What They Say:
Gon, a young boy who lives on Whale Island, dreams of becoming a Hunter like his father, who left when Gon was still young.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Hunter x Hunter has had a pretty interesting and fun run since it got this arc going after all the heavy melodrama and angst of the Chimera Ants arc. We got to have some decent time with Killua and Alluka that really showcased how smart and crafty Killua is as he used the rules of Alluka’s powers and mindset well in order to get what he wanted. The show is also bringing us back into orbit with some favorites from quite awhile ago with Kurapika and Leorio, which is good as Leorio managed to have a lot of fun at the Hunter’s Association meeting to shift the narrative of the elections when he directed some sharp questions at Gon’s father Ging, who has largely been absent from his son’s life for the vast majority of it.
The first round of the election didn’t hit the marks it needed to make it a clean sweep so the next layer of events is going into play as those that are at the top of the list start marketing themselves, which includes people like Parish, Cheadle, Leorio, Botobai, Mizaistom, Ickshonpe, Teradein, Morel, Saccho and Biscuit as the top ten people involved. We get a good breakdown of them and others in the first half, which details their objectives to some degree and some of their quirks, and it all fits into standard form for the show in providing a lot of material for fans to get into. There’s a lot of information to take in with it though and it can feel pretty overwhelming as they go through sixteen candidates, right through Ging, and what they all mean. Watching that and then getting some time with Killua as he watches what happened with Leorio is kind of appropriate though since it pulls things together in a rather fun way with a sort of silliness that’s needed considering the seriousness of what Alluka represents.
The first half largely serves as a recap of things as we get time with Killua talking through it all and bringing all the finer points of what’s gone on with him to the forefront again. Things shift to action quickly enough as Joker and Killua’s brother attack the car he’s in so as to get a hold of Alluka for himself and his plans. There’s some neat moments with this, particular as Joker asks if he can kill Killua, as we see the kind of intensity as play with how Illumi views Killua. Joker, of course, is playing games of his own here and watching it unfold – with some great comical moments in character designs – is a thing of beauty. With Killua and his group on the run now, we get some decent material out of it as they get moving as the chase is underway and the usual kinds of exposition are done in terms of explaining powers, abilities and the best way to try and take someone down.
In Summary:
Hunter x Hunter has a few irons in the fire it can work with when it comes to this arc and spending time with Killua again isn’t a bad thing. That it brings in Joker and Illumi to the game is a real treat since there’s a lot of fun in how Joker views the world and his own goals, especially when it comes to Gon and through association his friends. This episode spends a bit more time on exposition of recent events in the first half than I’d care for, and a lengthy breakdown of characters involved in the election itself with all their quirks, but it gets the point across and likely delights fans of various minor characters in them getting their moment in the sun. For me, it’s all about Joker and Illumi as they interact with each other and the attacks get underway.
Grade: B+
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Sony KDL70R550A 70″ LED 1080P HDTV, Apple TV via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
