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「ムホウ×ナ×ホーム」(Mahou x na x Houmu)
“A x Lawless x Home”
Meanwhile, in Meteor City…
Come on, surely you’re going to trust Togashi-sensei unreservedly by now. With most authors, leaving the main story at one of its most suspenseful junctions ever right at the close of a fantastic and emotional episode would seem to be folly. Not to mention abandoning the cast you’d been following for months to touch in with side characters who’ve been absent for the entire arc, and antagonists at that. Crazy, desshou? But this is Togashi, and we know two things for sure about him if we know anything – he’s utterly brilliant, and he rarely does anything conventionally.
The Phantom Troupe is a pretty remarkable auxiliary cast, that’s for sure. Villains without a doubt, but such utterly fascinating ones – even without the presence of their most fascinating member, Chrollo (who’s sadly not a part of this plot twist, apparently, and neither is Hisoka – who’s presumably searching for him). Togashi introduces so many truly great characters that you wish they could all find a place in every episode but that’s obviously impossible – he’s basically ignored half of what looked to be the main characters for over half the series, after all. But I think he sensed an opportunity here that was simply too good to pass up. In a single turn of the pen, he can:
- Show the extent to which the Chimera Ant menace has spread
- Give us an origin story for the Spiders, bringing us at last to their legendary birthplace of Meteor City
- Give several Spiders a chance to show just how damn GAR they are Showcase Kalluto Zoldyck, who’s been briefly teased as a character in both the “Zoldyck Family” and “Greed Island” arcs but never truly gotten a chance to show off
- Take a breather from the preposterously intense (both in terms of action and emotion) main story and show us something that’s undeniably dark, but has less a sense of despair and consequence
It all makes a ton of sense, really – it’s just that few mangaka would have thought of it, and fewer still had the kintama to follow through. But that’s rarely a problem with the Phantom Troupe, who have plenty to spare. It’s fascinating how we generally see the Spiders in subsets, rarely all together – there are various fault lines hinted at, such as seniority and – less obviously – a general sense of who the more and less “evil” of the bunch are. In fact of the original members I believe only Feitan is with the group we see here, who also seem to generally identify as the more wicked of the bunch – certainly Nobunaga and to a lesser extent both Machi and Franklin (all absent) seem to have more of a sense of conventional honor than the others, though despite obvious tensions in the group there’s clearly a powerful loyalty to all their fellow Spiders. All of the Spiders we see this week were also in “Greed Island”, as it happens – though in this instance they’re engaged in a somewhat more high-stakes mission.
The role of the Spiders as benefactors in Meteor City has been suggested directly, and here we see the proof – when Meteor City comes under deadly attack from Chimera Ants, the local authorities call on them for help just as Mitene called in the Hunter’s Association and the Mafia Dons the Shadow Beasts. Meteor City is a refuge for the refuse of society, garbage dump for the world, off the grid, and home to millions who survive by scavenging the refuse that’s dumped there. Phinks (sporting his immodest Pharaoh garb), Shalnark, Feitan, Bonolenov, Shizuku and Kalluto (who seems to have grown quite a bit) arrive to help, and find that the Chimera Ants aren’t just killing their victims, but turning some into hideously mutated slaves. This is the work of Zazan, who’s set up her nest in the ruins of a castle and calls herself the Queen.
It’s worth noting that when the Troupe (as is often the case with this faction, Phinks acts like he’s in charge) comes a-calling, they go through the front door – disdaining stealth as both unnecessary and beneath their dignity. Basically, this ep is a chance to show off just how beastly the Spiders are, including some – like Bonolenov, who haven’t had much of a chance to do so before. Of him we learn that he’s a Bapu warrior, from a tribe who have holes drilled in their bodies at three years old so they turn into human musical instruments, using sound as both a battle hymn and a weapon itself. He’s a creepy one, is Bonolenov. We have seen Phinks and Shalnark fight before, but they reveal attacks we haven’t yet seen. For Phinks it’s the “Ripper Cyclotron”, an Enhancer skill where he winds his arm to add strength to his punches (15 times is “more than twice” as much as needed to dispatch a Chimera Ant captain). For Shalnark it’s “Autopilot” (clearly an homage to DBZ) – a last resort attack where he uses one of his own needles to control himself to perform a specific task that would normally be beyond his abilities. It’s easy to see why he prefers not to use it.
Shizuku and Feitan are in action as well, and Feitan has actually found his way to Zazan herself, while Shizuku is taking on our old arachnid friend Pike – but the focus of the latter part of the episode is on the new #4, Kalluto. First, though his Chimera opponent (as I did at first) calls him a girl, Kalluto is definitely established to be a boy – albeit a rather elegantly-dressed one. We’ve seen little if any of his abilities (he keeps them secret even from his newfound allies, as Phinks points out) but he’s apparently a Manipulator and origami master, using paper as his weapon of choice. Through tiny scraps he keeps tabs on his fellow Spiders – Phinks has promised that whoever kills the “Queen” first will be temporary leader – and he uses confetti and his “Meandering Dance” (or Serpent’s Bite) to slice and dice his opponent. He also flashes us a chilling smile as he finishes off his victim – something we see rarely from the Spiders (Hisoka is an exception though no longer – and arguably never – a member, and Shalnark just smiles all the time). Kalluto is still very much an enigma, but he’s already established himself as a scary little man.
If there’s a moral to this story, it’s the same one the Shadow Beasts learned – don’t mess with the Phantom Troupe. Shizuku and Feitan are still in combat and Zazan is still alive, but it seems pretty obvious how this battle is going to turn out, and I expect it will probably wrap itself up next week. The Spiders fill quite a unique role in Hunter X Hunter – or rather, they fill many roles. Enemies they are, certainly, but as always with Togashi it’s not so simple. More than anything, perhaps, they’re a center of power – one of many in this mythology that we’ve been introduced to, none of which can claim to have a clean moral slate.
Preview
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I just want to say that I like Hunter Hunter and in it’s own way the story and characters are uniquely different from Naruto and One Piece(although I still think that some of it’s plots and characters are still comparable to N and OP). Anyway I am seeking some information about the Manga, and it has been on hiatus since march last year and that’s over a year now. Will it return or something else.
No one really knows what’s going to happen with the manga. Togashi is legendary for long hiatuses, there are many unproven rumors he may have some sort of chronic illness, and there’s zero question that he and his wife have both made enough money to live on comfortably for the rest of their lives. Every H x H fan hopes he comes back, and he always has before.
Yes… an illness called Dragon Quest addiction.
Well I hope He gets over whatever problems that is halting the Manga before the Anime catches up.
Bonolenov finally spoke! Nothing else matters for me.
Though seriously, those holes are pretty sick. I know some tribes in the real world do piercings with the whole body but not actual gaping holes. Togashi and his twisted mind never fails to surprise me.
And you know it’s serious when you see Feitan’s mouth in his outfit. That one before Greed Island in the auction doesn’t count as he was in a suit.
And more Kalluto as well. Should be fun to know why his reaction is like that in the middle picture in the preview.
it might sound weird but, i took up this new adaption of HxH just to see Show Spoiler ▼
ryodan fights animated :3
Wait, Kalluto is a boy? Didn’t Killua’s mother first introduce Kalluto to Gon as her daughter?
LOL, I guess that’s why Kalluto wears a female kimono and has that japanese doll hair. Crazy mother.
Oh yeah, isn’t he supposed to be younger than Killua? Yet he already knows Nen. Killua didn’t even hear the word until he was at Heaven’s Arena.
Btw, did anyone think Zazan has changed a bit? I guess you could say she looks more womanly or mature.
Zazan’s face and figure (earlier in arc). Zazan’s face and figure (this episode).
Zazan’s face before (earlier in arc). Zazan’s figure before (earlier in arc). Zazan’s face and figure now (this episode).
There’s no definite proof, but it’s been hypothesized that she may have either stung herself for her transformation or have Transformation abilities(akin to Biske), to attain a more “befitting” look for a queen.
she matured dude…..and its GREAT that she did…nice
Kinda looks like Hisoka
I noticed that the animation is awesome just like the old version !!
Wonder why they made the final shot like it will be a 3-way battle next week ?
Kalluto already sliced his opponent in two by the end of the episode.
I hate how authors draw cute anime girls then decide that the character is a boy. Dammit if their a boy just draw a boy instead of trying to confuse us with what is obviously meant to be a girl.
Your hatred is terribly unfounded.
With Togashi… assume everyone is a male until there is definitive proof. Everyone.
I totally agree with you Haseo. A boy dressed like a girl introduced as a girl but finally revealed as a boy is so creepy.
cause you know, we like it when the world is more confusing as it is….
hahaha! yeah but its FUN!!!…….except in real life *chills* man im really enjoying the animation quality on this show..such a treat to see what was really intended by the action art direction….btw the multiple hole body boxer dudes moves STILL dont make sense..BUT THATS WHAT MAKES IT SO AWESOME hahahaha!..maybe mind control mixed with raw power…and to see the vacume girl moving in action with the vac…great!! yeah ima afan of this show!!! and the cyclotron???? Hard F@Cking BODY!!!! nice……the SCENE im REALLY REALLY REALLY waiting for is (without giving spoilers)the one where they flashback netero past training during his big fight…cant wait!!!!!
This part of the Chimera Ant arc always intrigues me because you learn so much more about the Phantom Troupe. Particularly, some questions arise in their motives and ideology. Sure, we see the strengths of their family ties and a reinforcement of the Meteor City mantra (“We reject nothing. So don’t ever take anything from us.”) through delicious action.
However, half of the members who came aren’t even from Meteor City. Why would they even come to Meteor City if it wasn’t their home to begin with? Wouldn’t Machi/Franklin/Nobunaga be more appropriate? Bonolenov in particular ends up being a surprise. During the Yorknew City arc, I always viewed him as the sort of weird mummy dude. His appearance doesn’t dispel the “weird,” but did anyone else find Bonolenov both noble and regal? His manner of speech, his pride, and his composure–I surely thought he would have had a monstrous personality befitting his design.
Paired with the Hoist rhapsody, Madhouse has somehow propelled him into being one of my favorite characters in the series. Behind Uvogin, Bonolenov may be my second favorite member of the Phantom Troupe. What reason would he have had to join? Perhaps the key lies within his clan being disenfranchised as a result of industrialization.
Kalluto and Shalnark prove themselves to be dark horses as well. Kalluto especially is much stronger (and more gleefully ruthless) than I had suspected. Shalnark and Phinks are destroying Chimera Ants with single hits.