Fun 1999 vs 2011 Versions

[mrsticky005]

Remember people the things i was pointing out was only from my perspective, I'm not saying it's gospel. For people saying that the 1999 has superior this superior that doesn't really make much sense to me. I'm not saying being faithful to the source material is better but from my standpoint it actually is when talking about HxH. I know that Fursashi didn't understand the full concept of the story and thats his fault. From the looks of it he was assuming on how the story was gonna develop. He indirectly makes Kurapika come off as a girl. He adds filler to where Gon is actually more generous and caring than he actually is. Killua never had any felling of jealousy towards Gon in the end of the Hunter exam. Omitted something from Hisoka which explains a lot about his mystic. Like i said with Heavens arena, He had all the source material to work with but took the liberty to change how the arc actually ended or perceived. He never highlighted anything that would make the overall story come to light. The 1999 also comes off as cheesy more often than not. With the 2011 everything that the characters did came off as natural. Again this is how i saw it.
People who are getting into HxH will probably choose the 2011 over the 1999 because of the better directing and execution of the story. The 1999 did somethings better in their part but the first 10 episodes of the 2011 are much more interesting the the first 10 of the 1999.
Again this is my opinion... =[]

Here's the thing about the 1999 version.

Obviously it was at a disadvantage with Hunter x Hunter having far less chapters then.
Madhouse has a serious advantage with that and also if it is true Madhouse has the
advantage of having Togashi himself as a reference.

Now that said, it still does NOT excuse the changes made in the 1999 version.
What the 1999 director should have done is stick to the manga with canon
episodes. Then if it needs filler. Add filler episodes. But don't mix the two.
1999's downfall is mixing filler with canon.

And yes 2011 also mixes filler with canon. But the difference is Madhouse
understands the story (again due to their advantage). So for the most part
filler in the 2011 actually makes a bit more sense. Besides there being far less anyways.


The 1999 version simply assumed too much and then made the story based off what
they THOUGHT HxH was rather than waiting to see what it ACTUALLY was.

Although personally I hate fillers. 1999 HxH would have ended up closer to the story
and better if they just had filler arcs to let Togashi write more. Or better yet...
The 1999 anime should have not even begun until probably 2001.

But of course, 1999 was probably when HxH manga was just starting and they wanted to cash in on that initial popularity. But due to the hiatuses and what not the 1999 anime
ended up well to put it bluntly financially failing. Hence it was cancelled.
Togashi is to blame for this but again, the anime should have waited until later to start.
Also the pacing was inconsistent with the 1999 version. They started off sluggish
but then around Yorknew the pacing practically tripled. I think this led to the 1999 anime's
downfall.

2011 anime is doing the smart thing with two chapters an episode. It gets a good amount of material but it is not too much that it catches up quickly.

 

[Noonealive]

This is my personal experiences with the 1999. When i first got into the series i loved it. I thought no other anime could top it. It may have started off a little slow but that didn't bother me because someone told me is was great and i took their word for it. As i found out it was great. I liked pretty much everything about it, but more often than not, some people that started trying the series out tended to drop it within the first 15 episodes. That got me pretty offended to say the least. They didn't even give one of the best animes's a shot. It never really made sense to me why people would do that, but in the end thats how the cookie crumbles.'

Now with the 2011, I've never really heard any new fan dropping it. The only ones that i know of were the strict 1999 fans... Which makes no sense to me either since it's still telling the story of HxH. The 1999 was suppose to make fans of the HxH series not the other way around, but anyways I appreciate the 2011 because the story and the execution seem to keep the fans coming.

 

[mrsticky005]

This is my personal experiences with the 1999. When i first got into the series i loved it. I thought no other anime could top it. It may have started off a little slow but that didn't bother me because someone told me is was great and i took their word for it. As i found out it was great. I liked pretty much everything about it, but more often than not, some people that started trying the series out tended to drop it within the first 15 episodes. That got me pretty offended to say the least. They didn't even give one of the best animes's a shot. It never really made sense to me why people would do that, but in the end thats how the cookie crumbles.'

Now with the 2011, I've never really heard any new fan dropping it. The only ones that i know of were the strict 1999 fans... Which makes no sense to me either since it's still telling the story of HxH. The 1999 was suppose to make fans of the HxH series not the other way around, but anyways I appreciate the 2011 because the story and the execution seem to keep the fans coming.

For me I watched the 1999 version first. And to be honest it didn't feel much different
from any other run of the mill shonen until Hanzo beat the snot out of Gon. That's when
I started liking HxH because it felt like it had guts. I thought Kurapika was all cool with
the Yorknew Arc and it felt like the series wasn't gonna pull any punches. Then I re-watched it with my brothers and I found heavens arena enjoyable--ok mostly
Gon vs Hisoka. But hell even in the 99 that fight was awesome. Just because of how
little b.s there is compared to many other shonen fight. Yorknew wasn't good the 2nd time
around because it felt like there was too much build up and not much payoff. And Kurapika
wasn't as cool. Then I read the manga but I pretty much scanned through into the Chimera Ant Arc and I thought "Dang. This Gon and Killua is actually a lot cooler than the 99 version of Gon and Killua." Was it just because they were squashing ants? But then actually carefully reading the manga series I noticed that manga Gon is NOT the same as
99 Gon even though on a surface level they may seem similar. Then with the 2011 version
coming out that gave me an excuse to re-read yet again and so I'm seeing all these
nuances present in the manga and better understanding Togashi's direction and then
I see the 1999 version as something else.

 

[chikkychappy]

Re: Hunter X Hunter New Anime Discussion

Honestly, I tried watching the first anime before the remake. The only reason I stopped was because of the pacing (which was understandable, given what little they have to adapt at that time compared to now) and the characterizations (mostly Killua's - haven't watched Yorkshin to see the rumored emo Kurapika) that irked me. Other than that, the episodes I have seen were enjoyable to watch. I'd actually enjoy the OOC moments if I just overlook them and see them as filler.

as you know i'm a 1999 fan, but i won't even bother defending the 1999 series on the first 12 episodes; suffice it to say that half of them are fillers that oftentimes detracted from the story. actually, that's probably 1999's only major weakness: that it started slow. the 2011 series did a better job in hitting the ground running immediately.

what makes the 1999 series great is what happens when it started following the manga at least 80% of the time (which is around the second exam), and the manner it rose to the occassion when the scene called for it. so if you found the first several episodes enjoyable to watch, which are by far the weakest part of 1999, then i think you'd be in for a ride if you ever decide to continue it.

 

[mrsticky005]

Re: Hunter X Hunter New Anime Discussion

as you know i'm a 1999 fan, but i won't even bother defending the 1999 series on the first 12 episodes; suffice it to say that half of them are fillers that oftentimes detracted from the story. actually, that's probably 1999's only major weakness: that it started slow. the 2011 series did a better job in hitting the ground running immediately.

what makes the 1999 series great is what happens when it started following the manga at least 80% of the time (which is around the second exam), and the manner it rose to the occassion when the scene called for it. so if you found the first several episodes enjoyable to watch, which are by far the weakest part of 1999, then i think you'd be in for a ride if you ever decide to continue it.

Quite possibly the biggest disappointment with the 1999 is that it ended before the manga did.
While I still prefer 2011, I would still have liked to see how the 1999 would do stuff like the Chimera Ant arc
if nothing else but for comparison purposes. Truthfully, I sorta feel ripped off and if 2011 doesn't go to
the Chimera Ant arc and beyond I will feel very ripped off again. So you could say that I actually WANT the 2011 to be good.

But do I like it because I want to?

In some sense I would say yes. But yet at the same time, I wanted to like Gon vs Gido part 1...I still got disappointed.

 

[Noonealive]

One other thing i like to point out that The 1999 series in a way separated it's fandom. I still recommend both series to everyone because they're both equally as good in their own right. The thing with some strict 1999 fans is that they come off a little to strong in certain aspects and mostly try to demote the series as a whole. Most come off way to biased and thats the thing about what the 1999 did. It's difference in representing the story really put some beliefs in them to make the believe that 1 is better than the other.The nit picking gets quite annoying. I'm not saying 2011 fans are exempt from this because they nitpick in the context of comparing the series to the manga.I may fall into to that category because i personally like the manga above all else.The strict 1999 fans think that the story should be told this way and not the 2011 way.That mindset sort of makes up to why we debate this topic. If the 1999 fans had an equal appreciation for the 2011 anime as a whole than i wouldn't mind any of what they say, but quite frankly it'll probably never happen until the 2011 passes the GI arc.

 

[MegamanX195]

This is my personal experiences with the 1999. When i first got into the series i loved it. I thought no other anime could top it. It may have started off a little slow but that didn't bother me because someone told me is was great and i took their word for it. As i found out it was great. I liked pretty much everything about it, but more often than not, some people that started trying the series out tended to drop it within the first 15 episodes. That got me pretty offended to say the least. They didn't even give one of the best animes's a shot. It never really made sense to me why people would do that, but in the end thats how the cookie crumbles.'

Now with the 2011, I've never really heard any new fan dropping it. The only ones that i know of were the strict 1999 fans... Which makes no sense to me either since it's still telling the story of HxH. The 1999 was suppose to make fans of the HxH series not the other way around, but anyways I appreciate the 2011 because the story and the execution seem to keep the fans coming.

I greatly identify with what you said. A long time ago, my friend borrowed me some DVDs with HxH episodes, and me and my brother were watching it everytime. We were HOOKED! I told my friend how cool it was (he's a huge anime fan) and he saw some episodes and was all like "lol nope.". I felt really offended by that. I watched all of it and loved it, but couldn't be bothered to read the manga (as in my mind it was the same thing but inferior to the anime, so I thought they would eventually adapt the "new arc")

Fast forward lots of years, I see HxH's first volumes to sell at an anime convention and decide to get them. That was in July 2011. I got volumes 1-5. Man, they were AWESOME! They were, like, a whole new level of epicness. At first, I thought Togashi's drawings were weird (they were different from the anime), but soon I adapted and enjoyed those even more than the anime. It had been a long time since I watched the 99 series, but this was being a treat! I eventually got around and bought them all in a span of 1 year total (because I wasn't able to find them all initially)

As if by a struck of fate, weeks after I got the first volumes I found out about HxH 2011! I immediately got all excited, and looked for info on when it was beginning. My luck was better than I thought: it was up to Episode 2 already! I instantly get those episodes on the internet. At first, I was a bit disappointed that the VAs were different (after all, those voices were iconic). By episode 5-6, the VAs already started to grow on me. A few more episodes later, and I REALLY started to like that anime, but I wasn't sure how well it stood up to the previous series (mostly because of the VAs that I had grown used to). By the time Hisoka punched Gon at the Hunter Exam's Fourth Phase, it was concrete: this series was leagues better than the previous one.

And... I think that's it. After seeing the comparisons, it really is abundantly clear how... wrong, really, the 99 series's characterization is a lot of the time. I really owe the 99 series a lot for introducing me to this wonderful world, but that's all... I don't think I'll be rewatching it. The manga and Madhouse's adaptation are Hunter X Hunter's True Forms.

 

[TheAmericandream]

In conclusion I would like to say that I really enjoyed the 1999 version at the time I watched it. It was a great series in its own right but I doubt I'll ever re-watch it, because I now have the 2011 with new animation, voice actors I've grown fond of and faster pacing. Sorry this was a bit of a messy post and I haven't said pretty much everything I've wanted to say but I'd like to say what I liked and dislike with both series:

1999 Version:
Liked:
Soundtrack, Voice Actors, Character designs(at the time)

Disliked:
Portrayal of Gon, Slow pace, Illumi vs Gon fight filler, Bear fox filler, No Hisoka vs Kastro fight.

2011 series:
Liked:
Animation, Character designs, voice actors, Soundtrack, Fast pace, A more faithful representation of manga (IMO)

Disliked: Placement of soundtrack at times, No Kaito at beginning, The Killua heart scene(although it's understandable) Leorio not opening gate by himself.

That's pretty much it sorry for long post

I basically agree with this. Though I need to see more Yorknew to totally say that. The music directing and soundtrack in 1999 and OVA Yorknew is one of my favorite OST in anime.

I really can't wait till Greed Island or NGL so the comparisons can stop and people just side with whichever version they prefer. Overall I think 2011 is better in the long run (and for marathoning), but theres some bits I'll probably always come back to (Bonus Test filler, Yorknew probably (for the music))

 

[futurefrog]

I'm not gonna get too involved in this as previously when I've had these discussions over at Narutoforums it didnt turn out too well.

I just wanna some up my reasons for why I like 2011 better than 1999 very quickly.

Reasons I dislike 1999:

- Overall completely inconsistent in terms of pacing, plot and characterisation. Major inconsistencies regarding nen (somehow nen has healing ability), plot points (machi watches gon vs hisoka), character development (Gon is one second getting ass kicked by Hanzo next second defeats Illumi with a broken arm, Killua's split personality of doom, Kurapika's out of nowhere emo personality).
- Not at all subtle (Kurapika for some reason constantly kills spiders, we get it, he doesnt like spiders. Hisoka is over the top flamboyant, we get it he gets turned on alot)
- The lack of direction or focus (it seems like Furuhashi had no clue where this was going and as such it feels like the show is going nowhere majority of the time, the direction is incredibly poor and lacks any level of emphasis or attention to detail)
- Really bad show-ruining fillers (Gon vs. Illumi, fox bear, anita)
- Horrible washed out art work, that often overuses darkness in order to mask the fact that it is poorly drawn and animated.
- Not faithful to Togashis manga and not interesting enough on its own merits to warrant not being faithful.
- It is incomplete. (It will never be better than 2011 for this reason alone)

Reasons I like 2011:
- Pacing and characterisation is tight and focused, with clear direction and progress being subtle yet evident.
- Feels like a very affectionate love letter to Hunter x Hunter, I truly feel that Madhouse love Hunter x Hunter the manga and want to do it justice.
- Bright and full of life, embodies one of the major themes of Hunter x Hunter (things arent always as they seem)
- Excellent animation and beautiful artwork.
- It has the advantage of knowing what is to come and as such Madhouse has included subtle foreshadowing of their own as well as little nods to long time fans.
- It is incredibly faithful to the Hunter x Hunter manga despite a few changes, that I can forgive.

Ultimately both adaptations arent perfect, but would rather watch 2011 any day compared to 99 which is sadly a mess.

 

[riniloves]

what I hate about the 99 was this

Spoiler

Spoiler

and everything that made him act like a girl...

the biggest mistake they made... thats why the dubbing studio in my country had to phone Togashi for confirmation...

and off course
the deduction that Mitto has a crush on Ging, Mitto is Gon's mom sister etc...
and the rest of the fillers the series dont need that ruined the 99 version

so that's I think 45% of the hxh 99 I hate...
the remaining percentages... means I still like it... coz, its one of the anime I grew up with...

 

[HiggsBoson]

I love the 99 show. I love the freaking ost; music; dark themes; orgasmic fight scenes/animation. And anything mentioned above.It was one of the greatest things in my life that I layed my eyes and ears upon.

I hate the 2011 version, in that respect, for having inconsistent animation. The artwork is great don't get me wrong but damn the animation flutters scene to scene and episode to episode, and the excessive use of still shots. Mediocre sound selections.

But you know why I like 2011 more??

G**amn characterization.
Finally, they got the characters right!
Finally, we got some solid directions!

No matter how I love the fights and animation in 99. Theres no freakin way that can beat the way 2011 impose the right character impression.


You know what? I would rather have the music and animation of 99 (of course sharper and clearer quality/20th century quality) + faithful characterization of 2011 = Damn perfect adaptation!

 

[Kamen Rider Dragon]

Yeah, I don't agree with that. The 2011 anime has very consistent animations. Characters models are usually always spot on episode to episode. The 99 anime was very inconsistent with so very off model episodes and some atrocious fight scenes like Gon vs Illumi. It did have fight scenes that were fantastic but let's not pretend every episode was fantastically animated. Don't really understand the dark themes thing though.

 

[mrsticky005]

the 2011 anime is by far one of the most CONSISTENTLY well animated anime shows I've seen. Yes, some episodes have better animation than others.
But even at it's worse, you'll still see animation in how characters talk and how they walk. Other shows will seem very static in comparison. Or if they
have fluid animation they'll totally abandon structure. 2011 has very fluid animation but it does not abandon structure so much.

 

[HiggsBoson]

When i watched the 99 version i was but a little tadpole. It has this profound effect on me. So in the animation department, my visual acuity of it may be a liitle hindered or bias. From time to time, I watch my fave ep like the Hanzo fight or Kurapika vs Ubo or Celestial towers. Most of the episodes that had excellent fights.

I do no deny that i hate that Illumi vs Gon fight. Nor the way they make Gon run after his badge in the 4th exam and let Leorio take Ponzus badge after they were reacued by him. The manga and 2011 version made Gon collect Ponzus badge as a rescue fee. And a bunch of stuff i hate. Like I wish Leorio was the one chased by Mike instead of Gon. It kinda takes aways Gons charisma against animals.

Dark themes is usually pertained on the soundtrack.

Keep in my mind this is just me looking the 99 and 2011 version side by side. But in the animation department, comparing the 2011 to other shonen animes or some other animes in general, its pretty damn fantastic. Inconsistent is the word i describe the stillshots and hows some scenes are better than the others, when apparently it should be the other way around.

Again the 2011 is my favorite version. There are just some things i cannot forget with the 99.

 

[Bomber D Rufi]

*Scratches chin* Y'know, a question I've wanted to ask for a while now is this: Is it really necessary to classify one series as 'better' than the other?

If I'm hard pressed to answer the question posed by the original post, it is my firm opinion that the manga is better than both 99 and 11. With that said, I can agree that there are things the 99 version did a lot better. (Music, general atmosphere, and some pretty beastly fights.) And things the 11 version does better (animation, art direction, characterization.) Though we have to keep in mind that Madhouse has a distinct advantage since more of the manga is out for them to play around with, and animation has evolved a bit since 1999. I personally loved some scenes much more in '99 (The very first episode I saw was Franklin mowing down the mob, and the music, the atmosphere, and voice acting were incredible.) While 11 has overall some of the freshest animation I've seen in a shounen. (Shivers went down my spine during 11's Gon VS Hisoka match. The lack of music, the camera angles and everything were perfect.) I love the 2nd OP for the 99 series, and would pay money to reunite WINO to do an updated version 'Taiyou wa Yoru mo kagayaku'. for this series. Not to mention the preview music for 1999's is on my ipod right now. (Think I'll give it a listen after I type this.)

That said, I don't understand why one has to be better than another, or how one is any less of a HXH fan if they prefer 2011 or 1999. Most people who hate the 2011 version made that decision before the show actually began so it makes sense that no matter what it does, it sucks. Meanwhile people who hate the 1999 series didn't actually watch more than the first few (admitably slow) episodes. Once again, Furuhashi had to make do with what he had due to Togashi being on the very first stages of 'Togashi biyou' (Known to all of Japan as Togashi-sickness) though once he got past the hunter exam and beyond the series became a classic. Though I will admit his characterizations left a lot to be desired. Gon became this perfect kid, Killua became a member of Linkin Park, Leorio became a less sophisticated version of Donkey Kong, and lets not forget how the show went from 'Hunter X Hunter' to 'Kurapika: warrior princess' once we got to the yorkshin arc. I'm sorry guys, its well done, but Furuhashi's glaring crush on Kurapika was kind of evident. 2011 is being impartial to no one character and is all the better for it.

So now that Madhouse has gotten over being scared of being censured, I'm enjoying things even more. One thing that Togashi does better than other Shounen mangaka is his complete ambivelence to violence. Without that, it's just not...Togashi. As HXH fans we all know how hiatuses have become a part of the series to the point that we not only know of them, but we expect them. The fact that this time around we have at least an anime and an anime movie on the horizon while the hiatus continues should be something to rejoice. Not to mention whether 2011 is your cup of tea or not, it's doing it's job of bringing new fans into the mix which I believe is a good thing. Who knows, these new fans might check out the 1999 series and find it more entertaining. I dunno. My point is that we have more HXH than ever and I really don't give a shit about whether one series is better than the other. Why does it matter if one likes 1999 or 2011? (For the record I own all of the first TV run, the 3 OVA's and all 28 volumes of Viz's translationsl, so I am not talking out of my ass.) Why does one have to be 'better'? What is 'better' anyway? If you ask 100 people, you'll get 100 different answers. If you hate 2011, fine. If you hate 1999, fine. If you love both, fine. To me as long as HXH is being discussed among fans, that's what matters. So once again, I'll ask my original question. Is there a meaning for classifying one series as 'better' than the other? Saying 'better' is just the entitled words of someone who wants to force their opinion on someone else. 'Better' is subjective, no matter how much one argues about it. My posting this is not to curtail expression and discussion, no...quite the contrary. It's always fun to discuss your opinion....as long as people remember that an opinion is just that.

Two cents and then some. Keep the change.

 

[HiggsBoson]

*Scratches chin* Y'know, a question I've wanted to ask for a while now is this: Is it really necessary to classify one series as 'better' than the other?



So now that Madhouse has gotten over being scared of being censured, I'm enjoying things even more. One thing that Togashi does better than other Shounen mangaka is his complete ambivelence to violence. Without that, it's just not...Togashi. As HXH fans we all know how hiatuses have become a part of the series to the point that we not only know of them, but we expect them. The fact that this time around we have at least an anime and an anime movie on the horizon while the hiatus continues should be something to rejoice. Not to mention whether 2011 is your cup of tea or not, it's doing it's job of bringing new fans into the mix which I believe is a good thing. Who knows, these new fans might check out the 1999 series and find it more entertaining. I dunno. My point is that we have more HXH than ever and I really don't give a shit about whether one series is better than the other. Why does it matter if one likes 1999 or 2011? (For the record I own all of the first TV run, the 3 OVA's and all 28 volumes of Viz's translationsl, so I am not talking out of my ass.) Why does one have to be 'better'? What is 'better' anyway? If you ask 100 people, you'll get 100 different answers. If you hate 2011, fine. If you hate 1999, fine. If you love both, fine. To me as long as HXH is being discussed among fans, that's what matters. So once again, I'll ask my original question. Is there a meaning for classifying one series as 'better' than the other? Saying 'better' is just the entitled words of someone who wants to force their opinion on someone else. 'Better' is subjective, no matter how much one argues about it. My posting this is not to curtail expression and discussion, no...quite the contrary. It's always fun to discuss your opinion....as long as people remember that an opinion is just that.

Two cents and then some. Keep the change.

You win the internet *cries* T_T
Well said. People are getting exposed to HXH old and new. That's all it matters. Sharing the orgasmic story of inspiration.

 

[Bomber D Rufi]

You win the internet *cries* T_T
Well said. People are getting exposed to HXH old and new. That's all it matters. Sharing the orgasmic story of inspiration.

Pretty much. We HXH fans are fortunate. Other manga fans only get one anime that isn't just a continuation. We are part of the elite class that get two anime adaptations and a movie. Why the hell are we flaming each other comparing the two? Watch what you like. Period. 99 has its bright points, 11 has it's bright spots. Both have things that utterly fail. The manga even fails in some aspects. HXH is good but it is not perfection whether it be now, 12 years ago or on paper. I'm just damn happy that it's around when Togashi isn't.

 

[Kamen Rider Dragon]

Pretty much. We HXH fans are fortunate. Other manga fans only get one anime that isn't just a continuation. We are part of the elite class that get two anime adaptations and a movie. Why the hell are we flaming each other comparing the two? Watch what you like. Period. 99 has its bright points, 11 has it's bright spots. Both have things that utterly fail. The manga even fails in some aspects. HXH is good but it is not perfection whether it be now, 12 years ago or on paper. I'm just damn happy that it's around when Togashi isn't.

 

[TheAmericandream]

"HXH is good but it is not perfection whether it be now, 12 years ago or on paper. I'm just damn happy that it's around when Togashi isn't."

YES. This is more important to me then this entire debate at this point.

 

[futurefrog]

Forgot there was a thread for this. Thought I'd share the Hunter x Hunter 99 vs 2011 Anime Say episode. He hits some pretty good points and his overall opinion on this arguement is pretty fair.

http://youtu.be/4UXrKUAkLHw