This ‘Hunter x Hunter’ Concept Art Gives Cast One Realistic Makeover

Hunter x Hunter isn’t a series anime fans should be sleeping on. While its show may have be finished awhile back, Yoshihiro Togashi has kept its action-packed manga alive all this time (despite some hiatuses). Now, fans can get a look at one concept artist’s take on the series, and it will make you see Gon and the gang in a new light.

Over on Art Station, artist Michael Chang tried his hand at Hunter x Hunter and garnered some viral reactions for his efforts. The piece, which can be found below, shows off an array of characters from Togashi’s iconic series.

Of course, Gon Freecs can be found front and center in the sketch. This concept artwork forces the hero to ditch his childish look and take on a more realistic aesthetic. Gon’s hair looks downright gelled as it defies gravity in this drawing, and his uniform gets some much-wanted details which the anime never had time to go into.

The rest of Gon’s main squad is centered in the sketch as you look upwards. Kurapika is right above Gon to the left, and he is shown with his ornate Chain of Death armory. Leorio Paradinight is just above the younger blond hunter, and he looks pretty snazzy in his sleek suit. And, of course, Killua also gets his spotlight. The white-haired hunter looks more than a bit intimidating in his side profile.

As you look over the sketch, Hunter x Hunter fans can count dozens of the franchise’s most popular hunters. All of the members of the Phantom Troupe are penned with Chrollo taking up the most space. Even Hisoka gets a large swatch on the artist’s canvas, and Illumi Zoldyck manages to tone down their terrifying eyes under Chang’s hand. So, that is a definite plus. Of course, not every character could fit in the collage, but fans will have to forgive the artist for that. After all, Togashi does have a lot of characters up in his head.

For those unfamiliar with Hunter x Hunter, the series was originally created by Yoshihiro Togashi. The story follows a young boy named Gon Freecss, who discovers that his previously thought to be dead father is in fact alive. Not only is he alive, he is a famous Hunter, a professional traveler who specializes in finding rare treasures, exploring unidentified lands, and hunting down dangerous individuals. Gon then decides that in order to meet his father he has to become a licensed Hunter, but in that journey gets wrapped up in way more strangeness than he ever could have anticipated.

The series first ran in Shuiesha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in March 1998. Unforunately, the series has gone on a number of hiatuses ever since 2006 which were most likely incurred by bouts of illness Togashi experienced when publishing his last work, Yu Yu Hakusho. The series has run for 360 chapters, and been collected into 47 volumes as of 2017. It’s one of Shueisha’s most successful selling series with over 66 million copies sold in Japan.

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