Okay. I’m going to be a fanboy now. You see, this episode in the first season was my favorite Hunter X Hunter episode ever, outside of the Yorkshin arc. If I blogged it, it would have gotten a fantastic rating, and quite possibly even higher. There was no way in which this episode of the second season would surpass it. This entry will probably go a lot more in-depth than usual about the differences between the two adaptations. I know that these are two adaptations and should be judged as such. But I still consider this version to be inferior.
There first is of course the matter of the animation budget. That was probably the biggest disappointment of this episode. I rewatched this episode, and there Nippon animation really went all out. The art perhaps wasn’t consistent, but the way in which the characters moved around was incredibly dynamic. Here? We got several still shots of a fountain, and suddenly three hours pass. It’s a shame: apparently the producers seem too focused on making Hisoka look scary in that episode, but here they really passed up a chance. In fact, the animation in this episode looked too much like they just coloured in the manga pages, and had the animators put a bit of movement into them.
On top of that, there was the dialogue: some was the same, but the most disturbing parts were cut. In the first series’ version, Hanzo also disabled Gon’s eyesight and ears. It was completely disturbing to see how Gon was slowly being beaten to a pulp, and also how Hanzo described everything in the slightest details. Here, the dialogue was much more childish. However, I do admit that it was quite intense for a while.
And when, when Gon put up his anti-climax, something felt missing. Animating isn’t just about moving things around, it’s also about bringing things to life. It’s here where the way in which Gon immediately recovering from the poison dart starts to bite back: he’s not the fragile child he used to be in the first series. The first season really made it look like he was in pain. This was much more cartoonish. It didn’t really look like Gon was in pain when he stood up.
What also starts to bite back, is the lack of characterization on Hanzo. What I loved about him was that he wasn’t a major player in this story anyway: he was just a skilled warrior who also wanted to get his hunter’s exam, and completely disappeared from the story afterwards. And yet the first season treated him seriously. In this episode though, the acting of this guy was wooden. He just had two moods: quirky and serious. There was no subtle difference in it. It’s interesting: the dialogue between the two is similar at a lot of points, but this episode felt so barren, compared all of the little details that the first series put into it (everyone laughing at Hanzo’s blood nose, for example, or Hisoka laughing at Gon’s stubbornness, which made him much more than the usual psychotic clown). This is also why I pay so much attention at the people who are going to be adapting source material: the mentality that the creators are in when they depict their characters has a lot of effects on how well the source material is translated. Having good source material of course also is very important (heck, this episode remains very good either way), but it’s not the only thing.
What I also think played a part here was the use of the music. Like, the point where Gon kicked down Hanzo when he used that strange handstand of his: the music immediately started to play this out of place upbeat tune that somehow ruined the mood, rather than building up for it. Scenes that should have progressed slowly to build up an atmosphere suddenly had fast-pacing drums accompany them. It all just… didn’t fit here.
I understand that in this season, this episode could have just been building up to something. I did recognize how Killua was much less supportive of Gon, and I can imagine that this jealousy of Gon is going to play a major theme later. But heck, I’m being a fanboy here. Like I said above: this episode was my absolute favorite outside of the Yorkshin arc, and I am a bit sad to just see it delegated to buildup episode. I’ve got the same fears of the Yorkshin arc: I closely rewatched the original episode this time for some good comparison, and the dialogue was cut at a lot of points. The best thing about the Yorkshin arc was how well the dialogue was written.
And I know that I’ve been one-sidedly praising the first season. Don’t worry. Next arc will be the opposite. It’s there where the first season just dragged on for too much and took way too long to get going. That arc was why I ended up rating the first season of Hunter X Hunter relatively low, and where this new adaptation will really set itself apart. I admit though: I am completely biased. I know that it’s very annoying when people start talking about how differences in adaptations, and I apologize for that. This week though, my inner fanboy just couldn’t hold itself in.
Rating: * (Good)
The next arc is the one with that tower and Killua and Gon, right?
I really liked this episode too. I don’t remember the old episode, but I remember it was oppressive. This was kinda fun to watch, just like the new series in general. The older one was dark and serious, where this one is light and fun. Although you have to admit that the 1999 version dragged something fierce – wikipedia tells me this happened in the episode 27.
And about the art… are you serious? HxH didn’t air in 1995 or earlier! Episode 27 aired in 2000, the same time as the late episodes of Cardcaptor Sakura.
And I’ve checked the manga for the blind and deaf thing… You don’t watch much shonen anime past first few episodes, but that sort of trick is a big tired cliche of the genre. They even pulled it in Prince of Tennis, of all things. Unsurprisingly, this episode really is almost frame by frame… well, it’s a tad stretched out to fit the entire episode, so in the manga Gon wins even faster.
*28, not 27
I’m indeed not talking about the art, but the animation. The one thing that this series does have more is consitency indeed, but I’d rather have movement than consistent drawings.
I’d rather have both *hides*
I indeed prefer a compromise here.
the next arc is the rescue killua from his parents arc. . .and yes that one DID drag a lot in the first series. . . and really psgels I’m pretty sure that everyone reading this blog has seen the first series of hunter hunter, and if not, they can go check it out for using the ol google. anca, yes the whole “status effect is used in other shounen, but in the first series the effects actually MEANT something, and they emphasized them there, I mean as a view you really felt Gon’s pain, not like some dragonball caricature where they say “oh you got X status you should be almost dead” and the guy just gets back up in 2 seconds like hes not hurt at all. . .
and comparing hxh to. . .prince of tennis. . . -.- seriously.
I wasn’t comparing them, lol, I just meant it’s used a lot. And it’s taken very seriously in each case. Even in PoT it was used in its figurative final boss fight for maximum drama. They mean something everywhere, but, well, eh
You know that cliche that was fine the first time, ok sure the second time and then annoying the tenth time?
And I do remember that episode being painful to watch, so I don’t disagree.
Not ALL of us have watched the original series. This is my first time, for example.
Same for me. I haven’t watch the first series. Don’t want to.
I watched the episode and thought it was great! The scenes of Gon beating up were tense and painful to watch.
Then I came to read the review and saw that psgels thinks it’s not as good compared to the first, so I went back and watched the old version.
Here are my views.
1. Killua’s jealousy is more apparent in the new version. In the first one he actively helps Gon out, and then swears to avenge Gon should he be killed.
This difference is pretty big, and I think the new one is highlighting a tension that will come to play later.
2. Animation. I really liked how they animated Gon’s movements in the old one; it was more dynamic and interesting to watch, and yeah the scenes seemed to have more movement. The part where Hanzo is going on to his one finger stand, the close ups of his hands revealed the tension and exertion required and I thought that was great.
3. Old version had a lot more talking in it and explained why Gon rated so high.. I’m not sure that was needed really and perhaps treats the viewer as not being smart enough to get it.
4. I preferred how the match ended in the old version.
Overall, I think that the new Hunter episode is pretty great as it is, but watching another version will help you to see the different ways that certain scenes could have been done better.
From what I’ve been hearing the characters in the new version act in a way that is more consistent to the manga which has a bearing on later arcs, so how they portrayed the reactions is better in the long run.
Gon never lost sight or hearing from Hanzo in the manga… That was filler in the old series and in my opinion too over indulgent and made Hanzo unsympathetic. Gon’s weakness is one his most predominant characteristics along with his stubborness and naivety. His weakness is his greatest insecurity, later on in the series it comes into major play. To quote Gon in Greed Island “I’m tired of always being on the losing end!”
His stubborness counteracts his inept lack of strength with an unbridled will and pride. Gon wants to be something more, he doesnt know exactly what, but just ‘more’. This episode truly begins to show that and airing immediately after an episode in which he breaks down in tears because of his weakness is just perfect. Gon is not your average shonen hero and this series understands it more than the previous (that doesnt make the old series bad, it just misses the point in my opinion) did.
This story isnt about a boy searching for his father it is a story of a boy who grew up without a father, without guidance, searching for himself, searching for who he is and who he will be. This episode is the first hint at the things to come. I for one am very pleased with the accuracy of this series and its attention to detail in creating the HxH universe and the characters within it.
It seems whether you like it or not, this new version is following the manga much more closely, which is usually regarded as a good thing…
But since you didnt read the manga, your complaints make sense
Not sure how this ever became your favorite episode though… Theres nothing special about it, other than it highlighting just how stubborn Gon is… Theres plenty of better stuff later on
@psgels
Most of the good dialogue in the Yorknew City arc is directly from the manga, so don’t worry about it being cut. This episode actually followed the manga very well in the 2011 series. Episode 28 of the 1999 series added in a lot of scenes, such as the ones of Gon being brutalized. He has a higher tolerance for pain in this series, so keep that in mind.
Though it might help you to view this episode in another light. This was Gon’s final trial on his path to become a Hunter and it ended in anticlimax. The most important thing in the episode wasn’t the fight itself or the scenes of Gon being tortured, but Gon’s mindset. What the 1999 series didn’t do well in is allowing the viewer to criticize Gon–you’re too busy pitying him and rooting for him.
Though Gon won this fight, think about the circumstances upon which he did win. He seems a little less valiant and a little more irresponsible in this version, which is very important.
This remake copies the manga panel for panel … there’s no crime being committed here. Well except the music, I think we can all agree it’s been trash since the beginning.
Though I’ll agree the 99 version seems overall to have been done better than the original manga so far … so … who knows. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, I treat this entire remake as a nice supplemental thing …
I’m sorry but I disagree. This soundtrack in my opinion is astonishing and perfectly timed. I’d appreciate you didnt speak for everyone next time. You can listen to the OST on youtube (someone uploaded the tracks) and it by and large perfectly sets the mood that the new series is trying to go for; adventurous, fun and above all it captures the spirit of discovery (the thrill of hunting).
It seems to be pretty even split with how people are taking the new series. Fans of the manga love it and notice the little things that will come into play later and fans of the older series miss the filler that gave the minor characters more depth and the completely different atmosphere (different to both the manga and new series).
There is no right or wrong guys, i loved the original FMA and I loved FMAB for what they were and that is different beings all together.
Yeah, no, fan of the manga and not liking the new HxH at all. Don’t have to be a fan of the old series to see that the direction was superior than the current HxH.
So a pretty much panel for panel adaption of the manga is not as good direction as the very liberal 99 adaptation? Im not sure whether that was a knock at the manga, but I really disagree, the new series carries the mangas spirit, something the old series did not even attempt to do.
I get the feeling you just dont understand what is meant by direction. Take a look at when Gon gets Hisokas badge in the original compared to the new series, the direction was shockingly bad in the old series of that scene.
You may be a fan of the manga but to call this adaptation poorly directed is akin to saying that the older series was better directed than Togashi’s own manga.
Jeff: my question to that is: why is being closer to the manga automatically better? This is supposed to be told as an anime, and as an anime, I consider the first series to be superior. Or at least, so far after 19 episodes. I can’t say anything yet for the rest of the series.
I didnt say that it makes it automatically better. But having followed this manga for nearly a decade and grown to love these characters, it brings me nothing but sheer joy to see it adapted more accurately than the original series which ive always considered to be something of an anomaly in the franchise. It was so far from the spirit and atmosphere of the manga and in my opinion change what made hunter x hunter so good (hence why it failed to capture an audience in Japan and why the new series is a smash hit over there). Im just happy to see an anime of hunter x hunter that feels like it actually is hunter x hunter, the older series just didnt understand what hunter x hunter really is about and it is considered by many to be one of the worst adaptations of all time, so much so that if youve ever spoken to any otaku over in Japan they dont even like to acknowledge its existence. Sure it was different an had some redeeming qualities but hunter x hunter it was not.
I’m not a fan on the manga – I haven’t read it at all save for two chapters correlated to an episode while watching this new series.
I liked the old series a lot, but like this new series better – it removed all the small things that irked me, like Leorio getting held back by diarrhea, the blind/deaf thing, the needless stretching of things and all of those ‘let’s create tension!’ extras added. I also like that Gon doesn’t seem one those typical shonen heroes with half a braincell in this version.
Well, it’s pretty obvious when someone says ‘all’ in regard to taste, he doesn’t literally mean all, that would be ridiculous with 7 billion people around, you’re bound to have some discord somewhere, about whatever. No, where he said ‘all can agree’, he just means ‘the vast majority’, as you should have been able to comprehend. For the rest he was pretty much spot on: the OST sucks. Ok, maybe not for you, but for 80% of the rest of the populace. They have about 2-3 good ones of the 20+ musicscores they have; the rest is mediocre, and some are outright bad. But even worse: they are often ill-fitting for the scenes shown. If one does not feel nor understand that you do not put march music at the start of an intense one-to-one battle, then one is hopeless.
While it’s true both adaptations have their good and bad parts, I do not agree that ‘all is equal’. There IS right or wrong. It’s only that individually, you can’t argue one way or another, because when it comes to taste, it’s subjective. But you can still make an assessment based on statistics, and in that regard the parent poster wasn’t wrong when he said ‘all (aka; vast majority)) can agree the OST sucks’.
“All or the vast majority can agree that the original HxH anime sucked” also applies, at least for Japanese fans.
I honestly doubt “80%” agree that the new OST is bad. Or even nearly as many as the majority of Japanese fans in the example above.
This is flawed reasoning.
The OST recently released in CD and Digital form in Japan and sold a shitload of copies. You are essentially saying that you would prefer they did the same old musical arrangements we have heard for years, instead of what they are doing which is bringing something new to the genre. You only think it doesnt ‘fit’ because you are just comparing what other shonen do in the same situations. Do yourself a favour and check out the OST on youtube, it is beautiful and perfectly suits Hunter x Hunter.
HXH 2011 – colored manga with god awful background music.
Wow what a well informed comment. Please do us all a favour and shut your mouth if you cannot even back up the shit you are spouting.
Id love to hear you back up your comment Mike. Explain yourself if you would be so kind.
Mike is entitled to his opinion, so I don’t know who you think you’re representing when you say “do us a favour and shut your mouth”
Sure, ask him to expand on his reasons, but I don’t think had to be so rude about it, just because his opinion is different from yours.
His comment was rude. Please explain Mike.
Ugh, I know. The new OST really grates on my nerves.
Care to explain?
The new OST fits the series perfectly, and is very pleasant to listen to. ‘Trash’? I’m not sure why people worship the old OST that much. It served its purpose, but it honestly wasn’t anything special. I don’t remember a single track of it, aside from maybe a few notes of the opening.
A lot of people don’t like it (me included), because it sounds really generic to them. What kind of an explanation are you looking for?
Generic in what way? There are some incredible musical arrangements here and some exotic instruments that sound absolutely unique. I suggest you listen to some of the tracks on youtube because its a beautiful soundtrack. The most memorable is probably the instant classics like ‘world of adventurers’, ‘hisokas theme’, ‘genei ryodan theme’, ‘boys be courageous’ and ‘mystic land’. Its a mindblowing soundtrack that features multiple tracks with various moods and the ability to pull off any atmosphere needed in a certain scene. Simply put this OST is a classic!
whether you like or dislike the music in and of itself is a matter of taste.
whether said music is used well within the boundaries of its medium is a whole ‘nother story.
refer to psgels attack on the use of music in this series for my opinion.
I just fail to understand why many dislike the new series’ OST. I know, preferences and all, but in my eyes, it makes no sense.
Because its all too upbeat and used in inappropriate places. When a kid is getting beaten to a pulp, non-stop drums played in an upbeat manner do nothing to help increase the tension in the scene.
The OST used in the older one used a fast paced urgent sound when Gon was moving around to stay out of Hanzos range, both demonstrating Hanzos superiority and Gons + Cos clear shock at him being utterly outclassed.
Just with the music it accomplished this, which when combined with the animation and lighting made the whole episode feel very tense and nerve-wracking, which helped make the scene where Gon lightens the mood in the room stronger and more emotional. The new version doesn’t even compare.
This has got the Brotherhood feel all over it with fans just jumping out to say that because it follows the manga closely that automatically means it better. They don’t seem to notice the stupidly fast pacing which skips things( Hello Kite, how will we introduce you properly in the Chimaera Ant arc now!), along generic and awkwardly used OSTs which can almost ruin important scenes at times.
Anime is its own medium and can contribute/improve things the manga may have done. Shou Tucker from FMA being a clear example of this by making him respectable and something of a father figure, to reveal a gruesome twist. Treating anime as the manga except colored is the wrong way to go about it
But you’re exaggerating here. Or maybe you’ve seen the old version far too recently: most fans wouldn’t remember that much detail. The first version of this episode aired over ten years ago!
And unlike the first season of FMA, the original HxH didn’t go anywhere. The last installments – Greed Island – were awful. The first FMA told a story different to that of that manga, with its own themes and atmosphere, with a message it wanted to convey, while HxH wanted to tell exactly the same story as the lighthearted manga, but darker and edgier, managing to lose sight of itself along the way. If they actually used the beginning to tell their own story like FMA, well, that would have been one thing. But they didn’t.
But keep holding that anime up to the pedestal it doesn’t deserve. It’s not the best shonen and not the most original, and although it’s indeed one of the darker ones, it has characters that don’t fit its setting at all – not that this sort of thing disturbs me, but it does many. You either want the complete story or the old anime, the two are incompatible.
Was the old anime better? Very likely, up to a point. Does this new version do a good job telling the story? Yes, very much so. Why must these two ideas be incompatible?
Also understand that animating just the rest of the plot would have been exactly like Tsubasa Chronicles and its OVA sequels. Disjointed, with huge plot points missing and with the characterization out of whack, because from what I’ve heard from the readers of the manga HxH was to it what Tsubasa was to its own manga: a horrible adaptation that had some redeeming points – like the music – but missed the tone completely, did not understand its source at all and twisted its characters so out of shape that even CLAMP got fed up and stopped the production, and furthermore they needed to utterly ignore it to write the continuation.
That said, I’m still not convinced about the OST of the old series being that good. The new tracks are memorable – certain pieces play in my mind when I think of the show, and I can’t remember anything of the old one even though I’m a huge fan of OSTs.
Oh, this got long. Sorry.
Amen to that!
Anca: I agree that the first series wasn’t consistent, but the points at which it was good, I really found it really good.
The reason for the inconsistency is much simpler than you seem to suggest, though: it consisted out of one TV-series, followed by three OVAs. Each of which was being adapted by a different staff, who all had different ideas of where to take it. Especially the final Greed OVA got hit with a bad one.
Its not just the fact that there was OVAs. The majority of the inconsistency was in the TV series.
*a few redeeming points for manga readers. I did actually like the original HxH, even if I don’t sound like it, lol.
Btw Asuron, it was stated by Madhouse numerous times that the Kite backstory will be seen at some point between the end of the Hunter Exam and the beginning of the Yorknew City arc. I personally believe we will get a hint of it when Gon asks Satotz about the Hunter license given to him by Kite after the exam and will get the full story when Gon returns to Whale Island (I suspect he will recount the story to Killua). Its going the same route One Piece did with revealing the Shanks backstory and I think thats a perfectly acceptable route to take for an anime adaptation.
Well, in my opinion, this new version’s soundtrack fits the world of HxH more. A dreamy, adventurous, vast world.
It’s perfectly fine by me if people personally don’t like it this way, but they really need to stop saying, especially in everyone’ place, that this soundtrack is bad enough that everyone agrees to call it Trass- /shot
-Ahem. I mean Trash. You and a few people aren’t everyone. :<
I think that the major differences are in the tones between the two scenes. The 1999 series makes this moment extremely emotional. It’s dripping with melodrama, whereas it’s more straightforward and realistic in this version. The 1999 series removes the anticlimactic nature of the fight in order to make it “Gon’s toughest challenge yet,” which isn’t what the scenario is supposed to be.
If you dislike Gon’s actions at all in this episode or he seems more reckless than in the 1999 series, this episode has done its job.
@psgels
A quick question–how do you feel about Gon in this adaptation in comparison to the character in the first series? Especially coming off the cusp of this episode.
For a comparison: the Gon in the first season struck me as a weak and fragile, yet talented boy who wound up in a grown men’s world. The second season for me portrays him a lot more “shounen-ish”: much tougher and able to take hits, a tad more loud-mouthed and impulsive, and a bit less sharp-minded.
It’s very good that you’re getting that impression from Gon, because the subtle ways in which he’s characterized in the manga from here onward will likely be much more pronounced in this version. The payoff should be worth the setup.
I don’t want to give away much, but I will say two things: the creator, Yoshihiro Togashi, believes a series stops becoming “good” if its characters stop developing. He spends a lot of the series slowly revealing more of Gon’s character, who is initially supposed to seem like a stereotypical Shonen hero. This will be far from the case.
Another character you should be paying attention to is Killua. Togashi does something similar with him, but I’ll wait until next week to mention it.
It may sound like I’m alluding to what seems to be an obvious (and cliched) pathway for character development, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. I really do think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the direction it takes.
Err, Gon in the first series wasn’t sharp minded at all. Like, he had half a braincell he sometimes used – never in the filler bits though. I remember this one thing clearly, that I had him pegged with all other shonen protagonists as a loud, annoying brat but very endearing “never give up!” brat way over his head. There’s no way he’d louder in this new version. Just, no way at all.
We have the exact opposite impressions of him relative to the two series. Wow.
Thats how Gon is. See my analysis of his character above.
I don’t see how anyone can say the new Hunter x Hunter is better than the original. I don’t care if it follows the manga more closely or not. The original had something special that the new one doesn’t. The old version had “soul”. The character development just isn’t as tight in the new one. The times when you are meant to feel a certain way about a character are explicitly stated, because it has no other way to make you feel those emotions. The wost part is they know they don’t have soul so they need the characters to explain how you should feel. Very lazy animation too in my view. Just look at how exciting and dynamic the Hanzo vs Gon fight was in the old version. Madhouse should be ashamed…This episode was a train wreck in comparison
The ‘exciting and dynamic’ parts were all filler. You cant blame this version at all when its portraying this fight accurately, just straight up torture to Gon essentially. It didnt need the filler to convey that Gon is stubborn and can survive.
Also I completely disagree on the whole soul thing and that the characters voicr there feelings. Have you got the series the wrong way around? The old series included an unnecessary amount of extra dialogue to make sure you knew how the characters where feeling. Whereas this series has many quiet scenes of noone talking, a good example is Gon on Zevil island simply observing his surroundings. We didnt need to be told OVER and OVER that he is worried how he will get Hisoka’s badge, the look on his face speaks a thousand words.
That is the soul of the new series, these characters feel real. They dont need to say a word, there actions speak more than anything. The old series was devoid of soul in my opinion because it could not develop its characters without a full blown monologue every minute. It ultimately changed what Hunter x Hunter is about and who these characters are supposed to be. That series was doomed from the start, it didnt understand these characters and this world an it died under the weight of poor ratings and heavy criticism from Japanese fans at the time who were left with a bad taste in their mouth from what Nippon did to this series. It never had a chance, because the people making it had no love for the show they were making or the material they were adapting. Sorry but thats just the facts. Various Nippon employees who worked on thr original dont like to acknowledge that fact, the series is widely regarded as being BAD in Japan. But whatever, you like what you like, we like wht we like.
So the “exciting and dynamic” parts were filler…Ok well I only mentioned the fight with Hanzo and Gon…How is that unnecessary filler? If you go back and watch the old series’ fight between the two and the current one you can clearly see the difference. Not once in the entire new series has their been animation that well done yet. However it is true that the old one did in fact have unnecessary dialogue and filler, which is understandable as the manga was still early in its story line, but the filler didn’t “feel” like filler. It built the characters and the audience was allowed to grow to like them. In the new series everything is so rushed. Rushing is great for a manga. Terrible for animation. The whole Hisoka’s badge part is w/e. Not a huge deal in comparison to everything the new series does wrong….and doesn’t prove your point either, since we have a friggen narrator who tells us what we should be thinking at the end of every episode. Who cares if they got that one tiny badge thing right, when everything else is wrong. If you truly think the new series’ has great character development you are out of your mind. These characters don’t feel real at all, and not once did I feel anything for the characters to the same level as the original. So Japan thought it was bad? Ok that isn’t an argument. Where are the facts?…Where are the un-happy fans? Where are they now on the new series. If you don’t know, then that point is irrelevant. They can hate both series equally. The only facts I see here are the old series had better animation, better drawings, better story telling, and yes actual soul. You clearly don’t understand what soul is, and no it is not “real characters”. In short soul can’t be easily explained, it has to be experienced. You are in luck though since I will show you what ‘soul” is. Just compare the time where Leorio and Kuraprica are confronted by Hisoka late in the Hunter Exam for their badges, in the old and new versions. Watch the way Kuraprica unravels his sword and the tone of the scene, in the old version. Compare this to the new version. It speaks for itself really…But hey you like what you like and I like whats actually good. To each his own…
Im sorry but I am convinced that you are an idiot. You can not definitively say it is better just like I cannot deinitively say the new series is better. I think you have not at all backed up any of your points and only bashed the new series for simply accurately adapting the manga (narrator is big part of the manga). Saying the animation is better in the old series is nonsense. The characters were often off model, movement was few and far between and it all in all just looked ugly and unappealing (the complete opposite of the theme of discovering the beauty ofthe world).
Your points are all moot if you cannot even support them with examples or illogical rambles that are clearly coming from someone who is in denial that the japanese remade the series in a way tht many people are enjoying more than the old series.
I’m done with you. You can’t even grasp simple concepts yet I’m the idiot. I am an animator. I didn’t think you had to be one to tell apart good animation from bad animation, but clearly I was wrong. Either you are completely brain dead, or a troll. I can’t force you to agree on which animation was better. If you think bad animation is better than good animation, then good for you. The story does not need a narrator regardless of whether or not the manga has one. Just because a series follows the manga to a T, it doesn’t make it automatically better. Some things are needed more in a manga than in animation. For example, having a text bubble in an animated series instead of actual speech. Although based on your posts you would probably think that’s a good idea. Also, Who is enjoying this series better than the old one? I want a poll. Without a link then you can suck nuts. Simply stating more people are watching can be an issue with time slot, new generation finding it appealing, ect. It does not prove anything regarding which series people liked better. *One more note* Watch the friggen eps where Hanzo and Gon fight (1999). Obviously you are either retarded, or you didn’t see it. Animation “far and few between my ass”, that episodes animation was smooth as hell, and that alone topples any animation seen in the new version thus far.
One more thing….they can keep their new computer enhanced 720p HD drawings. The old ones had style and were MUCH better.
The “anti-climax” moment in this episode exists in the manga, the old anime series and the 2011 edition as well and is more or less unchanged. Personally I think the whole thing is manifestly absurd. Gon gets beat on for 3 hours spewing blood, spit and bile but miraculously recovers during Hanzo’s 40 second monologue.
But still, all things are relative. I thought the old anime series did this particular episode better. The fight was extended and the filler portrayed the brutality inflicted on Gon. Menchi (the examiner) as well as the other contestants’ disgust of the scene added to the gravity of the stuff going down. I think the original (manga) intent behind Gon’s beatdown is to show Gon’s stubbornness, spirit and tenacity – not the sort of shounen-hero-gotta-protect-my-friends tenacity, but almost a kind of irrational self-compulsion. The older series linked Gon’s near-suicidal behavior with his humiliation under the hands of Hisoka. The 2011 version didn’t feel the need to flesh it out and the watcher is to assume it is an inherent part of Gon’s nature. But characterization aside, I think narratively the old anime did this part better and in general it felt a bit more internally consistent, logically and in tone, although of course it still culminates in the “anti-climax” which doesn’t make any sense to me.
Since it appears that discussion has focused on looking at the old and new series holistically, I’d like to speak a few words about that too. Firstly I’d like to comment on “tone”. The original series was taut, intelligent, dark and mature. People who take the Hunter exam die gruesome deaths. Psychopaths and their depravities/fixations are realistically portrayed and populate the exam: consider Tonpa’s hope crushing complex; Hisoka’s murder-as-an-experience complex; Netero’s unflinching regard for violence (so long as it is amusing, as you will see later on in the manga); Lelouche the psychiatrist; Dr. Jones, etc. etc. So this is the sort of world – the bedding – which HxH lies on.
Contrast this with the 2011 edition. Content wise, they are roughly similar, if not identical. But the tone is very different. A kind, story-telling narrator sums up the episode end, like the narrative voice of a fable. Visually, the characters such as Gon and Killua have a bit more baby fat on their cheeks. Gon’s voice is far more cheerful. When Gon figures out how to hunt moving prey during the 4th phase of the exam he ejaculates in exuberance while a festive band march music (which is incidentally, Gon’s theme song) plays in the background. The same theme song is played when Gon “figures out” Bourbon probably has antidote hidden in him and he dives into a whirlpool of snakes and retrieves the vial – and bam, the song plays. It is clear that there is a conscious attempt in the 2011 edition to portray the entire thing as a kind of fun, harmless, audacious little adventure for a kid with of course, some dangerous characters in the mix but it should be assumed that happy adventuring can co-exist. Considering the sort of stuff the candidates go through in the exam, such as Trick Tower COMPELLING Gon’s group to kill each other, I find this philosophy encroaching on the unrealistic, and creeping to the absurd (which is worse than full-on absurd, in my opinion.)
Hisoka’s theme is even worse. At least, I think, you can put that to confusion or misunderstanding, rather than a conscious attempt to go a certain direction. Remember Hisoka’s theme? It’s the track with the Spanish (or Mexican?) guitars and maracas. It’s supposed to show how stylish (perhaps in a wild wild west sort of way) and smooth Hisoka is but um…Hisoka is not stylish and smooth and he’s certainly not a performer. Hisoka likes to hunt. Hunting capable individuals is his fixation; his fetish. The very idea of hunting someone gets him into uncontrollable convulsions. He refers to his targets as “fruits”. Hisoka is a murdering connoisseur, a man who draws parallels between the killing experience and the culinary one . He is capable, but he is NOT a smooth, cool customer. That’s just not him. Apologies if I seem to be laboring on the point, but Hisoka’s theme really ticks me off. But to conclude on this point: I guess this is another point I would dock off the 2011 edition.
Now the question that remains is: where does this leave us and where does this leave the 2011 anime? I think the current approach will have to be abandoned. Not “should” be, but “have to be”. The reason is because the next couple of arcs get alot darker and there really isn’t any wiggle-room to shoehorn the contents of the manga into something light-hearted and adventurous anymore. And what happens when the anime gets to the Chimera arc?
To sum up, I enjoyed the older series adaptation of HxH a fair bit more because of tone and the direction, and I think the 2011 edition’s approach is internally dissonant and unsustainable.
I actually disagree with a lot of your post. Menchi’s disgust at Gon’s match is actually one of my biggest grievances with the 1999 series version of this episode because it introduces an element of “pity.” One of the reasons why this match is so remarkable to me is the complete indifference the Hunters Association has to the scene in front of them. It doesn’t matter what culture you come from–an adult beating up a child is a terrible scene. What makes Menchi’s reaction (and Togashi’s attitude towards the match) so remarkable is that it sets a precedent for the world ahead of Gon. Gon knew what he signed up for when he applied for the exam and he also knew what it meant for him to choose not to surrender to Hanzo. That look of sympathy in the 1999 series does a great disservice to Gon’s actions; it doesn’t allow the viewer to really analyze how incredibly stubborn and irrational he was during that match. This is something that Togashi wants his readers to be able to do.
The 1999 series villainizes Hanzo through its art in this episode. His face is often masked in complete darkness and his eyes are narrowed. But in the manga and 2011 series, he’s very militant. You don’t see him as a “bad guy” at all; rather, Gon just had the misfortune of fighting against him. In fact, considering that Hanzo has been trained as a ninja, he’s actually quite “nice” to Gon in the way that he tortures him.
Sometimes, I actually believe that the color palette is what’s most “mature” about the 1999 series. If you pay attention, you’ll notice that it consistently separates its characters into the fields of “good” and “bad.” Leroute is a “horrible woman” (Killua’s words in the 1999 series) because she uses her sexuality to prevail over Leorio. Hunter x Hunter has a lot of psychologically unstable people and it also has a lot of characters who, despite being protagonists, do “bad” things quite frequently. The tone in the 2011 series is hinting at the darker nature of the series, but truthfully, HxH doesn’t really get “dark” until the arcs following this one.
You’re missing some of the parallels that the directors of the 2011 series are trying to emphasize. Take the sequence of Gon learning how to hunt, for instance. Gon exclaims “I’ll aim for the moment when Hisoka goes for his prey!” It’s a cute moment in the manga and 2011 series because it’s just a twelve-year-old kid catching birds. But in the next episode, Gon repeats the exact same lines verbatim when he watches Gozu take on Hisoka. This is completely intentional–think about how disturbing that is. Gon is so focused on his goal that he’s willing to allow someone to be killed right in front of him. And in the next episode, Gon even considers allowing Hisoka to attack his friends just so he can steal a badge.
The characters appear to be more cheerful in this version, but their underlying natures haven’t fully been exposed yet. Gon’s theme music in the 2011 series is supposed to exude this sort of cheeriness because that’s how the author wants you to see him in the beginning of the series. You won’t understand Gon’s character until later in the series, after which you’ll understand why the author wrote him to be this way. Both he and Killua (and Kurapika, to some extent) will exude characteristics that weren’t present in the 1999 series.
You also have a misunderstanding of Hisoka due to the mostly one-note characterization in the beginning of the 1999 series. He’s very stylish, very smooth, and loves to perform. This is one of the things that the first anime series didn’t accurately depict about the character. The way in which he fights is lavish and showy; his sentences end in hearts (or another suit symbol) in the manga. He wears high heeled shoes often. Hisoka is largely driven to fight because battles apparently can sexually gratify him. He doesn’t go into uncontrollable convulsions in the manga and he only refers to his prey as “unripened fruits” twice in the entire manga–it’s used more often in the 1999 series.
And finally, I feel like people should be aware that the Yorknew City arc–frequently cited by fans to be one of the best arcs thus far–had very little filler added into it in the 1999 series. The 2011 series has been faithfully adapting the manga in almost every instance–in both dialogue and scenario. Other than a few accounts of violence, wouldn’t you expect the 2011 series to do the same?
To respond to a few points:
” That look of sympathy in the 1999 series does a great disservice to Gon’s actions; it doesn’t allow the viewer to really analyze how incredibly stubborn and irrational he was during that match. This is something that Togashi wants his readers to be able to do.”
How does Menchi’s sympathy affect the reader/viewer? All it does is reinforce the severity of the beatdown. In fact it probably makes Gon’s stubbornness more evident.
“Sometimes, I actually believe that the color palette is what’s most “mature” about the 1999 series. ”
I agree that the color is a part of it, but how about the visuals? The environments in the 1999 series is generally very drab, sparse and ugly. Compare the trick tower in the two versions. The sound plays a big part of it too and this, in tandem with the characterization, voice acting etc. generally make the thing a fair bit more cheerful, imo.
“Take the sequence of Gon learning how to hunt, for instance. Gon exclaims “I’ll aim for the moment when Hisoka goes for his prey!” It’s a cute moment in the manga and 2011 series because it’s just a twelve-year-old kid catching birds.”
Yes, the innocent nature of the training contrasted with its application creates some dissonance. It just didn’t really hit me though. Furthermore I don’t think this is a point particularly reduced by the more serious Gon as he was portrayed in the 1999 series.
“he characters appear to be more cheerful in this version, but their underlying natures haven’t fully been exposed yet. Gon’s theme music in the 2011 series is supposed to exude this sort of cheeriness because that’s how the author wants you to see him in the beginning of the series.”
Well, I don’t know about this one since I never read the first three arcs of the manga. But perhaps it’s simply not very realistic for cheerfulness to co-exist with the rigors of the Hunter Exam. People are dying every phase of the Exam, psychopaths are abound, and candidates are put under immense pressure. But mainly i am upset about Gon’s portrayal. And the marching band theme that plays! It’s ridiculous. The vibe i get is that the director considers Gon’s solutions to the problem as nice lightbulb moments, along with a big whoop, rather than spontaneous thought brought about by high pressure situations, through which the audience is expected to quietly admire the characters’ competence. The music, i feel, trivializes the danger and seriousness of the situation.
“You also have a misunderstanding of Hisoka due to the mostly one-note characterization in the beginning of the 1999 series. He’s very stylish, very smooth, and loves to perform.”
From what little i have read of the manga (everything from and including the Chimera Ant Arc) Hisoka is still predominantly the psychopath that lusts after hunting powerful individuals. Whether he calls them “unripened fruit” or anything else is immaterial. Sure, he has the sticker tatoos and the playing cards, and his attire is somewhat feminine. But I don’t think it’s fair to say that he’s a stylish performer more than the psychopath, particularly when he’s actually killing people. Playing the theme when he attempts to cut down Satotsu and the imposter and a few other situations when he’s killing doesn’t make sense to me.
But anyway I don’t really care too much about closely the anime sticks with the manga so long as it’s good. For example, i thought the Battleship fillers were excellent and brought an interesting dynamic to the subsequent phases of the exam. It also, imo, fleshed out the exam a bit more.