Hunter X Hunter Episode 116
What They Say:
Gon, a young boy who lives on Whale Island, dreams of becoming a Hunter like his father, who left when Gon was still young.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
The palace invasion arc has moved along at a pace that’s even a bit different for Hunter x Hunter, but it’s been pretty engaging to watch even if some of the matches are moving at a very slow pace while others are off screen for a bit, such as what Netero is up to in moving off with the King in order to avoid some of the bigger areas of people being involved. The overall Chimera Ants arc has introduced us to a lot of characters in general but it’s giving some solid attention in this part of it to Knuckle and Shoot, two Hunters who have been involved in Gon and Killua’s training to a good degree. The two are pretty well connected from what we’ve seen and watching the fight going on in the palace, even at a slow pace, has been pretty engaging since Shoot has been taken down pretty hard and Shoot isn’t going to let that slide.
While that sets the opening stage, a nice chunk of the episode focuses on the about to begin battle that has Pitou protecting Komagi while Gon is all set, powering up and ready to take her down. Killua has managed to keep up with him nicely, but he’s realizing that the situation is one that may be very different than it looks because of what Pitou is doing, in guarding Komagi, but also in that she’s not giving off a powered up aura that shows someone ready for a fight. What becomes problematic, especially for Gon since he is so quick and easy to be set off, is that the way that Komagi is being dealt with reminds the boys so heavily of what had happened to Kite that he just wants to fly off in a rage and take her down. There’s always been an intensity to Gon in certain scenes and he really brings that to the forefront here, though there’s a quirk to it in how Pitou really does seem to be all about keeping Komagi protected and safe more than protecting her own life. And that’s really disconcerting for the boys, particularly with the cues that Killua picks up.
Pitou’s impassioned please to wait until Komagi is healed are interesting to see, particular with how she essentially prostrates herself in front of Gon, but he’s so far gone at this point that you can tell that he just wants to destroy her absolutely for all that he’s seen and been through since the Chimera Ants surfaced. The way we see the two sides facing off is really intense, even with Killua trying to nudge Gon in the right direction, but both Gon and Pitou have such an intensity about them in different ways that they’re both totally and completely understandable. It’s hard to fault Gon in some ways, but there’s also the way you have to want him to do the right thing since he is supposedly the good guy. But there’s the reality that the Chimera Ants tend to fall outside of what’s normal because of the threat they represent that it’s hard to be perfectly behind that. And for Gon, the loss of Kite is so personal that even seeing Killua remaining calm is about to open a new gap between them, a disconnect that could really mar their friendship.
In Summary:
While Gon has had his small moral quandaries before to be sure, this episode puts him in a place where he’s about to move past it and just do what needs being done. And that’s dangerous, even if justified by the threat that they’re facing. If it was just that and not the emotional side driving him, it’d be easier to support him in this because of what the Chimera Ants represent. But Pitou brings a different kind of reaction to the story than one may expect and it’s Killua who has to try and put it all in context and calm Gon down, which is never easy. I really liked the way all three of them came across here as they’re all very different facets of the situation and the story of just a few minutes in a tight space is hugely engaging because of it.
Grade: B+
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Sony KDL70R550A 70″ LED 1080P HDTV, Apple TV via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.