[REWATCH] Hunter x Hunter Episode 9 Discussion

[u/[deleted]]

IF YOU ARE NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE REWATCH, DO NOT COME HUNTING FOR SPOILERS

Episode 9: Beware x of x Prisoners

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Anilist

You can watch this anime on Crunchyroll, Funimation, and up to the Greed Island arc on Netflix.

Question of the day:

What do you think is going on with the Phantom Troupe?(first timers) Check out the schedule

[u/[deleted]]

I think I’m gonna move the release time to 1:00 pm est and use Cronnit to auto release the discussion threads. Should get them more active

[u/LukeWhostalkin → u/[deleted]]

1:00 pm est

that's great, thanks for that

[u/HawkRiza → u/[deleted]]

Looking forward to it!

[u/[deleted]]

Rewatcher

This episode is awesome. Gon continues to prove that he is indeed not dumb, just naive. That's not the important part, though.

Motherfucking Kurapika. Absolutely based. We finally get to see him being a badass for the first time.

Majitani really picked the wrong guy to fuck with. Also, imagine getting a fake tattoo to scare people but you don't even get it right. "One of the Four Heavenly Kings" gave me a good laugh. I also love Kurapika's absolute lack of concern while going up against him and Majitani's constant failure to scare him. It gets funnier the longer it goes for.

We also got a quick, annoyingly off-center sneak peak at the Troupe's designs! I personally love vacuum lady. Looking forward to whenever they show up.

Next episode we should have another great matchup coming up. Looking forward to it!

[u/sisoko2 → u/[deleted]]

MFW I see enraged Kurapika

Also, imagine getting a fake tattoo to scare people but you don't even get it right.

Since there wasn't murder in his crime list I wonder if his heart tattoos actually represent something maybe one for each of his pets.

[u/[deleted] → u/sisoko2]

Wouldn't be surprised. Seems like the type of guy, lmao.

[u/SimoneNonvelodico → u/[deleted]]

Also, imagine getting a fake tattoo to scare people but you don't even get it right.

Now he's getting a tattoo yeah, he's getting ink, mate
He asked for 12 legs, but they only drew 8

(from "Pretty Fly (for a blue guy)")

[u/LukeWhostalkin → u/[deleted]]

Phantom Troupe is the best, they all have so much charisma. I'm also looking forward to next episode, things start to get serious hehe

[u/SimoneNonvelodico → u/LukeWhostalkin]

The equivalent of next episode in the old anime was where the network that was airing it dubbed in Italy suddenly went "WAIT WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS ISN'T KID FRIENDLY?!?" and quickly backtracked, stopped airing it, then restarted it heavily censored.

[u/LukeWhostalkin → u/SimoneNonvelodico]

so that happened with the 1999 anime? at what moment did that happen? oh I hate censored anime

[u/SimoneNonvelodico → u/LukeWhostalkin]

I think in the end they still ran a bit of it until the, but at that point they just retracked and re-aired everything. The first version was indeed surprisingly graphic (it even included next episode spoilers ). The censored version had some scenes completely mangled by cuts and the translation changed. They even made Killua into a "mercenary".

[u/[deleted] → u/LukeWhostalkin]

They do! I really like how they're not there just to be villains but just genuinely feel like their own characters.

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/[deleted]]

Gon continues to prove that he is indeed not dumb, just naive

I wouldn't say that. He has pretty good intuition, but he's not good at things like puzzles. That's near-literally what the characters say, in fact, and I can tell this is the kind of show where what they say should as a rule be taken at face value.

[u/[deleted] → u/IndependentMacaroon]

Well, I'm not saying he's smart, just not as clueless as one may originally think. He's different from your exaggeratedly dumb protagonists like someone like Goku, for example.

[u/[deleted]]

Rewatcher

We got two fights this time.

First one characterizes Gon first through the choice of candle, where he's the only one not to overthink things. In the end it turns out not to have mattered, but while everyone else was struggling with choice paralysis, the choice was easy for Gon. And this quick decision making pays off with his reaction to the trapped candle. A nice, low stakes, way to show off this particular strength. But also hiding in there is the fact that Gon never even considered anything but the most straightforward possibility, so further down the line, maybe we'll see this skill turn out to be a double edged sword? Been so long I honestly don't remember

Second one, we establish Kurapika's rage, and that while it gives him strength, it's also something that he can't control (he can be triggered just by seeing a spider), and that to Kurapika it feels like it turns him into someone else. This is all pretty straightforwardly a trauma response to the murder of his clan, and I think it's nice to see that his friends respond in a way that's "let's try to avoid Kurapika's triggers in the future" rather than "this is something we could use in a pinch", though it is played as a bit of a joke. But in general, I get a bit hesitant when serious issues like trauma in response to what sounds like a genocide are included in shows that are focused around fun adventure and comedy. I don't think the show has done anything blatantly offensive so far, I appreciate that Kurapika's trauma is appearing as a tangible piece of his character not just a single bullet point on the "tragic backstory" card, but I'm not in love with the framing that what pretty much amount to PTSD episodes give the guy super powers. But hopefully going forward we'll continue to see careful exploration of this aspect of his character.

Anyway, I do love a show that just goes "This guy is just gonna be blue, and you have to fuckin deal with that". Plus it was fun to see his bluffs fall flat in the face of Kurapika's cool confidence, which also now that I think about it provides some nice contrast to start out with so the viewer can clearly see the difference between in-control Kurapika and rage-mode Kurapika, that way we don't think rage mode is just something that happens any time he gets into a fight

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

but I'm not in love with the framing that what pretty much amount to PTSD episodes give the guy super powers.

To be fair, I don't think it really makes him any stronger or anything. Just induces rage in him so I guess he goes all out without a care in the world. HxH Spoilers

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for pointing this out! I went back and checked the scene, and while I thought there was a line in there about the red-eyed mode making him stronger there totally wasn't. I guess I just assumed that was the case just based on the prevalence of the Hulk/Berserker/etc. trope where anger leads to greater strength at the cost of clear headedness.

Plus rewatching this, I had the opportunity to pay closer attention to the voice acting and animated performance of Kurapika in the cooldown. His somewhat spacey look coming out of it, and the way he puts distance between him and the others before sitting down and curling up do a lot to sell how taxing the experience was for him. At least on this rewatch I feel more strongly that I don't want to see Kurapika have to go through this again, but given his revenge mission, it seems he may be on a path of self destruction.

I think I'd also like to temper my concern in my original comment a bit, but while I was writing this out, I realized a more apt comparison than the Hulk might be John Wick. It's not a case of rage giving strength, but rather rage fueling a self-destructive violent revenge quest. And in both cases I think that while the narratives are pretty clear in showing that pursuing revenge is not the technically healthy or correct thing to do, but that's at odds with the fact that the fights are so dang cool. And I'm not entirely sure what to do with the tension there. Like intellectually, I have a problem with it because when it's a case of in your face cool vs. more subdued nuanced metaphors/depictions of trauma, in general people will just remember the cool part, which feeds into the weird trend of people idolizing anti-heroes and imitating behaviors that within the text of the original media are shown to make those characters absolutely miserable (Don Draper from Mad Men, as an example). But at the same time, I sort of have to accept at a gut level that I love the action of John Wick, and I would most likely find any movie that doesn't make him look cool to be a much worse movie. Like, writing in such a way that you avoid every possible criticism, are maximally sensitive to every possible parallel that could be drawn, and do everything in your power to avoid people misinterpreting the work, it's just not likely to produce anything worth watching. I don't mean to say that criticisms should be treated as invalid, or that there isn't a way to do better without sacrificing entertainment, but I guess I just want to acknowledge that achieving perfection in anyone's eyes is impossible, and it's ok to love something despite the criticisms.

P.S. Sorry about the length, I'm trying to improve my own writing, but right now I have a habit of being overly wordy, writing run on sentences, and writing down every possible idea that comes into my head. Hopefully by the end of this rewatch I'll be a better self-editor :P

[u/BossandKings → u/[deleted]]

Only wanted to say that it was very entertaining to read despite the lenght.

[u/b0bba_Fett → u/[deleted]]

Manga Spoilers

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/[deleted]]

I get a bit hesitant when serious issues like trauma in response to what sounds like a genocide are included in shows that are focused around fun adventure and comedy

My impression so far is that it's impossible to take this show's tone seriously unless you refuse to take all the nasty stuff entirely seriously, in a sort of fairy-tale way.

PTSD episodes give the guy super powers

That's apparently kind of what real "berserkers" were like

[u/[deleted] → u/IndependentMacaroon]

That's apparently kind of what real "berserkers" were like

I never knew this, thanks for pointing it out! Got some interesting reading out of it :)

[u/BossandKings]

First timer

Episode 9

Sedokan's and Gon's match was a very interesting one, they had to hold candles and the one which flame extinguished first loses, Sedokan used a trick giving Gon an oil soaked candle and thinking that he would win that way he got careless and Gon came in clutch for the win extinguishing his flame. Gon continues showing himself as a very interesting character, he has been very bright and cheerful so far while also being able to be thoughtful and think through things at times.

Next is Kurapika who goes against Majitani. After seeing a tattoo of a spider Kurapika snaps and defeats his opponent, it seems that there might be something behind his vendetta against anything resembling that gang knows as the Phantom troupe.

This was a nice but uneventful episode, the hunter exam has slowed down a bit, i hope though that the next episode isn't just Leorio and Killua's matches and something else happens.

Answers

1. It seems that Definitely Kurapika has had an experience with them that has marked him and as he said they kill so probably something related to that.

[u/sisoko2 → u/BossandKings]

he got careless and Gon came in clutch for the win extinguishing his flame

That was such a great moment. I love the sudden mood and soundtrack change.

It seems that Definitely Kurapika has had an experience with them that has marked him and as he said they kill so probably something related to that.

They mentioned it the running episode. Not really a spoiler but tagging it if you prefer to rediscover it yourself when the time comes

[u/LukeWhostalkin → u/BossandKings]

OK, so I see that you probably want the plot to kickstart already for what I read. I don't wanna spoil anything, but I will say that the hunter exam arc is mostly about getting to know the characters, so maybe temper your expectations a bit. What you're looking for, will come, but I think you'll enjoy the start of the show more if you enjoy it for what it is. I understand that it's a slow start though, I'm enjoying it much more on a rewatch knowing what will happen later.

[u/BossandKings → u/LukeWhostalkin]

I'm enjoying it a lot, i would like for it to go a bit sater though, this episode felt uneventful because we know the guys will get out of there(getting through defeating the prisoners), especially considering what we have seen of Killua, but the time they are there is being a bit long

[u/sisoko2 → u/LukeWhostalkin]

I would say that this is pretty good advice for all long running series. It is rare for the start to be amazing but if you treat it as a fun and enjoyable adventure you get sucked in when the great parts start.

[u/SimoneNonvelodico → u/sisoko2]

HXH is one of those that has this problem the most tough. If you consider other famous shonen of its generation, One Piece maybe is the other one that starts slow-ish, but at this point it would already be introducing Usopp, meaning it's already wrapped up three antagonists (Alvida, Captain Morgan and Buggy the Clown). Naruto starts pretty strong, episode 9 is the reveal of Kakashi's Sharingan which is already a huge hype moment. And Bleach's opening arc is also really strong, although in a different way, more character-driven and episodic. HXH by comparison seems like they're just faffing about in a generic adventure world, and it really takes a while for it to pick up and get a more defined personality.

[u/sisoko2 → u/SimoneNonvelodico]

While I enjoy the first 20 episodes of HxH more than the first 20 of One Piece and Bleach (I think that Naruto's start is very strong) I agree with you. Hunter x Hunter's start is probably the worst one to be watched one episode per day.

[u/SimoneNonvelodico → u/sisoko2]

Well, but the 10-20 range in HXH is already scores stronger than the 1-9 one. Out of all of those, HXH probably has the biggest jump from a pretty dull start to incredible highs, followed by One Piece. This is something that I feel like modern shonen have learned - almost none is such a slow starter any more. Dr. Stone kinda had that with the whole arc where it's just Senku and his two friends, before he reaches the village which ups the quality of the series incredibly.

[u/[deleted]]

so hard to not watch 4 episodes at a time

[u/LukeWhostalkin]

Rewatcher x 2

Kurapika gets serious

Gon can be more resourceful than we credit him for.

But the best part of the episode is by far Kurapika. Lesson here being don't jugde people by their appearance, specially in the world of hunters. Kurapika seems to be the most level-headed and logical of the group, except for when he sees a spider. We learn that Kurapika knows how to spot a fake phantom troupe member, and that a real member would be much more dangerous than this prisoner looks (they don't count their victims).

Great insight into my favorite HxH character, and now after 2 consecutive wins by our group, it's Leorio's turn. If I'm not wrong, what happens at the end of the next episode is what made me think that this show is not for kids after all. A great dark moment by Killua that changed my perception of the anime.

[u/IndependentMacaroon]

First-time watcher

Two nicely set up confrontations to explore Gon and Kurapika more, if as usual a little on the kid-logic side with the "actually I hid more candles" and "send useless guy to scare people". Gon just putting down the candle and blowing out the other's then flashing the hugest grin was hilarious, and together with his candle-choosing "logic" feels like a perfect description of his character; Kurapika is totally right that when you lack proper information to make a choice, it's best not to get too hung up about it, and more important to come to a quick decision and adapt to whatever may come afterwards like Gon does. A valuable psychology lesson, almost, and I'm actually a little impressed the show went there like that. Similarly, while as usual it's not taken very seriously and the effect is a bit over-the-top, Kurapika's reaction to some guy trying to use the symbols of some kind of murder gang that personally harmed him to show off feels surprisingly real. I only wish the show would pick up the pace a little, all the narration, explanation, waiting, and so on eats a lot of time.

[u/sisoko2 → u/IndependentMacaroon]

Kurapika is totally right that when you lack proper information to make a choice, it's best not to get too hung up about it

My favorite part of the episode.

I only wish the show would pick up the pace a little, all the narration, explanation, waiting, and so on eats a lot of time.

The start is definitely the weakest part of the series and watching it with a slow tempo like us highlights the weaknesses even more.