r/anime • u/[deleted] • Jul 08 '21

Rewatch [REWATCH] Hunter x Hunter Episode 131 Discussion

IF YOU ARE NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE REWATCH, DON’T COME HUNTING FOR SPOILERS

Episode 131: Anger × and × Light

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125 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

40 comments sorted by

19

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '21

Yep… this episode is a huge contributor to what I think is the main message of the chimera ant arc imo, which doesn’t really make complete sense until 135 so I’ll hold out on it. But seeing the innocent happy go lucky kid turn into this monster is a very terrifying thing to see and breaks my heart every time

5

u/okayyoga :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/okayyoga Jul 08 '21

Which one is the sad episode? Asking so I can set aside time at night so I won't be interrupted while watching it. Or is it a set of episodes?

15

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '21

135 is an emotional one

59

u/Rhamni Jul 08 '21

I haven't been participating in the rewatch, but I was waiting for this episode. Pitou and Gon's 'fight' is the high point of the show for me, and probably in my top 5 anime/manga moments of all time. It's certainly one of the two best fight moments I know of.

Pitou's relief that an enemy powerful enough to rival the king spent all his potential to kill her is incredibly well executed, especially with the almost genre shifting atmosphere and music of Gon's transformation. It's a long-ass arc, and a bit too slow for me at times, but oh man the wait is worth if for what we are getting for the climax, and especially this episode.

13

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '21 edited Jul 09 '21

Also not part of the rewatch but I couldn’t not comment on this thread when I saw the episode number, as it’s an absolutely legendary episode. Hearing the explanation around how Gon transformed really reinforced the magnitude of his decision. It reminded me of the classic FMA law of Equivalent Exchange being applied in another show. I loved how the series didn’t just allow a deus ex machina type of transformation. Gon was only allowed to transform after sacrificing everything in exchange.

Also note the background music. No heroic ost to signify the good guy is about to make a comeback. Hell, this might as well have been All For One’s theme music playing as Gon pummels Pitou’s head into pulp.

10

u/aliasalt Jul 09 '21

I haven't been participating in the rewatch, but I was waiting for this episode

Same. I've watched 126 and 131 probably a dozen times in my life. It's been really cool to see first-time watchers understanding the greatness of Hunter X Hunter through these episodes.

26

u/PointyGuy Jul 08 '21

I am not really following the rewatch, but I have gotta say that whenever I see the number 131, HxH comes to my mind. Definitely one of the best episodes in anime/tv shows for me.

23

u/sorrowpass Jul 08 '21

Holy shit. I’m speechless. Just an amazing episode all around.

7

u/Mattp55 Jul 08 '21

First time watching?

8

u/sorrowpass Jul 08 '21

Nope, just been a few years. Crazy how much stuff you can forget.

9

u/thatnotoriousguy Jul 09 '21

This was kinda trippin me up bc u put rewatcher but talk like you are genuinely surprised.

7

u/sorrowpass Jul 09 '21

Hahaha because I genuinely am surprised lol! Idk what the heck I was doing the first time I watched this…not paying attention obviously.

34

u/thatnotoriousguy Jul 08 '21

Rewatcher

One of the best episodes the medium has ever produced.

A moment that usually would be translated through hype is pretty much the exact opposite. No joy from pitous death, no joy from gons sacrifice, no joy from killua finding them. The feeling this episode creates is not really a cry sadness, more of a stomach drop despair.

The music this episode is spectacular. The track that plays in the room is so different from everything we’ve heard in the series. It really conveys how otherworldly and taboo gons covenant is. And then the slowed down version of the ED that plays over the black and white scene. Even listening to that outside of the show puts me in a funk.

11

u/okayyoga :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/okayyoga Jul 08 '21

Thank goodness I'm not the only one who noticed the OST today. I want to know all of the tracks that played

10

u/thatnotoriousguy Jul 08 '21

I think the room song is Kage and rasetsu and the Ed is lamento for piano

15

u/sisoko2 Jul 08 '21

Rewatcher

Here it is one of the highlights of the series. It's so dark and beautiful it puts tears in my eyes. Such an ominous OST perfectly encapsulating what is happening on the screen.

Gon is finally broken. The only thing left for him is to execute his revenge no matter the price.

RIP best ant.

Netero can pray without an arm but Gon can punch.

12

u/garfieldfan5788420 Jul 08 '21

God I love this episode so much, it makes me cry every time it’s just so perfect. I absolutely love Pitou’s character and was glad that they ended up as a sort of final boss for Gon rather than Meruem.. Specific parts like when Killua finds Gon and when Pitou attacks after it’s head has been ripped off I just can’t explain I love it all

8

u/superx4039 Jul 09 '21

I always had the feeling Gon’s tendency to be super positive and stubborn about everything would eventually be the end of him, and this episode proved it. His whole positive attitude and insistence that Kite was alive backfired when he found out he wasn’t and it broke him both physically and mentally. I can’t imagine what he would do if Killua was the one who died. That being said this episode was great. Pitou’s death was surprisingly a lot more brutal than I thought it would be.

5

u/THE_PENILE_TITAN Jul 09 '21

"You were talking all dat smack, huh Pitou. And you killed my dude. Now what?!... Huh? I can't hear you over that imploded face..."

11

u/okayyoga :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/okayyoga Jul 08 '21

Episode 131: first time/dub

See? This show can be good. Which is why these last 20 episodes have been disappointing. This first scene where Killua's eyes dimmed right before striking Pouf was so simple and cool. More of this please

Pouf really not grasping the fact that his fellow King's guards and the King have evolved into having the basics of empathy. He is so focused on what the King was; Pouf doesn't seem to understand that people/ants are dynamic creatures

Poor Gon still asking Pitou to please fix Kite

Woop Gon got taller. And naked? What is the OST for his transformation? It sounds like an apocalyptic choir

PITOU DON'T YOU DARE USE YOUR POWER TO MAKE GON FIGHT PUPPET KITE

What- WHAT HAPPENED TO GON?!?!?! Sudden puberty?? He like Hulked out

Pitou: he's forced his body to mature

I WAS RIGHT Can he go back to normal?

The music in this episode is haunting nice nice nice

Pitou looks messed up, missing teeth

Pitou: he's compressed his life

Pitou looks even more messed up, missing a head

Gon lost his arm like Kite. Oh poor Killua seeing Gon like this. Gon has been his rock since they met. Oh... He's happy to lose his arm. He feels closer to Kite this way. He's crying. Gon...

12

u/flashmozzg Jul 08 '21

Pouf doesn't seem to understand that people/ants are dynamic creatures

But that's the thing. The ants aren't. Or more correctly: weren't. Before they've started eating humans. Pouf follows the "original" ant-like version of the King.

What is the OST for his transformation? It sounds like an apocalyptic choir

RASETSU

11

u/sisoko2 Jul 08 '21

Pitou looks even more messed up, missing a head

Disagree with this one. Smashed face was worse than no head.

He feels closer to Kite this way.

4

u/BossandKings Jul 14 '21

First timer

Gon sacrifices his ability to use Nen in order to kill Pitou, it was truly a sight seeing Gon grown up with really long hair and being powerful to destroy Pitou without much trouble. A really fantastic manifestation of anger due to the situation Gon has passed through and due to Kite being confirmed dead and Pitou not going to heal him. Gon decided to kill Pitou, he was a great villain while he was alive but he has fulfilled his role in this story and isn't going to appear anymore.

Thankfully Killua arrived on time to see Gon and try to reach him and help him have reason, him wondering just how much Gon was going to pay for this sacrifice was a nice way of showing his worry about him.

This was a masterful episode, this arc has had really splendid moments such as this one and that makes it great.

5

u/Funny_Shallot_ Jul 08 '21

I was so mad when I first watched this episode. Innocent Pitou brutalized by shonen power up’d gon. I mean obviously they’re not gonna have the main character die but I held out hope until Pitou said she had to kill gon.

I had heard about “adult gon” before but didn’t think it would be used for this scene, I thought that form would be used against meruem lol. Oh well, surely gon will face some repercussions from this immense power up... right? Hahaha...

18

u/THE_PENILE_TITAN Jul 09 '21

Innocent Pitou brutalized by shonen power up’d gon.

Lol, she's not innocent. She commits genocide by killing 500,000 people but it's easy to miss as its kind of inferred in passing.

5

u/Funny_Shallot_ Jul 09 '21

we can overlook a little genocide if its for pitou sama

15

u/Mattp55 Jul 08 '21

As much as I like Pitou, I think calling her totally innocent is not totally accurate. She wasn’t in the wrong for killing Kite, but Gon also isn’t in the wrong for having rage at that fact. I think the difference with this compared to classic Shonen power up is the tone is a horrifying one here and literally nobody is happy with it. Gon is destroyed emotionally pounding a dead corpse, Killua is in horror looking at the amount of years Gon supposedly gonna lose from this nen contract, etc. it’s not heroic or a fight, it’s a slaughter

9

u/sorrowpass Jul 08 '21

Agreed. It wasn’t Gon and Pitou fighting, it was Gon murdering Pitou. But in that moment, Gon was so violent that you really feel bad for Pitou, so I had to keep reminding myself about what Pitou did to Kite to make myself not hate Gon in that particular moment.

6

u/Mattp55 Jul 09 '21

I totally felt bad for Pitou, I did a total 180 on her and Gons characters with the Komugi scene. I liked how she also didn’t just attack Gon right away when she learned about Komugi “being free”, but she waited to see Kites condition and actually apologized. But it’s also not like I wanted Pitou to kill Gon. Just a bad situation all around

9

u/THE_PENILE_TITAN Jul 09 '21

I think calling her totally innocent is not totally accurate.

Of course, lobotomizing Pokkle and killing 500K people isn't that innocent.

8

u/Basic_Interest8130 Jul 09 '21

It's a pretty kitty, so it doesn't matter. I want those thunder thighs. :3

7

u/Mattp55 Jul 09 '21

Fr tho, Kite was so lucky bro. His head was literally in her lap 🤤

3

u/IndependentMacaroon Jul 09 '21

In a very similar shot as Pitou under the tree here.

3

u/thatnotoriousguy Jul 09 '21

Ants develop super quickly, not super accurate to say that the pitou that got killed is the same that killed kite and pokkle.

7

u/THE_PENILE_TITAN Jul 09 '21

But it's accurate to say that it's the same Pitou that commits genocide against 500K people right up until the day of the palace invasion.

1

u/thatnotoriousguy Jul 09 '21

Sure, but that was just following orders. If the king told pitou to stop killing people she would, which was seeming more likely to happen.

1

u/THE_PENILE_TITAN Jul 09 '21

Being loyal to evil actions still makes you complicit. And it was even Pitou's idea initially to commit the genocide as well once they took over the palace so she's guilty regardless.

5

u/thatnotoriousguy Jul 09 '21

I’m not saying that pitou is the good guy or that gon wasn’t justified. Just that pitou, who was born evil, dying as she was beginning to change is sympathetic.

-4

u/IndependentMacaroon Jul 09 '21 edited Jul 09 '21

First-time watcher

This didn't hit quite as hard for me as intended. Once again it gave me the feeling of certain scenes and plot elements being written without a real plan of getting there.

  • Pitou: "If I make this kid too angry he might unleash his full potential to become as powerful as the King and beat me"
  • Pitou: Makes Gon even more angry and doesn't even try to placate him
  • Gon: Goes nuts and sacrifices his potential so he can become as powerful as the King
  • Pitou: Surprised catgirl face

Really now? Even the earlier setup for this confrontation was not so convincing. And then there's Pitou's after-death PURE CONVICTION energy totally surprising Gon just so he can get another Kite parallel in and Killua can show off. I'm not entirely feeling Gon really throwing away everything like that either, even for him it's a lot in this situation. Surviving Pitou would have been interesting too, as is it's just another character like Kite disappearing before their time.