UPNetwork  

Go Back   UPNetwork > General Forums > Anime

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 11-23-2011, 01:36 PM   #1
lilboocorsola
Dragon's Tears
 
lilboocorsola's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Searching for light
Posts: 6,453
Bulbasaur Hunter x Hunter

Fearsome monsters... Exotic creatures...

Vast riches... Hidden Treasures...

Evil enclaves... Unexplored lands...

The world "unknown" holds magic, and some incredible people are drawn to that magic. They are known as... Hunters!



Four friends meet and embark on a journey to achieve their Hunter licenses, an esteemed title that grants only the toughest competitors elite access to the world's vast knowledge and resources. To qualify, they must pass a dangerous exam amongst other thrillseekers who pose threatening challenges, including the psychotic murderer Hisoka. 12-year-old Gon Freecss is on the hunt not just for treasure, glory, or fame, but to prove his worth as a Hunter like his father once did - and to discover the mysteries of why his father left him in order to chase the fantastic unknown.

The 1999 shounen series makes its return in 2011 with a complete reboot directed by Madhouse, chronicling the manga's events from the very beginning. Discussion of either the old or new version or the manga itself are welcome.

Last edited by lilboocorsola; 08-12-2013 at 10:44 AM.
lilboocorsola is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2011, 02:06 PM   #2
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
Watched Episode 8. It was yet another good-though-not-great episode. Solidly good. A grade of B. Not bad. Just ...

... I'm always left wanting more out of HxH. Maybe that's not fair. Maybe that's actually a testament to how good the premise is, I dunno. But HxH is one of those shows that I think I'd enjoy a whole lot more if I could watch it the way I got to watch Naruto in Summer 2007: just me, several months of free time, and over 200 episodes.

Spoiler: show
I felt bad for the guy who crawled down the side of the tower. But if there's one thing we've already learned from this show, it's that it's never a good idea to be the first one to try something out. The first guy to take that one quiz? Completely went to the wrong city. The first guy to try and get eggs? Totally flubbed. And now this guy hastily makes for the tower's base only to ... yeah. Poor guy. Shoulda known better.

LOL at how the group thinks they actually have any free will in the decisions they make. Given how this tower is designed, I could easily see it being the case that the left and right paths ultimately lead to the exact same room or to nearly identical rooms. So I mean, even if the rooms the paths led to were technically different, they each could have been rooms with a big void, a lone platform in the center, and five prisoners waiting to challenge them.

What Tonpa did was pretty predictable at first ... but once he actually got out onto the platform and had all that chi energy stuff swirling about him, I thought we were totally going to see him reveal what he can do. Was totally thrown for a loop.

Going to throw my predictions out there now. Offering multiple ones so there's no real merit in it for me if I end up guessing correctly.

Scenario 1: Gon wins, Kurapica wins, Leorio loses, Killua wins
Scenario 2: Gon wins, Kurapica loses, Leorio miraculously wins, Killua wins

Either way, I anticipate that Killua will go last. We'll see him fighting seriously (meaning all evil-like and stuff) and it'll raise alarms for the group, maybe even for Gon himself. I could see Gon losing were it not for the fact that then this would mean that all three remaining fights would have to be victories which would sort of take some of the suspense out for manga readers. So I'm thinking instead that Gon will almost definitely win, and either the final loss will be introduced in the fourth round (Leorio) or else in the third round (Kurapica). As for whether I have the round order right or not, who knows. But we know Gon goes second, and the sneak peak seems to suggest that Kurapica goes third. Since I'm confident that they'd save Killua for last, this would mean that Leorio goes fourth.
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2011, 09:30 PM   #3
Doppleganger
我が名は勇者王!
 
Doppleganger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Emina Isle
Posts: 14,198
Send a message via AIM to Doppleganger
Shounen law seems to dictate either Gon or Kurapica lose. I can't imagine the quirky comic relief guy Leorio losing, because that would be too predictable. Neither can I imagine the super dangerous Killua losing too.

I'm leaning toward Kurapica losing though I'd rather he not. His losing puts pressure on the cast to have consecutive wins, which sets things up for Leorio. I don't really see how Gon is special or how's supposed to succeed against opponents. He's athletic, but his weapon is a fishpole. His major highlights right now are his honesty, innocence and pure soul. And maybe his mountain main senses.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Talon87 View Post
... I'm always left wanting more out of HxH. Maybe that's not fair. Maybe that's actually a testament to how good the premise is, I dunno. But HxH is one of those shows that I think I'd enjoy a whole lot more if I could watch it the way I got to watch Naruto in Summer 2007: just me, several months of free time, and over 200 episodes.
Pretty sure that's by intent, given the pacing of this story. But when I think back on the events, it's not as painful right now as Naruto would have been because HxH has yet to take the characters into a truly hostile situation. There haven't really been any "cliffhangers".

Naruto got off to a fast start with Zabuza, then hooked the reader by showing the Chunin Exam break down due to Orochimaru's backstage influence. The story was fast-paced and the action spontaneous, and while we've had action in HxH it's a lot more laid back and controlled right now.

While I can agree that I want to see more HxH, I feel it's because HxH is particularly interesting compared with the other shows this season. If I were reading HxH alongside Naruto and One Piece during their primes, I could certainly feel empowered to put HxH out of mind from week to week.
__________________
あなたの勇気が切り開く未来
ふたりの想いが見つけだす希望
今 信じあえる
あきらめない 心かさね
永遠を抱きしめて
Doppleganger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-27-2011, 04:18 PM   #4
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
Watched Episode 09 earlier today. I enjoyed the faster pacing of Gon's half to Kurapica's half. The latter one felt unnecessarily drawn out. It was still good though.

Spoiler: show
So now it seems that we're either going to get:

(1) Leorio wins, we move on; or
(2) Leorio loses, Killua wins but in so doing reveals to the group just what sort of person he is

I'm going to put my money this week on #2, but it'll be interesting if Leorio can manage to be more than the bumbling sidekick of the group and can actually pull out a win this early. While I agree with Doppel that sometimes they have the bumbler win just because it isn't what you'd expect, I feel it's too soon for Leorio and so that's why #2's where I'm placing my bet.

While I enjoyed the puzzle of how Gon's opponent tricked him, I enjoyed Gon's solution even more. Very smart to realize that. Not something he'd have been able to pull off against a speedier, better-bodied opponent, but all's well that ends well.

Kurapica's opponent got on my nerves big time. Way too goofy-stupid. It was obvious once they started playing up his attempts to bluff Kurapica into submission how this was going to end, which made the fact that it was so drawn out all the more frustrating. But it was cool to see Kurapica give us a small taste of his powers -- super speed and/or teleportation which allows him to move like that that fast? Cool! -- and I got a few cool screencaps from his angry red-eyed state.

Here's hoping that next week is both Leorio and Killua (which it seems like it should be, given that the sneak peek revealed the face of a prisoner who was clearly not female, and we know Leorio's opponent is female from her voice, so ...) since that would mean that we'll finish off this part of the Third Stage before the credits roll in Episode 10. As for how long the Third Stage itself could be, no idea. I guess the only one here who knows the answer to that is Yuki. We could be done already, or we could be in for a very long haul. It is, after all, a very tall tower.

The sneak peek hints that we may finish early next week because it shows Hisoka fighting who is presumably his own opponent. (Could even be that male prisoner I mentioned earlier, who knows. Especially if Leorio should defeat his opponent ...)
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2011, 12:36 AM   #5
lilboocorsola
Dragon's Tears
 
lilboocorsola's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Searching for light
Posts: 6,453
Note: Before I review each episode now I try to double-check manga/old animé experts' comparisons first. I tend to learn some enlightening facts in the process, so time to share.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Talon87 View Post
Spoiler: show
While I enjoyed the puzzle of how Gon's opponent tricked him, I enjoyed Gon's solution even more. Very smart to realize that. Not something he'd have been able to pull off against a speedier, better-bodied opponent, but all's well that ends well.
The 2011 version actually pleasantly surprises me by more faithfully portraying how Gon originally handled the situation in the manga:

Spoiler: show
Calmly and coolly. In the first animé, Gon panicked and flailed about helplessly until he dropped the candle, upon which he realized the flame wouldn't go out if he left it there. In the manga, Gon apparently didn't even hesitate to set the candle down (using the exact same casual pose and smile as in the new animé). Though the 2011 version still has him flounder a bit, I like how it shows Gon is good at dealing with pressure.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Talon87 View Post
Spoiler: show
Kurapica's opponent got on my nerves big time. Way too goofy-stupid. It was obvious once they started playing up his attempts to bluff Kurapica into submission how this was going to end, which made the fact that it was so drawn out all the more frustrating.
Spoiler: show
I want to say the new animé really hammed up Majitani, and the older animé was better at building up tension. I feel like I honestly considered him a potentially serious threat until the end. I haven't been able to confirm whether the telling inner monologues were in the manga (or the first animé for that matter), though in the 1999 series Gon doesn't note Majitani appears weak until much later, whereas in the manga and 2011 version he chimes in at the beginning of the battle.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Talon87 View Post
Spoiler: show
But it was cool to see Kurapica give us a small taste of his powers -- super speed and/or teleportation which allows him to move like that that fast? Cool! -- and I got a few cool screencaps from his angry red-eyed state.
Kurapica is awesome. 'Nuff said.

Although Dopple may be disappointed to learn that for some reason, the 2011 version has him keep his white overshirt on, while in the 1999 version and manga he removed it to reveal a sleeveless top. First time he's supposed to look like an actual somewhat tough guy, and the baggy clothes this time just make him seem even more girly and scrawny. ^^;

I guess to compensate, they cut a shot of his earring? *shrug* Don't think it was important - never took note of it myself until I read the complaints - but it's a feature that definitely complements him later on. Actually, yeah, the first OVA OP even highlights its symbolism... Very subtle. =O

Quote:
Originally Posted by Talon87 View Post
Spoiler: show
we know Leorio's opponent is female from her voice
Oh? Wanna bet? 83
lilboocorsola is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2011, 04:17 AM   #6
Doppleganger
我が名は勇者王!
 
Doppleganger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Emina Isle
Posts: 14,198
Send a message via AIM to Doppleganger
I was disappointed with this episode. Maybe I've just been watching too many anime that focus on puzzles (Kaiji?) but as soon as that guy pulled out the candle, I suspected they would both be rigged, even though I missed the slight of hand due to the vulpine camera angle.

Additionally, I figured someone would try to blow the other's candle out because the prospect of sitting there for hours was ridiculous. It's a major tactical blunder by the candle guy. He loses ten years for every delayed hour, right? What was the point of blowing up Gon's candle, if he could have cut down his sentence by 40 years? I'm not saying this is reasonable, but his strategy confounded me.

Second guy...as soon as the description listed his only major crimes as "extortion" and "blackmail" I figured he was a bluffer. He confirmed it by drawing his attention to the hearts on his chest, supposedly to imply he'd murdered people. In anyone's book, you'd think murder to be a more noteworthy crime than extortion/blackmail.

Like Talon, I preferred Gon's fight to Kurapika's.

Oh yeah, Majitani is voiced by Kazuki Yao, Kaiji's original CV. He also played Kitami in Kaiji's first season.
__________________
あなたの勇気が切り開く未来
ふたりの想いが見つけだす希望
今 信じあえる
あきらめない 心かさね
永遠を抱きしめて

Last edited by Doppleganger; 11-28-2011 at 04:21 AM.
Doppleganger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2011, 10:19 AM   #7
lilboocorsola
Dragon's Tears
 
lilboocorsola's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Searching for light
Posts: 6,453
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doppleganger View Post
Additionally, I figured someone would try to blow the other's candle out because the prospect of sitting there for hours was ridiculous. It's a major tactical blunder by the candle guy. He loses ten years for every delayed hour, right? What was the point of blowing up Gon's candle, if he could have cut down his sentence by 40 years? I'm not saying this is reasonable, but his strategy confounded me.
This puzzled me too when I thought about it. Guess he was just a pyro. *shrug* Or maybe he was that confident he (and his comrades) would win. If the prisoners manage to beat the gang they will be stuck there for the remainder of the time.

Something else confused me about the way Kurapica's fight ended given what I remember of how events should progress from here, but apparently that's how it went down in the manga too. I suppose the next episode will explain it.

(Hint: Check the scoreboard.)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Doppleganger View Post
Oh yeah, Majitani is voiced by Kazuki Yao, Kaiji's original CV. He also played Kitami in Kaiji's first season.
Ah, so that's who he is. I kept hearing that name being dropped.
lilboocorsola is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2011, 07:57 AM   #8
Doppleganger
我が名は勇者王!
 
Doppleganger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Emina Isle
Posts: 14,198
Send a message via AIM to Doppleganger
LEOOOOORIOOOOO!!

Now that's what I'm talking about! A man after my own heart.
__________________
あなたの勇気が切り開く未来
ふたりの想いが見つけだす希望
今 信じあえる
あきらめない 心かさね
永遠を抱きしめて
Doppleganger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2011, 10:15 AM   #9
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doppleganger View Post
LEOOOOORIOOOOO!!

Now that's what I'm talking about! A man after my own heart.
Well, now that Doppel's sufficiently spoiled this episode for me , I may as well put it off indefinitely.
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2011, 11:03 AM   #10
GrJackass
Night Man
 
GrJackass's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,371
has the show restarted or something? cause i remember watching the series and it just abruptly ended. it was the end of a major story arc but i believe the comic is even still pumping out new ones and i saw the entire series like 5 years ago.

it was a fun for a long time i love the earlier episodes and who was clown looking guy? favorite character right there. used to be my avatar if i recall correctly
__________________
I'm an old school Poke-BALLER.

”Fee, fie, foe, fum the End are Near at thou Bobbum. Time me open Bobbum Van trunk, for ruin Bobbum wif Equipmunk.”
GrJackass is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2011, 11:07 AM   #11
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
Quote:
Originally Posted by GrJackass View Post
has the show restarted or something? cause i remember watching the series and it just abruptly ended. it was the end of a major story arc but i believe the comic is even still pumping out new ones and i saw the entire series like 5 years ago.

it was a fun for a long time i love the earlier episodes and who was clown looking guy? favorite character right there. used to be my avatar if i recall correctly
Yes, it has restarted. Look for "Hunter x Hunter 2011" (or similar). It goes by "Hunter x Hunter," but obviously people want a way to distinguish between the two and affixing "2011" to the end of the remake's name seems to be the commonest way to do so.

The clown you're thinking of is probably Hisoka. He's back, of course, as are all the other characters you might remember from the start of the series.

Right now, we're in the middle of the third trial during the Hunter Exam. I dunno if you'll remember, but there was a tall tower that Gon and the others had to enter via trap door tiles on the top of the tower. Then they had to do some other stuff inside. Right now we're only at the earliest phases (I would presume) of that trial, although who knows, things could end very soon, too. No idea as I've never read the manga or seen the original anime. Anyway, episode count-wise, we've just seen Episode 10. (Or Doppel has. I haven't watched it yet.) So if you start up, don't be surprised to rip through the first ten episodes only to then run out of new stuff to watch. ^^; It's airing weekly and it'll probably be a while before it gets back to where you last saw new stuff happening.
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2011, 12:05 PM   #12
Doppleganger
我が名は勇者王!
 
Doppleganger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Emina Isle
Posts: 14,198
Send a message via AIM to Doppleganger
Quote:
Originally Posted by Talon87 View Post
Well, now that Doppel's sufficiently spoiled this episode for me , I may as well put it off indefinitely.
His match hasn't even officially started yet.
__________________
あなたの勇気が切り開く未来
ふたりの想いが見つけだす希望
今 信じあえる
あきらめない 心かさね
永遠を抱きしめて
Doppleganger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2011, 12:17 PM   #13
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
Whaaaaaaaat. D:

*puts HxH Ep10 back on to-see list*

I assumed you were more or less giving away that you'd seen the episode and that in it it's revealed that Leorio wins. If I now go to watch it and I should see that I was right, and that in this LAST reply you were just doing some sloppy damage control , I'mma get right back on your case. Until then ... I rescind what I said and will look forward to watching ...

......... although now I'm pissed to learn that the entire episode goes by without his fight even starting. WTH. >_< I had wanted his and Killua's fights to be over and done with by episode's end. C'mon, HxH team! Don't stall!
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2011, 01:49 PM   #14
lilboocorsola
Dragon's Tears
 
lilboocorsola's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Searching for light
Posts: 6,453
Quote:
Originally Posted by GrJackass View Post
has the show restarted or something? cause i remember watching the series and it just abruptly ended. it was the end of a major story arc but i believe the comic is even still pumping out new ones and i saw the entire series like 5 years ago.
Did you ever watch the OVAs? If you're talking about the York Shin arc, the first OVA concludes that story. They then released another two OVAs under the title "Greed Island" to end the series, which I imagine deviated from the manga.

Today's episode was pretty great for Leorio, forgot how epic he was in this moment. =3 See, he's not totally useless! He just has his own special - if modest or rather "out of place" compared to these hot-blooded warriors - talents and way of doing things.

What I really like about Leorio's character that makes him unique for a shounen series is that he is just a regular guy with a realistic, yet genuinely noble dream. In fact, his goal is probably the most admirable out of the entire cast we've met so far.

Gon: I want to be the very best! I want to be like daddy!
Killua: I want to put my family behind bars!
Kurapica: I want to put my family's murderers behind bars!

You might say Kurapica and Killua have noble causes, but in the end their motivations boil down to revenge (Killua's are really debateable). Leorio's aim is actually far more ambitious, and the end result is something he doesn't need brute strength for but unfortunately the means call for the bare minimum.

I honestly find it pretty sad that in order for a relatively normal person to get a relatively normal job in HxH's world he/she has to go through such a convoluted, dangerous process. It's like if Pokémon training was a requirement to become a doctor - not necessarily for the skills, but because only Pokémon Masters receive any respect and access to vital resources. That's basically true of the Pokémon world, which I'm sure a lot of fanfics/parodies such as Moképon have touched upon. It's a disturbing reality of shounen series that usually revolve around some fad that consumes the universe, and if you're not in on it that means you're a loser in society. Hence why I'm glad HxH addresses this issue by having a character representative of the straight man minority. I'd cheer for Leorio to succeed over any of these so-called "treasure hunters" any day using his mad medicine knowledge instead of weapons and fists.
lilboocorsola is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2011, 10:37 PM   #15
Doppleganger
我が名は勇者王!
 
Doppleganger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Emina Isle
Posts: 14,198
Send a message via AIM to Doppleganger
Speculation: Hisoka is part of the Phantom Troupe. Just because when I think of "troupe" I think of circus, and he's a clown.
__________________
あなたの勇気が切り開く未来
ふたりの想いが見つけだす希望
今 信じあえる
あきらめない 心かさね
永遠を抱きしめて
Doppleganger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2011, 10:54 PM   #16
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
Good call! Can't believe I hadn't even thought of that. I guess it shows how passively I am along for the ride when it comes to HxH's narrative. ^^; Not really scrutinizing or lapping this one up like I am F/Z. But yeah: good call. That's very true: you do think of a circus when you hear the word "troupe." That or traveling performers of some other kind. But still: a clown fits right in with that idea.

I wonder what Hisoka's motives are, then. Did he drop out of the Troupe? If so, is he trying to join the Hunter's Guild so that he has some modicum of protection against his former cronies? If not, is he trying to infiltrate the Guild as a sleeper agent? Does he plan to try and assassinate somebody or steal something for the Troupe? Questions, questions: and all based on the assumption that you're right! But I bet you are. Nice call.

BTW: watched Episode 10. It was good. The entire time, given Yuki's tease last week, I expected one of the bets to be "Do you think I'm a girl? " But I'm still confident that I was originally right and that she is a girl. If she's a trap, well, L-O-L.
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2011, 11:36 PM   #17
Doppleganger
我が名は勇者王!
 
Doppleganger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Emina Isle
Posts: 14,198
Send a message via AIM to Doppleganger
Research suggests she is 100% female. That's a mental relief, because I still don't know what % female Kurapika is.
__________________
あなたの勇気が切り開く未来
ふたりの想いが見つけだす希望
今 信じあえる
あきらめない 心かさね
永遠を抱きしめて
Doppleganger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2011, 11:50 PM   #18
lilboocorsola
Dragon's Tears
 
lilboocorsola's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Searching for light
Posts: 6,453
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doppleganger View Post
Research suggests she is 100% female. That's a mental relief, because I still don't know what % female Kurapika is.
Aw, you spoiled the fun. XP

I actually misremembered the Genei Ryodan's English name at first and thought they were just the "Spider Troupe". ^^; Does it literally translate to "Phantom Troupe"?

I really like the cool preview image we got in episode 09. Almost want to make it into a sig. It's pretty enough that I might even consider using it as a desktop background.
lilboocorsola is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2011, 11:58 PM   #19
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
Oh wow. You can TOTALLY ...

Spoiler: show
... see Hisoka's silhouette on the very far right. He's the one on the far right of the group, seemingly indicating that he's one of the least important members of the troupe. Oh boy. ^^;
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2011, 12:25 AM   #20
lilboocorsola
Dragon's Tears
 
lilboocorsola's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Searching for light
Posts: 6,453
What's funny is I spent a while looking for this image in a post where someone tried to recognize which silhouette was who, and they seemed to think...

Spoiler: show
Hisoka was the first one. ^^;
lilboocorsola is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2011, 11:41 AM   #21
Doppleganger
我が名は勇者王!
 
Doppleganger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Emina Isle
Posts: 14,198
Send a message via AIM to Doppleganger
Oh god, this episode. It will be hard to watch.

Spoiler: show
Who knew I was researching spoilers?
__________________
あなたの勇気が切り開く未来
ふたりの想いが見つけだす希望
今 信じあえる
あきらめない 心かさね
永遠を抱きしめて
Doppleganger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2011, 08:04 PM   #22
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
Episode 11 was pretty good.

Spoiler: show
I have to confess, I enjoyed Leorio's section more than Killua's and wish both had been longer but paradoxically am also very grateful that we got to see both of them through to completion in this one episode. So like ... I guess I'm saying I wanted a 45-minute episode? ^^;

This is a theory I've been bouncing around for a while now, but I don't think I've declared it on UPN, so here goes. It has to do with Tonpa. My theory is:

Spoiler: show
Tonpa's going to wind up becoming a licensed Hunter, despite his wishes, because he's going to be dragged along by his bootstraps by the others who aren't going to allow him to get in their way of, as a team, getting that Hunter's license. Then, once Tonpa becomes a licensed Hunter, it's kind of one of those "you're on your own now, bud" kinds of things, and he'll be picked off immediately by some fellow rookie Hunter who wants to add one additional Hunter kill to his Hunter Kills list.

It could prove to be wrong, especially if we have a ways to go after Test 3 before we get the license, something I full well expect. But I think ... that Tonpa will be linked to the group again somehow. And that then what I wrote in the nested spoiler box will happen. So who knows. We'll see.

That was pretty cool to see Killua do what he did, but it also made for one hell of an anti-climax. Like ...
Pro: it established that Killua is ridiculously deadly
Con: it was very anti-climactic for those who were wanting to see a rough 'n' tumble fight, especially after the dude had revealed that he could crush bricks and such with just his fingertips
But whatever. It was pretty cool. Interesting (if "typical Shonen Jump " eye-roll inducing) to hear Killua mention that his dad could have done it without even leaving a visible mark. But I thought that Killua was better than his parents already? No? Guess I misinterpreted. I thought the whole idea was that Killua was his clan's prodigy student but that he chose not to inherit the family business and that meant that now his family's kind of after him. It's the other way around? Like Gon (presumably), Killua is weaker than his dad and is the one seeking out said father? Hmm.

That bald ninja guy seems so incapable, even though I want to like him. ^^; So I'm kind of disappointed that we didn't get to see what his challenge was and how he was able to breeze through it so quickly.

The bad news: next week's episode looks like a filler. The good news: it looks like it's intended filler straight out of the manga and, furthermore, that it might be kind of entertaining. Also, it looks like it's only going to be one episode and then we're right back out of that room and get to move on through the tower (the following week).
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2011, 08:47 PM   #23
lilboocorsola
Dragon's Tears
 
lilboocorsola's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Searching for light
Posts: 6,453
I'm actually inclined to agree with Dopple that this episode was painful for me to watch, for various reasons. ^^;

Spoiler: show
Of course I knew Leorio was going to feel the girl up. XP Didn't make it any less cheesy and awkward. What really bugged me throughout the episode though - and in fact the whole remake so far - was Gon's reactions. Yes, apparently they screwed up his characterization in the first animé. I really enjoyed those little innocent moments they added for him though that made him seem more like a "normal" kid. I missed the part where in the original animé, Tonpa surprisingly felt responsible enough to take it upon himself to shield Gon's eyes. (He left Killua alone though, lol. Gon: Hey, what's going on? x.X I wanna see~ The other two: That was disgusting. -.-) Really didn't care for the dumb slackjawed expression he wore through the entire scene, or his general unfazed attitude towards everything. There are some places where his lack of dicomfiture is what makes him a unique character, but you'd think a boy his age would be at least curious when it comes to this. ^^;

I had also forgotten Leorio's test involved Rock-Paper-Scissors. I guess this is part of why I said Kaiji reminded me of HxH. Of course, Kaiji explored the psychological dilemma behind outwitting your opponent far more in-depth, so stepping back down to a brief throwaway match felt weird. I was similarly unimpressed upon rediscovering the use of the candle puzzle, since both are pretty old and unoriginal tricks. I look forward to when the author learned to effectively balance action and brainpower without having to rely on too many classic tactics.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Talon87 View Post
Spoiler: show
I thought the whole idea was that Killua was his clan's prodigy student but that he chose not to inherit the family business and that meant that now his family's kind of after him.
Spoiler: show
Killua is talented - enough to give his mom and brother injuries, apparently - but I think the fact that he rebelled means he left before his training was complete. Since he didn't mention his father then, I presume he managed to escape without having to face him.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Talon87 View Post
Spoiler: show
That bald ninja guy seems so incapable, even though I want to like him. ^^; So I'm kind of disappointed that we didn't get to see what his challenge was and how he was able to breeze through it so quickly.
Hanzo is hilarious. Don't like his girly eyelashes in this version though. ^^;
lilboocorsola is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2011, 09:46 PM   #24
Doppleganger
我が名は勇者王!
 
Doppleganger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Emina Isle
Posts: 14,198
Send a message via AIM to Doppleganger
If the anime were going to show filler, or non-canon filler, IMV it would have been a good idea to show some of the tests the other entrants were facing. We got a show of it with Hisoka, would have been cash to see the others.

I appreciate Leorio's presence but I don't like him being a "butt-monkey" - the goofball who is also incompetent.

He reminds me strongly of One Piece's Usopp. Usopp is a character who occupies a position on his crew traditionally seen as one of the strongest (Sniper), but despite being the best sniper in the world, he's significantly under-powered and humiliated in almost every fight.

I don't think Leorio is that bad, but Kuwabara was a pretty impressive fighter in his own right, and Leorio more or less occupies Kuwabara's position in this story.
__________________
あなたの勇気が切り開く未来
ふたりの想いが見つけだす希望
今 信じあえる
あきらめない 心かさね
永遠を抱きしめて
Doppleganger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2011, 10:23 PM   #25
lilboocorsola
Dragon's Tears
 
lilboocorsola's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Searching for light
Posts: 6,453
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doppleganger View Post
I don't think Leorio is that bad, but Kuwabara was a pretty impressive fighter in his own right, and Leorio more or less occupies Kuwabara's position in this story.
Kuwabara... Is he from Yu Yu Hakusho? That's by the same author, right? Have you seen it? If so, how is it (in comparison to HxH so far)?

Uncertain whether next week will indeed be pure filler or not. The preview might've been misleading. I'd like to think they wouldn't waste an entire episode just sitting around in that room, but who knows. ^^;
lilboocorsola is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Lower Navigation
Go Back   UPNetwork > General Forums > Anime


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:18 PM.


Design By: Miner Skinz.com
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.