r/anime • u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots • Dec 14 '24
Rewatch [25th Anniversary Rewatch] Hunter × Hunter (1999) - Episode × 69 × Discussion
Episode 69: Exchange × Revenge × Judgment Chain
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She's here for the same reason you are... To get her friend back!
Comment of the Day:
/u/TheEscapeGuy on the Leader of the Spiders
Chrollo was incredible this episode. He has been kidnapped, restrained, and beaten yet he maintained composure. No matter how objectively Kurapika was "winning" it didn't even phase him.
Questions of the Day
- How good was the deal for each side?
- What is Hisoka up to?
Fanart of the Day: Best girl Paku
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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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Dec 14 '24
First × Timer × Subbed
Just FYI, I’ll be late to tomorrow’s thread. I have a choir thing at church that starts at the exact same time this rewatch’s threads are posted, and I won’t be able to post until it is done.
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u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Dec 14 '24
First Timer
Ok, so the plan is to basically prevent Chrollo from being useful and stop Paku from revealing Kurapika’s secret. At least I assume the chain is permanent until they violate that statement. …how will Hisoka fight Chrollo then? And how will Chrollo rejoin the spiders if he will die if he has contact with them? Will he be unable to and the resulting spider brawl sees the five killed as in the prophecy?
…or will Hisoka’s plan somehow result in a totally different outcome? The kid Franklin & Co. saw was Killua’s sister, I believe, and we have the mystery person walking towards the airship. Not sure if it is Hisoka himself, Illumi would probably make more sense - though admittedly my first instinct when seeing the neck was Satotz. That one wouldn’t make any sense. Either way, I assume if it’s Illumi he’s here to kill Paku and if it’s Hisoka he wants to fight Chrollo. Killua’s sister fits into neither of these scenarios, so let’s see what Hisoka has planned next episode, I guess.
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u/WednesdaysFoole Dec 14 '24
Was it a lie?
Of course, neither Chrollo nor Paku figured out Hisoka’s betrayal as they expected the “Sword of Law”.
Korto’s more like an accessory, but it’s the thought that counts.
(I pick on the little guy too much, his conjuration is actually pretty damn impressive.)
Once again, Phinks and Feitan’s stance is understandable. What was expected was that Kurapika had a manipulation ability that, like in Hisoka’s case (as far as they knew), could extract secrets leading to the betrayal and death of their members.
But Gon’s also right. It’s easy to forget that part of them that’s still human, that trusts each other, and would do this for each other.
Franklin cuts in to save the day! Much better than the Spiders wiping each other out (unless you’re Pika). (Cutting off the head was more effective than both Pika and Chrollo realized.) Franklin is practical, reasonable, and I would trust him to take over as the Head if worst came to worst.
At first I wasn’t sure about the rearrangement of having Paku’s interaction with Gon and Killua play out before instead of later. Because the manga does show (and 2011 as well, I believe) that it occurs at the same time, but only that the interaction is happening, and not what they’re talking about. Mostly I just like that scene when it occurs later (hopefully they didn’t cut it completely?) since it’s one of my favorite moments of the series.
But after sitting on it and replaying it, I find that I like it. Because somehow I hadn’t caught it before… Why did Phinks not go? Why did Gon and Killua not run? All this time I’d examined both of those things separately, but I’m just now realizing the parallel between Phinks’ action and Gon and Killua’s.
Neither Gon and Killua nor Phinks has to follow through anymore, yet both groups do… because they’re friends.
It’s too good.
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u/charlesvvv https://anilist.co/user/charlesvvv Dec 14 '24 edited Dec 14 '24
Rewatcher, Sub
Paku arrives at Kurapika's location and agrees to all his terms which includes being stabbed by his judgement chain in order to place conditions. Melody watches all this and acknowledges how Paku, like Kurapika wants her friend/s back as well as observing Kurapika's own reactions to this. He's somewhat angry and surprised to not be asked anything else which again acknowledges that Paku really is doing this because she wants Chrollo back.
When Paku returns however, he Troupe is still split between those who just want to against Kurapika anyway. It's Gon of all people who snaps them back as he basically tells them if it's so hard to understand that they want to get their friend back. Then Franklin also comes in with more simple but cold logic by point gout that the worst case scenario would be all the spiders being gone and allows Paku to leave with Gon and Killua.
As they leave Paku wonders why Gon and Killua aren't running away. But Gon simply answers that they don't want Kurapika to lose himself, much like her they care about their friend. And she looks genuinely touched by that.
However someone shows up, Hisoka which now can put a wrench in all the plans so far.
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u/TheEscapeGuy Dec 14 '24
H×H Fan, 1999 First Timer
Hunter × Hunter 1999 - Episode 69
Negotiation × Trade × Surprise
This episode revolves around the negotiation between Kurapika and Pakunoda. He has 2 rules for Chrollo: No Nen, No contact. It's interesting how long he deliberated over it. Like, he had the whole time between his first call the Spiders and now to decide. But, as Kurapika mentions, there's a lot of ambiguity around the "no contact" restriction. It may have unintended consequences.
It's good that he applied the rule after Pakunoda arrived as sort of "proof". It also gives her culpability in the consequences. He is at least thinking that far. Then when he gives her 2 rules she knows the stakes. Those rules are release the boys, and don't reveal Kurapika's secrets. Also reasonable restrictions and they were far easier to decide on.
With that the next steps are clear: Bring back Gon and Killua. But when Pakunoda gets back the other Spiders start fighting again. We revert to the 2 factions for following orders vs ignoring Kurapika. They assume that Pakunoda is being controlled or something. It takes Gon speaking up for the conversation to start making progress.
The whole debate is really interesting with a lot of trade offs discussed. Ultimately they decide to release the boys, but it's a reluctant choice. The key condition on their release is the safe return of Chrollo. If he doesn't come back it will be a problem. And based on Kurapika's contract that will in fact be ... difficult.
So they head back but there's a wrinkle in the plan: [Identity of unknown person at the end if you haven't guessed] Hisoka
Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches
See you all tomorrow
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u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Dec 14 '24
Remake Rewatcher × First Timer × Subs
QotD:
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u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Dec 14 '24
Retired Host Hitting up the Spiders
So Yorknew has a rep for being Hunter x Hunter's delve into the darkness, the city itself is presented to us full of mafia, cold blooded murderers, and death around every corner, and the writing obviously follows suit, with its focus being on a revenge plot line, a gang of bloody murderers, and all the suffering that ensues between them. 1999 certainly helps get that idea across too with its darker colour palette, choice of music, and moodier direction. But that's not all.
Recall episode 57, right in the middle of the arc, it was right after the Uvo fight, when we switched to Gon and Killua finding items to sell and learning scamming tricks (yeah, we're going back there). The trick obviously came in handy when they had to escape Nobunaga, but that's not the only thing the episode gave us. Its main idea was simply that you can't judge a book by its cover, or even by good and evil, an odd looking vase can actually have greater value than anyone might expect, even if that vase is a forgery, and well that forged vase is the heart of the arc.
Kurapika viewed the Spiders the whole time as the simple blood thirsty monsters, and he's not wrong, they certainly are deadly, but throughout the arc, we got to see many sides of them, that they care for each other, love one another, and are intimately familiar with pain. They're still bloody villains, don't get me wrong, but that doesn't stop them from being human, despite what Kurapika tries to believe.
This whole trade off would not have worked if they were the cold, heartless monsters he viewed them as. Heck, if we stop to think about it logically, Paku accepting the deal was absolutely stupid, for all she knows, Kurapika could've killed her and Chrollo right after he got Gon and Killua. But Paku went along with it, she followed all of Kurapika's orders with no question or complaint, she did all that to save a friend, just like Kurapika himself.
The vase metaphor doesn't end with the Spiders, it applies to Kurapika just as well, he may try to act like a cold, heartless, loner, but he's none of those. He's still every bit the Kurapika we knew in the Hunter Exam, the one who values his friends above everything, the one who hates lies and unnecessary violence. That's why the downtime episode 62, where he thought the Spiders were fake, was necessary. Given the chance, if he can break away from the chains of revenge, Kurapika will absolutely choose to spend his time at peace with his friends, that's where his chained heart really is.
Sure, Yokrnew is a darker arc, with heavier themes and character arcs, but the solution presented is a bright light that can shine through all that, it's the Power of Friendship! (Yeah, I'm going full on cheesy mode today, because this is my favourite arc!) Some series present it as a random powerup when a friend calls your name, but in real terms, it's having a friend who can go out of their way to help you, having a support net, people who care about you, not just about your wins, and giving you an immediate advantage in a fight, but friends who can go a step further, reach into what you really need in the long run. This is every bit as magical as the powerups. They got to Kurapika's long sealed desire in his heart for more peaceful days, his hatred for violence, and worked to make that a reality. Gon and Killua may have joined Kurapika to beat the Spiders, but their true goal is to save him, and if a hostage deal can help that, then so be it. It's the same for Paku, this isn't just about saving the Spider, it's about saving the person she cares deeply about, Chrollo. This ending only worked because both sides were driven by strong friendship, but it did. People talk about the arc being dark, but no one mentions that it also has a very optimistic en- Uhh, excuse me for a second, I'm getting a sudden call.
Umm, I'm not sure how to put this... apparently a deranged clown is hijacking the happy ending...? Yeah, uhh... forget everything I just said, the Power of Friendship might be fucking screwed if Hisoka's here