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[JadedWriter]

The one we're in now? Eh, don't feel any type of way about it so far. Then again, that's partly due to all the stupid hiatuses...

I think it's just starting to hit its stride a bit now. These crazy ass Nen Beasts and Tserriednich being crazier than a Dexter villain has me waiting for the chapters now. I actually need to go back and not speed read the earlier chapters so I can take everything in.

 

[NHarmonic.]

You gotta really learn to be flexible with these kind of gripes one may have with an anime.

Yes, it makes him absurdly powerful, but it literally can only be used on a few specific people, tying into his lust for revenge.

What would you rather it be? Him training a la DBZ and going on a rampage? That wouldn't be nearly as interesting.

If this made you angry, hoo boy would you have raged at a certain moment in the Chimera Ant arc.



Except it's not just "thinking"? Dude had to train his body to be 100% psychologically connected to chains by locking himself in a room with them, licking them, painting them, listening to them, and overall developing an insatiable fetish for them so that when they got taken away he started hallucinating them, which allowed his Nen to form them.

He didn't just snap his fingers and go "YAY! I can make chains!"

I really wish we'd seen more of the process of Kurapika developing his nen abilities. What you say sounds accurate but we really didn't see anything like that.

 

[zeshakag]

I thought the narrator was overbearing. As one other person said, anime is a visual medium. It has moving pictures, tell the story with it!

Still really liked it and teared up at points.

 

[Lynx_7]

That's a lazy excuse.

It's not even an excuse because the narration is a strenght, not a flaw.

 

[Acinixys]

This would have been on par with Yorknew for the best arc if the pacing wasn't insanely awful. They really didn't have to drag it out the way they did. The corny narration on top of that only added to the frustration.

This

The CA Arc was one of the most boring, drawn out pieces of Anime ive ever watched. Almost on par with late stage Bleach

So many pointless filler episodes where literally nothing happens

I think Greed Island was better

 

[NHarmonic.]

All the love for this arc seems too much like it's only justification for episode 131. Suddenly, all the bad pacing and padding is forgiven because you get a whole episode of an epic, emotional climax. If only the build-up was solid enough...


Yorknew, instead, is solid enough from start to finish, and one of the best shonen arcs ever.

 

[LotusHD]

All the love for this arc seems too much like it's only justification for episode 131. Suddenly, all the bad pacing and padding is forgiven because you get a whole episode of an epic, emotional climax. If only the build-up was solid enough...


Yorknew, instead, is solid enough from start to finish, and one of the best shonen arcs ever.

We really gonna act like there aren't other awesome and/or memorable moments in this arc?

 

[YoodiHoshi]

And this is what I feared with the anime not taking enough creative liberties for this last portion of the arc. (Honestly, they probably couldn't afford to with the new late-night slot)

ALSO, the CA arc has a lot of bearing on what may become the final arc to HxH

Spoiler

Gon's meeting (or encounter?) with Chimera-Ant Gyro

Sorry if I talk about ^this tidbit a tad too much, but it makes the side-stuff of the CA arc out to be much more important than it may initially seem on a blind watch-through. And I would like more peeps to know about it is all.

 

[Kyuur]

All the love for this arc seems too much like it's only justification for episode 131. Suddenly, all the bad pacing and padding is forgiven because you get a whole episode of an epic, emotional climax. If only the build-up was solid enough...

Yorknew, instead, is solid enough from start to finish, and one of the best shonen arcs ever.

Or you know, some of us legitimately love the arc and don't agree with your criticisms?

I think the pacing was fine. There is no "padding/filler" present that I can think of. The build up was excellent and the climax was just a cherry on top to the whole invasion.

 

[Snakeyes]

The one we're in now? Eh, don't feel any type of way about it so far. Then again, that's partly due to all the stupid hiatuses...

Yeah. The sheer amount of potential conflicts have me all giddy.

 

[Opto]

Gon is the weakest link in the entire series. For as much murder and grim plot points the series has, its full embrace of shounen aesthetic and morals leaves an odd taste in my mouth.

 

[YoodiHoshi]

That's another one people really like, but I dunno if it's for me based on what I know of it.

JoJo is great, dude. Personally, I think it has gotten a better anime adaptation than the HxH series - but just from an overall perspective, and only my opinion.

The 2011 anime for HxH still does the job without a doubt. I am not trying to devalue it, just saying there is much more to the process of how it was made, and why things are the way they are in it

 

[Conkersbadfurday]

He wanted to fuck Machi in Heaven's Arena.

To be honest, I think he was just doing that to annoy her. It's hard to tell.

He's a complex villain.

It's why he's awesome.

 

[Loris146]

It's one of the best arc ever. The ending was amazing (

Spoiler

Komugi sigh

)

 

[Lucumo]

It's one of the best arc ever. The ending was amazing (

Spoiler

Komugi sigh

)

Pff, she still couldn't get the snot out of her face. She is blind but she actually has hands to get a tissue, dammit.

 

[JadedWriter]

Pff, she still couldn't get the snot out of her face. She is blind but she actually has hands to get a tissue, dammit.

Komugi didn't give a shit, she's all about dat Gungi life.

 

[Lucumo]

Komugi didn't give a shit, she's all about dat Gungi life.

Speaking of Gungi, why is this not a real game yet?

 

[JadedWriter]

Speaking of Gungi, why is this not a real game yet?

I have no idea, it could even be a web game or something.

 

[HStallion]

Gon is the weakest link in the entire series. For as much murder and grim plot points the series has, its full embrace of shounen aesthetic and morals leaves an odd taste in my mouth.

That's kind of the point. The series gives you a more interesting take on what happens when a little kid leaves home to go on insane adventures with all kinds of crazy people. Gon gets really fucked up from not being able to handle all this world shaking shit he is exposed to.

 

[JadedWriter]

That's kind of the point. The series gives you a more interesting take on what happens when a little kid leaves home to go on insane adventures with all kinds of crazy people. Gon gets really fucked up from not being able to handle all this world shaking shit he is exposed to.

"Yo Gon I kill people."
"That's fine, you're my best friend now!!"

 

[theCalamity]

Gin is your typical stubborn protagonist and gives him a situation he couldn't solve and it broke him.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

It's not even an excuse because the narration is a strenght, not a flaw.

It is not. What purpose story, themstically, etc does the narration serve? Fuck it, let's be honest and say what it really is an exposition dump.


It's bad story telling especially in a visual medium.

 

[JadedWriter]

Gin is your typical stubborn protagonist and gives him a situation he couldn't solve and it broke him.

It's like he didn't realize that people die when they are killed and him not being able to throw a phoenix down at Kite broke his ass. "I can't revive him? Fuck...time to go Nega Saiyajin."

 

[Lynx_7]

It is not. What purpose story, themstically, etc does the narration serve? Fuck it, let's be honest and say what it really is an exposition dump.


It's bad story telling especially in a visual medium.

It's a stylistic choice used to explore the characters' psychological states in the midst of battle and convey their thought process and development in that short period of time. It's like a real-time indepth character analysis, and a valid form of storytelling, visual or otherwise. It deliberately slows down time progression to break down every single action taken, the thought process behind them, their consequences, and emphasizes the psychological warfare more than the physical clashes. It can be just as engrossing as a traditional action sequence as evidenced by all the people that did in fact enjoy the early phases of the invasion.

You keep repeating that it's a bad thing to do in principle but fail to offer any reasons as to why. It's an audiovisual medium, so an author can take advantage of both sound and images to tell their story. Documentaries use narration all the time. "Show don't tell" is just a guideline, not an absolute that must be followed at all times nor is it the optimal solution to everything. To arbitrarily place rules on what should or shouldn't be done in this or that genre sounds limiting for no good reason other than "I don't like it", which is basically what your argument boils down to.

 

[LotusHD]

It's a stylistic choice used to explore the characters' psychological states in the midst of battle and convey their thought process and development in that short period of time. It's like a real-time indepth character analysis, and a valid form of storytelling, visual or otherwise. It deliberately slows down time progression to break down every single action taken, the thought process behind them, their consequences, and emphasizes the psychological warfare more than the physical clashes. It can be just as engrossing as a traditional action sequence as evidenced by all the people that did in fact enjoy the early phases of the invasion.

You keep repeating that it's a bad thing to do in principle but fail to offer any reasons as to why. It's an audiovisual medium, so an author can take advantage of both sound and images to tell their story. Documentaries use narration all the time. "Show don't tell" is just a guideline, not an absolute that must be followed at all times nor is it the optimal solution to everything. To arbitrarily place rules on what should or shouldn't be done in this or that genre sounds limiting for no good reason other than "I don't like it", which is basically what your argument boils down to.

Completely agree.

 

[Magwik]

Speaking of Gungi, why is this not a real game yet?

 

[Mael]

"Show, don't tell" is a pretty crystal clear rule you shouldn't ever break UNLESS you have mastery of the medium.
Togashi is lucky he's THAT good.
Also it's only used extensively there and it's a fantastic way to avoid the usual expo dump characters do when they fight that Togashi seems to hate so much.
He used something like 5 different ways to go around it.
Narrator was the only way, there were no bystanders and no one is filming shit going down.
At some point you have to explain your readers what's happening.
In the manga he showed what happens when you have a really complex fight and you don't get anyone to spell what the fuck is happening.
It's very confusing, awesome but confusing.

 

[JadedWriter]

"Fuck world domination. It's time to G-G-G-G-G-G-G-G-G-G-G-G-G-GUNGI!!!"

 

[Subpar Spatula]

It's a stylistic choice used to explore the characters' psychological states in the midst of battle and convey their thought process and development in that short period of time. It's like a real-time indepth character analysis, and a valid form of storytelling, visual or otherwise. It deliberately slows down time progression to break down every single action taken, the thought process behind them, their consequences, and emphasizes the psychological warfare more than the physical clashes. It can be just as engrossing as a traditional action sequence as evidenced by all the people that did in fact enjoy the early phases of the invasion.

You keep repeating that it's a bad thing to do in principle but fail to offer any reasons as to why. It's an audiovisual medium, so an author can take advantage of both sound and images to tell their story. Documentaries use narration all the time. "Show don't tell" is just a guideline, not an absolute that must be followed at all times nor is it the optimal solution to everything. To arbitrarily place rules on what should or shouldn't be done in this or that genre sounds limiting for no good reason other than "I don't like it", which is basically what your argument boils down to.

It's not stylistic because it ruins the pacing.

Exposition is bad. If you have to convey a story -- especially a visual medium -- through CONSTANT narration when it's not a documentary or info dump narratives then it has done well story wise. There is a good balance between exposition and visual cues and that arc evicerates that balance because it couldn't properly display info due to poor drawings.

A lot of anime does this because a lot of animation directors have no idea how to make scenes breathe or have energy because it's hard whe you got to stretch a still frame for 5 seconds.

You say people like it but anime fans will endure hour long shout fights. Pacing issues are still pacing issues.

 

[aadiboy]

Everyone talking about pacing issues, did you guys watch week to week? I had no trouble with pacing watching 5-6 episodes a day. I guess the slow motion episodes would have been infuriating but to me they were cool. Sorry guys, but not marathoning a shonen is one of the stupidest things you can do.

 

[HStallion]

Everyone talking about pacing issues, did you guys watch week to week? I had no trouble with pacing watching 5-6 episodes a day. I guess the slow motion episodes would have been infuriating but to me they were cool. Sorry guys, but not marathoning a shonen is one of the stupidest things you can do.

The biggest pacing issue for me had little to actually do with the narrator and more with the fact there were half a dozen major story threads all happening at once.

 

[Permanently A]

I'm rewatching some of the later episodes because of this thread, and man, there are legitimate pacing complaints, but Mereum's character arc and the climax of his relationship with Komugi blows all that the fuck out for me.

 

[JadedWriter]

I'm rewatching some of the later episodes because of this thread, and man, there are legitimate pacing complaints, but Mereum's character arc and the climax of his relationship with Komugi blows all that the fuck out for me.

Exactly. The climax of the arc is that damn good. All that led up to something. The journey can be a bit of a slog and the theme is emotionally draining but damn it's good. I'd rather feel something than nothing at all after an arc.

 

[Opto]

That's kind of the point. The series gives you a more interesting take on what happens when a little kid leaves home to go on insane adventures with all kinds of crazy people. Gon gets really fucked up from not being able to handle all this world shaking shit he is exposed to.

I'm glad you get that from the series, but I just don't see that. Gon doesn't break until way way into the story. I have some similar gripes with One Piece but it's a much more cohesive world and Oda is better at getting tone right for what he's trying to convey

 

[JadedWriter]

I'm glad you get that from the series, but I just don't see that. Gon doesn't break until way way into the story. I have some similar gripes with One Piece but it's a much more cohesive world and Oda is better at getting tone right for what he's trying to convey

That's when he snaps yes, but it was clearly building up to that moment for numerous episodes. You can pretty much see him going over the edge when you contrast how Killua was reacting to everything. Killua took in information and constantly adapted his mind set to the situation at hand. Gon was pretty much just like, "that's not what I want, give me what I want" and pretty much just tried to force his ideal solution into a situation that wasn't going to allow for it. Him realizing that Kite was dead and he ain't coming back just made him snap in the end.

 

[Carlius]

It's my favorite arc in shonen and it cemented HxH as my favorite anime ever.

And you haven't even got to the best parts yet lol. That arc has the most amazing payoff.

well said my friend. well said.

 

[Slaythe]

Lol you're cute.

Imagine following the manga as a first hour fan, living through the hiatuses to get a garbage and confusing mess of a chapter that looked like kid doodles.

For like 10 years. Felt it would never end.

This manga has broken my soul.

 

[JadedWriter]

Lol you're cute.

Imagine following the manga as a first hour fan, living through the hiatuses to get a garbage and confusing mess of a chapter that looked like kid doodles.

For like 10 years. Felt it would never end.

This manga has broken my soul.

That is suffering. I'm enduring the current on off nonsense with the Dark Continent arc, I kind of wish I could fast forward a few years to see how it all pans out.

 

[CoffeeJanitor]

Literally one of the worst arcs of any TV show I've ever seen.

Like...laughably bad. I don't get how there is a huge fanbase for this portion of the show.

Worst pacing ever, just moronic

 

[JadedWriter]

Literally one of the worst arcs of any TV show I've ever seen.

Like...laughably bad. I don't get how there is a huge fanbase for this portion of the show.

Worst pacing ever, just moronic

Because through discussion you can actually learn about the nuance in this arc and appreciate it further.

 

[Daingurse]

Lol you're cute.

Imagine following the manga as a first hour fan, living through the hiatuses to get a garbage and confusing mess of a chapter that looked like kid doodles.

For like 10 years. Felt it would never end.

This manga has broken my soul.

The Chimera Ant arc was extremely fresh for me in the 2011 adaption, because my mind just couldn't retain the scribbles. When those chapters were new, I couldn't really follow what the hell was going on. Probably a combination of the translations at the time, and the super rough art-work.

 

[HStallion]

I'm glad you get that from the series, but I just don't see that. Gon doesn't break until way way into the story. I have some similar gripes with One Piece but it's a much more cohesive world and Oda is better at getting tone right for what he's trying to convey

I'm not sure how you missed this. Gon's entire mindset being a problem is something that we really get a hold on from the Yorknew arc and beyond. Yeah it makes him a happy go lucky, friend's are the most important thing typical shonen hero attitude but unlike DBZ or others, Gon doesn't just persevere, and instead this mindset and the things he's put through basically start to really crush him to the point he goes into a straight suicidal depression.

 

[JadedWriter]

I'm not sure how you missed this. Gon's entire mindset being a problem is something that we really get a hold on from the Yorknew arc and beyond. Yeah it makes him a happy go lucky, friend's are the most important thing typical shonen hero attitude but unlike DBZ or others, Gon doesn't just persevere, and instead this mindset and the things he's put through basically start to really crush him to the point he goes into a straight suicidal depression.

If people don't get that there's something off with Gon during the Genthru fight then they are not paying attention.

 

[LotusHD]

If people don't get that there's something off with Gon during the Genthru fight then they are not paying attention.

Ya, before this arc, there's several times where I'm just thinking "Something ain't right with that boy", even compared to his contemporaries like Luffy, who is also known for doing crazy shit.

Stands out even more when you add Killua into the equation, who for a very long time acted accordingly whenever he sensed that he was out of his depth.

 

[Lucumo]

If people don't get that there's something off with Gon during the Genthru fight then they are not paying attention.

What about the Hanzo "fight" during the Hunters Exam arc?

 

[Subpar Spatula]

Gon isn't well written. He will befriend murderers easily and then they'll tack in some ANGER and SUFFERING. Even after his incident he goes back to happy Gon. You could easily say his character *gasp* has no growth.

 

[JadedWriter]

Ya, before this arc, there's several times where I'm just thinking "Something ain't right with that boy", even compared to his contemporaries like Luffy, who is also known for doing crazy shit.

Stands out even more when you add Killua into the equation, who for a very long time acted accordingly whenever he sensed that he was out of his depth.

Well have of Killua's problem was Illumi's Nen Needle fucking with him, but he still knew how to act logically and plan stuff out accordingly. Gon honestly was a fly by pants seat type to me. Which is why you'll randomly see me say that "Gon's insane" cuz he is.

What about the Hanzo "fight" during the Hunters Exam arc?

Oh yes...this too. Though at least Gon didn't get his hand blown off during this fight.

Gon isn't well written. He will befriend murderers easily and then they'll tack in some ANGER and SUFFERING. Even after his incident he goes back to happy Gon. You could easily say his character *gasp* has no growth.

You should probably just watch this. Gon has a certain rationale to the murderers he befriends.
The Morality of Gon Freecss (Hunter X Hunter) It's a lot easier to just say that Gon is poorly written than it is to take some time out and find out about his internal logic. Also Gon didn't just magically go back to the way he was. The kid most likely doesn't remember the last half of the Chimera Ant Arc. He remembers Kite and him being responsible for his death, but I don't think he remembers the part with Pitou.

 

[HStallion]

Gon isn't well written. He will befriend murderers easily and then they'll tack in some ANGER and SUFFERING. Even after his incident he goes back to happy Gon. You could easily say his character *gasp* has no growth.

Him being happy to lucky friend of assassins and murderers is who he is and what exacerbates all the issues he deals with.

 

[JadedWriter]

Him being happy to lucky friend of assassins and murderers is who he is and what exacerbates all the issues he deals with.

The kid was sheltered and pimped out on an isolated island. Why do people expect Gon to act rationally?

 

[Lynx_7]

It's not stylistic because it ruins the pacing.

Exposition is bad. If you have to convey a story -- especially a visual medium -- through CONSTANT narration when it's not a documentary or info dump narratives then it has done well story wise. There is a good balance between exposition and visual cues and that arc evicerates that balance because it couldn't properly display info due to poor drawings.

A lot of anime does this because a lot of animation directors have no idea how to make scenes breathe or have energy because it's hard whe you got to stretch a still frame for 5 seconds.

You say people like it but anime fans will endure hour long shout fights. Pacing issues are still pacing issues.

I don't agree with the idea that slow pacing = bad pacing. Exposition isn't inherently bad, though mountains of bad fiction abusing it can cause that impression. It's a tool like any other to tell a story, and while it's usually best to avoid it if you can convey the same idea through other means, there are legitimate cases where you can use it without cheapening your work. At any case, I'm not sure I'd classify the narration in CA as pure exposition.

What Togashi did with the Palace Invasion, and what anime directors do by adding minutes-long power up scenes, grunts, shouts, reaction shots and background vistas aren't comparable at all. In the first you have density of information and character development that simply isn't present in the latter, because one of them is using a device to tell a story, the other is (lazy) filler to pad out the lenght of the episode and not catch up to its source material.

Could you do the Palace Invasion while cutting out the narrator entirely? Yes. A lot would be lost in translation though, and you'd end up with an entirely different product with its own set of strenghts and flaws. It'd probably be a lot more conventional, which is to some people's liking, but what Togashi did was unorthodox and not something you can easily find out there, at least not in the same medium, and to me there's value in that. The narration creates a certain atmosphere and pace that I wouldn't trade for a more conventional "war arc". I've seen the latter a fair amount of times already.

It's certainly divisive, but you could say the same for many of the greatest works of art out there. What resonates strongly with one person will be a miss for another, and that's ok. There are some legitimate pacing complaints as far as the Chimera Ants arc is concerned, but I'll always firmly disagree that the narration is one of them.