In case anyone is curious, I had to blur the video for a few seconds from 14:55-15:02 because I used a manga panel that contained a spoiler if you look closely. And one thing I didn't specify is that Kurapika's powers applying only to the Spider are restricted to the ones in his middle finger. Those are the ones that characterize his quest the most and the other powers tend to slip my mind sometimes as a result. You all know the drill, I've never been great at learning (and caring) about the specifics of all the powers except for the ones that apply to the story really deeply, lol. Thanks to whoever pointed it out, and hope you have a great day!
Natural Hypertrophy I can't say I fully agree because of Chimera Ant(I dislike that arc overall), but yeah; Yorknew is fantastic. Easily my favorite HXH arc and in a vacuum some of Togashi's best work. The perfect crime drama.
I couldn’t agree more, York new was a perspective changer. One of the best out. I’m lookin forward to making a HxH video on my channel. So much to digest
@@leakypeach6250 I'd need to rewatch it but I wasn't that much of a fan of the tonal shift. I know HXH gets dark, but Chimera Ant took it up several notches and I really didn't like that. I also found the arc a drag to get through, specifically everything post-Kite's death, and Gon and Killula's fight with Knuckle and Shoot was a chore to get through. I can't say I think the arc is bad because Mereum was a good villain and I enjoyed the OST tracks for HXH 2011 Chimera Ant. Really good stuff but not enough for me to want to actively revisit the arc. I hope that helps. In short, I do not think Chimera Ant is the worst HXH. But it is my least favorite arc of the series.
Except that this was garbage writing, the dude was alright with having his best friend an assassin but has a huge problem when Kurapika does the same? And the show portrays Gon in a positive light for this when told why he didn't ran away from Paku.
@@hydrocy.9165 Gon has no issue with people being killed, if he did we would have gotten some sort of indication early on in the Hunter Exam as Gon watches people die "unfairly" all around him. Its not the killing that is the issue, its kurapika's motive behind the killing. Killua and his family are assassins for business, and death is a common and everyday occurrence for Gon on the path he has chosen to walk. Kurapika is losing himself to revenge, sinking deep within its dark depths, festering, and it will ultimately change him. Just like we watched Gon slowly sink to those same depths, and just like we saw how Gon was willing to give up everything for a brief moment of revenge, Gon is worried that Kurapika will get to the same point. Kurapika is Gon's friend. Gon doesnt want to lose any of his friends. Kurapika himself does not even want to kill the spiders, if he did his powers would be designed to go straight for the kill, instead they are designed to restrain them, and then force them to live a life of repentance.
@Hydro Cy. Gon didn't want Kurapika to kill because he knew that it would destroy his mentality and break him. Killua is a different case because he had already come from that background and was trying to move on from it, but if Gon had seen him trying to become a consistent assassin again, he would try to save him in the same way he tried to save Kurapika because of what he knew it would do to his psyche. And in fact, he did do that, when he rescued him in the Zoldyck Family arc. It isn’t his friends killing that he’s against, it’s his friends doing something that will hurt themselves. That isn't bad writing, it's actually very good and consistent writing.
@@hydrocy.9165 I think this shows just how naive and one track minded he is. Killua is his friend so he is automatically good and he is not spiraling down a path of self destruction. But kurapika is not acting like himself so obviously he doesn’t want to see his friend get hurt. Kite was the first time gon experienced a close ones death. And gons spiraling down into darkness shows just how much of a child he actually is. But these are my opinions I agree that gons lashing out might have felt out of place compared to his previous actions on the series
"Kurapika morphs himself, debases himself, makes himself lesser and lesser of the person he really is, while chaining himself deeper into the abyss." Dude, as a self-proclaimed Kurapika fangirl for nearly 17 years, this hit me right in the feels. Your analysis of his nen power almost brought me to tears. I love this but I hate you for hurting me like this.
One of the ironies is that Kurapika's boss throughout the arc wants to buy the eyes. It was the demand for these eyes in jars that fueled the genocide of his clan. The yakuza outright pulled back the bounty on the troupe because Meteor City was a rich source of employment. Thus, the auction itself acts as the industrial system that puts this revenge cycle in motion while the criminal underground profits.
I don’t think it was mostly the demand for it. I believe the demand came after their deaths. Chrollo was interested with their eyes and he fought them and phantom troupe member #11 (I forgot his name, I’m dreadful at remembering them. In case you don’t know who I’m talking about, it’s the guy Kurapika first killed and the strongest of the troupe physically) mentioned that they were strong fighters and that got all their attention, so they ended up killing them all indiscriminately as well as Kurapikas best friend was killed and they were both kids.
This isnt true. People didn't know about the kurta clan until the phantom troupe killed them and sold their eyes. No one knew because they lived in a forest, and didn't have contact with the outside world. The phantom troupe killed them because chrollo ordered this, he wanted their eyes because he really liked them like uvogin said. After a few time he got tired of the eyes and sold them
Easily my favourite arc in the anime. The grim noir-ish atmosphere, Kurapika's tragic storyline, the humanised Spiders I came to like - I couldn't ask for more, really
@@joshshrum2764 tbh I couldn't finish the Chimera Arc (dropped it like 20 episodes into it), so I'm no judge to that, but many sing praises to it, particularly because of the darker motives
@@dsrecb2276after yorknew, the chimera arc felt like a Keynesian especially the beginning of it It was a slog for me to get to the end which was good but still feel I liked Yorknew best overall
Togashi at his best is really good at making us question who we should root for. I shouldn't need to mention Meruem or anything around him. I'm in the process of rewatching HxH and I realised during the Yorknew arc that in the hostage situation while Kurapika was bargaining with Pakunoda someone going in blind to that scene could easily assume Kurapika is the villain.
Togashi isn’t the only person to do this kind of thing as a ton of other writers did this kind of stuff like in Magi, Kingdom, Vinland saga’s prologue, some parts of One piece like when Luffy broke everyone out of impel down, and there are a good amount of shows based on this like death note, Code geas, etc. Not putting down Togashi, just mentioning other works that do this stuff
HunterXhunter is so cold!!!! people’s channels are living off this show and we haven’t had an episode, let alone a manga chapter in how long? Gotta love it
Im really excited for the succession arc to be completed. It definitely has the potential to surpass Chimera ant arc. Sadly we're like only maybe halfway through it and it would take several years to complete due to togashis hiatuses.
"Kurapika is now drowning in an indescribable emptiness.........", Kurapika's existence is written out so that it is not imaginable without the troupe and the troupe is his world. Ironic considering his hatred of them.
Yorknew explores every characters philosophy and motivations. The tonality is dark, raw and much more grounded in reality than other arcs. The stakes feel real and you do genuinely have concern for the safety of the protagonists. Sensational.
Kurapika's Emperor's Time is one of the most incredible concepts for an ability I've seen. The fact that he's literally ticking his life away as he uses it is such an incredible idea, it truly raises the stakes. /manga spoilers ...More reasons I hope the current arc gets finished someday. It's going to be excellent and may well serve as a finale for the series, especially since Dark Continent will likely never begin due to Togashi's health.
It's because the narrator speaks too much and starts saying stuff that isn't relevant or literally just visually describing the screen. The narrator throughout the show is usually amazing and helps explain what characters don't, giving more of an insight into the characters' psychology. But in Chimera Ant Arc he talks every 5 seconds and just describes pointless stuff like "Gon was angry", yeah no shit. Even still, there's some great narrator lines in Chimera Arc, actually some of the best in show. It's just a shame they didn't trim it down heavily. The other side to this is that the narrator works towards making the show watchable weekly but the narrator "ages poorly" when you binge watch because you don't need constant reminders
Mostly because it felt redundant and boring especially when you're watching it for a second time because you already know what's going on! I used to love the chimera ant arc when I first watched it but after watching hunter x hunter multiple times york new city arc has aged alot better then chimera did
in my personal opinion its just that there was a lot of stress and emotion in all the scenes that he spoke in and for me personally it just made me want to rip the narrator's voice box out so that the characters could start talking and interacting and getting through the stress and drama as soon as possible :D that's not to say that the narrator wasn't important and in the end DIDN'T elevate the quality of the arc its just that in THAT moment it was a little fhrbfehjb to me personally lmao
I think Kurtapika is one of the most tragic characters in manga/anime. As the succession war rages on I have a really bad feeling this might be Kurtapika’s final arc and that he won’t have a happy or satisfying ending. I think he’s straying too far and will end up destroying himself completely before fully avenging his people.
@@balabanasireti yeah he was right but in kurapika's perspective he was just doing what he needed to do. I actually think that the phantom troupe still deserves to die in a way or another, they have to pay consequences for their actions even if they don't get killed
@@UnhappyPensFan And I'm sick of people expressing "opinions" which they can't defend nor give a valid argument like "Godspeed Killua can beat everyone" or "Hisoka is much stronger than Kite and Illumi" or "Chrollo is stronger than Silva and Zeno" or "Gon is stronger than Killua" and alike
Yorknew City is always my go-to arc for a quick HxH rewatch. While the Chimera Ant arc will always be highly regarded as a masterpiece, I absolutely think that Yorknew City was some of Todashi's best writing due to its incredible amount of storytelling within such a short amount of time.
I absolutely love that you're still making Hunter x Hunter videos. It's incredible how you can make hours of videos on this one anime/manga and still bring up new topics of discussion. I love watching all of them because you really highlight so many reasons I love this anime. Yorknew arc is one of my favorite arcs in all of fiction too
hxh has countless heart warming moments, but the scene where Killian slaps the pie on gons face, and for that instant, kurapika forgets his worries is just so wholesome. the animations and voice acting for that scene are just incredible. the characters of hxh are just breathing with life like in no other anime I've seen before. they're all raw, flawed but beautiful in their own ways.
I have long considered HxH to be the greatest anime of all time, simply because it manages a level of quality far beyond the usual episode limit. Most anime can't get past 12 episodes before flaming out few make it to 24 and stay great. Somehow HxH blows past that and just keeps topping itself. Sure it has lows but somehow it just keeps climbing to new peaks. That is why I am so grateful to be blessed to have found your channel, watching you devote yourself over the years to the almost singular purpose of breaking down this show. Forcing me to think about it in ways I hadn't even considered, it's almost like seeing the show brand new again. I'm sorry you haven't gotten the widespread recognition that you deserve for it but just know that some of us recognize your work and will never forget it. I hope that one day when you feel you have said all there is to say on the subject that you compile it into a format that can be preserved beyond youtube.
I think you’re giving me too much credit here haha but don’t get me wrong, this is very very kind of you and I really appreciate it :) It definitely isn’t an almost singular purpose of mine but it’s very cool that it comes off as one! I’m so glad that you keep finding value in these videos. And regarding recognition - I’ve gotten plenty of recognition, far more than a lot of great content creators have gotten. I’m definitely lucky and I’m on the higher end of exposure when it comes to these sorts of videos so please don’t worry, the channel is extremely healthy in terms of growth. But thank you again for the very sweet sentiment :)
@@Aleczandxr Please read One Piece and Magi. They’re both very similar to HxH in terms of world building and a lot of its themes and quality wise, they’re the cream of the crop. Just content wise, these’d fuel your channel content for several more YEARS (Just from 2 shows alone!)as theirs tons of incredible stuff in both shows. I’m curious as to see how you’d put it.
@@adarshsridhar6051 Thank you for the suggestion but I've already considered that and I'm not too interested in either. Sorry about that! And also to clarify about my approach with the channel - I also don't like to read or watch things with the purpose of fueling the channel - I put videos on the channel only after naturally coming to the conclusion that I care about something enough to cover it. Hopefully that's understandable. Thank you again for the recommendation though, I really appreciate it!
@@Aleczandxr please never stop my dude. Ive never found a single person in my life that cares for hxh even close to what i do so the channel is amazing to ne able to come to
I would argue calling them "villains" is going too far. Are they antagonistic? Absolutely. But villain is a strong word. If we weren't following Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio, and instead following the Troupe, they'd be anti-heroes.
@@jegangunnithan4565 specifically, they did that to sell them. And considering the little we know about their life in Metero City, it was probably because it was the only real way they had to make any money to live. Don't get me wrong, they aren't good people, but anti-heroes aren't good people, and if it was from their perspective that the story was told, you'd be much more sympathetic.
@@casteanpreswyn7528 While anti-heros are not good people they also don't usually involve themselves in mass murder. They haven't been redeemed enough within the story to not call them villains
Probably one of my favourite videos of yours! Every sentence felt like a revelation, yet at the same time, one grounded in a feeling I’ve sensed but been unable to articulate. This also really hypes me up for Chrollo and Kurapika’s next interaction! I crave a discussion between them now, with Hisoka or the other troupe members as mediators and wonder if they’ll ever be able to understand each other. It’s also opened my eyes to the narrative of life/death in hxh in a different way to how I’ve seen it before. I can’t help but want to trace how this developed into the Chimera ant arc and beyond by rewatch all over again. What an amazing video!
Thanks so much! I’m super glad that you felt that way because the beauty of Yorknew can sometimes be difficult to articulate, haha. Glad you enjoyed it so much!
Personally, what i love most about Yorknew arc is that this could easily be a very tropey arc with the revenge plot, mafia, bad guys, action, moody noir feel but the execution is anything but that. I particularly love how Togashi really took time on the mundane stuff like killua staking the building in the rain only to come back with info and no action at all, killua and gon taking the time to learn how auction works, kurapika slowly but surely getting in the tangled mess with the spider but only to have the final confrontation with the big boss with no fighting or big action scene whatsoever, nobunaga genuinely thinking of taking gon in lol. Things like that makes this arc feels so fleshed out and real to me, even more so than actual mafia/noir movies. Unlike the chimera ant arc with questionable pacing, i think Yorknew has the PERFECT pacing in any story. So good that i subconsciously expect it in everything that i watch after.
Love how you still have so much to say about a story that, despite its ongoing hiatus, still has given so much to its audience to dissect and connect with. Definitely my favorite arc because of so much covered here and yet I feel you when you said how there's a feeling that can't be explained. A big turning point for me was Uvo's death. Not a manga reader, but I love how in the anime, its not played up to be this big, epic event of justice being served. It's incredibly tragic and the music stops and the only vibrant colors that you see are the redness of his blood being spilled and the glare from Kurapika's Scarlet Eyes. In any other shonen, I might've felt happy for the protagonist but instead, I felt saddened. I watched Yu Yu Hakusho after this and the Chapter Black arc felt very similar to me in terms of its exploration of life and I noted how the story does play out like a piece of theatre. Great work on this video as always.
I definitely agree with that one - Kurapika vs Uvo was kinda like a turning point for me. I really didn't expect things to go that way but when they did I was really shocked in the best possible way.
The main theme I see in this arc is how we let the counterfeit guide our thoughts of the genuine. We can see it with Kurapika’s method of Nen, Neon’s belief’s taken from the fake psychic, the Phantom Troupes dead bodies and all off that one Phantom Troupe member’s name I can never remember and all the fakes he conjures with his Nen, Nobonaga’s viewing of Gon as a replacement for Uvogin, the obvious issue you have with counterfeit art when dealing with any auction, Hisoka’s status as a member of the Troupe, and it goes on from there. But it’s a recurring theme that I haven’t seen discussed at all for an arc that is discussed often when it comes to Hunter X Hunter.
The Yorknew city arc is my favorite ace for both the 1999 and 2011 ver while strangely my second favorite is the battle tower arc never understood why since I was 12 watching the 1999 ver in middle then I realized that I love the character growth and the explanation of nen in both arcs
I just really enjoyed the scene where Gon unknowingly challenge a troupe member in a arm wrestling contest, and when it happened again much later in a different context. As well as the hilarious moment of Gon and Killua running into 2 of the troupe members in the auction. Such awkward yet casual situations with villains need to happen more often.
@@marlom7882 I honestly can't get into the chinera ant arc. I like Mereum and his arc as well as his guards, but the other new characters they introduced i just didn't care for at all. Except for the octopus fellow and Kite.
@@DeathGodRiku whaaaaaaat? Oh I was talking about greed island but what? You don’t like knuckle or shoot or morel or the chameleon chimera ant? They’re all cool as shit.
Great job as usual with the analysis man, it was great! I think you hit the nail on the head with the central thematic thrust of life within the message and story Yorknew's arc is telling here. The fascinating parallelism of the Spiders having their own meaning lost and spurned by a cruel, impersonal world, incentivizing them in turn to take and shatter the lives of others to affirm their own existence, really does come full circle with Kurapika as the protagonist of this arc. By reacting in a way that doesn't necessarily get judged on moral or ethical grounds (as Gon's challenge to Chrollo shows), but merely for the sake of making their own existence resonate, the Spiders end up highlighting the darkness and negatives of the society they came from, which also rejected them. However, it also highlights their own negative qualities, as they maintain a cycle of destruction and bloodshed by affirming their own presence in the world, at its expense, which leads to the tragedy of Kurapika's tribe and draws him into that same cycle. That being said, he is not a direct parallel by any means to what Chrollo, thematically, adds to the cycle, since as you point out, Kurapika's characterization here is representative of the LOSS of living the way you want, of chaining yourself to revenge as almost a kind of inexorable ideal that must be followed, regardless of the cost. Chrollo exploits and damages the world that rejected him and his underlings to find meaning and purpose to his life, all the while feeling an emptiness at the perpetuation of the cycle but accepting it as the normalized existence that makes the Spider function. Kurapika nullifies his own desire and purpose in life because meaning doesn't matter without the categorical imperative that drives his need for revenge upon those who harmed his loved ones, chaining himself to the cycle in a totally different manner by forgoing the need for life due to duty and rage, seeking the death of his enemies. This contrasts the Spider's affirmation of life through death as a means, as Chrollo seems to symbolize. One thing I think you could have expanded on in this video is the nature of this arc's closure, and how its anticlimactic qualities are, I'd argue, reflective of the theme you're detailing here. Kurapika captures Chrollo, but his friends are put in danger, and his true desires and feelings as a genuinely compassionate person clash with his single-minded determination to obtain vengeance at all costs, which has compromised any real sense of actually LIVING as a human being. Ultimately, even subconsciously to a degree, I think Kurapika understood this partially at the end of the arc, which is why he took a step back and we didn't have some grand climactic battle, at the expense of Gon or Killua being hurt. Perhaps a more direct conflict is being saved for later in the story, of course, since I don't know how Kurapika and the Spiders' narratives will end and what the final message will be, but I do think that there was a purposeful anticlimax to the ending that was meant to signal the hollow nature of Kurapika's pursuit of revenge, and the directionless affirmation of the Spiders' own way of living. To borrow from the core imagery of the Chimera Ant arc, there is an element of two sides of the same coin here, but with an extra level of uncertainty and vagueness, which comes from the obfuscating history of Chrollo and the Spider's origin itself. There is a certain impasse that forms from Kurapika's perspective, at least temporarily, which shines light on the nuances of his own purpose, and how his internalized struggle still leads to doubt about whether he should really be living his life, instead of merely avenging the life that was lost to him. One thing I do think HxH could do to really drive the point of this theme of life you're discussing home, especially from the side of the Spiders, would be to circle back to Chrollo and reveal a bit more about his feelings on all this, and his reasons, or just further characterize him beyond the abstract speculative aura he exudes within the narrative. If we can see development on that front to really emphasize the point of why he views life in a certain way, and how expression of meaning in the world works for him, then the reasons behind the Spider's actions can be elucidated upon a bit more. This can then really come full circle when Kurapika once more faces his own demons as he seeks to take down Chrollo and company. Perhaps keeping the Spider vague works too, however, since it allows for open interpretation and feeds the imagination, adding a mystique to their antagonistic force and ideology. Either way, sorry for the long-winded response, and well done on a great analysis as usual, dude! All the best!
currently rewatching hunter multiplied by hunter. just finished yorknew again, and this video made me like and appreciate the arc even more than i already did, seriously, great video man, earned a sub.
Love the video! After deciding to rewatch the 2011 anime, I've been obsessed with the series, as I began to truly appreciate the story the second time around. When it was revealed how Emperor Time functions, subtracting an hour of his life for every second it is active, it really works well to reinforce how Kurapika feels about himself. He has heavy survivor's guilt, and does not value his life past his goal. It adds extra context to all past moments where he's had the ability active, as he literally and metaphorically throws away his life.
No matter what you think about HxH as a whole or how you rank the other arcs, we can all agree Yorknew Arc is a masterpiece and is one of the Best story arcs in the history of anime
On one hand, Killua seems to have very little compassion for his family. On the other hand, Kalluto seems to have little to do with that. On the other other hand, Kalluto seems to be pretty close to Killua's mom so... I would say "we'll see" but I'm not that optimistic.
I feel like there's no way kurapika would kill Kalluto, Kurapika is too nice to do that and would probably just tell Kalluto to leave the phantom troupe
It was so good i couldnt get into greed island. Like i wasnt ready to let it go and i think it affected my enjoyment of the show until the end of the Chimera arc. Maybe if GI came first i wouldve appreciated it more but york new was lit as hell lol
I love how the roles of Kurapika and the Troupe kinda switched by the end of the arc, with Kurapika questioning and furthering himself from his humanity, while the Troupe becomes more human in turn.
So glad I can watch one of these finally!! I just recently started HxH and have been wanting to watch these vids for some time now since I really adored your Xenoblade and TTGL videos. I only just recently finished the Greed Island arc so I still have a lot to go through but Im excited to accompany the journey with your thoughts on it since I absolutely dig how in depth you talk about not just the story but the characters as well, it's wonderful stuff!
The Yorknew Arc is the arc I always rewatch most. I can't help but speculate over the relationships the PT have and compare it to the main four characters. It took my a while to notice, but the main four mirror PT members. Gon - Uvo ( the similarities here are endless! They jump the same. Have the same poses during different ending credits. Have endless loyalty. Uvo appears to be closest to Shalnark who is more logical, which mirrors how Killua is always the more logical one in his and Gon's friendship. Gon enhances his voice during the chimera ant arc during a battle, much like Uvo. They both appear to be shaking in anticipation of fighting. I could go on but this is long already) Killua - Machi/Pakunoda (Machi and Killua have similar "I don't care" attitudes yet Machi was quickest to react when Uvo was taken by Kurapika. Similar to how Killua pretends he doesn't care but we know he’s a softie inside. Pakunoda's willingness to die for the Troupe is similar to Killua's willingness to die for Gon) Leorio - Phinks/Nobunaga (Nobunaga's yelling is similar to Leorio's and then they are clearly both emotional and sensitive. In the chimera ant arc, Phinks took on an older brother role which mirrors Leorio's role in the election arc) Kurapika - Chrollo (Both characters don't care if they die. Their purposes in life are not fulfilling enough for them. They like to read. In the Succession War, Kurapika appears to have improved socially and maneuvers people like pawns for the info he needs, mirroring how Chrollo easily did so in the Yorknew Arc.)
This is going to be so good. While the Chimera Ant arc is incredible and deserves every bit of attention, I'm so glad that the Yorknew arc is also getting attention since I feel it's every bit as good but less ambitious.
What people should fear most, is when good people are driven to the point of having nothing left to lose. They'll use every means of evil at their disposal to achieve their inner goals.
Thank you for analyzing one of my top 2 favorite HxH arcs. On my first run through the series, I really liked it because of all the action and how brutal the Phantom Troupe was but somehow the story made me like them despite that. But on my second run, I really came to appreciate it more. This arc (and the manga arc so far) cemented the fact that Kurapika is my favorite character in HxH. The way this arc paints Kurapika as someone going down a dark path of no return, to how much of a monster he seemed at times to us, the audience and to the Spiders, how the Spiders are likeable and "human" to a certain degree even though they commit truly disturbing crimes without remorse... fact is I really like this arc lol. I always appreciate your takes on HxH. Thanks for covering it!
Yorknew is by far my favorite arc. I loved everything about it. The troupe were awesome, kurapika’s tone was great story, and overall I just loved the city. The auction was a cool concept as well as the the mafia, seeing the intricate style of it was cool. The phantom troupe, however, stole the show. I loved every member and their characters were masterful
Dude you made Hunter x Hunter from my top 5 into my absolute favorite with your videos. All the great character analysis you’ve put into these videos really makes me happy to have discovered this series and your channel.
I seriously love your work man, Hunter X Hunter is an enigma long into it's hiatus, revisiting scenes or entire episodes and arcs, it really is filled with endless gems. With the current Succession Contest arc following the story of Kurapika - I'm sure you will give us the more Hunter x Hunter content.
Glad you enjoy the videos and thanks so much for watching! For clarity though - don’t expect any content on the Succession War or Dark Continent with the manga in the place where it is now, however - I don’t have much to discuss in this way with the arc far from finished. Hopefully that makes sense.
My mind is blown. The Yorknew Arc has always been my favourite arc to the point that I will start the anime again just to get to the arc. However, I didn't understand what about that arc really captivated me. I feel so mindblown right now, this video brings an enormous new dimension to the arc and brings light to the personality aspects that I never stopped to think about when it comes to Kurapika and the Spiders. I definitely will re-watch the arc once more again. I would like to add that your voice and tone also elevate the analysis to the next level. Amazing content!
another reason why yorknew stands out as one of my favorite arcs from any show ever and is because of how its crafted: several plot lines that present unrelated groups that gradually converge together on a single point in time. presented in this way, the tension of the arc felt so raw and impactful, leaving the climax so cathartic. i feel like this also thematically fit the arc so much better (than it did when down with the chimera arc) and how it results in such a perfection execution of the story and its motifs.
Almost cried several times throughout this video. Had to pause eating multiple times to reflect on what you're saying here. It hits too close to heart.
Another great unbiase video. You explore the complexities of Kurapika and the Spiders in such a beautiful way, and makes me want to watch York new arc again.
Agreed, it's all those short moments of joy in the sea of total chaos that allows each character to put life into perspective. What it could have been, but what it could not be. As well as what they chose to do because of their circumstances. Pakunoda was the MVP of the arc for me, specially that scene at the end of the auction with the memories of the moment with Gon and Killua... They all share similar values, executed so differently because of where they came from. Also what I find that makes York New so special is we're also being introduce to so many characters that have a lot of depth, and we're starting to learn about nen and how the world of hxh works. It's not just your random story... Togashi created such a complex world that we're starting to see. I felt like: Oh shit... This is just the tip of an iceberg here
Amazing arc that is the epitome of Togashi’s writing talent. 5 different parties (Mafia, Kurapika, Gon + Killua, The spiders, Zoldycks) all in the same place with different motives. The whole arc having a Christianity motif is just icing on the cake.
Something I always think about in this arc is that, growing up in Meteor City, stealing and murder may have been so commonplace that the Troupe on a whole has an entirely separate sense of morality. We know nothing about their childhoods (at least in the anime), so there is no telling about how dark their individual beginnings could be. But what we do know is they found a family for themselves. In a place where people are discarded like trash, they found something that bound them together, however twisted it is. I liked the acknowledgment of there being "otherwise gentle souls" in the Troupe. Chrollo is the head, but Pakunoda is the heart of the Spider, and her greatest commitment was to her family--the Troupe. My theory is that a lot of them may pretend they're in it for the fun of crime, but most feel similarly to her. That is why the series ends in a stalemate-- at the end of the day, they are more committed to being a family than taking revenge. It's a beautiful contrast to Kurapika. It's my favorite arc of my favorite show
No other story arc has the masterpiece quality of York New. The world building, the tones, the story, the fights, the themes, and most importantly, the character building, are all done masterfully, and the pacing is perfect. It has just the right amount of light hearted and dark storytelling. Some of the story arcs are too long. Others are too short. Some of them feel unnecessarily silly. None of them are bad. In fact, I would go as far as to say that all of them are quite good. But this one, and only this one, is the only one that takes everything great about the anime thus far and blends it together so perfectly.
As always, a wonderful interpretation and analysis of a masterpiece. I love your videos, regardless of which topic or anime you are discussing. Kurapika is a very intricate character, whose circumstances and ambitions have such a human value in them, that one cannot help but feel identified, or at the very least, sympathize with them. I would have had a wonderful time watching this video whether or not I agreed with you...
People not liking where gons character went in the chimera ant arc always confuse me. I'm like hes been going in that direction the whole damn time yall just didnt see it. A 2nd run though the series makes you see those hints the entire time
tbh, i kinda get it. madhouse did amazingly for the most part but i think they really screwed up kite's character, which kinda resulted in gon's last scene not making a huge amount of sense.
No, Aleczandxr, you aren't crazy, this story truly is that resonant with emotions so deeply mixed we cannot pull them apart. That is what makes Togashi's works so incredible and hard to describe to others, teasing apart the threads of his stories is every bit as hard as individuating the threads that make up our own lives.
"They should be chained down to hell". I've always thought that his chains keep him chained down to the troup. And as such, to accomplish his goals, he must drag them to hell with him
many thanks for this video. sir. i love your essay videos especially on h x h i think your style is the best on yt. voice editing and thoughts are top!
Hey Aleczandxr, I truly enjoyed you delving into the theme of what connects Kurapika and the Phantom Troupe, it was a very refreshing take on this beautiful arc. In Yorknew videos on TH-cam I always find myself saying "yeah great point but you could have also talked a bit more about X other part of the story that deserves as much praise as Y part of the story", this video is not any different, which is to say the more videos on the arc, the better. I personally think Kurapika elevates the story from incredible to downright one of the very best in anime. Hope this comment doesn't come across as rude or anything.
@@Aleczandxr what I meant is there is so much you can talk about in Yorknew that I'd love as many videos as possible on it. Sorry if that was worded poorly
Thanks for the amazing video, you make me apreciate HxH even more than I alredy do. I think that the way Yorknew's colors and atmosphere compliment tha troupes personalities and the sadness one feels as you see Kurapica fall further is the reason why one feels this melancholy while watching. You don't feel melancholy only becouse the characters feel that way, you feel it becouse to some extent you don't want to see what will happend, and you miss the old happy days at the start of the series. Is a similar feeling for what I feel for Gon on the Quimera Ant ark...
![ละลาย (LALALYE) - DAOU PITTAYA ต้าห์อู๋ พิทยา [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wo6r9TgausI/mqdefault.jpg)
In case anyone is curious, I had to blur the video for a few seconds from 14:55-15:02 because I used a manga panel that contained a spoiler if you look closely.
And one thing I didn't specify is that Kurapika's powers applying only to the Spider are restricted to the ones in his middle finger. Those are the ones that characterize his quest the most and the other powers tend to slip my mind sometimes as a result. You all know the drill, I've never been great at learning (and caring) about the specifics of all the powers except for the ones that apply to the story really deeply, lol. Thanks to whoever pointed it out, and hope you have a great day!
What was even spoiled? (I'm a manga reader)
eon star
Illumi being in the troupe
@@eonstar Illumi in the troop and bigger spoiler
Some people could notice Shalnark and Kortopi not there.
Would you review the 2003 Fullmetal alchemist anime?
@@samlerf He's said before that he wouldn't
The Yorknew Arc made HxH go from solid shonen to masterpiece
I definitely agree. The moment you see Kurapika defeating Uvogin, you know that the arc is going to be a masterpiece.
Natural Hypertrophy I can't say I fully agree because of Chimera Ant(I dislike that arc overall), but yeah; Yorknew is fantastic. Easily my favorite HXH arc and in a vacuum some of Togashi's best work. The perfect crime drama.
I couldn’t agree more, York new was a perspective changer. One of the best out. I’m lookin forward to making a HxH video on my channel. So much to digest
@@Avarn388 that's an interesting take. Mind elaborating on why you dislike the arc? I'm genuinely curious.
@@leakypeach6250 I'd need to rewatch it but I wasn't that much of a fan of the tonal shift. I know HXH gets dark, but Chimera Ant took it up several notches and I really didn't like that. I also found the arc a drag to get through, specifically everything post-Kite's death, and Gon and Killula's fight with Knuckle and Shoot was a chore to get through. I can't say I think the arc is bad because Mereum was a good villain and I enjoyed the OST tracks for HXH 2011 Chimera Ant. Really good stuff but not enough for me to want to actively revisit the arc.
I hope that helps. In short, I do not think Chimera Ant is the worst HXH. But it is my least favorite arc of the series.
I love Hunter multiplied by Hunter.
I thought it was Hunter by Hunter
Hahahahahahaha
Hunter squared
I like hunter squared more
Hunter²
Gon tells Kurapika to NOT fall into darkness, but falls into darkness, himself, in the Chimera Ant Arc.
My hypocrite MC!
Except that this was garbage writing, the dude was alright with having his best friend an assassin but has a huge problem when Kurapika does the same? And the show portrays Gon in a positive light for this when told why he didn't ran away from Paku.
@@hydrocy.9165 Gon has no issue with people being killed, if he did we would have gotten some sort of indication early on in the Hunter Exam as Gon watches people die "unfairly" all around him.
Its not the killing that is the issue, its kurapika's motive behind the killing. Killua and his family are assassins for business, and death is a common and everyday occurrence for Gon on the path he has chosen to walk. Kurapika is losing himself to revenge, sinking deep within its dark depths, festering, and it will ultimately change him. Just like we watched Gon slowly sink to those same depths, and just like we saw how Gon was willing to give up everything for a brief moment of revenge, Gon is worried that Kurapika will get to the same point. Kurapika is Gon's friend. Gon doesnt want to lose any of his friends.
Kurapika himself does not even want to kill the spiders, if he did his powers would be designed to go straight for the kill, instead they are designed to restrain them, and then force them to live a life of repentance.
@Hydro Cy. Gon didn't want Kurapika to kill because he knew that it would destroy his mentality and break him. Killua is a different case because he had already come from that background and was trying to move on from it, but if Gon had seen him trying to become a consistent assassin again, he would try to save him in the same way he tried to save Kurapika because of what he knew it would do to his psyche. And in fact, he did do that, when he rescued him in the Zoldyck Family arc. It isn’t his friends killing that he’s against, it’s his friends doing something that will hurt themselves. That isn't bad writing, it's actually very good and consistent writing.
@@hydrocy.9165 I think this shows just how naive and one track minded he is. Killua is his friend so he is automatically good and he is not spiraling down a path of self destruction. But kurapika is not acting like himself so obviously he doesn’t want to see his friend get hurt. Kite was the first time gon experienced a close ones death. And gons spiraling down into darkness shows just how much of a child he actually is. But these are my opinions I agree that gons lashing out might have felt out of place compared to his previous actions on the series
"Kurapika morphs himself, debases himself, makes himself lesser and lesser of the person he really is, while chaining himself deeper into the abyss." Dude, as a self-proclaimed Kurapika fangirl for nearly 17 years, this hit me right in the feels. Your analysis of his nen power almost brought me to tears. I love this but I hate you for hurting me like this.
Well love and hate are sometimes two sides of the same coin so I'll take what I can get!
@@Aleczandxr I think I see what you did there. Hyōri ittai indeed.
Same kusari hime, same
@@Aleczandxr ahh my boy Hisoka line
SAME 😭😭😭
I like the little Hisoka emoji next to the "The corpses are fake."
Did you know bungee gum possesses the properties of both rubber and gum?
hisoka moment
One of the ironies is that Kurapika's boss throughout the arc wants to buy the eyes. It was the demand for these eyes in jars that fueled the genocide of his clan. The yakuza outright pulled back the bounty on the troupe because Meteor City was a rich source of employment. Thus, the auction itself acts as the industrial system that puts this revenge cycle in motion while the criminal underground profits.
I don’t think it was mostly the demand for it. I believe the demand came after their deaths. Chrollo was interested with their eyes and he fought them and phantom troupe member #11 (I forgot his name, I’m dreadful at remembering them. In case you don’t know who I’m talking about, it’s the guy Kurapika first killed and the strongest of the troupe physically) mentioned that they were strong fighters and that got all their attention, so they ended up killing them all indiscriminately as well as Kurapikas best friend was killed and they were both kids.
@@adarshsridhar6051 uvogin is his name
@@cecilabbott6092 Yes uvogin, I know his name but routinely I forget names and misplace it in my mind lol
@@adarshsridhar6051 Kurta were hiding because people looked for their eyes
This isnt true. People didn't know about the kurta clan until the phantom troupe killed them and sold their eyes. No one knew because they lived in a forest, and didn't have contact with the outside world. The phantom troupe killed them because chrollo ordered this, he wanted their eyes because he really liked them like uvogin said. After a few time he got tired of the eyes and sold them
There's no better pair than Aleczandxr and HxH.
What about Hisoka and children?
@@kingmeruem8821 No.
Totally not mark and hunter x hunter has entered the chat
@@Kennedy640 Eh. Maybe Dragonball or One Piece would be more fitting.
Cap, aleczandxr and haikyu😈
Easily my favourite arc in the anime. The grim noir-ish atmosphere, Kurapika's tragic storyline, the humanised Spiders I came to like - I couldn't ask for more, really
If were talking about the 1999, anime it is for me as well, but Chimera Ant, fucking slapped for me, plus it’s just as dark, and twisted.
@@joshshrum2764 tbh I couldn't finish the Chimera Arc (dropped it like 20 episodes into it), so I'm no judge to that, but many sing praises to it, particularly because of the darker motives
@@dsrecb2276after yorknew, the chimera arc felt like a Keynesian especially the beginning of it
It was a slog for me to get to the end which was good but still feel I liked Yorknew best overall
Togashi at his best is really good at making us question who we should root for. I shouldn't need to mention Meruem or anything around him.
I'm in the process of rewatching HxH and I realised during the Yorknew arc that in the hostage situation while Kurapika was bargaining with Pakunoda someone going in blind to that scene could easily assume Kurapika is the villain.
Togashi isn’t the only person to do this kind of thing as a ton of other writers did this kind of stuff like in Magi, Kingdom, Vinland saga’s prologue, some parts of One piece like when Luffy broke everyone out of impel down, and there are a good amount of shows based on this like death note, Code geas, etc. Not putting down Togashi, just mentioning other works that do this stuff
This man could give me the origin of wallpaper and I'd be thoroughly entertained the entire time
I know right his voice is literal asmr and keeps me invested
I loved Kurapika’s character arc and so did *YOU*
But can he beat Goku tho?
@@kingmeruem8821 lol
@HunterkageJoestar that is complete fax my guy all anime is shit because no one got shit on Goku 😎💪
"Self-proclaimed Chrollo Fanboy"
I am interested in this religion.
Join us. We are legion.
Chad Ant Meruem > Emo loser named Chrollo
@Muhammedlee fax
Same, honestly.
I’m a Aizen, and Chrollo, fanboy honestly their both well written anime villains, and their mind games are on fleet.
I could listen to you expressing your love and opinion on Hunter *multiply by* Hunter for hours on end. It’s like music to my ears ☺️
😊
Fucking same dude.
Its an obsession i cant seem to find in any other anime ive ever seen.
HxH ruined me lol
"Babe wake up Alec posted a new HxH video"
HunterXhunter is so cold!!!! people’s channels are living off this show and we haven’t had an episode, let alone a manga chapter in how long? Gotta love it
This show is so good that I will be happy with what we have even if it is never completed.
Yorknew and Chimera ant are two hall of fame Anime arcs that make this show a GOAT
Im really excited for the succession arc to be completed. It definitely has the potential to surpass Chimera ant arc. Sadly we're like only maybe halfway through it and it would take several years to complete due to togashis hiatuses.
the 1999 version has a unique dark atmosphere and themes that could never be equaled
The themes are the same, what you talking about?
@@easschung9442 he is talking about soundtracks
@@doyle8120 Ohhhhh
@@easschung9442 @Doyle is right :)
i mean the manga itself is pretty damn dark
"Kurapika is now drowning in an indescribable emptiness.........", Kurapika's existence is written out so that it is not imaginable without the troupe and the troupe is his world. Ironic considering his hatred of them.
Yorknew explores every characters philosophy and motivations. The tonality is dark, raw and much more grounded in reality than other arcs. The stakes feel real and you do genuinely have concern for the safety of the protagonists.
Sensational.
Kurapika's Emperor's Time is one of the most incredible concepts for an ability I've seen. The fact that he's literally ticking his life away as he uses it is such an incredible idea, it truly raises the stakes.
/manga spoilers
...More reasons I hope the current arc gets finished someday. It's going to be excellent and may well serve as a finale for the series, especially since Dark Continent will likely never begin due to Togashi's health.
Good news!
I never understood why people hated the narrator in the chimera arc. I thought it was great and that it added so much to the arc.
It's because the narrator speaks too much and starts saying stuff that isn't relevant or literally just visually describing the screen. The narrator throughout the show is usually amazing and helps explain what characters don't, giving more of an insight into the characters' psychology. But in Chimera Ant Arc he talks every 5 seconds and just describes pointless stuff like "Gon was angry", yeah no shit. Even still, there's some great narrator lines in Chimera Arc, actually some of the best in show. It's just a shame they didn't trim it down heavily.
The other side to this is that the narrator works towards making the show watchable weekly but the narrator "ages poorly" when you binge watch because you don't need constant reminders
Mostly because it felt redundant and boring especially when you're watching it for a second time because you already know what's going on! I used to love the chimera ant arc when I first watched it but after watching hunter x hunter multiple times york new city arc has aged alot better then chimera did
in my personal opinion its just that there was a lot of stress and emotion in all the scenes that he spoke in and for me personally it just made me want to rip the narrator's voice box out so that the characters could start talking and interacting and getting through the stress and drama as soon as possible :D
that's not to say that the narrator wasn't important and in the end DIDN'T elevate the quality of the arc its just that in THAT moment it was a little fhrbfehjb to me personally lmao
the narrator speaks so much is more likely due to Togashi didn't want to draw that much.
I think Kurtapika is one of the most tragic characters in manga/anime. As the succession war rages on I have a really bad feeling this might be Kurtapika’s final arc and that he won’t have a happy or satisfying ending. I think he’s straying too far and will end up destroying himself completely before fully avenging his people.
It seems like his master was right. "I get the feeling that you're just chaining yourself."
If that arc ends I’ll be happy enough
@@balabanasireti yeah he was right but in kurapika's perspective he was just doing what he needed to do. I actually think that the phantom troupe still deserves to die in a way or another, they have to pay consequences for their actions even if they don't get killed
No he has his friends and baby Wobble. He has light in him to continue living. He has what it takes to never lose his own soul. ❤
maybe kurapika fears that his rage will fade over time so much becuase its all that he has left of his family, he doesnt want to lose them again
Yeah that’s a pretty common thought people have about him, and it’s legit implied in cannon.
@@joshshrum2764 oh thats cool!
well then. there was no need to do that but you did and for what.
I really like this comment section, it's full of people thinking logically and expressing opinions with arguments and not just blindly writing bs
Community reflects the content pretty well, I think
@@UnhappyPensFan And vice versa
@@UnhappyPensFan And I'm sick of people expressing "opinions" which they can't defend nor give a valid argument like "Godspeed Killua can beat everyone" or "Hisoka is much stronger than Kite and Illumi" or "Chrollo is stronger than Silva and Zeno" or "Gon is stronger than Killua" and alike
@Yuri Markov I mean there's no way to say it without coming off super pretentious to be fair lmao
Yorknew City is always my go-to arc for a quick HxH rewatch. While the Chimera Ant arc will always be highly regarded as a masterpiece, I absolutely think that Yorknew City was some of Todashi's best writing due to its incredible amount of storytelling within such a short amount of time.
I absolutely love that you're still making Hunter x Hunter videos. It's incredible how you can make hours of videos on this one anime/manga and still bring up new topics of discussion.
I love watching all of them because you really highlight so many reasons I love this anime. Yorknew arc is one of my favorite arcs in all of fiction too
Haha. One day I’ll run out of things to say about the series. But that day is not today.
@@Aleczandxr so poetic 👌🏾
Your use of background music in your videos is so good. Ika kaisou coming in at the end was absolutely perfect
Thank you! It’s an awesome and ominous track, very fitting for the topic.
hxh has countless heart warming moments, but the scene where Killian slaps the pie on gons face, and for that instant, kurapika forgets his worries is just so wholesome. the animations and voice acting for that scene are just incredible. the characters of hxh are just breathing with life like in no other anime I've seen before. they're all raw, flawed but beautiful in their own ways.
I have long considered HxH to be the greatest anime of all time, simply because it manages a level of quality far beyond the usual episode limit. Most anime can't get past 12 episodes before flaming out few make it to 24 and stay great. Somehow HxH blows past that and just keeps topping itself. Sure it has lows but somehow it just keeps climbing to new peaks.
That is why I am so grateful to be blessed to have found your channel, watching you devote yourself over the years to the almost singular purpose of breaking down this show. Forcing me to think about it in ways I hadn't even considered, it's almost like seeing the show brand new again. I'm sorry you haven't gotten the widespread recognition that you deserve for it but just know that some of us recognize your work and will never forget it. I hope that one day when you feel you have said all there is to say on the subject that you compile it into a format that can be preserved beyond youtube.
I think you’re giving me too much credit here haha but don’t get me wrong, this is very very kind of you and I really appreciate it :) It definitely isn’t an almost singular purpose of mine but it’s very cool that it comes off as one! I’m so glad that you keep finding value in these videos.
And regarding recognition - I’ve gotten plenty of recognition, far more than a lot of great content creators have gotten. I’m definitely lucky and I’m on the higher end of exposure when it comes to these sorts of videos so please don’t worry, the channel is extremely healthy in terms of growth. But thank you again for the very sweet sentiment :)
@@Aleczandxr Please read One Piece and Magi. They’re both very similar to HxH in terms of world building and a lot of its themes and quality wise, they’re the cream of the crop. Just content wise, these’d fuel your channel content for several more YEARS (Just from 2 shows alone!)as theirs tons of incredible stuff in both shows. I’m curious as to see how you’d put it.
@@adarshsridhar6051 Thank you for the suggestion but I've already considered that and I'm not too interested in either. Sorry about that! And also to clarify about my approach with the channel - I also don't like to read or watch things with the purpose of fueling the channel - I put videos on the channel only after naturally coming to the conclusion that I care about something enough to cover it. Hopefully that's understandable. Thank you again for the recommendation though, I really appreciate it!
@@adarshsridhar6051 one piece is good... but it isnt hxh lol. It just isnt
@@Aleczandxr please never stop my dude.
Ive never found a single person in my life that cares for hxh even close to what i do so the channel is amazing to ne able to come to
This arc had such an effect on me I remember exactly when I was watching it. Winter Break in 2014-2015. This arc got me addicted to the show.
watched this show more than 4 times, every ark is fucking amazing
There is not a single arc that's below and 8 imo. With Yorknew and Chimera being both 10's. Goated anime
Quality x Quality video! I admire the emotional tone of the it. Oceaniz did a great job on that thumbnail!
Thanks! And absolutely he did, I'm really happy with it!
this arc cemented the Phantom Troupe as one of- if not THE best villain group in Shounen history
I would argue calling them "villains" is going too far. Are they antagonistic? Absolutely. But villain is a strong word. If we weren't following Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio, and instead following the Troupe, they'd be anti-heroes.
@@casteanpreswyn7528 don't let That Cloud you. troupe killed an entire clan because their eyes looked pretty.
@@jegangunnithan4565 specifically, they did that to sell them. And considering the little we know about their life in Metero City, it was probably because it was the only real way they had to make any money to live.
Don't get me wrong, they aren't good people, but anti-heroes aren't good people, and if it was from their perspective that the story was told, you'd be much more sympathetic.
@@casteanpreswyn7528 While anti-heros are not good people they also don't usually involve themselves in mass murder. They haven't been redeemed enough within the story to not call them villains
@@ElliotClemencon The Punisher, Moon Knight, Wolverine, Lobo, Deadpool. I can keep naming anti-heroes who have committed mass murder.
Aleczandxr's Hunter x Hunter videos gotta be the thing I love to see the most in my subscriber feed
Probably one of my favourite videos of yours!
Every sentence felt like a revelation, yet at the same time, one grounded in a feeling I’ve sensed but been unable to articulate.
This also really hypes me up for Chrollo and Kurapika’s next interaction! I crave a discussion between them now, with Hisoka or the other troupe members as mediators and wonder if they’ll ever be able to understand each other.
It’s also opened my eyes to the narrative of life/death in hxh in a different way to how I’ve seen it before. I can’t help but want to trace how this developed into the Chimera ant arc and beyond by rewatch all over again.
What an amazing video!
Thanks so much! I’m super glad that you felt that way because the beauty of Yorknew can sometimes be difficult to articulate, haha. Glad you enjoyed it so much!
In the 1999 latin dub the troup called Kurapika "the chain bastard", always loved that
They also do that in the manga and 2011 sub.
I cannot tell you how happy I am to see this notification my dude. I feel like crying. Many thanks to you Alex 🖤
Personally, what i love most about Yorknew arc is that this could easily be a very tropey arc with the revenge plot, mafia, bad guys, action, moody noir feel but the execution is anything but that. I particularly love how Togashi really took time on the mundane stuff like killua staking the building in the rain only to come back with info and no action at all, killua and gon taking the time to learn how auction works, kurapika slowly but surely getting in the tangled mess with the spider but only to have the final confrontation with the big boss with no fighting or big action scene whatsoever, nobunaga genuinely thinking of taking gon in lol. Things like that makes this arc feels so fleshed out and real to me, even more so than actual mafia/noir movies. Unlike the chimera ant arc with questionable pacing, i think Yorknew has the PERFECT pacing in any story. So good that i subconsciously expect it in everything that i watch after.
Love how you still have so much to say about a story that, despite its ongoing hiatus, still has given so much to its audience to dissect and connect with. Definitely my favorite arc because of so much covered here and yet I feel you when you said how there's a feeling that can't be explained. A big turning point for me was Uvo's death. Not a manga reader, but I love how in the anime, its not played up to be this big, epic event of justice being served. It's incredibly tragic and the music stops and the only vibrant colors that you see are the redness of his blood being spilled and the glare from Kurapika's Scarlet Eyes. In any other shonen, I might've felt happy for the protagonist but instead, I felt saddened. I watched Yu Yu Hakusho after this and the Chapter Black arc felt very similar to me in terms of its exploration of life and I noted how the story does play out like a piece of theatre. Great work on this video as always.
I definitely agree with that one - Kurapika vs Uvo was kinda like a turning point for me. I really didn't expect things to go that way but when they did I was really shocked in the best possible way.
The main theme I see in this arc is how we let the counterfeit guide our thoughts of the genuine. We can see it with Kurapika’s method of Nen, Neon’s belief’s taken from the fake psychic, the Phantom Troupes dead bodies and all off that one Phantom Troupe member’s name I can never remember and all the fakes he conjures with his Nen, Nobonaga’s viewing of Gon as a replacement for Uvogin, the obvious issue you have with counterfeit art when dealing with any auction, Hisoka’s status as a member of the Troupe, and it goes on from there. But it’s a recurring theme that I haven’t seen discussed at all for an arc that is discussed often when it comes to Hunter X Hunter.
The Yorknew city arc is my favorite ace for both the 1999 and 2011 ver while strangely my second favorite is the battle tower arc never understood why since I was 12 watching the 1999 ver in middle then I realized that I love the character growth and the explanation of nen in both arcs
I just really enjoyed the scene where Gon unknowingly challenge a troupe member in a arm wrestling contest, and when it happened again much later in a different context. As well as the hilarious moment of Gon and Killua running into 2 of the troupe members in the auction. Such awkward yet casual situations with villains need to happen more often.
I actually LOVE the Greed Island arc!
It is a ton of fun. :)
Yea it wasn’t my favorite but it was still cool af I don’t get why it would be the worst in people’s eyes
@@marlom7882 I honestly can't get into the chinera ant arc. I like Mereum and his arc as well as his guards, but the other new characters they introduced i just didn't care for at all. Except for the octopus fellow and Kite.
@@DeathGodRiku whaaaaaaat? Oh I was talking about greed island but what? You don’t like knuckle or shoot or morel or the chameleon chimera ant? They’re all cool as shit.
Your videos always elicit and/or elevate my appreciation for Hunter x Hunter.
Glad to hear it! That's my goal, essentially, so mission accomplished!
crazy to see the growth and the analysis is still some of the best on yt
Great job as usual with the analysis man, it was great!
I think you hit the nail on the head with the central thematic thrust of life within the message and story Yorknew's arc is telling here. The fascinating parallelism of the Spiders having their own meaning lost and spurned by a cruel, impersonal world, incentivizing them in turn to take and shatter the lives of others to affirm their own existence, really does come full circle with Kurapika as the protagonist of this arc. By reacting in a way that doesn't necessarily get judged on moral or ethical grounds (as Gon's challenge to Chrollo shows), but merely for the sake of making their own existence resonate, the Spiders end up highlighting the darkness and negatives of the society they came from, which also rejected them. However, it also highlights their own negative qualities, as they maintain a cycle of destruction and bloodshed by affirming their own presence in the world, at its expense, which leads to the tragedy of Kurapika's tribe and draws him into that same cycle.
That being said, he is not a direct parallel by any means to what Chrollo, thematically, adds to the cycle, since as you point out, Kurapika's characterization here is representative of the LOSS of living the way you want, of chaining yourself to revenge as almost a kind of inexorable ideal that must be followed, regardless of the cost. Chrollo exploits and damages the world that rejected him and his underlings to find meaning and purpose to his life, all the while feeling an emptiness at the perpetuation of the cycle but accepting it as the normalized existence that makes the Spider function. Kurapika nullifies his own desire and purpose in life because meaning doesn't matter without the categorical imperative that drives his need for revenge upon those who harmed his loved ones, chaining himself to the cycle in a totally different manner by forgoing the need for life due to duty and rage, seeking the death of his enemies. This contrasts the Spider's affirmation of life through death as a means, as Chrollo seems to symbolize.
One thing I think you could have expanded on in this video is the nature of this arc's closure, and how its anticlimactic qualities are, I'd argue, reflective of the theme you're detailing here. Kurapika captures Chrollo, but his friends are put in danger, and his true desires and feelings as a genuinely compassionate person clash with his single-minded determination to obtain vengeance at all costs, which has compromised any real sense of actually LIVING as a human being. Ultimately, even subconsciously to a degree, I think Kurapika understood this partially at the end of the arc, which is why he took a step back and we didn't have some grand climactic battle, at the expense of Gon or Killua being hurt. Perhaps a more direct conflict is being saved for later in the story, of course, since I don't know how Kurapika and the Spiders' narratives will end and what the final message will be, but I do think that there was a purposeful anticlimax to the ending that was meant to signal the hollow nature of Kurapika's pursuit of revenge, and the directionless affirmation of the Spiders' own way of living. To borrow from the core imagery of the Chimera Ant arc, there is an element of two sides of the same coin here, but with an extra level of uncertainty and vagueness, which comes from the obfuscating history of Chrollo and the Spider's origin itself. There is a certain impasse that forms from Kurapika's perspective, at least temporarily, which shines light on the nuances of his own purpose, and how his internalized struggle still leads to doubt about whether he should really be living his life, instead of merely avenging the life that was lost to him.
One thing I do think HxH could do to really drive the point of this theme of life you're discussing home, especially from the side of the Spiders, would be to circle back to Chrollo and reveal a bit more about his feelings on all this, and his reasons, or just further characterize him beyond the abstract speculative aura he exudes within the narrative. If we can see development on that front to really emphasize the point of why he views life in a certain way, and how expression of meaning in the world works for him, then the reasons behind the Spider's actions can be elucidated upon a bit more. This can then really come full circle when Kurapika once more faces his own demons as he seeks to take down Chrollo and company. Perhaps keeping the Spider vague works too, however, since it allows for open interpretation and feeds the imagination, adding a mystique to their antagonistic force and ideology.
Either way, sorry for the long-winded response, and well done on a great analysis as usual, dude! All the best!
currently rewatching hunter multiplied by hunter. just finished yorknew again, and this video made me like and appreciate the arc even more than i already did, seriously, great video man, earned a sub.
Love the video! After deciding to rewatch the 2011 anime, I've been obsessed with the series, as I began to truly appreciate the story the second time around. When it was revealed how Emperor Time functions, subtracting an hour of his life for every second it is active, it really works well to reinforce how Kurapika feels about himself. He has heavy survivor's guilt, and does not value his life past his goal. It adds extra context to all past moments where he's had the ability active, as he literally and metaphorically throws away his life.
No matter what you think about HxH as a whole or how you rank the other arcs, we can all agree Yorknew Arc is a masterpiece and is one of the Best story arcs in the history of anime
I wonder, how would Killua feel if Kurapika killed his younger brother, Kalluto?
On one hand, Killua seems to have very little compassion for his family. On the other hand, Kalluto seems to have little to do with that. On the other other hand, Kalluto seems to be pretty close to Killua's mom so...
I would say "we'll see" but I'm not that optimistic.
I think kalluto can be replaced by aaluka then we can see his rage fully
@@jeetadhvaryu5680 Yeah but Alluka isn't a Phantom Troupe member. Kalluto is.
I feel like there's no way kurapika would kill Kalluto, Kurapika is too nice to do that and would probably just tell Kalluto to leave the phantom troupe
@@meetra5073 yah she joined recently into phantom troup so she don't have anything to do with kurta clane
A whole decade later and im still intrigued with anything HxH related video essays 😅
The dark shift in HxH happens with the ending where Kurapika mentions his nen dagger
I wanted the Yorknew City arc to go on forever
It was so good i couldnt get into greed island. Like i wasnt ready to let it go and i think it affected my enjoyment of the show until the end of the Chimera arc. Maybe if GI came first i wouldve appreciated it more but york new was lit as hell lol
Videotitle already tells me that its gonna be a banger video
I love how the roles of Kurapika and the Troupe kinda switched by the end of the arc, with Kurapika questioning and furthering himself from his humanity, while the Troupe becomes more human in turn.
Every video about HxH is a masterpiece itself. I'm gonna love this ❤
So glad I can watch one of these finally!! I just recently started HxH and have been wanting to watch these vids for some time now since I really adored your Xenoblade and TTGL videos. I only just recently finished the Greed Island arc so I still have a lot to go through but Im excited to accompany the journey with your thoughts on it since I absolutely dig how in depth you talk about not just the story but the characters as well, it's wonderful stuff!
You have a masterful way of putting the right words to the emotions felt by many watching this series.
18:12 "Of course for a rare few, freedom is not encouraged nor deserved at all"
*Shows Hisoka*
Haha, I like your editing!
The Yorknew Arc is the arc I always rewatch most. I can't help but speculate over the relationships the PT have and compare it to the main four characters. It took my a while to notice, but the main four mirror PT members.
Gon - Uvo ( the similarities here are endless! They jump the same. Have the same poses during different ending credits. Have endless loyalty. Uvo appears to be closest to Shalnark who is more logical, which mirrors how Killua is always the more logical one in his and Gon's friendship. Gon enhances his voice during the chimera ant arc during a battle, much like Uvo. They both appear to be shaking in anticipation of fighting. I could go on but this is long already)
Killua - Machi/Pakunoda (Machi and Killua have similar "I don't care" attitudes yet Machi was quickest to react when Uvo was taken by Kurapika. Similar to how Killua pretends he doesn't care but we know he’s a softie inside. Pakunoda's willingness to die for the Troupe is similar to Killua's willingness to die for Gon)
Leorio - Phinks/Nobunaga (Nobunaga's yelling is similar to Leorio's and then they are clearly both emotional and sensitive. In the chimera ant arc, Phinks took on an older brother role which mirrors Leorio's role in the election arc)
Kurapika - Chrollo (Both characters don't care if they die. Their purposes in life are not fulfilling enough for them. They like to read. In the Succession War, Kurapika appears to have improved socially and maneuvers people like pawns for the info he needs, mirroring how Chrollo easily did so in the Yorknew Arc.)
This is going to be so good. While the Chimera Ant arc is incredible and deserves every bit of attention, I'm so glad that the Yorknew arc is also getting attention since I feel it's every bit as good but less ambitious.
What people should fear most, is when good people are driven to the point of having nothing left to lose. They'll use every means of evil at their disposal to achieve their inner goals.
You know it’s a good day when Aleczandxr uploads
Thank you for analyzing one of my top 2 favorite HxH arcs. On my first run through the series, I really liked it because of all the action and how brutal the Phantom Troupe was but somehow the story made me like them despite that. But on my second run, I really came to appreciate it more. This arc (and the manga arc so far) cemented the fact that Kurapika is my favorite character in HxH. The way this arc paints Kurapika as someone going down a dark path of no return, to how much of a monster he seemed at times to us, the audience and to the Spiders, how the Spiders are likeable and "human" to a certain degree even though they commit truly disturbing crimes without remorse... fact is I really like this arc lol. I always appreciate your takes on HxH. Thanks for covering it!
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it.
Yorknew is by far my favorite arc. I loved everything about it. The troupe were awesome, kurapika’s tone was great story, and overall I just loved the city. The auction was a cool concept as well as the the mafia, seeing the intricate style of it was cool. The phantom troupe, however, stole the show. I loved every member and their characters were masterful
Dude you made Hunter x Hunter from my top 5 into my absolute favorite with your videos. All the great character analysis you’ve put into these videos really makes me happy to have discovered this series and your channel.
I'm really happy you discovered the channel too! :)
I seriously love your work man, Hunter X Hunter is an enigma long into it's hiatus, revisiting scenes or entire episodes and arcs, it really is filled with endless gems. With the current Succession Contest arc following the story of Kurapika - I'm sure you will give us the more Hunter x Hunter content.
Glad you enjoy the videos and thanks so much for watching! For clarity though - don’t expect any content on the Succession War or Dark Continent with the manga in the place where it is now, however - I don’t have much to discuss in this way with the arc far from finished. Hopefully that makes sense.
this was absolutely my FAVORITE arc ever in the history of shonen anime
this is my favorite/comfort arc and i’ve rewatched it at least 4 times
Your comfort arc is pretty damn dark lol
My mind is blown. The Yorknew Arc has always been my favourite arc to the point that I will start the anime again just to get to the arc. However, I didn't understand what about that arc really captivated me. I feel so mindblown right now, this video brings an enormous new dimension to the arc and brings light to the personality aspects that I never stopped to think about when it comes to Kurapika and the Spiders. I definitely will re-watch the arc once more again. I would like to add that your voice and tone also elevate the analysis to the next level. Amazing content!
another reason why yorknew stands out as one of my favorite arcs from any show ever and is because of how its crafted: several plot lines that present unrelated groups that gradually converge together on a single point in time. presented in this way, the tension of the arc felt so raw and impactful, leaving the climax so cathartic. i feel like this also thematically fit the arc so much better (than it did when down with the chimera arc) and how it results in such a perfection execution of the story and its motifs.
Almost cried several times throughout this video. Had to pause eating multiple times to reflect on what you're saying here. It hits too close to heart.
Another great unbiase video. You explore the complexities of Kurapika and the Spiders in such a beautiful way, and makes me want to watch York new arc again.
Thank you!
I'm waiting for the cool sequel, Hunter²
Favourite part about the yorknew city arch is it has the best Outro song. Hunting for your dream never fails to get me hyped for the next episode
Agreed, it's all those short moments of joy in the sea of total chaos that allows each character to put life into perspective. What it could have been, but what it could not be. As well as what they chose to do because of their circumstances. Pakunoda was the MVP of the arc for me, specially that scene at the end of the auction with the memories of the moment with Gon and Killua... They all share similar values, executed so differently because of where they came from.
Also what I find that makes York New so special is we're also being introduce to so many characters that have a lot of depth, and we're starting to learn about nen and how the world of hxh works. It's not just your random story... Togashi created such a complex world that we're starting to see. I felt like: Oh shit... This is just the tip of an iceberg here
Anyone else clap when he ends? Im so enthralled!!
Amazing arc that is the epitome of Togashi’s writing talent. 5 different parties (Mafia, Kurapika, Gon + Killua, The spiders, Zoldycks) all in the same place with different motives. The whole arc having a Christianity motif is just icing on the cake.
Banger thumbnail btw, great job Ocean Man.
Honestly I love Yorknew because it's the last time in the anime so far that we got to see the main 4 all working together in some capacity
Deep down I wish that Kurapika joins the Phantom Troupe.
Dude i love how u spark hxh feel in me through these videos. It seems for a moment that it isn't gone yet.
Something I always think about in this arc is that, growing up in Meteor City, stealing and murder may have been so commonplace that the Troupe on a whole has an entirely separate sense of morality. We know nothing about their childhoods (at least in the anime), so there is no telling about how dark their individual beginnings could be. But what we do know is they found a family for themselves. In a place where people are discarded like trash, they found something that bound them together, however twisted it is. I liked the acknowledgment of there being "otherwise gentle souls" in the Troupe. Chrollo is the head, but Pakunoda is the heart of the Spider, and her greatest commitment was to her family--the Troupe. My theory is that a lot of them may pretend they're in it for the fun of crime, but most feel similarly to her. That is why the series ends in a stalemate-- at the end of the day, they are more committed to being a family than taking revenge. It's a beautiful contrast to Kurapika. It's my favorite arc of my favorite show
No other story arc has the masterpiece quality of York New. The world building, the tones, the story, the fights, the themes, and most importantly, the character building, are all done masterfully, and the pacing is perfect. It has just the right amount of light hearted and dark storytelling. Some of the story arcs are too long. Others are too short. Some of them feel unnecessarily silly. None of them are bad. In fact, I would go as far as to say that all of them are quite good. But this one, and only this one, is the only one that takes everything great about the anime thus far and blends it together so perfectly.
The oblivion music while talking about Kurapika's despair 😂
yes yes yes thank you for putting the haunting and sorrowful yet thrilling feeling of the yorknew city arc into words
As always, a wonderful interpretation and analysis of a masterpiece. I love your videos, regardless of which topic or anime you are discussing.
Kurapika is a very intricate character, whose circumstances and ambitions have such a human value in them, that one cannot help but feel identified, or at the very least, sympathize with them.
I would have had a wonderful time watching this video whether or not I agreed with you...
Thank you very much!
People not liking where gons character went in the chimera ant arc always confuse me. I'm like hes been going in that direction the whole damn time yall just didnt see it. A 2nd run though the series makes you see those hints the entire time
tbh, i kinda get it. madhouse did amazingly for the most part but i think they really screwed up kite's character, which kinda resulted in gon's last scene not making a huge amount of sense.
People liking a bland MC like Gon confuses me even more.
@@hydrocy.9165 He's really not bland
@@hydrocy.9165 did you come to a video about hunter x hunter to insult it?
@@norishimogawa6125 Nope, just to insult Gon. HxH is awesome.
No, Aleczandxr, you aren't crazy, this story truly is that resonant with emotions so deeply mixed we cannot pull them apart. That is what makes Togashi's works so incredible and hard to describe to others, teasing apart the threads of his stories is every bit as hard as individuating the threads that make up our own lives.
Kurapika got the best revenge plot in all of fiction
Amen
Allah
Behind guts ^^
Sasuke and Thorfinn.
I have made the mistake of stating an opinion on a yt comment section
This analysis is so perfect and spot on! Specially after the new manga chapters. Amazing. Simply amazing.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very well articulated analysis especially of Kurapika’s character arc and story direction.. just want my boy to be happy🥲
Cheers!
"They should be chained down to hell". I've always thought that his chains keep him chained down to the troup. And as such, to accomplish his goals, he must drag them to hell with him
many thanks for this video. sir. i love your essay videos especially on h x h i think your style is the best on yt. voice editing and thoughts are top!
You are most welcome!
I love all your videos very much. I could listen to you speak for hours about anime even if I have never seen it
That’s amazing to hear, thank you :)
Hey Aleczandxr, I truly enjoyed you delving into the theme of what connects Kurapika and the Phantom Troupe, it was a very refreshing take on this beautiful arc. In Yorknew videos on TH-cam I always find myself saying "yeah great point but you could have also talked a bit more about X other part of the story that deserves as much praise as Y part of the story", this video is not any different, which is to say the more videos on the arc, the better. I personally think Kurapika elevates the story from incredible to downright one of the very best in anime. Hope this comment doesn't come across as rude or anything.
I’m not sure what you mean. Are you saying you’d like more videos on arcs that are not Yorknew? Like Hunter Exam or Greed Island or something?
@@Aleczandxr what I meant is there is so much you can talk about in Yorknew that I'd love as many videos as possible on it. Sorry if that was worded poorly
Oh okay. I don’t know if I’ll do anything else on Yorknew but I get what you mean now!
When you finally meet Chrollo in York New it’s a moment of awe
Thanks for the amazing video, you make me apreciate HxH even more than I alredy do. I think that the way Yorknew's colors and atmosphere compliment tha troupes personalities and the sadness one feels as you see Kurapica fall further is the reason why one feels this melancholy while watching. You don't feel melancholy only becouse the characters feel that way, you feel it becouse to some extent you don't want to see what will happend, and you miss the old happy days at the start of the series. Is a similar feeling for what I feel for Gon on the Quimera Ant ark...
My pleasure, and thanks for watching!
Wooow! That was a magical video Alec! Very eloquently expressed too! Loved it ❤