11-23-2011, 01:36 PM | #1 |
Dragon's Tears
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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.
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11-23-2011, 02:06 PM | #2 |
時の彼方へ
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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
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11-23-2011, 09:30 PM | #3 | |
我が名は勇者王!
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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:
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.
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11-28-2011, 12:36 AM | #5 | ||||
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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:
Spoiler: show Quote:
Spoiler: show Quote:
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:
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11-28-2011, 04:17 AM | #6 |
我が名は勇者王!
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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.
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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. |
11-28-2011, 10:19 AM | #7 | |
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Quote:
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.) Ah, so that's who he is. I kept hearing that name being dropped.
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12-04-2011, 07:57 AM | #8 |
我が名は勇者王!
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LEOOOOORIOOOOO!!
Now that's what I'm talking about! A man after my own heart.
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12-04-2011, 10:15 AM | #9 |
時の彼方へ
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Well, now that Doppel's sufficiently spoiled this episode for me , I may as well put it off indefinitely.
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12-04-2011, 11:03 AM | #10 |
Night Man
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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
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12-04-2011, 11:07 AM | #11 | |
時の彼方へ
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Quote:
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.
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12-04-2011, 12:05 PM | #12 |
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His match hasn't even officially started yet.
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12-04-2011, 12:17 PM | #13 |
時の彼方へ
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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!
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12-04-2011, 01:49 PM | #14 | |
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Quote:
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: 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.
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12-04-2011, 10:37 PM | #15 |
我が名は勇者王!
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Speculation: Hisoka is part of the Phantom Troupe. Just because when I think of "troupe" I think of circus, and he's a clown.
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12-04-2011, 10:54 PM | #16 |
時の彼方へ
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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.
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12-04-2011, 11:36 PM | #17 |
我が名は勇者王!
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Research suggests she is 100% female. That's a mental relief, because I still don't know what % female Kurapika is.
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12-04-2011, 11:50 PM | #18 | |
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Quote:
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.
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12-04-2011, 11:58 PM | #19 |
時の彼方へ
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12-11-2011, 08:04 PM | #22 |
時の彼方へ
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Episode 11 was pretty good.
Spoiler: show 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).
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12-11-2011, 08:47 PM | #23 | ||
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I'm actually inclined to agree with Dopple that this episode was painful for me to watch, for various reasons. ^^;
Spoiler: show Quote:
Spoiler: show Quote:
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12-11-2011, 09:46 PM | #24 |
我が名は勇者王!
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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.
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12-11-2011, 10:23 PM | #25 | |
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Quote:
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. ^^;
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