Hunter X Hunter – 20

First of all, I’m a bit puzzled about one thing. I’ve been reading a few reactions to the past arc, and there is one thing that has bugged me: what’s wrong with tournament arcs? It’s not just this series, but whenever a shounen series refers to a tournament arc, I always see some people complain about it. I do wonder why that is, though. It’s not like they appear all the time, and I consider them a great excuse to have a wide variety of different fights and battles. Especially series like Hunter X Hunter, which give a new spin to the whole set-up by having the losers advance. Personally I consider the big battle against the evil that is about to destroy the world worse than the use of a tournament arc.

In any case: this episode surprised me. There were a few parts that it could have done better, but it also had a number of very good parts. As for the disappointing bits: it’s a bit of a shame that they skipped over Kikkua and Hisoka’s fight, even though that was the perfect way to show their characters off. I also didn’t like the narrator at the end of the episode. The 1999 series also had people narrate, but when they did they did get into more depth about what was going on. This episode went “Gon is angry” at the end, and kept repeating that a few times. I mean, there is narration, and just plainly stating the obvious.

Killua’s brother however, was delightful. The creators perfectly captured the relationship between the two brothers, and in particular the parts where he threatened to kill Gon was really well executed. I also really like his voice actor here. My only gripe with this scene was at the point where he claimed that Killua cut his sister and mother and that his mother was crying. Leorio’s reaction to that was just completely weird: instead of being surprised that Killua attacked his mother, he was angry for the brother for telling the last part so nonchalantly. As if violently attacking your family is the most normal thing to do in the world. I mean, I know that the world of Hunter X Hunter is screwed up beyond belief and all, but I don’t think that it’s going THAT far.

Also, gasp! What happened to the soundtrack? In this episode I think we got to hear three new tracks, and all of them were really good. Especially the track that started playing when Killua’s brother started talking down on him and on how he was raised. Now that is much more like the Hirano Yoshihisa that I know. The track just kept changing and swifting moods with all sorts of different instruments. It still misses the catchiness of the 1999 series and Hirano Yoshihisa’s other works, but it’s definitely a step into the right direction. My best guess is that they used his most one-sided tracks for this first arc, in order to save the best for the rest of the series. That’s the only explanation of the random drum solo and the monotone upbeat tunes that sound absolutely nothing like what Hirano Yoshihisa is normally capable of.
Rating: ** (Excellent)

20 thoughts on “Hunter X Hunter – 20

  1. Yay, that’s my own opinion on tournament arcs too! 😀

    And the OST just became available for download on Nipponsei, and I’m telling you it’s a pretty thing. I hope they’ll use it better in the future than they have the past episodes.

    1. I concur this.
      I just gave it a listen to the OST today, and was quite surprise that there are some very nice tracks that they haven’t used in the anime. So yea hopefully they will a good use for them later on.

  2. Interesting question about tournament arcs. Personally I usually don’t have a problem with them, but I think what gets a kneejerk reaction out of people is when they feel that the plot is put on hold while the tournament goes on. People who care mainly about the big picture or how this or that particular plot point will be resolved, are suddenly facing a probably sizable chunk of chapters that they think are a waste and get in the way of the stuff they care about (shipping for instance or curiosity about what big thing happens next). I guess it depends on whether the author he can make you look forward to the tournament as an enjoyable story entity in its own right, or whether the tournament comes across as a stalling tactic.

  3. As for tournaments there are times when they are fun and plot driven and times when they are boring and put the plot to a stand still.

    Togashi is known for one of the best tournament arcs of all time: The Dark Tournament. With HxH he made the conscious decision to circumvent the norm by essentially fadt forwarding the tournament only keeping in the important bits.

  4. Tournaments became an overused cliche at some point. Like how modern anime have to have beach episodes.

    Although, as with all cliches, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be done right.

  5. Also, now that I’ve seen the episode, I have to say I have no real complaints. The new anime handled the content pretty nicely. And it set up things nicely for the next arc, which I am now confident they can do a better job than the old anime. (of course, it helps that the old anime dragged like hell in the next arc).

  6. I’m surprised that you didn’t comment on the way that this episode circumvented shonen cliché! Sure, there’s nothing wrong with a tournament arc. But Yoshihiro Togashi chose not to show any of the battles! No other series would do something like that, and think about it as if you were reading a novel. The Final Phase of the Hunter Exam sees Gon being tortured, passing out, and only waking up when the exam has ended. Analyze it. This is as if he is saying that the Final Phase isn’t important in the grand scheme of things. Why is that? Satotz will state it overtly in the next episode.

    And as for the narration, I’ll explain that a little bit. It’s a combination of two things. The first is that the manga occasionally employs a narrator in the series; you’ll possibly hear him quite often during a climactic scene in a later arc. As for the second, it requres a bit more explaining. So in Weekly Shonen Jump, the editors typically leave their comments at the end of every published chapter. Hunter x Hunter’s comments occasionally read like lines in a novel.

    1. I also want to comment on the vocal talent–Gon is being superbly done. Megumi Han is the best Gon we could have gotten, and I’m glad for that. I feel the same way about Killua’s voice actress and Illumi’s actor–all three were amazing in this episode.

      1. Yeah, I agree with you. I’m not one who really cares about seiyuu and characters’ voice, but I actually though that Gon’s voice actress fits him perfectly.

      2. I totally agree, megumi han is perfect for gon, I was amazed by how nicely she has done her job, her voice represents every aspect of gon’s personality this far, I’m more than happy with her and I see why madhouse choose her 🙂

  7. Great episode, we are almost at the middle of MadHouse`s remake. I`m just wondering, does anyone know if MadHouse is considering to continue the series after the 45th episode?

    1. 45 was just a tentative number. Since this is one of the top 10 rated anime in Japan right now an a massive financial success, you can guarantee its going to continue until the manga itself is finished. Its gonna be lon running 🙂

  8. I would have liked to have seen more of the hisoka kirapika (is that the name?) fight, because i think they did that in the old version.

    Everything about this episode was unexpected!

    I want to know what Hisoka whispered to the other contestant, and I want to to see what happens next.

    Illumi is great as villain so far.

    And Gon’s voice, I know some people had a problem with the seiyu, I wouldn’t have said it was the best, but I wasn’t so bothered by it either, but I think she’s settling into it? I liked the confrontation with Illumi

  9. I agree on that OST. Where was this the entire time, that was brilliant. Plus Illumi was just fantastic, to put it lightly.
    I mean they go from having jarring use of OSTs during tense fights, to having perfect music that fits the scene and ramps up the tension. I may just have hope for the Yorknew City arc yet.
    But I don’t think this anime can handle the Chimaera Ant Arc, that arc is so bloody and gruesome even the old anime probably couldn’t have done it. Not without severely toning it down that is.

    But this episode made me optimistic about the future of this version.

  10. There’s a major thing you all should be paying attention to: Gon and Killua. Make mental notes of the things they say during the matches of Gon vs. Hanzo and Killua vs. Illumi. Ask yourself why did Togashi have Gon pass and Killua fail? What did they do right in their respective matches and what did they do wrong? Were there other options or alternative solutions? And how would they have solved the matter in a more effective way?

    The answers to these questions are the keys to understanding the future characterization of the protagonist duo in this series. It’s been directed in a very smart way.

  11. It’s not so much tournament arcs I have problems, but somehow this version of HxH and it tournament-esque soundtracks made me feel from start to finish a similar atmosphere to when I was playing Dragon Quest Monsters JOKER. Kind of an odd comparison, but it’s very high energy, and the immediate goals seem to be wanting to get things done going from A to B. With a macroscopic view on the overall pacing and plot event, not that I’m saying it’s a bad thing.

    I had this kind of a feeling, I’m not sure how to put it better into words. I greatly enjoyed the 1999 version, granted I have not read the manga to make reference to accuracy. But it felt much less like a glorified tournament with bright colors in the center, but a very carefully told narrative of characters with the tournament itself placed in the background. But I’m almost constantly reminded of the status of it being a tournament in this version of the anime, that could be a conjunction of the music and heavy emphasis on moving the plot.

    And again, I don’t mean any of this to be a bad thing. But when the events of HxH are presented as they have been through this limited timeslots, which I understand why they did it, I realize that…well, the actual plotline of HxH isn’t all that interesting. Of course, I don’t expect anyone to share this view.

    1. “I realize that…well, the actual plotline of HxH isn’t all that interesting.”

      I’m sure you mean the actual plotline of THIS arc, don’t you?

      … Unless you actually think the Yorkshin arc isn’t interesting plotwise.

      1. That’s a fair disclaimer. Though that’s a judgment I will reserve until I actually get to the Yorkshin Arc.

  12. Still find the BGM kind of weird in some parts, such as during the Illumi-Killua convo where there is some kind of percussion going on which makes the proceedings seem kind of light hearted – light hearted with an exciting (or “cool”?) tension before combat. The bit that came afterwards was better and finely accompanies Killua’s longing. As for Illumi’s church choir theme, i’m kind of ambivalent. I sorta feel that it might be a bit too melodramatic for Illumi. I thought the entire idea behind Illumi is to play it dead pan – he is horrifying because he does most horrifying things while being utterly unaware of the morality of it all – you get the feeling that he doesn’t even appreciate how OTHER people react to it. So the church choir theme, i think, is more fitting for a villain that is more self indulgently evil.

    Loved the way he killed the assistant with the needles though, particularly the way only the bottom half of the face was shown while the distortion was left to the imagination. Very sinister. It also sort of reminds me of that butler who failed to fulfill Alluka’s pesterings – but that’s something fairly recent in the manga.

    Also is it just me or is Netero rather different in this episode? Did the VA change? His voice seems to be deeper and the drawing seems a little different too – broader face, less playful and more serious.

    Last thing: scrap the narrator please. We don’t need narration unless it adds to something or expresses something that is less adequately expressed by animation or voice. I understand the elaboration that is necessary in the Ant Arc but not here…i feel like i’m being told a bedside story, or fable, by some old, kind, wizened storyteller.

    All in all though, not too far of a departure from the manga or the older series. Hopefully we’ll get to the Genrei Ryodan soon. Can’t wait to see fights with 2011 animation.

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