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To try and do justice to “Chimera Ant” – how can it be done? At the moment I can only think to borrow the words of Dave Eggers – it is indeed a heartbreaking work of staggering genius.
I’m pretty much incoherent after that whopper of an episode, so you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t make a lot of sense. It was a broadside of incredible power – a story full of imagery that’s totally apropos to the matter of the people who created it. The work Madhouse did here is self-apparent – but I’m equally in awe of the mind that envisioned the scenario behind it. The way all the pieces fit together, the way nothing and no one is forgotten and unimportant… As I said, I’m just about incoherent. I do know this much – if you see this only as a great action episode and a “payoff” without the understanding that everything that led up to it was absolutely essential to making it the powerhouse it was, you’re seeing only the thinnest outer layer of what makes Hunter X Hunter great. The muscle, sinew and bone of this series is the development that brought us to this point.
If you’ve been in a cave for the last couple of days, you may not have heard the announcement that the Hunter X Hunter manga is returning (with the June 2 issue of Weekly Shounen Jump). Yes, it’s official this time and no, I won’t stop you from making the inevitable snarky complaints about how Togashi will probably just go on hiatus again in July (though rest assured, you may think you’re amusing but no one else does). The implications for the anime are very interesting indeed, but that’s probably a matter for a dedicated post – for now it’s really about enjoying the moment and focusing on the incredible episode we’ve just received.
The timing does force the issue on a couple of points, though, at least for me. First off, I do worry about how Togashi could possibly top this arc. And second, what we’re seeing play out is a further reminder than complaints about his output are utterly misguided. However long it took him to create “Chimera Ant”, rest assured – there’s not another mangaka who could have done it. Togashi has left shounen convention in the rearview mirror a long time ago (and clearly, some have never forgiven him for it) and what he’s doing with this arc is too soaring and ambitious to be constrained by the simple notion of subverting genre conventions. This is a great drama, transcendent of any genre or demographic classification whatsoever. Any label you stick on it is irrelevant – it’s singular. It’s not shounen, it’s not seinen, it’s not post-shounen, it’s Hunter X Hunter. It’s Togashi. And Madhouse.
I’m very, very reluctant to try and dig into the deeper meaning of what we saw – or to try and reconcile it with a certain theatrical film whose timeline was never 100% verified (if it exists in the manga canon at all). It will simply invite a flood of spoilers, some tagged, some disguised as jokes or hints, some just laid out for all to see. I have my own notions about all that, but I’m going to stick mostly to what we saw on screen and the symbolism of it. First, there’s the fight itself, which faced the unenviable task of having to live up to the better part of 40 episodes of build-up. Maybe there will be someone out there who feels dissatisfied with the art and animation here, but it’s hard to see why. Madhouse has nailed all the big fights – Gon vs. Hisoka at Heaven’s Arena, Gon and Killua vs. the Phantom Troupe in their hideout, the Dodgeball game. Maybe there was a tiny doubt on the grounds that this was the most important action scene since the shift to late-night, but there was clearly no need for it. This was jaw-droppingly epic.
As always with Hunter X Hunter, though, the one constant is the psychological subtlety and complex character dynamics. They’re what makes up most of the series and they don’t take five when the fights start – rather, Togashi weaves them into every blow parried and landed. Always, our opinion of the King is changing and evolving. As Netero unleashes his power against him, the King feels only admiration – this is truly a human who exceeded anything he thought was possible. It’s not simply his assessment of humans that Meruem (and we can safely call him that now) must reassess – it’s the limitations of individuality itself. As always, identity is at the core of “Chimera Ant” right down to the cellular level.
In effect, both Meruem and the audience are being set up for a sucker punch here. We see Netero clearly exceeding anything we’ve seen from a human in this series. Yet Meruem has an answer for him at every turn. That his initial barrage of attacks leave “barely a scratch” is unsurprising, even to Netero. He has other weapons up his sleeve, but Meruem is unshakeable. Here Togashi brilliantly ties in the Gungi matches with Komugi, with Meruem using the insight that experience gave him to deduce the seemingly indecipherable pattern in Netero’s unrelenting attacks (thousands of them), the unconscious bias revealing itself – ingeniously illustrated to his metaphor of “finding one needle among millions, and threading it”. It should be noted that if Meruem was able to do so in fighting against Netero, but was never able to do so well enough to defeat Komugi at Gungi – what the hell does that say about her skill and intelligence, at least where that game is concerned?
For every move Netero makes, Meruem has an answer – and he has nothing but praise and admiration for his opponent. His only wish? That the “old soldier” won’t die before he’s able to finish the battle. It’s a brutal thing to see – as usual Togashi spares nothing for the squeamish. First Meruem takes Netero’s right leg, but the old man is unbowed. He uses his Nen to stop the bleeding and steps up the pace of his attacks. “Next I will take your left arm” (nice callback to Gungi there) he promises – and after weathering another dizzying array of attacks he keeps his word. He then sits down in his Gungi position and praises Netero still further, assuming the fight is over. As Netero’s blood noisily spatters to the stone with every heartbeat Meruem demands to be told his name, but Netero only smiles – again – and asks “Do you think it takes two hands to pray? Prayer comes from the heart.”
Here is another awe-inspiring display of the exquisite and intricate structure of this story – the message in the Kanji on Netero’s shirt, and that previously unexplained (surely you didn’t forget about it, did you?) moment when Killua saw and felt something, and promptly turned his heel and ran in the other direction. This is Netero’s “Zero Hand”, surely the last full measure of his devotion – an attack that creates a Buddha which encompasses the enemy in “indiscriminate love” but requires all of Netero’s life force to execute. It leaves him a frail, wasted shell, as if all of his years were called due in an instant, on the verge of death. And still, it isn’t enough. A few scratches this time, yes – but Meruem is barely bloodied and wholly unbowed, having absorbed a blow far greater than any he thought humans capable of inflicting and still walked away from it.
Here, though, Netero – and Togashi – spring the last trap. First we have Meruem proving that for all that he’s seemingly evolved, Netero was absolutely right in his belief that the King’s worldview was incompatible with any acceptable future. He bemoans that humans weaken the “bonds” between ants and thus are not a good food source, and that they will be allowed to live on in a “restricted zone” – the number to be used for food to be “reevaluated”. He speaks to the his superiority over Netero as a function of evolution – he’s the living embodiment of everything that his species has built towards, and of all their hopes – and Netero is only one man. Individuality is, in Meruem’s eyes, a weakness – and indeed, we’ve seen the impact it’s had on his species both positively and negatively. But Netero proves the resiliency, desperation and ruthlessness of the human animal in the end – the act of an individual acting as a member of his species. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to win this without sacrificing someone.”
The “Miniature Rose” seems a prosaic way to bring an end to this positively Shakespearean struggle between these two titans – a bomb, a crude and indiscriminate weapon of destruction beloved by despots and terrorists. Again, I’m reluctant to dig too deep here with much still to be revealed – but at the very least, it’s a lesson to Meruem that human individuality breeds seemingly endless resourcefulness, that in the end the human race is nothing if not unpredictable. There was no beauty in what Netero did, no delicacy, not even Nen – a man who spent a decade in prayer and deprivation honing the most enlightened weapon in human history using the most brutal and ugly weapon imaginable to win the day. But he did what he had to do – which is what he’d been planning from the beginning, and in that there is a kind of cruel beauty, and nobility. Meruem’s last thought before the explosion – along with experiencing fear for the the first time – was a simple one: “He had me in checkmate all along.”
“If there’s a Hell, I’ll see you there.” is how Netero leaves the scene – a frank self-assessment of the life he’s led and the choices he’s made. I recall Knov saying a little while back that “it doesn’t matter what the Royal Guard does – they’ll be too late” or words to that effect – clear evidence that he and Morel (and likely only he and Morel, I’m thinking, apart from Zeno) knew of this plan all along. There are other shoes hanging by a thread, and I’m not making any assumptions about what doors have been closed by what’s happened here – but I am, simply, in awe of the way it was brought to life. It was brilliant, a marriage of shock and awe with poetry, brutality with nobility. Of course I regret deeply that we’ll never get to hear how Nagai Ichirou would have seen Netero to this point – that, surely, is how it should have been. But Banjou Ginga truly proved himself a worthy successor here, under the most demanding of circumstances. As with so much else with Hunter X Hunter, I can offer only my admiration and respect for the talent and dedication to craft on display here.
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Rouz275
April 23, 2014 at 10:26 amI've stayed up until 3 A.M. just to read your thoughts on the episode. Thanks for finally delivering Enzo-san. I can rest happy tonight with happy and crushingly sad memories of this episode, your words on it, and the joy in my heart that the manga is returning.
admin
April 23, 2014 at 10:35 amNow I feel bad! But it's only 730 here, and I watched the episode almost as soon as I got home. One of the unfortunate impacts of the schedule change is that the new eps now get released in the middle of the night my time, rather than in the afternoon on Sunday.
Shigy Amoto
April 23, 2014 at 11:21 amIncidentally, I do the same…I've practically become a complete nightowl /somewhat of an insomniac, thanks to my first time experiencing college courses during winter vacation…two of them (both fast paced, for someone like me)
Might have more to say tomorrow, or on the next one. About to crash right now.
But, don't feel bad!
Episode gave me, a huge dose of mental fangasm.
Rouz275
April 23, 2014 at 7:19 pmOh, it's not your fault. I fully understand. I wouldn't subjugate myself to late nights if I didn't find it worth doing so. Just a testament to how much I enjoy reading your HxH blog. Funnily enough, today was my first comment on your blog since I picked up reading it back in the Yorkshin arc.
admin
April 24, 2014 at 12:58 amDon't be a stranger, post more often…
Rouz275
April 24, 2014 at 2:59 amConsider it done.
Kohmata Reizno
April 23, 2014 at 10:48 amBest episode or what? Definitely of Hunter x Hunter in my opinion but man, it might extend far past that into the scope of television in general. I loved every second of this episode and considering this was my favorite part of the arc in the manga (particularly the conclusion), I doubt it'll be topped. Though there is another yet to come moment that's close (much like several stuff prior was, like episode 116 & 106 [I'm noticing a pattern here]) but for different reasons (that I obviously won't get into).
Great read, I particularly love the part, "This is a great drama, transcendent of any genre or demographic classification whatsoever. Any label you stick on it is irrelevant – it's singular. It's not shounen, it's not seinen, it's not post-shounen, it's Hunter X Hunter. It's Togashi. And Madhouse." I wholeheartedly echo those sentiments.
Altritter
April 23, 2014 at 12:53 pmThis can't have been easy to write a post for, but you killed it, Enzo- A great post for a truly awe-inspiring episode. I read this fight in the manga a few months after Chimera Ant started so I've been waiting for a while (Though not nearly as long as some others, and at the time they probably weren't even sure it would ever be animate) but Madhouse absolutely killed it. Perfect panel reproduction, great direction, detailed fight choreography. Togashi's a brilliant writer but Madhouse truly brings his material to the next level- It's going to be a sad day when this adaptation ends but with any luck we'll get much more of it within a few years.
Alister Hagen
April 23, 2014 at 12:59 pmOne interesting thing I would like to note about Netero's last speech to Meruem: When he says that humanity also has an infinite capacity for evolution, in the manga he says that humanity has an infinite capacity for malice with the yomigana reading evolution, thereby implying both malice and evolution.
On the episode itself: Beautifully done, bravo Madhouse.
admin
April 23, 2014 at 1:13 pmYes, I've seen that noted elsewhere. I don't actually think it changes Netero's meaning all that much, but it's an interesting distinction.
Shigy Amoto
April 23, 2014 at 7:33 pmAgreed, Enzo. The "Malice of Humanity" was already conveyed enough just through his face followed by the Miniature Rose alone, imo.
hgfdsahjkl
April 23, 2014 at 1:34 pmgreat episode,I have to note,imo they forgot an important sentence
that was the first time meruem experience fear
admin
April 23, 2014 at 1:39 pmNo, they didn't forget it – it was in there.
hgfdsahjkl
April 23, 2014 at 2:14 pmgood,seems that I missed it
thedarktower
April 23, 2014 at 2:25 pmas a manga reader, I knew this was coming. I knew what will be on this episode from the very beginning until its final moments. yet, it was way beyond my expectations. it was truly amazing watching this particular episode. lots of threads have becoming together – Netero, Gungi, king, the rose, their strategies (chess, needles, the bomb and everything)… even though I knew, it was whole different experience.
I must praise Madhouse for the execution of this episode. it took time to get to this. but they planned and executed perfectly this particular intense part between Netero and king. well, it's obviously madhouse showing that in the "money time" of HxH, they pull out their very, very best. we saw it in other magnificent episodes (such as #116 if I am not mistaken) that really brings out the series' heart and full potential. and madhouse know to give extra 120% than the usual 120% they are already doing for this show.
I am in awe for this episode, especially thanks to Netero's performance. also, praise for the VA which came to only a short period due to the previous VA who died recently. it was great performance of the VA and of course madhouse who guided the whole process between what we see on the screen and hear in our ears. together it's just…perfect. because it created the exact vibe.
there is nothing like HxH with its unique way being so deep and meaningful, so intense, so ongoing and non-repetitive (unlike other shonen). be it characters, battles, strategy, intensity…everything is just..you wanna read/watch more and more as you continue with the episodes. it's just…you can't let go of it.
whemleh
April 23, 2014 at 4:20 pmI remember reading a while back that a lot of manga fans were disappointed by the Netero/King battle. And here I am with my jaw on the floor and smoke rising from my head. That was epic, a glorious culmination of everything this arc has been building towards. RIP to both, that was a hell of an exit. I don't think I can watch any more anime today after that.
Was there mention of roses before this episode? I feel as though there was and can't remember it, because I feel I'm missing something in relation to it's significance. The only thing I'm pulling is the beauty/cruelty contrast it provides in conjunction with the bomb.
Kamen Rider Kekkaishi
April 23, 2014 at 4:35 pmThe roses appeared when Shot almost died and also when Knuckle was about to die.
whemleh
April 23, 2014 at 4:47 pmThat's right, I remember now. Thanks!. Guess I can add 'Death' to it's significance then..
admin
April 24, 2014 at 1:00 amThere was also a comment about Netero having taken the King to the "appointed place" or similar working, I believe.
maverickmann84
April 24, 2014 at 4:52 amI think the disappointment stems from being used to things like DBZ and Bleach which draw the fights out to an excruciating degree. They prob wanted more fighting, but that wouldn't fit the scene at all. It's supposed to emphasize how strong the king is in spite of how amazing Netero is. Not to mention the good guy only defeating the bad guy bc he used a underhanded trick and a device used by terroists. I'll take that over Goku Vs Freiza always.
admin
April 24, 2014 at 5:54 amI suppose it's possible the battle in the manga wasn't as awesome as in the anime – I mean, Madhouse surely pulled out all the stops here.
Rita
April 23, 2014 at 5:54 pmI remember reading this fight before, and almost laughing at the end. Not because there was anything remotely funny, but because it ended the way it did. With every shounen tenant on its head and a giant middle finger to traditional conventions.
In a way I personally am convinced Togashi was making a point about humanity's endless malice, as Netero put it in the manga. Here is a character who embodies the spirit of strength and discipline. I would even call him a perfect example of Bushido as we see it in kendo. Seeking to hone your own mind and body, unbroken in spirit and seeking honor, not violence, in the ultimate battlefield. He's every "noble" aspect you can find in a warrior and all for not. All that honor and discipline couldn't put a dent in Meurem. In the end it was the underhanded, ignoble tactics that won.
It felt like togashi was saying, here see humanity's true face. That all those conventions about dignity are useless on the battlefield.
Granted with an arc like this the opinions are going to be all over the place so I don't expect everyone to agree. But that's what I saw in the episode.
Simone
April 23, 2014 at 8:09 pmI also like to think that the King is actually an audience stand-in here in a meta sense: expecting a fair fight, feeling admiration for his opponent, being gracious. All while Netero is pissed off by his holier-than-thou attitude and ends the fight like a true combat pragmatist – nuke 'em (not from orbit), it's the only way to be sure. Did you really think that humanity's leaders would have trusted their future to a fair martial arts fight, worthy of a tournament? GET FUCKING REAL, KIDDOS. THIS IS WAR.
rubberluffy
April 23, 2014 at 7:34 pmNetero doesn't use nen to stop the bleeding leg stump, that's all muscle! Which is way more crazy and badass. He literally flexes his stump closed.
This episode is truly one of the best episodes of TV anime, in my opinion.
hgfdsahjkl
April 23, 2014 at 10:37 pmyeah,that was all muscle pretty awesome
ZonikStrike
April 23, 2014 at 10:06 pmAlso about the leg/arm part; I'm pretty sure that was a callback all the way back to Hunter Exams! 😀
hgfdsahjkl
April 23, 2014 at 10:36 pmEnzo ,what about doing a count down of your top 10 HxH episodes once HxH ends ?
admin
April 24, 2014 at 1:00 amWe'll see, I've considered it.
Rita
April 24, 2014 at 3:20 am10 only? Don't you mean like 50? I'd be screwed if I only had ten slots.
admin
April 24, 2014 at 3:38 amThere do seem to be a disproportionate number of classics that end in 6.
Russ Drexel
April 24, 2014 at 3:48 amAm I the only one who noticed the similarity to the way Netero died and the way Predator (1987) died?
Zeta Zero
April 24, 2014 at 4:35 amTogashi will probably just go on hiatus again.
Maxulous
April 24, 2014 at 4:49 amNo, he'll go on hiatus before he goes on hiatus!
usasoldiern
April 24, 2014 at 4:42 amBrilliant episode, maybe even the best the series has done. Great post as usual Enzo.
l3reezer
April 24, 2014 at 5:03 amI watched the episode early in the day between my classes (because I just couldn't resist), and I wasn't even expecting to write a review but really just felt obligated to. I can understand your incoherency though, I started jotting down thoughts and approaches at around noon and didn't end up publishing it until nearly midnight. It ended up being longer than my last final paper so I had to just stop myself from going into boundless territory in lauding this masterful piece of work. Great review as always though, it's a pleasure to read some weekly input, especially when we zone in on some similar things.
On another note, I'm a bit surprised I haven't seen talks relating to the tagline of the manga's return. "What is being aimed for is darkness. What is being hunted is hope. What blocks the way is endless despair." To think that after Chimera Ant, Togashi still has it in him to delve deeper into this subject matter, it's insane, by all means of the word. Though I feel this episode does leave a particularly open-ended interpretation on humanity, a revelation that Netero has essentially taken with him to the grave (or the depths of hell). I can't picture this dynamic being depicted with Meruem and any other character, really. If there's one shounen convention that Togashi should align by, I think it should be making each arc supersede the next one. Needless to say, this has been and is going to be a phenomenal year for this series.
admin
April 24, 2014 at 5:52 amHeh, my notes for this episode were several times longer than usual. It was a struggle not to make the post even longer.
I haven't delved too deeply into the tagline, since it seems to be an invitation for spoilers. I agree about the idea of superseding arcs, generally, but after one this heavy I'm kind of hoping we get a little bit of a break.
maverickmann84
April 24, 2014 at 5:08 amI don't want to get my expectations up too high, but I really feel like the next arc will be even better than the chimera. I know that's arguably impossible, but each arc in HxH has been better than the last bc of how well Togashi handles his characters development and their relationships with each other. Also I've read the very beginning of the arc and the concept holds so many possibilities, and coupled with the fact that Togashi at least appears to plan ahead while he's on hiatus. I refuse to believe that he doesn't plan each full arc out in advance bc if he really does something this high level as he goes along then that brings up a lot of questions. What the hell is he doing for all that time away? How much time does he spend on HxH when he's not on hiatus that he needs such long breaks? Can it be considered the same job title as other Mangaka if he can do something this good as he goes? Why can't more mangaka be as skilled as he is? If he's that brilliant shouldn't he do something more profound than be a manga artist? Not to knock manga bc I read a ton of it, but comics aren't gonna make the classics. I think The Watchmen was the only graphic novel to make Time Magazine's top 100 novels of the 20th century.
cladinblue
April 24, 2014 at 5:09 amI'd like to say a lot about how this was one of the best episodes I've watched in a long long while, but I'm really at a loss for words here. It's just at a point where I don't think my words can express the extent of my feelings. Trying to do so would just result in huge understatement of my feelings toward it.
Kohmata Reizno
April 24, 2014 at 7:10 amHey Guardian Enzo, you mentioned it a bit in this but did you catch the whole arm motif of this arc so far? Honestly, I didn't until a friend of mine/user on MAL, MrAM pointed it out in that site's discussion thread, and since he's better at explaining than I am, I'll just copy and paste what he said (note: it's a bit long but it's another really fascinating and brilliant layer to this arc that I'm glad it was brought up) . . .
"Arms in general, or lack thereof, has been a recurring motif this arc. Let's recap: Neferpitou cut off Kite's arm, The King tore off his arm, Neferpitou cut off her arm, and and now the King cut off Netero's arm. What's even more interesting is that in every single one of these cases, it has always been the LEFT arm, every time, for four times. The people who do it are significant as well: Neferpitou and Meruem, who both happen to be the two primary antagonists of the arc, to Gon and Netero, respectively. They both tore someone else's arm off, and both ripped off their own, though in the reverse order.
Pitou cut off Kite's arm out of a desire for aggression and violence, for no reason but to fight and have fun. In short, it was a hostile, vicious act. Later on, Pitou, after transforming into a different, better person, breaks her arm as a way of apology to Gon, of punishing herself. We had the same situation with the King, but in reverse order and in different contexts. The King first ripped off his arm in his match with Komugi, and just as in Pitou case, did it as a way of apology and self-punishment. In short, it was a gesture of humility and apology. Later on, in this episode, the King cut off Netero's arm, but not because he was vicious or hostile; quite the opposite, his goal was to end the fighting. The fact that the order in which Pitou and the King dealt with arms was reversed is relevant to each individual's character development. Pitou from malice to humility, the King from growing humility to greater humanity. It's both clever and subtle.
I'm not sure why Togashi consistently focused on the left arm and not the right. Both in general symbolize strength and support, but in different cultures and philosophies there are specific differences between what the left and right represent. In some cases the left represents judgement, power, enlightenment, etc. I could see why Togashi picked the left, but I won't go into that here."
admin
April 24, 2014 at 7:25 amYes, definitely caught it with the King and Netero, thus the mention, though I'd forgotten about Kaitou. Not sure why it's the left every time either, though as you say there are different meanings in different belief systems.
Kohmata Reizno
April 24, 2014 at 7:41 amWell, that was MrAM talking (don't want to take credit for any of that, it was all him) but yeah, it's an interesting aspect of this arc but there really isn't anything here that isn't. Best arc period in my opinion, not just relegated to Hunter x Hunter. Even though this was my most anticipated episode, I'm still really looking forward to seeing your thoughts on the rest of this arc. Some really great stuff coming!
I think when I first discovered your blog, I asked you on Twitter what your favorite arc was and I recall you threw out several other possibilities like Greed Island and Yorknew (Heaven's Arena too if I recall correctly). That clearly doesn't appear to be the case anymore, so I'm curious to when it became your favorite.
admin
April 24, 2014 at 10:32 amHeaven's Arena was my favorite going in, a purely personal choice I confess – not necessarily the "best" arc, but the one I loved best. I would say Chimera has surpassed it now, though I do miss the humor and joie de vivre that Hunter X Hunter managed to find periodically in all the other arcs (even Yorknew). There just isn't much of that here, which is why the whole Gon/Palm "romance" subplot was so fantastic and refreshing.
wilson dominguito
April 24, 2014 at 7:18 amEnzo.. Can you name your top 10 Anime of all time?
admin
April 24, 2014 at 7:23 amIf I really sat down and thought hard about it, probably.
whemleh
April 24, 2014 at 12:13 pmBut the real question is, has HxH cracked it?
admin
April 24, 2014 at 12:55 pmYes. it wouldn't be #1, but definitely in the top ten.
Seraphim
April 24, 2014 at 8:39 amJust a thought: The bomb could have been invented by a geniuse (a Nen user).
maverickmann84
April 24, 2014 at 9:40 amThat's unlikely since it was "low budget and small", and was referenced as owned by many countries and used by terrorists.
hgfdsahjkl
April 24, 2014 at 10:48 am116 is still my favourite (^_^)
melodic thoughts
April 24, 2014 at 3:07 pmI'm seriously genuinely scared of Netero. i think only Togashi (and Madhouse) can do this to me. How can such brutality and nobility exist in one being so entirely.
admin
April 24, 2014 at 11:24 pmWell, you were definitely supposed to be scared of him there, so they did their job. He's a scary guy.
Kaname
April 25, 2014 at 6:15 am51 comments? Wow! This episode must be beyond awesome!
admin
April 25, 2014 at 6:18 amAnd half of them aren't posts bitching about a non-existent Deux ex machina like at some places.
That is a pretty high comment count for a non-finale episode post, but then, that was one helluva episode.
melodic thoughts
April 25, 2014 at 3:13 pmThe kind of episode that makes you feel heartache after 36 hours (i'm still feeling it, and i can't concentrate on anything i watch right now)
Aeolus
April 26, 2014 at 10:43 pmLONG time reader, first time poster. I think it's about time I thank you, Enzo. I don't always agree with your stance on everything, but without you I never would have been introduced to the hidden brilliance of anime like Ginga e Kickoff, Shinsekai Yori, and most of all… Hunter x Hunter. I'm an anime watcher, not a manga reader, but I don't know how I'll be able to stay away from the new issues now. I was literally shaking after this episode. Actually, that word is not quite appropriate.
I am a fan of episodic works. Shows that tell you several stories in order to tell you the true thematic one. It's why after more than a decade my favorite anime has not ceased to be the introductory standard of Cowboy Bebop. But CB didn't have episodes; it has Sessions, betraying the fact that it's animation and story was only brilliant, relatively inferior to it as a work of unparalleled eclectic musical genius. Few quality anime follow the episodic course properly. Most are actually serials, whose overarching stories are really just a backdrop for their "episodes."
Hunter x Hunter is unlike anything else I have seen in anime. To call Zero × And × Rose an episode and Chimera Ant a story arc is unfair. What Watanabe did for minutes and most anime fail to do at all, Togashi and Kojina have done for hours on end. Chimera Ant is an episode. Hunter x Hunter is an epic.
Unlike most, I preserve that word appropriately. From the vast setting to the recent anime convention-defying formal narration, I feel perfectly proper putting this show in the company of Gilgamesh and the Odyssey. I also think that the only way I can describe my feelings is to use another word whose meaning I choose to preserve.
Like Mereum before Netero, I trembled in awe. Hunter x Hunter is awesome.
admin
April 27, 2014 at 12:35 amLONG time reader, first time poster is one of my favorite phrases…
Judging from your comment, Aeolus, I suspect you'd like Space Dandy a lot if you haven't seen it already. And yes, I agree with every point about H x H – this is, as they say in the Tour de France, a hors categorie show.
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