Incredible episode.
That I found the Koala's long introspective scene so utterly fascinating and compelling should give you an idea how great this was. I really enjoyed that part, especially as it dealt directly with the themes of reincarnation and redemption, two integral themes of Chimera Ant. All the talk about the soul and cycle makes me wonder about Togashi's own beliefs. There were undertones of Buddhism (fitting, as there were with Netero extensively as well) and Hinduism in that whole scene. I don't think the marking in the center of the Koala's forehead is a coincidence, to say the least.
Gon and Killua's scenes in this episode were so...melancholy. There was this sad, tragic undertone to their departure and the lead-up to it. The pair disguised their sadness and unspoken issues with silliness, goofiness, and general light-hearted chatter and banter. It hearkened back to their old, more innocent days, the ones they spent on Greed Island and in Heaven's Arena, before the darkness and cruelty of the Chimera Ants. The two were pretending that nothing was wrong, that everything was back to normal and that their friendship was perfectly stable and fine, so that their farewell could be done on good terms.
Their faces when they walked away from each other betrayed their facade, though. They both know that there are unresolved things between them, that what happened during Chimera Ant can't just be shoved under the rug that easily. We saw the full extent of the pain that Gon had inflicted on Killua earlier in the Election arc, in a rare moment of bitterness for Killua. It's hard to believe that all of that was washed away by Gon's lame apology. The things Gon said, the things he did, and the general abusiveness of the two's friendship couldn't be resolved that easily.
Togashi's deconstruction of the friendship cliche in the shonen genre is absolutely brilliant. Gon and Killua's friendship was already beyond most others in other shonen anime, even if they seemed similar. What Togashi has done here, though, is demonstrate the darker aspects of such a friendship, the brutal reality that could result when a person becomes too selfless, when the other becomes too selfish, and when neither is willing to acknowledge these problems out of fear of ruining the relationship. Friendships in these type of manga are rarely challenged, and if they are, it is due to an external event or some artificial device for a temporary time. The problems in Gon and Killua's relationship were already present before Chimera Ant, as it was derived directly from their personalities. It's just that CA is finally what fully exposed the issues and brought it to a head.
Killua knows that he needs to let go of Gon for the time being. He loved Gon so much that he was willing to kill and commit crimes for the sake of his purity, and subjected himself to endless pain and misery for the sake of Gon's happiness. Gon, due to his selfish nature, exploited this selflessness, whether he realized it or not. The dodgeball game in Greed Island, where Gon refused to let anyone to hold the ball but Killua as he powered up, despite the pain it caused the latter, is just one example. He believed in his friend and trusted him immensely, but he also turned a blind eye to the consequences, and Killua went along with it.
Neither are willing to directly confront the unspoken and unresolved issues between them. Maybe after some time separated, they'll be able to and will move past it. The whole farewell feels distinctly unsatisfactory, and it's punctuated by the fact that their reunion occurred offscreen. It feels like a deliberate choice by Togashi, to really drive home how unsatisfying the whole situation is. It feels incredibly bittersweet as a result. At least both boys have found family to be with. I hope they reunite as stronger and better friends soon enough. That ending montage....I'm going to miss HxH so much. |