Board 8 > seabassdebeste watches hunter x hunter 2011 (spoilers)

(+) Yeah! (+)

Episodes 12-16

Recap: Tensions between Leorio and Tonpa rise during the 50 hours of solitary confinement, and they come to a violent head when the final majority decision represents either failing together, or letting three of the five succeed. Gon manages to find a workaround. Phase Four then starts, a true hunting game between candidates - and Gon's responsibility is to catch Hisoka. After taking inspiration from a bird, he manages to succeed. Hisoka apprehends him but spares him and delivers a nice punch to the face.

Oh man, what a great sequence of episodes. (Thanks for informing me to skip Episode 13 by the way!)

Let's start with the first of these, where GKKL clears Phase 3. This is the type of conflict we've been looking for - a slow build as Leorio gets ever more annoyed with Tonpa, but Tonpa is raising legitimate points against Leorio (which hurts him all the more). We undercut the tension with a great show of time passing - uncomfortable sleeping, reading and watching TV, kids being kids and having fun. My favorite is the slapping game that Killua and Gon play, where Killua catches Gon's hand and then (as penalty) gets to flick Gon on the forehead.

We bypass the rest of the challenges in a hilarious montage, but tensions continue to rise. At a trivial door, Tonpa actually votes to go forward, but Gon is the one who typos. Leorio freaks out on Tonpa and doesn't apologize - not a good sign since even if Tonpa is a jerk, that doesn't give you the right to treat his like a jerk when he isn't actively sabotaging you. Then, when confronted with the final decision, Leorio informs us all that he's voting for the three-person path and not taking no for an answer on going himself. Tonpa finally goes over the edge.

How about the ominous weapons hanging there, by the way? Amazingly designed room. This is the type of moral dilemma that was foreshadowed as early as Episode 2, and for now - as I'm sure will happen later - Gon is able to circumvent it with creative thinking. The dramatic reveal of how they got through is a little corny, but it was a high-stakes by Gon.

The three episodes I've seen of Phase Four are probably my favorite of the series thus far - very likely because they center around Gon and Hisoka. Gon is a delight to watch. He's moral and believes in friendship and loyalty - see his risky solution to the Majority Decision - but it doesn't mean he has to have Hero Syndrome and have that dissonant aversion to death and deception. Love watching him learn from the other Hunter stalking his prey instead of intervening to Protect The Prey or whatever. Love the way he practices using his fishing rod against adorable apples, then a frog, then birds. Love watching him learn that guile and opportunistic timing are the only way to take Hisoka's tag.

Oh, and I love that he does all this of his own damn initiative. The training Gon undertakes and the lessons he learns are the stereotypical type of thing that a young male hero calls boring, needing to be berated by a Mr. Miyagi to wax on and wax off about. But no mentor figure needed here - Gon is driven by self-improvement, and he's incredibly patient and observant, with great capacity for self-reflection.

Gon is also undoubtedly recognizable as human. Powerful though he is, he knows he has no chance against Hisoka's might. It's the entire reason he's practicing his dexterity and guile. From the moment that he sees that his mark is (who by the way does not have the superhuman power to detect Gon, also great), Gon is laser-focused and terrified. You can see the way that the game's zero-sum turn in the big picture informs the tenser interactions among everyone - even Gon and Killua don't name exactly who they're chasing to one another. When Gon actually sees Hisoka and tracks him, he's constantly terrified. Gon's fear of Hisoka again sets him apart from Kid Goku. It makes the moment of success all the more satisfying.
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Oh, and how neat is it that the hunter after Gon appears as a challenge after Gon's moment of triumph? Or that he succeeds? It's convenient, but it's also awesome plotting. This guy has Gon in the palm of his hand, but he exercises caution and strikes Gon ironically right when Gon suggests he's at his most vulnerable. (This is neatly foreshadowed in that Gon goes after the bird who's going after the fish... who's actually going after a fly. You can use Gon -> Gon, bird -> Hisoka, and fish -> Hisoka's victim, but on a different level, you've got Gon -> Hunter, bird -> Gon, and fish -> Hisoka... with the fly as Hisoka's victim.)

The other dominant force in these episodes is Hisoka. Malevolent, bloodthirsty, insane, and also so damn calm... until he's denied his fighting against the Leorio/Kurapika, acknowledges the cool move of handing over the free tag, and then freaks the fuck out. Bloodthirst Hisoka is new and fantastic to watch. That is a wonderful shrieking sound when he finally strikes.

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* Kurapika/Leorio dream team. Though Monkey Guy/Tonpa is fail team. I'm not sure what Monkey Guy got out of that one.

* Gon propping up the tranq'd out guy and saying "Better luck next time!" is totes adorbs.

* It takes up time to focus on them a lot, but I really like the butterfly motif these few episodes. Gon uses them as a tracker for Hisoka's wound; Hisoka uses them to identify that the guy attacking him is already dead; a lone butterfly caught in a web is juxtaposed over Gon's paralysis at the end there.

* Gon cleaning his face and then shaking himself off like a dog is so great.

* Pincushion man and Hisoka are working together, confirming that Hisoka is indeed a candidate. Also, I'm glad he's finally removed his screws to become... a weird dude who buries himself in the earth. LOL.

* Leorio's weapon against Hisoka is... a tiny switchblade. Yikes. Talk about outgunned...
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I love the sense of character agency in hxh, even when the plot is dictated by the structure of the exam.
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Episode 26 is the only other recap episode btw
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Episode 17

Recap: Killua dispatches the people hunting him - the rando extras - and grabs his target among them as well. He also pulls a prank on ninja-man. Leorio is baffled by how to escape, but with the assistance of Gon he manages to get into a cave to find his prey... and is forced to stay due to snakes.

I guess the first half of this episode is lighthearted. Can't help laughing at the fact that such blatant redshirts are still in it (and of course here I define blatant redshirts by uninspired artwork). It's not interesting stuff, but punking the ninja by throwing the tags in opposite directions is hilarious.

On the other hand, why did it have to be snakes? It looks like if everyone can get out, then it's possible the girl will give up her tag out of gratefulness. Also, go team.
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He was a snake charmer?
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sorry, that was an indiana jones reference
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Killua trolling Hanzo was definitely the best thing about this episode.
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Great write ups. Really captures the magic I felt first watching it (although I was watched the '99 version first, a lot of stuff still applies)
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Episodes 18 to 22

Recap: Gon helps everyone escape the cave, and after some interviews, Stage 5 begins: ultimate loser. In a sadistic match, Hanzo breaks Gon's arm and threatens to cut off his legs, but Gon refuses to yield, ever. Hanzo forfeits and KOs Gon, who wakes up to find his license granted and the exam over - but that Killua has been DQ'd for killing an old guy. Gon finds out from Killua's brother Illumi that Killua is at home.

That Hanzo episode is fucking intense as shit. Hanzo has seemed largely like a joke, with his most notable contribution thus far being Killua's punking of him. But he wrecks Gon's shit in a single hit here, and somehow they never lose sight of exactly how silly he is. He gets hilariously unnerved by Gon's proposition to have a different sort of contest, and no one fails to point out the irony in his business cards.

And man, Gon has indomitable willpower. I believe it in an instant. I don't think it's particularly intelligent, and he's lucky that it hasn't gotten him killed yet. But one aspect of Gon that I think has come through really well in the show: his purity draws people to him. Whether it's a predator like Hisoka, or a dude who's seen it all like Hunter Leader Man, or his slight elders who are much more cynical like Leorio and Kurapika, or his more dark-hearted peer Killua - they all find inspiration in Gon's purity. I can't relate to it, but he's a great hero.

How creepy is Illumi? His scenes aren't exactly as mesmerizing as his creepy-ass eyes are, but that episode managed to be pretty terrible to watch, too. (I love the fact that we find out all the results in flashback.) I was totally thinking that during his trash talk, Killua would kill him. But thus far, no weaker kid has beaten an actually stronger elder character. Love the way we're seeding not starter villains, but major arc villains, here in the opening part of the series - and giving us reason not to fight them yet. Glad Gon broke that bitch's arm.

The serious violence in this show can feel really strange given how goofy it is and how young the characters are. It's also a little bizarre given the technological age it appears to be set in, with aircrafts and internet. I guess we'll eventually find out how bullets stack up to character powers, if they're at all significant? Why do Hunters matter, and why is this organization so openly given ridiculous authority? Will this be addressed?

One neat angle here was the people that everyone picked to avoid fighting, and the people that they most noticed. Virtually everyone had Hisoka or Gon on their lists. Even Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika didn't pick one another - but mostly noted Gon. Props to Hisoka to telling us his motivation straight-up - dude just wants a license to kill, no strings attached. Interesting how amoral the Hunter organization is, despite the fact they know they attract scum and don't seem to want that. I hope we learn more about why Hunters even exist to begin with, and what it means to be one.

Along with our villains and the next obvious quest in Kukuroo Mountain, we're seeded a few questions/mysteries for the future. Satotz, aka purple-mustache, tells Gon that he's heard of Ging in archaeology. And of course, the Hunter Exam... is still not over. Well that seems bush league. They tell us that many Hunters lose their cards in the first year. Wonder how that will play out, too...

Lots on our plate, but first, a boring sidequest.
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* LOL @ Hanzo being only eighteen. Man.

* That exam is fucking sadistic in structure, but I love it. The old man knew exactly what he was doing. And Gon being seeded at the top is just further proof of how much of an asset his intangible charisma is. He's nowhere near being the strongest fighter among the final nine candidates, yet he's top-ranked by the top guys.

* As proven by his nine-minute breath-holding (which he somehow manages to reach with people on his back), Gon literally carries this show.

* Shout-out to random Peppy Announcer Woman. Works hard at her craft.

* Would love to know what Hisoka whispered to Kurapika! Looks like we'll also never learn what he whispered to the old guy that Killua killed.

* Love that Hisoka flinches when Illumi says he'll kill Gon.

* Based on unavoidable preview images, it looks like Gon hasn't aged much by the end of this anime. Meaning that Hisoka might not come to "pick his fruit" by the end. This might become frustrating at some point, sigh.
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Gon stealing Hisoka's badge is such a great moment, for so many reasons. The planning that went into it, that Gon really just focused on the goal of taking the badge and not necessarily defeating Hisoka, his fear of Hisoka, the general tenseness of the moment, Hisoka's bloodlust as he's going to kill that dude..... and like you point out, the fact that Gon doesn't actually worry about saving that guy. He's just focused on himself.

After all this time it's one of the definitive moments of the series for me.

Along with a related moment later on...
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SeabassDebeste posted...

* Based on unavoidable preview images, it looks like Gon hasn't aged much by the end of this anime. Meaning that Hisoka might not come to "pick his fruit" by the end. This might become frustrating at some point, sigh.

Uh... should someone tell him?
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I'm pretty sure he's aware the series isn't totally complete.
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pjbasis posted...

I'm pretty sure he's aware the series isn't totally complete.

Oh ok.
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Episodes 22-25

Recap: Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio arrive at Killua's stomping grounds, but they need to train to open the door. Then they win the sympathy of Canary, the deputy butler who's got a crush on her employer. Killua's dad sets him free, and then after a game with the butler, everyone agrees to reconvene in six months at an auction.

Jesus, these episodes were bad. I mean, they're not irredeemable, but the momentum really cratered here with the gaiden quest. The training was... I mean, it was rote for shounen, and I think that given how superhuman the guys move, it's bizarre how much they struggle with 45lb and 110lb loads to carry. Attaching actual numbers was a bad idea here.

Props to the butler for having an awesome voice and for the coin game. Slops for the assassin family not killing the girl with the crush and just KO'ing her. And major thumbs down for this arc taking as long as it did and taking itself this seriously. There was no other outcome possible.

The brother is incredibly jealous of Killua and his potential, which makes him special to his parents. It raises inherently interesting questions about family dynamics, but when you devalue them by making them fat and snotty, you can't really take that character as a real character, just as a prop in Killua's storyline. Alas.

More notes later, maybe. Want to move on. Killua drawing power levels is the best, so let's see some more training - in a new arc (I assume this ends S1, more or less!).
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Fun fact I tried to get a friend into this series with the 99 anime and they dropped it in the zoldyck arc.

That was like 40 episodes for them too!
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Killua's family is a lot more likable later in the series, for whatever reason.
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He considered hisokas reoccurrence a spoiler so probably shouldn't say stuff like that
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The episodes you just watched were the worst point in the series for me, too.
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yeah this is for sure the worst part of the show imo. not garbage but definitely the least interesting part
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this is all quite encouraging! hopefully it won't take long to get to the training site. i assume the six months will be a time-skip. (no need to confirm this, of course.)
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man that's the end of the second best part of the series
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Didn't realize this many people didn't like the Killua segment. This was the part where I finally convinced my sister that it wasn't terrible.
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I don't remember having a problem or not specifically liking that part. I thought it was cool to see beyond the exam and Gon's home as far as the world building.
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Episodes 27-28

Recap: Gon and Killua arrive at Battle Tower (or whatever) and start making money off fights. They encounter a highly enthusiastic kid whose teacher can manipulate ki. On floor 200, Gon and Killua run into an incredible ki... Hisoka, who's blocking the way like a Snorlax. Wing decides to help Gon and Killua.

There's not much to report on the physical action front here (Gon "discovering" how strong he is actually kind of rubs in how fucking stupid that training arc was outside Killua's pad), and the four-pointed Ren philosophy is not very interesting.

But introducing ki is a nice step in explaining how we're gonna increase our characters' power levels without... well, without "let's wear 100lb weights on our backs for 3 days." The thing is, when you contextualize power levels into physical strength, it's always going to be embarrassing - these guys are physically weaker than I am, then after three days are able to open the thousand-plus-pound doors. If all it took was three days, why weren't they already at that level?? When we move into legitimate fantasy-battle territory, I'm much more able to let go of the author's awful sense of physical strength and into the world of power levels and Kamehameha wars.

Love Hitrollka. Also, I surprisingly like Zushi, who's so damn artless and earnest. And upset about losing his juice.

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* New OP visuals and ED song. The new ED isn't as good, but I appreciate that it fades in as the narrator gives us the outro.

* The logistics of the Battle Tower make no sense at all and I refuse to think harder about it to try to justify it and/or poke holes in it.

* Killua saying Zushi's stance has no holes in it is pretty cringe-worthy.

* Loved that Zushi was the betting favorite vs Killua. Something about that really amuses me.
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Ehh it's hard to say how physically powerful they were before the zoldyck stuff.

I always interpreted that they were already beyond normal human limits, just not to any particular extreme.
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they appear to be well beyond human limits, but in zoldyck, they struggle to pick up cups that are outright stated to be 20kg in weight, and they are barely able to stand while wearing 50kg vests. so they are literally weaker than most average adult men.

now that ki has been introduced i'm de-canonizing that part of the show in my brain though
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Looking up the manga the weights are the same but there's only 2 pages spent on it and there are no reactions to actually trying to move the stuff.

So you can literally decanonize their struggles!
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Episode 29

Recap: Wing awakens the Ren in Gon and Killua and teaches them how to use Ten, the defensive ki ability. They bypass Hisoka and sign up for their fights. Gon begins his fight.

Well that felt anticlimactic. I'm really hoping that some sort of price is paid for Wing's taking the "aggressive" route in awakening Gon/Killua's. But realistically, I don't think it's gonna happen.

The new enemy's DANCING TOPS move is pretty embarrassing. That said, he lacks a face and legs, so it's pretty obvious that he and his fellow gimmick villains aren't really meant to be taken too seriously.

Just glad that the plot moved forward here. I'm glad that Gon threw caution to the winds about Wing's two-month warning. Also, Wing's lighthearted facepalm when he finds out is probably his most likable moment yet.

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* The anime has Gon constantly with a sweat drop. Lots of sweating this episode.

* Suffice it to say that HxH has not exactly had good female characters, but the constant enthusiastic announcer girls have been amusing me. This one gets really upset that Gon and Killua don't care much about about reaching this level.

* "Welcome to the 200s."
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The fan base is very enthusiastic about nen. But I don't really think it's that special =x
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I don't know if the very concept of nen is amazing, but it's used way more consistently and appeals to the logos than something like Naruto's chakra "system" which is never really mentioned or utilized.
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Episodes 29-34

Recap: Gon is defeated by Gido and takes a two-month break from Nen. Hisoka defeats and kills an opponent who has a doppelganger technique. After learning to use Gyo, focusing their Ren into their eyes, Gon and Killua run the Welcome Committee gauntlet, racking up three wins apiece.

Okay, the Welcome Committee is a joke. The fact that each member is defined solely by a gimmick makes it slightly insulting that they've lasted this long and that they made it to the 200s. But in fairness, they're reasonably fun to beat up, especially the guy who thinks that using the more-dakka technique with electrocuted whips will somehow let him beat Gon or Killua. For some reason he gets to fight both of them, and... yeah.

Gon continues to be fantastic. The scene where he closes his eyes and dodges Gido's tops is phenomenal - the guy fucking loves to fight. Despite his obvious enthusiasm - more than once, Gon is trembling with excitement - he actually obeys Wing and stays off Nen for a while. Couldn't believe that he actually didn't watch Hisoka's fight but that we as viewers were shown it. Gon isn't passive - he does charge in after Leorio, who tries to tell him not to - but sometimes a protagonist is defined as a protagonist almost solely by their impatience and inability to listen to instructions. Gon is different, and that humility (Also, Killua's jealous of Gon's ability to heal, lol.) I also love his rough-and-tumble fighting style of just using his incredible arm strength to wreck people brutally and efficiently. When Gon gets mad, it's an event - dude literally breaks a cripple's prosthetic.

Zushi is freaking adorable and I love the way he gets jealous of G/K's ability to surpass him. Wonder what his arc will be. If Gon hasn't really aged up by the end of the anime, Zushi will definitely not become a player by the end, alas.

Hisoka's fight is almost mind-numbing due to how long everyone pauses and talks (and man, the cliche attitude taken by his opponent is... not great), and his postmortem of it is also long and arduous to sit through. However, the actual action is quite neat, and the explanation really shows you how cool Nen can be. Hisoka LOSES HIS FREAKING ARMS and still dominates the fight afterward... apparently. It's only in the debrief that we find out he was vulnerable, and that all of that showboating actually served a purpose for him. (It was clear that the showboating served a purpose, but it was still kind of miserable to watch. The crowd being awed by Hisoka's math trick is arguably the worst moment of the Heaven's Arena arc so far.)

Plus, the healing specialist is interesting - it appears that Hisoka is infiltrating the Phantom Troupe for some reason. She clearly is repulsed by Hisoka but is in awe of his abilities. Hisoka explains why his Bungee Gum and Texture Surprise techniques are named after his childhood, and she repeatedly tells him, "I didn't need to know that." The Nen stitching is great, too. As Wing makes clear, everyone's Nen capabilities will be different. The four basic tenets are only amino acids in what will become some fascinating Nen protein chains.

We leave this arc with Hisoka throwing down the gauntlet to Gon. This is way ahead of schedule so it probably won't happen, but it's still very exciting.
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* Still LOVING the visual style with which the anime shows us new techniques, even if they suck. TORNADO TOP, TIGER BITE FIST (arguably enough to show you he's a Yamcha type), SHOTGUN BLUES, THE TWIN SNAKES: THUNDER SNAKES.

* The ED is really growing on me thanks to the outtros - I love the introductory scenes of Gon with Ging in the background, followed by Killua with his brother, Kurapika with the spider, and Leorio with academia. Captivating images. The OP is also growing on me - Stockholm Syndrome is great.

* Gon "chose to use Ren to inflict more psychological damage." Aw yeah.

* Love the way training Gyo works here, similar to in the exam arc - there's a very concrete goal of being able to perceive Hisoka's Nen. Hisoka's intimidating power again drives our characters' improvement in a measurable way. So great.

* Liking Wing more now that he's not using inner monologue as much. After the two months pass, he's quite reasonable about letting Gon/Killua fight. The one-side-untucked look is great, too.

* "I'll stop your bleeding first." Somehow Hisoka was bleeding this entire time until he got sutured...?

* "I was lying. It was an amazing fight."

* Can't fucking believe we got put on a cliffhanger for Kurapika for four episodes - he got his license stolen already - and that I'm actually okay with it! Also awesome - that he's learning independently about Nen. Killua is the one who's told that his Hunter Exam hasn't ended for real...!
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SeabassDebeste posted...

The four basic tenets are only amino acids in what will become some fascinating Nen protein chains.

A+ analogy
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Episodes 35-36: Gon vs Hisoka

Recap: Nen mythology deepens, as Gon finally learns Hatsu and discovers that he is an Enhancer. He uses his knowledge of Nen and his new strength to land a hit on Hisoka, but Hisoka breaks him down and wins the fight 11-4. After returning the 44 badge to Hisoka, Gon leaves Heaven's Arena.

Okay, so the six different types of Nen Aura are hilariously goofy. I love the Water Divination, and I love Hisoka's description of personality types with innate alignments (and that he acknowledges they're BS). But man, those six "different" alignments just sound like Michael Scott's "four types of business: tourism, food service, railroads, and sales. And hospitals, slash manufacturing... and air travel. (

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwnERfIRVXY" data-time="&start=82) The mythology is super-cool and the effectiveness of it will obviously be determined by how well these auras are eventually executed, but "special" is literally one of the categories they presented. "Oh."

That said, it's already paying dividends. Wing uses uses this framework to explain exactly how Hisoka's doppelganger opponent overextended his Nen, thus rendering him unable to process Hisoka's Nen. Good stuff. It also proves to be the true end of the Hunter Exam, which appropriately feels way more fitting, if less ceremonial!

Props to the show for jumping right the fuck in with Hisoka and Gon. Hisoka is beautifully fluid in action - I'm not a fan of his super-effeminate appearance, but damned if he doesn't move with visual, physical grace, like a damn leopard. His obsession with Gon is gross and nearly explicitly sexual at this point - I'll admit I cracked the fuck up at "SCHWING!" - but damned if it's not fun to watch the duo actually interact. I like trash talking during fights, but not so much when they're in a public stage, which is why I had an issue with the previous Hisoka fight. However, Hisoka takes some time to explain his Bungee Gum technique to Gon, which is great. Also, telling Gon to look right and then smashing him with a rock - "Oops, I meant my right" - is probably Hisoka's first intentionally funny moment.

Gon continues to be a really great hero here. We already know of his purity and determination, but the relevant detail here is that Gon is able to pursue Hisoka monomaniacally, achieve his goal of punching Hisoka in the face, and then lose the fight... and then let go. Hisoka has dominated Gon's psyche for months, from the moment he first snatched Gon out of the air by his throat, but with his "debt" repaid, Gon declines to obsess over catching Hisoka in strength. Instead, he's able to move on. Obviously Hisoka will be back, as he'll be at the auction, and it will be Hisoka's fixation on Gon that brings them back into conflict, however much later it is.

Really good stuff overall.
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* Poor Zushi is the top one per cent of the top one per cent of the top one per cent ("a one in one hundred thousand talent," says Wing.) But Killua and Gon leave him in the dust, because they're the top one per cent of the top one per cent of the top one per cent among Gon's class ("one in ten million talents.") I'm sad for Zushi, OSU.

* Speaking of which, for all Killua's too-cool-for-school twelve-year-old attitude, he is never once dismissive or mocking of Zushi. So wholesome.

* Nice touch to have the people questioning the referee, followed by the referee telling us that he's not corrupt, but rather that he was looking to protect the fighters. He'll never, ever reappear, but that little snippet shows us that the guy might have saved Gon's life. Which reminds me of a character that I thought might become important, but didn't - the bullied ship-hand who was not affected by the storm and who got tossed overboard in Episode 1. If he hadn't been tough enough not to be affected by the storm, but too weak not to fall overboard, then Gon/Kurapika/Leorio might never have become friends.

* There's a very prominent enemy in the OP/ED who outranks even Hisoka. This has to be the Phantom Troupe Leader, right? We're clearly headed there.

* Neither Gon nor Killua disputes that Transmuters - like Killua - are fickle and dishonest. I liked that.

* Didn't need to see Hisoka butt-naked in front of a wall of windows.
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I've been reading along since I too am watching Hunter x Hunter 2011, although I've been watching it as Toonami airs it so only one episode a week, but I've really been enjoying seeing your thoughts so far.

I wasn't sure what to think of it at first, but it's continually impressed me and become probably one of my favorite shows as time has gone on. Forget when it started to click with me... probably the 5v5 match during the Hunter Exam? You're coming up on what's been my favorite arc so far though so hype. (The arc I'm currently watching though is starting to make a run at it though.)
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Love that fight. I watched it in the 2011 version that you are seeing yesterday in anticipation for your write up... but I'm actually a bit disappointed.

The actual fight choreography is just as good as I remember from the 1999 version, and obviously it's animated much better, but the fight didn't feel like it means quite as much... especially giving the badge back. Along with Gon stealing it to begin with, Gon giving it back is one of the defining moments of the series for me that I always think of when I think about HxH, but... he just kinda gave it back with no emphasis in this version. Maybe that works in it's own lowkey way... but it's not how I remember it!

This is the fight from the 1999 anime. It's interesting to see how different choices are made both in character design and in how the scene is presented by the characters. Unfortunately, I can only find a decent quality version that goes up to giving the badge back... I don't know where I can find the second half of the fight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIwK1R3jIIs" data-time="

Also, probably TMI, I was a teenager when I watched this and had a huge crush on Machi, the girl that fixes Hisoka's arms. She seems a lot different in this version - her body type seems thinner and her hair was more purple compared to pinkish. 1999 Machi was very similar to Sheena Fujibayashi from Tales of Symphonia who i also had a big crush on and came out at the same time I watched this...but that resemblance seems gone in this version.
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How many episodes did it take to get from Hisoka punching Gon to Gon punching Hisoka in the 1999 anime? In many ways, TV shows can become stronger through repetition, and their myth arcs feel higher-stakes when they have epic time-scales attached.

If you're saying that it was a bigger deal in 1999, then I absolutely believe you. This seemed important for Gon, but it didn't feel like the climax of the show at all. Fantastic in its own right as a moment and obviously tremendous for Gon, but not necessarily what the whole show has built toward. In my writeup I'm a little surprised that we're leaving Heaven's Arena with relative brevity - I imagine it doesn't feel that way if you're going at the 1999 pace?

I have only one case where I've seen a long and a short version - FMA. And I can say that Hughes's death feels much more intense to me in the 2003 anime - a lot of it is simply screen time.

I'll try to watch that vid when I finish the series. Don't want to be spoiled by related videos.
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The extended filler of the 1999 anime has been a bit overstated in this topic - there were a couple extra tests added to the Hunter Exam and a bit more stuff for them to actually get to the Hunter Exam but it's not that different. This fight was in episodes 41 and 42 out of 92 episodes in the 1999 anime versus episodes 35 and 36 out of 148 in the 2011 anime.

The difference in total episodes isn't really due to either anime stretching things out or compressing things - it's just that a major arc and a couple smaller ones were animated in the 2011 anime that weren't part of the manga yet when the 1999 anime was made.

It's too bad GameFAQs embedding of youtube videos is small for some reason.... it makes it just unwatchable enough that you really gotta just click through it to the actual youtube page. I wonder why they did it that way...

Anyway, I don't necessarily think it was the climax of the show - it was just presented in a way that made it feel more epic. That anime made a few stylistic choices in the flow of the fight overall and how that moment was actually presented to make it feel bigger. Any scene can be memorable if it's done really well, even if it's not technically an "important" scene.
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Gotta see 99's 2nd/3rd opening because they do that arc way more justice.
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Episodes 37-38: Back to Whale Island

Recap: Gon and Killua head to Gon's home, where they enjoy domestic and pastoral bliss. Mito shares her stories about Ging - including a box that Ging left for Gon. In it are a recording, a ring, and a data card. The recording is a challenge to Gon and a blatant statement that Ging does not want to see Gon. The memory card is for a game that Killua dispatches his brother to track down. After resting up, the duo set back off ... to the auction.

Episode 37 is incredible. The images of the happy Gon and Killua, unburdened by life, just relaxing and playing and having heart-to-hearts about their lack of peers, in the grass at night by a fire under the unimaginable vastness of the Milky Way... it makes me yearn for something I don't know if I've ever known. One of my favorite parts of the series, even though it's divorced from the action and adventure that define it.

Mito is kind of a shell of a character. But she fits such a familiar, motherly archetype, and now that we know Gon, she feels really solid. Her sharing her Ging stories is sweet, made all the better by the grandma interjecting, who seems to remember only the more embarrassing parts of Mito's history. It's neat that Gon gives her his unconditional support - unlike so many of these stories, he's not particularly interested in his biological mother at all. (Though I'm guessing he has some buyer's remorse about pausing that tape and eliminating any chance of learning about her...)

Not particularly psyched about the find-Ging myth arc. I don't think it has any chance of being resolved by the end of the anime, and the "I don't want you to find me" angle pretty much confirms that. I'm just glad that the path is converging back to Yorknew City in either case.

I don't understand how Killua's brother turned out like that, growing up in that household. Yeesh.

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* Loved the joke where you obviously have to open the box using Nen, but Gon thinks that Killua's referring to the Hunter's License card. Except then they open the box with Nen... and Gon does have to use his Hunter's License card!

* That heart-to-heart talk, so good. Gon reveals that Killua is his first friend, too, and Killua tells Gon that he is trying to find himself. Killua is embarrassed by the conversation. Feels like he wants to add a quick "no homo."

* "I figured my mom was probably dead." / "That's pretty harsh!"

* The intro narration bounces from Nen briefly back to the "Hunters" spiel for one episode to hype Gon's pursuit of Ging. Good stuff.

* Killua's brother's otaku masturbation-cave and potato-chip-eating made me uncomfortable as fuck. Feels like the road not taken for me.
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SeabassDebeste posted...

Feels like he wants to add a quick "no homo."

Yeah I don't think a lot of certain elements of the fanbase believe that lmao

Well he wants to say that but does he mean it
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SeabassDebeste posted...

Episode 37 is incredible. The images of the happy Gon and Killua, unburdened by life, just relaxing and playing and having heart-to-hearts about their lack of peers, in the grass at night by a fire under the unimaginable vastness of the Milky Way... it makes me yearn for something I don't know if I've ever known. One of my favorite parts of the series, even though it's divorced from the action and adventure that define it.

Yeah, some of my previous posts have alluded to this, but if there's one thing I love about HxH, it's this feeling. Well put.
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Episodes 39-40: Kurapika's Story

Recap: Kurapika trains in Nen, then looks for an employer who will take him in so he can work the Yorknew Auction. This involves meeting a motley crew of gimmicky fellow hunters and surviving an escape-the-room activity, featuring planted fake-applicants.

It's nice seeing what Kurapika is up to, but real talk, these weren't good episodes. I think seeing the equivalent lessons in Nen for Kurapika - almost entirely done off screen - would have been far more fun than seeing Kurapika style all over the deceiving Nen guys. And ugly-girl-with-overbite, kissing-girl-with-clevage, haiku-redneck-with-vest-open... these guys are not great.

Look at the way we're introduced to the kiss-girl and the redneck-guy. She starts off as a bodyguard for another character and demonstrates her mind-blowing 180 MINUTE LOVE SLAVE power, which already pretty much rules her out in as a "traditional" character type, and it proves insanely effective... and then her boss dismisses her. That's just a poorly thought out idea, man. Then you have redneck-guy. The haikus aren't translating, and you have a scene where for some reason bullets can't hit him - iffy in a show where "real physics" still seem to play a role. Go full DBZ and just have characters move faster than bullets, or have Nen make their skin impenetrable, or something. Anyway, the scene doesn't make a whole lot of sense and doesn't serve much of a purpose.

Rabbit-teeth has by far the most potential - she's quiet and perceptive and wants to know what's up instead of showing off, but her character design is so bad. Argh.

I understand the need for gimmicks to distinguish characters and give them color, but spending this much time with one actually dynamic character (and the least dynamic among the core four) is rough. Even a guy like Zushi would have helped a lot.

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* Apparently you can decipher a memory card to recreate a game. Who knew.

* This episode in techniques: DOWSING RING - THE GUIDING FINGER CHAIN and GREAT HAIKUIST - WANDERING HAIKU POET.
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Going at a good pace!

I think everything starring Kurapika is just the best. I love my intellectual heroes.
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Kurapika PoV the best yeah.

SeabassDebeste posted...

her character design is so bad

How so? I thought her character was quite effectively designed.
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Episodes 41-42: Arriving in Yorknew City

Recap: G/K arrive in Yorknew City and attempt to make money. They hook up with Leorio and try other ways. Kurapika arrives as well and discovers that he won't be working directly for his client, who's a psychic, teenage girl. Meanwhile, the Phantom Trouple assembles.

I like Kurapika. But he's so cerebral and internal that it's tough watching him as the sole POV character. The red eyes alone don't do it. Light needed L. Kurapika needs a real foil (and pairing him with Leorio was great for him). Anyway, this pair of episodes is way more interesting to see - the bodyguard who's trapped in the painting for betraying the family is particularly gruesome.

Gon and Killua's role here doesn't advance the plot beyond meeting up with Leorio, but it's the slice-of-life/comedic stuff that I love once I am invested in the characters. They astutely realize that it's often best to make money by using the money you already have... and their strategy is to buy and flip stuff online on sketchy websites. Love the argument afterward about sketchy sites, and telling Leorio, "we made a few bad investments..." And Leorio helping them to shop cell phones, totes adorbs. The arm-wrestling contest is pure silliness and not as clever, but still enjoyable.

The Phantom Troupe, as you'd expect, consists of some bland and some interesting. The savage giant seems pretty straightforward, and then there's the two guys who get into a brawl and are obviously gonna be rando extras. Sweater-girl with the massive boobs seems likable enough. Based on the order in which they appear in the closing credits, I'm guessing the guileless-looking blond kid is going to be pretty high-ranking. Hisoka and the leader are guaranteed hits and I'm excited to see Hisoka's plan. That scene where he quietly scouts the other quiet troupe members... oh yes.

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* We've entirely dropped the intro narration from episodes now, and I fucking love the change.

* That interactive Nen video game - so cool.

* Neon is a funny character, but she might be destined for a similar role to every other female character so far.

* Classic Leorio, thinking Ten is all of Nen. The show was fine without him, but it's nice having hi back in the fold!

* ANGELIC AUTO WRITING - LOVELY GHOSTWRITER

* Really like the animation in the background as overbite-girl describes the DARK SONATA. She will be a player to come.

* The Phantom Troupe apparently uses Greyjoy logic: "Buying and bidding would be wrong. We're thieves - if we want something, we TAKE IT!"
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