Is it the best Shonen?
I like to think so. What are your opinions about HxH and Shone in General
>>3813I was the same tbh, but the second time I gave it a try, I came to learn why it was so hyped up.
Ofc, it's not so deep as most weebs like to think. I mean which Anime is really, but it is definitely the best among the shonen animes
>>3823it starts good and gets better and better and better lol, basically never stops at getting better which is pretty hard to achieve
-best fighting system, its pretty complex but awesome
-main characters are underpowered and have to use their intellect often, especially in the beginning
-arcs are rich in diversity
>>3825I also like the Fact that the main 4 are seperated a lot of the Time, because everybody has his own goals.
Also that Togashi kills off likeable characters whenever it is needed, is good writing.
Makes this Shonen a bit more realistic
>>3845If you don't like the Anime that's fine. If you don't like shonen, it's fine too.
I just don't get why you make shit up and claim there is a Logical inconsistency with the Chimera Ants, because there isn't.
>>3808I honestly don't get why it's liked so much, granted I haven't watched any of it passed the game arc since I got so tired out of it, but it's just nothing special. I hear all about that it doesn't fall into shoenin traps and is less predictable but it doesn't substitute it with anything interesting.
Example that comes to mind is the Killua "save" arc. It starts with the previous arc teaser with Killua killing someone being potentially controlled by his brother. It then builds up that he's in chains with him needing to be "saved" and presenting all the strong family members.
Then the arc happens, the only fight is just Gon being beaten up by a black chick, Killua walks away from his prison, and the arc just with them walking away. I didn't expect any of it sure, but it just felt empty and pointless. I know the counter is that it's a "deconstruction" but it should still replace with something interesting. Like look at ygo abridged, deconstructs the series and replaces the bits with comedy (going farther than the game arc went).
And I don't get the magic in the series, sure it makes "sense" seeing the base level and seeing its application, but it's still magic, it's all nonsense. Imagine in Naruto they explained chakra, then explained 10 different stages of it, then finally explained jutsus .
>>7055Greed island is the training arc. Nobody likes them, so I can understand skipping it imo.
The chimera ant arc is my favorite src by far. Without spoiling anything, hxh doesn't Peter out like YYH did.
After the chimera ant arc, you have to read, and there you will see hxh has been slowly maturing into a sort of seinen with shounen characteristics
Let’s begin with Hegel’s theory of self-consciousness. For Hegel, the most primitive form of consciousness is certainty at the level of sense experience. It is the experience of “this” or “here” rather than classifications like red or round. Such sense-certainty’s utterance, Hegel argues, is incoherent. For example, suppose I uttered the sentence “here is nighttime,” wrote it down, woke up the next day, and read it aloud. How is here nighttime? This is indeed very peculiar. Why does the truth of sense-certainty disappear when written down? Hegel explains that sense-certainty cannot be expressed because it is knowledge of the particular, and language expresses knowledge of the general or universal. (71) Here, there, and now cannot express sense-certainty, because there is more than one here or now – it is a universal. Wait! How do we then make sense of proper names one might ask? Aren’t they particular? Hegel’s answer to this question was that proper names are meaningless because they only refer to the name itself. One could push further on this issue; but I won’t pursue it anymore since this essay’s aim is to draw a parallel between Hegel’s theory and Meruem’s character rather than to criticize Hegel’s philosophy.
At the next level of perception, consciousness classifies objects according to their universal properties; this proves inadequate and so at the level of understanding, consciousness imposes its own laws on reality. Such laws include Newton’s laws. They classify raw sense data under concepts like gravity and force. They “are not things we see existing in reality, but constructs made by our understanding to help us grasp reality.” (74) Beyond this level of perception is the level of understanding in which consciousness begins to reflect upon itself. However, Hegel noted that, “self-consciousness…cannot exist in isolation. If a consciousness is to form a proper picture of itself, it needs some contrast.” (75) This means that we must be aware of something other than ourselves. Hegel explains that we have a desire to possess that other entity of which we are aware. We want to “transform it into something that is [ours], and thus strip it of its [sovereignty].” (76)
This all sounds similar to those who have witnessed Meruem’s character arc, as he first began as a being that merely satisfied his basic desires – sense-certainty and the particular rather than the universal. This is evident in the way he forcibly ripped himself out of his mother’s womb and immediately embarked on a search for food. According to Hegel, Meruem would be in the first stage of self-consciousness at this point. It is interesting to take note of the fact that Meruem did not speak very much during the first few days after his birth. He was simply performing whatever action seemed to satisfy his desires rather than reflect upon his actions or himself through language, which Hegel believes is juxtaposed with desires – desires are subjective and language is universal.
Sure enough, when we begin to see more of Meruem’s inner dialogue and conversations with other people he isn’t merely focused on his primal desires anymore. He has arrived at the next stage of self-consciousness. This is when we see him classifying human beings and chimera ants according to their properties. He is now interested in the differences between those who possess Nen and those who do not. Such contemplation eventually leads him to impose universal laws unto the world as we can witness from his rather extreme form of social darwinism – power is the only thing that matters. He tries to organize his underlings and the food he eats according to this philosophy. However, it is quite obvious that this mode of thinking is immature. It resembles a caricature of Nietzsche’s übermensch that people often tout as profound and enlightening. Such immaturity begins to be expressed through the desire to possess and destroy another entity. This can be seen in Meruem’s battles against chess masters and Komugi. But even such relationships are unstable as we see Meruem destroy the chess masters and grow agitated by the fact that he cannot best Komugi.
Hegel argued that, at this stage of self-consciousness, one needs to observe another self-conscious entity to grow. He believes that this allows one to see what self-consciousness is like. He believed that social interaction was crucial, for an isolated child would never develop mentally beyond the level of mere consciousness without social interaction. (77) We can observe such growth from Meruem as he interacts with Komugi. He begins to notice the majesty and complexity of other self-conscious beings. He wishes to be recognized as a worthy adversary and he becomes angered when he mistakenly believes that she does not consider him as one. Hegel explained it could destroy one’s identity if others fail to recognize his or her self-consciousness. Like nations that need to be acknowledged by other nations to be a full-fledged state, self-consciousness needs to be recognized for what it is, which peculiarly makes it what it is. A nation was already there, but recognition makes it more complete. (78)
Nonetheless, even such interactions can be toxic. Hegel believed that self-consciousness tries to be pure – detached from material objects – yet it is very attached to its body and others’ bodies. In order to show that they are not attached to such bodies, they try to kill each other. (79) One can observe this from Meruem’s bid to wager his arm and Komugi’s life over a game of gungi. Surely, such violence is pointless. If the loser dies, then the victor kills the person by whom they need to be recognized. Such insight led Hegel to write his famous master-slave dialectic. The victor keeps the loser alive so that he can have someone by whom he can be recognized – the master is dependent on the slave. This concept is quite revolutionary as it turns the usual thoughts regarding this relationship upside down – the master is the one who needs the slave, but the slave does not need the master. The slave shapes her ideas into objects and labor. Through this process, she becomes more aware of her own consciousness that is poured into her labor and the objects of her labor. Through such labor, she learns that she has a mind of her own. (80) On the other hand, the master sees the slave as a thing; therefore, he doesn’t get the recognition he needs.
Analogous to Hegel’s master-slave dialectic, Komugi the slave is confident in her own identity through her labor: gungi. We see her crying over the product of her own labor – her original gungi move– for it represents her essence. Meruem is destabilized by such confidence, since he had seen her as a mere thing rather than a self-conscious being. And once he begins to treat her as a self-conscious being he begins to contemplate his own identity – What is his name? What does it mean to be a King? In other words, he becomes more self-conscious.
Unlike Hegel’s odyssey, Meruem’s journey doesn’t end with the recognition that Mind or Geist is the essence of all reality and that our individual minds are parts of a whole that shapes and constitutes reality. His journey ends with the recognition that he can choose to be human, that he wishes to spend the rest of his life with Komugi. This decision isn’t so surprising if one realizes that Komugi herself is an existentialist figure. She embodies Heidegger’s argument that a worker who is absorbed in their work is more in touch with their Being. Komugi, as we have surveyed, is very in touch with her Being. She looks ahead to her death and believes her life to be finite, which Heidegger insisted was the essential nature of our relationship with Time. She sees her life as a series of choices that she makes for herself rather than what they tell her; hence, she sets up her own principles for her own life as we see from her vow to take her life if she loses a gungi match. It is all the more meaningful to take this into account and witness Meruem’s choice to be with Komugi rather than fulfill his genetic and socio-cultural destiny as a Chimera Ant King who must procreate with another female to continue the prosperity of his race. Instead, he chooses the person who is dearest and this very choice itself is a lesson she taught him – that life is a choice rather than what they tell you to do.
>>8009I originally posted this pic →
>>7278 to mock hunterfags, but it seems you just took it as a challenge lmao
>>8011It's too late, you have got us talking. if you aren't a hunter x hunter fan you will never know the bliss of writing a galaxybrain essay on why Hunter x Hunter applies to (philosophy here).
>>8009What a great analysis, I've never read Hegel so I'll just say based and redpilled.
Now here is one of my Hunter X Hunter takes:
The world of Hunter X Hunter is a fascist eugenical hellworld and here's why.
It would be easy to think that Hunter X Hunter is set in more or less a world like our own, considering the depth of world-building Togashi pulls off. However, if you put the basic structure of how the world works in Hunter X Hunter you could come to the conclusion that it's actually much darker than our own. Why? Nen.
Nen is Hunter X Hunters shounen anime superpower de jour, and like most shounen anime it's explained in detail, but one specific little detail of Nen does not go directly explained but is instead implied by the author - Nen powerlevel seems to be inheritable.
What do I mean by this? Consider the main protagonists Gon and Killua, they are both the sons of two of the most power Nen users in the Hunter X Hunter universe. Gon is the son of Ging Frecees, who is a top Hunter and one of the most powerful nen users ever. Killua, likewise, is the son of Silva Zoldyck, who is one of the most powerful nen users ever and also the greatest assassin in the world.
Gon and Killua just so happen to have been said to be "top talents" and at powerlevel potentials of one in 10,000,000. Now although this is not concrete proof that powerlevel is inherited in Hunter X Hunter, the latest "succession arc" features heirs to the kingdom of Kakin who of course just so happen to be super powerful high tier nen gods, their father, the king of Kakin, is also a high tier nen god.
Why does this make the Hunter X Hunter world a facist nightmare hellworld? Simple, unlike wealth Nen cannot be redistributed. You are either born a high-tier god or low tier trash and have absolutely no way of changing that. This results in the society of Hunter X Hunter becoming a facist dystopia in which the 1% of nen users have absolute control of the world and the lowest percent of nen users can do absolutely nothing to fix this or stop them.
This powerlevel distribution problem is highlighted brilliantly several times in the show. Consider the Zoldyck family who are all high-tier nen gods but all absolutely reprehensible psychopathic assassins who abuse their children, horde wealth, and care absolutely nothing for the world outside of their expansive private estate.
However, I think the worst example of this is the Hunter Association itself. The Hunter Association is supposed to guard the secrets of Nen use from people who would abuse it, but in reality that goes out the window in the first arc because they let Hisoka, a psychopathic murder pedo clown, become a hunter. Hisoka is at that point already a high tier god who knows how to use Nen, but by getting a hunting license he is given access to unprecedented resources and privileges.
However, I think the real tradegy of the Hunter Association is best embodied in Gon's dad, Ging. Ging is one of the most powerful Nen users ever. And what does he do with his power? We don't even really know. He's explored ruins and tamed powerful creatures, but other than that it's left as a vague "cool shit". Instead of taking of the mantle of responsibility in his life, Ging simply does cool shit far away from not only actual human beings who are suffering but even his own son, who he sees as more of an obstacle to his own pleasure seeking. In fact, the one time the world was truly threatened with destruction by the Chimera ants, Ging was simply "away" while his own son fought as a child soldier against absolute Nen gods. Would Ging even care if Gon died? Seemingly not, as when Gon was in critical condition after the arc he didn't even go to see Gon. Would Ging even notice if Gon died? Ging is so powerful and so wealthy that he can literally just pursue his own entertainment at the expense of not only the world but even his own son.
>>8022Yeah it's just shounen that appeals to all ages like a classic pixar movie.
>>8017>>8023This is one of the most fun things about Hunter X Hunter, you got a deconstruction of both the creepy eugenic power inheritance ( a la DBZ) and the creepy child soldier trope (a la naruto), which leads to the facist eugenics hellworld of hunter X hunter
>>9748>nen as a super secret thingTHAT BOTHERS ME SO FUCKING MUCH. Especially since it's so incredibly varied and useful. You have a girl that can literally tell the future with her nen powers, and it can do all other kinds of incredible things besides–except cure radiation poisoning I guess.
At least nen isn't some super special bloodline shit and in theory anyone can use it, but the fact that everyone doesn't, or at least doesn't know about it (especially in regards to Greed Island, how the duck do they think that shit works? Fucking magic???) drives me crazy.
>>11632I think the idea is that the world is mostly modern japan,with all the soul crushing that it entails,so most people are incapable of using nen because they wouldn't have the time to train it,dismiss it as nonsense etc,it's kind of an asspull that Gon and Kirua managed to get Nen that easily,just after they said it was basically the result of luck or monk-like training,and that's why all the nen users end up outside of society,used as weapons to engage in colonialism of the outer wilds. (especially since certains people are already stronger than regular human beings without having nen,as we can see in the first arcs)
But the author probably just forgot to add depth to his worldbuiling outside of the grandiose outer world,so that's just speculation.
>>11635>so most people are incapable of using nen because they wouldn't have the time to train it,Perhaps, except they also make a point of showing that even if regular people can't perceive it or know that they're doing it, they can still use it in a rudimentary way, like when Gon noticed the nen-infused knockoff that appraiser made, and iirc the fortune teller is one of those people that were just born with nen abilities.
I guess the Hunter association is a way for governments to channel these essentially unstoppable nen users into doing socially and economically useful things, and for the average person something like Greed Island might be able to be explained away as some kind of advanced technology, but then you have stuff like the Battle Tower where you have crowds of people that see stuff like people apparently regrowing limbs or making full body doubles of themselves, and it's pretty incredible that no one starts asking questions
>>11944It's the true Kurapika Arc™ Experience.
I actually read all of it tho,but I can't remember half of what was said.
>>15270Fret not, HunterCHAD, Togashi has officially returned (not only with more chapters, but new YYH art as well), and with him, the greatest set-up arc can continue until we reach the Dark Continent, the future greatest Shonen arc in history.
All we have do to is wait, as long as it takes.
>>5795HunterxHunter
CHADS what were yalls thoughts on chapter 391-400. This setup arc is so fucking good but god damn we're less than halfway through T_T
>>20995The only difference between the two is Gon meets Kite in chapter 1.
And I guess Togashi gets a bit lazy with the art
>>11965 >>3808>Is (HxH) the best Shonen? No
>What are your opinions about HxH and Shone in General HxH feels too much like a video-game later on in the series and it jumps the shark a bit too much for my taste.
Shonen is fun but it's hard to do a good shonen that isn't low-brow schlock, and in general the genre gets a bad rep from pseudo-intellectual retards.
I honestly think the way the fandom talks about HxH gives people unreasonable expectations which leads to undeserved backlash. It's not super deep or grimdark (even "deconstruction" is a stretch), it's just a weird creative story that plays by its own rules. Also both anime versions completely screw up the pacing (as is wont for shonen adaptations) and make it harder to get into, in contrast to the manga where the first few arcs are actually very breezy and fun (that said I agree with
>>25530 esp in regards to the art).
Anyway it's fucking back motherfuckers.
Unique IPs: 38