Hunter X Hunter: The Scrapbook – Open Thread

I’m turning this one over to you…

On the eve of the finale, I thought it would be nice to have a thread for LiA readers to share their favorite memories from three years of Hunter X Hunter.  Be it a favorite episode, favorite scene, a specific moment, a life’s lesson or memory, a link to a screenshot – anything goes, so please share it in the comments.

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43 comments

  1. r

    I don't know if can narrow this down at all.

    The run of episodes starting with Gon's breakdown in 116 all the way through the end of the Chimera Ant arc is probably the most impressive collection of anime episodes I have ever been privileged to watch. Sure, I've seen a comparatively small number of shows, but the craftsmanship and finesse and introspective nature of everything that happened was just incredible.

    And then there was Yorknew…and Chairman Election…bah. Sorry, I fail at picking just one moment.

  2. J

    As I have just reached the halfway point in the series and it's going strong (yea, I know the Chimera Ant arc will last an extremely long time, and that honestly has me a bit apprehensive), I must say that it's a shame this series is ending. This show has skyrocketed to the upper echelon of my list for favorite shows I've seen.

    Just like it happened for me with Yowamushi Pedal, had it not been for your constant blogging about it and the headlines (I haven't read the whole posts in an attempt to not spoil anything) you've written that garnered my attention, I never would have found out that this show is a masterpiece.

    So, thanks to you!

  3. Music to me ears!

  4. D

    Don't be too apprehensive about Chimera Ant. It's long but it's (for the most part) really well-paced, and it's sort of divided into little "mini-arcs" so it doesn't feel as long as it actually is. It's also excellent, and well worth the length. If you're anything like me, you'll end up marathoning large chunks of it over a couple weeks. ^^;

    And hey, I got into HxH and YowaPeda 'cause of this blog, too! *fistbump*

  5. J

    Hah. Yea. I've been marathoning the whole series in large chunks. I think I watched the first arc in one evening, and then it took me a couple days each to finish the other arcs so far. I missed a day or two here and there b/c, you know, having a wife and work.

    I think I started HxH last week at some point. Maybe 10 days ago.

  6. D

    Wow, and I thought 50 eps in 30 days was impressive. You win, though. *Hands her Anime Marathon Medal over to Jared*

    It's crazy how easy it is to binge-watch this series. Honestly the only reason it took me as long as it did was because I was always watching at night and eventually my eyes would get too tired to read subtitles. I knew I listed it as one of my "seven shows to marathon this summer" for a reason.

  7. S

    You know, I was in high school when this series started.
    Now I'm in college, and living on my own. And I've been through a lot of things in the last 3 years, But HxH remained a constant.
    Of course the series had no real influence in my personal life, but when you've been watching a series for so long it somehow becomes parts of who you are…

    I'm feeling nostalgic, haha.

    Anyway, I think my favorite part would be the dodgeball match. It isn't the best scene or the more complex (that would be hard to choose), but it was so much fun, and it made me love the characters.

  8. A

    My favourite moment would be when Killua tries to save Gon and Pitou rips off his arm. It was a different approach from the manga beatifully animated by Tomoko Mori, the sensibility of a key animator nobody has ever talked about, seasoned with the piano version of Hyori Ittai in a white and pitch black dream scene. Pure poetry.

  9. D

    I finally got into this last Christmas during the two-week break between anime seasons (I'm pretty disillusioned about long-running arc-based shounen series, but I trust your opinion, Enzo, so I figured I'd give this one a shot), so the entire series is fairly fresh in my head. Also, totally marathoned the last 50 episodes in the last 30 days so I could be caught up in time for the finale. Totally worth the sleep deprivation!

    Favorite moments, geez… in a series this long it's hard to pick just one. Can I talk about touchstones instead?

    I realized HxH was more than just a fun shounen when the final round of the Hunter Exam rolled around. "Of COURSE, it's a freaking Tournament Arc," I groaned. "We'll be here forever!" (Tournament arcs is usually where shounen lose me, btw.) And then… it was over in 2 episodes. And in about the least expected (and most traumatic) way possible. I loved that, not only because it hinted at some of the underlying depth and darkness of the series, but also because it was my first time getting Togashi'd. (Yes, it's a verb now.)

    That said, it wasn't until York Shin that I truly got invested in the series, partly because I realized it was willing to go to some genuinely difficult, morally ambiguous places, partly because I was really falling in love with the characters (even the "bad guys"), and partly because, well… I've read and watched a lot of fiction and consider myself a pretty good predictor of plot points, but York Shin defied my expectations at every turn. Top moments? First that the emotional climax was arguably Pakunoda sacrificing herself for the sake of the Troupe. And then that wonderfully tense and ultimately hilarious anticlimax between Kurapika and Chrollo and then Chrollo and Hisoka. Never saw it coming but in hindsight it made perfect sense.

    Greed Island was a blast at the end, Bisky was a delight of a character (while I'd love it if there was a larger female presence in HxH, I'll give Togashi full credit for making the ones he does include unique, well-developed, and memorable) and that final fight was just tremendous – and clever. So clever. I love that HxH doesn't always just win fights by out-GARing the opponent: There's strategy involved, and a whole lot of it.

    And while I do have some quibbles with some of the execution along the way, Chimera Ant featured many of the finest episodes of the series. Togashi continued to surprise me not just with the direction the story went, but with how I felt about each of its characters. This was when HxH shift from "greatness" to "brilliance" for me, and even though it didn't always work, the sheer ambition of what Togashi was trying (and usually succeeding) to do left me immensely impressed. As a developing writer, I was definitely taking notes.

    I'm sure it's a common answer, but if I have to pick a very favorite, it's Episode 135. That final scene between Meruem and Komugi was just… perfect. That's all there is to it.

    …Also every scene with Leorio during the Election Arc. Especially when he punched Ging in his stupid face. I think I could watch that in animated gif form on loop for hours. XD

    And oh geez, look at that, I wrote a novel. Sorry! Well, consider it me making up for lost time, since I wasn't able to be a part of the conversation before now. ^^;

  10. Thanks Dee, and touchstones are great – this thread is strictly dealer's choice.

  11. D

    I FORGOT ABOUT IKALGO.

    Some of the smaller stories during the middle of CA didn't really draw me in, but I thought everything with Ikalgo was just wonderful. Something about under-powered characters using a combination of intelligence, courage, and simple human(Ant?) decency even in the midst of gruesome situations really speaks to me. (Must be why I like Leorio so much, too.) In many ways he struck me as the most human of the team, despite being one of its non-human members. And man, Ikalgo and Welfin in the basement was just great.

    Heck. Maybe THAT'S my all-time favorite scene, come to think of it…

  12. D

    Haha, oops. I was writing my Ode to a Squid Addendum while you were posting your message, Enzo. I swear I didn't just randomly decide to start screaming at you about Ikalgo.

  13. J

    Well, by now some may know I'm not such a big fan of HxH because of what I consider big inconsistencies. HxH's illusion of being a masterpiece was broken around Gon&Kil vs Knuckle&Shoot, and since then has had big holes, like sudden power-ups, wishing machines and more.

    Up to that though, oh man, what a series. Perhaps the moment I realized this was a great, great shounen was (ironically) in GI, which may be my favourite arc. As much as I loved Kurapika's dark edgy Edgemaster arc, I still had more room to fill with love for HxH. And that came in that volleyball string of episodes.

    Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh man. Oh man oh man oh man…

    Besides the kickass, kickass music of Emperor's Time playing (for the first time I think) in the TV series, some damn cool action and (finally) Gon's signature move to kick some bootie, perhaps what I found the most amazing was Gon's little speech to Tzetugerrazuzazuza-san:

    "I knew Killua was injured. But I still did it, because only Killua can do it."

    What a great moment. The hints had been there: Killua flinching, Gon noticing…but the viewer was still raving about Gon's mighty fist. It also is a great device to re-insert Kil in the plot: he's always the side-character, and even though that doesn't change very much here, little lines like these make up for it tenfold. Togashi knows this, but he's throwing Kil fans a bone by doing this. It's not just another friendship shounen speech, because he's specifically addressing Killua (and disapproving Biscuit, Hisoka and everyone else for this particular role).

    It's grim, it's touching, it's, to my opinion, the first of many scenes which would show the embodiment of this touching (and somewhat twisted) friendship.

    And as much as I can hate some of the later parts in the story, I still cried like baby when Komugi died, and as much as I think Gon has turned into a horrible, despicable boy, I teared up when I saw him call out to Leorio three weeks ago in the Elections' climax. I also haven't watched the last two eps, so that I can have one last hour-long special of HxH. It'll be memorable. HxH may not be up there in my top lists, but damn that doesn't make it any less enjoyable.

  14. H

    Hunter x Hunter (I pronounce it Hunter, Hunter), like all great shounen, has good to go with the bad. But never have I seen an adaptation play so deftly to the whims and malleability of its creator.

    I remember Hunter Exam for its inability to be judged on the surface, Zoldyck rescue for its brevity and Heaven's Arena for bringing to head the conflict between Gon and Hisoka (and introducing good ol' nen).

    I have less fond memories of Yorknew, because I felt the conflict between Kurapika and the Troupe become increasingly less compelling. Many of the Troupe less so. I also recall Kurapika hacking already sophisticated rules in regards to nen. But its resolution was astoundingly fresh and felt like a re-genesis of what HxH really was.

    G.I had a lot of potential, but ultimately a lot of seemingly important occurrences and details came off trite, especially when expecting the same level of resourcefulness in the writing from previous arcs. My highlight is definitely the surprisingly nifty Bisky and the dodgeball battle, but the way they dealt with the climax left a sour taste.

    Chimera Ant was literally a beast of arc and could have easily been its own show. Sometimes it felt like it. Plenty of interesting and unforgettable new characters popped up, countless standout moments and twists. But unfortunately at times the pacing and nonstop narration played off as plain tedium. Can't deny overall that it was a massive game changer for Gon and the show.

    Election felt like a collection of two halves that finally met in the middle, but Tsubone owned it for me. Alluka, while sweet, was incredibly overpowered and rather convenient. Ging, well, was a let down in all honesty. But I'll hold my final judgement for tomorrow!

    I've had fun in the time I've followed HxH, but I can't say I feel a special attachment to it, certainly nothing on the level as many of you here. I may well rewatch in the future, so perhaps my fondness for this unique and challenging journey grow and mature with time.

  15. m

    I can't really pick a single moment because HxH just delivered on such a big range of emotions… There's the fight at the Heaven's Arena between Hisoka and Gon, even Gon landing his very first attack on Hisoka was such a joy. Then there was the tag team fight with Razor, which was so big a tease and had me smiling my mouth off. Chimera Ant has so many big.moments, Netero x Meruem, Meruem's final moments with Komugi, and of course my Killua x Gon moments – When Killua pleaded with Palm to help him help Gon, and Gon's complete breakdown and subsequent bashing of Pitou. However, if I were to pick one defining moment.. hmm i won't say it's a fav moment but the reunion between Gon and Ging gave me a feeling of completeness. It's what this whole series has been leading up to after all.

  16. From Abiru Takahiko:

    This precious experience will motivate me for my future career. HUNTER×HUNTER is my treasure for now and ever.

  17. w

    Before I chime in, I'd just like to extend a 'thank you' your way, Enzo. I started HxH under a year ago, after I noticed most of your posts on it began with some variant of "Hey guys, this show is pretty good". I don't know if I'd have picked it up if not for that. I ended up watching the first 30 episodes in under a day, which is an obscene amount. It's been a pleasure to watch, and I'll be very sad next week when there's no 'Episode 149' post.

    I think my favourite HxH character will always be Killua. He's just so relatable and human it's so hard not to feel for him. I love Gon too, but those aren't words I could apply to him. Their friendship is without a doubt the most important thing in this series. I also love most of the other characters but a special shout-out goes to Welfin. I could totally see him in a Fawlty Towers style sitcom. Here's hoping there's a road trip spin-off starring him and Hina.

    A few individual moments I loved: The pie fight in episode 54. Knuckle punching Youpi 8(!) times and the debut of lightning form Killua. Gon blowing up his hands fighting Genthru, the moment I began to completely understand his character. Leeorio's fist introducing itself to Gings face. Hisokas infamous crotch shots. Gon and Killua goofing off on Whale Island. Pokkle and Ponzus horrifying fates in Chimera Ant. Every adorable thing Alluka does. Pitou and Kite. Episodes 116 and 136. That one scene that's STILL YOUR BANNER.

    Damn, I'm going to miss this series.

  18. You're welcome. Of all the series I've blogged, the relationship with H x H has been unique. I've lived the experience more directly, somehow.

    And really – how could I change that banner now? Maybe in a year or something…

  19. D

    In a year you'll change it – but you'll change it to some amazing two-page spread from the HxH manga. 😉

    And thank you for bringing up the Hisoka infamous crotch shots, whemleh. How could I forget those! (No. Literally. How could I. They're forever burned into my brain.) In a show full of unique, memorable side characters, Hisoka was in a class all his own, that's for sure.

  20. o

    very good, thanks for you

  21. e

    :,) I suspect a good number of us here wll be a sobbing mess in the next hours. A 3 years long anime journey – and for old manga fans even longer – . I'm a bit lost for words now. So I'll leave
    this little fanart speak for me . What's a scrapbook without pictures after all? ;D

    As we count down the hours to the finale broadcast a hearfelt thank you Enzo for tirelessly blogging and analyzing this series. It was a joy to both watch and read every week.

  22. Beautiful sketch, thank you.

  23. N

    There are so many great and unique elements in this show, but in the end the diamond that shines the brightest is Gon – definitely not your standard shounen protagonist. I first realized that this a unique specimen when he confessed that being in mortal danger got him giddy with excitement. After that is became clear that this kid does not, despite all expectations, go on self righteous rampages when taking down villains. He took them down alright, not with eyes full of judgement but with a kind of non-discriminating acceptance that was borderline disturbing. And finally, when things got good and personal, Gon got scary. Very scary. The kind of desperate rage that pays no heed to the finer points of morality – it was all about achieving salvation, or if failing that, getting even.

  24. J

    I got into Hunter x Hunter around halfway through its run, right when Chimera Ant was starting up (what a time to jump in). I had been telling myself that I didn't really like shounen genre stuff but after seeing here and elsewhere the praises being sung for it, and especially since it was just starting a new arc, I decided it was as good a time as any to give it a shot. It was the summer after I graduated high school and I had a ton of free time… so in the end, I marathoned through up to the current point at the time in three days flat.

    There's something about Hunter x Hunter that just sucks you into its world. The characters are always wonderful, layered and complicated and just plain interesting, and the series is never complacent. All too often shounen devolves into filler-y stuff that doesn't really feel like it matters, and Hunter x Hunter is pretty much the furthest thing from that. (I fangirled to one of my friends going "THINGS ACTUALLY HAPPEN EVERY EPISODE!") I've never completed a series even half as long but honestly the pacing here was probably better than a lot of much shorter series. I loved every minute of it and will miss it dearly.

    One of my favorite things about the series is the way it plays with your expectations. If you would've told me when Chimera Ant started that it was going to end the way it did (and that I was going to be sobbing into my keyboard), I would've thought you were crazy… but what do you know, it sure happened. It's a series that makes it look so easy to make you crazy invested in its plots and characters while it's being really inventive and unpredictable, but I know it's practically a miracle that everything involved with it went so right. I'm just glad it happened.

    I'm going to miss having something that's guaranteed to give me a really solid episode every week going into the next season, but I'm glad it's ending gracefully and it will always have a special place in my heart (and on my list of my favorite anime). Thank you, Hunter x Hunter, for existing, and for reminding us all just how good anime can really be at its best.

    (And thank you for covering it all this time! It was always fun to read your posts because you could really tell how much you loved the series.)

  25. D

    Man, Hunter X Hunter. Can't believe it's ending. Again.

    I've been a fan of this show ever since I watched the first animated version, nearly ten years ago now, in my early anime-watching days. While everyone else I knew was going nuts over Naruto and Bleach, one guy recommended Hunter X Hunter. Supposedly it was pretty good, and I needed a new shonen to watch after having caught up with Naruto anyway. So I started watching it, and kept doing so, even though the animation was kinda crap and the quality of the recording I used even more so. Because something, something caught my eye.

    I suppose the first moment where I became aware that I really quite liked this show came in the early stages of the Hunter Exam. Most specifically, the mindgames that awaited our heroes trying to even get to the Exam. I'm a sucker for the kind of riddles that they came across, I suppose, and I liked how every single one of them had to use their wits and skills to get them out of these situation. As the Hunter exam got more and more complicated, my interest grew and grew. The first attack by Hisoka, the cooking contest, Trick Tower and especially the battle in the jungle. Gon vs. Hisoka, a small boy trying to outwit a powerful psychopath. It was awesome, and I was completely and utterly hooked.

    And those moments just kept coming! Like in the York Shin arc, where Kurapika's search for revenge wasn't heroic in the slightest – and he knew it, deep down. Or how the Spiders (or Phantom Troupe in the new translation) weren't a stereotypical bunch of supervillains, but felt very human despite their evil deeds. The negotations that had to be held with the villains in order to get out alive, and its strangely tragic ending (I always felt bad for Pakunoda, in some way).

    Finally it ended with the Greed Island arc, a fun adventure with a hilarious new mentor. It was also a better 'trapped in a game' anime than most shows that exclusively focused on that (and still is, eat that SAO). After that ended, there was still the manga, in its forever-taking Chimera Ant Arc. Might as well read it, I thought, and I was shocked by how dark it got. It was kind of slow too, especially in the early bits, but then there came the king and Neferpitou. Pitou, who quickly became one of my favourite villains in the entire show, for being such an utterly terrifying monster. And the king, who took quite the unexpected development with the introduction of Komugi. I remember that the first time I read about their gungi-playing exploits, I was so hooked that I kept reading the whole thing till five in the morning. Holy balls that was such good HxH awesomeness, and one of the things that raises this show above your average shonen.

  26. D

    And then there was the second anime, starting in 2010 and ending now. The perfect excuse I needed to watch the show again! Now with awesome animation (I had a great time with my friend in comparing the first and second anime in that regard) and different haircolours! The nostalgic purist in me missed the filler from the first one (because it fit so perfectly I didn't even realise it was filler) and I was kinda miffed by the messy first episode (introduce Kaito properly, you fools!) but it soon became just as good as the original. Once again I was taken through the wonderful world of Hunter X Hunter, with two extra arcs this time. It was still just as fun as I remembered. But all things must come to an end, and it feels almost unreal there'll be no new HxH waiting for me every week. Guess we'll have to wait for another remake, in ten years or so. Hah…

    In the end, Hunter X Hunter is my absolute favourite shonen series of all time. Hell, it's one of my favourite series, period. The adventure, the variety, the characters, the writing in general, the world they live in, the subversions of common tropes, its depth. I love it all. It's a show that's basically near perfect, as far as I'm concerned, and it in itself is one of the reasons I'm glad I ever got into anime in the first place.

    Hunter X Hunter, I salute you!

    Also I wrote so much it wouldn't let me publish it, hah.

  27. A

    It × Was × Perfect

  28. S

    Heh GE,

    I used to comment a lot (under the name Kranyte I think) here on your blog, especially on the Hunter posts.. back .. well way back in the like the 40 episodes range. And, man, while real life got in the way in terms of not being able to comment as much I do love how you brought Hunter posts to RC. I clearly remember you being hesitant about doing so and believing it wouldn't work out there. And, look where that initial prediction of yours ended! 😛

    Anywho, as for favorite episode, I simply can't decide. I simply loved the manga, like the 99 series, but man, I loved the 2011 series just as much if not more. By being practically unfaillingly faithful to the manga and making small adjustments to enhance the original material, I have to saw Madhouse made all the right calls and decisions in handling the source.

    As for Hunter x Hunter itself, I'm sorely going to miss having my every Tuesday anime watch that I look forward to. After the last 3 years of basically watching it every Tuesday its going to be very odd come next week and not have any Hunter around 🙁

    While we still have the manga, the hiatii (plural of hiatus is?? lol) makes it saddening that the DC arc is taking so long to finally reach well, the DC. Though with those reports of Togashi's back problems, I fully understand. Back injuries are no joke. I even ruptured two disks a year ago.. took something like 8 or so months to fully recover/heal.. So, hopefully if he needs the rest to heal up again he takes it.. just hope he doesn't take too long… :S

    Anywho, while it is sad that I was once one of the earlier posters who consistently posted on your Hunter blogs way back, I guess its fitting that I leave something here 😛

    So, fear not GE, we still have the manga to look forward to and the potential future of the continuation of the series! 🙂

    Thanks for blogging Hunter these last few years, its been a blast! 🙂

  29. I remember you – welcome back! Yes, I was hesitant about RC. And frankly, it was via RC that I was spoiled several times… And I still get various anti-Togashi "lazy" "Dragon Quest" comments over there… And it took a good while before the series really started to generate much in the way of hit counts and comments. But it has settled in nicely.

  30. A

    I understand many of the complainants about this series but in my mind (to borrow Enzo's words) it's singular. I could go through every classic work of fiction and find plot holes, missed details, red herrings, but it still wouldn't diminish my respect for the overall work. Citizen Kane's plot makes no sense when you consider no one could hear Kane's last words, but the movie and script are remarkable regardless.

    I want humans in my fiction, people I can identify as human beings… not that I want to identify with the characters, but rather I want the characters to be able to speak to common themes of humanity. The Phantom Troupe may be murderous thieves willing to callously slaughter a clan of people, but they're undeniably human.

    The complaints others have typically require expectations or desires of stories that I don't necessarily share. It's not that I consider "HxH" perfect, I don't know if any work can be 'perfect' or how to define a 'perfect' work… but rather, that it forces the type of introspection that I respect and admire in fiction. It does so better than any anime I can recall watching and many other works of fiction as well. The themes in HxH are so on the nose and yet fundamental to the progression of the plot, they're woven into each and every moment. The question about "who do you save" back in episode 2 is a question to both Gon and the audience, important because Gon never considered it, and important because we should consider it. That's episode 2!

    Mereum acknowledging that not understanding his own mind is in every way fundamental to the central conflicts of the Ant Arc but plainly written a challenge to each and every individual's understanding of themselves. It's a call for introspection.

    This doesn't require breaking the forth wall. Togashi managed to give himself a character who is through a astoundingly clear chain of plot events is grasping the concept of individuality itself.
    That's hard. That's very hard. He does it in arc after arc, where even a casual viewing forces you to confront real issues with difficult answers. All the while maintaining a relentless optimism surrounding the human spirit that otherwise would make HxH seem exclusively cynical.

    It's sad to see such a beautiful adaptation come to a close, but at the very least, waiting for the manga has become somewhat part of the HxH ethos. It'd be interesting to see what new theories come out as we slowly wait the release of more material. I'm patient, the 2011 series was a treat, but my love of the series has gone back a lot further than that. I can wait a very long time.

    I am going to miss the buzz each Tuesday. It's been fun.

  31. R

    Ah, I'm going to miss this show and your weekly HxH post, Enzo. Both have always been my Wednesday hilight for this past 1 year.
    I can't comment much (you and everybody here have expressed it better than I would), so I just going to give my tribute to this series and this blog with this humble fanart. Hope you like it. 🙂

  32. Awesome! A bit like the endcard itself.

  33. F

    One of the big moment I remember is after Gon defeated the bomber. He is alone in the dark with an arm blown up and screams an «ossu!». I believe its in that same episode that we see Gon let its arm get destroyed by the bomber as a strategy to land a punch on him. Among the most intense HxH episode up to that point, it left me very uneasy.

    Also, I never read manga but with the anime finished I guess I am starting to read one of them tonight!

  34. H

    Too infectious, couldn't help myself. He's a fun guy to draw!

  35. S

    An experience that stand out to me is how this horrific ant king who's responsible for the slaughter of thousands, ( with some losses that still hurt), and this snivelling blind girl who turned her back to the MCs and at every point resisted their help, their cause to save the rest of the world, somehow found redemption in my heart and also shared the most beautiful and touching moment; their final moment.

    Masterfully written. Who the hell would write such a plot? who would execute it, and how great of a performance would be required to make it justice, and make it believable?

    Still, that's not the best thing Togashi did here. The most glorious and best of feelings was to watch Gon, Killua and the others on their adventures and detours. No single event was better than that. And I would need more than 400 chapters to describe that feeling.

  36. R

    Reading your episode reviews! 😀

    In all seriousness, I'm only half joking. I finished the manga before the anime even started, so it was really fun (and sometimes a little painful when you were so openly expecting certain events I knew wouldn't happen) reading through your run of the series.

    I think the part that I remember most clearly was around the second episode when you commented that you weren't sure if you were going to keep watching. I almost wanted to shout "NO YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S COMING KEEP GOING" in the comments XD. But luckily the next episode did that for me and so the journey continued.

    Its like watching a movie with a friend but you've already seen it. The most fun comes out of watching there reactions to the big plot twists and developments. Plus it helps that you catch a lot more of the references than I do.

    I guess all in all what I'm trying to say is that HxH was a fun run the first time through on my own, but it was a fantastic run the second time through with your commentary. So a big thanks for taking us through the whole series 😀

    (PS: As an avid gamer, Greed Island was my favorite, hands down)

  37. V

    Are you going to review chapter 340-349?

  38. If I had a dollar for every time I've been asked that…

    Yes, soon. As a group, not individually.

  39. N

    This might be a good time to say something about Yuyu Hakusho, which I don't believe I've seen referenced very often (or at all) in Enzo's posts or in the comments. Yuyu Hakusho was amongst the first anime shows I've watched as an adult, and definitely the first long running shounen. It had a critical role in my development as an anime enthusiastic, but when I tried re-watching it about 2 years back (and that was before I picked up Hunter) it sorta fell flat. Not that it doesn't have its quirks and merits, but it's as straightforward a shounen as they come, and by then I've seen it so many times that my 'sophisticated' palate felt bored and unimpressed.
    And then there's Hunter, that kinda looks like YYH (Gon is basically a younger Yusuke with spiky hair, complete with a green jacket) and it sometimes feel like YYH (with mirror situations and similar themes), but it's everything YYH is not – so much so that it sometimes seemed as if Togashi would go over his old YYH tankobons just so that he could take Hunter in completely the other direction.
    I guess the only way to write the greatest anti-shounen was to first write a great shounen.
    Keeping YYH in the back of my mind while watching Hunter added yet another layer of complexity and enjoyment to what was already complex and enjoyable by its own right.

  40. T

    I needed a space to talk about HunterxHunter since I finished it a few days ago. Here goes nothing:
    I started this series with literally not much expectations considering shounen anime has long since been ruined for me. So under the insistence of a friend (and you) I checked this out and was very surprised how none of the characters and arcs ever went where I thought it would go.

    First there is Gon who seems like the typical shounen protagonist whom we gradually get to see he is actually very smart and deadly on the battlefield and willing to go through extreme lengths in order to do what he believes is right without being self-righteous. If anything Knuckle is the kind of character I'm used to seeing in this genre, but even he was horrified at Gon behavior and how calculating he can be to the point he can be seen as morally ambiguous.

    Then there is Killua who comes from a family of assassins and has seen far too much death for a kid his age. Even though he was a character who would instantly kill anyone in the beginning of the series there was still a part of him that wanted to change and get out of that darkness. Killua character development from a cold blooded killer to someone who feels compassion and love for his friends and (certain) family members was a real treat to watch. I'm tempted to say that for me this was a journey for Killua path into the light while Gon entered into the dark path in the Chimera ant arc.

  41. T

    Watching Kurapika lose his soul for the sake of revenge was truly heartbreaking and seeing him efficiently in a darker place towards the end of the anime was downright sad. His friends need to do an intervention on him.

    Leorio. I initially did not like his character because I'm not a fan of big mouths like him but damn was he the character I was surprised to love in the end. Truly his finest hours were towards the end of HunterxHunter when he stayed by Gon's side in the hospital, punched Ging in the face, and received Gon with a BIG bear hug after he woke up from his coma. Now that is love.

    I was really surprised that the Chimera ant arc really explored the complexity of the human conditions which can be both wonderful and destructive. The way meruem was ultimately taken out really spoke highly to the dangerous things we are capable as human beings.

    Ging. He was (to an extent still is) an enigma to the HunterxHunter universe. I can definitely see that he is a very smart man and powerful to say the least, but its clear that he also has made a lot of enemies over the years. That being said my heart is with the Hunter Association in that he has been a terrible father to Gon. Yeah I know he very much set up Gon's journey and obstacles for him to get stronger but that does not change that he shoved his responsibilities as a parent onto others while he continuously avoided Gon for years.

    However I would be lying if I said I wasn't amused at seeing Ging so flustered and nervous when he reunited with Gon while Gon was more concerned apologizing for not being able to save kaitou. After reading ahead in the manga after I finished the anime its refreshing to know that Gon can bring out that awkwardness in Ging that even surprises most of the people he knows.

    Its think its safe to say the best way to sum up Ging and Gon is that Gon lights up an entire room while Ging pisses off an entire room. LoL I definitely hope to see them interact more with each other more in the future.

    If there are any characters that NEED A BREAK its Gon and Killua especially after what they went through in the Chimera Ant arc and Election Arc. Unlike most comments I have seen surrounding the Dark Continent arc I'm very happy that the focus is mainly on Ging and the other adults in this universe because we get to see how much more darker and complex this world is.

    This is also the perfect opportunity for Gon to examine his flaws which were the main reasons why he almost threw his life away when he was fighting pitou so that next time he won't just throw either his limbs or life away when shit get real again. Its also a great opportunity for him to find a new goal to pursue. (I'm not worried about his nen he will get it back somehow)

    As for Killua this is a great chance for him to finally figure out what goals he wants for himself and how can he achieve that as a Hunter.

    Overall I'm so happy I watched this series and now I'm waiting for more to come. Thanks Enzo for providing this space to talk about HunterxHunter. Please do a pod cast someday on it ^_^

  42. Thank you for the post. That possibility is one I've been toying with for a while, though there are logistical challenges there.

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