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HUNTER X HUNTER #3 - - Watch & Learn
Did I seriously just watch an entire episode about a rival
hunter trying, and repeatedly failing, to trick his competitors into drinking
laxative-laced soda? Isn’t this iteration of HUNTER X HUNTER supposed to be
like FMA: BROTHERHOOD (in that it’s presumably tightening the pacing of the
previous series)?
Y’know, I’m not sure if I even necessarily object to this. From an
ironic, removed perspective, there’s a wonderful kind of inanity to appreciate
in a shonen adventure taking such a long pit stop over such a banal act of
villainy. Why, it’s like having an another whole episode about another rival who insistently
doesn’t wash his hands after going to the bath room - - and Gon has to
evade getting touched by his grossness! Certainly, these are relatable kinds of
unpleasantness. We don’t WANT to see Gon getting germ-ed up or hosing the ol’
Hershey highway, so there’s instant sympathy here.
Again, I can’t help feeling like this series was borne out of some bet
Togashi made about whether he could hook an audience with only storytelling tricks, and
not anything that actually sounds exciting on paper. I mean, despite all my grumbling, I’m
still rooting for Gon when he thwarts this baddy with his nigh-superhuman sense
of mountain-tested taste. And likewise, the white-haired kid ‘gets over’
immediately with me when his intro’s coupled with him being so cooly immune to
this poisonous attack. Like some karate master who insists on you waxing floors
for hours, Togashi knows what he doing, and I guess he knows the value of
putting the audience through such a seemingly mundane stretch so as to make
sure they’re properly empathizing with... the heroes… and… and...
No. Enough ironic, removed relativism today. I’ll still be back for the next episode,
but this one was silly and overlong. Twenty odd minutes devoted to orange soda with
a mickey. That’s plain ridiculous.
Watch this episode, “Rivals x in
x Survival" here and decide for
yourself, then read my comments on the previous episode here.
About the Author
 | Tom Pinchuk’s a writer and personality with a large number of comics, videos and features like this to his credit. Visit his website - - tompinchuk.com - - and follow his Twitter: @tompinchuk |
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