Hunter x Hunter: Greed Island

HUNTER×HUNTER Greed Island

8.2(93,445)

MAL Score

Ranked #488

Popularity #1534

Action
Adventure
Fantasy
Super Power

Episodes: 8
Duration: 23 min per ep
Aired: Feb 5, 2003 to Apr 16, 2003
Status: Finished Airing

Synopsis

Following the clash with the Spiders, Gon and Killua press on with their search for Ging and set their sights once more on the elusive game “Greed Island.” Instead of trying to buy their way in, Gon proposes a different route: offering to clear the game on behalf of the wealthy owner who possesses it.

Before they can take on the challenge, both boys need more training—their abilities are still developing, and “Greed Island” is anything but safe. Known for its deadly stakes, the game demands far more than skill to survive. Based on the manga by Togashi Yoshihiro.

Otaku Consensus

Hunter x Hunter: Greed Island earns its strong 8.19 MAL score by turning a risky mix of training arc and rule-heavy game exposition into a lean, character-focused OVA, with Nippon Animation’s brighter presentation and the series’ improving music giving the 1999 continuity a refreshed feel. The verdict from fans and critics is positive but not unanimous: its craft and adaptation value are respected, while the most persistent complaint is that its pacing and game structure can feel less urgent, and less electrifying, than Yorknew or the arcs that follow.

Why You Should Watch

Watch Hunter x Hunter: Greed Island if you want battle-shonen strategy without tournament padding, and RPG mechanics without the escapist wish-fulfillment of Sword Art Online. This OVA is for viewers who like seeing power systems taught, tested, and gamified: the pleasure is in watching Gon and Killua refine Nen under pressure rather than simply unlock bigger attacks. It also scratches a different itch than Yorknew’s crime-thriller tension, trading noir heaviness for a cleaner adventure rhythm that many fans call the series’ most relaxed and underrated stretch. For 2011-only viewers, the 2003 OVA is especially interesting as a comparison piece: familiar material, but filtered through Nippon Animation’s older continuity, nostalgic voice cast, lighter palette, and a soundtrack fans specifically remember.

Key Characters

G
Gon Freecss(VA: Junko Takeuchi)
Gon remains compelling here because his optimism is treated less as innocence than as a combat variable, forcing the OVA to measure enthusiasm against discipline.
K
Killua Zoldyck(VA: Kanako Mitsuhashi)
Killua’s appeal comes from how sharply the arc contrasts his assassin instincts with the teamwork and restraint demanded by advanced Nen training.
B
Biscuit Krueger(VA: Chieko Higuchi)
Biscuit gives Greed Island its most distinctive energy: a mentor figure fans remember for making training feel tactical, comedic, and uncomfortably exacting at once.

What Makes It Stand Out

1
This is an 8-episode Nippon Animation OVA, not a TV cour, which gives the Greed Island material a compact structure compared with the longer 2011 adaptation’s placement inside a continuous series.
2
The arc is built around two difficult anime tasks, training and exposition, and contemporary fan criticism often singles out that structure as either its smartest choice or its main source of drag.
3
Viewers of the 1999 continuity frequently note a visual shift here: the animation looks cleaner than earlier material, while the lighter color scheme gives the game-world segments a different texture from Yorknew’s darker mood.
4
The music is one of the OVA’s most consistently praised elements, with THEM Anime Reviews noting the franchise’s steady musical improvement and fans specifically remembering the opening theme’s reprise near the end of episode 8.
5
Greed Island has a distinctive reputation inside Hunter x Hunter discourse: it is commonly called chill and underrated by fans, yet also labeled a low point by detractors who find the game mechanics less gripping than the surrounding arcs.

Fun Facts & Trivia

Fun fact 1: Hunter x Hunter: Greed Island aired from February 5, 2003 to April 16, 2003, making it a short direct-to-video continuation released across just over two months.
Fun fact 2: It is the second of three Hunter x Hunter OVA productions in the older anime continuity, positioned after the original TV series rather than produced as a standalone reboot.
Fun fact 3: The OVA adapts material from Yoshihiro Togashi’s manga, but fan reviews of this version often compare it directly against the 2011 anime because many later viewers encountered Greed Island there first.
Fun fact 4: On MyAnimeList, the OVA holds an 8.19 score from 93,252 votes, with a rank of #465 and popularity of #1530, reflecting a well-liked but comparatively niche entry within the larger franchise.
Fun fact 5: The main Japanese cast listed for this OVA includes Junko Takeuchi as Gon, Kanako Mitsuhashi as Killua, and Chieko Higuchi as Biscuit, marking Biscuit as a central presence in this installment rather than a background mentor.