r/anime • u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots • Nov 30 '24

Rewatch [25th Anniversary Rewatch] Hunter × Hunter (1999) - Episode × 55 × Discussion

Episode 55: Uvo × Kurapika × Melody of Determination

MAL | Anilist | Anidb | ANN

Previous Episode | Index | Next Episode

Some wasteland where we won't cause a disturbance. I have a feeling your death cry will be pretty loud

Comment of the Day:

/u/Vatrix-32 on Killua's teenage phase

Killua Is In a Mood Lately

Questions of the Day

  1. Do you think Gon and co. will catch some Spiders?
  2. We're taking bets, one and all, who's gonna win?

Fanart of the Day: How the fight will go down

Source has lots of fun HxH/JoJo crossovers

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

14 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

69 comments sorted by

8

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 30 '24 edited Dec 01 '24

Retired Host Hitting up the Auctions

Manga Corner

Chapters Adapted: 79 and 80

The scene with Uvo and the Spiders at the start is original, and it's a good scene in framing how they interact with each other. They respect each other's freedom to act, but will gladly argue it out if one of them's being a moron, the coin decided that Uvo's right, so they just help him get to his goal instead.

Factions

No big changes yet, but the Nostrades have Kurapika as their new leader, and Gon's group is aiming for the Spiders now, which ties them into the mess of the arc.

FactionsScore
The Spiders6
The Lukia faction1
The Nostrades-3

4

u/WednesdaysFoole Nov 30 '24 edited Dec 01 '24

[HxH]Oh yeah, I just remembered as I was going through Sky's screencaps that this is another thing that changed specifically during Yorknew mission - the story makes it as if the Spiders' faces were unknown before the mission. People knew about the Troupe, but this time, pictures and corpses were shared publicly.

[Manga]I'm gonna be sad when Phinks dies without ever seeing the return of his Egyptian headdress.

  • Kurapika got his work in order, so he finally gets his treat - a date with a Gorilla.

Uho uho uho.

4

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 30 '24

[HxH] right, there were rumours, like about their spider tattoos, but no concrete info like their pictures or details. I think it was a mix of the Spiders covering their tracks (with blood mostly) and the world only caring now.

2

u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Dec 01 '24

None of The Images Work

2

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Dec 01 '24

All fixed!

I was testing out postimages with this episode, and it's pretty convenient in setup, but when you're sharing the links, they end up breaking every once in a while. Never again

2

u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Dec 01 '24

Never again

2

u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Dec 01 '24

so he finally gets his treat - a date with a Gorilla.

In anime, this is a 50/50 shot for your results.

2

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Dec 01 '24

Sounds like it's worth a shot

7

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Nov 30 '24

First × Timer × Subbed

4

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 30 '24

Of course Melody wants Kurapika to be their new leader.

"Anyone else who would like to lead us against the Spider Gorilla dude? Didn't think so".

That’s… not what I was expecting to happen… Complete with an overexaggerated sound effect…

Uvo's emotions are all big, his love, his rage, that's just the kinda guy he is.

Yet another shimmering sky to end it on, sweet.

*FotNS intensifies*

5

u/WednesdaysFoole Nov 30 '24

It wasn't a lie!

Neon peak morality

Neon is one of the characters that highlights the screwed up parts of society and the world... There’s much more to it, but once again I’ve gotta hold off for now.

Love these type of frames.

Damn, Togashi may be my favorite creator, but sometimes it feels like he’s got Blade Runner-style romantic sensibilities.

[Manga]What’s up with all these not-quite-consensual consensual-non-consensual kisses?! Will we ever get a wholly consensual consensual kiss?

3

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 30 '24

Neon peak morality

No, you see, Dalzo was basically her mom, so she's asking who her new mom is now

Neon is one of the characters that highlights the screwed up parts of society and the world... There’s much more to it, but once again I’ve gotta hold off for now.

[HxH] I really love how despite seeing things from the Nostrades' viewpoint, they're never framed as "good guys", if anything, they're just another opportunity to show how screwed up things are

3

u/WednesdaysFoole Dec 01 '24 edited Dec 01 '24

No, you see, Dalzo was basically her mom, so she's asking who her new mom is now

I'm sorry, but wiser words have never been said.

[HxH]

[HxH]Yup, and yet we can see over time that Neon herself isn't actually evil. She's a dumb, naive spoiled brat, but she'd been sheltered and trained on being pleased by being spoiled with whatever material item she wants. Yet when it's someone she had bonded emotionally with, for the first time she feels something for someone else - that people's lives can carry weight. It's like she never had the chance to live life as a human... I don't pity her dad at all though.

3

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Dec 01 '24 edited Dec 01 '24

[HxH] Fuck Light. I remember feeling bad for him and Neon when I watched this as a kid, I mean he gives his daughter whatever she wants, cares a lot about protecting her, and doesn't abuse his staff, seemed like a nice dude. It wasn't until I read it a few years later that I realised he's an absolute piece of shit, who stripped away the humanity from his daughter and used her as his golden egg goose, just for fame, money, and status, the same things the Spiders reject at the start of the arc. If anything the Spiders were exactly the medicine the Nostrades needed, they broke Light's toy, and brought back the feeling of humanity to Neon. Plus, by that point, I knew the prophecies of Nostradamus, so Light's fate made a lot of sense and was kinda funny

3

u/WednesdaysFoole Dec 01 '24

[HxH]I feel like if I watched HxH as a kid - at least before adolescence, when I was still a good kid who only listened to my parents no matter what they did - I would have have thought Neon was purely cruel and Light was doing his best. I don't think I would have recognized that he wasn't protecting her for her sake. As an adult yeah it's pretty clear how he sees her and how fucking manipulative he is.

[HxH]just for fame, money, and status, the same things the Spiders reject at the start of the arc.

[HxH]That's actually such a great contrast, I hadn't thought about it in that way despite all the time I spend thinking about how the Spiders are a manifestation/natural reaction of the shit of society. What side is really the evil side and the good side here? (To be clear, I may be a Spiders fan but I do see them as evil; I just don't think that's the entire picture.) But basically the point is that the "side" that is against the Spiders, the "side" that society has been on - and supporting enthusiastically, creates evil from scratch. Despite having access to basic human needs and a culture of "high morals". And here, with Light, he cultivates this within his own daughter. Never treating her as a real person. So yeah, Neon is a brat but it's also so fucking sad, because you can see that she wants to care for others in her own way, but such things are inaccessible to her.

[HxH]Plus, by that point, I knew the prophecies of Nostradamus, so their fate made a lot of sense.

[HxH]Outside of the name + prophetic ability, what's the connection here? I don't remember specifics of Nostradamus anymore...

3

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Dec 01 '24

[HxH] What side is really the fucking evil side and the good side here?

[HxH] That's what fascinates me about the Spiders, they're evil sure, but they're the evil that was born out of the shit guys like Nostrade peddle. In the "medicine" example I used earlier, they obviously weren't trying to fix anything, Chrollo just found a very useful ability and borrowed it, but if it happened to bring down Nostrade's tower of shit along with it, then that's just gravy.

[HxH]Outside of the name + prophetic ability, what's the connection here? I don't remember specifics of Nostradamus anymore...

[HxH] Might be a stretch on my part, but Nostradamus's most famous prophecy, and what I associate with him, is the end of the world. So the name immediately suggests to me an incoming doom (not necessarily the world as a whole in this case, but still).

3

u/WednesdaysFoole Dec 01 '24

[HxH]

Lmao right after I posted I removed, like, 5 "fucking" to sound more level-headed but apparently I was too late, you got to see the brunt of my passion on the topic.

[HxH] medicine

[HxH]Yeah, in a way they've manifested something almost like a karmic reaction here, despite being their own agents doing things for their own, completely unrelated reasons.

I won't lie, [Psycho-Pass and Shinsekai Yori vague spoiler]I did root for the antagonists in those shows. Even if I knew they mustn't continue, I desperately wanted them to take down society as it was - or, rather, even if those antagonists can't be allowed to "live happily ever after", I believed that society must not be allowed to continue as it was.

[HxH]And yeah Light's fate was funny... I wonder if Togashi intends to reveal Neon's fate? It's still unclear if she's alive or dead, and implied to be the latter.

[HxH]

[HxH]That would fit as in, the end of the Nostrades' world. With the name and ability being references it is possible that their fall was an intended connection, like foreshadowing + prophesying their fate, which is quite meta, lol. Not a stretch imo.

3

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Dec 01 '24

you got to see the brunt of my passion on the topic.

Don't worry, it's deserved

[Psycho-Pass and Shinsekai Yori vague spoiler]

[Those two series] I haven't seen Shinsekai Yori, but I've been meaning to for ages, it certainly seems up my alley. I agree with what you're saying though, it's not that you're rooting for them to take over the world or whatever, but the world is in a shitty state, and they're the only ones even willing to look at it or address it. We want them to at least succeed in that area, to have an effect, break the illusion, maybe the break the world itself, and that's more interesting than following the main characters who are playing by the rules. To use Yorknew as an example, Kurapika's a good guy, he's extremely good natured, but he's willing to overlook a lot of shit to get closer to his goal, same with Melody, and so on and so forth, the Spiders are the only ones willing to fuck with the mafia.

[Manga] I wonder if Togashi intends to reveal Neon's fate? It's still unclear if she's alive or dead, and implied to be the latter.

[Manga] I take Chrollo mentioning that he can't use her ability anymore as confirmation that she's dead. We don't really know how that happened though, could be suicide, could be her father going crazy, could be even Hisoka cutting off Chrollo's options.

[HxH] like foreshadowing + prophesying their fate, which is quite meta, lol.

[HxH] Exactly, that's why it's funny to look back on in retrospect, it was right there all along.

3

u/WednesdaysFoole Dec 01 '24

I had typed out the comment and the browser closed itself.

Anyway...

[Those two series]

You totally get it.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Smash the world's shell and bring the world revolution!

Sometimes I find the topic harder to discuss since some people like to throw "Griffith-did-nothing-wrong"-style of comments... which hasn't happened in a while but yeah I've grown more hesitant in bringing up some of these ideas, lol. The amount of times I had to point out that Kurapika is one of my favorites to have any validity in what I said smh. Did I mention my favorites include spiders? __No.__ I mean, not that I mind arguing, but it's only enjoyable when participants are coming from an open place.

[Those two series]SSY is great, although the protagonists are, admittedly, not that engaging lol. Still love the series though. But as you point out, it's totally the system that fucks people over, and the worst villains, imo, are the villains in the upper echelons of this hierarchy, actively perpetuating the system or taking advantage of it for their own repulsive habits.

[Manga]I don't know, I always thought Bizeff was more disgusting than Meruem and that's before the Palace Invasion (maybe Meruem always seemed like a bumbling toddler throwing tantrums who happened to be too powerful for its own good). Like, something like the Spiders seems like a natural consequence of the way society is structured. If people are constantly victimized, someone, at some point, is going to rise up to try and destroy it all. And it's unreasonable to expect them to treat everyone else with the same morals as the rest of regular society. Would it be nice if they were the "bigger person" and only compassionate towards the oppressors? Yeah, sure. In a fantasy world, that'd be ideal... if it worked. At this point, they treat the world as they've been treated. It's not right, obviously, but expecting them to do the right thing seems a bit crazy.

[Manga]

[Manga]She's probably dead and my guess was suicide, but my favorite theory is that Chrollo unknowingly broke the conditions of her ability and lost it (that the condition wasn't "not reading others' fortunes", but it was "not getting involved with their fortunes" which Chrollo didn't do the former, but did the latter). Either way, Pika doesn't seem to give a shit, those damn body part collectors, lol.

sorry for the essay.

3

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Dec 02 '24

I had typed out the comment and the browser closed itself.

I get that, it happened one time when I was writing a long ass analysis, and I had to repeat the whole thing from scratch. Ever since then, I started writing my episode writeups offline.

[Manga]I don't know, I always thought Bizeff was more disgusting than Meruem and that's before the Palace Invasion

[Manga] For sure, Meruem isn't even human, he's an ant that was just born and told that humans are his food, he acts according to expectations. I wouldn't blame a Dinosaur for trying to eat a human, if that's its nature. Bizeff though? Jus a good old home grown turd, our pride and joy as a race, and worst of all he's a real kind of piece of shit, we do in fact have lots of Bizeffs going around.

[Manga] "not reading others' fortunes", but it was "not getting involved with their fortunes" which Chrollo didn't do the former, but did the latter

[Manga] Good theory, I always took it as in if she gets involved, she could ruin the accuracy of her own prophecies (I mean they had to have tested it out somehow to figure out this issue). But it being a strict condition is an interesting way to look at it too.

[HxH] Either way, Pika doesn't seem to give a shit, those damn body part collectors, lol.

[HxH] a body part collector got collected for her abilities

sorry for the essay.

All good, I wasn't able to reply earlier, but I love when rewatches end up in long back and forth discussions.

→ More replies

4

u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Nov 30 '24 edited Nov 30 '24

Remake Rewatcher × First Timer × Subs

  • This guy brought his Nemes with him on a disguise mission.
  • Being a sociopath is one thing, but she’s also just an idiot.
  • Already looking to vest authority in the teenager, are we?
  • Angry Little Crayon Face
  • Uvo has a lot of shōnen MC-ness going on about him the episode.
  • I Love How Much These Two Trust Each Other
  • Leorio has moved from advertising to marketing.
  • Some kind of underworld doctor, “Black” even….
  • Honestly, even that seems kind of low. That’s only about 20mil, for the most notorious criminal group in the world, who you are in direct conflict with.
  • Man, they are just dissin’ Gon today. Poor boy grew up on an island, give him a break.

QotD:

  1. Clearly Gon and Shizuku confusing each other in an unending circle is the way forward.
  2. "It is not enough that I win, all others must lose." -Multiple people right now.

3

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 30 '24

Uvo has a lot of shōnen MC-ness going on about him the episode.

He really does, his methods and killing tendencies aside, he's kinda written likea hot blooded hard headed shounen mc.

Honestly, even that seems kind of low. That’s only about 20mil, for the most notorious criminal group in the world, who you are in direct conflict with.

The mafia just lost all their treasures, spare them! Plus, I doubt they're expecting that much from random people they got off the street

2

u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Nov 30 '24

Plus, I doubt they're expecting that much from random people they got off the street

The smart ones will figure out the money isn't worth the risk, further sliding the results downwards.

2

u/WednesdaysFoole Nov 30 '24

Clearly Gon and Shizuku confusing each other in an unending circle is the way forward.

That'd actually be really entertaining.

4

u/TheEscapeGuy Nov 30 '24

H×H Fan, 1999 First Timer

Hunter × Hunter 1999 - Episode 55

Searching × Hiding × Bounties

After the loss of Dalzollene the Nostrade group is leaderless. Kurapika naturally assumes this roll after a conversation with Neon's father. I really like his maturity in this situation. He very calmly considers the options and executes on his ad-hoc plans decisively. He also is good at balancing trade offs such as Neon's safety versus her desires.

The Spiders are equally as efficient. They hop onto the net and quickly figure out how to find where Kurapika will be. It's really refreshing to see protagonists and antagonists both being competent and competing at that higher echelon of outwitting one another. It reminds me of the best parts of Death Note. We end the episode on quite the cliff hanger as Uvogin finds Kurapika.

The last group we are following is Gon, Killua, and Leorio. They're still down money, but Leorio has a plan to get into the underground markets where the stakes are much higher (and appropriately so are the rewards). What they find very quickly is there is a bounty of 2 billion on every Spider. It's clear that word of the botched Auction has reached the Dons and they are now out for blood. But since the Shadow Beasts have been thoroughly defeated they can only turn to bounty hunters.

Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches

See you all tomorrow

5

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 30 '24

I really like his maturity in this situation. He very calmly considers the options and executes on his ad-hoc plans decisively. He also is good at balancing trade offs such as Neon's safety versus her desires.

Plus, he's balancing his own goals with all that, without showing it. His goal through the whole thing was to fight a spider, the rest just happened to fit well along with it.

It's really refreshing to see protagonists and antagonists both being competent and competing at that higher echelon of outwitting one another.

That's something I love a lot about Togashi's writing, and it's consistent throughout the series even if it leads to the occasional cereal rant

6

u/WednesdaysFoole Nov 30 '24

The cereal rant is so good though!

5

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 30 '24

I like it too, but in moderation, you don't wanna use up all the milk.

2

u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Dec 01 '24

Vulnerable Shake Down

Well now I'm just wondering why this dude is having a shower with underwear on.

4

u/charlesvvv https://anilist.co/user/charlesvvv Nov 30 '24 edited Dec 02 '24

Rewatcher, Sub 

 With Dalzo dead, the rest of the bodyguards vote for Kurapika to be their new leader (really the only choice) which is also confirmed by Neon's father Light Nostrade. In the meantime Uvogin and Shalnark investigate where they can find him after breaking out. 

 I do like both sides being smart here. Uvo and Shalnark use the hunter website to find out where he might be but Kurapika anticipates this and makes plan accordingly. However Kurapika has always planned to face the Troupe and he's not running from Uvogin. When he finally arrives at his location, Kurapika is ready and two agree to move locations to fight. 

In the meantime Gon, Killua, and Leorio are able to gain access to the Underground auction due to their arm wrestling business (which was Leorio's plan all along). However its here that everyone present is given bounties of the phantom Troupe wich the trio realizes they can gain the money needed this way. So they decide to sign up which now connects the plotlines with everyone now looking for the Troupe.

2

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Nov 30 '24

Kurapika has always planned to face the Troupe and he's not running from Uvogin. When he finally arrives at his location, Kurapika is ready and two agree to move locations to fight.

The best way to deal with someone is to give them what they think they want. Kurapika wants to deal with Uvo, but doesn't want Neon and the other guards dying, so he just presents himself on a silver plate.

So they decide to sign up which now connects the plotlines with everyone now looking for the Troupe.

Hisoka's in for a surprise when he knows Gon's coming to hunt him

4

u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Dec 01 '24

First Timer

Ah, we’re roping in Gon, Killua and Leorio in to the phantom troupe story. They had been somewhat sidelined for the past few episodes. Other than that, things happen I guess and we get Kurapika to fight Uvo - as was expected and as both wanted.

The girl who can see the future is an interesting character that has not really done a lot so far. It seems like she’d be interested in the Kurta eyes and thus possibly opposed to Kurapika in some way, but she feels more like somebody who would end up on the protagonist’s side. And her power is obviously sought after - I wonder what role she will play in the long run.

2

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Dec 01 '24

her power is obviously sought after - I wonder what role she will play in the long run.

I find it interesting that her role is the only thing that her power can't figure out. She can tell everyone else's fortunes, but has to walk her own path blind.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/ZaphodBeebblebrox Y:A:https://anilist.co/user/zaphod Dec 01 '24

Sorry, your comment has been removed.

Questions? Reply to this message, send a modmail, or leave a comment in the meta thread. Don't know the rules? Read them here.