Chimera Ant Arc Sucks ?

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Mar 2014

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^ Good points all around. But that's not what he refers about Nen with the Ants. He actually explains it to me a page back (which I reply to with examples)

May 13, 2014 10:57 PM

#104

Galdiblow

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Apr 2014

371

JordyJS said:
Him simply "being on a different journey" doesn't justify abandoning the people who helped get him on that journey, people we grew to respect.

Abandon? That's a bit too harsh, don't you think? :P

May 14, 2014 5:32 PM

#105

JordyJS

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May 2014

54

Raticate said:
Just curious, which nen abilities do you find over the top? I think Cheetuh's tag ability was a little out there, but it was consistent with what we knew about Nen. The only thing that bothers me is that Chetuh creating a conjurated (think that's a word) Nen bow out of nowhere when Kurapika's training stated a Conjurer needed to be extremely familiar with an object to conjure it. However, this was practically comic relief, so I haven't given it too much thought.

Ah, I more so just meant the scale of it rather than what it was they were conjuring. I thought the things Hisoka conjured felt a little more balanced/grounded than say, Cheetuh's, Bisky's, or Pinou's. Just felt a bit unfair. I would have liked to see Nen be used creatively in conjunction with the user's physical capabilities rather than a crutch, if that makes any sense.

GoldenBlue said:
Abandon? That's a bit too harsh, don't you think? :P

Probably. I just miss them is all. They had such great development, it's hard for me to just forget about them for the sake of the arc. Now for the wall, hah.

Cresherhsm said:
It never felt different to me, in fact, the arc felt one hundred percent HxH. The only arc in the series that felt “different” was the Chimera Ant arc and that was because of its drastic shift in tone. I don’t understand what you mean by the audience being left out of the character’s plans. Right before Yorknew started, we were already fed the idea it would only be Gon and Killua who would be pursuing the Greed Island lead (lead in finding Ging). Before Greed Island started, we were also told of what the other characters would be doing. Kurapika was leaving Yorknew City and accompany her boss, staying determined to his mission of reclaiming his clansmen’s eyes and defeating the Troupe while Leorio was going to continue his medicinal studies.

... One of the many things I love about HxH is how character roles aren’t shoe-horned. Togashi doesn't throw in Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio into an arc and make them fit; he makes the story play out naturally. Although Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio are buddies, they also have different goals. Kurapika and Leorio aren’t with Gon all the time because they have other priorities that trump helping a friend find his father. As for who should you focus on, you should focus on Gon. The whole anime is about Gon's journey to find his father afterall.

Again, tough to explain. Honestly I have no other way to describe it than that it felt slightly out of place. It felt like all the strategy from before was pre-planned rather than "discovered" with the characters. I'm really dumbfounded here, I don't think I can properly articulate how it felt, hah.

Regarding the other characters, that's my point entirely. We knew what they were doing but we didn't get to see any of it. Again, I get why it was done - it'd be hard to tie in those stories together. But that doesn't change the fact that their absence was noticeable, and after all of their character development, it felt like a waste NOT to utilize them. We got to see the troupe take on the CA, so it wouldn't at all be illogical for Kurapika to show up around that time. This is all simply what ifs, but it just felt like wasted opportunity.

Cresherhsm said:
“Fearsome monsters, exotic creatures, vast riches, hidden treasures, evil enclaves, unexplored lands” is the first thing thrown at viewers when they watch the series for the first time be it in the manga or anime. From the start of the series, Togashi establishes the HxH world is one that is rich, mysterious and fascinating, and when the series introduces nen later on, even mystical. There is just so much to learn and discover out there that the highest and most sought after profession in the world the series takes place in is a “Hunter” that alone speaks volumes. The Ants did not appear out of thin air, magical beasts and the fact that the HxH world is riddled with them have been established during the introduction, the Hunter Exam and the insights about being a Hunter that we get throughout the series.

...You missed the point. As jreginald said, the Chimera Ants are the pinnacle of evolution. All the development the Ants underwent throughout this arc was only possible because of their extraordinary evolutionary capabilities. If you were to remove Phagogensis, the Chimera Ant arc would have been your average “beat them up” as opposed to the deep, captivating and thrilling narrative it now is. In this arc, we humans were not just pit against a superior hostile species but aganist a superior hostile species that started to change and grow in many different ways after incorporating human traits.
Read more at http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1168091&show=100#6cljkZRiTMJ8JZ7s.99

Yeah, in the world it makes total sense for them to exist, my point was that their existence wasn't built up to. Why was the Queen in a cave half dead? Why is she larger than the regular, smaller CA that Kite kills in the first episode? A little back-story as to how these creatures came to be would have been much appreciated and given us a better perspective on why these creatures are the way they are. The fact of the matter is that they do just show up out of thin air. The world was established, yes, but the ants weren't. I want to care about their existence, and I've tried to find justification to do so, but the hurdle is that we're expected to just go with it. For a show which explains practically everything, it was off-putting. Now their transformation as humanoid ants was done very well, but in the beginning it certainly feels like they were just there to be an enemy without any true suspense per their existence.

For the record, as they became more evolved, it was handled very well. They are now very three dimensional enemies rather than mindless human killers. My issues lie strictly in their build up and how my lack of interest upon their creation translates slightly to their current story arcs.

Cresherhsm said:
I really don’t blame you for thinking this butthere are two complaints about the narrator that rub me in the wrong direction. One, that the point of the obvious narration was to inform and two, that Togashi was “telling and not showing”.

When the narration was “not obvious” its purpose was to inform and give viewers a thorough grasp of certain a situation (ofc). However, when the narration was “obvious” its point was to increase dramatic tension and at times, compliment other narrations. As for “tell and don’t show”, everything during the invasion has been a case of “show and tell”. As I said many times in the past it’s a matter of style. Togashi didn’t just stop having faith in his viewers all of a sudden when it came to them being able to understand his work people. e.e

Again, I get why the narration is there and of course it wasn't intended to reflect such views. My problem with it, personally, is that it comes off as condescending. It wasn't made that way, but it doesn't mean that it can't feel a little excessive. The past seasons honestly had nearly just as much, but it was done in the characters' minds rather than the narrative voice - that was what gave the feeling of the characters figuring things out for themselves, a feeling this season was lacking in comparison to the others (due to the narration).

In layman's terms, I guess you could say that the previous seasons were like reading a novel in first person perspective, while the latter half of this one felt more like a third person one.

Hah, maybe I'm just sensitive towards being spoon fed information, but as I said before, a part of the fun was figuring this all out on my own.

May 14, 2014 8:47 PM

#106

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Mar 2014

838

JordyJS said:
Ah, I more so just meant the scale of it rather than what it was they were conjuring. I thought the things Hisoka conjured felt a little more balanced/grounded than say, Cheetuh's, Bisky's, or Pinou's. Just felt a bit unfair. I would have liked to see Nen be used creatively in conjunction with the user's physical capabilities rather than a crutch, if that makes any sense.

Idk if you read my reply to your reply to me from last night (probably because it's in the last page) but I shed a little light on why their Nen abilities aren't exactly ridiculous. You see why Pitou was able to make that in the first place.

May 14, 2014 8:57 PM

#107

Grunbeld

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Jan 2014

3077

The narration was not spoonfeeding, it was juststinulating discussion, and giving information that would otherwise not be apparent. Such as Pitou not hearing a word of Gon when he waa screaming all shonen style. Being made in a different voice does not make it that, either.
Or being there purely for the added effect, to make the scene more powerful.

I personally am glad we did not get it fully in monologue style, emotionally, that wod have been spoonfeeding in itself, rather have the narrator discuss for them, and I would try to incorporate how they felt in accordance with their characters. And mix it with their own monologues.
Besides, it helps not to break the flow, while still throwing all that info at us.

GrunbeldMay 14, 2014 9:02 PM

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May 15, 2014 4:33 AM

#108

Cresherhsm

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JordyJS said:
Again, tough to explain. Honestly I have no other way to describe it than that it felt slightly out of place. It felt like all the strategy from before was pre-planned rather than "discovered" with the characters. I'm really dumbfounded here, I don't think I can properly articulate how it felt, hah.

Yeah I know that feeling but if ever you do “get the right words” feel free to bring them back into our discussion any time. People’s problems with the Greed Island arc will always intrigue me due to a total personal disconnect. :))

“Yeah, in the world it makes total sense for them to exist, my point was that their existence wasn't built up to. Why was the Queen in a cave half dead? Why is she larger than the regular, smaller CA that Kite kills in the first episode? A little back-story as to how these creatures came to be would have been much appreciated…”

If that’s your problem then don’t worry. Togashi withdrew that information and saved it for this big reveal that would propel the start of the current arc in the manga.

“We knew what they were doing but we didn't get to see any of it. Again, I get why it was done - it'd be hard to tie in those stories together. But that doesn't change the fact that their absence was noticeable, and after all of their character development, it felt like a waste NOT to utilize them. We got to see the troupe take on the CA, so it wouldn't at all be illogical for Kurapika to show up around that time. This is all simply what ifs, but it just felt like wasted opportunity.”

As I said, that would be forcing them into the story. The only reason we got to see the Troupe was because their hometown fell victim to a Chimera Ant attack. Moreover, during this detour Togashi was able to show us the magnitude of the CA problem, the fates of Zazaan and Pike and foreshadow an important character who would play a role during the resolution of this arc (through a family photo). On the other hand, Leorio and Kurapika had nothing to do with Greed Island.

Again, I get why the narration is there and of course it wasn't intended to reflect such views. My problem with it, personally, is that it comes off as condescending. It wasn't made that way, but it doesn't mean that it can't feel a little excessive.

Given your post, it seems like you only have a problem with the narration when it states the obvious, correct? The only way these “obvious narrations” can come across as condescending is if you think their purpose was to inform. People who view these “no-brainer narrations” under this light would see these narrations as intellectually insulting since they are under the impression that the author lacked so much faith in his audience that he needed to resort to serious spoon feeding of obvious details. However, as I said, the point of these obvious narrations was not to inform but to increase dramatic tension and complement the content in scenes. For example, let’s take a look at Meruem and Komugi’s scene in episode 112.

Narrator: When the King looked down time started moving again.
Narrator: However, time remained frozen for everyone else.
Narrator: The intruders, who had come for the King's life, were holding their breath and standing still because of the girl covered in blood.
Narrator: And because of the grotesque creature holding her body was clearly treating her with elegance and care.
King: Pitou
Pitou: Y-yes sir.
Narrator: The expression on the King's face returned to normal. This only increased Pitou's concern.
King: Heal Komugi. I'm counting on you.
Pitou: *cries*
Narrator: Two veterans continued to stand by, silently watching their enemies, out of respect. This was an act of love for a life. Should they infringe on that act, their cause is lost. It would have been inhumane.
Zeno: This isn't what I was given to expect.

Going back to an old post of mine, the narrations in bold contain obvious information while those that aren't are narrations that contain non-obvious information that couldn't have been known without the use of the narration or couldn't have been clearly inferred from the scene. We already knew the information in those bolded narrations but don't you think they added so much to the scene? Don't you think that lines like "holding their breath and standing still because of the girl covered in blood", “because of the grotesque creature holding her body was clearly treating her with elegance and care" and "This was an act of love for life" made everything a lot more impactful, especially Pitou's crying scene? As another example of “obvious narrations” giving scenes more impact, take a look at Pitou's scene in episode 112. Don’t you think that the "obvious narrations" made things more dramatic by highlighting her sense of urgency with lines like "with upper legs tensing like steel" and "twice as large as they'd been before the attack on Kite"? Now going back to the obvious narration during the invasion as a whole, in addition to increasing dramatic tension, don’t you think that the obvious narrations complement the content in scenes (including other non-obvious narrations, character dialogue and inner monologue) and improve its flow greatly? I highly suggest you check out the first half of episode 112 to see a great example of this, where the narration complemented everything from dialogue to inner monologues and non-obvious narrations. If we were to remove all of the “obvious narration” and stick to non-obvious narration, not only would it take out a lot of the impact these scenes had and the flow of the stair-climb sequence wouldn't have been as “smooth”. For another example take a look at the final scene of Netero vs Meruem’s fight in episode 126 (not the best, but I only have episodes 126 and 129 in my PC atm).

Netero: I am not alone (laughing). Don’t underestimate the human race, Meruem. Meruem…that is your name.
Narrator: As Netero spoke the King’s name, the King had no time to consider it, as he watched the old man who was supposed to be surrendering.
Meruem: What is this?
Netero: Meruem, King of Ants, you understand nothing of humanity’s infinite potential of malice!
Narrator: It was the first time the King had felt fear.
Narrator: One look at the face of this beaten old man, who should have been waiting for death, made it clear that his seemingly vain words were no mere boast.
Netero: If there’s a hell, I’ll see you there
Meruem: Yes…I see…you had me in checkmate from the start…

Don’t you think the obvious narrations in bold packed in a lot more “oomph!” into everything and complemented the scene well?

The past seasons honestly had nearly just as much, but it was done in the characters' minds rather than the narrative voice - that was what gave the feeling of the characters figuring things out for themselves, a feeling this season was lacking in comparison to the others (due to the narration).

Inner monologues are extremely common during the invasion. Although the narration did lessen the use of monologues; most of our characters thoughts by far are still explained internally. Now, everything that I'm going to say about the use of narration and inner monologue, I got from a great post from a user on another HxH forum. Basically what this user (FGES) says is that during the palace invasion, there so many things happening in the same place, in different areas and at the same time. Due to the scope and degree of things happening, there are times where it is better to relay things via narration as opposed to inner monologue. When it comes to focusing on smaller personal details (such as thoughts or feelings), inner monologue is used. However, when it comes to larger details, narration is used to capture the “bigger picture” that is the invasion (though there are also times were smaller details also need to be told on a larger scale through the use of narrations). In the end, narration and inner monologue are both used appropriately.

Again, the narration approach is heavily subjective and I can understand how it could kill the tension and irritably drag things out for others. It may work for you or it may not, though it was executed extremely well (by Togashi and Madhouse) and because it was, the narration worked wonders for a lot of us. Personally, it worked wonders for me, those episodes were a joy to watch. If Madhouse adapted episodes 113 and 115 properly, then the narration heavy portion of the invasion (111-118) would have been my favorite stretch in the series by a long shot. The level of depth and unique flavor packed in by the narration was incredibly fascinating and the narration complemented everything so well, improving the flow of the episode and increasing the tension considerably.

CresherhsmMay 15, 2014 5:34 PM

May 15, 2014 12:15 PM

#109

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Mar 2014

838

I wish MAL would just get a "like post" feature so I don't have to keep telling people "good post" -.-

But anyway, really good post. That's exactly why I liked the narration but I could never explain it that well. Props to whoever that FGES guy is (and you).

jreginaldMay 15, 2014 12:24 PM

May 15, 2014 1:03 PM

#110

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Jan 2014

219

The narration is so awesome. I just love the style it is used to enhance the storytelling. I can't believe that only 30 minutes passed between the start of the attack to episode 129

May 16, 2014 8:54 AM

#111

JordyJS

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May 2014

54

Cresherhsm said:
Yeah I know that feeling but if ever you do “get the right words” feel free to bring them back into our discussion any time. People’s problems with the Greed Island arc will always intrigue me due to a total personal disconnect. :))

Let's keep things cool. No need to be condescending.

JordyJS said:
It felt like all the strategy from before was pre-planned rather than "discovered" with the characters.

Anyway, I'd say that describes it more or less, however in layman's terms, I recommend comparing the dodge-ball segment to the final bomber battle. The former has us discovering how to conquer the challenge whilst the latter keeps it secret from us. Both are suspenseful in their own distinctive ways, but my personal tastes favour the former.

Cresherhsm said:
If that’s your problem then don’t worry. Togashi withdrew that information and saved it for this big reveal that would propel the start of the current arc in the manga.

Regardless, she does appear out of nowhere for the sake of being an enemy. They start shallow and get deeper. It's fine, as it gets things moving along quickly, but it did feel shoehorned in despite the merits of the theme(s) as the story progressed. However, as Togashi earned (most of) the viewers' trust throughout the past seasons, it's negligible. I knew it'd pick up eventually, but there was still that momentary confusion of "Wait, ants?".

Cresherhsm said:
As I said, that would be forcing them into the story. The only reason we got to see the Troupe was because their hometown fell victim to a Chimera Ant attack. Moreover, during this detour Togashi was able to show us the magnitude of the CA problem, the fates of Zazaan and Pike and foreshadow an important character who would play a role during the resolution of this arc (through a family photo). On the other hand, Leorio and Kurapika had nothing to do with Greed Island.

I don't buy it. Coming off of the first few seasons, I'm confident Togashi could have found more creative ways to utilize pre-existing characters. There's nothing wrong with the new characters, but their existence still lacks justification for the old ones not being even remotely present. Granted, he did an excellent job with Killua and Gon this time 'round.

Cresherhsm said:
Narration.

Ultimately, it's a personal preference. As I've said a couple of times now, for me, personally, the fun of the show was figuring those psychological & literary elements out for myself. I consider myself a very perceptive person, so I really appreciate the art of subtext and, as another user put quite eloquently, "showing, not telling". It simply feels like going from First Person --> Third Person.

If it were just setting the scene, I'd be cool with it, but instead it's a constant reminder of what's happening. It becomes a very fourth-wall type of experience where I'm no longer engulfed in a character driven world, but rather, I'm watching one. Ironic as I am, in fact, watching an anime, but in terms of immersion it was contradictory, in my opinion of course.

On a slightly unrelated note, when do new episodes typically get released? I sort of just binge-watched everything, hah.

May 16, 2014 9:00 AM

#112

Grunbeld

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Jan 2014

3077

This momentary confusion is what I consider a plus. Same happened with "wait a video game?" It's okay to add new things, but to explain them in such an awesome way, solidifies my trust and belief in the show.

The ants in the story existed recently, there's no reason for them to be treated as if they were always there. The event was supposed to be unprecedented and surprising. To us as well as to the characters.

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May 16, 2014 9:11 AM

#113

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Jan 2014

219

judals said:
This momentary confusion is what I consider a plus. Same happened with "wait a video game?" It's okay to add new things, but to explain them in such an awesome way, solidifies my trust and belief in the show.

The ants in the story existed recently, there's no reason for them to be treated as if they were always there. The event was supposed to be unprecedented and surprising. To us as well as to the characters.

Yeah, but it could also be a disadvantage like how DBZ was.

May 16, 2014 9:14 AM

#114

Grunbeld

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Jan 2014

3077

lebron181 said:

judals said:
This momentary confusion is what I consider a plus. Same happened with "wait a video game?" It's okay to add new things, but to explain them in such an awesome way, solidifies my trust and belief in the show.

The ants in the story existed recently, there's no reason for them to be treated as if they were always there. The event was supposed to be unprecedented and surprising. To us as well as to the characters.

Yeah, but it could also be a disadvantage like how DBZ was.

Well dbz does not explain it. First time was fine given the suspension of disbelief, then it gets ridiculous. HxH does not even rely on the former given the explanations. And honestly with so much trust it gained from me, it has to really push it waay too hard to make me find it ridiculous. Gladly, 125 episodes and still quite consistent with the verse mythology so I'm good.

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May 16, 2014 9:42 AM

#115

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Jan 2014

219

judals said:

lebron181 said:

judals said:
This momentary confusion is what I consider a plus. Same happened with "wait a video game?" It's okay to add new things, but to explain them in such an awesome way, solidifies my trust and belief in the show.

The ants in the story existed recently, there's no reason for them to be treated as if they were always there. The event was supposed to be unprecedented and surprising. To us as well as to the characters.

Yeah, but it could also be a disadvantage like how DBZ was.

Well dbz does not explain it. First time was fine given the suspension of disbelief, then it gets ridiculous. HxH does not even rely on the former given the explanations. And honestly with so much trust it gained from me, it has to really push it waay too hard to make me find it ridiculous. Gladly, 125 episodes and still quite consistent with the verse mythology so I'm good.

It would be funny if aliens are introduced in the HxH world. Who knows, but they might get into space.

May 16, 2014 12:01 PM

#116

Vaskr

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Apr 2012

361

I'm confused on how Greed Island could confuse someone..

May 16, 2014 12:13 PM

#117

keragamming

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Oct 2013

12258

Ant arc has some good fights. But 70% of this arc is boring...... The latest episode was pretty good though. Hopefully this arc can end at a good note.

May 16, 2014 12:52 PM

#118

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Mar 2014

838

keragamming said:
Ant arc has some good fights. But 70% of this arc is boring...... The latest episode was pretty good though. Hopefully this arc can end at a good note.

Idk why you brought up "good fights" when that's not even close to being why people like this arc so much. Most fans love the CA arc because of all the themes that are in it, about the human condition, whether man is any better than the ants, etc. Togashi did a VERY good job at exploring these concepts because of all the time he spent developing certain characters + all the symbolism he included (The evolution of Ants, The Miniature Rose, Meruem's growth as a character). I mean, just look at Creshern's post about the narrator itself. That's EXACTLY why people like it so much, I never understood why people felt like Togashi was assuming his audience was so dumb that they'd need a narrator -- that was never the intention.

Your comment is like me posting in the SnK (which is my favorite series, btw) forums and talking about how it's so boring because I barely see Titans now. And that IS true, it's been at least 5 months since some real Titan shit went down. Yes, I got bored (come on, month long waits suck) but nearly all that stuff was necessary to further the plot and to explain what's been going on as of late (especially in a series like AoT).

Now of course, I'm not saying there aren't any boring parts in this arc. In fact, I also felt like the show was dragging a few times. But I would never let "boring" be my reason to say that an arc is bad, especially when those scenes still served a purpose.

But don't worry, it's definitely going to end on a good note (for most people, anyway).

May 16, 2014 1:09 PM

#119

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Jan 2014

219

As I've said before, the manga version of the ant arc wasn't good because the art style was crappy. The anime version made this arc more entertaining plus we've learned more about different continent of HxH.

I believe that the Queen ant came from the dark continent but it's mostly speculation. If you see the world map, NGL region is close to it.

May 16, 2014 1:13 PM

#120

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Mar 2014

838

lebron181 said:

Learn to use a damn spoiler tag, not everyone knows wtf this continent is about. That's actually a REALLY big spoiler. (good theory though)

May 16, 2014 1:58 PM

#121

Raticate

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May 2014

102

jreginald said:

lebron181 said:

Learn to use a damn spoiler tag, not everyone knows wtf this continent is about. That's actually a REALLY big spoiler. (good theory though)

Anime watchers, DO NOT click.

RaticateMay 16, 2014 2:03 PM

May 16, 2014 2:03 PM

#122

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Mar 2014

838

Raticate said:

jreginald said:

lebron181 said:

Learn to use a damn spoiler tag, not everyone knows wtf this continent is about. That's actually a REALLY big spoiler. (good theory though)

Oct 28, 2014 4:07 AM

#123

Allwynd

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Jan 2014

184

AJWilliams said:
This arc doesn't suck but it's not that good either. Yorknew City arc is the best so far in my opinion.

The best?! I couldn't stand Yorknew, i had to skip to the Greed Island, because Yorknew was so horrible and boring (TO ME!).

I really liked the Hunter Exams, Heavens Arena and now Greed Island, because they are somehow exploring something new, getting stronger and stuff, while Yorknew feels kind of like some intrigue action drama, really stupid and boring in my opinion.

I have watched the 1999 version and it was amazing, now I skipped Yorknew and I'm looking forward to seeing the new arcs, I have high hopes for them.

Oct 28, 2014 12:56 PM

#124

vedatsvet

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Oct 2013

1301

Allwynd said:

AJWilliams said:
This arc doesn't suck but it's not that good either. Yorknew City arc is the best so far in my opinion.

The best?! I couldn't stand Yorknew, i had to skip to the Greed Island, because Yorknew was so horrible and boring (TO ME!).

I really liked the Hunter Exams, Heavens Arena and now Greed Island, because they are somehow exploring something new, getting stronger and stuff, while Yorknew feels kind of like some intrigue action drama, really stupid and boring in my opinion.

I have watched the 1999 version and it was amazing, now I skipped Yorknew and I'm looking forward to seeing the new arcs, I have high hopes for them.

I can lower you expectations. I am pretty sure someone isn't going to like CA arc at all based on the claims about Yorknew. Oh yea and once we touched Yorknew, care to explain what was the stupid part about?

"Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone". Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Oct 28, 2014 5:20 PM

#125

RedRoseFring

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Jan 2014

17169

Allwynd said:

AJWilliams said:
This arc doesn't suck but it's not that good either. Yorknew City arc is the best so far in my opinion.

The best?! I couldn't stand Yorknew, i had to skip to the Greed Island, because Yorknew was so horrible and boring (TO ME!).

I really liked the Hunter Exams, Heavens Arena and now Greed Island, because they are somehow exploring something new, getting stronger and stuff, while Yorknew feels kind of like some intrigue action drama, really stupid and boring in my opinion.

I have watched the 1999 version and it was amazing, now I skipped Yorknew and I'm looking forward to seeing the new arcs, I have high hopes for them.

"Intrigue" and "boring" in the same sentence? Lol.

"Let Justice Be Done!"

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Fight again, fight again for justice!

Oct 29, 2014 6:15 AM

#126

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Jun 2014

3667

Mr7Beans said:
tl;dr, no it's not. it's one of the best arcs if not the best.

Oct 30, 2014 3:59 AM

#127

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Jun 2009

305

insan3priest said:
The point is to add emphasis to the fact that Youpi is mad. Madhouse does a similar thing in Kaji, and to me it's every bit as effective here.

Please don't compare a master piece like Kaiji to this fraud.
In Kaiji, the voice is just an amazing addition, I wouldn't do without.

In HxH it's just amazingly annoying, and as RedRoseFring mentioned, often it does not bring anything... Quite the opposite. Like when it explained that Hisoka had changed his "fortune", that was unnecessary, even bad story wise. The voice in HxH never felt like it added anything to the experience, it was pure negative.
It felt like it got worse during CA arc, most of the stuff it said should have been done through the anime instead, the rest left up to the viewer.

Of course maybe it is just the difference between having Tachiki Fumihiko as the narrator, and having someone else...

geearfOct 30, 2014 4:47 PM

Oct 30, 2014 11:10 AM

#128

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Jun 2014

3667

geearf said:

insan3priest said:
The point is to add emphasis to the fact that Youpi is mad. Madhouse does a similar thing in Kaji, and to me it's every bit as effective here.

Please don't compare a master peace like Kaiji to this fraud.
In Kaiji, the voice is just an amazing addition, I wouldn't do without.

In HxH it's just amazingly annoying, and as RedRoseFring mentioned, often it does not bring anything... Quite the opposite. Like when it explained that Hisoka had changed his "fortune", that was unnecessary, even bad story wise. The voice in HxH never felt like it added anything to the experience, it was pure negative.
It felt like it got worse during CA arc, most of the stuff it said should have been done through the anime instead, the rest left up to the viewer.

Of course maybe it is just the difference between having Tachiki Fumihiko as the narrator, and having someone else...

Do you hate the voice of the Nrrator or his implementation in the narrative? Your post is rather confusing since it doesn't specify what you really disliked about it.

Oct 30, 2014 3:49 PM

#129

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Jun 2009

305

Agafin said:

Do you hate the voice of the Nrrator or his implementation in the narrative? Your post is rather confusing since it doesn't specify what you really disliked about it.

Good question.
Frankly, I am not sure.
I disliked the overall.
It felt useless and too much treating the viewer as stupid.
It also felt that it was used sometimes as a shortcut, instead of showing us something through the anime itself, the narrator would just explain it.
(I am 6 episodes away from the end of HxH so we'll see if anything changes, but so far the narrator was more annoying than ever in the CA arc)

As Kaiji was mentioned, I started to wonder if *maybe* with a better narrator I would have cared more for it. The youtube link posted before is a good example of that, the narrator says nothing useful (he just repeats what Kaiji thinks), yet the acting is done so well (with some sound effects added as well), that it actually gives a great emphasis to what's happening.

edit: I finished the anime, the narrator is only super annoying in the CA arc. In the final arc, I don't notice anything bad. In the earlier arcs, it was annoying some times when it would expose things it shouldn't have, but not as annoying as in CA.

geearfOct 30, 2014 9:45 PM

Oct 30, 2014 4:02 PM

#130

tsudecimo

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Dec 2012

24355

geearf said:

insan3priest said:
The point is to add emphasis to the fact that Youpi is mad. Madhouse does a similar thing in Kaji, and to me it's every bit as effective here.

Please don't compare a master peace like Kaiji to this fraud.
In Kaiji, the voice is just an amazing addition, I wouldn't do without.

In HxH it's just amazingly annoying

QFT.

Ironically that Youpi's voice actor is the Narrator in Kaiji.

geearf said:

As Kaiji was mentioned, I started to wonder if *maybe* with a better narrator I would have cared more for it. The youtube link posted before is a good example of that, the narrator says nothing useful (he just repeats what Kaiji thinks), yet the acting is done so well (with some sound effects added as well), that it actually gives a great emphasis to what's happening.

The narrator's voice in HxH was great. It was the actual narration that was problematic.

The Narrator in HxH is supposed to have a monotone voice though, since he is omniscient, and more importantly HxH is not like Kaiji, the narrator being emotional or being exciting doesn't fit here. I don't think that's a good reason to say the narrator's voice is bad, it was done on purpose.

Oct 30, 2014 4:21 PM

#131

tsujimura-san

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Aug 2014

39

meh i always thought they should cut out like half of the narration in the anime. it worked in the manga somewhat (like a novel) but in the anime it was annoying. but it's just one of the issues I have with this anime adaptation.

Oct 30, 2014 4:45 PM

#132

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Jun 2009

305

tsudecimo said:

QFT.

Ironically that Youpi's voice actor is the Narrator in Kaiji.

The narrator's voice in HxH was great. It was the actual narration that was problematic.

The Narrator in HxH is supposed to have a monotone voice though, since he is omniscient, and more importantly HxH is not like Kaiji, the narrator being emotional or being exciting doesn't fit here. I don't think that's a good reason to say the narrator's voice is bad, it was done on purpose.

1- I know.
It sort of felt like Zaraki Kenpachi :).

2- Hmmm maybe you are right. But for the narrator to be neutral, he was taking way too much time I'd say.

Oct 30, 2014 6:34 PM

#133

ichii_1

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Sep 2013

22818

It was all worth it XD

Oct 30, 2014 6:35 PM

#134

AllenVonStein

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Jan 2012

31481

ichii_1 said:
It was all worth it XD

+1

Oct 30, 2014 6:37 PM

#135

keragamming

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Oct 2013

12258

ichii_1 said:
It was all worth it XD

That so reminds me of naruto turning into the ninetail fox.

Oct 30, 2014 8:07 PM

#136

GenocideR__

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Sep 2014

173

DONT U EVER SAY CHIMERA ANT ARC SUCKS!! I SMACK IN UR FACE IF I SEE U jk. WATCH THE ENTIRE ARC FIRST BEFORE U JUDGE IT ! MY BEST ARC SO FAR ! SO BE PATIENT !

Oct 30, 2014 9:44 PM

#137

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Jun 2009

305

JetAnime07 said:
DONT U EVER SAY CHIMERA ANT ARC SUCKS!! I SMACK IN UR FACE IF I SEE U jk. WATCH THE ENTIRE ARC FIRST BEFORE U JUDGE IT ! MY BEST ARC SO FAR ! SO BE PATIENT !

It is the worse arc of this anime, no doubt.
I suppose it makes sense that someone that writes all in caps would like it.

Like, what happened to Gyro? we get flashbacks and all on him, so many stories, yet we don't even get to see him (ok we see his clothing for 2 seconds in his cave, yooohoo....).

Oct 30, 2014 9:51 PM

#138

blessofcurse

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Jun 2014

4690

Im bored with half episodes of chimera ant arc, the ending was epic tho

Oct 30, 2014 9:59 PM

#139

PriestSlayer

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Dec 2013

6607

AllenVonStein said:

ichii_1 said:
It was all worth it XD

+1

+2

keragamming said:

That so reminds me of naruto turning into the ninetail fox.

It kinda reminded me too, but this transformation was way more impactful, and the execution was much better imo.

Damn, just look at Pitou's eyes... i can feel the fear, best moment in anime...

PriestSlayerOct 30, 2014 10:08 PM

FragOutFire said:

Why am I a Berserk fan? All I ever experience is pain.

We are in the eclipse and Miura has sacrificed us

Oct 30, 2014 10:44 PM

#140

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Mar 2014

838

geearf said:
It is the worse arc of this anime, no doubt.
I suppose it makes sense that someone that writes all in caps would like it.

Like, what happened to Gyro? we get flashbacks and all on him, so many stories, yet we don't even get to see him (ok we see his clothing for 2 seconds in his cave, yooohoo....).

Have you checked out the final HxH arc poll? Cause Chimera Ant's #1 and not everyone there types in caps. Who knows, maybe it's actually good and people can see that?

Any mention of Gyro during the Chimera Ant arc was simply set-up, just like how the PT was mentioned during the Hunter Exam before Yorknew. We know Gyro's subordinates are still alive, we know of the shit he's gone through and we have a little insight on the motives and plans he has for the future. Also, Mad House left out a pretty important scene for Gyro. But we probably won't be seeing much of him anytime soon thanks to Togashi.

Oct 30, 2014 11:26 PM

#141

ermu

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Oct 2014

298

Hell NO!! It's this arc that differentiated HxH from other shounen anime.

The great thing about its theme is its greyness between the 'good' and the 'evil' ones. The story is mature and executed naturally too.

Also,

are really what made this arc stand out.

"Having someone saying you're okay as you are and being needed by that person... It was nice to have someone like that..." — Taiga Aisaka

Oct 30, 2014 11:28 PM

#142

deg

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Jan 2009

93348

its still about hunting like they are hunting for chimera ant queen lol but the only problem i have with this arc is that they drag it too much, i love the earlier arcs that are fast pace because its not boring that way

Oct 31, 2014 12:20 AM

#143

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Jun 2009

305

jreginald said:

Have you checked out the final HxH arc poll? Cause Chimera Ant's #1 and not everyone there types in caps. Who knows, maybe it's actually good and people can see that?

Any mention of Gyro during the Chimera Ant arc was simply set-up, just like how the PT was mentioned during the Hunter Exam before Yorknew. We know Gyro's subordinates are still alive, we know of the shit he's gone through and we have a little insight on the motives and plans he has for the future. Also, Mad House left out a pretty important scene for Gyro. But we probably won't be seeing much of him anytime soon thanks to Togashi.

1- I haven't, I'll look it up.
But I'll never agree that it's good, if only for the annoying voice...
Other reasons though, but I didn't find it boring or hard to watch... just not overall interesting.

2- Yeah I know, but then flashbacks were not necessary.. It pumped me up I wanted to see him but we never did, it's sad.

Oh, what was that scene?

geearfOct 31, 2014 12:23 AM

Oct 31, 2014 12:39 AM

#144

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Jun 2009

305

ok found it, this sums it up pretty well:

It seems to me that Yorknew City is the most "beloved" of all the arcs. It has the second most amount of fans and it is ranked pretty highly on most lists, hardly ever rated low. Chimera Ant has the most number of fans in sheer quantity, however it is ranked pretty low, or last on a lot of lists, along with Zoldyck Family.

I guess it would have been more interesting if that poll was weighted rank, but maybe that's just because it would have gone my way :)

Oct 31, 2014 12:44 AM

#145

InstaKiller

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Jan 2014

166

This thread again

"When /a/ sends its fags, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you.
They’re sending fags that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems to us.
They’re bringing cancer. They’re bringing bait. They’re shitposters.
And some, I assume, are good fags."
-@Xinil

Oct 31, 2014 1:12 AM

#146

StefanHere

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Jul 2013

788

geearf said:
ok found it, this sums it up pretty well:

It seems to me that Yorknew City is the most "beloved" of all the arcs. It has the second most amount of fans and it is ranked pretty highly on most lists, hardly ever rated low. Chimera Ant has the most number of fans in sheer quantity, however it is ranked pretty low, or last on a lot of lists, along with Zoldyck Family.

I guess it would have been more interesting if that poll was weighted rank, but maybe that's just because it would have gone my way :)

http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1276295&show=180

Chimera nearly doubled Yorknew

Oct 31, 2014 1:41 AM

#147

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Jun 2014

3667

PriestSlayer said:

AllenVonStein said:

+1

+2

+3

Oct 31, 2014 1:59 AM

#148

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Jun 2014

3667

geearf said:
ok found it, this sums it up pretty well:

It seems to me that Yorknew City is the most "beloved" of all the arcs. It has the second most amount of fans and it is ranked pretty highly on most lists, hardly ever rated low. Chimera Ant has the most number of fans in sheer quantity, however it is ranked pretty low, or last on a lot of lists, along with Zoldyck Family.

I guess it would have been more interesting if that poll was weighted rank, but maybe that's just because it would have gone my way :)

Do you hate this arc because other people love it? Because that's the impression you are giving and it seems very pathetic. If you have genuine issues with the arc then you shouldn't need validation from a poll to confirm that. Others just like something you don't simple.

For the record, the popularity and score of HxH 2011 on mal has increased at the fastest rate when the CA arc was airing compared to other arcs so even if the poll was weighted CA would've still won.

Now tell me, is this supposed to make you hate it more or make me like it more? Other peoples' opinions/mal rankings/polls shouldn't be worth a damn when it comes to your personal enjoyment imo.

Oct 31, 2014 2:16 PM

#149

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Mar 2014

838

geearf said:
2- Yeah I know, but then flashbacks were not necessary.. It pumped me up I wanted to see him but we never did, it's sad.

Oh, what was that scene?

Gyro's backstory is probably the best backstory I've seen in the show so I definitely don't mind it at all.

It's about 2 pages, see the spoiler.

Nov 1, 2014 3:06 PM

#150