Yay! You finally got to my favorite arc!! I love Greed Island mainly for Togashi exploring the huge scope of what you can do with Nen. As you brought up it's executed insanely well here. Nen is like building blocks and depending on the person it can be used to make something very simple or something vastly intricate when used by someone like Ging. The whole game is like one massive contract with Nen, given that some of these cards can cure any disease or open pocket dimensions, the condition to get them out of the game would have to be equally difficult. I also love how Togashi (who loves gaming) went out of his way to make 140 cards for this game, most of the cards don't even show up in the main story, but he made every single one just for the sake of immersion.
dude i love this arc and every time i said out loud that "i like greed island more then chimera", everybody laugths sorry 4 my english Mi hablar español
It's so impressive and the fact that he did all this, leaving a world of implications, but also seamlessly made it so you could skip over reading the cards and not miss out on the story? Masterful. I'm blown away at the craft
@@merphynapier42 Do an image search of "togashi dragon quest". I think the reason behind his attention to the game details in this arc will quickly become clear to you lol. Also, I almost unconditionally love hxh (and yyh), flaws and all. That said, I've agreed with almost all of your nit picks so far and I'm interested to see if that continues.
Bisky is a transmuter, she’s whimsical and changes goals quickly. She wanted to destroy their friendship, then got annoyed by them wasting their potential and changed.
Talking about Biscuit, she is whimsical. She wasn't hellbent on breaking their friendship at first. It isn't like she was evil and really wanted to ruin their friendship. She just wanted to have fun but then she saw their talent so she decided to train them and got attached to them. She saw their potential and thought they were enough to help her clear the game.
In one word, Biscuit is fickle. Just like Hisoka, and a bit like Killua, she's very fickle and will change idea in a blink. And it's no coincidence that her natural Nen type is Transmutation xD HxH has some really fickle characters and that's one of the serie's charm. Imean Hisoka himself is so scary because the moment Gon doesn't live to his sky high expectations he'll kill him without a second though, and it's even insinuated that Killua may at some point wake up and find Gon boring and leave him or wonder if he can kill him so much that he actually kills Gon to prove himself a point. Biscuit is just as fickle, she enjoys ruining a friendship and she sees the boys as something to toy with, but then she sees untapped potential and she's like "you know what? training them will be more fun than breaking theyr friendship" and she kinda just does that. She (like HIsoka) is powerful enough to kinda do whatever she wants.
I love seeing people's reactions to just how far Hisoka goes at times. But I also love that he's more than willing to work with our Protagonists. While he does want to crush them, he only desires to do so at their best. And he's more than willing to help them flourish until he decides that they're ready enough to fight.
Now I'm just imagining Hisoka planning to fight someone a week in advance, but on that day his opponent let's Hisoka know he is sick So Hisoka arrives there with a thermometer to make sure they are truly sick, then proceeds to give them medicine and make them some tea in hopes for them get better soon so that they can fight to the death once the opponent has recovered xD
The Hisoka team-up was a perfect choice for this arc, and I love how consistent it is with his character. He has absolutely no beef with Gon really... i mean, yeah he plans to kill him eventually, but that's nothing _personal._ And it's not like he has anything better to do at the moment, so why not tag along? He's just such a fascinating character. The... uh... _uncomfortable interest?_ he shows in Gon is extremely 🤢, but my read on it is it's not so much about him being attracted to children specifically as much as it is he's a sadistic psychopath (like, in the clinical sense). Basically, the wires in his head are crossed to the point where he gets sexual gratification out of fighting/killing strong opponents, and that drives all his actions. Not that this makes him grooming Gon any less gross and unacceptable, of course, but it makes for a really fascinating character. Much like Gon (and a lot of the series overall), he feels like Togashi holding a mirror up to shonen tropes/archetypes (in this case, Goku) and showing how dark/twisted those characteristics are when taken to an extreme. He also kinda feels like a cautionary example - with all the remarks about Gon "walking that fine line" and being a potential monster, it's like we're seeing what he could be if he ends up going down the wrong path? But also! it's impressive that Togashi managed to take a psychopathic serial killer clown who creepily pelvic thrusts at small children, and make him such a compelling and fun character that he somehow becomes a fan favorite. (sorry for the wall of words, lol)
Also, i highly recommend checking out Hisoka's Past sometime. It's a one-shot by Sue Ishida (the mangaka behind Tokyo Ghoul) showing some potential backstory for him. It's not officially canon, but it _was_ done with Togashi's approval (funny story: it actually came about as the result of an April Fool's joke, because for a little while there was a conspiracy theory that Ishida was actually Togashi writing under a fake name and they decided to capitalize on that 😆)
Exactly, a lot of people directly say that Hisoka is a pedo *without giving it much thought* BUT he *isn't, he is just way too attracted for sheer power.*
Bisky is a transmuter...one thing to note about transmuters (as Hisoka described in his personality test), they are extremely moody...they do what they feel like in the moment. In hisoka's own words: for transmuters treasure can quickly turn into a trash and vice versa. Hope this explains bisky's sudden change in attitude.
I think that she only wanted to ruin their friendship for fun, once she realized how talented they were i bet she thought that training them would be much funnier and worth her time. Many times she compares them to a precious raw stone that is not being shaped or polished, since her passion in gemstones we can assume that metaforically seeing the boys as something that she likes so much makes increase her interest in them till she actually starts to care about them (in the end she admits to almost think of them as they were her sons). Also to obtain the stone she was looking for, she had to win the game and the fastest and best way to do it is to team up with other players. This is my take on why she changed her mind and became their mentor :) (Sorry for any bad english, it is not my native language)
Greed Island is actually my favorite Arc especially because it has such a well thought-through system. Not because this gives us a clear goal but because Togashi shows us just how creative one can be with such static rules.
Okay so for me greed island arc does a few things: 3. Gon and kilua went to york new for the auction in the first place. Also the reunion date with kurapika and leorio was coming up anyway, so theres that. I feel like because the phantom trope happened first, greed island is a breather for the most part. Lets not forget, chimera ant arc is next....that break was needed. I play RPGs, so seeing how the game works with the side quest and what not was very exciting for me. 2. This is a training arc for gon and killua pretty much. Considering they COULDN'T do much against the spiders and BARELY escaped TWICE from them, biscuit came in clutch. Lets be honest. Gin too because as stated by razor among other people, greed island was made for Gon. 1. Nin users/hunters are goal driven and want to achieve their task no matter the cost or who they hurt. Almost everyone in the game have issues working together or are only allied with players for a time. Even in sharing common goals. Until the dogeball fight with razor, no one has beaten the game because everyone is out for themselves. "Greed" island shows hunters true faces. We do see people exchange cards with each other but its all in mischievous ways. Fighting the bomber, taking the quiz, meeting the creator, even picking out the cards to take outside the game. None of this would have been accomplished if gon and co weren't willing to work together. If anyone is still playing the game, I do hope people can learn from Gons win. But they won't. Otherwise they gotta change the islands name. Lol These are why greed island is my favorite arc in the series. Yeah, HXH is different from most shounen, but where it is in the series fits perfectly as for the tone shift to be welcomed.
I didn't like this Arc but its a purely personal reason. I'm not good at keeping up with such in depth rules and systems, I know thats a problem with myself but its what I felt. Merphy says you don't need to follow all the rules to enjoy this, but I thought that you did and so I spent so much time going back to revisit things to make sure I understood the game because I assumed that I was supposed to. Same thing with the Nen system, you dont need to understand all the ins and outs of it but I didn't know that, I thought going forward it was all information I NEEDED to hold in my mind
@@snowman9631 actually this is also my fave arc or tied with the chimera arc for me. it's an uncommon fave and many have called it the worst. but it is where gon started to show his true character which lead to what happened in chimera arc.
Right? Like I understand what she means and why she says it like that, but it messes with me so badly. I'm just used to all those posts about which characters are OP.
The fact that the man Togashi made a whole card game just for one arc should tell you everything about this mad lad and the most isekai non isekai arc that this is is awesome from the dope training with Bisky to the most badass dodgeball game so bests sports anime as well lmao
I think Bisky's sudden change in motives reflect the nen type that she has. She is a Transmuter, according to Hisoka during the Heaven Arena arc you can guess the nen type of a person based on their personality(though its not always accurate). Transmuter are known to be liar and fickle, their mind are unstable and unpredictable which make them quite dangerous to be close with. Most of them are considered weirdos and trickters ( Hisoka is also a Transmuter). I am justifying her previous behavior based on the different nen personalities that Togashi's implied which isn't a solid proof of Bisky's sudden change of mind.
Was literally waiting for the review since last week. Please make chimera ant arc reviews in three parts, as the arc has proper stopage points for that.
Completely agree. I didn't read the manga but Its like half the anime episodes..... I felt like it could have been a third shorter..... But it's still excellent
Togashi sensing that Mephy is near the end of Hunter X Hunter, he decided to continue the manga. If you know a manga that has stopped for years and want it to be back let Merphy read it.
Glad to see someone else realizing how interesting Gon is. I watched the show for the first time as a teenager so to me he just came off as a very basic hero who's always morally right but rereading it as an adult I realized how nuanced his character actually is. And this is the genius of hxh, it's interesting for both kids and adults but for very different reasons.
Gon is so single-minded when it comes to his goals. It can be quite unsettling. I can't wait for you to get through the next arc however, it is definitely most people's favorite and I think it will be yours too.
Chimera Ant arc is a mess. Is a bunch of cool characters and fights, mostly wasted on a poorly told story. Greed Island is definitely better as an arc.
3 little things: First, Bisky displayed 3 interests in her character: 1. OCD against wasted talent. (like people who need to clean because it is dirty, need to polish a gem because it is precious!) 2. Precious Gems. 3. Ruining friendships. She will want to ruin friendships, but that is not her number 1 interest, it is just to pass the time. It is still a craving that leads her to meet wonderful people. It happens in real life when people have a bad intention against someone but then realize there is a far more compelling need they can meet by helping them. In life, our little detours, even our bad intentions, can lead us to the things that are more important than what we want. Second, If you remember Kurapika talking about conditions empowering nen. Then you realize that when Razor expelled The Phantom Troupe with the Eliminate card, he explained the conditions for the card to be empowered. 1. Can only be used by a Game Master. 2. Can only be used on those who enter Greed Island illegally. 3. Explain the conditions met. and with just those 3 conditions it is a lot, but it has more. Because the way the game masters are determined has conditions, the first letter of their name has to be in the title of the game, which explains why it was so important to change Dwug's name from Wdwug. Not a simple nickname, not just an artistic name, but legally to the laws of society. A level of determination that The Phantom Troupe would not perform just to enter illegally. The way for someone to overpower the rules of the game is near impossible, they would need more conditions met with a higher degree of determination to be able to deny the effects of the cards.Then just consider what Ging could do. Third, When you realize that there are over 100 conditions (the cards collected + game rules) for taking 3 cards out of the game, you understand why the cards can be as powerful as they are because it has a lot of conditions. Then you remember that most nen users only have 1 to 5 conditions for their nen abilities compared to over 100 conditions for a game which explains why Ging is called one of the five best Nen users in the world. I wonder if the completion of the game unlocks something for the game masters. With so many conditions, I wouldn't be surprised to know that for their efforts in holding such a game, every game master also gets to select cards out of the game. Anyways, it was nice to listen to how much you took of this arc. Good luck with the bugs, and just remember that Hunters are defined by their determination, their pride, their obsession, not by their morals.
You highlighted one of the favorite traits of Hunter x Hunter for me: It doesn't matter how powerful one individual's aura can be, the circunstances of the duel can make anyone the winner for any given day.
Biske saw the boys as diamonds in the rough. What does she love most of all? Beautiful gems. They were uncut and unpolished and she could see what they would look like as a perfect gem and she wanted that. Powerful People in Hunter X Hunter are usually eccentric. Also about Genthru just think of his power like Sugar's from One Piece. It is more important to know the power and if you don't it will be too late.
I do want to mention that in HxH Togashi puts a lot of effort into each individual powers (nen abilities) to have a purpose beyond just being practical and a useful trait for the user. Take for example Chrollo, Chrollo is a character that's in constant turmoil about his identity questioning what his purpose in life is. When questioned by Gon about why he kills people, he wonders whether the answer to that question could provide meaning to his life... and that is in parallel to his ability. His ability is to steal others' powers (like he steals their life/their purpose). His power is the only power that doesn't have its own identity. Having no identity, that's what makes this power perfect for Chrollo. It's very subtle but I love that it's completely intentional because it's not in isolation/a one-off lucky writing choice.
@@zinoononeme5345 we still don't know shit about chrollo... He had appeared in the show for what??30 mins ?1 hr?? That's it While we saw meruem actually grow It's just stupid to compare chrollo who didn't even had much screen time Not to mention that his story isn't even completed ....
The best thing about Nen is how heavily structured it is while giving so much goddamn space for the author to work around. Gon and Killua are often able to overcome the sheer difference in aura size and overall Nen experience with quick thinking, ingenuity and instinct, but even bewteen experienced and talented Nen users that are incredibly skilled at the martial art side of Nen (knowing all of the applications, knowing when to use what to counter what and being able to quickly understand the opponent's powers) quick creative thinking and resourcefullness are still how most fights are won or loss. I mean, for manga readers, just think at the big fight that happens in the manga, the very anticipated one, you know what i mean xD Truly a masterpiece level power system.
I agree unlike haki. One piece hasn't carefully explained the implications of haki, like the levels to each of the three known haki types. Unlike Nen it has a lot categories with variations that can be mastered with years of experience and training. Haki just blooms in a battle of life and death that's that
I find it interesting that in the entire HxH series not a single person would say killing is a bad thing. Sometimes someone doesn't want innocent people or people important to them getting killed, but no one says it is absolutely bad to kill a person.
29:00 "I can't do this without Killua." Gon is selfish, but this is exactly what Killua wanted to hear the most. There are lots of pain physically, but Killua was happy that Gon trusted him. If Gon cared for Killua's hands and didn't do his best, Killua would be so sad and disappointed.
Merphy, who ever you have do your subtitles is just the best, I have hearing problems so i need them but they are great please never change. just the little things they put in your pauses gives such nuance to what you are trying to say that makes this worth watching for me,
You touched on something I really love about this arc. You mentioned taking the cards to the outside world and using them would being incredibly strong, godlike even. But the thing I love is that they are only that powerful because you can only get them by completing the game. The whole Nen power system is build on restrictions so you can technically make those cards anywhere, but if you say you can only get this card by teleporting to a specific island via a specific method and then competing against 100 other hunters in multiple unique events and then you can only pick a card with a pre-set power, then that cranks its power from street magician to literal god powers.
Allow me to put into perspective on just how strong Razor is. His nen is responsible for the use of EVERY single spell card in the entire game. Meaning a significant amount of his nen is in use at all times and not available for him to use. He is without question 1 of the strongest characters in the entire series
The whole thing where Ging actually made the game to train Gon is amazing... He acts like he doesn't care about Gon, but it seems like he doesn't understand how he actually feels... And I'm loving your analysis of Gon... Seeing you understand him little by little... It's awesome! I'm not sure if some of the things that are on the anime are also on the manga... But I'll comment anyway! One thing you didn't comment on, but I think it's a cool thing is that Gon and Killua meet the Phantom Troupe on the auction and the Troupe thank them in name of Pakunoda. Beautiful scene.
Merphy, I absolutely love HxH, has been my favorite anime for years. Your reviews point out so many of the reasons in my heart why it is amazing, and even a few I never consciously considered. Hearing your excitement rekindles my own every single time I watch one of your videos. This is not unique to only the HxH videos but almost all of them from One Piece to Sanderson. I absolutely cannot get enough of your content. You express in words and thoughtful analysis things that live in my mind but I do not have the ability to express myself. I hope you continue jumping into more beloved universes and sharing your ability with the world.
Honestly, if I could ever write something as well crafted as hxh I'd die happy. My main takeaway from this arc was the friendship built around Gon and Killua. Seeing how Killua is prepared to sacrifice himself for Gon and how Bisky called him out on it. But then it also gave a look into motives behind the characters, which will come into play later on. AAAAHHH CHIMERA ANT NEXT
One thing about me two of my favourite arcs in all of anime are Skypeia and Greed Island. I feel like they both capture the essence of the manga they are in and I’ve always hated how people said they were boring but I get it, I’ve really enjoyed Merphy’s HxH breakdown and when she said she hoped Togashi wasn’t teasing with Green Island I KNEW we were in for a treat
The next arc is going to blow your mind. There's a moment in this arc that you definitely want to watch the anime for. You can search it on TH-cam and you'll have it. I'm so excite for you!
I never thought of Gon's character turns to be that he was becoming like Hisoka. But that's such a perfect way to frame it, I'm wondering why I never thought of it myself. Tbf I usually don't watch anime or read manga with my thinking cap on. Greed Island is seen as a black sheep arc among most, but it holds a special place in my heart with Hisoka and Bisky being terrifying, but equally loveable goof balls.
that's specially interesting i you've read Yu Yu Hakusho, Togashi's previous series, where the main protagonist, Yusuke, starts to resemble one of the main villians, Toguro
Genthuru is a good antagonist to show how dangerous nen truly is. He’s an average Joe who got nen abilities but because he has experience he’s a threat. Without the plan, Gon would easily lose against him which he was. Nen to the wrong hands creates people into monsters. It’s also to show how experience triumphs all (which the next arc gets into)
Greed Island is such an underappreciated arc! I really like how you analysed the character parallels between Hisoka and Gon here. Am learning something new even as a seasoned reader of HxH
I used to hate Bisky's wish to destroy friendships too... but then I realize, after I went to rough things with a person that I love the most... that that awful experiencie was the one experirnce that made me grow the most in my entire life. Years later, I'm a totally new person, she is a totally new person... all because that depressing struggle we had. Maybe Bisky know what makes people grow the most... and she only wants to accelerate that process.
I thinks Biscuit's change in character makes sense. Some people will doubt you and dismiss your dreams till they actually see your potential, then they're suddenly so supportive.
The chimera ant arc is incredible, you'll love it. Your reviews made me want to rewatch the anime for the 4th time and I did so it's fresh in my mind. Yet again it was amazing to watch, easily my favorite arc
I think it’s amazing how powerful nen restrictions can be, and how these restrictions enabled an entire game’s magic system to function. By setting up all the limitations of the game, Ging and his friends were able to put in abilities far more powerful than they could do normally, such as incredible healing spells, teleportation, etc. This just goes to show the limitless possibilities of nen & nen restrictions in particular, where one’s creativity can lead to amazing power in such unique ways
That part after the Genthru fight where Biscuit and Killua call Gon and are like "well how'd it go?" or something like that? And Gon basically goes "Great! Hand got blown off, but it went really well!"... is both kinda funny, but at the same time it again shows Gon's determination and tunnel vision I guess? Like, that was worth it for him. He'd do this all over again, no regrets. And sure, they were able to fully heal him in the end, but the pain he had to feel to even get there! What a character
I've only seen your content here and there but I HAD to watch this video when I saw you're reading hunterXhunter, possibly one of the best shonens ever made, really hope you continue to enjoy the story, you've got another fan!
Here's a messy thought: If Gon was mad when Killua could have died if he dodged in a different direction, then why didn't he react the same when Killua's hand is being destroyed? A contradiction, it seems. However, if you read the scene as a culmination of the trust and friendship forged between them from the start of the series which is strengthened further in this arc, then it might not be much of a contradiction... Well it is actually, if we could only rationalize about physical repercussions of their actions, but what person who decidedly puts his trust and faith at someone, actually thinks about the negative results of the action trusted upon others, prior to the act? When we decide to trust somebody then there is no room for doubt at that moment, even if later, the actual outcome is negative. That is why if we start to think of Gon's motives coming from the point of the negative outcome (Killua's hands being hurt) then we start to be wary of Gon and that he is selfish, but in the moment he trusted Killua to hold the ball, it is the opposite that is actually true. Killua sacrificed his hands because of mutual trust between him and Gon. Not because Gon selfishly pressured him or something. I think.
right on. i feel people judge the series as if it's some slice-of-life adventure in the normal world when that is so not the case. hxh is a story taken seriously by its author and is set in a brutal and supernatural world. the main point of that scene as you rightly concluded is that gon trusts killua with the most important things in his life and killua feels immense happiness at this closeness with someone - as well as for the fact that his insane efforts to help the people he cares for (destroying his hands) are met with the best response he could hope for ("only killua can do it"). knowing killua's horrendous background, i feel we can't truly imagine how fulfilling and amazing it must be for killua to feel this legit validation that he gets from gon in this scene - something he never got from his actual family. in that scene, for all practical intents and purposes, gon and killua are brothers.
Gon is insanely selfish dude... there ithere is absolutely 0 implication that Gon is doing this because he trusts that Killua's hands will resist the attack, he does it because he wants to and Killua goes along with it. They do have the "you got this bro" moments which in any other series would indicate the trust you talk about, but not here, definitely not here. This is fully Gon being selfish. Plus, caring for someone and not wanting someone else to hurt them, while being bad to them yourself is not a contradiction, people are weird. For example, people can be horrible to their parents or partners but if someone came along and hit them in front of that person they would be angry for them... its a different thing but its just an example of how people can be both protective and harmful towards the people they care about....
@@adoniscreed4031 No that is a tone deaf interpretation of the scene especially in light of the previous ones where their companionship is highlighted. Did you somehow skipped his and Killua's response to Tzesguerra? I reject this reading of Gon as a selfish jerk because there is not that much firm ground it can stand on except some few scenes that can be read that way. The preponderance of moments of Gon actually being selfless and heroic stacks up against the scenes where he doesn't, but some people develop tunnel vision when interpreting his character. It is honestly frustrating. One of the most important themes that this manga explores is the unpredictability of people's character, the seemingly good ones and the bad ones, and that we should spare our judgment as best we could. The human character is unfinalizable and could be subjected to change. We readers and rereaders ought to take this theme at heart in interpreting this series and its characters.
@@ishanpgupte Yes! People like to put their friendships in comparison to Gon and Killua as if their own involve impossibly arduous physical training and superpowered battles. Real friendships do not involve physical hurt? Ours don't, but Gon and Killua's different. Gon and Killua's are extraordinary because they are in extraordinary circumstances, we are not.
@@AS-tn3wh yep agreed on all counts. That's the problem with hxh in a way. Togashi has made such a complicated and nuanced world that it's really difficult to hold all the contradictory points in your mind. So it makes sense that people would skew towards an oversimplified interpretation of things - especially gon. Everyone looks at his flaws and judges him away and forgets the mountain of good deeds he's done throughout the story including such crazy things as straight up reforming TWO mass murderers/serial killers (killua and binolt)
I think what makes hisoka's presence in the arc so great is that this is 100% consistent with his previous characterization only examined through different circumstances so that teaming up makes perfect sense. He doesn't overstay his welcome, and he makes the group dynamics more interesting. Despite hisoka being a rather simple static character he manages to stay consistently compelling. I think what makes him work is that his only goal is to be entertained so whatever he does makes the story more interesting.
Fun Fact: About Biscuit and how quickly she changes her mind about her set goal. *This is done purposefully.* There is actually a literary term for this in characters in Japanese manga and its called "Gap Moe," where you're introduced to a character that acts one way but completely contradicts them in some moments. (Ex: A shy character being outgoing, a tough guy liking cute things, an evil character doing something good, etc.) The defining factor of Gap Moe in stories is the fact that its kind of jarring and surprising when it happens and many people enjoy that in manga. Characters doing things they you don't expect from them given their background is intended to be an endearing quality in many manga characters. Though, understandably, it doesn't always land. Biscuit is that case depending on the reader.
To comment on what many people are saying about Biscuit, her character makes more sense when you realize she has a one minded psychology and the will to follow through on that regardless of the morality, like hisoka. Everything to her is either worthless or a valuable gem, literally and metaphorically. Gon and killua are the most precious uncut gems you can find, as further backed up by hisoka's obsession with gon. I feel like this is why we can even trust her as a mentor even with her initial introduction as trying to come between gon and killua. Trying to polish these raw gems is all she needs to take up the work and responsibility of mentoring them, which is a lot of work. I never felt like she was setting them up to betray them, at least. Plus she thinks they can actually help her beat the game which they do end up doing. Lastly, love the hxh videos, can't wait for the next one!
HxH is the first story i Ever payed attention to, I was 7 years old when it was dubbed on Tv and i just fell in love with everything about it, the channel kept rerunning it over the years and i watched every time it was on. And as i grew up i seeked any thing related to this anime and with no more chapters being released for 2y I can't describe how enjoyable it is to watch your videos. I can't wait for u to get to the succession war arc even tho it's not finished.
You have what I think is the best arc in all of Manga coming up after this. Please take your time with the chimara any arc. There is so much there to be explored.
i'm so excited to see how you react to my favorite arc and my favorite part of Gon's personality. Your sheer excitement in these videos is intoxicating mixed with the fact that this is my favorite shonen of all time
I'm pretty sure that when they are calling gon a monster, they are speaking on his potential strength and talent as monsterous not that they believe he will be corrupted or become evil.
People shouldn't be confirming or denying her predictions. Let her be surprised, let her experience moments of doubt, it's not that hard to refrain from spoilers.
unlike some of these other fellas I totally agree with your biscuit criticism. U gotta watch the anime version of some of the chimera ant arc fights too
I love these videos. This is the arc that literally throws it in your face how insane Gon is. The next the arc is probably going to be 3 to 4 part video series lmao.
Greed Island is the most underappreciated arc in HxH. Good to see someone geek out about the world building like I do. Very interested in your thoughts on the 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜.
You're going to absolutely love the next arc, maybe not pacing wise and some of the narrative decisions, but the highs of the arc are truly the best of the best in all of fiction
i wish i were you. whenever the information is there i feel like OBLIGATED to understand every aspect. im so annoyed for that, but still very fun and interesting. i love this arc
Finally! Someone who I can share my absolute enthusiasm with GI cards and their implications about Nen. I was ridiculously dumb founded when i realized that cards in GI are REAL nen powers in stored form, which means there's nen users out there who has Accompany and Angel's Breath as nen abilities.
Yeah but it's more like "all this foreshadowing _plus commenters incessantly dropping hints about Gon's future development_ makes me think Gon will have some kind of corruption arc".
Love your video. I want to push back on your observations on Gon's motivations during dodgeball. "He's willing to hurt his friend to get what he wants." He's so worked up exactly because his friend almost died and now we're calling him morbidly selfish? Gon and Killua have opted into months of grueling, life threatening training together as a partnership. If Gon excluded Killua, you can tell by Killua reactions that that would have been a betrayal of their partnership. Killua wants to be included in this just as much as Gon wants to smack that ball into Razor's smug smirk. Gon understands this and he feels it too.
Now that youre at this point in the story I think I can fairly say that to me one of the major themes of this series is subverting expectations. Any and all events or ideas that Togashi is building up to happen in ways that we never would have expected. The way the hunter exams ended, the way york new ended, and even the way the phantom troupe was shown in this arc, they all subvert the direction we thought the story was heading towards.
I’ve never contextualized this before, but with the way Togashi has set up Gon and the Nen power system, he has really and truly reversed the usual Shounen formula. It’s not unusual to have a main character without personal limits. It’s not unusual to have a vague and open ended power-system. And it’s not unusual to have a somewhat restrictive power-system. It is very unusual to pair a highly restrictive power-system with a main character that, at his core, has no limits.
The sad thing with Killua is he's never had a friend - this is all new for him - and like abused kids IRL can't really separate abuse from love, this self sacrificing gesture, this harm that Killua chooses to undertake for his friend who shows no concern before or after the match, is another piece of foreshadowing
On the Killua holding the ball: notice how happy Killua is that Goes trusts him this way. Killua doesn't know love. The people who are supposed to love him have tourtured him constantly. His family basically thought him that the people who love you put you in pain. So he is not only happy wih Gon making him hurt... But happy for it. Gon is basically using Killua's abuse to his advantage (although he doesn't really thinks about it that way... But he knows, at least, he knows enough to know Killua will do what he says (he says that literally in the next arc xP)
Great work thus far tracking Gon's character. His tendencies toward tunnel vision and unyielding determination are intriguing as character traits in part because they simultaneously act as a natural extension of what we know (and, generally, like) about our protagonist's personality -- his optimism, his resilience in the face of challenges, his eagerness to strive toward his goals -- while working to further complicate our ability to root for him -- or at least to support his (reckless, endangering, self-endangering) methods. The story is refreshingly committed to exploring the many implications of Gon's pluck. I'm glad you've enjoyed HxH up until now -- thanks as always for sharing your insights and reactions, and I'm excited to hear what you'll make of what comes next for Gon and our favorite lightning boy!
I think Bisky was pretty well characterized by switching from wanting to destroy their friendship to mentoring them. She is obsessed with gems. She first sees the friendship which triggers that first, petty desire; but then sees exactly how unpolished these beautiful gems are and feels the need to polish them and reveal their true beauty
Biscuit loves gems-- she loves basically polished, refined, rocks. What's attractive about gems is that they originally are raw and ugly clumps of minerals, but with perfect attention and the right circumstances they can develop into the most beautiful things. That's why Biscuit took on Gon and Killua, that's what attracted her to them, that was the switch. She saw such raw power and wanted to refine it into gems. Also, as others pointed out, her personality is sorta aloof-- this *is* the same woman that is going though a whole game *just* for a pretty gem. But yeah, it was odd for me too at first. But as I got to know her and her obsession with gems, it made more sense. Plus, refining these two boys is a lot more rewarding than just getting a gem, which is also why I think she decided to hold off on completing the game-- she's doubled her reward.
I see Biscuit's desire to break their friendship as a sort of harsh test she gives people to see if their friendship will survive. Think about every way she had them improve: by breaking them down and destroying everything they knew, forcing them to improve or give up. She loves to tear things apart to see if they will survive it, because those survivors turn into the most beautiful jewels. She probably has legitimately destroyed countless things of value, because when the going went tough, they would end up giving up and showing their true colors to be dingy and ugly. But it's worth it to her for the few times the most beautiful jewels come out shining in the end.
I think the main and only thing that sells Genthru is his nen abilities, his abilities are strong to an extent but they are elaborated on and display the enhanced strength that Nen grants through limitations. Genthru's necessity to touch someone and say "Bomber" combined with the possibility of removing the bomb by touching him and saying "I caught the bomber" gives his power both a limitation but also increases its strength.
I explain Biscuit's change of heart by realizing that she is a sucker for precious gemstones (her whole motivation to play the game was to get "blue planet") and when she saw the crazy unused potential these two kids had she just couldn't resist but to try and polish them.
Love this amazing video and your amazing channel please stay safe and enjoy your reading love your Australia fan John prayers and thoughts for you and your family xxxx
![Chimera Ant: Mom Pick Me Up, I'm Scared [Hunter x Hunter]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/p49h-kbeQ8g/mqdefault.jpg)
![Chimera Ant: Mom Pick Me Up, I'm Scared [Hunter x Hunter]](/img/tr.png)
Yay! You finally got to my favorite arc!! I love Greed Island mainly for Togashi exploring the huge scope of what you can do with Nen. As you brought up it's executed insanely well here. Nen is like building blocks and depending on the person it can be used to make something very simple or something vastly intricate when used by someone like Ging. The whole game is like one massive contract with Nen, given that some of these cards can cure any disease or open pocket dimensions, the condition to get them out of the game would have to be equally difficult. I also love how Togashi (who loves gaming) went out of his way to make 140 cards for this game, most of the cards don't even show up in the main story, but he made every single one just for the sake of immersion.
Tekking! You're my favorite youtuber!
dude i love this arc and every time i said out loud that "i like greed island more then chimera", everybody laugths
sorry 4 my english
Mi hablar español
It's so impressive and the fact that he did all this, leaving a world of implications, but also seamlessly made it so you could skip over reading the cards and not miss out on the story? Masterful. I'm blown away at the craft
@@merphynapier42 Do an image search of "togashi dragon quest". I think the reason behind his attention to the game details in this arc will quickly become clear to you lol. Also, I almost unconditionally love hxh (and yyh), flaws and all. That said, I've agreed with almost all of your nit picks so far and I'm interested to see if that continues.
You better get laid for this…
Bisky is a transmuter, she’s whimsical and changes goals quickly. She wanted to destroy their friendship, then got annoyed by them wasting their potential and changed.
She reminds me a lot of Goku's character in that she is really immature, but knows when it is appropriate to get serious.
@@nachtstiel1 Poor comparison. Gon has a lot more in common with Goku personality wise.
@@attiamazen4614 Of course Gon is a more complete comparison. I was highlighting one aspect of their personalities that are similar
Bisky loves to polish raw gems...
Almost like you know, Hisoka himself and how he changed his mind about killing Leorio and Kurapika.
Talking about Biscuit, she is whimsical. She wasn't hellbent on breaking their friendship at first. It isn't like she was evil and really wanted to ruin their friendship.
She just wanted to have fun but then she saw their talent so she decided to train them and got attached to them.
She saw their potential and thought they were enough to help her clear the game.
In one word, Biscuit is fickle.
Just like Hisoka, and a bit like Killua, she's very fickle and will change idea in a blink. And it's no coincidence that her natural Nen type is Transmutation xD
HxH has some really fickle characters and that's one of the serie's charm. Imean Hisoka himself is so scary because the moment Gon doesn't live to his sky high expectations he'll kill him without a second though, and it's even insinuated that Killua may at some point wake up and find Gon boring and leave him or wonder if he can kill him so much that he actually kills Gon to prove himself a point.
Biscuit is just as fickle, she enjoys ruining a friendship and she sees the boys as something to toy with, but then she sees untapped potential and she's like "you know what? training them will be more fun than breaking theyr friendship" and she kinda just does that. She (like HIsoka) is powerful enough to kinda do whatever she wants.
Not to mention she is selfish, and hunters, are usually selfish, so why oulnt she fickle as a lot of hunter are.
Also she found 2 gems that were more rare than the one she was looking for; in a way she is true to herself.
It’s also ironic looking back on it during the training part of the Chimera Ant arc.
@@theduelist92 That "Killua finding Gon boring" was just gaslighting by Illumi. There's really no truth to his words at all. No chance.
I love seeing people's reactions to just how far Hisoka goes at times. But I also love that he's more than willing to work with our Protagonists. While he does want to crush them, he only desires to do so at their best. And he's more than willing to help them flourish until he decides that they're ready enough to fight.
Now I'm just imagining Hisoka planning to fight someone a week in advance, but on that day his opponent let's Hisoka know he is sick
So Hisoka arrives there with a thermometer to make sure they are truly sick, then proceeds to give them medicine and make them some tea in hopes for them get better soon so that they can fight to the death once the opponent has recovered xD
@@novum2915 he totally would do that
@@novum2915 asmr: hisoka makes you breakfast and takes care of you before he can kill you tomorrow morning
@@novum2915Yeah that kinda sounds like a Hisoka thing to do lmao
The Hisoka team-up was a perfect choice for this arc, and I love how consistent it is with his character. He has absolutely no beef with Gon really... i mean, yeah he plans to kill him eventually, but that's nothing _personal._ And it's not like he has anything better to do at the moment, so why not tag along?
He's just such a fascinating character. The... uh... _uncomfortable interest?_ he shows in Gon is extremely 🤢, but my read on it is it's not so much about him being attracted to children specifically as much as it is he's a sadistic psychopath (like, in the clinical sense). Basically, the wires in his head are crossed to the point where he gets sexual gratification out of fighting/killing strong opponents, and that drives all his actions.
Not that this makes him grooming Gon any less gross and unacceptable, of course, but it makes for a really fascinating character. Much like Gon (and a lot of the series overall), he feels like Togashi holding a mirror up to shonen tropes/archetypes (in this case, Goku) and showing how dark/twisted those characteristics are when taken to an extreme. He also kinda feels like a cautionary example - with all the remarks about Gon "walking that fine line" and being a potential monster, it's like we're seeing what he could be if he ends up going down the wrong path?
But also! it's impressive that Togashi managed to take a psychopathic serial killer clown who creepily pelvic thrusts at small children, and make him such a compelling and fun character that he somehow becomes a fan favorite.
(sorry for the wall of words, lol)
Also, i highly recommend checking out Hisoka's Past sometime. It's a one-shot by Sue Ishida (the mangaka behind Tokyo Ghoul) showing some potential backstory for him. It's not officially canon, but it _was_ done with Togashi's approval
(funny story: it actually came about as the result of an April Fool's joke, because for a little while there was a conspiracy theory that Ishida was actually Togashi writing under a fake name and they decided to capitalize on that 😆)
Couldn't have said it better myself
Exactly, a lot of people directly say that Hisoka is a pedo *without giving it much thought* BUT he *isn't, he is just way too attracted for sheer power.*
He's not a pedophile, he's just fightsexual. He'd stare at Chrollo's ass the exact same way if he was wearing shorts
Bisky is a transmuter...one thing to note about transmuters (as Hisoka described in his personality test), they are extremely moody...they do what they feel like in the moment. In hisoka's own words: for transmuters treasure can quickly turn into a trash and vice versa. Hope this explains bisky's sudden change in attitude.
Bisuke transmutes into a Jojo🤣
@@carlosdanielcalderonmontoy3723 no, she is a jojo, that transmutes into a little girl, her nen ability is to look cute, her strenght is natural
@@devforfun5618 well yeah, that is true🤣🤣
I think that she only wanted to ruin their friendship for fun, once she realized how talented they were i bet she thought that training them would be much funnier and worth her time. Many times she compares them to a precious raw stone that is not being shaped or polished, since her passion in gemstones we can assume that metaforically seeing the boys as something that she likes so much makes increase her interest in them till she actually starts to care about them (in the end she admits to almost think of them as they were her sons). Also to obtain the stone she was looking for, she had to win the game and the fastest and best way to do it is to team up with other players. This is my take on why she changed her mind and became their mentor :)
(Sorry for any bad english, it is not my native language)
Greed Island is actually my favorite Arc especially because it has such a well thought-through system. Not because this gives us a clear goal but because Togashi shows us just how creative one can be with such static rules.
You are the only 1 ive seen other than me who says its their favorite. So many say its 1 of the worst
Okay so for me greed island arc does a few things:
3. Gon and kilua went to york new for the auction in the first place. Also the reunion date with kurapika and leorio was coming up anyway, so theres that. I feel like because the phantom trope happened first, greed island is a breather for the most part. Lets not forget, chimera ant arc is next....that break was needed. I play RPGs, so seeing how the game works with the side quest and what not was very exciting for me.
2. This is a training arc for gon and killua pretty much. Considering they COULDN'T do much against the spiders and BARELY escaped TWICE from them, biscuit came in clutch. Lets be honest. Gin too because as stated by razor among other people, greed island was made for Gon.
1. Nin users/hunters are goal driven and want to achieve their task no matter the cost or who they hurt. Almost everyone in the game have issues working together or are only allied with players for a time. Even in sharing common goals. Until the dogeball fight with razor, no one has beaten the game because everyone is out for themselves. "Greed" island shows hunters true faces. We do see people exchange cards with each other but its all in mischievous ways. Fighting the bomber, taking the quiz, meeting the creator, even picking out the cards to take outside the game. None of this would have been accomplished if gon and co weren't willing to work together. If anyone is still playing the game, I do hope people can learn from Gons win. But they won't. Otherwise they gotta change the islands name. Lol
These are why greed island is my favorite arc in the series. Yeah, HXH is different from most shounen, but where it is in the series fits perfectly as for the tone shift to be welcomed.
@@snowman9631 it's my second favorite arc behind the next one. GI is just way to much of a great story packed into one arc
I didn't like this Arc but its a purely personal reason. I'm not good at keeping up with such in depth rules and systems, I know thats a problem with myself but its what I felt. Merphy says you don't need to follow all the rules to enjoy this, but I thought that you did and so I spent so much time going back to revisit things to make sure I understood the game because I assumed that I was supposed to.
Same thing with the Nen system, you dont need to understand all the ins and outs of it but I didn't know that, I thought going forward it was all information I NEEDED to hold in my mind
@@snowman9631 actually this is also my fave arc or tied with the chimera arc for me. it's an uncommon fave and many have called it the worst. but it is where gon started to show his true character which lead to what happened in chimera arc.
I am so used to hearing “Overpowered” as an adjective lol. Whenever I hear Merphy using “Overpowered” as a verb I gotta mentally adjust. Haha
Same! I'm like "u wot"
Same!!!
I thought she was using bad English......then I realized that she is not lol.
Me too... But by now I'm so used to it, that I don't need to adjust when I hear it in her voice.
Right? Like I understand what she means and why she says it like that, but it messes with me so badly. I'm just used to all those posts about which characters are OP.
biscuit decided to destroy their friendship on a whim and changed her mind on a whim as well, which kinda fits her character
The fact that the man Togashi made a whole card game just for one arc should tell you everything about this mad lad and the most isekai non isekai arc that this is is awesome from the dope training with Bisky to the most badass dodgeball game so bests sports anime as well lmao
Yeah it was quite crazy how this man came up ideas for every card not including the mechanics of the game alone.
Greed Island is one of my most favorite training arcs♥️🙌🏻
And I love Bisuke so much♥️
Togashi is insane.... Also togashi design all the cards even though not all were shown in the series 🤡
As nod, th dude in th game room tht is shown in the end in the messy apartment, thats tagashi XD
I think Bisky's sudden change in motives reflect the nen type that she has. She is a Transmuter, according to Hisoka during the Heaven Arena arc you can guess the nen type of a person based on their personality(though its not always accurate). Transmuter are known to be liar and fickle, their mind are unstable and unpredictable which make them quite dangerous to be close with. Most of them are considered weirdos and trickters ( Hisoka is also a Transmuter). I am justifying her previous behavior based on the different nen personalities that Togashi's implied which isn't a solid proof of Bisky's sudden change of mind.
Me getting transmuter on an online "what is your nen type quiz: 😅
@@MagillanicaLouM Are you fickle in real life?
@@rexgeorgerodriguez7620 I guess I can be in a way. Though on another quiz I got conjurer so idk what else that says about me lol.
@@MagillanicaLouM Well its not always s correct
Was literally waiting for the review since last week. Please make chimera ant arc reviews in three parts, as the arc has proper stopage points for that.
I can't wait for the nex arc, it drags a bite but it is my favrat arc of the whole series
Completely agree. I didn't read the manga but Its like half the anime episodes..... I felt like it could have been a third shorter..... But it's still excellent
I never had a problem with the pacing in the Chimera Arc, honestly🤔
The emotional waite is what carries it
@@biluepaynker9472 Waite indeed
Togashi sensing that Mephy is near the end of Hunter X Hunter, he decided to continue the manga. If you know a manga that has stopped for years and want it to be back let Merphy read it.
This is Merphy’s nen ability ✨💕
00:00:00 ⟾ *Format* - all in one go
00:00:26 ⟾ Characters - Battera’s story
00:00:46 ⟾ Plot - *Training*: Killua’s story (electricity)
00:01:33 ⟾ Plot - Training: Gon; Gyo
00:01:46 ⟾ [ft. Pikachu & Geodude]
00:01:49 ⟾ Characters - *Gon*:Corruption Arc, monster foreshadowing
00:02:45 ⟾ Characters - *Phantom Troupe*
00:02:55 ⟾ Plot - Game Mechanics introduction
00:03:05 ⟾ Characters - *Genthru* (antagonist)
00:03:17 ⟾ Plot - Ging’s message
00:03:43 ⟾ Characters - *Gon & Killua*: duo and individual moments
00:04:55 ⟾ Characters - *Gon & Killua*: Advancement Rate; Talent vs. Cunning, Power-ups vs. Ingenuity
00:06:58 ⟾ Plot - *Big Reveal* - Real World, Nen on display, Huge Implications
00:10:02 ⟾ Weakness - Clunky Exposition Dumps
00:10:29 ⟾ Plot - Big Reveal: Exposition Integration
00:11:45 ⟾ Plot - Big Reveal: elevation of the arc
00:12:01 ⟾ Characters - *Biscuit*: introduction, motives, training, vs. Binolt
00:14:25 ⟾ Characters - Biscuit: Nit-pick: shift of intentions, betrayal, destroying friendship
00:17:22 ⟾ *Gon’s character foreshadowing
00:17:26 ⟾ Plot - *Big Reveal: Genthru*, Phantom Troupe comparison, abilities, raw power in wrong hands
00:20:27 ⟾ Fights - *Phantom Troupe vs. Razor*, unrealized possibilities
00:21:47 ⟾ Plot - *Killua*: Hunter License, unrealized possibilities, battle royale
00:23:00 ⟾ Characters - *Killua*: analyst, strategist, ruthless
00:23:56 ⟾ Plot - Hisoka team-up: “And they find Hisoka… in the woods… naked.”, motivations
00:25:36 ⟾ Plot - *Dodgeball*: Team, Hisoka role, anime, Gon-Hisoka similarities
00:27:37 ⟾ Plot - Dodgeball: Killua’s hands, torture, selfish Gon
00:29:50 ⟾ Plot - Dodgeball: Gon-Killua-Hisoka team up, Gon’s hyper fixation, character foreshadowing
00:31:43 ⟾ Plot - Dodgeball: Gon refuses to Dodge the ball, hyper fixation, passes out
00:32:53 ⟾ Plot - Dodgeball: Hisoka ends the match
00:33:16 ⟾ Fights - *Killua vs. Sub* - yo-yos
00:34:35 ⟾ Fights - *Biscuit vs. Bara* - Biscuit’s true form
00:34:03 ⟾ Fights - *Gon vs. Genthru* - tunnel vision/focus/recklessness, Hisoka similarities
00:35:07 ⟾ Highlights - Killua also kills: not simply good vs. bad, Hisoka
00:36:37 ⟾ Highlights - Gon upon meeting Ging
00:36:57 ⟾ Plot - Kite, Ging’s intentions; training?
00:38:58 ⟾ Overall - week -to-week, weaknesses, training sequences, character work, Gon foreshadowing
00:40:06 ⟾ Overall - Togashi’s skill, wordbuilding, cards/mechanics/rules
00:41:01 ⟾ Overall - Gon foreshadowing, Corruption Arc
00:41:27 ⟾ Outro, Format
00:41:35 ⟾ [Promo], Schedule, [Credits]
Helpful
🙏🏻 thank you
Glad to see someone else realizing how interesting Gon is. I watched the show for the first time as a teenager so to me he just came off as a very basic hero who's always morally right but rereading it as an adult I realized how nuanced his character actually is. And this is the genius of hxh, it's interesting for both kids and adults but for very different reasons.
Gon is so single-minded when it comes to his goals. It can be quite unsettling. I can't wait for you to get through the next arc however, it is definitely most people's favorite and I think it will be yours too.
Oh wait really? I didnt really like chimera ant (only watched the anime tho), but that was a while ago. Guess I need to reread is :D
@@s3b714 I hope on a reread you enjoy it more! Also Murphy does a great job of shining a light on the nuances and themes presented in a series.
@@s3b714 wow that's weird, some people even consider it the best shonen arc ever
Chimera Ant arc is a mess. Is a bunch of cool characters and fights, mostly wasted on a poorly told story. Greed Island is definitely better as an arc.
@@MrReset94 L take.
3 little things:
First, Bisky displayed 3 interests in her character:
1. OCD against wasted talent. (like people who need to clean because it is dirty, need to polish a gem because it is precious!)
2. Precious Gems.
3. Ruining friendships.
She will want to ruin friendships, but that is not her number 1 interest, it is just to pass the time. It is still a craving that leads her to meet wonderful people. It happens in real life when people have a bad intention against someone but then realize there is a far more compelling need they can meet by helping them. In life, our little detours, even our bad intentions, can lead us to the things that are more important than what we want.
Second, If you remember Kurapika talking about conditions empowering nen. Then you realize that when Razor expelled The Phantom Troupe with the Eliminate card, he explained the conditions for the card to be empowered.
1. Can only be used by a Game Master.
2. Can only be used on those who enter Greed Island illegally.
3. Explain the conditions met.
and with just those 3 conditions it is a lot, but it has more. Because the way the game masters are determined has conditions, the first letter of their name has to be in the title of the game, which explains why it was so important to change Dwug's name from Wdwug. Not a simple nickname, not just an artistic name, but legally to the laws of society. A level of determination that The Phantom Troupe would not perform just to enter illegally.
The way for someone to overpower the rules of the game is near impossible, they would need more conditions met with a higher degree of determination to be able to deny the effects of the cards.Then just consider what Ging could do.
Third, When you realize that there are over 100 conditions (the cards collected + game rules) for taking 3 cards out of the game, you understand why the cards can be as powerful as they are because it has a lot of conditions. Then you remember that most nen users only have 1 to 5 conditions for their nen abilities compared to over 100 conditions for a game which explains why Ging is called one of the five best Nen users in the world. I wonder if the completion of the game unlocks something for the game masters. With so many conditions, I wouldn't be surprised to know that for their efforts in holding such a game, every game master also gets to select cards out of the game.
Anyways, it was nice to listen to how much you took of this arc. Good luck with the bugs, and just remember that Hunters are defined by their determination, their pride, their obsession, not by their morals.
You highlighted one of the favorite traits of Hunter x Hunter for me: It doesn't matter how powerful one individual's aura can be, the circunstances of the duel can make anyone the winner for any given day.
Biske saw the boys as diamonds in the rough. What does she love most of all? Beautiful gems. They were uncut and unpolished and she could see what they would look like as a perfect gem and she wanted that. Powerful People in Hunter X Hunter are usually eccentric.
Also about Genthru just think of his power like Sugar's from One Piece. It is more important to know the power and if you don't it will be too late.
I do want to mention that in HxH Togashi puts a lot of effort into each individual powers (nen abilities)
to have a purpose beyond just being practical and a useful trait for the user.
Take for example Chrollo, Chrollo is a character that's in constant turmoil about his identity questioning what his purpose in life is.
When questioned by Gon about why he kills people,
he wonders whether the answer to that question could provide meaning to his life... and that is in parallel to his ability.
His ability is to steal others' powers (like he steals their life/their purpose).
His power is the only power that doesn't have its own identity. Having no identity, that's what makes this power perfect for Chrollo.
It's very subtle but I love that it's completely intentional because it's not in isolation/a one-off lucky writing choice.
another detail about why he kills people, his ability REQUIRES that the victim stay alive
You *will* love the chimera ant arc.
The writing for the ANTagonist is just top tier. One of the best for sure
overrated. chrollo is better
@@zinoononeme5345 we still don't know shit about chrollo...
He had appeared in the show for what??30 mins ?1 hr?? That's it
While we saw meruem actually grow
It's just stupid to compare chrollo who didn't even had much screen time
Not to mention that his story isn't even completed ....
9:55 Tekking 101 made a video on all 100 cards a long time ago. You can watch that since he condensed all the info in a single video
The best thing about Nen is how heavily structured it is while giving so much goddamn space for the author to work around.
Gon and Killua are often able to overcome the sheer difference in aura size and overall Nen experience with quick thinking, ingenuity and instinct, but even bewteen experienced and talented Nen users that are incredibly skilled at the martial art side of Nen (knowing all of the applications, knowing when to use what to counter what and being able to quickly understand the opponent's powers) quick creative thinking and resourcefullness are still how most fights are won or loss. I mean, for manga readers, just think at the big fight that happens in the manga, the very anticipated one, you know what i mean xD
Truly a masterpiece level power system.
I agree unlike haki. One piece hasn't carefully explained the implications of haki, like the levels to each of the three known haki types. Unlike Nen it has a lot categories with variations that can be mastered with years of experience and training. Haki just blooms in a battle of life and death that's that
Glad you liked that Nen was expanded upon in this arc, because it’s never going to stop being expanded.
Gon and hisoka comparison is so spot on my god. Really great video
can guarantee Gon has never been referred to as a Geodude until this day, and I'm all for it
I find it interesting that in the entire HxH series not a single person would say killing is a bad thing. Sometimes someone doesn't want innocent people or people important to them getting killed, but no one says it is absolutely bad to kill a person.
29:00 "I can't do this without Killua." Gon is selfish, but this is exactly what Killua wanted to hear the most. There are lots of pain physically, but Killua was happy that Gon trusted him. If Gon cared for Killua's hands and didn't do his best, Killua would be so sad and disappointed.
Merphy, who ever you have do your subtitles is just the best, I have hearing problems so i need them but they are great please never change. just the little things they put in your pauses gives such nuance to what you are trying to say that makes this worth watching for me,
You touched on something I really love about this arc.
You mentioned taking the cards to the outside world and using them would being incredibly strong, godlike even. But the thing I love is that they are only that powerful because you can only get them by completing the game. The whole Nen power system is build on restrictions so you can technically make those cards anywhere, but if you say you can only get this card by teleporting to a specific island via a specific method and then competing against 100 other hunters in multiple unique events and then you can only pick a card with a pre-set power, then that cranks its power from street magician to literal god powers.
4:31 That moment was not in the 2011 anime, AND I LOVED IT SM
Allow me to put into perspective on just how strong Razor is. His nen is responsible for the use of EVERY single spell card in the entire game. Meaning a significant amount of his nen is in use at all times and not available for him to use. He is without question 1 of the strongest characters in the entire series
The whole thing where Ging actually made the game to train Gon is amazing... He acts like he doesn't care about Gon, but it seems like he doesn't understand how he actually feels...
And I'm loving your analysis of Gon... Seeing you understand him little by little... It's awesome!
I'm not sure if some of the things that are on the anime are also on the manga... But I'll comment anyway!
One thing you didn't comment on, but I think it's a cool thing is that Gon and Killua meet the Phantom Troupe on the auction and the Troupe thank them in name of Pakunoda. Beautiful scene.
Merphy,
I absolutely love HxH, has been my favorite anime for years.
Your reviews point out so many of the reasons in my heart why it is amazing, and even a few I never consciously considered.
Hearing your excitement rekindles my own every single time I watch one of your videos.
This is not unique to only the HxH videos but almost all of them from One Piece to Sanderson. I absolutely cannot get enough of your content. You express in words and thoughtful analysis things that live in my mind but I do not have the ability to express myself. I hope you continue jumping into more beloved universes and sharing your ability with the world.
Just wanted to appreciate the one who edited/transcribed the subtitles! It's very funny and on-point (as usual)
Honestly, if I could ever write something as well crafted as hxh I'd die happy.
My main takeaway from this arc was the friendship built around Gon and Killua. Seeing how Killua is prepared to sacrifice himself for Gon and how Bisky called him out on it. But then it also gave a look into motives behind the characters, which will come into play later on.
AAAAHHH CHIMERA ANT NEXT
When I originally watched the animal and found out Gon did that to Killua hands made me very upset and made me think Gon might not be so nice.
Wow I love how well your paying attention to EVERY character’s personality, especially Gon’s
One thing about me two of my favourite arcs in all of anime are Skypeia and Greed Island. I feel like they both capture the essence of the manga they are in and I’ve always hated how people said they were boring but I get it, I’ve really enjoyed Merphy’s HxH breakdown and when she said she hoped Togashi wasn’t teasing with Green Island I KNEW we were in for a treat
Literally 3 minutes into your discussion of my personal favorite arc, and I can tell Chimera Ant will be your favorite
The next arc is going to blow your mind. There's a moment in this arc that you definitely want to watch the anime for. You can search it on TH-cam and you'll have it. I'm so excite for you!
Murphy accidentally picking the BEST time to read Hunter x Hunter. It’s coming back!
I never thought of Gon's character turns to be that he was becoming like Hisoka. But that's such a perfect way to frame it, I'm wondering why I never thought of it myself. Tbf I usually don't watch anime or read manga with my thinking cap on.
Greed Island is seen as a black sheep arc among most, but it holds a special place in my heart with Hisoka and Bisky being terrifying, but equally loveable goof balls.
that's specially interesting i you've read Yu Yu Hakusho, Togashi's previous series, where the main protagonist, Yusuke, starts to resemble one of the main villians, Toguro
Genthuru is a good antagonist to show how dangerous nen truly is. He’s an average Joe who got nen abilities but because he has experience he’s a threat. Without the plan, Gon would easily lose against him which he was. Nen to the wrong hands creates people into monsters. It’s also to show how experience triumphs all (which the next arc gets into)
I had a lot of fun reading the subtitle captions of this video
I think it's really cool that you're reviewing the series while you are still reading it.
"What if I straight up put dragon quest in my mangs? 🤔" Togashi, probably.
Greed Island is such an underappreciated arc! I really like how you analysed the character parallels between Hisoka and Gon here. Am learning something new even as a seasoned reader of HxH
I used to hate Bisky's wish to destroy friendships too... but then I realize, after I went to rough things with a person that I love the most... that that awful experiencie was the one experirnce that made me grow the most in my entire life. Years later, I'm a totally new person, she is a totally new person... all because that depressing struggle we had.
Maybe Bisky know what makes people grow the most... and she only wants to accelerate that process.
I thinks Biscuit's change in character makes sense. Some people will doubt you and dismiss your dreams till they actually see your potential, then they're suddenly so supportive.
The friendship of Gon and Killua is the best
This was a delight! I appreciate your captions and the extra commentary in it made me smile.
The chimera ant arc is incredible, you'll love it. Your reviews made me want to rewatch the anime for the 4th time and I did so it's fresh in my mind. Yet again it was amazing to watch, easily my favorite arc
I think it’s amazing how powerful nen restrictions can be, and how these restrictions enabled an entire game’s magic system to function. By setting up all the limitations of the game, Ging and his friends were able to put in abilities far more powerful than they could do normally, such as incredible healing spells, teleportation, etc. This just goes to show the limitless possibilities of nen & nen restrictions in particular, where one’s creativity can lead to amazing power in such unique ways
That part after the Genthru fight where Biscuit and Killua call Gon and are like "well how'd it go?" or something like that? And Gon basically goes "Great! Hand got blown off, but it went really well!"... is both kinda funny, but at the same time it again shows Gon's determination and tunnel vision I guess? Like, that was worth it for him. He'd do this all over again, no regrets. And sure, they were able to fully heal him in the end, but the pain he had to feel to even get there! What a character
I've only seen your content here and there but I HAD to watch this video when I saw you're reading hunterXhunter, possibly one of the best shonens ever made, really hope you continue to enjoy the story, you've got another fan!
Here's a messy thought: If Gon was mad when Killua could have died if he dodged in a different direction, then why didn't he react the same when Killua's hand is being destroyed? A contradiction, it seems. However, if you read the scene as a culmination of the trust and friendship forged between them from the start of the series which is strengthened further in this arc, then it might not be much of a contradiction... Well it is actually, if we could only rationalize about physical repercussions of their actions, but what person who decidedly puts his trust and faith at someone, actually thinks about the negative results of the action trusted upon others, prior to the act? When we decide to trust somebody then there is no room for doubt at that moment, even if later, the actual outcome is negative. That is why if we start to think of Gon's motives coming from the point of the negative outcome (Killua's hands being hurt) then we start to be wary of Gon and that he is selfish, but in the moment he trusted Killua to hold the ball, it is the opposite that is actually true.
Killua sacrificed his hands because of mutual trust between him and Gon. Not because Gon selfishly pressured him or something. I think.
right on. i feel people judge the series as if it's some slice-of-life adventure in the normal world when that is so not the case. hxh is a story taken seriously by its author and is set in a brutal and supernatural world. the main point of that scene as you rightly concluded is that gon trusts killua with the most important things in his life and killua feels immense happiness at this closeness with someone - as well as for the fact that his insane efforts to help the people he cares for (destroying his hands) are met with the best response he could hope for ("only killua can do it"). knowing killua's horrendous background, i feel we can't truly imagine how fulfilling and amazing it must be for killua to feel this legit validation that he gets from gon in this scene - something he never got from his actual family. in that scene, for all practical intents and purposes, gon and killua are brothers.
Gon is insanely selfish dude... there ithere is absolutely 0 implication that Gon is doing this because he trusts that Killua's hands will resist the attack, he does it because he wants to and Killua goes along with it. They do have the "you got this bro" moments which in any other series would indicate the trust you talk about, but not here, definitely not here. This is fully Gon being selfish.
Plus, caring for someone and not wanting someone else to hurt them, while being bad to them yourself is not a contradiction, people are weird. For example, people can be horrible to their parents or partners but if someone came along and hit them in front of that person they would be angry for them... its a different thing but its just an example of how people can be both protective and harmful towards the people they care about....
@@adoniscreed4031 No that is a tone deaf interpretation of the scene especially in light of the previous ones where their companionship is highlighted. Did you somehow skipped his and Killua's response to Tzesguerra? I reject this reading of Gon as a selfish jerk because there is not that much firm ground it can stand on except some few scenes that can be read that way. The preponderance of moments of Gon actually being selfless and heroic stacks up against the scenes where he doesn't, but some people develop tunnel vision when interpreting his character. It is honestly frustrating. One of the most important themes that this manga explores is the unpredictability of people's character, the seemingly good ones and the bad ones, and that we should spare our judgment as best we could. The human character is unfinalizable and could be subjected to change. We readers and rereaders ought to take this theme at heart in interpreting this series and its characters.
@@ishanpgupte Yes! People like to put their friendships in comparison to Gon and Killua as if their own involve impossibly arduous physical training and superpowered battles. Real friendships do not involve physical hurt? Ours don't, but Gon and Killua's different. Gon and Killua's are extraordinary because they are in extraordinary circumstances, we are not.
@@AS-tn3wh yep agreed on all counts. That's the problem with hxh in a way. Togashi has made such a complicated and nuanced world that it's really difficult to hold all the contradictory points in your mind. So it makes sense that people would skew towards an oversimplified interpretation of things - especially gon. Everyone looks at his flaws and judges him away and forgets the mountain of good deeds he's done throughout the story including such crazy things as straight up reforming TWO mass murderers/serial killers (killua and binolt)
I think what makes hisoka's presence in the arc so great is that this is 100% consistent with his previous characterization only examined through different circumstances so that teaming up makes perfect sense. He doesn't overstay his welcome, and he makes the group dynamics more interesting. Despite hisoka being a rather simple static character he manages to stay consistently compelling. I think what makes him work is that his only goal is to be entertained so whatever he does makes the story more interesting.
favorite moment from this arc was when Gon told Killua he's really glad that Killua's his friend, and Killua thought to himself it's the opposite.
Watching you makes me happy!! I love hearing you talk about these books that I love so much! Keep it up!!
Fun Fact:
About Biscuit and how quickly she changes her mind about her set goal.
*This is done purposefully.*
There is actually a literary term for this in characters in Japanese manga and its called "Gap Moe," where you're introduced to a character that acts one way but completely contradicts them in some moments. (Ex: A shy character being outgoing, a tough guy liking cute things, an evil character doing something good, etc.) The defining factor of Gap Moe in stories is the fact that its kind of jarring and surprising when it happens and many people enjoy that in manga. Characters doing things they you don't expect from them given their background is intended to be an endearing quality in many manga characters. Though, understandably, it doesn't always land. Biscuit is that case depending on the reader.
To comment on what many people are saying about Biscuit, her character makes more sense when you realize she has a one minded psychology and the will to follow through on that regardless of the morality, like hisoka. Everything to her is either worthless or a valuable gem, literally and metaphorically. Gon and killua are the most precious uncut gems you can find, as further backed up by hisoka's obsession with gon. I feel like this is why we can even trust her as a mentor even with her initial introduction as trying to come between gon and killua. Trying to polish these raw gems is all she needs to take up the work and responsibility of mentoring them, which is a lot of work. I never felt like she was setting them up to betray them, at least. Plus she thinks they can actually help her beat the game which they do end up doing.
Lastly, love the hxh videos, can't wait for the next one!
HxH is the first story i Ever payed attention to, I was 7 years old when it was dubbed on Tv and i just fell in love with everything about it, the channel kept rerunning it over the years and i watched every time it was on. And as i grew up i seeked any thing related to this anime and with no more chapters being released for 2y I can't describe how enjoyable it is to watch your videos.
I can't wait for u to get to the succession war arc even tho it's not finished.
You have what I think is the best arc in all of Manga coming up after this. Please take your time with the chimara any arc. There is so much there to be explored.
i'm so excited to see how you react to my favorite arc and my favorite part of Gon's personality. Your sheer excitement in these videos is intoxicating mixed with the fact that this is my favorite shonen of all time
There's practicality nothing I wanna watch more than merphy having a chat with grand line's wife, about hunter x hunter.
Murphy picking up on that foreshadowing hard. :) "something like that"
12:40 Love that you put "Roy Mustang" in the cc lmao
This is top tier content, i am now a giant fan of yours, it’s a surprise to me ur not bigger than u already are on yt
I love how much you get it even just reading it once.
I've never turn the subtitle on before. Now I will never turn it off for your videos.
I'm pretty sure that when they are calling gon a monster, they are speaking on his potential strength and talent as monsterous not that they believe he will be corrupted or become evil.
Based on what happens, I believe the choice of words was deliberate.
They use monster only with Gon and never with Killua
People shouldn't be confirming or denying her predictions. Let her be surprised, let her experience moments of doubt, it's not that hard to refrain from spoilers.
unlike some of these other fellas I totally agree with your biscuit criticism. U gotta watch the anime version of some of the chimera ant arc fights too
omg i can't wait for your commentary on the chimera ant arc!!!!
Thank you for loving Hisoka as much as he deserves
LONG VIDEOS ARE OK! Please nerd out. We're here for it.
This is not my fav arc but i still appreciate it. The dodgeball game was so good!
I think the Biscuit motivation shift thing is the explanation how Bisky want to "Polish gems."
I love these videos. This is the arc that literally throws it in your face how insane Gon is. The next the arc is probably going to be 3 to 4 part video series lmao.
Greed Island is the most underappreciated arc in HxH. Good to see someone geek out about the world building like I do. Very interested in your thoughts on the 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜.
You're going to absolutely love the next arc, maybe not pacing wise and some of the narrative decisions, but the highs of the arc are truly the best of the best in all of fiction
The "destroy their friendship" part was more of a translation error. It was meant as a "play with them, but in mean spirited way"
i wish i were you. whenever the information is there i feel like OBLIGATED to understand every aspect. im so annoyed for that, but still very fun and interesting. i love this arc
Finally! Someone who I can share my absolute enthusiasm with GI cards and their implications about Nen. I was ridiculously dumb founded when i realized that cards in GI are REAL nen powers in stored form, which means there's nen users out there who has Accompany and Angel's Breath as nen abilities.
“All this foreshadowing makes me think Gon will have some kind of corruption arc”
👀
Yeah but it's more like "all this foreshadowing _plus commenters incessantly dropping hints about Gon's future development_ makes me think Gon will have some kind of corruption arc".
@@jesse8924 I know! It’s great!
Love your video. I want to push back on your observations on Gon's motivations during dodgeball. "He's willing to hurt his friend to get what he wants." He's so worked up exactly because his friend almost died and now we're calling him morbidly selfish? Gon and Killua have opted into months of grueling, life threatening training together as a partnership. If Gon excluded Killua, you can tell by Killua reactions that that would have been a betrayal of their partnership. Killua wants to be included in this just as much as Gon wants to smack that ball into Razor's smug smirk. Gon understands this and he feels it too.
I’m so glad that you’re noticing the selfishness that Gon displays!
Now that youre at this point in the story I think I can fairly say that to me one of the major themes of this series is subverting expectations. Any and all events or ideas that Togashi is building up to happen in ways that we never would have expected. The way the hunter exams ended, the way york new ended, and even the way the phantom troupe was shown in this arc, they all subvert the direction we thought the story was heading towards.
I’ve never contextualized this before, but with the way Togashi has set up Gon and the Nen power system, he has really and truly reversed the usual Shounen formula. It’s not unusual to have a main character without personal limits. It’s not unusual to have a vague and open ended power-system. And it’s not unusual to have a somewhat restrictive power-system. It is very unusual to pair a highly restrictive power-system with a main character that, at his core, has no limits.
My favorite arc is coming up. Can't wait!
The sad thing with Killua is he's never had a friend - this is all new for him - and like abused kids IRL can't really separate abuse from love, this self sacrificing gesture, this harm that Killua chooses to undertake for his friend who shows no concern before or after the match, is another piece of foreshadowing
On the Killua holding the ball: notice how happy Killua is that Goes trusts him this way. Killua doesn't know love. The people who are supposed to love him have tourtured him constantly. His family basically thought him that the people who love you put you in pain. So he is not only happy wih Gon making him hurt... But happy for it.
Gon is basically using Killua's abuse to his advantage (although he doesn't really thinks about it that way... But he knows, at least, he knows enough to know Killua will do what he says (he says that literally in the next arc xP)
Great work thus far tracking Gon's character. His tendencies toward tunnel vision and unyielding determination are intriguing as character traits in part because they simultaneously act as a natural extension of what we know (and, generally, like) about our protagonist's personality -- his optimism, his resilience in the face of challenges, his eagerness to strive toward his goals -- while working to further complicate our ability to root for him -- or at least to support his (reckless, endangering, self-endangering) methods. The story is refreshingly committed to exploring the many implications of Gon's pluck.
I'm glad you've enjoyed HxH up until now -- thanks as always for sharing your insights and reactions, and I'm excited to hear what you'll make of what comes next for Gon and our favorite lightning boy!
I think Bisky was pretty well characterized by switching from wanting to destroy their friendship to mentoring them. She is obsessed with gems. She first sees the friendship which triggers that first, petty desire; but then sees exactly how unpolished these beautiful gems are and feels the need to polish them and reveal their true beauty
Biscuit loves gems-- she loves basically polished, refined, rocks. What's attractive about gems is that they originally are raw and ugly clumps of minerals, but with perfect attention and the right circumstances they can develop into the most beautiful things.
That's why Biscuit took on Gon and Killua, that's what attracted her to them, that was the switch. She saw such raw power and wanted to refine it into gems. Also, as others pointed out, her personality is sorta aloof-- this *is* the same woman that is going though a whole game *just* for a pretty gem.
But yeah, it was odd for me too at first. But as I got to know her and her obsession with gems, it made more sense. Plus, refining these two boys is a lot more rewarding than just getting a gem, which is also why I think she decided to hold off on completing the game-- she's doubled her reward.
I see Biscuit's desire to break their friendship as a sort of harsh test she gives people to see if their friendship will survive. Think about every way she had them improve: by breaking them down and destroying everything they knew, forcing them to improve or give up. She loves to tear things apart to see if they will survive it, because those survivors turn into the most beautiful jewels. She probably has legitimately destroyed countless things of value, because when the going went tough, they would end up giving up and showing their true colors to be dingy and ugly. But it's worth it to her for the few times the most beautiful jewels come out shining in the end.
I think the main and only thing that sells Genthru is his nen abilities, his abilities are strong to an extent but they are elaborated on and display the enhanced strength that Nen grants through limitations. Genthru's necessity to touch someone and say "Bomber" combined with the possibility of removing the bomb by touching him and saying "I caught the bomber" gives his power both a limitation but also increases its strength.
I explain Biscuit's change of heart by realizing that she is a sucker for precious gemstones (her whole motivation to play the game was to get "blue planet") and when she saw the crazy unused potential these two kids had she just couldn't resist but to try and polish them.
Love this amazing video and your amazing channel please stay safe and enjoy your reading love your Australia fan John prayers and thoughts for you and your family xxxx