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[HStallion]

Besides the GOAT Hisoka vs Chrollo fight, I feel like the dark continent arc is one of the most boring from the series.

The pace is really slow, and the story is very confusing (I don't know if blaming the translators on this though)

And unlike the chimaera ant arc where the pace was slow too, I feel that here that the payoff will not be as big to justify the story, plus the sucession sidestory is not that interesting for me, and at the moment doesn't feel that will add something spectacular to the overall arc

The pace is slow or the release schedule is terrible? The Dark Continent arc feels like its flying by at times especially compared to Chimera Ant Arc.

Can't believe people actually like Chimera Ant arc. That was utter shit and garbage and made me stop watching the show. If it wasn't for my friend affirming it gets better, I would've dropped Hunter x Hunter then and there.

The pacing isn't the worst of it, it's that godawful narration. The fucking bullshit Gon pulls at the end too LMAO. Oh my God. Everything, everything I hated about it.

Just pointing out there is little narration in the first half the arc and it doesn't really come into play until the King is born. Also the Gon stuff isn't BS. He didn't turn Super Saiyan, he basically killed himself to win. He still is feeling the effects, yada yada yada. Feels like we've gone over this a hundred times.

 

[NHarmonic.]

The pace is slow or the release schedule is terrible? The Dark Continent arc feels like its flying by at times especially compared to Chimera Ant Arc.



Just pointing out there is little narration in the first half the arc and it doesn't really come into play until the King is born. Also the Gon stuff isn't BS. He didn't turn Super Saiyan, he basically killed himself to win. He still is feeling the effects, yada yada yada. Feels like we've gone over this a hundred times.

Effects reverted by asspull-Alluka?

 

[Permanently A]

I really enjoyed the narration. I mean, you can show the King's shocked face at Netero's final words, but that quiet "It was the first time the King had felt fear." really elevated the moment for me.

 

[Dark_castle]

Effects reverted by asspull-Alluka?

If you've continued reading the manga, Gon

Spoiler

has lost all his Nen indefinitely.

So, no it's not completely reverted.

 

[NHarmonic.]

Well there's the major disconnect. I and many others did care about what was going with those characters. I honestly felt invested in what was going on with the entire extended cast in that arc. Nothing about the development of those characters felt forced to me, and I liked having things fleshed out. If you didn't care about them, it makes it much easier to see why you didn't enjoy the arc. The internal monologues and narration drew me in to the different character's plights and emotions, and made me care about them. I like that the Chimera Ant arc focuses on so many characters and tries to give them all some decent time in the spot light.

The focus was on too many disposable characters. Most ants died on the most forgettable fights ever (Cheetu, Leol?; lol you can probably eliminate him and his gang from the arc and it wouldn't matter at all) and the moments Togashi actually used to develop them or give them any significance were wasted. They didn't even acknowledge them after death, so it was like an author giving half hour internal monologues about people you pass by the street and you'll never see again. Just dragged an arc that should have been half the length it was.

I'll agree with you with Welfin, and Reina too (that was a sweet moment), but some of the rest, god have mercy, they weren't even interesting.

Also i have to say, in regards to shonen manga, this were some of the most boring fights ever. We have characters transforming more than bleach-villain levels to never have any kind of pay-off (yeah, some Arrancar showed far more interesting abilities and fights, like Syazel Aporro Granz, here we have 3+ hours of everyone vs youpi, with dumb tactics and 0 of the emotion and intelligence of something like: Gon vs Hisoka in the tower, that it was glorious).

The Netero fight was simple, but i wish we could have seen the king's Hatsu abilities against the bodhisattva? The limb-cutting was already boring at that point of the series...

I'm now finishing the election arc and i already find it more fun, helps that we get the Zoldyck, Hisoka and some other relevant characters; And interesting world-building.

 

[Daingurse]

The focus was on too many disposable characters. Most ants died on the most forgettable fights ever (Cheetu, Leol?; lol you can probably eliminate him and his gang from the arc and it wouldn't matter at all) and the moments Togashi actually used to develop them or give them any significance were wasted. They didn't even acknowledge them after death, so it was like an author giving half hour internal monologues about people you pass by the street and you'll never see again. Just dragged an arc that should have been half the length it was.

I'll agree with you with Welfin, and Reina too (that was a sweet moment), but some of the rest, god have mercy, they weren't even interesting.

Also i have to say, in regards to shonen manga, this were some of the most boring fights ever. We have characters transforming more than bleach-villain levels to never have any kind of pay-off (yeah, some Arrancar showed far more interesting abilities and fights, like Syazel Aporro Granz, here we have 3+ hours of everyone vs youpi, with dumb tactics and 0 of the emotion and intelligence of something like: Gon vs Hisoka in the tower, that it was glorious).

The Netero fight was simple, but i wish we could have seen the king's Hatsu abilities against the bodhisattva? The limb-cutting was already boring at that point of the series...

I'm now finishing the election arc and i already find it more fun, helps that we get the Zoldyck, Hisoka and some other relevant characters; And interesting world-building.

Just can't really agree with you at all man. This seems to be a very divisive arc lol.

 

[Moaradin]

Yeah, I see what you're saying... but I just can't agree with any of it lol

Seems like we just got two completely different things out of that arc.

 

[NHarmonic.]

Maybe i went with too high expectations tbh, i saw the 1999 anime a few years ago, and started 2011 again this month. I fell in love with the show in Heaven's arena/Yorknew, this was just too different for me imo.

 

[Daingurse]

Maybe i went with too high expectations tbh, i saw the 1999 anime a few years ago, and started 2011 again this month. I fell in love with the show in Heaven's arena/Yorknew, this was just too different for me imo.

Going into the Chimera Ant arc is a pretty big tonal shift, even more so than York New City. Maybe it's just a hate it or love it arc? You're definitely not alone with your opinion. But man, I'm just as baffled with people disliking the Chimera Ant arc as you and others are probably baffled that people love it hahaha.

 

[SalvaPot]

Chimera Ant is easily a contender for Best Story Arc of all time.

The buildup, fights and character motivations area great, and I really enjoyed the narration, it added to it in my opinion, even if it was a bit on the nose many times.

 

[JadedWriter]

So this whole show gets started with a kid catching a giant fish with fucking crab legs.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

Chimera Ant is easily a contender for Best Story Arc of all time.

The buildup, fights and character motivations area great, and I really enjoyed the narration, it added to it in my opinion, even if it was a bit on the nose many times.

This is actually really false. Any show that needs episodes and episodes of exposition isn't good. You can be invested in the characters and love it but from a story and show perspective it is quite awful. Anything up til the completion of Greed Island is gold. Chimera Ants was complete shit and there isn't anything redeeming about it.

 

[Moaradin]

It's ok to have wrong opinions!

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

This is actually really false. Any show that needs episodes and episodes of exposition isn't good. You can be invested in the characters and love it but from a story and show perspective it is quite awful. Anything up til the completion of Greed Island is gold. Chimera Ants was complete shit and there isn't anything redeeming about it.

I see this thread get bumped and this is what I am rewarded with? This nonsense? This trash?

 

[Subpar Spatula]

It's ok to have wrong opinions!

yeah, every one says this when confronted by the enormity of Chimera Ant's exposition arc. Can you defend it? If you can't then it can't be that good. Shows laden with exposition aren't good on most levels. This show isn't one of the few spared levels.

I see this thread get bumped and this is what I am rewarded with? This nonsense? This trash?

If you believe I am wrong then actually explain yourself. Don't say it's trash to make yourself feel better. Actually examine the work. You may uncover some things you are uncomfortable to acknowledge.

 

[heliosRAzi]

All shows have exposition. All stories have exposition. You can't escape from it. The trick is making that exposition mean something other than just pure information and while the Chimera Ant arc has a problem with the narration, I forgive it because I love the characters and the characters are the most important and most interesting part of that arc. Seeing Gon turn savage and Meruem become more human is interesting.

 

[FrigidEh]

It was good till Kite died and down hill from there.

 

[Moaradin]

Only got better after that

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

If you didn't have the narrator you'd just have equal or more amounts of inner monologue and nobody wants that. It seems most of the hatred for the slowed down pace and narrator come from the castle invasion part where time literally slows to a crawl, but I like that approach. So much in depth detail about every characters actions and thoughts in this situation where the entire battle is hinging on. To examine every angle of this incredibly tense situation was the goal, instead of going out guns blazing. Others dislike the large amount of Chimera Ant side characters but I can somewhat agree on that.

I think you could make the argument that Madhouse was following the manga too close but that didn't start with the CA arc. HxH is an extremely wordy series and things don't translate 100% from manga to anime despite what purists would want you to believe. The chapters after the 2011 series ends are some of the wordiest they have ever been. Really, Togashi loves his extreme technicalities. In the Heaven's Arena Arc when Nen is being explained or in Greed Island when the rules are being lied down. At times the narrator would drag into absurd levels but that is how it was in the manga where it made more sense. If you want to complain, complain to Madhouse for being so loyal to the text.

 

[Betty]

Chimera Ant Arc is still the best arc i've seen in Anime, by a wide margin.

The only slow part is where Gon & Killua train to get back into NGL land, and even that mini arc has a phenomenal payoff.

Everything else is executed so well you'd have to be unconscious not to admire it.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

All shows have exposition. All stories have exposition. You can't escape from it. The trick is making that exposition mean something other than just pure information and while the Chimera Ant arc has a problem with the narration, I forgive it because I love the characters and the characters are the most important and most interesting part of that arc. Seeing Gon turn savage and Meruem become more human is interesting.

Hunter x Hunter doesn't make the exposition work, though. There are many, many scenes where it's a still image with a narrator speaking. These aren't good scenes because they don't actually mean anything. What it does mean is they were able to save lots of money without making anything compelling. The Octopus dude or the gecko guy aren't good characters because they are tools designed to help the protagonists. The backstories or stories needed are rushed, exist to explain their powers, and show how the protagonists succeeded.

Gon turning savage was actually the worst moment because instead of a character moment we got a deux ex machina that's probably not going to be fully explained. Sure,

Spoiler

he gives up his potential but to who and who's acknowledging this contract?

It's not explained but fans are content and believe this is a great moment when, when you examine it, it doesn't hold up.

This show would be way better without the Chimera Ants. Questions without answers but people are so invested by this point that they feel it's resonated amazingly with their soul.

If you didn't have the narrator you'd just have equal or more amounts of inner monologue and nobody wants that. It seems most of the hatred for the slowed down pace and narrator come from the castle invasion part where time literally slows to a crawl, but I like that approach. So much in depth detail about every characters actions and thoughts in this situation where the entire battle is hinging on. To examine every angle of this incredibly tense situation was the goal, instead of going out guns blazing. Others dislike the large amount of Chimera Ant side characters but I can somewhat agree on that.

I think you could make the argument that Madhouse was following the manga too close but that didn't start with the CA arc. HxH is an extremely wordy series and things don't translate 100% from manga to anime despite what purists would want you to believe. The chapters after the 2011 series ends are some of the wordiest they have ever been. Really, Togashi loves his extreme technicalities. In the Heaven's Arena Arc when Nen is being explained or in Greed Island when the rules are being lied down. At times the narrator would drag into absurd levels but that is how it was in the manga where it made more sense. If you want to complain, complain to Madhouse for being so loyal to the text.

Explaining every thing is not a good way to present your show. It's literally an info dump and degrades the quality. Instead of relying on the audience to understand that, ya know,

Spoiler

Killua can enter God Speed

we're told. And then when they do explain shit it gets even more confusing because the info dump isn't enough and it's not brought up again (Gon).

 

[JadedWriter]

Lol sea captain is smoking a cigarette out of a pipe.

 

[Moaradin]

That moment is fully explained but I'm pretty sure we already had this exact discussion before already in the HxH LTTP thread, so....

 

[heliosRAzi]

Hunter x Hunter doesn't make the exposition work, though. There are many, many scenes where it's a still image with a narrator speaking. These aren't good scenes because they don't actually mean anything. What it does mean is they were able to save lots of money without making anything compelling. The Octopus dude or the gecko guy aren't good characters because they are tools designed to help the protagonists. The backstories or stories needed are rushed, exist to explain their powers, and show how the protagonists succeeded.

Gon turning savage was actually the worst moment because instead of a character moment we got a deux ex machina that's probably not going to be fully explained. Sure,

Spoiler

he gives up his potential but to who and who's acknowledging this contract?

It's not explained but fans are content and believe this is a great moment when, when you examine it, it doesn't hold up.

This show would be way better without the Chimera Ants. Questions without answers but people are so invested by this point that they feel it's resonated amazingly with their soul.



Explaining every thing is not a good way to present your show. It's literally an info dump and degrades the quality. Instead of relying on the audience to understand that, ya know,

Spoiler

Killua can enter God Speed

we're told. And then when they do explain shit it gets even more confusing because the info dump isn't enough and it's not brought up again (Gon).

Oh, you're the guy who doesn't understand how Nen works!

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

Gon turning savage was actually the worst moment because instead of a character moment we got a deux ex machina that's probably not going to be fully explained. Sure,

Spoiler

he gives up his potential but to who and who's acknowledging this contract?

It's not explained but fans are content and believe this is a great moment when, when you examine it, it doesn't hold up.

I cannot for the life of me understand why people are still hung up on this. Nothing Gon does is outside of the rules of Nen and he paid his price knowingly. It required the stars to align to happen, but it did. Gon has the personality and the psyche to do that.

Explaining every thing is not a good way to present your show. It's literally an info dump and degrades the quality. Instead of relying on the audience to understand that, ya know,

Spoiler

Killua can enter God Speed

we're told. And then when they do explain shit it gets even more confusing because the info dump isn't enough and it's not brought up again (Gon).

You just said the following -

"It's not explained but fans are content and believe this is a great moment when, when you examine it, it doesn't hold up."

Then you say -

"Explaining every thing is not a good way to present your show. It's literally an info dump and degrades the quality. "

When in reality, the Gon moment doesn't break any of the established rules of the series.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

Oh, you're the guy who doesn't understand how Nen works!

Oh! You're the guy who instead of actually acknowledging my points just says "you're the guy who doesn't know how Nen works!"

Good work, you crushed my argument.

I cannot for the life of me understand why people are still hung up on this. Nothing Gon does is outside of the rules of Nen and he paid his price knowingly. It required the stars to align to happen, but it did. Gon has the personality and the psyche to do that.

The rules become exaggerated at this point. Gon's potential is literally given up in an instant without any training. This makes you question more about Nen like, "OK, who's on the receiving end and what is he connecting with that gives him this power?" They then introduce wishes which make even less sense of the rules. It's actually Hunter x Hunter's power creep and it's pretty bizarre no one has noticed this. It's why things like Pain Packer are quite the "wait, what?" moments because you know they're apart of Nen but you can't really believe it's part of Nen due to the power creep: it's completely all over the place and the rules mean very little.

To your edit: how come restrictions aren't explained more early on? Kurapika restricted himself. With wishes and the Dark Continent there's nothing nebulous about Nen that's being made up as more crazy shit is done. Heck, the movies even show this. It's a lot like Goku or any Saiyan becoming super saiyan, you gotta ask, "OK, so was this power inside them the entire time or does it come from an outside source? Spirit Bomb collects energy so outside sources do exist? Ah, fuck it, he just becomes stronger because people do over time and shit just happens,

 

[JadedWriter]

Why is Gon's Aunt so hot?

 

[Betty]

Oh! You're the guy who instead of actually acknowledging my points just says "you're the guy who doesn't know how Nen works!"

Good work, you crushed my argument.

I just assumed since Gon was an enchancer that he dipped into an ability that allowed him to jump into a superior older version himself, but at the cost of his life/health, making what he did essentially a final act of sorts.

Even in the Anime Killua notes how it's the opposite of what Biscuit does, so I just assumed it's an ability Gon didn't realize he had.

 

[heliosRAzi]

Oh! You're the guy who instead of actually acknowledging my points just says "you're the guy who doesn't know how Nen works!"

Good work, you crushed my argument.

Testy, I see. Still, it's hard to explain stuff to a guy who doesn't understand the basics of the magical system in this show even though it is explained multiple times in detail.

Hunter x Hunter doesn't make the exposition work, though. There are many, many scenes where it's a still image with a narrator speaking. These aren't good scenes because they don't actually mean anything. What it does mean is they were able to save lots of money without making anything compelling. The Octopus dude or the gecko guy aren't good characters because they are tools designed to help the protagonists. The backstories or stories needed are rushed, exist to explain their powers, and show how the protagonists succeeded.

I said that the Ant arc has problems with the exposition. I acknowledge that fully. However, it doesn't matter to me much because everything else is really good and I'm really invested in the characters.

Gon turning savage was actually the worst moment because instead of a character moment we got a deux ex machina that's probably not going to be fully explained. Sure,

Spoiler

he gives up his potential but to who and who's acknowledging this contract?

It's not explained but fans are content and believe this is a great moment when, when you examine it, it doesn't hold up.

You misunderstood me. Gon didn't turn savage because he used up his nen potential, he was savage well before that. You miss the part where he could've killed Morel. You missed the part where he threatened to kill an innocent bystander. There are very, very few shonen protagonists who do such a thing in cold blood. Gon underwent a change in that arc and his transformation is the culmination of that change.

And it's explained. Many times.

 

[RubberLuffy]

Gon turning savage was actually the worst moment because instead of a character moment we got a deux ex machina that's probably not going to be fully explained. Sure,

Spoiler

he gives up his potential but to who and who's acknowledging this contract?

It's not explained but fans are content and believe this is a great moment when, when you examine it, it doesn't hold up.

You kind of showed your hand here that you don't really understand anything going on in HxH, so I'll explain it to you.

Gon is an Enhancer, a Nen type focused on improving the capabilities of one's own body. Nen is shown to work even without the user knowing (Neon, Zepile) or the user being dead (such as Pitou's puppetry), and reacts strongly to vows and restrictions, such as with Kurapika. Gon did the same thing Kurapika did, only much more extreme and focused. Gon's Nen, when responding to his vow of sacrifice for power to kill one specific person, causes his Enhancement abilities to respond in an appropriate fashion (by Enhancing his body). It is NOT something that comes out of nowhere nor is it nonsensical. It follows all the rules that have been discussed since Kurapika did it.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

The rules become exaggerated at this point. Gon's potential is literally given up in an instant without any training. This makes you question more about Nen like, "OK, who's on the receiving end and what is he connecting with that gives him this power?" They then introduce wishes which make even less sense of the rules. It's actually Hunter x Hunter's power creep and it's pretty bizarre no one has noticed this. It's why things like Pain Packer are quite the "wait, what?" moments because you know they're apart of Nen but you can't really believe it's part of Nen due to the power creep: it's completely all over the place and the rules mean very little.

The rules are built off of what Kurapika did ages ago. Nen works as a give and take system for the most part.

Power Creep? Aside from monsters like Mereum and Netero, Hisoka's Bungee Gum is still one of the most effective Nen abilities and its one of the first introduced. Its more of a complexity creep - that which you would see in every Shonen. Bleach, Naruto, JoJo, One Piece (although still relatively tame) and even sports series end up like this naturally.

 

[Man God]

 

[heliosRAzi]

The rules become exaggerated at this point. Gon's potential is literally given up in an instant without any training. This makes you question more about Nen like, "OK, who's on the receiving end and what is he connecting with that gives him this power?" They then introduce wishes which make even less sense of the rules. It's actually Hunter x Hunter's power creep and it's pretty bizarre no one has noticed this. It's why things like Pain Packer are quite the "wait, what?" moments because you know they're apart of Nen but you can't really believe it's part of Nen due to the power creep: it's completely all over the place and the rules mean very little.

There's no cosmic force guiding nen. It's just the manipulation of one's natural aura. It's an extension of the body. That's it.

And lol, power creep. One of the most effective nen abilities in this series literally the simplest.

 

[Slaythe]

I think we can all agree at least that the ant arc went on for far too long.

I still don't understand how he decided to waste years and years on this arc, to make it so long.

Sigh.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

I just assumed since Gon was an enchancer that he dipped into an ability that allowed him to jump into a superior older version himself, but at the cost of his life/health, making what he did essentially a final act of sorts.

Even in the Anime Killua notes how it's the opposite of what Biscuit does, so I just assumed it's an ability Gon didn't realize he had.

Gon realizes this and enters it before literally anyone else or even the chairman? Heck, folks in the zodiac were surprised. This is very uncharted territory and you can tell it wasn't planned out before. The author is literally making shit up as he goes and hopes it fits in with established rules. It's why, if the series continues on for a while, more people will be like, "Oh, restrictions are super common!" Similar to how Nen, before York New arc, was nebulous but, like, every one does it.

Testy, I see. Still, it's hard to explain stuff to a guy who doesn't understand the basics of the magical system in this show even though it is explained multiple times in detail.



I said that the Ant arc has problems with the exposition. I acknowledge that fully. However, it doesn't matter to me much because everything else is really good and I'm really invested in the characters.



You misunderstood me. Gon didn't turn savage because he used up his nen potential, he was savage well before that. You miss the part where he could've killed Morel. You missed the part where he threatened to kill an innocent bystander. There are very, very few shonen protagonists who do such a thing in cold blood. Gon underwent a change in that arc and his transformation is the culmination of that change.

And it's explained. Many times.

"You don't understand it". Great response.

Cool. It doesn't matter to you. It's still shit. If you want to argue that it isn't then you can't say "it doesn't matter to me."

The Morel part was him showing his anger hence the flashbacks of Kite. He DID use his potential to become that strong. The horrible cat lady character even says so.

When you bring in more restrictions then it has to be explained. The Nen system makes sense but it's not explained well. You sacrifice something (does Kurapika sacrifice anything except not use it on the Spiders or it kills him) and that's it. It leads this all up for interpretation and makes you question A LOT. 1) where does the power come from? 2) How come this power is only unlocked through restrictions? 3) If it's external (seems the be the case as Nanika exists) then where does it come from? The Dark continent is going to provide some answers but, really, it's not going to mesh 100% with the original rule set. Training helps a lot but when you restrict it implies a contract and they're not really clear on that.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

I think we can all agree at least that the ant arc went on for far too long.

I still don't understand how he decided to waste years and years on this arc, to make it so long.

Sigh.

Its long for sure. I think most of the fat is at the beginning, though. Togashi also took multiple hiatuses during it so it ran for like 9 years, despite not even being 200 chapters. If you're going to look at it in the scope of all of battle shonen, its not as bad as Hueco Mundo or the final arc in Bleach.

 

[Betty]

Gon realizes this and enters it before literally anyone else or even the chairman? Heck, folks in the zodiac were surprised. This is very uncharted territory and you can tell it wasn't planned out before. The author is literally making shit up as he goes and hopes it fits in with established rules. It's why, if the series continues on for a while, more people will be like, "Oh, restrictions are super common!" Similar to how Nen, before York New arc, was nebulous but, like, every one does it.

I don't know if Gon realises anything, he just has an overwhelming desire to fight Pitou and at that point doesn't care if he lives or dies, I think he transforms after saying "I don't care anymore" he probably activated the power without realising.

If the transformation didn't have any repercussions for Gon I could understand not liking it but it did almost kill him, and without the help of the following part he would never have recovered.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

There's no cosmic force guiding nen. It's just the manipulation of one's natural aura. It's an extension of the body. That's it.

And lol, power creep. One of the most effective nen abilities in this series literally the simplest.

It actually is a cosmic force since, well, it's easily abused by the ants. There's no training involved and is literally infused in them. Did you forget Nanika exists?

If Nen wasn't an outside force people tap into then the ants really can't do what they did without any training. You can say "well, they ate humans so they can tap into it" then what's all the fucking training for? How come this "one's natural aura" can be passed on from person to person? Chimera Ants can take qualities from people but even auras? That's stretching it.

I don't know if Gon realises anything, he just has an overwhelming desire to fight Pitou and at that point doesn't care if he lives or dies, I think he transforms after saying "I don't care anymore" he probably activated the power without realising.

If the transformation didn't have any repercussions for Gon I could understand not liking it but it did almost kill him, and without the help of the following part he would never have recovered.

When Gon says "I don't care" he gives himself to that power. That's the point of the line and the music behind it (ominous to sound as if he's sacrificing himself to a deity). He may have no realized but that begs even more questions.

But then again every one tells me these are fully explained and I just no nothing.

 

[Daingurse]

I actually liked the length of the Chimera Ant. The long build made the climax all the more satisfying. And I truly did enjoy the slow build up to the infiltration. That arc is near perfection for me lol. Now Hueco Mundo, as mentioned by MetroidPrimeRib, that was too fucking long. Jesus Christ, I don't know how I endured that arc week to week in the manga.

 

[heliosRAzi]

Gon realizes this and enters it before literally anyone else or even the chairman? Heck, folks in the zodiac were surprised. This is very uncharted territory and you can tell it wasn't planned out before. The author is literally making shit up as he goes and hopes it fits in with established rules. It's why, if the series continues on for a while, more people will be like, "Oh, restrictions are super common!" Similar to how Nen, before York New arc, was nebulous but, like, every one does it.

People don't typically sacrifice their full potential and nearly get themselves killed on a whim.

Cool. It doesn't matter to you. It's still shit. If you want to argue that it isn't then you can't say "it doesn't matter to me."

Characters are more important than any plot and they got the characters down pat. You understand their motivations, their needs, their wants. Togashi was able to turn Meruem from a child killing menace to someone you can sympathize with. The story itself is good, the storytelling leaves something to be desired.

The Morel part was him showing his anger hence the flashbacks of Kite. He DID use his potential to become that strong. The horrible cat lady character even says so.

Everyone was shocked when they saw Gon's power when he was about to pulverize Morel. Even Morel. That wasn't the powerup, though. That came after, when Gon realized that Kite couldn't be saved.

When you bring in more restrictions then it has to be explained. The Nen system makes sense but it's not explained well. You sacrifice something (does Kurapika sacrifice anything except not use it on the Spiders or it kills him) and that's it. It leads this all up for interpretation and makes you question A LOT. 1) where does the power come from? 2) How come this power is only unlocked through restrictions? 3) If it's external (seems the be the case as Nanika exists) then where does it come from? The Dark continent is going to provide some answers but, really, it's not going to mesh 100% with the original rule set. Training helps a lot but when you restrict it implies a contract and they're not really clear on that.

The nen system is explained very well. The power comes from conviction. In order to use a certain ability, Kurapika has to promise himself that he will only use it in certain situations. The Bomber does it. Chrollo does it. The lion ant does it. If they fail to uphold that promise, the ability becomes weak and the nen user can lose their nen or that ability or whatever. There's no outside force governing it.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

When you bring in more restrictions then it has to be explained. The Nen system makes sense but it's not explained well. You sacrifice something (does Kurapika sacrifice anything except not use it on the Spiders or it kills him) and that's it. It leads this all up for interpretation and makes you question A LOT. 1) where does the power come from? 2) How come this power is only unlocked through restrictions? 3) If it's external (seems the be the case as Nanika exists) then where does it come from? The Dark continent is going to provide some answers but, really, it's not going to mesh 100% with the original rule set. Training helps a lot but when you restrict it implies a contract and they're not really clear on that.

I don't understand the confusion. You literally listed his sacrifice. That he can only use specific abilities on 8 people out of billions on the penalty of death. And considering his ability is a 1 handed chain, he's effectively locking away 20% of his abilities at any time

 

[DriftingSpirit]

The Chimera Ant arc was fantastic. That is all I am willing to contribute.

 

[heliosRAzi]

From the HxH wikia:

Nen (念, Mind Force) is one of the defining features of the manga Hunter × Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi. It is a technique that allows a living being to use and manipulate their own life energy (known as aura)

Nen and Emotion

Although the production of aura is unconscious and constant by all living beings, it is not only life energy. Aura carries with it the desires and emotions of the one who deploys it, which is what allows for Nen to have incredible versatility to those who develop their skill at using it,[8] and also heavily influenced by mental condition and emotional state.[10] A basic application of this phenomenon is that one can channel their aggression or malice into their aura and deploy it towards another person (i.e. blood-lust). The antagonized will then be able to feel that blood-lust as if it were physically palpable; if unable to keep it from their own body by deploying their own Nen, he/she may be physically harmed by it.[2]

Vows and Limitations.

Being a product of the mind, Nen responds to the goals, strengths, and desires of individual users. As a result, a student of Nen can increase the overall power of an individual skill by stating a self-imposed restriction that forces even more conditions on it. For example, if one consciously decides something along the lines of "I will only use this skill on Thursdays" or "I will only use this skill against short people" and manages to abide by that rule, that particular skill will become stronger. These conditions are called "Vows" (制約, Seiyaku) or "Contracts". The stricter the Vow, the more one's own ability is strengthened. It is also implied that Vows that carry great meaning or are tied to emotional states also bring about a greater benefit. However, Vows are also considered liabilities, since breaking a Vow carries the risk of completely obliterating one's own Nen abilities.[10]
Vows that contain some sort of punishment (e.g. "I will die if I break this rule") will strengthen the ability even further. These are called "Limitations" (誓約, Seiyaku) or penalties—covenants to oneself.[10] An example of this is the character Kurapika, who swore on his own life not to use an ability on anyone but the Phantom Troupe.[11] Even though a Vow adds further Limitations to using one's Nen ability, a Vow is not the primary condition for an ability's activation and acts only to enhance its power. It is also useful in retaining one's abilities when breaking a vow. When a person breaks a vow without a limitation, they risk damaging their abilities, however, when there is a limitation, this risk is removed (unless of course it is part of the limitation), at a price of one's own choosing.

The Unknown

Though Nen is influenced by one's mental condition and emotional state, it is difficult to judge exactly how these factors affect Nen. In certain instances, these factors may even lead to one exceeding the 100% limit cap. However, using one's powers beyond their capacity will ultimately cause strain. Potentially, this could become either a weakness or fatal to the user. Gon is an example of exceeding the 100% limit cap: after the boost, he would have died without Alluka's intervention, and even so, he reverted to a stage where he cannot use his aura. According to Ging, he was lucky to get away with only that, and if he wants more, there will be a price to pay. Nen also does not necessarily disappear following death. In fact, sometimes death can reinforce an ability's strength. If someone dies holding a deep grudge, their Nen will remain and seek out the object of hatred.[12]

All of this is explained in the show. Note the name: Mind Force. It's all in the mind.

 

[SalvaPot]

This is actually really false. Any show that needs episodes and episodes of exposition isn't good. You can be invested in the characters and love it but from a story and show perspective it is quite awful. Anything up til the completion of Greed Island is gold. Chimera Ants was complete shit and there isn't anything redeeming about it.

Did you call my personal opinion false? HOW. DaaaaaaAAARE. YouuuUU.

I personally loved the slow pace and the buildup, and I actually really liked the narration and I feel it added to the tension instead of taking from it. And the pay-off, by god, the pay-off.

And from a story and show perspective its great too. I loved that it didn't violate any of the previously set rules, and it gave us a real, strong thread with a resolution that didn't felt like a cop-out (And a lot of people say it was a cop-out, the bomb, but let's be honest: When you have ultra bugs that will destroy humanity if not retained, you are going to go for a terrible last resort).

Its a masterpiece.

 

[Betty]

When Gon says "I don't care" he gives himself to that power. That's the point of the line and the music behind it (ominous to sound as if he's sacrificing himself to a deity). He may have no realized but that begs even more questions.

But then again every one tells me these are fully explained and I just no nothing.

Maybe it's explained in chapters beyond the anime? I haven't read beyond the show.

I can understand if someone doesn't like all the narration and the detail of the Ant Arc.

But.

The fact that the main character, Gon, never even meets the main villain from this arc and that the villain himself never even lays eyes on Gon, speaks to how special and unique this arc is by itself.

Combine that with everything else that's going on from the motivations, smart battles, defying trope expectations and intense mature themes throughout and I think it's the best arc in existence so far... that I've seen anyway.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

People don't typically sacrifice their full potential and nearly get themselves killed on a whim.




Characters are more important than any plot and they got the characters down pat. You understand their motivations, their needs, their wants. Togashi was able to turn Meruem from a child killing menace to someone you can sympathize with. The story itself is good, the storytelling leaves something to be desired.


Everyone was shocked when they saw Gon's power when he was about to pulverize Morel. Even Morel. That wasn't the powerup, though. That came after, when Gon realized that Kite couldn't be saved.


The nen system is explained very well. The power comes from conviction. In order to use a certain ability, Kurapika has to promise himself that he will only use it in certain situations. The Bomber does it. Chrollo does it. The lion ant does it. If they fail to uphold that promise, the ability becomes weak and the nen user can lose their nen or that ability or whatever. There's no outside force governing it.

That's the whole point of "I don't care". Unless I'm interpreting that wrong. What does it mean?

You sympathize with the King because he let some blind board game player live? Sorry, this is just sentimental bullshit that makes people weep during August Rush. The King is a complete asshole throughout and it's 100% confirmed during his confrontation with Netero. This isn't him becoming good or wanting to do better or even thinking "Maybe I'm an asshole". This is him going, "shit, I got to beat this person" and he was devoted to that. Anything else makes very little sense with what else he did.

They were shocked due to Gon being so strong. Morel would still win.

The conviction and restriction makes no sense as this is easily abused. You have to be held to a certain standard and if a Nen exorcist can reduce or remove the restriction then it's not something that's innately part of you. This makes you question just how reliable these things are. If they're making these be 100% single user powers then they're doing a horrible job of showing it.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

The fact that the main character, Gon, never even meets the main villain from this arc and that the villain himself never even lays eyes on Gon, speaks to how special and unique this arc is by itself.

Combine that with everything else that's going on from the motivations, smart battles, defying trope expectations and intense mature themes throughout and I think it's the best arc in existence so far... that I've seen anyway.

Those are meaningless is they're not compelling or interesting on a visual or story level. When Gon enters the palace, what is compelling or interesting about this narrative? When the Wolf confronts Octopus, what is great about this? I don't even need to explain these events or others like the Bunny dying Killua's family because they actually aren't interesting. You can try to explain it but I highly doubt you can.

It's similar to injecting the Spiders to defeat those ants in garbage town. You can say "this is cool" but on a story level it's meaningless because the scenes are meant you make you try to relate to Killua's sister (for some reason).

Then again, these probably are GOOOOOOLD level scenes. Don't get me started on the King playing board games with the chick. My god, way to try and tug so much at someone's heartstrings for no reward.

 

[heliosRAzi]

That's the whole point of "I don't care". Unless I'm interpreting that wrong. What does it mean?

He doesn't care if he lives or dies and was willing to sacrifice everything he could have become. He really wanted to kill Pitou at that point.

You sympathize with the King because he let some blind board game player live? Sorry, this is just sentimental bullshit that makes people weep during August Rush. The King is a complete asshole throughout and it's 100% confirmed during his confrontation with Netero. This isn't him becoming good or wanting to do better or even thinking "Maybe I'm an asshole". This is him going, "shit, I got to beat this person" and he was devoted to that. Anything else makes very little sense with what else he did.

I don't sympathize with Meruem because he kept Komugi alive. I sympathized with him because he was becoming human bit by bit and struggling with it. That's not to mean he was good, but it makes him interesting. The whole point of that arc is that humans are far, far worse than the ants.

The conviction and restriction makes no sense as this is easily abused. You have to be held to a certain standard and if a Nen exorcist can reduce or remove the restriction then it's not something that's innately part of you. This makes you question just how reliable these things are. If they're making these be 100% single user powers then they're doing a horrible job of showing it.

The whole point of the restrictions is that it can't be abused. You can't cheat yourself. If you know you have a way out of your restriction, it's not really a restriction and thus the ability won't be as potent or won't work. The one exorcist we got to see work still had to fulfill the Bomber's restriction in order to fully dispel the nen bomb.

 

[Betty]

Those are meaningless is they're not compelling or interesting on a visual or story level. When Gon enters the palace, what is compelling or interesting about this narrative?

Not compelling or interesting on a visual or story level?

Gon watching Meruem walking away with Netero giving the sly thumb's back to where Pitou is located is one of the most memorable parts and it only lasts a few seconds.

Literally every scene has so much more going on in relation to each character and how it affects so many other things that it's sometimes emotionally overwhelming in the best possible way.

When Gon enters the palace, what is compelling or interesting about this narrative?

What's compelling about Gon entering the palace?

Seriously?

How about the fact he blamed himself for the death of his friend and mentor and is fuelled with so much angry and hate that he is actually ready to cross the point of no return morally and physically just to get revenge.

Not to mention the fact we as the audience realise Kite is probably never going to get returned to normal and the eventual realisation of this fact will destroy Gon.

The episode where Gon finally faces Pitou in the palace is god-tier, it races by on the tension and teetering possibilities.

When the Wolf confronts Octopus, what is great about this?

Um, the fact that the Wolfen is a coward who believes others are as weak as him when pushed to the wall, while Ikalgo has realised he's ready to sacrifice more than he ever realised for people he cares about.

Plus we gained insight into Wolfen remembering his past life and a little more about the elusive Gyro.

It's similar to injecting the Spiders to defeat those ants in garbage town. You can say "this is cool" but on a story level it's meaningless because the scenes are meant you make you try to relate to Killua's sister (for some reason).

I thought the only point of seeing the Spiders take down the Ant's was a way to finish off the supporting bad guys and show off just how powerful the group can be when let off the leash.

It also served a far more important role of bookending the first half of the ant arc and ushering in the second half as the invasion group starts to advance towards the King.

Don't get me started on the King playing board games with the chick. My god, way to try and tug so much at someone's heartstrings for no reward.

... now I gotta wonder if you're just trolling at this point.

No reward? The King literally undergoes the biggest and most interesting character arc in the entire show because of 'playing board games (it was only the one) with the chick'

Shiapouf's entire motivations are influenced directly because of how this 'chick' is changing the King.

The mere fact that the most powerful creature the world has ever seen is being brought down by a fucking BLIND WEAK POWERLESS GIRL is extraordinary.

I mean, in every single other anime, all that would happen is that the main villain would fight the main character in a bout of ever increasing power play's until finally he loses.

Instead we get one of the most heartwarming endings to any story, in any medium, ever.

And yes, it was all thanks to the king playing a board game with a chick, that's why it's so genius!

 

[HStallion]

Nen is a characters personal religion. The mightiest Nen users we've seen have such a close and intimate relationship with their powers that it enhances them in a way that no matter of training could ever compare. Thus when Gon does his thing it makes total sense because of the horrid epiphany he has,"I don't care anymore" is as ultimate a statement that someone can make, especially when they mean it as fully as Gon did. He wasn't worried about winning or losing, about his friends or their fates, he didn't care. Much the same he didn't care if he took all those decades of potential, all that power and gave it all up for one incredible burst of strength that he could destroy Pitou