Chimera Ant: Oh The Humanity! [Hunter x Hunter]
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- Опубликовано: 5 июн 2022
- Part 1: • Chimera Ant: Mom Pick ...
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![Chimera Ant: The End [Hunter x Hunter]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eX2l8HSRU5A/mqdefault.jpg)
![Chimera Ant: The End [Hunter x Hunter]](/img/tr.png)
The King's Royal Guard represent 3 different versions of loyalty. Pitou is loyal to the king as he is, Pouf is loyal to his own ideal of the King, and Youpi is loyal to his duty of guarding the king.
Loyalty to character
Loyalty to the Myth
Loyalty for Loyalty sake
pitou is loyal to meruem
pouf is loyal to the king
that's how i personally see it
The Sword, Shield, and Crown
yeah. some youtuber explain a lot about them
@@mazkerade ooooh that’s a great way to put it
In regards to Killua, after he removed the needle, THE VERY NEXT FIGHT that leads to meeting Ikalgo, he almost died. Ikalgo literally invites him into a trap VERBALY and Killua still gave 0 F. This is a huge contrast and shows the effect of the needle, and how Killua almost went for limit testing with his life on the line, maybe for the first time.
That decision also gave him ideas to develop his nen ability (godspeed)
killua letting himself be target practice for the other two ants is also a good example of going limit testing too
@@giocatic7610 not just godspeed. That is the idea behind Whirlwind as well. when he fights with Youpi and has a sort of "progamed response" to attack with.
my man is so badass he limit tests his build in real life
Might be the reason why illumi put the needle in him.
Killua is the prodigy of the zoldyk and had the confidence of a prodigy.
Despite how strong he is now, he almost died.
He probably would have gotten himself killed on his mission before
People say they hated the narrator, but he was the cherry on top for me. Just made everything more epic and easier to understand or take in.
But agree
@@merphynapier42 yes one in a million...
Narrator-san is a standout star during this arc. I loved him in the anime.
i like him but sometimes he talks so much , likes way to much , and that's a problem in togashi , there's a manga laster on where its literally turns to a light novel
Those people usually prefer dub over sub.
The interesting thing is each Royal guards the answer to King's question perfectly describes their entire character and "what a king means to them".
Yes! Pitou says, someething like, you can choose your own name. Because they care about the king as an individual, as a person, and what he wants.
To Pouf he is just capital K King, as in his title, his role, his duty.
But to me the most interesting answer is Youpi's. He doesn't feel like he's equipped to even answer, and it's not his place. This and the moment to come up really shows me the maturity and self-awareness in him, who at first seems like a stereotypical meathead.
@@AllTheArtsy Youpi appreciation. Take your thumbs up ! Such an underrated character.
When he went to Komugi to kill her and saw the bird attacking her, he realized that even a weak bird could hurt her. His physical superiority was therefore not special when used simply as a sword. However, when used as a shield to protect the weak who are worth it..
.
That's beautiful.
holy fuckaroli
THIS. He was completely convinced that violence was the strongest force in the world. In order to become the best chess player, all you have to do is kill everyone better than you are. But when he saw Komugi getting hurt by that bird, he realized that violence cannot give him the victory he wants against her.
I love how when Gon sits down in front of Pitou, he does the same threatening pose that we saw from Hisoka in the hallway at Heaven's Arena.
It really hammers in the "he is... _not_ coping very well with all this 😬" vibe
It's also the same pose the king takes often, for example when playing Gunghi.
@@EskChan19 Also the same pose as Hisoka from the Heavens Arena arc.
I think when entering the palace, Gon was expecting Pitou to be a ruthless, heartless, and evil being but what he saw was not quite that. He saw Pitou genuinely try to heal and save the girl and it completely shatters and maddens Gon. Gon's view of the world is like black and white (according to his own morality) and so when he is confronted with a more complex situation, he is completely out of his element, unstable, and confused. You were absolutely right that Gon is still just a kid growing up with a bright look a life and when all this darkness and awful things in life happen to me, he acts in a way a kid in his age would acts.
yeah. i remeber when kite asking gon after he killed the armadillo and kite know exactly what is gon thinking
The way the story is going right now, i feel that Gon is going to have a mirror held up to him soon. Like he will realize that he is no different from the people he calls evil and he'll have to contend with that.
You have a Freudian slip there?
Pitou is ruthless though, she just does it for the King. She's already committed genocide killing 500,000 people.
@@duser He won't get anywhere close unless he kills more than 500,000 people like Pitou and Pouf did. So far he's only killed one person in self-defense.
Chimera Ant Arc is one of those arcs that requires a re-read or re-watch every year. Each character either shows an incredible development or undergoes substantial change. It is scary and heart-warming at the same time. A true inspirational fiction that won't ever get old.
Funny that you say that, I watched the Chimera Ant Arc last week 😂
I remember reading it weekly I found the way Gon and pitou's confrontation ended was weird and came out of nowhere then when I reread I saw all the foreshadowing and I completely changed the way I was seeing that scene.
@@amuro9624 I understood Gon's rage on my fifth time watching the arc. He was ready to explode 😤.
@@amuro9624 yeah, I know what you mean. I am also not getting the hidden clues all the time and have to revisit it just to see if I didn't realise something or if it really came out of nowhere.
@@ahmeti.7595 It's not the rage that I found weird, it's the thing he does to express his rage. I was reading it as it was released between hiatuses as a teenager so it wasn't easy to follow the little details that makes that scene very sinister because that's Gon completely falling into the darkness. I watched it thinking that it was just a bad super Saiyan moment and didn't understand that it wasn't supposed to be great or heroic.
One of the things that makes the Narrator this arc's MVP is how it really drives home the feeling of slow motion. The palace invasion has so much going on at such superhuman speed, but Togashi makes it clear that everyone is basically experiencing an adrenaline-fueled time dilation.
Action-heavy chapters in manga tend to read extremely fast, and without the narration you'd really lose a lot of that effect. But the narration boxes kinda force you to slow down and take it a panel at a time, which really enhances the effect imo
The palace invasion in anime is amazing
it also pisses of people because they cant make headcanons since the narrator tells you exactly how it is. I love it.
@@VikingWeShallGo really some people didn't like it? Wow
Except that "effect" cancels out by his action panels which are painful to look at since a toddler can draw better than him
@@hydrocy.9165 Togashi's health problems along with Shonen Jump's schedule were why HxH had a bunch of bad art, but Togashi actually went back and redid all of the bad art for the tankoban releases.
11:21 I love this analysis of the unhealthy power dynamic & dependence in gon & Killua's relationship. I've never seen anyone actually analyse their relationship beyond "They're BFFs, best duo"
There's a lot of RUclipsrs who do reeeeeally in depth analysis for him and killua. I think the one fellas name is aleczander or some shit
And now that Merphy points it out I realized that Killua didnt change that at end, and even when that can be sad is realistic. I really can't imagine Killua caring about something else like a hobby or a passion, his childhood stole that from him
Yeah love that as well i finished the whole series a week ago and i literally see nobody talking about this
@@takeyourmedsplz yeah I've seen those but those still talked about Killua's dependence and not the unhealthy aspect and kind of a toxic relationship that Gon brings because of how he treats killua
@@deliii395 I'll link one for ya. Not taking anything away from merph's fantastic content but this dynamic is very well understood for the most part. Very glad she picked up on it
What makes Ikalgo notable to me personally is how he's the first friend Killua made without needing Gon's help beside him
Also, I HIGHLY recommend watching the confrontation between Gon Pitou and Killua since the actress for Gon in the Japanese version absolutely brings her A game
Yeeeesss!
This is about Killua showing his character growth and Gon reminding us that even though he is a MONSTER he is still a kid therefor will react in an innocent and raw way...FREINDSHIP IS A BEAUTIFUL THING!!!
I'm so glad you liked the narrator as much as you did.
After the anime aired, fans were pretty divided on this inclusion, but for me, some of the most epic lines in the entire series were delivered by the narrator.
"The countless dragons that rained down were less significant threats...than the humans in the sky"
As Netero and Zeno showed up, will forever be one of the hypest moments in Anime for me.
How can anybody hear or read that line and not be instantly hyped, man?
Gon's character in this arc especially is such a fascinating dichotomy to me. Consciously, you see him throughout the series trying to put the morality Mito tried to teach him into action. But what he always goes back to, what his subconscious goes for first, is the harsh might-makes-right us vs them survival of the dangerous forest he's spent most of his childhood in. Whenever he tries to make a morality statement, like when against the Troupe he asked why they can't spare that sympathy for the people they've killed, it rings hollow. It's hypocritical, because he doesn't stop to examine himself or the people around him the same way. He sees the us, the good, the loyal, and the them, the wrong, the inhuman. That's part of why seeing the troupe effects him so much; he has a hard time coming to grips with that he's facing people and not monsters. In Chimera Ant Arc, you see the same thing with Pitou. Pitou at the time of killing Kite was a child. He lacked experience, and was acting simply off instinct and for his own amusement. But now, through Meruem's bond with Komugi, Pitou has realized the value of protecting someone and the value of a life. Gon can't accept this, he refuses to acknowledge that Pitou has changed and isn't simply a monster.
Gon would be a great villain
Gon's not Eren Yeager. He hasn't been totally broken or given in to his own ego. I think people want Gon to become this monster but you have to realize that Gon is way more complex than that. Gon's still a kid and still going through stuff.
@@Slendermanz7 Agreed. Gon is still a kid throughout the series, and I think unlike a lot of series that forget what age their characters actually are, Togashi takes it into consideration.
FULL SERIES SPOILERS AHEAD:
This is why I think that the way Togashi has ended Gon's arc is about the best way it could have ended. He never really had a normal childhood, but now without Nen and back at home on Whale Island he gets to do schoolwork like a normal kid. Taking a break to live as close to a normal life he can is exactly what he needs to mature as a person.
Note: What affected Knov wasn't Pitou's Aura but it was Pouf's... On the surface it looked like Togashi is telling us that Knov was affected by the less sinister and weaker than Pitou to show how The ants are evil but I theorized that it was the opposite, a hidden message and a foreshadow by Togashi that Pouf is more sinister and evil and the real deal more than any of the Royal Guard. Pouf hates humans more than any ant so I took it as a foreshadow.
Are you sure it was Pouf's? Or is this your interpretation?
@@rinkusan978 it's confirmed that it's Pouf's. Remember at the time Pitou was healing the king and Pouf volunteered to use his en to guard the palace. The color of his Aura is blue ( Pitou is red ) and also covers a short distance.
It was definitely pouf's. It was during a time pouf took over the En instead of pitou. The anime colour coats the En accordingly too
@@rinkusan978 It's Pouf and it's clearer in the anime where Knov sees Pouf's blue aura and not Pitou's red aura.
Nen ability reflects the user's personality, Knov is weak mentally, that is why his ability is hide and seek
00:00:00 ⟾ *Intro* - Format: upto Ch. 275
00:00:23 ⟾ *Plot* - *Phantom Troupe*: Meteor City, Chimera Ant effects/threat
00:01:50 ⟾ *Phantom Troupe* - as antagonists, future role, abilities, Kalluto
00:02:49 ⟾ *Plot* - ‘Sorting’: culling, plans
00:03:28 ⟾ *Plot* - Killua: character arc, *Ikalgo*
00:05:55 ⟾ *Plot* - Killua: vs. Ortho Siblings, Nen variability, Ikalgo rescue
00:07:47 ⟾ *Plot* - Gon: vs. Hollow-Bat: teamwork, Foreshadowing?
00:08:51 ⟾ *Plot* - Gon: *Meleoron*, Crossing Character Arcs,
00:10:57 ⟾ *Plot* - Meleoron: abilities, Gon-Killua Friendship Dynamic: selfishness, devotion, identity, trust
00:14:40 ⟾ *Characters* - Meleoron: Chimera Ants agency
00:15:53 ⟾ *Themes* - ‘monster’ in Gon, ‘human’ in Meleoron
00:17:23 ⟾ *Characters* - Morel: vs. Cheetu, vs. Leol, strategy
00:18:10 ⟾ *Plot* - Palm infiltration
00:18:17 ⟾ *Characters* - *Knov*: unravelling, Neferpitou’s En
00:19:05 ⟾ *Plot* - Planning *Palace Infiltration*: anxiety, suspense, strategizing, build-up, also action
00:21:59 ⟾ *Characters* - *Meruem*: care for Komugi, board games, purpose, human side vs. ant side
00:27:17 ⟾ *Plot* - *“dragon falls from the sky”*, hype, Royal Guard reactions
00:29:28 ⟾ *Plot* - Gon strategizing
00:30:29 ⟾ *Plot* - Knuckle and Meleoron abilities, Shoot in dire straits
00:31:09 ⟾ *Narrator* - action-packed sequence, explanation alongside vs. after, pacing, poetic/powerful voice
00:33:48 ⟾ *Plot* - Neferpitou: loyalty to Meruem, Komugi injured
00:35:09 ⟾ *Plot* - Netero-Zeno not attacking Meruem
00:36:30 ⟾ *Plot* - Neferpitou starts healing Komugi, Zeno addresses Killua
00:36:51 ⟾ *Plot* - *Neferpitou-Gon-Killua*: healing Komugi, Neferpitou submitting, Kite disparity, Gon reaction
00:40:11 ⟾ *Plot* - *Neferpitou-Gon-Killua*: Killua: voice of reason, Gon: kid going through stuff, mischannelled rage
00:43:27 ⟾ *Looking Ahead* - Meruem, Neferpitou, Komugi
00:43:50 ⟾ *Schedule* - Part 3 next week
00:44:23 ⟾ *Outro*
00:44:32 ⟾ [Promo] [Credits]
☕
Shout-out to whomever is doing these subtitles. They're both helpful and hilarious.
Updoots
Thank you for the timestamp
I agree with on the person who's done subtitles
He is hilarious 🤣
The legend himself. We salut you Greyfire.
The thing about Knov that many people gloss over or forget, is that he was in a constant state of Zetsu during that mission at the palace: not only he was so close to a Nen that would terrify most veterans, but to avoid being spotted he let down all of his defences.
Going back to the analogy of the blizzard in the Heaven's Arena, this puts into prospective how his spirit got broken so "easly"!
He was also super stressed just approaching the Palace since he never knew when Pitou's en would come back, had no idea how many Ants were in the palace, had to skulk around slowly alone, got surprised by that one fodder ant not knowing if it called back up, then had to slowly crawl back out. It was a lot of cumulative stress not just him seeing Pouf's En that broke him. Knov is not that less mentally strong than Pokkle or Palm who also sensed intense RG aura in stressful situations.
I came here to type this exact thing.
It's actually kinda appalling he only got stressed from the aura.
We saw at heavens arena that this kind of thing can mess your body up too. Wheel chair guy, arm missing guy, top guy.
Knov got off incredibly easily. So it goes to show how strong he was in the first place.
Right on. If Knov was weaker, he would have died from the stress. Just had a heart attack and died.
Probably using In to activate his ability
Nah, I hate this take. The whole point of that scene had nothing to do with him being in Zetsu. When he's having his breakdown he wonders how Gon and Killua can possibly have the will to fight after getting so close, they might have even touched it. The entire scene is about him being humbled and trying to headcanon that it only happened because of his nen state is genuinely incredibly reductive to Knov's character development (and character development doesn't always have to be positive btw).
I think nen is one of the most interesting magic systems. Characters superpowers are normally born with or gained through some accident or experiment where they have little input.... I cant think of another example where it's such a canvas for characters to craft their own unique abilities
The clostest for me is Jujutsu Kaisen. It feels very similar to HxH and it's also the reason I like that show.
Nen, is basically how the ability of stand in jojo works, but without stand and 10 times more complicated and more versatile. Also kind of spoiler, people could have stand in hxh world
@@ThiVasss in jjk you're born with your cursed technique though
it doesn't allow you to create your own abilities
@@madmoxxi7397 Yep, abilities in JJK is more about family.
@@royaljanissary4555 except stands really are a thing you get and stays that way, so they don't offer the subtle complexity of nen
I love how much Gon acts like a kid, even his selfishness is childlike. That 'heart of a child' enlightened Killua, showed him the light, while Killua's maturity shows Gon reason and morality. Killua ends up so wise because of his own maturity and experience *and* because of embracing that sorta pureness unique to children-- Gon hasn't attained that level of wisdom because he lacks the experience, and it's engulfing him all at once.
The thing with Gon is that I'm actually scared of what he could become. He's thrown in this cruel world with his childish morality yet so much power and agency. He could become worse than his father. A selfish adult who is strong and has a twisted morality. One wrong turn and this could be the origin story of a villain.
@@amuro9624 new spectrum of villainy just dropped: deadbeat dad to phantom troupe pipeline
@@amuro9624 I can see that, but I don't think so. I can see this as a very realistic backstory for an adult protagonist. I think he'll definitely make some bad choices w consequences (esp in teenage years lol) but ultimately with the relationships he's made and the experience he gains from making mistakes, I'm sure he'll grow up into a fine adult. I'm sure he'll be as wise as Killua, eventually XD
Remember Killua was raised to become an assassin and his childhood was full of trauma, but one friendship deterred him from a path of death (literally but also figuratively), I think Killua has the same potential for Gon, never mind all their other friends. It won't be an easy path tho.
Gon seeing Pitou in this situation really calls back to one of the last things that Kite said to him, asking him how he will react when he runs into ants that actually have a sense of camaraderie and compassion. And it just happened to be the one ant Gon had already convinced himself just HAD to be Satan on earth, the target of all his rage and hatred.
Togashi is painting a picture of humanity with this arc. It is very telling that humanity gives the chimera ants the right to choose their destiny. So yes, they can be monstrous like beasts, but they can choose to be heroic or neutral because their humanity gives them the ability to question and reflect. In short, their humanity makes them grow and change.
"You know nothing of Humanity's potential for evolution." is my favorite line of this arc and probably the series. I also love that it's been translated with malice instead of evolution.
Killua freeing himself from Illumi's control was great and flexing on the hunter exam plus that rabbit Chimera thinking he would be king then getting shut down was awesome plus the homies with Netero are dope especially Knuckle and Morel
Many people give Gon a bad time for what he said to Killua during the Pitou confrontation. But i always could sympathize with him so much. It isn't really about being reasonable... In this situation Gon WANTED Killua to be as mad and conflicted as him. He is frustrated with the situation with Pitou and is overly emotional (which i could understand). The very fact that Killua now is reasonable hurts Gon and gave him the impression that Killua is only able to rationalize the situation because he "doesn't care as much" about Kite as he does. Thats at least how i saw it. Gon is obviously in the wrong here for lashing out but i totally understand where he is coming from and he is emotionally a mess as of right now...
Fun fact, in your last review you mentioned Kite's line of "what happens if we find an ant with compassion"
I never really noticed that line of him but seeing how Gon reacts towards Pitou ties everything together.
Thanks for your great insights and im really hyped for next week
Yeah Gon isn't the ruthless killer people want him to be
It's crazy how much I'm feeling even though I havent rewatched or read the series in 2 years. 🤔 I wonder if I'm going to tear up in next weeks review
same here
X2
On the contrary, Gon seeing through the Knuckle-Meleoron thing before anyone else is very consistent with his intelligence ever since the Hunter Exam, he's always been the one character who doesn't get lost thinking about the trees and sees the forest instead.
Besides the narrator being necessary to be able to keep up with what's going on, I'm glad you pointed out how it also matters that he isn't just a dry narrator, because I believe the main function of the narrator here isn't conveying information to the readers, it's adding to the atmosphere this section has which makes it feel "legendary" and "historic".
also narator remove silly dialog like explaining your ability to your enemy.
Zeno's power revolves around him transmuting his aura into dragons. The dragon you saw them riding is from his own aura, that's the same technique he used against Chrollo in York New City Arc.
the one they rode to get their was a real magical beast a Dragon.
the other one that drove them (the spiral one) was nen manifested.
@@aytaf5430 from what I've remembered, the on riding the real dragon was Silva.
The bird that they jumped from at the start was a real bird. Not Zeno's ability.
@@cobalt7678 welp. I don't really remember, it's been months since I've seen the anime. Thanks for the clarification.
Other than the conflict of Gon not being able to understand why people can be so cruel to one person then be kind to another, Togashi also showed the culmination of another conflict about him not letting others be involved in the dangerous things he does.
Both of these characteristics have shown its positive aspects in the previous arc. His unwillingness to let others suffer for him has been shown in many instances, for example, Gon would have climbed over the Zoldyck gates, but he stopped because he didn't want the gatekeeper to be punished for his possible death. When trying to escape from Nobunaga, he said to Killua, "it's okay for me (to die/talk about his death) but you can't!". And he's bothered when Killua's attacked by an spell in GI, because " you are doing this to help me find Ging..." . These shows he doesn't want anyone else but him to get hurt for his goals.
But this changed when Killua said "Don't worry about it" and showed his desire to stand by Gon in everything. Gon thanked him and said " I'm so happy to have met you" (viz translates this into “Im happy to be your friend”, i think) and let him in. So when they play dodgeball, he allows Killua's hands to be hurt, because in his eyes, only Killua would do this for him, and he can only rely on Killua not anybody else.
This is very important for their relationship, that’s why this panel is the biggest when Killua is thinking back about Gon. But after this, Gon was called selfish for endangering Killua, and he realized his mistakes. So in the CA arc, because he knows he’s likely to die when fighting Pitou, he said to Killua, "That one's (Pitou) for me" and "This has nothing to do with you", and distances himself again.
I am SO GLAD you took the time to address their friendship dynamic. I felt that it was so obvious there was a power imbalance. You describes Killua's dilemma so well when you said he almost doesn't have his own identity. Gon on the other hand, we have seen make friends with everybody and their mother. Also, it was cool to see how both Gon and Netero/zeno reacted when faced with a touch of humanity rather than full-blown evil.
I really hope you get to see the whole raid in the 2011 anime. It has really good visuals and narration.
there's zoro there too in the raid he got lost in the anime
Gon is 13. Do you remember when killua first met Gon at the hunter exam and asked "How old are you"? Gon replied "I will be 12 soon". And at least more than a year has passed since then(Killua took a exam during middle of Greed Island arc). I think it's natural to think that Gon is already 13 at this point.
Pouf: You are what I want you to be.
Pitou: I will love you no matter what you do or become.
Youpi: My only duty is to protect you. I don't care about anything else, do what ya want
Shaiapouf may be the least physically imposing of the upper echelon of the ants, but he is by far the most sinister and malicious in my opinion. To me he is also the most interesting of the royal guards.
Also he is pronounced like "Shower-poof", although I wish he was pronounced like Shia LeBouf.
Also, also: Menthuthuyoupi (if you for whatever reason want to actually use his full name) is pronounced "Mon-too-too-yoopie".
Knov breaking down immersed me in the world like no other story ever managed to do.
Seeing such a human, broken, hopeless feeling In a character when he succumbs to the pressure of a situation made me empathize and genuinely feel what he felt.
The ansiety, the fear of a single thing going wrong, the feeling that every time he pushed forward to risk making another portal would get him killed and all would be lost.
No other story ever managed to make me feel the pressure of a mission.
Characters trying to save the world, defeat the bad guy, never managed to affect me that much. You know the facts of what's gonna happen if they fail, but emotionally you never feel what that pressure means to a individual and his mental state.
Knov infiltration gave me so much ansiety, i wasn't just watching it happen I was feeling it first person.
And when he retreated and started crying i for some reason started crying too.
God what an amazing story.
I read that scene as a teenager and that's the moment that made me realize that this is something else. This isn't your average shonen arc and for the first time while reading a manga I really got this real sense of uncertainty. Like, I had a hard time believing that they were just gonna get stronger or find a way to beat the bad guy and save the day like in every shonen manga arc I had seen so far
It's interesting because he's supposed to be on the same level as Morel, but he completely breaks down just being near the guards. It shows that even though he's more trained than the others, he lacked the composure. Not his fault, but it shows how the way the others handled things better.
@@jackroberts4361 and that really shows you that hxh isn't just about power levels
Well told.
that line pitou says about komugi also creates an interesting parallel between them and killua. "i care about her because she matters to someone very important to me" also applies to the way killua feels about kite because of gon. rn both of them are trying to save someone out of love for someone else
Gon isn't as self-centered as you interpreted in this situation. He's not angry just because it's something that affects him. Both here and with the phantom troupe, he's angry that they don't have empathy. I think for Gon, empathy is more important than morals. So when he sees these cruel people care about their friends, he's angry that they don't seem to care about inflicting that pain on others. "What right do you have to feel that way when you have no regard for destroying and taking what other people care about"
You should make your own RUclips channel, your analysis is much better than that pretentious bimbo.
The royal guard’s character arcs are all foreshadowed in the scene where the king asks them his name. Each different answer represents how they show loyalty to the king.
Merphy is happy and emotionally stable. She doesn't know guys. Not yet.
Also Gon, when he decided to attck Pitou, he was also deciding to kill Komugi. He knew that Pitou was healing her and he knew that she was collateral damage from their side, and he didn't care. He went for the kill. Killua, who is the "killer" had more respect for Komugi's life than Gon
Gon has always been good at strategizing: Gon is not booksmart, like Killua, but he’s definitely intelligent. He’s very ingenious and clever in everything he does, and we can see that from the beginning of the manga !
• He steals Hisoka’s badge by cleverly deciding against confronting him directly but rather sneakily snatch his badge when he’s focusing on his target.
• He’s the one that got the idea to break the wall separating the long and short path in Trick Tower!
• His second fight with Gido was so ingenious ! Remember how he used the floor tiles to defeat him ? - also ! his fight with Hisoka ! he used the smashed tiles as a distraction to be able to hit him. - now that i think about it, i’m pretty sure Gon uses his environment in every fight.
• His idea to break the walls when held hostage by Nobunaga ! It was his idea !
These examples are a demonstration of Gon using his environment to better face his opponents. But Gon is also a very smart and perceptive boy, so he also uses psychology in his fighting style.
• When facing Canary, he gets purposefully, repeatedly hit so Canary might break psychologically.
He SAW that there was a spark of gentleness in Canary’s eyes, he saw that he could get to her, unlike Mike, so he used that to his advantage.
• His entire fight with Knuckle proves that he’s very, very good at analyzing his opponent’s behavior. It’s such an interesting fight because it shows that Gon is extremely perceptive of enemies’ psychological flaws and doesn’t hesitate to use that to his advantage.
Gon deduced that Knuckle was too nice from his behavior, and used that to his advantage. He KNOWS Knuckle would hesitate to punch him with his full strength so he uses that to his advantage : to confuse Knuckle momentarily so he can punch him.
But there’s not only this !! Killua also highlights during this fight an important trait of Gon’s : his capacity to improve, adapt and make progress at an extraordinary rate. Gon LEARNS during his fights, and he applies that knowledge to form strategies.
Gon using his Jajanken as a feint was the result of him learning about his opponent in the middle of battle, and he used that knowledge to form a strategy.
Gon is very good at using his environment and psychology to find tactics and strategies, which makes sense, since he’s always been very perceptive of people’s behaviors and very good at reading people in general, and always relied on instinct since he was kind of “raised in the woods”.
He’s a very smart boy who can adapt to any situation and uses clues in his opponent’s behavior and his environment to form a strategy. He’s very, very clever and smart, and it’s sad that a lot of people gloss it over.
(source: telehxhtrash on tumblr)
Also it was Gon's plan to offer to clear GI for the ones that can afford it and he is also the one deducing correctly about what to do at the screening process for playing the game. I love this because Togashi shows us there are many different breeds of intelligence. You don't have to be good at maths or play chess to be a smart character.
I'm glad you got Knov's point. He was so mean to Killua, not because he is evil, but because he is a Nen expert. And he didnt see pitous En, was Pouf's
These videos make me see things very differently compared to how I viewed it my first time through. I think Gon and Killua has turned 13 at the point you're at. Also what's really interesting to me is how Killua used to be in regards to Gon and what he's doing, and how similar it is to how Pitou wants the best for king. But Killua is changing, and is finally thinking for himself.
People complain a lot about Gon's morals, but as you said, he's a child. His world is contained within the people are close to him, and thus to expect empathy from him is a tall order, cause he's not really been exposed to the world, and so he does not understand that there exist people other than his loved ones who also have the capacity to feel emotions like sorrow or pain. A ten year old often has a very narrow view of the world, and to expect one to be selfless and think of the greater good is just plain ridiculous.
And honestly, even if he wasn't still a child, his screwed morals make him an excellently written character. A lot of people seem to think a good character and a likeable character are one and the same.
A child without a proper father heh
The name scene is probably the most important character building scene in the arc for showing who each of the royal guard are.
Pitou shows that they care about the King for him as a person
Pouf shows that they care for the King as the personification of a King
Youpi shows they care for their loyalty and mission to protect him.
Some of the best character writing I’ve ever read, beat only by the King’s development with Komugi and the ending of the arc
13:13 - sneaking in that "Killua is better" was slick 😂😂😂
Merphy always make me love the series that I already love every single time she reviews it. Somehow everytime she breaks down a particular tensed scene, I get chills and almost on the verge of crying because of how beautiful she able to present the image and the emotion of the characters.
Knov really went into the palace unprotected for the mission. Nothing but respect.
It wasn't Pitou's En that broke Knov. It was Pouf's. Pouf exchanged positions on Pitou's request. And Knov was in Zetsu state, so it affected him even more.
Your review is top notch Merphy. I love it so much how you recognize minute changes in characters. I'm only a bit bummed, because I wished to hear your thoughts on Netero's flashback. I found it beautiful.
First, PLEASE watch episode 116 since you’ve finished these chapters. Nothing but masterful work.Probably my favorite in the whole show.
Secondly, a deep dive on “humanity” in this show and how that may not be what it is
Something I want to point out I’ve always thought about - it may not be that the King became more human, but rather that he developed awareness and morality to go along with his sentience.
That may sound obvious and be like “well duh, humanity” .. but I think it’s important to acknowledge the king is made up of the optimal parts of everything, including mythical beasts like youpi - and some of the beasts we’ve seen are definitely capable of such (Kiriko)
So as a monster or beast becomes more moral, at the same time with the feelings you describe of Gon becoming more amoral …
What I think Togashi is also trying to do is detach that concept from humans altogether within his world. The ability to distinguish goodness and right is not our gift alone, we are just the most aware of its presence.
That’s all!
A key difference, in my opinion, is - yeah Gon kinda seems like he doesn't care when his friends are killing left and right, yet seems perplexed how others can then kill those close to him - except I don't think that's what is happening. I feel Gon is angry and confused when those who kill his friends with no remorse then ASK HIM for mercy for whatever reason. Gon never begged them for mercy, he realized he was to weak and internalized the pain and blames himself for his lack of strength in it.
Gon is a character to me who never wants to have an excuse and never wants shift blame, so when an enemy of his has there comeuppance in a way - it's THEIR fault. But once they ask HIM for mercy, of he denies it it'll now be HIS fault. If that makes sense
12:40 this reminds me so much of Greed Island & how we learn one of the founders was named Wdwune, until _Ging decided_ to change it to Dwun.
The manga is great but that scene in the anime when Gon is confronting pitoh is masterful, the voice actresses did an amazing job, Megumi Han in particular, and the animation knocked it out of the park, it makes Gon's arc so impactful.
Yeeeesss!
Facts
I always liked the narrator in this arc because it's used to describe things in a way I don't think inner monologues or character conversation really could. As human beings we rarely notice when we go through profound changes, usually, it's not until we can look back on moments and reflect on them before we can point to anything and be like "Yup that was it, that was the moment or thing that changed this part of me". This is a crazy chaotic thing that is happening so fast and putting them all under immense pressure, causing rapid growth and character evolutions. Things I don't think they would even really realize are happening inside them at that exact moment. So to me having this omniscient narrator there to piece together the hell all of their brains are going through in these moments was such a genius decision on Togashi's part!
P.S. I'm delighted you brought up the fact that Gon is a child when explaining his relationship with Killua because I feel like it's very glossed over. It's often painted as in Gon doesn't really care about Killua, but that's obviously not the case, we saw what Gon was willing to go through to get Killua back before York New. Gon Loves Killua, he's just an emotionally unstable child and while their relationship is rather unhealthy at this point they still never would have made it here without one another!
The fact that Komugi (gutural G) says the King was the one being that treated her better than any fellow human says a lot.
You should watch some of these scenes in the anime, the amount of passion the voice actors and actresses (specially Gon and Killua's VA) and animators put in this series is just worth witness it
Narrator-sama doesn't need a face or even a voice to be the most hype character.
I just opened RUclips and voila...my day just became better.
Hi merphy , watching your videos for 1 year absolutely changed my life with wonderful books . Thank you merphy and hope you cautiously check whether you turn on the recording bottom or not
Komugi finally
Btw gungi Is like pai Sho not real the author Made His own table game
This was the longest 15 minutes in the entirety of fiction. I wish my life was this dense especially during exam season.
I loved how nobody really is a threat to The Ant King so far but love is what is wreaking him up on the inside. The way he expressly denies his animistic instincts of "kill and dominate; be the strongest." to protect and comfort one of the weakest beings he has ever encountered only because she was able to beat him in a game. It fills me with so much emotion. What makes an monster human? Love does. Love changes all. Its sappy af but omg it makes my heart ache
Reading this arc in real time as it updated was HELL ON EARTH. I convinced myself that I hated it, I hated this entire story, I never liked it in the first place. And then I returned and read it all once it was complete and it just took my breath away. The amount of tension. The build, and build, and build.
And Gon. Fucking Gon. I'd never seen a main character explored with this sort of depth before. At least not for a purported shounen which is for young boys. (The resolution of his arc can feel... unsatisfying, but it does carry on, so)
And Meruem. Fucking Meruem. Truly oh the humanity. From the most non-human character of them all. Masterful writing. To make the most monstrous of all creatures one of the most touching is magic. Magic!
My mentor ded now im mad, wow such depths of human physiology.
@@hydrocy.9165 Kite wasnt just his mentor Kite is the one that convinced Gon to walk the path that he’s walking now Gon looks up to Kite and he thought it was his fault because he was weak and kite had to protect him
@@ssplif5415 Except Gon never asked for him to protect him, and being ready to throw away his life for some guy who did you some favours as a kid, when he has more meaningful relationship like with Killua or mom like figure at home? Last time I checked, strong bonds are made by spending time with each other, not by doing some favours then disappearing.
@@hydrocy.9165 The thing is he spent as much tine with kite as he did killua.
I'm so happy that someone finally addressed the selfish side of gon's character and the way he treats kilua in their friendship
In order to get a better understanding of all the crazy stuff going on during the Palace Invasion and why the narrator is so dang important, there’s a video on RUclips using clips from the anime that shows everything that’s happening in real-time, from the perspectives of each of the royal guards and the thing. It’s absolutely crazy.
Link?
Real time?
@@DemiGod504 ruclips.net/video/MjiHClo2rmc/видео.html
@@DemiGod504 ruclips.net/video/MjiHClo2rmc/видео.html
My favorite quote in the anime and maybe present in the manga "The Countless Dragons That Rained Down Were Less Significant Threats Than The Humans In The Sky"
17:30 YES! More Morel love please! I've said he's my favorite hunter in the whole series by far and many treat me like I'm crazy or just trying to be different, but I just legit love him and his fights so much. He's like the quintessential Hunter in my eyes, a consummate professional through and through. Not necessarily the most strong or flashy but ends up producing more results than many other hunters through consistent, level-headed focus and strategy.
Gon enters the room expecting to see a monster Pitou to which deliver his "rage" to, but all he sees is a bowing ant.
You see, Gon didn't only lose Kite, but his anger and frustration now lost all target, if he were to kill Pitou there, he would've been the monster of the story
Ehhhhhh that's a stretch. I think the true monster is Shiapouf. Unlike the other ants or the humans, he never tries to change even a little and seems to be incapable of feeling anything positive outside of his loyalty to the King. Even then, his form of loyalty becomes something that Meruem eventually finds annoying.
I am so happy to see Merphy get excited at the beginning of the Palace Invasion because that is exactly what I felt when I'm watching the anime, I was so hyped and got goosebumps at so many scenes, when the old men jumped down from the dragon, when the gang faced Youpi at the staircase and especially the moment two old men confronting with the king. I remembered sweating after every episode because how intense it was. Hunter x Hunter is truly magical
You're so close to getting to THAT moment and I'm so excited for you. I look forward to your part 3!
Pretty sure my hype topped out at "Bad move, little ant." I still say this in conversation to this day.
Knov was in Zetsu state when he was near
Shaiapouf. He didn't use aura to protect itself. This is one of the reason why he bacame so broken. But also Melarion and Knov would be to OP ( They could one shot the King) so it is okay for him to drop out
I disagree on the Gon take. Gon like many kids is quite selfish and does not really consider the morality of certain actions, like forceing his will on Kilua… but he has always been someone who values moral justice. He was not angry with the phantom troupe for what happened to him, he just knew that they were dangerous killers and he felt justified in hunting them down to reach his own goals, yet he was bewildered when he saw one of those terrible people show emotions for someone, that made him ask, why can you feel those emotions and still do heinous things?
Gon is not a moral Jesus, but he is still a good person, he simply shows no pity towards those he categorize as “bad people”
People are quick to paint Gon as some kind of psycho but like...he's literally a child.
we're shown time and time again that Gon cares way more about how much he likes a person than their actual morals. when it comes to the phantom troupe, he was pre disposed to disliking them because they hurt Kurapika, someone he likes. Gon is perfectly fine and accepting of criminals and murderers as long as they dont hurt people HE likes. he divides people into good and evil based on his initial impressions of them, and when shown moral grey areas he is confused and angered like with Nobunaga and Pitou
@@barley2469 bruh what the hell was he supposed to do? Arrest them all omdss.
A lot of people are quick to call Gon a killer and forgive Meruem in the same breath.
Yeah some people like the troupe too much, i am just happy that Hisoka is going to kill them all.
I love your captions not just this one but every review so far
“I call him Mr. Tentacles.” First name: Undulatia.
Also it wasn’t pitou’s En, it was Pouf’s en because Pouf has significantly more malice than her. She took hers down to heal the king and he said he would replace her
Pitou is male
Have you ever had a story finish an arc in such a spectacular way that you feel like "I'm satisfied" and kinda put the story on hold? That was the Chimera Ant Arc for me, finished it years ago and I'm only now picking HxH back up
It's so exciting wait for your thoughts on all of it, truly peak fiction!
That's a really common feeling with this arc even for anime onlys. Hell, I rewatched it with a friend and after CA we just stopped, and that was like a year ago!
@@isaiascanete6651 you definitely shouldnt stop as the next arc has a lot of context and is almost an epilouge for the chimera arc at least in part
@@Cream12345Ice I watched the election arc and it's good, but the end of CA is so satisfying
Same after i finished ep 135 a week ago i already put it on hold which isn't even the end of chimera arc(i think)
@@isaiascanete6651 CA definitely feels like the climax, but Chairman Election is the denouement. It really feels like the series could have ended there and be completely satisfying. Dark Continent often feels like a spinoff.
Yesss been scrambling looking for something to watch. Look forward to each of these reviews! HxH is my fav series of all time. Thank you!
For the last 24 hours waiting for this video fervently.
the part where Togashi introduces Gungi to make Meruem questions his entire perspective on humanity is what I love the most in this arc. He thinks himself as the absolute superior being compared to human race, yet when he comes across a board game where he absolutely got crushed by this puny human race no matter how many time he tries is a really good "wake up call" so to say for the King.
Why do I have to wait a whole week for these??? Seriously, these are my favorite videos on the whole platform :D
I’ve been waiting for thiisssss!! Now imma watch
After finishing the arc, I would really recommend watching episode 125, 126 and 131. HxH has my favorite soundtrack out of any anime ever, and I really think you'll like it.
Love the review, can't wait for the next one. It's gonna be amazing
If you got hyped reading the attack on the castle with the dragon drive, you would get blow-minded by the anime. That part is the best slow-motion episode ever made.
oh god the next part is going to be insane, ahh Merph you aren't ready
The hype is real! Great assessments on the characters and story. So excited for you to finish the arc!
One thing to add that’s super minor about komugi is that she uses nen to come up with new moves but she is unaware that she uses nen
Still one of the best arcs in all of fiction, hands down. So glad you're doing HxH!
Absolutely can't wait for part 3!
Edit: also, Togashi is back baby, you chose the perfect time to jump into this series!
I rarely comment on videos, but just wanted to say I love these videos and especially how much enthusiasm you have for HxH
When they said this wasn't what they had signed up for, Netero and Zeno were also referring to Komugi, who is an innocent and was nearly killed in the attack. This was also why they had hesitated. They weren't expecting a third party to be in the palace.
Besides the fact that Nen is amazingly structured, I personally love it because I share the same philosophy. A power system based on the things you love is the best, we've seen powers that reflect personality, but nen goes beyond and is more specific, you love soccer? you can create a soccer-related ability, that's it. And it's perfect that way. And also is realistic because life is not all beautiful, look at Killua, he didn't love being tortured, but that's an important part of his life so his power is about electricity, tragic as Bisky said.
I disagree with Gon acting different and being this character that just tries to bulldoze his way through everything this is something that a lot people think that Gon change after Kite died but I think his action are the same as before throughout the series we see Gon planning things out all the time
During the dodgeball game with Razor Gon was the one who came up with the plan to stop Razor ball spike by using Hisoka bungee gum and Killua amazing aura control along with his own strength as a enhancer to catch it
During the hunter exam when everybody including Kurapika and Killua where thinking that there was no other option but to fight each other Gon came up with the idea of choosing the long way then breaking the wall with the weapons in order to take the short path
When they were stuck in a room with Nobunaga Gon came up with the idea of using what they learned from Zepile to create a new opening while Killua was just trying to kill himself so Gon could have a chance of getting out
When trying to capture Hisoka bag he does not try to fight or overpower him but figures out a way to take it by waiting for Hisoka to attack someone else and using that chance to steal it by using his fishing rode
He's not this character that just tries to bulldoze his way through everything he always comes up with ideas for how to get himself and his friends out of bad spots he's not good at math or school but he's been shown to out smart people much older than himself and even seen through things faster than Killua has at times like when Gon realized that only the people who got in line during the selection first or last would be chosen to play greed island something that Killua did not figure out and had to be told
I've been watching this channel since pretimeskip onepiece and I'm so happy you've found love for manga. It's a great way to deliver a story
I agree with this stopping point! Great video Merphy, this is the golden age of booktube! My fav mangas are getting covered, and now Togashi started writing again! Things are GREAT
Meruem is kinda pronounced like this, I think (I'm ESL so not 100% sure):
"Meh-roo-ehm", saying the three syllables slowly after each other may help realize how it is supposed to be pronounced normally.
The u in "ru" isn't the normal English u but how the u is pronounced in the word "rune."
I love this arc & the comparisons made between human and monster. It’s interesting to me that the humans and monsters are the same. I like how Togashi built up emotion on both sides to the point where the conflict you are about to read made me question my allegiance
I love how enthusiastic you are when talking about this series. Hunter x Hunter is one of my all-time favorite shounen manga/anime series and this arc put me on a rollercoaster of emotions. The narration was well-needed for a scatter-brain like me. I'm glad to see more people picking up manga these days, this one especially.
For clarification on a couple names, the 'g' in Komugi's is a hard 'g'. Meruem is pronounced *Meh-roo-ehm.*
aahhh yes the narrator-san, the mvp of this arc i am glad it works for you in manga so well too
Best arc in the anime along with Yorknew City
24:30 on feels like I'm listening to an hxh church sermon and it's incredible 😂😂👌💯💯 (helps that I watch at 1.5x speed)
you loving the narrator made me so happy because i had the same reaction. Glad you are enjoying the arc so far and cannot wait for your next video.
Watching you get so excited about HxH as I once did is so much fun, thank you for making this series