Hunter x Hunter (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 1

by Yoshihiro Togashi

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Comics, Graphic Novels

560 pages, Paperback

Published February 18, 2025

About the author

Yoshihiro Togashi (冨樫義博) is a manga artist. Credited in Chinese translations as Fu Jian Yi Bo.

He began drawing manga at an early age; while he attended college, the publisher Shueisha recognized his talent. Togashi has authored numerous manga series in different genres during the past three decades. He is perhaps best known for writing and illustrating the YuYu Hakusho and Hunter × Hunter series, both of which have been published in the popular Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. Togashi is married to Naoko Takeuchi, the author of Sailor Moon.

Reviews

[Katie Jae · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite animes. Kills me that the story leaves off on a cliffhanger but only means I need to pick up the next volume. Killua and Hisoka were always my favorites so it’s been fun getting reintroduced to their characters.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last year, we lost Akira Toriyama, whose creation Dragon Ball remains the most influential Shonen manga of all time, paving the way for the Big Three of manga: Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece. Given that the number of volumes spawned out of these titles, Viz Media has published the 3-in-1 paperback editions for all of them. And now Viz is giving the 3-in-1 treatment to Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter, which has been ongoing since 1998.

Please click here for my full review.

[Ken Yuen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty fun. Just how I remember from the anime in the early 2000s

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and VIZ Media for access to the eARC!

Hunter X Hunter is one of my favourite animes and I have been waiting for the 3-in-1 editions before getting into the manga, so I'm very excited to have been able to read this!

The characters are incredible and so well fleshed out --- they all have their strengths and weaknesses with pasts that have shaped their desire to take the Hunter test. Even in these first three volumes, there are enough interactions and situations to get a solid feel for everyone, even before any major character arcs.

The action sequences are well laid out and I had no trouble following along with any of the fight scenes. The tests themselves are also wonderfully unique and I love seeing how they end up solving each problem they face.

This is an incredible story and I cannot wait to read the next installment!

[Michelle Graf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media for the ARC.

The 3-in-1 edition is great for anyone looking to dive into the series, me included. It is one of the classic shounen series, it's easy to root for the naive and kind Gon on his journey to become a Hunter and find his father. His companions are fun and reliable despite their flaws. The character designs for everyone is great, so many cosplay options here. Also, Togashi's notes between volumes about Naoko Takeuchi's help was very sweet to see in hindsight; she's the creator of Sailor Moon, and they are married now, essentially the power couple of anime and manga, and this was close to the start of their relationship.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This three-volume collection is a great way to dive into the Hunter x Hunter manga! As someone who has watched both the 1999 and 2011 versions of the anime multiple times, it’s fascinating to see how the story was originally conceived. The artwork, choreography, and characters are fantastic so far. I can’t wait to get my hands on future collections—it’s a great value for what you get!

[Natasja]

One of my favorite anime series. Want to read the manga in this format or digital hmmm… idk yet.

[Scott Beckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love hxh literally peak fiction

[Jorge Pinto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite awesome!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hunter x hunter is one of those classic adventure, action stories that will be popular for a long time. 3-in-1s are great space and budget savers for libraries. The story is a little ridiculous, but that's just how shonen fans like it! We start off with a pretty big cast at the beginning of the Hunter's Licensing Exam, but as the tests become more difficult and outlandish, the cast whittles itself down to some prime players. By the time readers get invested in characters, there are some strong contenders for finishing the exam and potentially getting a hunter's license out of all of that.

[Christopher Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Special Thanks To Viz Media and NetGalley for the ARC.

We’re going to cover one of the most iconic Shonen Manga in the history of Manga, Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter.

After hearing tales of his dad as a Hunter, a young country boy named Gon prepares to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a legendary Hunter. He embarks on a journey across the sea to take the Hunter Exams. After he finally finds the elusive Exam Hall, the other Hunter hopefuls prove deadly serious, and the tests are wild and wicked. Will Gon’s plucky spirit and courageous heart be enough to carry him closer to his dream?

Once again, Viz Media re-releasing a new collected edition that benefits not only Hunter x Hunter fans but new readers and fans of Manga. This collected edition starts new fans in the right direction when it comes to Shonen manga, not to mention having something to read while the later portion of the series is on hiatus. With it being an older Shonen title, it does show its age in terms of its story and artwork (which will be covered further in the review).

This collected edition sets up the premise of the story perfectly, though if you are approaching the manga after you watch the anime, keep in mind that things are a tad different from the anime. For example, we see that Gon learned about his dad’s time as a Hunter from Kite, this was shown later in the anime. But aside from that, it sets up what you need to know about the importance of Hunters in the story, introducing the key characters and finally what it takes to be one. Speaking of the story, it still has a way of mystifying the reader, introducing terrifying creatures, and enemies that fans love to hate (I’m looking at you Hisoka!)

As for the artwork, this collected edition includes unique illustrations from each volume, including an illustration of Sailor Moon that he drew for Naoko Takeuchi, who helped him with his color pages in the earlier stages of Hunter x Hunter. The way Gon is drawn reminds me of Osamu Tezuka‘s Astro Boy, a certain innocence to him, and the knowledge of what tragedy he will face in future volumes. Togashi’s eye for detail in character design and creature design (whether it’s humorous or in a serious tone) is remarkable, this is the case for Gon’s pals, Leorio, Kurapika, and Killua, who showed quite well that looks can be deceiving. In certain scenes, the moments filled with action are drawn well, and in certain situations, there are hints of comedic humor involved to keep the story enticing and the reader’s attention from straying away, but how can you not be interested in the Hunter Exam? We have fights with shape-shifting creatures, a fierce game of takeaway, and a cooking challenge, all collected in three volumes.

[Will Dorrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A manga about becoming a vaunted `hunter', a superhuman hero character.

This is the first proper manga I've ever really tried and it was a lot of fun. A lot of pretty imagery, fun characters, and cool puzzles, even if the amazing-ness of everyone feels completely unrelatable.

Good for a complete escape.

[Bob Marcacci · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit long in the middle. Much of the onomatopoeia used to describe actions that could have been shown through images, which made me dislike the artistic effort somewhat. I could have done with less setup as a couple of the trials felt labored. I am curious about the next volume, however, which, I’m guessing, should show the heroes earning their stripes as Hunters…

[Alicia Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg this is peak! I love it so much already and I’m gonna have to try stop my self from buying all the volumes 😅

4.5 ⭐️

[Al Capwned · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another shonen manga that I underestimated. Thought it'll be like more of the same but it was quite thrilling.

[Tristan Damen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great. Unlike some of the classics I’d been reading, you’re not spending an entire volume on 1 fight.