Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on January 2013

There are many manga franchises in Japan that have been going strong on the printed page for years and Hunter x Hunter is one of them. Now in its 15th year, this saga is serialized in the leading boys’ comic Shonen Jump and has moved 60 million (!) copies to date. Author Yoshihiro Togashi has a wealth of ideas and for this, the first film to spring from the story, he has used an unpublished story he wrote ten years ago. In the film, a content and self-contained tribe of people known as the Kluta lives peacefully in a lush and stunning forest until a group of thugs invades the town and kills everyone except a boy, Klapika. Apparently the bandits’ objective was the eyes of the Kluta, which turn rouge when they are excited—a color considered one of the seven most exquisite hues in their world. Will they get Klapika’s eyes? Can he exact revenge? While the artistic style is a bit basic, almost reminiscent of the ’70s, the work has an energy to it which will please anime fans. (96 min)