Hunter X Hunter (A)

[thistlechaser]

Note: I highly recommend watching this series. If you haven't seen it and are considering viewing it, you'll want to skip this post. Spoilers ahead!

While I'm still loving the series, I'm scratching my head over something. The Hunter tests take a long time and they test many things. Many things... but not one thing. Shouldn't who *should* become one count as much as who *can* (is physically and mentally able to) become one?

I like Hisoka, but he's a psychopath. Why would anyone want to give him a Hunter's license? Why would you want to give someone who kills for fun access to sensitive and restricted areas? Extra info? Heck, he attacked the examiners during last year's testing, why isn't that grounds for never taking the tests again?

Hanzo is another example. I was so hoping the last Hunter exam test was really dealing with morality and not just a real fight. I was hoping that because Hanzo hurt a child so badly that he wouldn't pass... but nope. Yes, Hunters need to get jobs done, but shouldn't there be limits? The ends don't justify every mean out there.

This being said, I'm only halfway through the series. It's possible (though doesn't seem likely) that something about this will later be explained.

Comments

[morinotokei.livejournal.com]

Well, I think the whole Hunter organization isn't as moral as you might think. I don't think that the organization is about doing the right thing. I think it's about power and survival. There are "good" guys within the organization, but there are "bad" guys too, and really everything's relative. It's been a while since I've watched HxH, so I'm not sure if this is spoilerish, but I feel that Killua (and particularly his family) is not so very different than Hisoka. Well, you can decide once you've watched the rest. Hisoka changes, and so does Killua, along with Gon. Everything isn't so black and white, and that's part of what I like about the series. It is still ongoing though, since the last set of OVAs is about to be released this month (the wait is horrible, as it's been like a year since the last set), I think, and the manga is still ongoing as well.

Re:

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Well, I think the whole Hunter organization isn't as moral as you might think.

See, that's the thing that makes it hard to judge all this: We don't know enough about the organization. I'd *think* their goals would be to do good for society (Black List Hunters going after bad guys, those food ones bringing new good things to eat, the animal fellows discovering and protecting species), which should mean it's a moral organization, but... the actions don't seem to match that. Like during the fights in the final test, the president could have stepped in and stopped the beating of Gon at any time, but he didn't. (And how many people die trying to get in! I kept wondering why no one thought that was wrong...)

I don't think that the organization is about doing the right thing. I think it's about power and survival.

Power and survival just for themselves and their members? Hm. So more like a mob-type thing? So then they'd get all their discount/free travel/etc rights through more underhanded ways.

My first thought was "but why would goody-goody Gon want to join something like that?", but maybe he didn't know what it was like before he jumped into it.

but I feel that Killua (and particularly his family) is not so very different than Hisoka.

His family I'd agree with, hands down. Killua himself? I'm undecided. I'm really curious as to how much was his choice and how much he was brainwashed (or trained/raised) into it.

It is still ongoing though, since the last set of OVAs is about to be released this month (the wait is horrible, as it's been like a year since the last set)

Man, I get so spoiled, getting "new" series in big chunks of eps, then I hate the wait even more! Hee. Well, at least it's not totally ended!

Re:

[morinotokei.livejournal.com]

The thing is, I still don't know enough about the hunter organization right now, and I keep hoping they'll expose it all someday. I just tend to lean towards the idea that it's more about gathering strong warriors than it is about doing good for the society. Fighting the good fight may be what it stands for, and also what Gon sees it as, but in actuality, it's still about power. Gon goes on and on about wanting and needing to be stronger. Is he really doing that for the good of humanity? I wonder that, sometimes. He wants to get closer to his father and he wants to be more powerful. He may be a goody-goody, but I don't think his wanting to be more powerful is directly related to him wanting the good of society, you know? The reasons why are a bit more hazy. I also think that the definition of "good" in this anime is probably a little more grey than what we might be used to in western media. But when Killua kills, with no reason to do so at all (no orders or anything), and he gets that delighted look in his eyes, it is eerily like Hisoka. See, I'm not sure where you're at, so none of what I'm saying might be relevant to you yet.

I know. There are series like Juuni Kokki where we get a new episode like every 6 months or so, and I've got to review the material before I watch it so I can remember what the hell was going on. >_>; I'm too impatient. I want all of it at once. ^^

Re:

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I sort of hope they'll give us more details about the Hunter organization, but I sort of hope they don't, too. Keeping us guessing keeps our interest up... but some clues are always nice.

Hm, the stuff about Gon is interesting. I figured he wanted to be stronger so he'd be better able to find his father, but I'm just assuming that...

I also think that the definition of "good" in this anime is probably a little more grey than what we might be used to in western media.

Which is totally cool with me. Since there is no really true "good" in RL, grey is fine and dandy with me. Heck, better than just "fine", since it's more realistic.

But when Killua kills, with no reason to do so at all (no orders or anything), and he gets that delighted look in his eyes, it is eerily like Hisoka. See, I'm not sure where you're at, so none of what I'm saying might be relevant to you yet.

Right now they're at the gate outside of Killua's family's home on the mountain. I think we've only seen Killua kill... twice? Once in the final test (which is hinted at not having been under his own control, his brother may have made him do it), and I can't remember the other time other than it introduced is to that pointy-nail thing he can do with his hand. Oh, I guess it was in that Tricky Tower test (Tricky Tower? Not sure if that was the right name, but something like that).

>_>; I'm too impatient. I want all of it at once. ^^

I'm the same! I'm dying here, sitting at work with nothing to do, knowing I have 30 new eps at home to watch! Hours left till I can leave. *sniff* I get so tempted to bring them in on CD, but that'd be bad.