By Yoshihiro Togashi
Viz, 210 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Ever since its American arrival in April, 2005, Hunter x Hunter (just pronounced “Hunter Hunter”) has been one of my favorite series. Yoshihiro Togashi has been able to cleverly mix classic shonen elements with awesome artwork in Hunter x Hunter, breathing new life into the genre.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the series, it follows the tale of a young boy named Gon Freecs who, much like his father, wants to be a Hunter. A Hunter is a special type of mercenary who pursues treasure, special creatures, etc. The series begins with Gon studying to become a Hunter, meeting his best friends Killua, Kurapika and Leorio, as well as his rival, the creepy clown Hisoka, in the process. All five pass the exam and move on pursuing their individual career goals: Kurapika searches for his family’s murderers, Leorio trains in medicine, and Gon begins to search for his father, with Killua tagging along. Throughout their adventures, the gang challenges a group of thieves, and participates in a real life-or-death video game called “Greed Island”, made by Gon’s Dad (solely with the purpose of training his son). So far, the series has been pretty strong, giving all of the characters (major and minor) a chance to shine.

Volume 23 picks up in the latest story arc, the Chimera Ant. Gon and Killua find themselves on an island nation call NGL (Neo Green Life) where a swarm of giant ants has taken over. To make matters worse, these ants take on the appearance and abilities of what they eat. Worse still, their King was just born–and he’s hungry! So to save the world from being devoured, Gon and Killua team up with another group of Hunters to take down the King and his colony of Ants. Though it sounds interesting and offers Togashi plenty of good content to work with, it ends up being the weakest story arc of the series so far. The beauty of Hunter x Hunter’s story arcs is that they are long enough to be meaningful but short enough to be exciting. Sadly, the Chimera Ant arc breaks this chain, stumbling on and on without any sign of an end. It separates Gon and Killua from Kurapika and Leorio, introducing some other characters who are just pale imitations of the former friends.

Throughout Hunter x Hunter, we witness events through the eyes of kids, as Gon and Killua are both 12. They are constantly learning about the world around them and about themselves, but the Chimera Ant saga throws them into the situation as adults. It seems to others that they are masters of their craft and no longer have anything to learn. It’s upsetting that Togashi decided to portray them in a more adult way, as it was fun (and, frankly, necessary to the story) to see things from a kid’s perspective.

Despite its writing flaws, Hunter x Hunter is still one of the best-drawn manga out there. Togashi brilliantly adds detail upon detail to his heroes and villains alike. Volume 23 especially really showcases what he can do, as Gon and Killua deal with the Chimera Ants, including a team of fish twins with a deadly dartboard. I have enjoyed the visual aspect of the series more than the writing, which has never been his strong suit. (Togashi also wrote and drew Yuyu Hakusho.) Hopefully, he can pick up the slack of the Chimera Ant Saga and get Gon and Killua back on their feet.

Volume twenty-three of Hunter x Hunter is available now.