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I’m not patient or fastidious enough to regularly track who the animation directors for specific episodes of Hunter X Hunter are, but I’m assuming they brought out one of the big guns – Mori Tomoko or Abiru Takahiro, maybe – for this one, and likely next week’s episode as well. Since it moved from Sunday mornings to late-nights roughly 28 episodes ago (my God, how time flies) there has (inevitably) been a bit of a drop-off in the overall visual presentation, but Madhouse has managed to avoid making it particularly noticeable. And without relying on bad CGI too – they’ve been a bit more judicious with the Sasuga animation and substituted creativity where they had to, and saved the ammo for when they really needed it. Like now.
14 weeks may seem like a long time for a callback, but in Hunter X Hunter terms it’s the blink of an eye. That’s how long ago we were witness to Netero’s “Path of Gratitude” (one of the final glorious showcases for Nagai Ichirou), and that path was leading directly to the final scene of this episode. In real-time only mere minutes have passed in those 14 weeks, but such is the alchemy of “Chimera Ant” that time seems a trivial concept – 14 weeks, 10 minutes, 60 years – all that matters is what’s happening on our screens, and the people it’s happening to.
There’s a strong sense of finality now, of impending events of an irrevocable certainty, that earlier episodes in the arc have lacked. In part it’s what we know from common sense and Abiru-san’s tweets that the end really is coming soon (he’s now hinting that the “Chairman Selection” arc may be animated after “Chimera Ant” finishes). For all the twists and turns this arc has taken, all the seemingly minor characters that have made indelible impressions, the circle is palpably narrowing now. Killua (and Palm), Gon (and Pitou – and Pouf), Netero and the King – their time to command the central position in the narrative is clearly upon us. My sense is that the other characters will continue to be important, but more and more in how they directly impact the two main nexus points of the drama – that wrecked hall where Gon continues his staredown with Pitou, and the underground “tomb” where Netero and the King’s destinies are finally being decided.
These two nexus points command the entire episode this week, each for roughly half its length. The first belongs to Gon – and quite measurably, too, since its his will that utterly dominates events in the A-part (in another jaw-dropping performance by Han Megumi). Neferpitou, Shaiapouf and Knuckle are all present (and Meleoron too, for that matter) but it’s Gon that dictates everything. Both Pouf and Pitou reach the same conclusion independently – that Gon is the most dangerous enemy they face. “This boy is becoming quite troublesome.” Pouf grumbles inwardly. “He has the strongest will of all of them.” Pitou (who’s in a way being revealed as a bit of a paper tiger here – a much better bully when the enemy is weak that combatant when they’re strong) is quite unsettled by Gon’s calm and unflinching focus on what he wants, despite Pouf’s taunts. “I must kill him,” Pitou frets, “Or his fangs may reach the King’s throat. I must risk my life… And kill him at any cost.”
What’s striking here is how different things look than they did back when Gon and Knuckle fought, before the return to the NGL. Then Knuckle was the hard but compassionate veteran teaching Gon a harsh but necessary lesson. The sense here, though, is that it’s Knuckle who’s the child and Gon the hardened warrior. Anyone who’s watched or read Hunter X Hunter with any serious interest knows of course that Killua’s “idiot” label never fit Gon in the first place, that in moments of crisis it was usually he who saw the farthest and most clearly. But even as titanic forces like Pouf and Pitou mentally spar with him and try to manipulate him, Gon’s strength here is striking – by his sheer will and cunning he dictates everything that happens, his influence forcing the hand of everyone including Knuckle. He’s not someone to be trifled with, and if Pitou is going to succeed in his betrayal it’s going to be because he’s the stronger fighter, not because Gon is taken by surprise.
Pouf’s efforts are directed at trying to goad Gon into acting unwisely – which fails utterly – and in trying to get Knuckle to give him a clue as to why Youpi has allowed him to live. Pouf is now clearly on the verge of abandoning Youpi as an ally altogether, depending on what he finds out from Knuckle. Gon has seen through Pouf’s subterfuge and knows which direction the King and Netero have gone, and he clues Knuckle into this, clearly suggesting that Knuckle not waste himself in a meaningless fight with a Shaiapouf he’s almost certain is telling the truth about being a clone. But Knuckle will, as always, “do things my way” – though he does deserve credit for not burdening Gon with the unnecessary information that Youpi has revealed a surprising side to himself. In any event Gon seems almost unconcerned about what Knuckle does – his focus is on the moment at-hand, and he won’t be distracted.
Meanwhile, Netero and the King pick up where we left them (actually a few lines of dialogue before we left them). This fight has been building for a long, long time – and while we see only the opening salvo on Netero’s part, it doesn’t disappoint. It’s beautifully drawn, beautifully choreographed and beautifully animated and set to a beautiful soundtrack. The thing about this series is that even if it rarely chooses the path of the epic fight (lord knows we hear enough complaints about that) when it does so, it executes them stupendously. And the fact that they’re so rare makes them all the more impactful when they happen. Neither Netero or the King has yet shown us their strength, because they haven’t needed to. But that’s all changing now.
Netero, to say the least, is a complicated man. His “Path of Gratitude” leads to him expressing his thanks for being allowed to have this fight with the King – a struggle that has already seen the loss of countless lives, including Hunters. It’s very hard to get an exact grasp on Netero here. “When was it that I started waiting for opponents to attack?” he muses to himself. “When was it that I stopped hesitating to be gracious – to take my vanquished opponents’ hands when they bowed their heads in defeat? This cannot be the ultimate power I sought!” That this is what enters the old man’s mind in the middle of the fight of his life says something of the man of whom no less than Zeno Zoldyck said “He has the mind of a plant.” This power he obtained through years of meditation and self-depravation, grounded in the ways of Buddhism, wielded with a serene expression and minimal movement on Netero’s part even as his power devastates the opponent – what does it really mean to him? Is he not, in fact, glad to have the opportunity to fight someone he feels he has no choice but to kill? Has he not most likely spent most of the last 60 years with boredom as his greatest enemy?
Fascinating, fascinating stuff this is. An ageless and inscrutable Netero against a being who’s been alive for a mere matter of weeks, someone who arrogantly believed their own power gave them all the answers and, with astonishing speed, has learned a certain humility. Togashi has clouded the issue as only he can here, made our thoughts and feelings double-back on themselves as they reflexively try and cast this conflict in black-and-white when it clearly refuses to be anything less than shades of grey. For all his strength, Netero’s “99th Hand” seems to have done little more than change the venue of the fight and cause the King to take it seriously – surely a terrifying display of the King’s superiority. Yet Netero seems not at all alarmed that his opponent has suffered barely a scratch. Is it possible that this attack was only designed to accomplish what it did – to take the fight to the “tomb” Netero has prepared, and to get his opponent’s attention?
In a sense, this episode was a microcosm of everything that makes “Chimera Ant” great, and that makes Hunter X Hunter the finest shounen anime of all-time. It showed us both faces of the brilliant coin that this series is – the taut and incredibly tense battle of words and wits that makes you hold your breath, with the child hero proving himself to be terrifyingly “other” as only he can. And the awesome physical struggle between two powerful combatants, immovable objects and irresistible forces, brought to life with such skill as to practically take your breath away. We’ve waited a long time for these two stages and these characters to receive the spotlight, and they’ve met the expectations in every way.
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nc622x
April 16, 2014 at 10:13 amEverytime I see Netero fighting, I can't help imitating his gestures in front of my laptop. Love his "I love you" gesture at the end. Genius, Togashi.
Thatguy3331
April 17, 2014 at 3:53 amI watch my anime in a public computer lab at my college and I, without shame, did the heart pose at the end…
Ok yeah I didn't really, I got lucky and saw this ep with my dorm mate who had an ether chord on his laptop. We both did the pose, but in safe eye blocking confines XD
As for the ep, even though I don't post here as often as I'd like (Screw you google+) I do read this blog enough to know I won't be adding anything new or worthwhile, Hunter is simply just great, while it has a few nicks here and there it's overall a solid show. My friends wondered why I kept telling them to watch it and out of the two I have convinced (working on the third, but he's a hard nut to crack) they were immensely satisfied and its my roommate's favorite so far (I got him into anime last year).
hgfdsahjkl
April 16, 2014 at 1:26 pmanimation director was YOSHIHIRO KANNO,imo,right now, he is 2nd best after Mori Tomoko,not because if his art but his episodes got really good animated parts ,(check,his last episode was the one where knuckles punched yupi 8 times)
also,I asked Abiru Takahiro if there were any changes to the budget ,he replied that the budget have been the same all along,so there is no blacklash on that part
onto the episode,man,the part with Gon,that's where togashi shows his unparalleled skills,every word said or even haven't been said (check knuckles)have been thought off,calculated,every word is strong,smart,Togashi is crazy ,but I guess that's the reason we wait him for years
hats off to Han Megumi ,just brilliant brilliant,her soul is into the character
loved Netero's VA I got used to him faster than expected
admin
April 16, 2014 at 11:15 pmThanks for that.
Abiru-san replied to one of my tweets too, I'm giddy as a schoolgirl. But I doubt he'd admit it if the budget changed. And the visual evidence is hard to dismiss.
admin
April 16, 2014 at 11:16 pmIsn't it Tomoyuki Kanno, BTW?
hgfdsahjkl
April 17, 2014 at 2:47 amI dont know kanji but people translated his name that way
hybridanime
April 17, 2014 at 4:13 amTomoyuki Kanno is a different person but he has worked on the Hunter x Hunter anime. To throw another wrench into the mix, the episodes he acted as an Animation Director just happened to be the same episodes as Yoshihiro Kanno's
Example from Ep 91 when the King was born:
http://imgur.com/odA7zvI
admin
April 17, 2014 at 6:31 amI make no claims to be an expert, but I've never seen a listing for a Yoshihiro Kanno as an animation director at any website. Can you provide a link?
hybridanime
April 17, 2014 at 7:30 amUntil recently, he'd been referred to as Yoshihiro Sugano for years but according to the experts like @destructokitteh it can be translated both ways. Kanno seems to have stuck with people for consistency sake
"The next best AD would be Yoshihiro Kanno (formerly known as Yoshihiro Sugano as the surname can be translated both ways)."
http://sakugadaichi.blogspot.com/2014/04/hunter-x-hunter-2011-animation-analysis.html?spref=tw
admin
April 17, 2014 at 8:37 amWell all right, that makes sense – Sugano I know. Had no idea he was now known as Kanno.
Shigy Amoto
April 17, 2014 at 11:13 pmI think Tomoyuki Kanno might be a close relative to him?
On ANN, their family names seem to have the same exact kanji.
Yoshihiro – "菅野"
Tomoyuki – "菅野"
admin
April 17, 2014 at 11:22 pmIt's possible, but's a pretty common surname in Japan so they could easily not be known relatives at all.
Anthony Henry
April 16, 2014 at 3:14 pmAbsolutely magnificent. Everything was perfect. And as always, your analysis is almost as good as the episode itself (although I don't really agree with the "paper tiger" thing. Pitou spent the last ten episodes or so looking helpless and vulnerable but it's only because he has to heal Komugi)
Unknown
April 16, 2014 at 6:55 pmAnother thing that Pouf did was straight up abandon Pitou despite what could have happened from him leaving. Also it does not appear that Pitou intended to betray Gon before she realized that he was a massive threat just now.
Shigy Amoto
April 16, 2014 at 6:56 pmThis episode's animator was Yoshihiro Kanno. He's worked on quite a few things, including Shirokuma Café, Samurai Flamenco, and Blood Lad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqfA-wQxY3o – Here's some scenes he presumably made on his own~
l3reezer
April 17, 2014 at 12:54 amEver since I heard that Abiru-san tweeted the sneak peek frame of Hisoka to be apart of an upcoming episode, I get jitters every time I imagine that the rest of the Chimera Ant Arc has been completely adapted is just sitting on a computer(s) somewhere waiting to be released, watched, and spazzed over, all in that order.
whemleh
April 17, 2014 at 2:48 pmI wouldn't call Pitou a paper tiger, he clearly enjoys fighting. Don't forget he tried to bring Kite back to life because Kite was really strong and he wanted to fight him again. But he's not in a situation where he can fight, and he's really started to understand how much of a threat Gon is. Pitou is loyal to the king above all else, and would rather die than disobey him.
Shigy Amoto
April 17, 2014 at 11:18 pmWasn't the tiger an allusion to Gon's fangs reaching the King's throat?
admin
April 17, 2014 at 11:24 pmYes, but I played off that and used the old term "paper tiger" (somebody who isn't as formidable or brave as they seem) to refer directly to Neferpitou, and that's what whemleh was referencing.
Yann
April 17, 2014 at 3:03 pmDamn! I literally thought I was 5 mn into the episode when it ended… I couldn't believe it.
melodic thoughts
April 17, 2014 at 6:22 pmIsn't it that Gon had seen where the king had gone, and not because he had through Pitou's subtle hints to Pouf? I'm a little confused here
admin
April 17, 2014 at 11:21 pmI don't think Gon had any way of knowing exactly which direction the King had gone just from seeing he and Netero walking out of the Palace.
Gustavo Bruce
April 18, 2014 at 12:46 amGon and killia witnessed the king and netero leave on the dragon in ep 114. That how gon knew the king went south, not because he had seen through pitou's subtle hints. Pitou's just assumed he did because it has no way of knowing gon had been there when they left
melodic thoughts
April 17, 2014 at 6:23 pmseen through*
admin
April 18, 2014 at 1:25 amI'll have to watch that episode again, but my recollection of it is that they saw the King and Netero leave, but not where they went. Could be wrong.
Gustavo Bruce
April 18, 2014 at 1:49 amThey talked to Zeno, and that happend after the king and netero left
admin
April 18, 2014 at 2:15 amAnd did Zeno tell them where the King went?
shareme free
April 18, 2014 at 2:49 am^ Zeno didn't tell them where exactly but they did see what DIRECTION (to the south) Netero and Meruem went.
Kamen Rider Kekkaishi
April 18, 2014 at 3:58 amWouldn't Gon and Killua know already? Knov claimed Netero took the King to the "place" it seems like they already knew ahead of time where Netero was going to take him.
shareme free
April 18, 2014 at 5:41 am^ That too but I was assuming that the youngest Hunters (Killua and Gon) and their Chimera allies (Ikalgo and Melereon) doesn't know the exact place (in the south) Netero planned to have the showdown with Meruem. Otherwise, Gon should have said "the place" too when he informed Knuckle.
OR, he knew exactly where "the place" is BUT since he knew already that Pitou informed Pufu a while ago the general place where the King went, he's indirectly saying to Pitou that he was aware what Pitou was doing when he narrated the events happened in (assuming) Komugi's room but chose not to act / let them be.