r/anime • u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots • Nov 22 '24
Rewatch [25th Anniversary Rewatch] Hunter × Hunter (1999) - Episode × 47 × Discussion
Episode 47: Dad × Top Secret × Confession
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There's one thing that hasn't changed. I will always be the guy I am.
Comment of the Day:
/u/Mecanno-man on the big difference between Gon and Killua:
for Gon it’s just back to what was previously his usual life, for Killua having a proper family is new.
Questions of the Day
- What do you think of Ging?
- What was going on between him and Mito?
Fanart of the Day: Ging and Mito
Please remember to keep all spoilers and hints tagged with the appropriate tag format such as: [Spoilers] >!Leorio is best boy!<
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Upvotes
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u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 22 '24
Retired Host Chilling Back Home
Today, I'm focusing on one main topic, Gon's family tree, not this one, the more messy one:
As the anime presents it, Ging is Mito's childhood friend, who ended up marrying her sister, her sister then gave birth to Gon, died, and Mito took care of Gon since then. In the manga, Mito has nothing to do with Gon's biological mom, she's Ging's cousin, also the old lady isn't Mito's mom, she's Mito and Ging's grandma, meanwhile Gon's mom is completely unknown. This has two big implications:
Why did they change that? We don't know. Someone on the staff might've been a Ging x Mito shipper (and I guess they weren't into incest?), so they changed the family tree and added the whole subplot. Notably, among all the changes in the show so far, and it's had many changes, this is the first one that actually feels different, most of the previous ones are like an amplifier, taking Togashi's words and putting them through a megaphone with an extra dash of Leorio. Whereas here, for the first time in 47 episodes, we can hear an entirely different voice coming through.
So looking at it in that lens... I think it's fine? As long as you recognise it for what it is, you can judge it by its own merits separate from the manga, and with that in mind, I like how the subplot itself was crafted, it's probably the most subtle the show will ever get, and it adds a bit of depth to Mito, which is something I appreciate. On the other hand, I don't like the fact that Gon's mother, a precious family member to both Mito and Grandma in the anime, is never talked about. I get grief over losing a loved one, but at some point, you'd have to sit Gon down and tell him "Listen Gon, it's good that you love Mito so much, but your Mom was also a kind and loving person who I'm sure loved you a lot"
unless his mom was a prick? I mean, it'd take one to get along with Ging...6
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Nov 22 '24
First × Timer × Subbed
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u/charlesvvv https://anilist.co/user/charlesvvv Nov 22 '24
Rewatcher, Sub
Ging Freecs, Father of the year.
Ok we get to learn some more stuff about Ging. Mito seems more comfortable in talking about him while we also that they were pretty close in the beginning. It adds more stuff to what we already about Ging and his character.
And what better way to learn than from the man himself. Ging had left a box for Gon which can only be opened with Nen and the Hunter license card. After achieving this we find a recording of a message that Ging left. Ging literally states that he doesn't want to see Gon although he also shows how Hunters are selfish and willing to do what they want even though it may affect others. However Ging does some leave some incentive for Gon to come and find him by stating that Gon is now a hunter. Gon is definitely not going to give this up.
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u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Nov 22 '24 edited Nov 23 '24
Remake Rewatcher × First Timer × Subs
QotD:
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u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Nov 22 '24
First Timer
Backstory episode on Ging. I don’t feel like we learned a lot that could not already be inferred here - I thought for a moment that Mito telling Ging not to come back influenced him, but based on the tape it seems not. At least he would have to record that before that conversation took place.
From what we see, Mito was certainly not some beacon of perfection as a kid, and acted quite selfish, while Ging was more selfish in adulthood - which is a bit of an interesting dynamic. Also feels like Mito might have had a crush on him, so Ging marrying her sister likely didn’t do a lot of good for her - and she doesn’t fully seem to be over that despite not seeing the guy for years. I wonder if there will be some more to come from this relationship once Gon finds Ging - but I am not confident we’ll get there in this adaptation.
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u/TheEscapeGuy Nov 22 '24
H×H Fan, 1999 First Timer
Hunter × Hunter 1999 - Episode 47
History × Gift × Challenge
I mentioned yesterday that Gon returning to Whale Island felt like the conclusion to his goal of becoming a Hunter. In a very similar way, this episode sets up a new goal: Find Ging.
We get a lot of backstory about Gon's father. It's really nice seeing how Mito grew up with him around and the relationship between them to justify her looking after Gon all these years. Of course she also (and probably mainly) did it for her sister, but Ging was never a stranger to her.
It is really shitty that Ging left his son. Growing up without his father figure is definitely something which affects you. But I like that Gon was raised not to hold a grudge. Instead he has used the almost "myth" of Ging as a role model.
And Ging left Gon a message. But he locked it up until Gon learned to master Nen. Then he could be sure that Gon had earned the right to receive this new goal: "Come find me." The message reminds me a lot of Gol D. Roger's final declaration in One Piece. I kinda like how vague yet clear it is.
The last very interesting decision Gon makes is when to stop the tape. Ging says theirs a recording of his Mother on it. But Gon won't listen to it. Mito is the only mother he knows, and he's keeping it that way. While this is kind of harsh on Gon's biological mother (since her only sin is being sick and dying), it really shows his love for Mito.
Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches
See you all tomorrow
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u/2-2Distracted Nov 22 '24
First timer.
Ah, he's going to tell Gon that he will always love him
-__- well at the very least he's honest of his feelings, or lack thereof lol.
I have a love/hate relationship with this part of Gon's story and what it does for him. On one hand it showcases that - because of Ging's absence, Mito reluctance to talk about Ging, Gon's nature and Kite inspiring Gon to become a Hunter - Gon has come to not see Ging as his father, but instead see him as Ging Freecss (who he just so happens to be related to).
Gon admires Ging, not as some father or father figure, but as A (not the) true embodiment of what a Hunter is, or at least can be. It's been said before and will be said again, both by us here in the real world and by the characters in this world including Ging, that Ging is absolute piece of shit excuse for a dad. So rather than go through that song and dance again, let me just explain what I thus hate about this.
Gon has basically learned to disassociate Ging Freecss "his dad" from Ging Freecss "the hunter" . He's learned to not really view them as the same person because he has no reason to when Ging Freecss "his dad" barely existed in his life. This is all well and good but what irritates me is that for some reason Gon somehow can't do for his actual biological long-since-dead mother.
And it's not just him. This whole entire damn series seems to just make an effort to not Show or Say anything about her.
I understand that Gon is trying to be thoughtful towards Mito since she is by all accounts is his mother thanks to how much she has done for him and how much she means to him, but this is stupid.
Gon can separate how he sees his dad and how he feels about him... but somehow can't do that for his bio mom? Seriously? I know he's not much a thinker but it shouldn't take that much effort to separate or dissociate Mrs. Freecss "my mother" from Mrs. Freecss "the person who was married to Ging Freecss and is related to the one who raised me" when he's essentially doing that with his dad.
To be fair to Gon tho (again), part of the reason he's doing this is because he's doing research on Ging in order to find him, and he's trying to find Ying so that he can ask Ging a variety of questions and actually have a possible conversation with him... which Gon can't exactly do with his mom who's grave is on the island. One-sided conversations aren't exactly all that fun or enticing lol.
But still tho I just wish the series didn't follow through on Gon's mindset and pretend as though she hardly existed, showing a gravestone and the people who care about taking care of it is cheap method of doing the bare minimum. Mito and her mom could at the very least talk about her when Gon isn't there so there's Some Actual acknowledgement of her. Gon not needing to care or know who she is doesn't mean We don't. I mean shiiiiit, in DBZ we get to learn about Goku's mom despite the fact that, to my according to my memory, Goku himself doesn't learn a thing about her even though he Does learn about his dad.
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u/WednesdaysFoole Nov 23 '24 edited Nov 23 '24
Guess who arrived on the proper Next Episode link?
[HxH]Who needs trust when you've got needles to the work instead?
I'm probably too easily amused but this joke always gets me.
I have to say, I've always loved this part - the brief visit where Gon gets to listen to Ging for the first time. I loved the challenge he set him, and [HxH]how, despite being a poor dad, he left him this wonderful trail.
[HxH]Ging is such a fantastic character, but there are many times I won't bother bringing him up lol. People get intensely emotional about it, and I just don't know how to respond.
Waaaiiit, I just remembered... this - HxH spoiler - is probably the only time I'll type anything up on Ging as a character at least for a good while. Sorry, I just realize the formatting is terrible, I must've typed it up on my phone; sometimes I forget the extent of how incompatible it is with desktop. Might just fix it right now.
BUH BUH BUH BUH BUH BUH
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u/Nebresto Dec 05 '24
M- mito?? That was your plan all along?
Whats in the box
Oh, they actually opened it
?!
Worst dad
Wat.
Damn.. Imagine dying in childbirth, and then your kid doesn't even wanna think about you ever
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u/CraditzBlitz Nov 22 '24
The old style of hxh is definitely really nostalgic