Hunter x Hunter: Original Video Animation

HUNTER×HUNTER Original Video Animation

8.3(71,139)

MAL Score

Ranked #307

Popularity #1936

Action
Adventure
Fantasy
Super Power
Urban Fantasy

Episodes: 8
Duration: 23 min per ep
Aired: Jan 17, 2002 to Apr 17, 2002
Status: Finished Airing

Synopsis

After reuniting with Gon and the others, Kurapika lays out the dangerous burden tied to his powers. With his revenge seemingly at a dead end, he turns his focus toward recovering the stolen eyes of his fallen comrade—until a sudden message reveals the Spiders are still alive.

Faced with the renewed threat, Gon, Kurapika, and their companions debate their next move and ultimately set out to pursue the one Spider whose ability could mean Kurapika’s defeat—and his death. Based on the manga by Yoshihiro Togashi.

Otaku Consensus

Hunter x Hunter: Original Video Animation is widely received as a strong continuation of the 1999 TV series, valued for preserving Nippon Animation’s darker atmosphere while giving Kurapika’s material the focused, morally tense treatment fans wanted. Its best-regarded qualities are its compact adaptation of unresolved threads, its emphasis on Nen restrictions as drama, and the unusual choice to let a supporting lead carry the emotional center; the main criticism is that the back half feels less sharp to detractors, with pacing that can seem stretched after the opening episodes.

Why You Should Watch

Watch this if you want Hunter x Hunter at its most urban, anxious, and character-driven: less tournament escalation, more underworld pressure, tactical power systems, and emotional consequences. It scratches the same itch as the darker stretches of Yu Yu Hakusho or Fullmetal Alchemist when the story narrows around personal codes, revenge, and the cost of specialized abilities. Viewers who prefer the 1999 adaptation’s shadowier tone over the cleaner 2011 Madhouse remake will find this OVA especially valuable, because it continues that specific visual and dramatic language instead of rebooting it. It is also ideal for fans who felt the TV ending left too much Kurapika material suspended; in eight episodes, it turns lingering questions into the engine of the drama without feeling like a disposable side story.

Key Characters

G
Gon Freecss(VA: Junko Takeuchi)
Gon remains the emotional baseline of the group, but this OVA is notable because his usual protagonist gravity gives way to Kurapika’s darker momentum.
K
Kurapika(VA: Yuki Kaida)
Kurapika is the standout figure here, compelling because his intelligence, grief, and self-imposed limits make his power feel like a contract rather than a gift.
L
Leorio Paladiknight(VA: Hozumi Gouda)
Leorio functions as the series’ most human counterweight, grounding the group’s extreme choices with blunt concern and practical loyalty.
K
Killua Zoldyck(VA: Kanako Mitsuhashi)
Killua’s appeal comes from how calmly he reads danger, giving the OVA a tactical edge whenever the group’s emotions threaten to outrun their judgment.

What Makes It Stand Out

1
This is an 8-episode OVA from Nippon Animation that directly follows the 62-episode 1999 Hunter x Hunter TV series, making it part of the pre-Madhouse continuity rather than a remake-era companion piece.
2
The OVA’s structure shifts attention away from Gon and toward Kurapika, a choice repeatedly singled out by fans as giving the arc a darker, more adult crime-drama flavor.
3
Its drama leans heavily on Nen restrictions and conditions, turning the power system into a source of suspense rather than just a catalog of abilities.
4
The release occupies a specific franchise niche: it aired from January 17 to April 17, 2002, between the original TV run and the later early-2000s OVA material associated with Greed Island.
5
Its MAL profile shows a strong dedicated-viewer reputation: an 8.32 score from 71,018 votes and a #306 ranking despite a much lower popularity placement of #1934.

Fun Facts & Trivia

Fun fact 1: The OVA was released over a three-month window in 2002, with 8 episodes airing from January 17 to April 17.
Fun fact 2: It belongs to the Nippon Animation version of Hunter x Hunter, not the 2011 Madhouse remake, which is why fans often discuss it in terms of the 1999 adaptation’s darker atmosphere.
Fun fact 3: User reviews repeatedly frame it as the first OVA continuation that answers lingering questions from the original 62-episode series rather than as an optional bonus chapter.
Fun fact 4: Online comparison discussions note that the franchise has two major anime adaptations, and this OVA is one reason the 1999 continuity remains a separate point of interest for fans.
Fun fact 5: The credited main Japanese cast includes Junko Takeuchi as Gon, Yuki Kaida as Kurapika, Hozumi Gouda as Leorio, and Kanako Mitsuhashi as Killua.