish it lol just know I’ve been accused of being “too nostalgic” many times. But Hey man this video was absolutely a treat to watch, an impeccable take on this comparison. Beyond good job mate🤝💯

1999年版はリアルタイムで見た。 やっぱり1999年版の方がこの試験の闇深さを良く表現できてると思う。そして闇深さがある分、ゴンの決意の強さが伝わってくる。1999年版は最後のゴンとハンゾーが会話するシーンの音楽も良かった。

12:49 Killua mentions a brutal atmosphere, yes, but on the screen right after, he says, "why is it suddenly so much lighter".

I’m always a big fan of more harsher, exaggerated colours which is why I love the 99’s aesthetic so much more. The colours just look so much more lively and interesting which is a big reason why I prefer a lot of scenes in the 99 version

I watched the 99 version before watching the 2011 version and gon vs hanzo was the moment I realized how great the series truly is. When hanzo has his blade up to gon’s head, gon states his goal in finding his dad. This was the moment I realized just how far this series had come from the first episode which just felt like a typical, boy sets off on an adventure series. Despite whatever opinion someone has on which series is better, the 99 version handled the mood of the series perfectly. It took what was in the manga and made it into art. The 2011 version has good pacing and you can breeze through the episodes fast, while being completely engaged in the story but the 99 version goes so much more in depth into the atmosphere of each moment. It’s almost like the entire 99 series captures the vibe that the 2011 chimera ant arc has but it’s the entire series. Though I’m only referring up to the yorknew arc. 2001 greed island ova was always kind of a letdown.

HxH (1999) was my very first anime ever, will always be special to me and I'm happy it got a remake and continued past Greed Island

Amazing analysis. Gon vs Hanzo in 1999 surpasses the other versions on every level

1999 is the best 1 for me, its packed with dark esthetic animation and also it is part of my childhood. Hoping all anime this days don't rely too much on 3d generated effects.

1999 version is a masterclass in Animation, soundtrack and storytelling, 2011 version is an emotionless joke in comparision.

Excellent comparison and analysis bro!😍 You covered everything from detail to detail overall excellent 10/10 video 👌 id love to see more HxH 1999 vs 2011 scene comparison videos specially coming from you. Keep it up!

I'm just happy that videos like this exist. Before, the narrative or conversation have been quite one sided in favor of 2011 version, but if you really look at it closely, 1999 version was a work of art. Both are great and I'm just happy that my favorite anime have two great adaptations. I personally prefer the 1999 version for the Hunter Exam Arc and Yorkshin City Arc. I think for the Greed Island Arc, there's no question that the 2011 really shined as its lighter style and more modern style of animation really suited that arc more.

Facts. Thank you for showing how superior the '90s version is. Well, up to the Spider Arc only. From Greed Island to the latest, I'll go with 2011.

I watched 20 episodes of HxH 99 today lol

Duuude!! It's soo refreshing to see Someone who is actually giving HxH 1999 the love and support that it deserved for decades in this salty ocean of HxH 2011 fanboys who shit on the 99 ver without even bothering to watch it.

I’ve never seen 1999 version I look forward to it seems more dark and tense

I just started watching the 99 version since it's on RU-vid (and bc my favorite anime as a kid was Yu Yu Hakusho so I didn't even know the creator also made HunterxHunter until recently). I plan on watching the 2011 version to, but idk. Maybe it's because I'm 33, but I just really enjoy 80s-90s animation/art design. Even though I can honestly say I'm probably one of the few thay loves the new BERSERK, but there's just something about thay detailed mostly hand drawn art design of the olden days :). Just something classic about it I suppose as if more heart went into it.

I've never watch the 99 version but its clear that in a vacuum the quality is superior to the 2011 version but that's the crucial part, "in a vacuum". For me one of the aspects that make the 2011 version great is how they slowly pull the facade of a regular shonen anime, and I feel that making this first episodes look generic helped the show to bring you into a false sense of familiarity just to slowly corrode and shatter it across the series. I wasn't interested in watching the 99 version but I loved your analysis and I personality have defended the OG FMA. I will be watching the 99 version and I have you to thank for that.

Thank you for this video, it encapsulates exactly how i felt about the 2011 version. I still remember telling this to my friend when we were watching it back in the day when it just came out, and my friend telling me that he disagrees and that he preferred the 2011 version. I felt like i was taking crazy pills.

original just felt more immersive, gritty and the consequences felt more real. HxH is ultimately a world full of killers doing whatever they want, the original with it's art style made you feel that, the cleaner smooth 2011 looks nice and fluid with well done action scenes but it feels like I'm watching a show, not actually part of that world.

Love the attention to composition, good channel to learn from! I also like the direction you're going covering series other than dbz.

I watched the anime version of this scene and dropped hxh because I thought it was a generic shounen but seeing what the 1999 version has to offer I'm now conflicted which one should I watch

There is no need discussion, 1999 is gold

I noticed this in modern animation, there isn't much focus on ambience and atmosphere. I know things are computer done now as it's cheaper for production. What made anime anime was the painstaking atmosphere we didn't get or don't appreciate enough in the West...To see that absent in modern anime adaptations does sadden me as one who grew up to anime...I will argue it's not just Hunter X Hunter where we see this shift. Other adaptations of anime in the modern era have the same change.

I love 2011 but there are many moments where 99 completely outclasses it, especially in the hunter exam arc

I prefer 1999 Ver.

I just watched Hunter x Hunter for the first time this year and I chose the 99 version because I felt I wouldn't give it a chance if I just watched the 2011 version. I loved it and it's accompanying OVA. I jumped into the 2011 version from the beginning to see how it compared, but I just couldn't help but think how much I preferred the 99 version's choices over the 2011 version. So I just skipped ahead and am now watching the Chimera Ant arc. It makes me wish that instead of redoing the anime from the ground up, they would've brought back Kazuhiro Furuhashi to continue the story even if it wouldn't be made in the exact same way.

Ive only watched the newew version, but i gotta say. I love the dark tense look of the 99 version.

1999 HxH...absolutely flawless! 😘 👌 👌 👌

Thank God someone pointed out those elements in 1999ver. I think everyone preferring the 2011ver are blind .

yo, this series of videos is gonna be dope

Theres something about 90s anime art style that just hits different.

The 1999 not only nailed the artstyle, the tension and music, 2011 just felt like rushing things, like the entire Hunter Exam didn’t capture the tension of how deadly or uncertain the exam is

As a 90s kid, still 99 v the best for me. It just hits different.

Awesome video, been waiting for one like this on HxH for quite a while.

I'm biased because the 1999 HxH is my childhood memories, but it was as a whole the better one in my opinion. I like the character design better. When I first read HxH manga after knowing the anime, I was a bit shocked because the artwork style is so different, a bit disappointed even. And the way the 1999 animation is shot are more stylish and dramatic, the artwork itself is better detailed, also the music is good, I love the opening theme "Ohayou" , also "Kumo vs Mafia" is epic.

Makes me sad that we will never get another good looking show like the cel animated ones

Something special about the original animation style

Amazing video again! Thanks

Cool. Great take on these comparisons

Really interesting video, i would love a comparison of the two versions of kurapika vs uvogin, specifically the end of the fight, since that's a moment that, at least in my opinion, was done better in the 2011 adaptation

I’ve never seen this show. I thought that when this channel deviated away from Dragon ball that I wouldn’t be as interested. But this is amazing!!! I’d be really interested in seeing your input for Hajime No Ippo!

99 'version was simply more mature, not afraid of pushing itself. 2011 version was basically an adaptation for kids, less violent, more light hearted. To me there is no comparison at all.

mr. president is once again back with a literal game-changer, wow! keep goin pres!