Hunter x Hunter, why do you have to remind me of all the reasons it’ll be so hard to say goodbye to you?!? Uuugh.
I didn’t really expect this episode to start with a ten minute monologue on karmic cycles, the nature of the soul, and the ways human failings perpetuate themselves, but given everything that’s happened so far, it ended up being pretty damn appropriate! This was essentially a bookend to the themes and questions of Chimera Ant, and served to tie it in nicely with the questions of consequence and forgiveness that have dominated the Election Arc. Just like Ging tells his son, Kite tells our penitent koala that you can’t run away from the consequences of your actions. The koala (I wish he had a name, it’s kind of absurd to refer to him that way, but eh, HxH) gets pretty esoteric in his musings on the nature of fate and consequence, which is appropriate for the tone of Chimera Ant. That arc struggled constantly with the awkward contradictions of our nature – but here, with Kite actually present, the answer appears simple. “No one will allow you to take your own life and hit the reset button. You must live, and apologize to me every day.” Our natural instincts may perpetuate cycles of violence, but we can individually rise above that instinct. When you apologize, you have to promise to do things differently next time.
I actually really liked the sharp personality this new Kite portrayed in their brief scene, so I guess we can count that as another character I’ll be sad we won’t get to see more of. And it seems unlikely we’ll see more of Pariston and Cheadle… man, these last few episodes are just torture. I want more of everything!
Well, at least this episode’s second half basically was one last drop of everything. Seeing Gon, Killua, and Alluka make their way towards that massive tree was a microcosm of Hunter x Hunter’s old, pre-Chimera Ant exuberance – “there’s a crazy challenge ahead, but we’re gonna have fun with friends along the way.” Gon apologized, Killua reiterated this arc’s “I’ll happily accept the consequences of the choices I’ve made” message, and everybody got to be happy for a change. It sure is nice getting to see these characters actually friggin’ smile again…
Goddamnit Hunter x Hunter don’t go away we all love you too much.
You can smileeee agaiiiin.
While I am heartbroken to see HxH go, this arc does seem like an almost perfect one to end on. Ging’s appearance, Gon and Killua going their separate ways (my poor heart) this just all screams finale to me. There’s still quite a bit of loose ends out there (like Kurapika, where the hell are you man) but I’m very pleased that Hunter x Hunter is ending on such a strong note.
But Gon and Killua man! My soul cried after that scene.
sigh I am going to miss this show something fierce. But I agree, as far as finding an end point these last few episodes are about as good as you can get (with the exception of Kurapika still off…wherever the hell he is).
I know I shouldn’t be surprised anymore by HxH’s ability to have profound explorations of the cyclical nature of mistakes, violence, and forgiveness and such, but the first part of this episode still snuck up on me. It’s not often you get a show that’s this good of a fun adventure series AND this good an exploration of deeper themes while still being an action show. Aside from it going away, my only regret is that I only started watching it this summer.
Yeah, kind of a shame we never really checked back with Kurapika. Hopefully the author recovers soon…
I’m starting HxH for the first time and really having a hard time getting through the first arc. It seems really boring, I hope I make it past the first 20 or so episodes, seems it is worth it in the end.
It picks up over time, though I did enjoy the early stuff myself.
A lot of people seem to miss it but Gon x Killua’s relationship has essentially changed in a very fundamental way. It became too toxic for the both of them which is why you see them pretending as if everything’s fine, doing their best not to break down. Gon is too selfish and Killua is too selfless.
You’re right. Killua’s basically grown too much for this relationship.
Could not agree more. Thank you for pointing that out. And, also, Killua stated earlier on that he would stick to Gon’s side until he found what he wanted to do. Well he did now – to protect his sister. On the other end, Gon has accomplished the goal he wanted Killua to help him carry on. It does make sense for them to part ways, even if it breaks my heart.