It shouldn’t be controversial to say that there will never be another <em>Dragon Ball</em>. Despite the series’ tremendous influence on the anime and manga industry, Akira Toriyama’s most famous work is so uniquely itself that nothing else really carries the same feeling or tone.

Despite this, a handful of acclaimed series do carry wisps of what makes Dragon Ball so beloved. One Piece holds the same adventurous spirit as Dragon Ball, while Naruto’s emphasis on self-improvement through martial arts also feels right at home next to the legendary fights of Dragon Ball Z.

One anime and manga series, however, carries a bit more of Dragon Ball’s spirit than its contemporaries. Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter has much of what made Dragon Ball so special, which is why it’s so tragic that the series’ biggest anime adaptation will never be finished.

Hunter x Hunter is the One Anime and Manga Series That Comes Closest To Matching Dragon Ball

Beginning in 1998 as a manga created by Togashi, and later adapted into a 2011 anime by Studio Madhouse, Hunter x Hunter is a wild series about a young boy named Gon who is on a quest to become a hunter in order to find his dad. Far from the typical hunters fans know in the real world, Hunter x Hunter’s version of the profession could more accurately be called a seeker. This is where the series gets its title from, as Gon is hunting a hunter.

Alongside his friends Kurapika, Leorio, and Killua, Gon goes on a quest across the world to develop his burgeoning nen abilities in order to impress his dad when they finally do meet.

Right out of the gate, Hunter x Hunter is a lot more focused than Dragon Ball. While Goku and his companions typically find their motivation on an arc-by-arc basis, Gon’s team members each have overarching goals that they’re always working toward.

Still, despite the characters having much more concrete motivations, there is a free-wheeling nature to the story arcs that makes Hunter x Hunter feel right at home next to Dragon Ball’s loose story structure. One story arc is a tournament arc, another is an epic assault against a powerful enemy. Hunter x Hunter even had an entire isekai arc.

Additionally, Hunter x Hunter’s world-building also feels similar to that found in Dragon Ball. Strange creatures lurk around every corner, making the series feel more similar to Dragon Ball’s beginning than many other shonen, which often took more inspiration from the later part.

This means that Hunter x Hunter, more than most shonen made in Dragon Ball’s wake, truly captures the “anything can happen” nature of Akira Toriyama’s famous series.

Unfortunately, Hunter x Hunter’s Big Anime Adaptation Remains Tragically Incomplete

Though Hunter x Hunter’s anime adaptation was beloved, it remains incomplete. The anime ran from 2011 to 2014 and adapted a good portion of the manga but didn’t go all the way. Hunter x Hunter’s manga has suffered numerous delays due to series creator Yoshihiro Togashi’s health, resulting in the manga being a work in progress.

Unfortunately, as beloved as Hunter x Hunter is, it’s unlikely that the anime will return anytime soon. While Madhouse could adapt much of what has been released since the anime ended in 2014, the material since then doesn’t have a natural stopping point, meaning it might make anything released feel even more incomplete.

Still, for fans willing to dive into something knowing it doesn’t have a definitive ending, nothing matches <em>Dragon Ball's energy quite like <em>Hunter x Hunter.

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  From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.