Gon and his friends have passed the first two stages of the grueling Hunter Exam, but the worst phases of the exam are still to come in volume two of Viz media's Hunter X Hunter series. Gon and co. must still escape the trials in Trick Tower, fierce sea storms, a mad free-for-all on an isolated island and an all-out fighting tournament to prove that they deserve the title of "Hunter."
This popular Shonen Jump series has everything that fans love about shonen: overcoming impossible odds, friends-turned-rivals, well-timed humor and, of course, loads of heart-pounding action. Fans of Yoshihiro Togashi's other popular anime series, YuYu Hakusho, will have no problem getting into Hunter X Hunter. The two shows follow many of the same shonen stereotypes, but while YuYu Hakusho feels more original and fast-paced, Hunter X Hunter can occasionally feel painfully drawn out and more than a little cliche. There are certain moments where the characters and plots seem like they came directly out of an episode of Naruto (even though both series have stolen from other shonen), but much of the time this isn't a bad thing. Between the occasionally boring scenes and the action sequences, supporting characters are given the opportunity to develop and build bonds with one another that become tested as the series goes on. Emotions run high throughout the Exam, which ups the stakes and involves viewers in the lives of the characters.
In Trick Tower, Gon and the others must choose whether or not to fight one another while racing against the clock. After barely making it through, the Hunter candidates must pull together to battle fierce storms as they head toward the next phase. Once on the island for the next phase, everyone is forced to work on their own to survive. And finally, after some rest, the remaining candidates are forced to fight one another tournament-style for the title of Hunter.
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