I’m afraid to say it, but this episode was won by the first Hunter X Hunter series. It’s here where the difference in direction and acting unfortunately worked against this series’ favour. The difference is very much in the details, but there are a lot of details here that when stacked up, unfortunately weigh this episode down quite a bit.
First of all there’s that character design of the female prisoner. That was just… way too much. The whole mind game between her and Leorio had much less impact due to Leorio’s overacting. Then there are these details like when Leorio had to grope the girl to confirm whether she told the truth: there they came up with a creative way to censor it. Here, it’s just the same. Or take the part where the ninja manages to finish the trial: the joke the first series had there, with Hisoka and that other guy, worked much better.
Killua’s match was the real downer, though. This is supposed to be one of the worst mass murderers out there. Why then did they play this cheesy rock tune when they explained who he was? The gore was toned down, showing that while this show is willing to get quite gory, it won’t cross the usual borders. There, that scene really made impact, but here it just lacked something.
The strange thing about the music of this series: it’s composed by Hirano Yoshihisa. This guy is usually awesome. He composed the soundtracks for Himitsu, Real Drive, Death Note and the Book of Bantorra. It would have been great to hear his epic and experimental style here, but it really doesn’t sound like he’s trying for this series. What gives?
Rating: * (Good)
Uh, well, the girl had pretty much the same design the manga too…
And regarding previous reviews … I don’t agree about the voice acting being worse. I think everyone, especially Leorio and Kurapika are much better than they were ten years ago, and this episode highlighted that really well. I mean, here is the scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ve_1hHJLSk . Are you sure it’s not just nostalgia talking?
Yes, Killua’s scene was less gory, but it was just as effective. You don’t just see him as an excellent assassin, but also as a kid – the way he plays a bit with his prey, and then gives the guy his heart back. He seems more dangerous here than in the previous version, imho.
(although my complaint is that it’s unrealistic how long they kept the guy alive without a heart. And just where did Killua rip a piece of his shirt from.)
Once again, I didn’t watch the first series so for me this was very good. It must be boring and not that fun for people who have watched the first, you’re always stuck on comparing it with the first đ You can’t really enjoy it as much, I guess…
I definitely feel that this part was done much better in the orginal series.
Jimmy: that’s indeed my big problem with this series so far: why make another version, when you can just rewatch the first series?
Because kids will not bother to watch the first series. You’re thinking as a Fan outside Japan.
Psgels: I know, I also find it very stupid. And it’s not like the other version was done decades ago…
I hope this version will separate itself more from the original one, kind of like Brotherhood did for FMA.
@psgels: The question comes with the probability of whether or not they will adapt the future arcs that are manga-only. If so, this is a wise decision to remake it especially when the original anime did include filler that could potentially conflict with the manga. For example, in Heaven’s Arena the anime hinted on Killua subconsciously using nen. You can’t use nen unless you’re ‘baptized’ and the Ant arc’s plot includes why that such a bad idea. Heck, them adding Machi watching the Gon vs. Hisoka fight in Heaven’s Arena didn’t exactly make a lot of sense. I know they did something to the OVA to rectify that, but that was such a glaring mistake to me.
But I won’t defend the remake on this episode. It was okay, and the idea is still there. But the overall direction and execution in the 99 series beats this one. Although, I can imagine how awesome it might be for someone who hasn’t seen or read HxH at all. I mean seriously, did some kid just rip out someone’s heart in MY Sunday morning cartoon?
in which part exactly they hinted that killua could use nen? and why the fact that machi was there in the fight hisoka x gon? beacuse of her personality? I don’t get it, could you explain it to me? btw I’m just being curious
I’m surprised that you didn’t like the episode–especially since I consider this one to have been done far better now than in the old series.
As far as the music for Johness goes, it isn’t supposed to matter. The creepy one is Killua. That entire scene is unsettling because of how slowly he tortured the man. It felt like a scene out of Narutaru–not explicitly violent, but the tone far surpassed that of the old series. Look at how nonchalantly Gon and Killua talk about death. And Kurapika’s slight foreshadowing about Killua. Keep those in mind when thinking about these characters in the future.
Im afraid to say I stopped reading your Hunter X Hunter reviews a few episodes back. It seemed every episode was a first series vs this series comparison, and it was affecting how I viewed the show as I havnt watched fist series. I wonder if this is the same case for anyone else who hasnt watched the previous series?
I’m having quite fun watchin the new version of HxH and reading the manga at the same time…
and I can say for sure that the new version is overall more true to the manga… [except for the heart part, the old anime was 100% original there, EVEN THOUGH I also liked the new way Killua played with the man, quite sadic as well]
well, next episode there’s nothing too special to wat, but the one after is going to be pretty awesome I believe…
Yeah, I gotta say as one who hasn’t seen the original anime that this series is keeping my interest as a Shounen series where others have failed. It’s staying with the manga, editing where it obviously has to, yet still retains a really dark and creepy air at the right places. Watching Leorio fail spectacularly was hard to watch, as it is supposed to be, and Killua’s match left me shaking out the willies for how casual he was about such a terrible way to kill someone.
I understand that you’ve seen the original, but comparing the two with every review does seem… I dunno, unfair? Since it’s not a remaking of the first anime, but a different rendering of the manga. I understand it’d be hard to ignore having watched the first series, but shouldn’t you be taking this version just as is? The only thing the two have in common so far is the source, after all.
I’m not trying to tell you how to do your reviews though. I like coming to see how you view things, but of all of your current blogged shows, this one is less of a review and more of a comparison each week… :<
“Since itâs not a remaking of the first anime, but a different rendering of the manga.”
Not really…? At least this far. It’s not like the FMA for example. Those had a completely different mood even when they were animating the same material.
The new anime might find its own strengths and its own way to show things, so that it can differentiate itself from the old one, but this far it’s so similar with the old series that comparing it, is unavoidable. Thus far the things they tried to show differently are hit and miss.
They have yet to prove they had a good reason to re-animate the manga from the start, instead of continuing to animate where the old one left off (Greed Island).
In the case of FMA, it was still the same – two animes were adapted from the source, a manga. FMA’s first series chose it’s tone and direction, just as did HxH’s first series. FMA just chose in the beginning to start with filler before hitting the main storyline. Then it had to take it’s liberities in stride because the source manga wasn’t released at the time that it aired.
That’s where the first series HxH was different; it was able to keep to the manga but stopped the initial run, I’m assuming because of the author’s hiatus. Still, it took a lot of liberties in its episodes even while having the manga to go off of, adding filler and using a decidedly dark tone for the whole series. Good for the likes of Yorkshin, but not really for early on where Shounen series go, especially if you want to draw in the target demographic.
The renewal is clearly marketing right now because the industry decides what will get animated based on popularity. With the original artists off his hiatus (for the moment), there is the chance now to bring the series back for the new generation and not have to worry about stopping because there isn’t any source material. Still though, that doesn’t make the series a redo of the first anime – as in, it isn’t using the first anime for it’s basis; it is using the manga. That’s what I meant by “itâs not a remaking of the first anime, but a different rendering of the manga”. Maybe I should have said “interpretation” instead of rendering, but it’s the same principal: one source, two different adaptations.
*ps: to psgels, I like this reply feature!
I’m indeed trying something different from the usual with this series (after all, I am watching something I pretty much already watched once before), but apparently that didn’t work too well. I’ll try to take that into account next time.
I watched the first version years ago, so the new adaptation is a real treat to me. I don’t really remember what happens in any detail, and most people watching it won’t either: the manga is on chapter 300-something-ish after a huge break, and the first anime aired ages ago.
And I rewatched the original Killua scene from this episode, and read the manga. The manga worked eally well because the entire fight concluded in like 6 pages, with the first few being build-up to how strong this guy is. And then Killua killed him in about two panels. In that sense, the new anime follows the spirit of it more closely, even though it’s censored.
The original scene dragged somewhat, and didn’t have the chilly certainty of Killua being both ridiculously strongest and utterly ruthless. I certainly didn’t think of him as that back when I first watched it. Watch it again, it’s on youtube. The new version does it much better.
And Gon, oh my god Gon. Old!Gon was a Jump hero through and through, never give up and a big heart and not much of a thinker… but here? He’s intelligent and he’s colder than any hero ought to be. And that’s fantastic. The way he didn’t react to that murder, even the manga gave him more surprise, heh.
About the voice actors (although you didn’t mention them this review) – I like them better in this version. Kurapika’s voice is feminine, but deep and not girly at all. Leorio’s voice used to grate something awfull on my ears – true to that smoked-too-many-cigarettes sound of 90s adult character voice casting trend (ugh). And Killua just does Evil so much better.
How many episodes is this supposed to have? 39? This scene is in the middle of Volume 3 of 29 (which should give you an idea of how much the old anime dragged things out).
I’m pretty sure it’s suppose to have 45+, meaning it might go beyond that number. And with the ratings it’s getting, i thinks that’s more then possible.
@Anca: About the killua fight: I don’t see how you think the old anime dragged this scene. They take the same amount of time (go ahead, time it) and the old anime shows more scenes and has more dialogue.. How can it be dragged?
Also the new anime added a lot of fluff like the scared reactions, the smashing the blue guy in the wall (trying to reinforce that “this guy is scary” I guess), etc and then shortened the guy’s background (to avoid showing more gore I guess).
Puran: huh, it sure felt that way. Maybe because the guy wasn’t particularly important beyond showcasing how awesome Killua is. Him smashing blue guy (and well-timed whiteout behind his head really made it look like he blew his brains out) was just as effective, and less exposition-y. Imho, of course.
So here is our difference, I prefer more exposition from extra scenes that try to reinforce the same thing multiple times (which is what the new one did IMHO). That’s why I felt the new series dragged while you felt the old one did (when they both used the same amount of time).
Dude the voice acting in this series is fine, it’s certainly not worse than your average anime.
It’s not that it’s bad on its own… It’s just that… Just imagine if the new FMA had someone else than Romi Paku and Kugumiya Rie as Ed and Alphonse and they did a “not worse than your average anime” job.
Of course, I am slowly getting used to the new voices, but there are more than a few instances where I don’t feel the Seiyuus are doing a good job.
As an enormous fan of Killua, I’ve watched this episode in the original series more times than I can count, and it may just be that I’m more used to it, but I also preferred the original one. For one, watching Killua squeeze the heart into a billion little pieces at the same moment Jones dies is much more dramatic than just watching Jones flop over. I also felt that all that talking Jones does in the new version really distracted me in the new one, rather than in the original where it was mostly silent. The silence really felt like everyone was holding their breath, whereas having Jones talking so much in this one that it just detracted from moment. The talking also made it seem longer to me because when you’re dying (and presumable after your lung has been punctured too), I feel like you wouldn’t have that much breath to spare. Plus I really enjoyed the shifting/tilting camera angles they used in the original to put you in Jones’ perceptive as he reached for his heart. It made Killua seem much more sinister.
On another note, I was also not a fan of the female prisoner’s hair. It was just too bright and spiky. The blue guy was horribly blue also. And Jones… why are you so blonde? Even if he is really that blonde, shouldn’t he be dirty and gross from being in prison all the time? I dunno, I honestly like the muted tones from the 90’s more (regarding all animes… I’m honestly not a fan of these sharp colors and how everyone has specific lines for their hair that never seem to move… I prefer softer lines and colors. Irrelevant to HxH, but I also hate when they have those “reflection” or “shine” lines in their hair that never change even when the lighting is different…)
However, I am pleased with Killua’s character design, just because he’s even cuter in this version!
Sorry for jumping around here, but I also felt that they didn’t build Jones up enough. He seemed much less imposing, though that display with the blue dude and rock wall was more impressive than those pebbles he crushed in the original. Then again, I hated that squeaky sound they had when he crushed them (in the original), it was like nails on a chalkboard.
Over all… I’m also a bit disappointed with this episode. I was really looking forward to seeing Killua’s epicness, but it really got toned down.
However, I’m looking forward to if we ever get to the new material, because I’d love to see the newer arc animated. (And hopefully the anime will keep the mangaka from going back on hiatus…)
I thought it was awesome how killua “gave back” the heart XD isnt that more sadistic than crushing the heart? I love killua because of how kiddie he is while also being an assassin. I think it shows a lot about his character, that scene, his twisted sense if fun/humour.
IN the original, the amount of backstory for Jones is , IMO, overkill, however if it was in the manga then so be it. I thought the new version was OK but a bit rushed and cursory, and I thought Jones was way too calm the whole time â how can you be so cool and calm even after having your heart ripped out? And the Dragon Quest character colors are a bit ridiculous but I can see why they would want to differentiate the new look from the old 90s muted colors look.
My gripe is that they replaced the backstory (it was in the manga as well, but let’s put that aside) with extra scenes (like the carving on the wall, the scared reactions of the inmates and the blue guy getting smashed into the wall). I don’t feel that was a good choice. Others liked, so it’s all well! đ
They need to fire the music composer.
Ditto.
Or… Let him do more experimental stuff? I kind of like his other work. I believe it’s more a of production error than the composers fault.
But yeah, especially the song before the killua fight was very cheesy.
Hear Hear!
Meh, you guys can whine and compare the adaptations all you want: it still doesn’t change the fact that the series from a decade ago is an INCOMPLETE product, and thus it isn’t going to matter how much “darker” or “better” the direction was when this series ends up getting through the Chimera Ant arc.
As a hugeass fan of the manga and original series, I can also say that I actually thought Killua’s personality was portrayed a bit more effectively here than before. He is, as others pointed out, still a kid despite his insane and brutal upbringing in a family of assassins, and at the end of the day (at least for me) it makes up for the lack of creative direction that the first series possessed. đ
I guess I’m reading these reviews for a different reason than most of the commentators. I only found this site because I was looking for Hunter x Hunter comparisons to the old series after Shindou stopped doing so. I like seeing the changes, mainly because I’m a huge fan of the original series but I’ve never read the manga thus it’s nice to see what the differences are without having to go back and do a comparison myself every episode.
I understand they started the series over because of the time lapse, new animation studio, and the need of new voice actors (guess they couldn’t get the old ones). I hope with this new adaptation that it’ll bring in new fans for the series and renew fandom within old fans. Perhaps it will even eventually get licensed state-side. Viz seems to have no interest in doing so unless the old sets start selling better according to what they told me when I questioned them, so it seems rather unlikely Viz will pick up this new one. Wonder if that means this will be open to another company such as FUNimation. Even if I don’t watch the dub, it’d be nice to be able to own a legal R1 release of this.
If you’re interested in a comparison, I’ve been doing a comprehensive image comparison on Animesuki’s forums (between all three versions–1999 series, 2011 series, and the manga). I’m thinking about moving those to a blog for ease. Check it out.