Well, it had it coming. This just is an episode that you just need to sit through. Even in the original series, it was by far the most out of place story of the entire series. It is a necessary one, because it showed a completely different side of Hunters than what we’ve seen so far (compared to for example Ninjas, who only do ninja stuff, or shinigami, who only fight dead guys for example). This world building is essential for Hunter X Hunter, but there is also a matter of storytelling: making the story you’re trying to tell interesting and enjoyable to watch. And that’s where this story just put too little attention in.
If this is how they did it in the manga, then I can understand the fillers that the first series used. In the first series, this exam was split in two parts: the pig catching was the task for the fat dude, while the girl’s task was to make sushi. The way they did it at least made this story more bearable and interesting because how only one examinee knew what the hell it was supposed to be anyway. That at least made part of this episode fun and diverse.
Also, Hirano Aya is turning into another Kugimiya Rie and Yukari Tamura: most characters she voices are made much more annoying than what they could have been, just doe to her voice.
Some more notes about this episode:
– Even the animators realized that this episode was just something that had to happen, because they put in no effort at all.
– The second part still had this “we depend on the knowledge of just one examinee to get everyone through”-bit.
– This episode did nail Todo, even though he had less screentime.
– What he hell happened to Hisoka?
Rating: – (Disappointing)]]>
Hunter X Hunter – 06
Also, Hirano Aya is turning into another Kugimiya Rie and Yukari Tamura: most characters she voices are made much more annoying than what they could have been, just doe to her voice.
>>> You just realized that !?
While I usually defend this show, I totally agree with your opinion psgels. This episode was a complete disappointment…Argh! I can’t believe that they cut out the Menchi’s test (the sushi exam) and replace it with that stupid updraft scene(which was NOT part of the manga, though the spider egg portion was).Due to that, Menchi’s explanation for the test’s result didn’t make sense.
Also the updraft scene just felt silly.
There were also some significant details to note about the characterization.
While Menchi’s personality has been downgraded, Todo and Gon’s improved leaps and bounds compared to how they were depicted in the original series.
Menchi turns from a passionate yet very sensitive gourmet hunter into
a girl with a dangerous temper that could go off at any minute. It was frustrating watching her and I couldn’t feel any sympathy for Menchi’s devotion to gourmet cooking.
Todo on the other hand wasn’t depicted as a total baddie this time around. He becomes someone who accepts defeat and the fact that every kind of hunter serves a significant purpose no matter how absurd it may seem at first glance. It didn’t just make him more likable, but more human as well.
And Gon! Thank goodness, Gon’s character feels a lot more ambiguous as it should have been from the very beginning. We aren’t given this whiny goody two-shoes main lead ( like in the first series. Ugh, Gon was just too unbelievably NICE in that one), but a character who has a lot of sincerity and drive, though where this may lead to has yet to be determined. That’s what’s scary about Gon and sets him apart from the average shounen lead. He’d do anything for his friends, but doesn’t hold an aversion for what is held as ‘morally incorrect’. Spot on characterization show, spot on.
But I still can’t forgive you for skipping the sushi scene.
I thought it was weird how God pretty much carried the rest of the candidates through the test… First by demonstrating in full view of everyone the weakness of the pigs (with Killua boradcasting it) and then everyone relying on him for when the updraft was coming.
Everyones sudden utmost faith in Gon for the spider egg challenge just seemed lame. I can definitely see the no effort in this.
Ironically, this was a great worldbuilding chapter in the manga itself. The sushi exam in particular was all about observation and practical intelligence, and of course this adaptation threw all of that out of the window. Ugh. The people making this obviously have no fucking clue what the manga is about.
Agreed, the first series Cooking exam made me completely respect Menchi and her hunting style but this episode treated it like a minor pass time. it felt waaaay to rushed for me. but owell, i can always just go watch the original.
This episode – yeah, a bit disappointing. Besides what’s already been stated, I also found Netero’s intro to be underwhelming; it seemed a bit too fast and superficial. Not horrible or anything, but it felt a bit
flat. The pig-hunting part was also pretty dumb. Except when the hunters put them on the grills, all conked out; that was kind of funny.
As for Hisoka, the guy’s just too cool for this episode. He could have added some extra suspense by cutting the webs or something, I suppose. Then again, that might have conflicted with his warped moral code.
Ah well, still looking forward to the next ep. This version of HXH has yet to impress me in comparison to the original, but this one might take time. Also, Killua: I like how he’s been shown more as a casual, spunky kid, and I’m interested in how he’ll be portrayed from the next ep. on. The ED is teasing at something, as it should.
Saying the animators didn’t put effort in is BS. There were a couple very nicely-animated parts, several moments of inconsistency/budget-saving, and the rest was consistent with some nice presentation, as usual.
Is it just me, or is the grotesque way they treat death in this series a bit weird? At times it’s like watching a bunch of child robots coldly watching each die.
I can understand not wanting to be too grim or depressing, or showing that this is a ruthless exam, but there’s something off-putting about how emotionless the series has been so far.
@Hogart It’s hard to say. The original manga has always had a cold approach to such things which makes it unnerving. Semi-important characters are killed off and you never hear those deaths mentioned again. Also, when they say ‘sacrifice a few lives to save many’ they actually mean it. The main character is very innocent so he can’t really tell what’s good or bad which lends to the ambiguous morals of the show. I’m not sure if the new series has captured that feeling yet (too early to tell) but as far as I can remember, the manga always portrayed how cheap life was in the HxH world.
@Mira, I guess that’s the problem I’m having.. it’s unnerving to see something that feels like a kid’s show portraying life as “cheap” without hinting at how it wants us to feel about it. I wouldn’t even care if a major character died at this rate.
@Hogart, I think the problem lies at the way this show is being marketed and how it doesn’t quite tie in with the actual feel of the source material. They try to stay as loyal as possible but because it’s being aimed at a younger audience they can’t do that. It’s a shame. I thought the manga was best at portraying how dangerous the world was and how demented some of the characters are without going overboard. Of course, we’re only six episodes in so it’s really too early to tell for this remake. The first adaptation is outdoing it in terms of tension though.
@Mira, one of the main messages of Hunter x Hunter is how fleeting life is. Life is cheap in the world of Hunter x Hunter. This series probably has the highest body count of any of Shonen manga out there.
While life is important, it is fragile and if you can’t survive you die. It’s how life is.
@Hogart The show is going really fast, lots of dialogue has already been cut, your view on the characters is normal from what I could tell atm, a lot of us are filling in the gaps through nostalgia and what we can remember from the original. Like the original, it starts to pick up from here.