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“Hunter X Hunter: Phantom Rouge”
Movies that are outside the canon of a beloved TV usually have an uphill struggle to win over the fans before the first frame ever rolls. I think there are a number of reasons for this, starting with the fact that a simple line of reasoning is, “If it was good enough to be in the original series, it would have been in the original series.” There’s a reflexive revulsion against anything that has a whiff of “filler” to it that poisons the well before a lot of people take a drink, and in truth the track record of side-story movies of long-running shounen classics isn’t exactly a stellar one.
I prefer to take each one of these as it comes, and there are some contrary currents with Phantom Rouge. In the first place, Togashi-sensei himself wrote the scenario – if there were any doubt in your mind about that, he kills three kids in the first scene just to make sure you know it’s him. And it’s clear very early on that this is a Togashi work – the themes he loves from the manga are dominant in the film, if in a slightly different form than we’re used to. I saw the movie in a theatre when it came out and wrote a short review at the time – in short, I liked it a lot – and it turns out that I was able to follow along well enough to guess most of the major plot points accurately. The biggest uncertainty I had was Phantom Rouge’s place in the series timeline, but with subs it’s very clear – this is between “York Shin” and “Greed Island”. In fact, it could even be said that Togashi uses it to fill in some gaps in the series’ backstory (and what will later become backstory, once later arcs run their course).
Here’s the hard truth: Togashi-sensei is a writer who scripts almost exclusively in long arcs, with astonishingly detailed plots and subtle character progression. With a movie like this you’re talking about effectively four episodes of anime, which would place it as considerably shorter than the “Zoldyck Family” arc, the shortest true arc in H x H – and Phantom Rouge is telling a much bigger story. As such it obviously feels rushed by Togashi’s standard, and the character drama by necessity plays out in broader terms. In some respects I suppose the movie could be said to have a more traditionally shounen feel than the series, but there are still elements that are so uniquely Hunter X Hunter that you never feel as if you’re watching an imitation. This may not be the best album in the catalogue, but it sure as hell isn’t a cover band. Phantom Rouge is very good – it’s just not as good as an 18+ episode arc in the TV series.
There are many different things happening in the film, which does take on an epic feel that belies its short length (about 95 minutes, with credits). When I originally saw Phantom Rouge I thought (based on the advertising) that this was effectively Kurapika’s story, with the others as supporting players. Well, in fact while it’s Kurapika’s past that directly triggers the events that drive the plot, this is very much Gon and Killua’s movie in terms of screen time. In fact it’s Killua who has most of the big character moments in the film, and there are strong echoes of what we’ll see from him in the “Chimera Ant” arc later on. It seems as if Togashi took this opportunity to flesh out some of the more important elements of his character arc in a way he never had time to in the TV series, and Killua’s fans should be happy with the results.
I think the best part of Phantom Rouge, though, is – perhaps not coincidentally – the part that Togashi turned into a one-shot manga “Kurapika’s Memories”. It tells the story of Kurapika’s childhood with the Kurta, and his best friend Pairo (Umika Kawashima, who had me absolutely convinced she was actually a boy and not an adult actress). This is the part of the story that resonates most deeply in terms of emotion, a tragedy that refuses to stop being a tragedy, even after almost all of the players are dead. In the “fleshing out” of backstory process this is an example of how it should be done: the events match with the canon seamlessly, and they make perfect sense emotionally. If there’s a revelation here, it’s that Kurapika was not a sweet and gentle soul who was pushed to hate by what happened to his tribe. He was kind, certainly, and fiercely loyal to his friend. But he was also, even then, prone to rage and recklessness. The beast that we saw in “York Shin” was one that Kurapika always had inside him, waiting for the right trigger to awaken.
The plot that drives the movie’s present timeline is somewhat more conventional, though it does do a good job of allowing most of the cast to shine in a somewhat different light than we’re used to seeing them. There’s a man named Omakage (Fujiki Naohito) a Nen Specialist who fancies himself a “Divine Puppeteer”. He also sports a spider tattoo (#4) on his palm, which is effectively the nexus of the entire plot. There’s also a girl named Retz (Hirano Aya) who’s a bit of a puppeteer herself, and goes around pretending to be a boy while she performs her act. As for the main cast, Kurapika has been severely wounded while chasing down rumors of a member of the Kurta tribe being alive, and Leorio has called in Gon and Killua to provide assistance in helping to recover something very important that’s been stolen – Kurapika’s eyes.
In the first place, it’s awfully nice seeing the big four together again – it’s been a long time since that’s happened. But once again, one of the interesting elements of Phantom Rouge is seeing familiar characters in somewhat unfamiliar situations. Gon and Killua’s scenes with Retz are especially interesting, because we’ve never really seen them interact with a girl their own age before. Some of the best (and funniest) moments in the film come from watching Killua’s reactions to seeing Gon with Retz – and he’s transparently jealous even before he accidentally cops a feel and discovers “he’s” a girl. Killua and Gon’s relationship is the spine of the film, naturally, because it’s the spine of the series – but I think it’s meaningfully advanced here in ways the manga and TV series didn’t advance it. There’s a darker side to the degree to which Killua is dependent on Gon to provide meaning in his life, and Phantom Rouge certainly casts light on it very effectively, though ultimately their friendship is the positive energy that powers the engine of Hunter X Hunter.
Hisoka and the Phantom Troupe are here, too – even the dead members. That comes about as a result of Omokage’s ability to make a puppet out of anyone he sees, which was his reason for joining the Troupe in the first place. Hisoka is Hisoka – he’s creepy, hilarious, snarky and a badass of ridiculous proportions. That he should end up coming to the aid of first Kurapika and then the boys is hardly surprising – he’s been very consistent in his view that they’re “unripe fruit”, and he’s not going to let anyone else pick them. It’s a bit more of a jolt to see the other Spiders do so, though, even if their reasoning makes perfect sense in the context of the plot. If there’s a Spider who stands out in the movie, it’s definitely Nobunaga. He was always one of the more interesting members of the Troupe for me – the one who was hardest to classify as an outright villain. Nobunaga is deeply loyal, has a personal code of honor (such as it is; it does allow him to kill innocents) and clearly has a sense of affection for Gon and Killua that’s not hard to spot in Phantom Rouge.
There’s a kind of gleeful fantasy element in Phantom Rouge, where we get to see some dream battles take place at last – Nobu vs. Uvogin, Killua vs. Illumi, Hisoka vs. Chrollo. They’re all faux battles of course, but nevertheless provide a bit of a thrill. It’s Illumi and Killua who provide much of the drama in the second half of the movie, as we see that even in puppet form Illumi is still in Killua’s head. Much of what’s playing out in the “Chimera Ant” arc now is “foreshadowed” here, as we get a taste of how Illumi has bent Killua’s psyche in plainer and more direct form than we ever did in the series itself. There’s a familiar pattern here – Killua sees himself as not good enough to be Gon’s friend, and it’s Gon’s unbending belief in him that gets Kil through the worst moments and allows him to struggle forward. In the end, though, even as everyone else can point to the dream they’re chasing, it’s hollow for Killua because he knows he has no positive ambition on his own. His life is driven by a fear of what he is and what he might become, and the only forward ambition he has is defined by Gon. Kil’s deep desire to be a friend worthy of Gon is a powerful dramatic element, but the larger problem is never faced directly – only deferred. Until Killua defines himself by his own dreams and neither by his fears or his quest to stay by Gon’s side, he’ll always be incomplete and at risk of succumbing to the darkness inside him.
In the end, Killua is willing to make a sacrifice for someone besides Gon – for Kurapika, though it seems fruitless in that Kurapika’s hands are already dirtied. Still, this is the essence of Killua – to walk the dark path because he’s already in his mind a defiled person. One suspects that Killua would benefit from the opportunity that Omokage had, to see the world through Gon’s eyes – and it’s a bright and beautiful place. But as Leorio says, those things belong to ourselves and our own hearts, and it should probably stay that way. The ending is a bittersweet one, but ultimately affirms the friendship not just of Gon and Killua, but of all four members of the core group that we began this journey with. We even get a brief look-in on some faces that aren’t a part of the story yet – Bisky, Kaitou, and even Ging himself. This affirms the sense that Phantom Rouge isn’t an outlier, but rather a previously missing piece of the puzzle that slides neatly into place. When there’s only one piece of the puzzle left there’s not much challenge in finding its place, true, but the piece still fits – and Phantom Rouge makes Hunter X Hunter a more complete picture.
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ED Sequence: “REASON” by Yuzu
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Gary Cochran
August 3, 2013 at 4:51 pmI really enjoyed this movie. Was a fun watch. Two things I did not like were seeing Leorio so weak and useless. I realize he has not done much in this series fight wise (to date) but I don't get how he passed the Hunter's Exam when he does not seem even remotely in the same league as the other 3 boys. His one contribution to the movie was providing some 1st aid.
Also it stretched the belief in these powers that at a glance this puppeteer could understand Illumi so well as to even be able to imitate and draw forth everything Illumi and Killua discussed as kids to try and break Killua.
elianthos80
August 3, 2013 at 6:29 pm@Gary: but going by Hisoka's exlanation of the Puppeteers' powers that's exactly the extent of Omokage's ability.
As for Leorio while he's really underpowered compared to his friends – and to the rest of the cast puppets included – the impression I got from the anime is rather that the others are really the cream of the crop in terms of Nen and/or Hunter abilities ;p (Killua and Gon's talent was a one in a million event in Wing's words for instance, remember?) hence unless you're a true monster in skills and talent you're not gonna be able to do much ;p.
Yet he still managed to do something, survived the fight with minimal injuries and chimed in with a few words of wisdom and morale of the tale right after the climax. Not too shabby imho.
Simone
August 3, 2013 at 9:56 pmWhat I can say is, seeing Leorio in this movie made me think of Yamcha. That is all.
admin
August 4, 2013 at 12:15 amWing said one in 10 million, actually…
I think it's fairly clear that the other three carried Leorio to passage in the Hunter exam – no way he would have made it otherwise. He had his moments, but I think it was more supposed to represent an act of friendship for the sake of friendship that any aspect of Leorio's strength.
elianthos80
August 4, 2013 at 1:25 amAck! Slap me with a pizza*. As if my comments here had not been more typos-ridden than usual too.
*thin crust please. I don't wish to die yet :,). Btw, 'tirare una pizza' it's an actual slang for bestowing a mighty slap on someone.
I seem to remember Hisoka gave Leorio his oh-so-personal seal of approval during the Hunter Exam as well – as the still-in-droves candidates wandered in the misty plans – : "You pass" just after knocking him out and carrying him on his shoulder too. Probably a whim done more in a unripe fruits package deal perspective than due to the knife wielding lad's BroPower per se, but still :,D…
ishruns
August 3, 2013 at 5:18 pmThanks for posting. It was a good film and better than the infinite and infinitely pointless Naruto/One Piece/Bleach movies (DC and Gintama aren't though as one is just another crime mystery while the other never had a set story to begin with). Personally I feel that the themes of PR would be better after Greed Island and before Chimera Ant as Killua faces the question of how meaningful his friendship with Gon is more in CA. Unlike the more childish themes of friendship overcoming all in the usual shounen series, HxH makes it more than the usual 'because we're friends' and 'I have no right to be your friend'. Those words still exist but they're dealt with in a far more mature and ultimately fulfilling manner.
I didn't realize all the pseudo battles that we'd love to see in the anime we're in the movie. I doubt we'll ever get them in any case. I can still remember Hisoka's epic face at the end of Yorknew when he prepares to fight Chrollo but is told that Chrollo has no nen to fight with.
GE, I remember you saying that Gon gets a girlfriend kind of in your original post, but I don't think so. Besides some blushing on Retz side, there was nothing going on, not even a date. That creepy lady has more robust romance with Gon in that case.
ishruns
August 3, 2013 at 7:30 pmOh and they ended the movie with my favourite song from HxH, that was nice too.
l3reezer
August 3, 2013 at 10:28 pmA number of One Piece movies are actually really great anime movie-watching experiences. I think its movie franchise deserves credit for its three endeavors of original/filler movies (the conventional formula of which they did great with two movies in my opinion), re-animated arcs condensed in movie form (an unarguably questionable choice given the time restraint but treat for fans who wants to see their favorite arcs, or just fights in said arcs, justified with proper art and animation quality), and movies that are still considered filler but actually written by the mangaka as to add a touch of story-telling familiarity (this has proved to be completely successful with fans financially as the two movies One Piece Film Z and Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods have dominated other anime movie sales and provided Toei Animation with an all-time record high revenue and profit in their first quarter for this fiscal year.
Simone
August 3, 2013 at 10:37 pmThe "Baron Omatsuri" One Piece movie is especially good – has an unusual graphic style and a truly original (and rather dark) plot. Probably my absolute favourite "movie of the anime series". "Strong World" was conventional but very amusing and well done. I still haven't seen "Film Z".
dirty water imp
August 4, 2013 at 1:20 amAgreed. Baron was the best of the group. Had that nice fevered dream quality.
justinnm
August 3, 2013 at 6:56 pmAs much as I love HxH, I hated this movie. Or at the very least, I'll wipe its memory from my brain haha. And believe me, I gave it a chance.
Up to the first 40 minutes, it was pretty nice. Gon&Kil meeting new people and new adventurez, Hisoka being Hisoka, and giving fight scenes not as much importance as the plot and script – very HxH if you ask me.
But oh man, then it started going way too deep into the filler characters, and with it, so many plotholes. Retz and Omokage didn't look like they were real people (even these superhuman dolls should be like us humans, mind you) saying completely ridiculous, if not generic, lines.
I told myself "Okay, just end it already. Show me the Kurapika vs. Villain finale with the Emperor Time ost track". Of course that happened, but it was far from movie-worthy. Dammit, even the song couldn't make it worthwhile. Actually, all those fights, except Uvogin's, just looked bad and, worst of all, didn't make any sense. Gon&Kil defeating Illumi like that? Kurapika defeating Pairo blind without a single problem? And what the crap is Leorio doing there anyway?
I guess with this movie I hoped for a mini YS-esque story. The movie promoted itself being about Kurapika and the Black Spiders, after all. What were some things that made YS so good? That Togashi understood the characters and power levels, and didn't resolve everything with one big fight. Take Leorio, for example: he was very useful in YS, like when he tried to rescue Gon&Kil in that hotel, because all the bad guys thought he was just a common Joe. And he was, but he used it to his advantage. In this movie though, he's fighting alongside his 3 pals with a knife, like an equal? Kurapika "having used too much Nen" after defeating Omokage? C'mon, Togashi!
As if the facepalming moments weren't enough, they gave us dem cameos at the end. Chrollo and Gon's Dad was okay – they were at least mentioned and related to the events in the story. But then Biscuit, and Kite? WTH XD ?!
Having said that, it is very hard to write a movie for a show like this. With so many characters fans want to see and so many goals that must be met, it's a very difficult task to accomplish.
justinnm
August 3, 2013 at 7:05 pmAnd maybe I'm late to the party, but has anyone seen the Yoshiura's Time of Eve film? Now that's a good movie! Seeing how I didn't find anything related to that in your blog, I'm guessing you didn't watch it Enzo? Do yourself a favor and go do it!
Simone
August 3, 2013 at 9:52 pmI agree fully – the movie was bad, and as generic shonen as possible. It was pure fanservice, beginning to end – an empty set up for supposed "dream fights", which were ultimately won by the Powerup of Friendship (in the case of Gon & Killua vs. Illumi, at least). There was also an insane amount of time wasted on butting in the same old concept – Illumi brainwashing Killua into believing he can't have any friends. Doesn't help that the same character arc is the focus of the main series at this time as well, which doubly shows the inadequacy of the movie by comparison. And Retz was a melodramatic character if there ever was one. She basically filled in the same role as every pitiable original character from every anime movie ever: become inexplicably the bestest of friends with our heroes in ten minutes' time, and then dying for no discernible reason in the end to add to the drama. I would have understood if Omokage's nen and puppets had disappeared with him. But if they were persistent, why did she have to stay and die? There was no sensible reason for it except that, well, she was not canon, so she had to. I've read fanfiction better than this.
justinnm
August 3, 2013 at 11:09 pmYeah, I really hate it when shounen movies just sell themselves to kids (dream fights, same stuff from the TV show). I mean, any kid who likes HxH will downright worship this movie because Yeah; but the "older" audience is always Bslapped with stuff like this.
Thankfully, there are some cool shounen movies every now and then, but it's pretty sad that people have to lower their expectations so much to be able to enjoy it 🙁
Simone
August 3, 2013 at 11:19 pmWell, kids…? My brother is 14 and he found it as boring and nondescript as I did – and he's not even a huge Hunter X Hunter fan (meaning he couldn't notice the out of character moments or the other plot holes, like Kurapika being able to use Chain Jail on a technically non spider because it's his signature move and shut up, or Judgement Chain being stopped midair). How young do you need to be to appreciate HXH (with all its heart-ripping, skull-biting, ant cannibalism, etc.) and this movie as well?
justinnm
August 4, 2013 at 12:19 am🙁 Damn, then I guess that's all the more reason to say this movie appealed to very, very few people.
admin
August 4, 2013 at 12:42 amExcept that it did quite well at the Japanese box office and got generally favorable reviews when it was released. There tends to be an echo-chamber effect among English-language anime fans but things are a bit more diverse in reality.
Simone
August 4, 2013 at 9:59 amThe Alchemists vs. Nazis movie (aka FMA: The Conqueror of Shamballa) even won prizes, and it was absolute crap from my point of view. It seems to me that what is valued in these works is emotional impact and drama: but to me, these two things are non existent if there isn't a believable and solid story to back them up. If I can't suspend my disbelief, I can't get emotionally involved either, and this was the case with Phantom Rouge (also it was very boring as nothing remotely clever or interesting happened, they just searched a big mountain with a big hole and then punched some guys hard enough to defeat them, the end. Also, what's with Gon being strong enough to punch through a wall but NOT to tear his sleeve to shreds without great pain and effort?).
elianthos80
August 3, 2013 at 7:31 pmThe flash chibi animation gets me every time. HNNNG chibi HxH gadgets in this style where :Q___.
In terms of visuals this felt a bit different form the regular episodes… the charades the faces especially – shape placements and size of the eyes was a bit 'off' compared to what we're used to see – . I wonder if this was (also) to convey at first sight this is a (sort of) non-canon addiction.
Background art was stil quite nice though. I really liked how they basically cloned Piazza del Campo in Sienna as the set for Killua Gon and Retz's first meeting. Tangentially I had to giggle at the transition from Kil's shocked 'Retzu are you a woman?' to a dish full of… sausage! But hey I got it maybe. It was all foreboding for the locations and buildings we see once the trio leaves the Sienna-like town… those looked very German-Austrian in comparison :D.
—
Damn Hisoka I was literally pumping my fist in the air when you appeared. I'm just a bit disappointed you liked your lips one time too many. One schwing is worth a thousands licks my darling :,). Other than that you were your fantabulously creepy awesome self. Dressed in teal to boot. All my stars spades diamonds and clubs to you. Pinky chuuu <3
—
Onto the SRS BSNSS character and plot part: it does bring up some interesting and entertaining bits but as a whole it lacks some of the quality the regular series packs, down to the dialogue. Usually with Togashi you can have umpredictability and/or delivery and/or execution keeping the attention and involvement high, here I found the plot twists a tad too predictable – no kidding the moment Rtzu uttered the dolls and soul and eys bit I thoguht she was a puppet herself , Gon's reaction soon after while staring into her eyes sealed the deal. Then she got her girly makeover in Lolitaesque style a-la- Bisky but with a strong doll/Rozen maiden flavour… Bingo! –
Time constraints or not Omokage's motives felt lacking somehow, a bit generic. He still came out as an insane egomaniac abusive older brother a**hole enough though :p, even if Illumi beats him by a mile.
About the nuances of Kil and Gon's relationship I partially disagree with you Enzo. To me the undercurrents are already quite hidden in plain sight in the TV series. Well, might just be my Killua goggles are quite powerful hence every inference is magnified, ohoh.
Gon the saviour and healer be it of damsels (with bridal carry on top! he's a natural 8,D ) or Zoldyck in distress is always a heartwarming delight to witness, as well as the return of greatly missed Kura and Leo.
The one detail I'm left puzzling about concerning the dolls: for them to function and move they need to have eyes, while the eyeballs' original owner is either dead or alive, but still with emptied sockets basically . How could 'Illumi' and puppet copies of members move and fight against their matching *alive and eyes-equipped* PT counterpart then?
ChesireBae
August 4, 2013 at 12:08 amWhile it isn't totally canon, Kurapika's backstory definitely is.
This was definitely a work of Togashi's in some form because the most recent chapters in the manga are essentially the flashback of Kurapika's childhood. It would seem he forced himself to get those chapters done to lay the groundwork for the movie.
That aside, I'd say it's painfully obvious that this isn't canon.
A lot of the themes and tactics are clearly recycled from earlier ones, and none of the new aspects are very well developed.
Example: If the phantom puppets were authentic, there's no way Hisoka would have won when Illumi's doll was tossing Gon and Killua around like ragdolls.
There's also a discrepancy in the boys' nen-knowledge. How do they know how to use Ryu to block Uvogin's punch?
They don't learn that until they meet Biscuit. They should be dead.
That's irrefutable evidence that this story doesn't fit into the canon timeline.
I chalk this up as your typical anime's movie-adaption:
It's not perfect but it was a good experience with plenty of fan service of the classic traits of the series, but it's best to pretend it never happened when you're reading/watching the source material.
admin
August 4, 2013 at 12:21 amIt seems to me that of all the series I follow, H x H fans are the most resistant to anything new, much less different. The 2011 series was met with enormous derision and hostility from a lot of fans of the old show, and it took months and months after it became obvious that it was both loyal and a superb adaptation before many admitted that it wasn't a travesty. So in that context, a lot of negativity towards Phantom Rouge is inevitable. It's just a movie, and it's not manga canon. What chance did it possibly have?
justinnm
August 4, 2013 at 4:03 amIt at least had the chance of providing some good action and well-thought-out scenarios – AND IT FAILED
Haha, but if what you said above was true, about it doing good profit in japanese theaters, all the more power to them. HxH movies are better than no HxH movies at all!
Simone
August 4, 2013 at 10:05 amYes, that was mostly what I went into it expecting. They could have gone for original villains with original nen abilities, and come up with some clever battle. That would have been enough for 'filler' content. I just feel like most of these original TV writers in Japan are one whole level below any respectable mangaka. They seem to write not only without awareness of the details in the work they are expanding, but without understanding of how to break the rules in a way which provides enough show or awesomeness to get them to be forgiven. I mean, yeah, this probably did well because it's what the public is used to. But when One Piece did Strong World it used a similar formula but pulled it much better – with good action and animation and an excellent feel of the 'spirit' of the original work – and it's not like that one bombed. It feels like there's some kind of truce at work – let's all keep the quality of writing low, so the fans won't get anything to compare their movies to.
admin
August 4, 2013 at 11:01 amAgain, Togashi wrote the scenario and created the major characters.
Simone
August 4, 2013 at 2:02 pmGuess there's Togashi writing seriously, and Togashi just scribbling a few ideas on a napkin while eating lunch and calling it a day.
dirty water imp
August 4, 2013 at 4:04 amI think most movies are less dense and compact than the series they come from. Movies like this tend not to need that atom by atom natural progression and those broad strokes work since these movies are naturally self-referential. There's not much reason for world building and organic character development when it's easier and more sensible just to riff off an already standing platform. Movies within the catalogue of a series are more of a greatest hits compilation performed on tour rather than being an album themselves. The best anime movie related to a series was the first Ghost in the Shell. That was a concept album that hasn't been equaled. Phantom Rouge feels a good deal like Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. In a similar way, everything else was par for the course. Everyone hit their marks. The right or wrong people died and we're prepped to go back to the series itself.
l3reezer
August 4, 2013 at 9:08 amIf not for anything else, this movie is a godsend for its recycled soundtrack that greatly contributed to the excitement I felt during the Greed Island arc as well as the unyielding horror of the current Chimera Ant arc.
Kamen Rider Kekkaishi
August 7, 2013 at 12:40 amI think it was an okay movie. The fight scenes were clearly limited by how much Gon and Killua could do. But at least it wasn't total filler. If anything I was glad to another adventure with our four leads. There is not enough of that. It was also interesting seeing Gon and Killua hang out and react to a girl their age. Since the Hunter x Hunter world is 80% men.
And while the plot is Togashi I think the most credit (or blame depending on your opinion) was Shoji Yonemura who wrote the screenplay
MegamanX195
August 11, 2013 at 2:10 pmThe movie was… fun, but nowhere near the main series. Specially when everyything in the series is just so neat and well built, this movie is full of plot-holes, from beginning to end. Gon and Killua should have been squashed by Ubo, by Illumi, Pairo got a lot stronger for seemingly no reason… all of that can be hand-waved by "but they're puppets!", but it's a weak reason, in light of the fact that the movie implies they're close to the real deal (and Ubo certainly shows it destroying the hotel).
Also, on Ubo, his Big Bang Impact suddenly turned into an Emission attack, instead of an Enhancement attack. Same mistake 1999 series did on Gon's Rock against Genthru.
Omokage's "conditions" were extremely weak for such a powerful Nen ability.
Killua's depression was WAY too over-the-top in this. Retsu wasn't the first friend Gon's had. Killua should have been going insane over Gon/Kaito's relationship if Killua was like that, even more so in the manga where Gon had bonded with Kaito from the beginning. Even going about killing himself, it would have been more believable if he turned back to killing instead of doing that. The latter half of Killua's struggle was mostly weakly-written because of its first half. C'mon, Killua pushing a complete stranger based on no less than 30 seconds of interaction? It felt like 1999 series filler Emo Killua all over again.
The final fight was full of weak writing too. Gon and Killua focusing their aura while jumping to call Omokage's attention, in particular, was awful. Every single one of Franklin's bullets is extremely powerful, they're not like regular bullets. Gon and Killua being able to defend a few by doing what they did was doubtful, but a whole lot of them? Again "but they're puppets!". Still weak writing.
And finally, Togashi didn't write the plot as was previously marketed, he simply wrote the Pairo chapters.
On your comments about the usual fans being unable to accept change, I loved the 2011 series from the beginning, so my Phantom Rouge opinion has nothing to do with that.
As I said, it's fun, but it's not really Hunter X Hunter-y. It's more like generic action shonen, which I still enjoy, but it's nowhere near the epicness that is Hunter X Hunter.
Islam Ihab
November 8, 2013 at 5:21 amThe timing of the whole movie is wrong. You say that the movie toke place between "York Shine" and Greed Island," I believe, is somewhat wrong and right. After the screening for the game it toke them about 1 or maybe 2 days at most to make the journey to the mansion where they started the game then, and that gives no time to actually go there and back, and no time for Kura to go and find the information that fast and to contact Leo to come help after he left off to medical school. but that is also weird because this is when the story fits because right after going out of greed island they went to Kite and had a lot more power when then they had here. And also this is the only logical time they have for the movie between "York Shine" and Greed Island," so something must be totally wrong about either the movie or the tv series.