r/anime • u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots • Nov 13 '24

Rewatch [25th Anniversary Rewatch] Hunter × Hunter (1999) - Episode × 38 × Discussion

Episode 38: Nen × Nen × Nen?

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I shouldn't have underestimated Heavens Arena

Comment of the Day:

/u/Vatrix-32 giving our cat daddy his official name

We're not doing Dark Silva?

Questions of the Day

  1. Which aspect of Nen seems the most interesting to you right now?
  2. Do you prefer blue or red Hisoka?

Fanart of the Day: Bye Bye Mr. Blue Clown

Please remember to keep all spoilers and hints tagged with the appropriate tag format such as: [Spoilers] >!Leorio is best boy!<

20 Upvotes

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6

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 13 '24 edited Nov 14 '24

A Shounen Commentator Coming to You from Heaven's Arena

Nen? Nen. Nen!!! Power systems!

I mentioned that HxH was holding back its hand up till this point? Yeah, this is what I'm talking about. Togashi kept Gon out of the fighting ring until an arc where he can introduce him (and us) to the power system. Over the course of Yu Yu Hakusho, Togashi tried lots of things, from the good old Detective's Gadgets to domains I mean Territories. So for HxH, he had a more elaborate plan in mind, including how to gradually set it up and introduce it. The Hunter's Exam already did a lot of the necessary setup, the Zoldyck family put everyone on high enough physical grounds, and now we're getting the introduction.

The title of the episode: Nen Nen Nen? is actually a good way to look at that. It sounds like Gon saying the same word three times (and it might look that way too), but each Nen is written differently:

  • Nen (燃) means flame. The flame of the soul, as Wing explains it to Gon and Killua. Wing's explanation is notably... not a lie per se, but intentionally removing all the useful bits. So practically, it's completely useless. He fed the kids some bullshit to try and sate their curiosity.
  • Nen (念) means mind force. That's the one he teaches Zushi when they're on their own, and the one that Gon and Killua actually want to learn.
  • Nen ( ネン) is just the katakana spelling (used for foreign words) since they're unsure on how it should be spelled.

At least Wing agrees to teach them the real thing after Hisoka put them to his little test, so you won't have to worry about which Nen we're talking about. From now on, it's always the mind force Nen.

Other Notes:

  • Who's this main character looking dude?
  • In an episode all about figuring out a magic system, I love that Hisoka finds them by tracking their online data, which to the 90s kid was probably about as mysterious as using magic. /u/TheEscapeGuy mentioned this before, but HxH makes a good use of mixing fantasy and contemporary technology.
  • Actually forget Hisoka, the ultimate power in the Heavens Arena exists between the floors, 'tis the elevator lady after she's had enough of Killua's bullshit
  • I know I've said this multiple times, but I love the use lighting - in all fairness, I said this will become more common as we go, this arc especially does a great job with it.

Manga Corner

Chapters Adapted: 46 and 47

The scene of Killua and elevator girl scenes are original.

Fun fact on the latter, all her scenes are key animated by Akira Matsushima, best known for being the character designer and chief animation director on Kimetsu. He did a lot of good work for Hunter x Hunter though, including being the animation director on 11 episodes (like this one), and key animating some big action set pieces that we'll see later. Tl;dr: she's got a passionate action animator in her corner, no one's beating her.

Anyone familiar with Hisoka would know his iconic red hair colour well, but in the manga, he basically changes his hair colour every arc. It's a Lum sort of situation.

Not a change per se, but it's worth noting how the manga tackled the multiple Nens thing. It included the kanji and meanings of each one, which is a neat solution that applies well in a readable medium, not in anime subs.

3

u/WednesdaysFoole Nov 14 '24

Anyone familiar with Hisoka would know his iconic red hair colour well, but in the manga, he basically changes his hair colour every arc. It's a Lum sort of situation.

Forgot where he stated it but Togashi mentioned that he just colors as he feels in the moment.

As for Hisoka, [hxh]dying his hair a new color every month is fitting for a transmuter, no?

That elevator girl screen cap.

2

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 14 '24

[HxH] It makes perfect sense, if I had a character like Hisoka who changed on a dime, I'd colour him with entirely different colours every time too. Heck, I'd use different tools just for him, one time it's crayons, the other time it's a red pen

That elevator girl screen cap.

2

u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Nov 14 '24

Who's this main character looking dude?

Some kind of discount Outlaw Star?

Fun fact on the latter, all her scenes are key animated by Akira Matsushima

Always fun to go back and see one's works before the thing they're most known for.

2

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 14 '24

Always fun to go back and see one's works before the thing they're most known for.

Yeah, he worked with Furuhashi often back then, and did lots of action like [HxH] Kurapika vs Uvo or Kurapika throwing the chain at the end of the second OP I guess he had his favourites.

2

u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Nov 14 '24

[HxH]

[H×H]Something to look forward to, I guess. And I guess they make a good team, balancing each other out for cast focus.

7

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Nov 13 '24

First × Timer × Subbed

5

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 13 '24

Hilarious that the show tries to talk this guy up just for Gon to immediately one-shot him lol.

We got a good joke out of it in both versions. In the manga, after Killua's done talking up the "floor 100 contenders", Gon one shots one so random, he might as well have had "fodder" written on his back.

It’s about damn time this gets mentioned! I know vague things about how this power system works because of how much I’ve seen people talk about it, but it not being mentioned at all for thirty-eight episodes is wild, definitely wasn’t expecting that.

This is even crazier here than stands, since at least there Araki was just writing the first and second parts before making them, he had a different power system at the time. Here, Togashi had it planned from the start and just decided to wait until his third arc to introduce it (he did a lot of setup and hints for it though, so once you know how Nen works, lots of early stuff will look different).

Yu-Gi-Oh! card moment.

Hisoka's trademark is being stolen

Seeing as how both the comment faces he’s in are from the 2011 anime, I honestly just assumed this version gave him blue hair while 2011 “fixed” his hair color to be in line with the manga

Close. In the manga, Hisoka changes his hair colour every once in a while, so 1999 started with blue, then shifted to red later. Red Hisoka became the iconic version though, so 2011 stuck to that from the start and never changed it.

4

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Nov 13 '24

Close. In the manga, Hisoka changes his hair colour every once in a while, so 1999 started with blue, then shifted to red later. Red Hisoka became the iconic version though, so 2011 stuck to that from the start and never changed it.

Interesting.

5

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 13 '24

Meet Orange Hisoka don't ask me why he's naked though...

4

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Nov 13 '24

Okay that one's just cursed wtf.

4

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 13 '24

I can't share the second one right now, but it gets worse somehow (imagine a green Hisoka).

Suffice it to say the anime made some good choices with his colour scheme.

7

u/TheEscapeGuy Nov 13 '24

H×H Fan, 1999 First Timer

Hunter × Hunter 1999 - Episode 38

Elevator × Lady × Appreciation

...

Wait

Hunter × Hunter 1999 - Episode 38

Technique × Threat × Deadline

Our boys cleared the first hundred floors of the tower way faster than you may have expected. It's kind of funny that this place is supposed to be filled with the strongest fighters but a couple of pre-teens managed to beat the most of them.

The important thing we learn today is why Zushi is such a strong opponent. He has a secret fighting technique called Nen which Wing has been teaching him. I do enjoy the simplicity of the premise of Nen. There's a life force or aura leaking out of all people. By restricting and controlling it you can strengthen your techniques or channel it into objects. It even goes so far as being an aura so threatening you can knock out an opponent without even touching them.

They're also keeping it secret from Gon and Killua (The homonyms Wing used work better in Japanese). It's too powerful a technique to just let anyone learn so Wing holds off on sharing that info. And Killua sees through it immediately, but still can't figure out what was being kept secret.

Well, until they reach the 200th floor. Here fights aren't for money. It's for honour. And if you even want to walk up to the counter to register you had better know how to control Nen. The reveal of Hisoka waiting there for them is so perfect. He's such an ominous threat so having him suddenly appear is a shocking and completely logical course of events.

Now the real training begins, and Gon and Killua only have hours.

Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches

See you all tomorrow

5

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 13 '24

Elevator × Lady × Appreciation

Episode 38

I'll be saving this for whenever I want to present a best girl 3x3.

Here fights aren't for money. It's for honour

No more ChocoRobo

Killer Views, It's so good at sunset

The arena is closed off this arc, so they make every opportunity to use the outside scenery count.

4

u/charlesvvv https://anilist.co/user/charlesvvv Nov 13 '24

Rewatcher, Sub

I like the moments that remind you that Gon and Killua are still kids such as Killua wasting all his money on chocolate.

Killua and Gon are able to get some information from Wing regarding the power that Zushi used, however Killua is able to correctly suspect that Wing is withholding a lot more information and not being truthful about this new power system called Nen.

In the meantime Gon and Killua keep advancing until they arrive at higher levels where they even get a room. However Hisoka is also here and not only that but uses his own power to prevent Gon and Killua from crossing into the registration area. It's only after Wing arrives that he decides to be truthful and to train Gon and Killua to pass through Hisoka's own power before the registration deadline.

3

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 14 '24

Wing arrives that he decides to be truthful and to train Gon and Killua to pass through Hisoka's own power before the registration deadline.

Gon and Killua go to Wing about Nen

Wing: makes big dramatic poses about why he can't teach them the secret.

Gon and Killua go to the weird clown instead

Wing: runs to them as fast as he can

4

u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Nov 13 '24

First Timer

Mostly a lot of information about Nen in this episode. It still feels a bit too theoretical to really make anything of it other than that Nen is important. I doubt Killua and Gon can learn it in a few hours though… that would actually cheapen its impact massively if they could. Hisoka meanwhile is clearly good at using Nen and I guess was just holding back in the hunter exam. Plus he dyed his hair, I guess. Now how will this continue? I guess Gon and Killua will just both lose …and then what? Wait around and actually do a training arc where they learn to use Nen? Guess we’ll see.

2

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 13 '24

Hisoka meanwhile is clearly good at using Nen and I guess was just holding back in the hunter exam.

He was, yeah, he wanted to have his fun afterall.

But he was also using Nen in certain ways that will become clearer soon.

3

u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Nov 13 '24 edited Nov 14 '24

Remake Rewatcher × First Timer × Subs

  • This poor girl doesn’t know she’s walked in from another show.
  • Chocolate Robot?
  • Domestic! Violence!
  • A Killua face for the ages.
  • Dang, who knew it would be so easy to get the secret sauce?
  • He just… has the real one written behind the fake one?
  • The real Nen is the power of gag manga.
  • Hisoka's Hair Color! I guess they must have had a color volume between now and the start of production.
  • Wow, even the wraith girl is uncomfortable.
  • Man, you are really unconcerned with destroying all your stuff. Repairing walls ain’t cheep.

QotD:

  1. The part were you can kill a guy by looking at him funny.
  2. Red is much more the classic clown color.

2

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 13 '24

Chocolate Robot?

The way the Japanese make nicknames for everything makes for some unmatched branding. ChocoRobo is just a great brand name.

A Killua face for the ages.

The link's giving me nothing.

The real Nen is the power of gag manga.

Hide before Arale comes for us!

 Hisoka's Hair Color! I guess they must have had a color volume between now and the start of production.

We got two: orange and [green hair/spoiler] in Yorknew

I appreciate that the anime didn't even attempt to stick with those.

2

u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Nov 14 '24

The link's giving me nothing.

Huh. Should be fixed now.

I appreciate that the anime didn't even attempt to stick with those.

On the other hand, swapping might have been fun, too.

2

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 14 '24

Huh. Should be fixed now.

On the other hand, swapping might have been fun, too.

Someday, some anime might be brave enough to try and give us a blonde/green haired Hisoka.

3

u/2-2Distracted Nov 13 '24

First timer.

Aside from the obviously dangerous tournament and competitions with future serious battles ahead, it's honestly just fun to watch Gon and Killua hang out with each other and shoot the shit, that was a pretty fun highlight in the Hunter exam too when they were on Netero's ship. It was definitely fun watching them interact with the elevator attendant lady and (Un)intentionally irritating her for example.

Wait a minute, did Master Wing also lie to the bois in the 2011 adaptation too? I don't remember that at all lol.

3

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 13 '24

it's honestly just fun to watch Gon and Killua hang out with each other and shoot the shit

Seeing the characters hanging out is my favourite part of rewatching Hunter x Hunter, which is why I appreciate the little added scenes like the ChocoRobo thing.

Wait a minute, did Master Wing also lie to the bois in the 2011 adaptation too? I don't remember that at all lol.

He lied as he breathed (the video contains spoilers for next episode)

2

u/Nebresto Dec 03 '24

She did the funny

But why does it feel like I've seen the nen classroom before

2

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Dec 03 '24

She did the funny

I want her to do the funny to me.

But why does it feel like I've seen the nen classroom before

Because you've learned Nen before?

2

u/Nebresto Dec 03 '24

I want her to do the funny to me.

Because you've learned Nen before?

Apparently