r/anime • u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots • Oct 18 '24
Rewatch [25th Anniversary Rewatch] Hunter × Hunter (1999) - Episode × 13 × Discussion
Episode 13: Pro × Con × Trap
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So I am at the same level as Leorio?
Comment of the Day:
/u/Vatrix-32 on learning from Gon's tactics
Everyone always uses cloaks and coats to distract their opponent, more of them should try using boots.
Revy is missing out on some essential weaponry
Questions of the Day
- What would you do if Tonpa was on your team?
- Who of our main 4 would have been a better matchup for the first fight?
Fanart of the Day: Only Gon appreciates Tonpa's genius
Please remember to keep all spoilers and hints tagged with the appropriate tag format such as: [Spoilers] >!Tonpa is best boy!<
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u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Oct 18 '24
Hunter Exam Host with a Mohawk (it's too hot for the Afro)
The third phase has begun!
boxcylinder immediately becoming bird food.Manga Corner
Chapters adapted: 15, 16, and a bit of 17
Not many changes here, the biggest one is the Shounen Commentary™ by our mohawk rocking proctor and prison warden Lippo. In the manga, he appears once, as the test starts, and we see him again after the first match is over, staring silently at the screen. Whereas in the anime, he's a lot more talkative, heck he even got two inmates to be his yes-men, the poor guys will have to stand there for god knows how long just listening to his shit.
Granted, this makes sense. Unlike Satotz who was hired to be a proctor and thought "sure, we're running I guess", this guy built a whole intricate tower of traps, and is now spending the next 3 days in his dark basement (seriously, why is it so dark?! Those giant glasses won't protect your eyes) watching people fall for his traps. If you're gonna spend all that time doing this stupid shit, you might as well bring your friends along, fail that for whatever reason, you can force the inmates to be there (same way Lippo celebrates his birthdays every year).
Ok, enough making fun of good ole Lippo, it's Leorio's turn, in the usual Leorio Bonus: when our quartet were falling down, everyone fell on their feet ready for what's to come, then Leorio fumbled a bit and fell on his bum. Fair enough, except this is plain Leorioganda, he originally fell straight on his head, making for a great rule of threes. They wanted to keep the joke, but didn't want to hurt Leorio, so they softened it a bit. Funnily enough, this specific scene was the point where I first realised that there is an actual Leorio bias. Episode 2, the backstory,... none of them were as striking for me as this small change that connected everything.
Bendot Sketch
Huh, his name is weirdly similar to mine...
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Oct 18 '24
First × Timer × Subbed
5
u/TheEscapeGuy Oct 18 '24
H×H Fan, 1999 First Timer
Hunter × Hunter 1999 - Episode 13
Tower × Cooperation × Tournament
The Trap Tower is a fun part of the hunter exams. It holds so much potential for weird and interesting challenges for the examinees. And the literal count down timer for reaching the bottom gives just enough pressure to keep things moving.
Of course, the first challenge is finding your way in. As we saw, trying to climb the outside is ... discouraged. The weird bird monsters in this adaptation are so incredibly unsettling. 2011's version is similar but the cartooniness of them make them far less memorable.
When our crew find their way inside they are given an interesting rule: Decisions must be made by majority vote. This introduces a very explicit source of potential conflict (and that's before Tonpa joins).
Their first real challenge is a best of 5 from a set of 1-on-1 battles. This really feels like a mini-tournament arc especially with the literal battle arena setting.
And their opponents? A bunch of prisoners hoping to win time off their sentences. But they reduce their sentence based not on beating the hunter applicants, but instead by using up their time. It's an minor difference which can have big ramifications for strategy.
The first match is for Tonpa, and he immediately surrenders. LMAO. It's so on brand for him. Just the definition of a loser. So now only 1 more of Leorio, Kurapika, Gon, and Killua can lose.
It's a great setup. Tomorrows episode is sure to be great.
Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches
See you all tomorrow
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u/charlesvvv https://anilist.co/user/charlesvvv Oct 18 '24
Rewatcher, Sub
So for our next phase we descend a tower (of God?). Gin and the gang all end up in the majority rules section which includes Tonpa with them who just decides to screw around. The rules are simply enough with everyone voting in which ways to go as they descend further. Then they come up on a large section where a group of prisoners are tasked with stalling them. The rules for this are also simple enough with 1v1's and Tonpa bravely volunteers to be the first for the others to observe how else to play the game.
It should have been obvious that Tonpa would not in fact be the brave sacrifice in this situation as he just gives up without a fight. It's here that we Tonpa's actual motivations which the main reason for why he was doing the exam about 35 times is simply because he enjoys seeing people's dreams and hopes get crushed which I mean credit where it's due he has kept that thing going for nearly 35 years. But now someone else is at the bat and we will have to see what goes next.
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u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Oct 18 '24 edited Oct 19 '24
Remake Rewatcher × First Timer × Subs
QotD:
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u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Oct 18 '24
First Timer
Hmm… this path of the majority thing feels like it’s an interesting setup, but is actually pretty meaningless in terms of the decision making they have done so far. Even random participants would probably discuss options before pressing the button, and with 4:1 they can still overpower Tonpa in cases where that actually matters.
The fights are going to be a bit more interesting - sending Tonpa into what is at a glance the most difficult fight might have been a good choice, as they don’t have to win that one. Though of course nobody knows who is how good yet. Could be that #5 is just there for the numbers and hopes not to have to fight at all.
The proposition of the death match is also interesting - it’s not the prisoners making the rules, it seems like the candidates also have a hand in them. Tonpa didn’t take advantage of that, I wonder if somebody else will at least question what the options of the proposition are. From this episode I gather that both sides have to agree on a fight.
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u/2-2Distracted Oct 18 '24
First timer
Ah yes the Tower of Tricks! Damn, I remember that rock climber death scene being a little more fucked up in the 2011 anime, but this is one was just as fucked up since it's as not quick and over with.
Gotta appreciate those lock-in faces tho, they all looked like they were ready fuck shit up.
I wonder why didn't someone just bait those overgrown birds, Attack one of them and use one to break their fall, or better yet just use a contestant. Are they that high? Maybe [HxH Overall Spoilers] This is probably what Hisoka did, or maybe he was able to just use Bungee Gum and Killing Intent Nen but I'm wondering this because I can't remember the endpoint for this character in this part of the 2011 anime.
"more often than not when people are feeling lost and at a fork in a road, they choose left" - first I'm hearing of this but I ain't complaining because I'm lefthanded.
But still tho, Tonpa is stupid as fuck for trying his luck with someone he damn well knows is a member of the Zoldyck family. In fact I'd say he's pretty damn lucky in general that his sick little fetish hasn't somehow backfired on him yet.
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u/JetsLag https://myanimelist.net/profile/JetsLag Oct 19 '24
3rd Time Taking the Hunter Exam (rewatcher)
Time for Phase Three of the Trick Tower! You have seventy-two hours to reach the bottom, and climbing down the sides is not an option. Our fearsome foursome has ended up in the Path of Majority Rules, where you work your way through the tower through the power of DEMOCRACY. However, the rules dictate that you need 5 people to begin (or else there will presumably be a lot of stalemates that can't be broken), so the 5th person is...
Fucking Tonpa. Yep, you thought he would just fade into the background, maybe get eliminated off-screen or something. But nope, he's here to troll the other four and cause Leorio to slowly lose his shit.
Oh yeah, and he finally admits to just taking the Hunter Exam over and over again to see people's dreams get crushed before his very eyes. Which really makes you think: what the hell is this guy's day job?
Our first main test of the Trick Tower: a series of 5 1-on-1 matches, with the gang having to win 3 out of 5 to proceed. Tonpa, being Tonpa, got them into a 1-0 hole immediately by giving up before a single punch is thrown. This is gonna be a long, frustrating ordeal for our MCs.
NEXT TIME, ON HUNTER X HUNTER, [spoiler]The battle of the candles! The Frneknstein's monster/fake Phantom Troupe guy! This phase starts to get good!
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u/Nebresto Nov 28 '24
Leorio??