The auction is getting closer and more forces are arriving in the city.
What They Say:
The biggest auction in the world is about to take place in York New City. The Phantom Troupe leader, Chrollo, has instructed the members to gather in the city. For what purpose? The band of murdering thieves is about to make its move.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
While a lot of other things have gone on within the series as of late, everything has culminated in the principal players all coming to York New City for the big auction .The why of being there is different, but the end result is the same. We got most of our look at events from Kurapika and the group he’s signed up with in order to deal with it while Gon and Killua have come because of the Greed Island material that’s going to be available in the auction. What we get from them is certainly cute early on though as they use their Hunter license to access to the auction, which requires some Nen use. It’s kind of goofy, but it’s done with enough style and lightness that it manages to work well enough. And they learn a touch more about the game too, such as it being a requirement to be able to use Nen.
With the two of them hunting up the Greed Island game, they learn what’s at stake in terms of cost with the seven copies expected to sell for about nine billion Jenny each, something they definitely don’t have. That sets them to acquiring more money through flea markets and treasure hunts to sell things at the auction so they can afford it. It’s kind of simple in nature, but it fits the two boys well and they go at it with a lot of gung ho enthusiasm that’s kind of infectious. At the same time, we see how Kurapika’s being instructed with the others of his group about their protection job for the auction. The bodyguard gig will put them close to what they need and it keeps him in the loop when it comes to what the Phantom Troupe is up to, which is his larger goal.
We get some really interesting stuff with this episode, though it is somewhat awkward in its structure. I love the introduction of the girl that they guard with the way she has an almost mythical feeling about her through the music, but that it’s tied to all of them riding in some fancy and expensive cars. Of course, even though she has her serious moments, she also loves to shop and that factors into the show as well. The show deals with this and several other small bits as we see the varied people all coming together in the city and giving clue as to what it will all mean. And when you add in what the Phantom Troupe brings to it, you just know it’s all going to go big. Yet it doesn’t feel like it’s coming together well for a lot of it until near the end when the bloody intentions are made clear.
In Summary:
Hunter x Hunter has a lot going on here but comes across in a way that makes you feel like it isn’t being laid out clearly. While Gon and Killua’s story works well and builds on what came before, Kurapika’s bit isn’t as clear here as he gets more mired in what’s going on. Between the bodyguard duty they have and the auction time, they’re going to be busy enough. And throwing further chaos into the mix is the arrival of the Phantom Troupe with Chrollo setting some big targets in mind and having someone like Hisoka in tow that will only bring other tensions to the forefront. I like where it’s going, but I don’t like how it’s getting there at this point.
Grade: B-
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.
