Something bugged me about this episode, but I really couldn’t put my finger on what it was, so I actually ended up rewatching parts of the original series to find out (this took place on episode 8, by the way, to get a frame of reference). This episode actually made this part play out LONGER than the original TV-series did. In any case, after watching it, I really knew what bugged me: the acting.
With this, I’m mostly referring to the parts about Hisoka. The general scenario was the same, but how the characters acted just made this episode in the first season better. The problem lies with both Leorio and Hisoka hamming it up a bit too much, plus some really weird rearrangements in the battles (Hisoka’s teleportation powers, for example). The overall result of this is that in the first season, Hisoka really had this air around him of being a menace. Here he looks a bit too when he speaks every single line of his with extreme passion. It makes him much more of a generic villain at this point. I mean, heck, he looked like he was about to get an orgasm when he grabbed Gon.
Strangely enough this is not the product of this show going too fast like what I first feared. It really is just the acting. There were also these strange points like how Gon didn’t find it strange that Hisoka just grabbed Leorio and walked off, but that’s just inconsequential nit-picking. I do have to say that I still liked this episode, and especially the first half, along with the use of the Frog and the laxative (which was something that the first season couldn’t use).
Also, in terms of the big picture: every single episode here has been significantly different. We go from the sea to moral questions to quiet build-up to running to fighting monsters, in just five episodes. I can really not remember any other shounen that was as diverse as this one within just 5 episodes.
What I also love about this show: everyone is equal. There isn’t the usual crap of “you need to fight guy X before you can fight his boss before you can fight his boss before you can fight his boss before you can fight his boss, ad infinitum”. Everyone here is on the same ground, trying to pass the Hunter exam, and there is none of the usual hierarchical business that shounens usually use to pad out their lengths beyond all forms of patience.
Rating: * (Good)]]>
Hunter X Hunter – 05
This is perhaps the first time where I agree 100% on what Psgels wrote.
Well, i am not watching this. but as someone who has read the manga, i can say that hisoka without his menacing and psychopathic aura is just plain unimaginable.
hisoka = generic villain? HELL NO
This is not the first time but I agree 100% with psgels XD
Well, I am watching this. And as someone who read the manga and watched the first anime, all I can say is that Hisoka, in the new anime, is a generic villain.
to be fair, it’s only epi 5 of what will presumeably be a long running series. Lets give hisoka some time. If the current overall quality keeps up, i’ll be pleased.
Hisoka is exactly as he appears in the manga here. The scene with him and Gon was even better than the manga in my opinion. Gon’s excitement instead of fear was a great little bt of character development and I believe it came across better here than even the manga.
I’ve read the manga and watched the first anime (although don’t remember details from either) and Hisoka seemed fine to me. I’m liking the new voice actors too. It’s weird…that even after watching the original anime + OVAs and reading the manga up to chapter 280 or so, it’s only now with the new anime that I’m considering buying the manga.
I disagree on Hisoka’s acting – it’s less the acting and more the direction. In the manga he is far more sadistic, whereas in the anime he is being portrayed as a lot more logical and defensive, when in reality he’s just a sadistic bastard.
“I mean, heck, he looked like he was about to get an orgasm when he grabbed Gon.”
That’s what he’s supposed to sound like
Love the review psgels; just wanted to chime in on something. You mention that Hisoka sounds like he’s about to have an orgasm when he grabs Gon, but that’s actually intentional. Hisoka’s a character that derives sexual gratification from murdering strong opponents. Seeing someone with potential actually turns him on!
It’s interesting that immediately after Hisoka judges candidates to see if they’re worthy to take the Hunter exam, Gon and Kurapika judge his personality and ultimately don’t decide to hate him. The fact is that despite the fact that his acting makes you believe that he’s a generic villain, Hisoka actually ISN’T a villain in the series altogether.
I’m not watching the new Hunter x Hunter series.I’ve been marathoning the old Hunter x Hunter anime.I wanted to know whether they changed Hisoka’s appearance now itself?From psgels’ screenshots I can see that Hisoka’s hair is dyed red but doesnt that happen in the Celestial Tower Arc??
@gan
The color schemes in the 1999 series weren’t decided upon by the creator the manga. He typically doesn’t decide what the official colors of characters are. Hisoka probably dyes his hair.
I haven’t watch the anime, but hisoka in the manga is a real pervert, there are parts in the manga hinting at him getting sexually aroused when talking about gon. So an orgasm from grabbing gon doesn’t seem all that far from what the author meant for him to be.
As someone who has no prior experience with the franchise;
For most of this episode, the visual direction of the action scenes was bland, and it stuck out that corners were being cut(the sound and content were still decent to good, though). The direction for Hisoka’s fighting was more interesting for the way it played up his villainy and skill.
I REALLY like how they portrayed the effect that the encounter had on Gon-fear, adrenaline and the lingering shock. Gon not thinking twice about Hisoka carrying Leorio away even felt like a good detail-after seeing the guy in action, Gon easily believed that Hisoka wasn’t lying.
Totally enjoying myself on the whole.
Hisoka having an orgasm when he touches Gon was actually in the original anime, only much later… Remember the fight in the Nen tournament?
Still though, there IS something wrong. I remember myself panicking in the original anime when Hisoka was around. It really got to me that “OMG THAT GUY IS DANGEROUS”.
He feels much less menacing here.
Hisoka seemed the same to me. If there’s anything wrong with the new series, it’s that horrid music.
perhaps he seems less dangerous simply because we have seen it before? i agree, but i cant point to anything particular. I think i feel that hisoka was most dangerous in the original anime simply because he was so mysterious. Besides.. i mean, i’m just enjoying this different look. I am only truly going to judge this show when it reaches an arc that has yet to be animated (chimeraant). Lastly, just found out that the manga is back so this is all very exciting
Hmmm, I don’t find Hisoca any different though. And yes, I watched the first anime series. And I do agree that it’s the music that created that off feeling for me.
I’m still new to this anime/manga, so i didn’t feel anything, but at least it is better than Naruto XD (I still watching Naruto thou)
personally after watching a reboot anime, i think somebody need to reboot the original Yu-Gi-Oh! anime (season 0 )
Nobody is bothered or commenting on the fact that they took away the evilness of Hisoka in this single episode? Since when Hisoka got stopped by a bunch of morons? He was killing them because he was in the pure mood to do so. Dialogs compared to the manga and the original run of this series were also changed. And I’m not bothered at the fact I didn’t see a single drop of blood, that’s understandable I “guess”.
It’s such a shame that a reboot had to start as bad, I was looking forward to this remake and I expected what I saw with the remake of Full Metal Alchemist (as example), a good anime true to the manga. Instead, I’m fearing I’ll be watching a show for 5 to 12 year old kids.