Brilliant episode, the scene with Alluka and Killua really hit me in the feels. Surprising, considering how short the time we've known Alluka and Something was.
Gon and Ging's reunion was suitably anticlimactic, as was everything else this episode. It was touching and revealed a lot about both; Ging was actually flustered and nervous about encountering his son after so long, and Gon was of course heartbroken over what had transpired and full of guilt, as he was before what he did to Pitou, ironically. I like that, as it shows that in the end murdering Pitou as brutally as he did didn't give him any closure, and in fact made everything worse. Gon went down the path of revenge, and it gave him nothing.
I did like that Ging showed a more responsible side when he he gave some actual advice to Gon, like a father should. Of course, saying that Gon needed to be stronger isn't the best advice, as it was Gon's thirst for power and strength that set him on the path he eventually took. However, I like to think that Ging means to become stronger responsibly and for a greater purpose; not to have power, but to protect those you care about. Hopefully Gon heeds that.
Pariston's abrupt resignation kept with the theme of anticlimactic endings this episode. All the preparation and complex mind games were for naught. Pariston showed actual vulnerability for the first time this episode, as we see that he was genuinely heartbroken over Netero's death. This was already foreshadowed in Ging and Cheadle's conversations a few episode ago, as Ging pointed out that Pariston was the only one truly carrying on Netero's will. This episode makes it clear, I think, that in the end Pariston was trying to have fun with the election as Netero was no longer there, and perhaps even try to make sure it went in the right direction. His threat to Cheadle seems genuine enough. He actually cares about what happens to the Association in Netero's absence, revealing a more sympathetic side to him, even if his reasoning isn't exactly sound.
Tbh, I didn't care much that Killua healed Gon so 'easily.' Yes, I can see how people can dislike that since Alluka's overly complex rules and conditions were emphasized a lot throughout the arc, but then again so were the politics and strategies of the participants of the election, and in the end the winner just resigned and made Cheadle president, which means all her planning and complex mind games weren't really necessary. As Ging would say, though, it was a load of fun and great entertainment, so who cares? The theme of 'games' and 'fun' has been very prevalent this arc, in the form of Ging and Pariston, who ironically enough are enemies of sorts. I think it's fitting that the arc adapted such a tone, since it was done as a tribute of sorts to Netero, a man who thrived off of having a good time.
Alluka and Killua's scene was moving. In the end, Killua was trying to do to something what his family did to him, and to Alluka as well: oppression for the sake of safety. Killua was so focused on saving his sibling from his family that he almost shunned Something forever, just like his family, showing how easy it is to slip into the same types of errors, regardless of who.
Togashi was going for a message with Killua and Alluka's scenes, and his earlier emphasis on the conditions and rules was a misdirection, concealing what really mattered in the end: Killua's respect for Alluka as a human being, and the beauty of the relationship due to that. It was what made the scene where Killua commanded Something to hide away forever and them subsequently apologized after being scolded by Alluka so powerful. Something was just as human and vulnerable as Alluka. They were two separate beings who really weren't, two people who loved Killua. Killua almost forgot that and was about to shun one of them, and Alluka scolded him for it. Wishing to protect someone does not give you the excuse to abuse them. It provides the perfect contrast with the twisted relationship that Killua has with Illumi. What Killlua has with Alluka is the love and compassion that could never truly exist in its purest form with a person as sick as Illumi. Poignant stuff all around. |