It’s off to Kukuroo Mountain and a slew of new and deadly challenges.
What They Say:
After arriving in the Republic of Podokea, Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika board a tour bus to Kukuroo Mountain, where Killua lives. However, they’re blocked by a massive gate. Anyone who attempts to enter through the side door is eaten by the watchdog. Gon tells the guard that they are friends of Killua and asks to be let in.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Hunter x Hunter finished out the Exam phase of the series well in the previous episode with some tension and then a look at what’s involved with being a Hunter to some degree. There’s a lot more to it than explored there, but it offered some of the basics and the importance of their license itself. It also went and reaffirmed the bonds of the three that passed with Gon, Kurapika and Leorio as they’ve decided to go find where Killua lives and figure out how to get back with him. That has them going to Kukuroo Mountain where his assassin family has their massive residence that they operate out of. The journey there is fairly quick all told, but it shows some really neat beauty to the area and its residence as well as a good sense of fun and discovery from the trio as they move along, something that I don’t think was really captured well in the previous series.
The arrival at the Zoldyck family estate is certainly imposing as it’s essentially the end of the tour and a place where you can just tell bad things happen. Particularly when a couple of people try to sneak in past the massive gate only to get eaten within second and have their remains tossed out. While everyone else flees, the trio are excited to finally be at Killua’s home and to figure out how to see him, which is difficult in general even with a very helpful gatekeeper who is just pleased that Killua apparently has friends now. The whole setup for the gate and what’s beyond is really fun since it’s this deadly creature, which means the gate isn’t locked and that leaves the trio the chance to get in, sneak past Mike and find Killua. The gatekeeper is actually a neat guy as we see more about him and it adds a fun little layer to events.
Gon’s intention to see Killua is certainly filled with problems though since getting to him is proving to be near impossible. While the gatekeeper is certainly amenable to the idea, there are things that have to be dealt with first, such as either getting past the multiple gates and Mike, or speaking directly with the butler at the mansion in hopes of getting to talk to Killua. But there are things that the butler won’t let fly, especially since there are instructions previously given and the unbelievable idea that Killua actually has friends to deal with first. It’s really fun when Gon gets all ticked off after his conversation with the butler and make his move, but it’s a moment that sets other things into motion as well. Gon’s personality really continues to shine brightly here and it’s easy to understand why he makes such an impression on other people, even those he’s just met.
In Summary:
The shift away from the Exam phase of the series was a hard one in the previous series and in the manga itself since we had gone down a particular path for so long. By moving it to a smaller group of people, a new locale and a new series of struggles, it’s familiar yet not. The arrival at Kukuroo Mountain has a lot to offer and I almost wish they spent more time in town and dealing with the surrounding area before getting into the Zoldyck family and how its operates its mansion and the challenges that the trio has to face to get to see Killua again. But it all moves well here, taking a good bit of time without feeling dragged out. The group doesn’t truly get far here but so much is covered and explored it feels like it flies by at the same time. Very, very fun.
Grade: B+
Readers Rating: [ratings]
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Sony KDS-R70XBR2 70″ LCoS 1080P HDTV, Dell 10.1 Netbook via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
