Chimera Ant: The End [Hunter x Hunter]

Part 1: • Chimera Ant: Mom Pick ...
Part 2: • Chimera Ant: Oh The Hu...
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[@noraa1991]

also in this arc you get to hear, actually hear killua's footsteps for one of the first times ever in the anime, underrated but very epic, so used to being an assassin and silent but when it comes down to it with his friend's life on the line he forgets to do the thing he's been practicing and ingrained in him since he was THREE, forgets all his training to get to his friend as fast as possible... truly one of my favorite parts

[@darknesswave100]

That part in the anime blew my mind cause I had to stop and realize that you never hear him until then

[@langtonmwanza6689]

I never noticed this, HxH still blowing my mind after being on haitus for half a decade

[@ashdude3058]

Never noticed that, this is brilliant.

[@royalfun1031]

Uf

[@LeoSkyro]

I see this comment on every video discussing the Chimera ant arc and specifically this mini section, but it seems like it's just people who read that same comment and just repeat it, because.... it's just NOT TRUE. In episode 131 Killua is shown just before he arrives on the scene and there's a shot specifically of his feet and they make NO noise. Same in chapter 305, the only sound effects are a VOOM and a Swissh for air movement and like leaf rustle. No tap tap anywhere. So unless there is some other small place where Togashi put those sound effect and was then inconsistent, there's just a lot of HxH fan Mandela effect'ing themselves and many others for the sake of giving themselves a fuzzy feeling and some likes ahah

[@anupamdev279]

King's first dialogue: don't make me repeat myself. King's last dialogue: komugi are you there.. komugi are you there Me trying not to cry then😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@vicsantiago5591]

holy shit i missed that. damn

[@laurentiu.f8804]

Pretty sure his first dialog was "shut up"🤣

[@anupamdev279]

@@laurentiu.f8804 during that he was still inside the womb. i would say after he was born

[@Ryuksgelus]

He also says to Palm he will repeat himself when telling her they have won.

[@shaswatkumar362]

Someone pin this comment.

[@ByronGreen12]

One of my absolute favorite parts about this arc is the fact our MC and the main big bad never interact.. and yet the conclusion is still so satisfying.

[@FlameGarnet]

Oh yes! I just kinda realised that. So weird. It was so exciting and full of tension that I just didn't notice.

[@darknesswave100]

Yeah that's one of the best parts of this arc. You'd think that Gon would have to go up against meruem eventually but nope. Plus when Pitou said that Gon in his transformed state was on par with Meruem I don't really think that was true. I just don't see any way that Gon even as strong as he was could beat meruem in a 1 on 1 fight

[@rafaelb.m.4756]

@@darknesswave100 That line has sprawled so many discussions hahahaha. I think Gon could've been a good match for the King powerlevel wise, and alongside Netero they could have defeated Meruem. But more than the power level of Gon, I think the reason why he wouldn't be able to deal with Meruem is his state of mind. Gon lost an arm against Pitou because he was numb, careless, despairing. Meruem could've easily exploited that. If Gon was stable, and had that level of power, he would present a good challenge for Meruem, but ultimately lose. Also, transformed Gon > Netero, imo.

[@ChromaticEagle]

@@darknesswave100 I think that was a mistranslation. I think the line was Gon’s fangs could reach the King.

[@skribe]

@@darknesswave100 easy gauge of power pre resurrection meruem told pitou when he hit her face with his tail he was trying to take her head off and gon in grown form destroyed her face with one punch

[@jonathan7skyfire]

Kings final moments has the be seen in the anime. It’s a must watch Merphy.

[@Phillylove100]

Agreed it really does. The whole final moments with Komugi.

[@frutpunchman]

The other 'final moment' of King, the reviving scene done by Pouf and Youpi, is also an essential episode to watch if you're into psychedelic trippy animation :)

[@Phillylove100]

@@frutpunchman oh gosh no! That scene was so awful! It dragged on FOREVER!!

[@_void8315]

The anime does so many scenes incredibly well, Pitou’s death, Pouf’s breakdowns, Gon’s rage I love it so much 😭

[@christopherrivera1673]

@@_void8315 - also the episode we see Dragon Dive. And the scene where Meruem holds an injured Komugi and asks Pitou to heal her.

[@burnertwo2156]

"You think I cannot pray with a single arm?" This is the line that gives me chills

[@jesse8924]

When Netero says to Meruem during their fight "I am thankful for everything that led me to you", I think it reveals a lot about his motives. On one hand, Netero really is fighting for humanity's survival, and does feel indignance at what he perceives as a lesser species looking down on humans. On the other hand, the more selfish part of him is okay with all the human lives already lost in this conflict, because they are the reason for this fight he's now in, which he loves.

[@felipericardomachado8776]

"does feel indignance at what he perceives as a lesser species looking down on humans" I think that's also part of why he feels so indignant about Meruem complimenting him (Merphy touched on this point, but didn't connect those things). Being complimented on your ability (when you feel you are at the top of the humans) by "an insect" (as he says), feels diminishing for him... It's like Meruem's compliment is an adult saying to a child that they did something well ("that's a beautiful drawing, Netero"... Hahaha).

[@b_delta9725]

this is a crackhead theory i've always had, but i think Netero was, in a way, the main reason the King was born if you look at the scene where netero looks at Pitou for the first time, he says "that thing is stronger than me", he tells Knov and Morel that they're both stronger than him at this point, and says that he doesn't want to fight and prefers to be sneaky, killing all the ants one by one, which is why he called the duo in the first place. then later, we see Netero in his sport clothes, killing all the ants like it's a sport to him like, i get that they wanted to kill the ants one by one to prevent any risks, but everything we know about Netero at the end of the story makes the scene feel like a big lie. Netero doesn't care that Pitou is biologically stronger than him, he didn't care about the king either, he also was far stronger than Knov and Morel (which state later that he was playing humble), and the more the arc goes on, the more selfish he seems i genuinely think a side of him knew that he could just raid the ant nest, fight Pitou and all the ants, and save everyone before the King was born, preventing hundreds of deaths. but no, he took it slow, something completely unlike Netero.

[@Weebzz]

One of the things I like about Netero vs Meruem is that back in the Hunter exam the final part was 1v1 battles where the victor only wins if they get the other to admit defeat. Killing is not allowed. Netero then challenges Meruem to essentially the same thing. Fight and defeat me then I'll tell you your name. But if Meruem kills him outright then he won't learn his name. Also when Netero played keep away from Gon and Killua while only using his left arm and right leg. Then when battling Meruem he loses his left arm and right leg

[@davidyoussef8974]

o my God. meruem passed the hunter exam!

[@amuro9624]

Oh shit I didn't even notice that last part. That's crazy.

[@chrisblanc663]

Almost makes you wonder if togashi has Netero’s death planned from the start.

[@l.3ok]

Btw also the same thing happens when the manga shows netero's background praying and training. The manga always shows him using his right arm when punching and left leg as a support. When Meruem notices the _"pattern"_ in Netero's movements, it probably has to do with Netero having his right arm and left leg as his stronger limbs.

[@miguelsantiagoportilloport2234]

I remember when netero was playing Gon, I thought "that is silly... you are netero, what practical purpose will have for you to only use two limbs in a match?" Ohh boy I was wrong.

[@davi1415]

What I like about Togashi's strength as a writer in HxH is his commitment to his characters. The world does not revolve around Gon, but the people who lives in it. Gon provides one perspective and personal ideology. But characters like Kurapika, Hisoka, Mereum have complete different world views, and Togashi keep giving us insight to these characters, making everyone feel like the protagonist to their own stories.

[@ragingfilthycasual]

More like his commitment to letting the characters evolve in the moment rather than dictate their choices with an over-arching storyline or theme.

[@josefruzek4462]

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[@royalfun1031]

@@nichescenes yea Best ex

[@ethanhunt8632]

The reason Netero kinda holds on to his rage and keeps the mission on the forefront of his mind is not that he doesnt want to admit King is something more than something that just needs exterminating He is holding on to it because he knew if their conversation kept going his heart would soften, which is something he himself admits right at the start of the fight...basically he was like "if I dont get this done now my heart would soften and I could fail"

[@amuro9624]

The whole interaction between meruem and netero was so unnerving to me because of how different netero was. And not in a way that breaks out of character but you could really feel that he was struggling emotionally and there was a lot of different feelings conflicting in his mind. And on top of him not wanting to show compassion because it would weaken him there was also a hint of both pride and shame as a human being.

[@christopherrivera1673]

Netero is such a great character. Him and Meruem are my top 2 characters (until Togashi completes the current arc, with several potential candidates for my top 5).

[@faultier1158]

And the entire problem with the ants was that they were quickly getting more and more powerful. This was the last moment humanity had any chance of ever beating them. The point of no return.

[@EskChan19]

@@faultier1158 Not really. Like they said the bomb was cheap and easy to produce in large quantities very fast. It would have become a whole lot messier but they knew they could bomb the ants anytime.

[@EskChan19]

Yeah, it's important to remember that nen runs on conviction and your mental state. Hisoka said so during his fight with the shadow clone guy. Once the enemys resolve softens or he panics, the battle is over. It was the same thing here. If Neteros resolve wavered, he would have been weaker if a fight happened anyway.

[@mob3963]

The fact that togashi wrote it so gon and meruem never actually met because parallel lines dont meet eachother is brilliant.

[@littlebigmarc]

yeah very crazy. I was waiting for king vs gon but glad we didn't get that.

[@JohnPaul-su8qn]

I don't know why but Reina coming home and her mom recognizing her won't ever stop making me tear up. It's such a nice closing to such an amazing arc, something seemingly so inconsequential to the story as a whole tying the story together. What we thought of as a tragedy at the start turned out to have a happy ending, it's like Togashi planted an emotional timebomb at the beginning and after going through all of the things in the arc when you are so emotionally spent it sets off.

[@Slendermanz7]

It's so good and precious

[@manumaster1990]

Exactly!

[@miguelgonzalez6495]

This got to me as much as Meruem and Komugi dying together.

[@Riccardo-kw5dc]

Exactly! I never get emotional for that kind of story! They always feel cheap but Reina and her mom...felt earned, and perfect, and the beam of light in the darkness which was needed after the tragedy.

[@Riccardo-kw5dc]

Also don't forgot the Lobster, which get hugged by Reina and the village too, and the history of "passino the torch of kindness" that starts with Gon, Killua, Ikalgo, then goes to the Lobster, is given to Reina and given back. It's linked to all that happens, it goes unnoticed and then hits you at the end.

[@luzobsidiana]

Yesterday I finished HxH with my girlfriend, was her first time watching it and she cried an ocean for Meruem and Komugi. A beautiful story and my personal favorite, is sublime.

[@chrollolucilfer.v]

Don't so that man don't do that it hurts 😢😭😭😭😭

[@Stuugie.]

bruh I did too, genuinely the only media to make me cry like that

[@declanm810]

Another really beautiful part about the end of Komugi and Meruem that I don’t think you mentioned is that, since Komugi is blind, this entire time she’s been operating on Meruem’s voice alone with no idea that he’s anything other than human. At their very end, where they’re together and she holds him, is the first time she’s actually able to realise that he’s not human… and she chooses to stay anyway

[@Slendermanz7]

She might know he's not because of the guards talking about stuff but you're still right in that appearance doesn't matter

[@SoundwaveSC]

Nah bro she starts feeling around his face and is like "...What the fuck? Is this a ninja turtle???"

[@LeoSkyro]

True love right there :')

[@NaritaZaraki]

I genuinely cannot express how much Gon breaks my heart in this arc. And I think there is actually a lot of nuance to his lashing out at Killua in that infamous moment that we don't discuss enough. Obviously, Killua did not deserve any of that and he was only doing what he always does, be the level-headed one and approach things with more restraint in a direct balancing act to Gon's approach, this is their normal. *But that is precisely what is contributing to Gon's feeling of being alone in his grief.* He isn't operating as normal. He's breaking apart. And the fact that Killua isn't, didn't have a personal relationship with Kite prior and that he, bless his golden heart, under the most incredible of circumstances, still has the capacity to operate at his best and be rational and composed ... the only way Gon can compute all of that is "Oh. He doesn't feel this writhing living hell of entwined guilt and anger that is brewing in me. He's okay. He's actually okay. This is Tuesday to him." And that is a real ugly aspect of grief and how it manages to isolate you even while surrounded by loved ones. Feeling irrationally hurt about the fact that they are consoling you and are there for their love of you but not because they share the magnitude of loss that you feel. You are their priority, not the person you lost. They are here for your well being. And that can weirdly feel like they are not at all addressing what is hurting you. Like you're bleeding profusely from a head wound and everyone around you is preoccupied by your sprained ankle. *Killua is infinitely more heartbroken about what Gon is going through than he is about Kite's death. And that, irrationally and unfairly, hurts Gon. So he lashes out.* And I'm gonna stop now before I start crying for these kids for the millionth time T_T

[@christopherrivera1673]

From another KZbin conversation I had: As Meruem was dying he lost his sight and could only see through use of his "en" light particles, representing how the two were becoming one, or, like the ending song title “Hyori Itai” meaning “two sides of the same coin.” Meruem’s arc starts with him believing everyone is beneath him, Komugi’s arc starts with her believing she is beneath everyone. Meruem respected strength in terms of brute force, Komugi in terms of a strategy game. It ends with Meruem and Komugi seeing each other as equals, Meruem was humbled (repeating himself), and Komugi recognized her worth, reflected when she wins the final game yet still says his name without the honorific, thus without obligation, meaning they are equals (and also, that might does not always make right). Meruem is Komugi’s light, represented by the meaning of his name, and Komugi was his light symbolized when Welfin tells Meruem her name and he starts staring at the sun as it shines on flowers and trees- which I interpret to mean that Meruem needed Komugi like the flowers and trees need sunlight. In Buddhism it is believed when a person is enlightened they can escape the cycle of reincarnation and instead become light after death. Visually reflected in the manga by showing Meruem drawn with thick dark lines throughout the arc until the “I was born for this moment” scene where he and Komugi are drawn very lightly almost like a sketch. Meruem’s death scene with Komugi seems fashioned after Gustav Moreau’s (note: Hisoka's last name is Morrow-- different spelling probably due to translation of a French name from Japanese) painting of Mary holding Jesus after his crucifixion, the Pietá: (link not posting, but it’s an easy google search: “moreau la pieta”) This painting has been held and is still in Tokyo’s National Museum of Western Art since the 90's when Togashi moved to Tokyo to start drawing manga. Komugi's bloody tears at the end are a parallel to Netero's conjured Lady Guanyin statue which also had tears of blood. Guanyin is a bodhisattva of compassion and also know as "Child-sending Guanyin" (I'll get to the relevance of that soon but the Virgin Mary is also seen as bringing good fortune to women). Netero repressed his compassion for what he thought was the greater good, which happened be his bias towards his own species, humanity, and is represented by crushing his own heart and embracing an act of malice. But Komugi is the other (and compassionate) side of the coin. Mary is considered the eastern counterpart to Guanyin, so much so that statues of the Virgin Mary were disguised as Lady Guanyin during times of Christian persecution (punishable by death in Japan during the Edo period: 1600-1868 AD). Also, Mary is known as the Queen of Heaven and what Komugi said to Meruem (who has Jesus symbolism as he was born of a virgin mother and was revived shortly after death and seen as a god by his followers)-- she said: "I may not be much, but please, let me accompany you" which is an old fashioned way for Japanese women to accept a marriage proposal. And "Child-sending Guanyin" symbolism comes into play with Gungi. Her strategy, Kokoriko, was referred to as her baby, and which had "died" figuratively as it had an irreparable weakness that made it an instant loss to anyone using it-- but she finally found a counter move and revived it just as Pouf and Youpi (who referred to themselves as rising to the rank of Queens) did so in reviving Meruem-- who said they tasted like heaven, with imagery of Cherubs, angels of love. There’s also see the panel of a mother holding her child, which is what we see with Komugi holding Meruem in the end (and also a reverse of when Meruem was holding Komugi after Zeno’s dragon dive almost killed her). Also, notice that the Pieta, the scene of Jesus and Mary is such (for Moreau as well as most painters and sculptors) that Jesus is facing to the left of Mary whereas Meruem's death has him facing to the right of Komugi. This is symbolic of the Bible as Western literature and Hunter x Hunter being Eastern. The word Gungi in Japanese also contains the kanji for human, foreshadowing Meruem's development towards humanity through his board games with Komugi. Another thing: Komugi says "goodnight, Meruem." Gon said to Kite's soul, before blowing up Pitou: "finally, you can rest."

[@chrislewis7006]

Hell naw where is bishop bullwinkle I started reading then I realized it was a novel.

[@sparrowfish3537]

Thanks for sharing that!!

[@luciaaudi626]

loved this

[@CoCoCo1212]

Man, that was really insightful. Thanks for this. ☺️

[@christopherrivera1673]

Thanks for the positive feedback. Found another old post of mine: "Isaac" means “he who rejoices/laughs” = he had the last laugh (or did he?); in any case he got the fight he wanted and accomplished his mission. "Netero" means “old song of prayer,” reflecting this “old song” or primeval “rhythm” of humanity constantly struggling and failing to avoid conflict with the Other, the unknown, and whatever is new or different. And when Netero says he’ll see Meruem “in hell” he’s putting the 2 of them on equal footing, morally. I think he laughed at the irony and absurdity of their conflict as there wasn’t a clear-cut higher moral ground = humans hypocritically assuming themselves above the treatment they inflict on animals). “I’ll see you in hell if there is one” = loss of faith in a higher power that could force him into such moral conundrums where a “necessary evil” seems to exist. Also fulfills his own words literally: “giving his heart and soul” as he crushes his heart, symbolizing his compassion and the embracing of malice, and by going to hell and/or losing faith, he’s lost his “soul.” The condition for the king to receive his name was for Netero to admit defeat which he did so by calling him Meruem. Also, hinted at by Netero saying he was not alone, this victory isn’t his, the bomb is not his own power. It came down to Meruem’s individual strength and biological evolution overcoming Netero’s but he then counters with collective strength and cultural/scientific evolution. One more layer in the meaning here: in Buddhism, “Hell” is called “Naraka” and one who goes there is also called “Naraka.” Naraka is also a place of darkness. So, Netero is becoming darkness just as the king’s identity became Meruem or “the light that illuminates everything.” Another complication is that Naraka is not a place for punishment but for purification and even good people can go there if they have any sins/defilements to be cleansed of before their rebirth (both Buddhists and ancient Egyptians believed in reincarnation: a recurring theme of this arc shown with the Chimera Ants retaining memories of their past life). Twitter thread of mine on some of the symbolism between Meruem and Netero (related to the Buddha-like earlobes, spirit echoes, and nen abilities): twitter.com/los1492/status/1483517605998694408?s=21&t=Tc93i2Q4c2XrcJIuJwa3XQ Quoting from this thread (images of the manga panels found in the link): -Zeno describes the secret to Netero’s power is 1: that his aura is “awfully quiet” and 2: Guanyin (probably referring to its speed and range). But Meruem learns his rhythm (“pattern of movement or sound”) meaning he can “hear” (=predict) his next action. -Notice their ears and fastest abilities- to buddhists, long ears symbolize rejection of materialism and the ability to hear the spiritual world, with Meruem “hearing” Netero’s rhythm (or “spirit echoes”). -It also represents Meruem’s understanding being faster than Netero’s fists, as represented with Netero’s punches surpassing the speed of sound whereas Meruem’s predictions were a step ahead and his (photonic) spiritual message, an empathic ability, was literally light/lightspeed. (You can also see the speed and light motif with Killua's electric nen abilities, such as Godspeed). There's more but just note Netero's right arm bias/malice, Gon's Jajanken (also right-handed) referred to as "evil fist" in Greed Island, and, member of the Spider, Kortopi's Gallery Fake: Demonic Right Hand and Divine Left Hand. This ties into later events (no spoilers). The tomb fits the Egyptian mythology motif for kings/pharaohs, as shown with the Royal Guard’s names, and also ties into the history of human culture, the belief in gods who were a mixture of human and animal traits. Like Bastet, the cat goddess with the magic to heal, the mother of Nefertem, depicted with the head of a lion (Pitou’s feline features). Or Montu, depicted as a hawk or bull (Youpi’s wings and hooves). Shai, god of fate, depicted as a pig or snake (not shown in Pouf’s design but it suits our view of him- yet ironically the deceptive/snake-like chimera is most human in appearance). The older religions showed more admiration for nature and the qualities of animals but later religion’s view of God became exclusively human (like Pouf’s ideals are exclusively inhuman). And that past culture meets its modern incarnation in the technology of a nuclear weapon. Also, the way Togashi wrote Netero’s line of dialogue can be read as referring to “evolution” or “malice.” Referring to the cultural evolution of humans leading to weapons of war like nukes. But also the fact of our intelligence is why concepts of morality, good and evil exist. Ironically, we are the animal most capable of moralizing, of judging things as good or evil, and with that capacity for thought, in philosophy and science, we are also the most capable of evil. Togashi does this with many nen abilities as well. Like Pitou’s ability that can be read as “Dr Blythe” or “Toy Repair” = reflecting her duality as someone who can use her ability to make puppets of others and dehumanize them, or to devalue another’s life, but also how that same ability can be used to heal people and save lives.

[@TEG13]

There are two themes of duality in this arc. One is Gon's decent into becoming a monster, opposed to Meruem discovering his humanity. The other one is between Meruem and Netero. Both of them are the embodiment of violence, who found love, gratitude and enlightenment, but each interpreted it different. While Netero found his enlightenment through violence and embracing it until the very end, Meruem found his by abandoning it and embracing his humanity until his final moments.

[@slevinchannel7589]

Nah, thats missing 1 Million. Check out KZbinrs like Alexanderz and Ohara.

[@christopherrivera1673]

I wouldn’t say Gon really became a monster but that being a monster is just the malicious side of humanity. And compassion is the other side of the coin which Meruem ends up embodying. Also, I like your interpretation of the Netero fight, though I also saw it as biological evolution versus cultural evolution (genetics versus technology), as well as individual strength versus collective strength (Netero: “I am not alone.”)

[@xXSamir44Xx]

The thing I love the most about Gon's transformation is that it's such a normal thing in battle shonen series. You see the main character go "I'm gonna use everything I have and I don't care what happens after." all the time, but it's usually shown as necessary, cool or just not that big of a deal. Here we see just how horrific that mindset would actually be. It's also worth mentioning that Pitou is the only royal guard that dies happy. They're glad that Gon "wasted" this incredible power on them, instead of using it on the king.

[@tolbryntheix4135]

Well, the main difference is that in other shows transformations usually don't have permanent consequences, or extremely minor ones if they do. What sets this apart is the readiness to go all-out without a care for the consequences. On the other hand, Gon transforming like that was ironically probably his best shot at survival, even if Gon didn't consider that angle when he did it: If you think about what would have happened if he didn't, he would have been stuck inside a small enclosed space with only a long, narrow hallway to leave from while being right next to Pitou, who just said she was determined to kill him. Judging by how late Killua arrived in the show, I don't think Gon would have survived anywhere near that amount of time without some sort of significant Nen-Contract with an equally significant price, and if Gon used a Nen Contract that was just significant enough to survive, Pitou might go along her way to deal with Gons Comrades in the castle or attack Killua. So I do think the transformation was justifiably necessary, it's just that Gon didn't think about it that way when he did it.

[@OleBrr]

This is definitely my favorite shonen arc of all time. From the parallels, dynamics and development on both sides to the incredible fights and emotions. It's a complete story told in 133 chapters as well as the peak of the entire story up until that point. So glad you liked it as well!

[@PhantomGreyfire]

00:00:00 ⟾ *Intro* - *Format*: Details, Length, Previous 2 Parts 00:00:58 ⟾ *Plot* - Knucke-Shoot-Menthuthuyoupi, Meleoron-Gon-Killua 00:01:13 ⟾ *Characters* - *Knucke* (instincts, emotion) vs. Chimera Ants/*Menthuthuyoupi* (memories, agency) 00:03:22 ⟾ *Plot* - Knucke vs. Menthuthuyoupi: Meleoron {mellae-o-ron} and Killua intervention 00:03:59 ⟾ *Characters* - *Killua*: pain, composed, Gon’s anger 00:05:22 ⟾ *Fights* - Morel vs. Shaiapouf: smoke cocoon, abilities 00:06:25 ⟾ *Fights* - Morel-Knucke vs. Menthuthuyoupi: smart fights, {shadow clone jutsu} 00:07:48 ⟾ *Plot* - Gon-Neferpitou-Shaiapouf 00:08:05 ⟾ *Characters* - *Neferpitou*: character changes, values shift, loyalty, Komugi 00:09:04 ⟾ *Plot* - Gon-Neferpitou-Shaiapouf: Meruem location 00:09:14 ⟾ *Themes* - *Netero vs. Meruem*: conversations, worthy humans, broken human world, noble goals using power, 00:11:10 ⟾ *Themes* - *Netero vs. Meruem*: Top of the Food Chain: broken human world, humans, animal cruelty 00:12:58 ⟾ *Fights* - *Netero vs. Meruem*: looking for worthy opponent (like Hisoka) 00:13:19 ⟾ *Themes* - *Netero vs. Meruem*: not wanting to see humanity in Meruem (Zeno), flawed philosophy, capable of change 00:15:25 ⟾ *Fights* - *Netero vs. Meruem*: name {Kimi no nawa.}, visually stunning, speed, power, losing limbs 00:16:58 ⟾ *Fights* - Morel-Knucke vs. Menthuthuyoupi: APR bargain, humanity 00:18:29 ⟾ *Plot* - *Gon-Neferpitou*: Shaiapouf deal off, Komugi, Neferpitou strength vs. submission 00:19:15 ⟾ *Characters* - *Gon*: harming Kite/Komugi 00:20:14 ⟾ *Plot* - Gon-Neferpitou: Kite healing 00:21:47 ⟾ *Fights* - *Gon vs. Neferpitou*: transformation, Nen sacrifice, {beating a dead hor-uhh… cat}, rage, Killua, arm 00:22:44 ⟾ *Characters* - *Gon*: transformation, pain, harm, rage 00:23:31 ⟾ *Characters* - *Komugi*: harsh treatment, Gungi piece 00:24:40 ⟾ *Fights* - *Netero vs. Meruem*: Poor Man's Rose, innocent casualties 00:26:41 ⟾ *Fights* - *Netero vs. Meruem*: Poor Man's Rose, Shaiapouf, Menthuthuyoupi, Meruem revival 00:27:56 ⟾ *Themes* - chimeric ability drawbacks, Meruem memory, Shaiapouf manipulation 00:29:45 ⟾ *Characters* - *Shaiapouf *: Meruem changes, personality manipulation 00:30:27 ⟾ *Plot* - Meruem changes: Royal Guard secrets, Welfin’s dream, Knuckle and Morel freed, superiority 00:31:47 ⟾ *Plot* - Meruem changes: final moments with Komugi, unselfish, character arc, name 00:33:23 ⟾ *Characters* - *Individual Arcs* 00:33:33 ⟾ *Characters* - *Menthuthuyoupi *: protecting Meruem, compassion, honour, strength, weakness 00:33:58 ⟾ *Characters* - *Neferpitou*: prey, puppets, protection 00:34:11 ⟾ *Characters* - *Shaiapouf *: changes in Meruem, manipulation 00:34:51 ⟾ *Characters* - Individual Arcs: Knuckle, Gon 00:35:02 ⟾ *Characters* - *Palm*: ant, agency, team, Killua friend, Killua speech, Meruem begging 00:35:59 ⟾ *Characters* - Individual Arcs: *Welfin*, *Ikalgo* 00:36:35 ⟾ *Highlights* - Killua hospital scene 00:36:48 ⟾ *Highlights* - Reina return to village 00:37:17 ⟾ *Overview* - Complexity: ants, humans, good, bad, heroes 00:37:55 ⟾ *Overview* - Depth, Themes, action, emotion, twists 00:38:23 ⟾ *Overview* - *Chimera Ant Arc*: expectations, hype 00:38:49 ⟾ *Outro* 00:38:54 ⟾ [Promo] [Credits] ☕

[@TC-lz1zp]

GOAT

[@christopherrivera1673]

Thank you

[@miguelgonzalez6495]

LEGEND

[@karan_k_b]

Thank you! You are the best!

[@dooperco]

Reading this arc so early in your manga career is a double edge sword, while it shows the best manga can offer, it is also very hard, if not impossible, to find anything than can rival it.

[@yumaniga5191]

Big facts. I am constantly left underwhelmed by my friends favourite series and I blame togashi and oda for it.

[@QuantumtestGaming]

lmao Berserk , pun pun and vegabond and monster are vastly superior.

[@joekarta]

@@QuantumtestGaming no

[@QuantumtestGaming]

@@joekarta yes

[@eliaelirko9849]

@@QuantumtestGaming no

[@MysteryBounty]

When it comes to video length its never too long, ive listened to your marineford review like 3 times total at work 😁. Thanks for all the hard work and I hope you and your family are doing well!

[@amuro9624]

Lol I always rewatch videos on arcs I liked about 3 times too

[@Coolgamer..]

Chimera Ant arc really good, Meruem, Netro and Gon were amazing character and great writing/themes. 😍👍

[@GoDUsopp-gk2fx]

Komugi touching Meruem's hand and realizing that he's not human but still she embraces him either way is... so potent. I can't handle it, I always end up crying hard.

[@robertt8822]

I saw hxh 6 years ago and with your series you reminded me why i loved this story so much

[@ridge3097]

With all the Buddhist symbolism in this arc, you can also see the parallels of the life of meruem with the life story of the real buddha (came from a prosperous family and was affected when he saw the other side of humanity with the poor the helpless the weak etc., threw away his possessions then became enlightened in his journey and died due to poison)

[@christopherrivera1673]

Also, Jesus parallels. Virgin mother. Greeted at birth by 3 figures of “royalty.” Named after “light” (both Jesus and Satan were referred to as “Lucifer” meaning shining one, in the bible). Death scene mirrors Mary holding Jesus after crucifixion. Meruem threading the needle against Netero = “sooner will the head of a camel pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man enter heaven.” Check out Patsy Cline’s “A Poor Man’s Roses.”

[@ShiroiRekka]

I read this long time ago from another person in a forum, and I thought of bringing it to you: Kokoriko is an advanced Gungi technique by Komugi that centers around isolating the King (as in the Gungi piece, not the Chimera Ant), separating it from the other pieces and killing it off. Just like Netero and the Hunters were planning to do to Meruem. However, Komugi unexpectedly develops a counter to this technique in the middle of a game, meaning that the King piece (representing Meruem) no longer has to die (since he unexpectedly survived the nuke). Then, later on, when Komugi uses Kokoriko again, she actually develops a counter to the counter ("she reversed my reversal???"), representing that the King piece (Meruem) apparently actually does have to die after all (because of the Rose's poison). However, immediately after beating Meruem using Kokoriko (symbolizing his imminent death), Komugi and Meruem start one final game together, a game that they never finish. 1-5-1 Black King -> 9-5-1 White Lieutenant General, I believe, or something to that extent. Immediately afterwards, they die together, leaving on the board Meruem's one black piece and Komugi's single white piece, together in Gungi forever. This represents that the two were always united through Gungi, and will continue to be together even after death, undisturbed and united for all eternity. Meruem places his piece down, symbolizing his death, and then Komugi responds by placing her piece down next to his, showing that she is perfectly willing to die at his side.. The black screen/black panels in the manga show that the Rose's poison has made Meruem go blind. That's why he has to keep asking Komugi if she's still there, because he can't see her anymore. This is ironic because his name means "the light that illuminates/shines upon all". He even got some godlike light-related photon-based powers before his death, allowing him to fulfill his name. In addition, as they are playing in the bunker before their deaths, Meruem sees a blinding light radiating from Komugi as she "reverses his reversal", making her "the light that illuminates even the all-powerful light". Despite being far weaker (and blind to boot), her light shined far brighter than his. Then, as he dies, Komugi holds him and feels his head, allowing her to finally "see" or know what his face is like. Thus, as they die, Meruem joins Komugi in blindness as she joins him in death. Meruem can finally see what Komugi has been seeing all along, and knows what it feels like to be blind like her, and Komugi finally knows his face, allowing each to understand the other more as they fade away (the OST used during their death scene is called "Understanding"). Touching, isn't it? Togashi is a mastermind, and this entire story, especially this arc, is a masterpiece, a beautiful work of art, a canvas depicting love, hatred, innocence, corruption, happiness, suffering, loyalty, betrayal, anger, sadness, life, death, malevolence, destruction, resolve, determination, avarice, sacrifice, "true" power, truth, and understanding. Btw, I love how you analize everything, every detail, you have my LIKE :D

[@rangerscoach]

yep. this arc holy crap. its just one of the best stories ever told. so much foreshadowed. no loose threads. Mereums character arc is an outsiders perspective on how extraordinary it can be to be human, that during even the most simple of moments we are so lucky to be alive around the people we care about.

[@Blankace.]

Good news, the Hunter x Hunter manga will be off of hiatus soon so that means you will hopefully have more to read

[@jalapenoofjustice4682]

Meruem's death is amazing in the anime. No music and the only light source is a firefly that's slowly flying toward Meruem & Komugi. You don't even get to see them until Meruem is dead, so the focus is purely on their last conversation

[@slevinchannel7589]

Whats your Nen-Type? Ever thought of an Ability?

[@Shallabais100]

"It was underhyped" is the best compliment for the arc you can give

[@BrokenArrowX]

I will never understand why this arc is somehow regarded controversial and a lot of people seem to dislike it. It's absolute peak to me.

[@jesse8924]

It's my favourite arc in all of shonen, but I understand people not liking it. It has an odd stop-start pace to it before the palace invasion. It sets up things that don't pay off at all in this arc (mainly Gyro). A whole bunch of fan favourite characters are entirely absent. The big overarching story of the series isn't forwarded at all. And for people who liked the lighter arcs, this can be way too dark.

[@johnkernelle]

theyre the same idiots who critizes hunter x hunter for not having many fights (and wall of texts)

[@Pekara121]

I think a lot of people’s critic is the way the story was told which is through the narrator. Personally I think the narrator is awesome.

[@hypeman1021]

@@jesse8924 nah I don't think gyro is the problem because he need to actually do something to be considered, we have just seen his birth in the Chimera arc and it was like 1 chapter if I remember it correctly.

[@jesse8924]

​@@hypeman1021 To be clear, I don't consider it a problem, but I've seen it cited by other people, and I kinda get it. Even thought it was one chapter, I also thought he was definitely going to be a baddass third party ant, before it says that he walked away from the arc casually lol.

[@GrandLineReview]

Great video :D

[@johnkernelle]

you should have used your NewWorldReview account to comment

[@NoerLuin]

Apologies for the length... shortest part of the Chimera Ant Arc review

[@yumaniga5191]

I haven't read many manga or books. Not even a real movie lover. This is the only story I can recollect where the villain and hero doesn't even really meet each other in person.

[@jesse8924]

Unless we count a giant flaming eye glaring across a dark field, Frodo never meets Sauron.

[@shahoona]

It’s this and Lord of the Rings as far as I’m aware. Super cool story format IMO.

[@slyfox22283]

No country for old Men is one of them as far as I know.

[@lancemayeux3199]

The Fifth Element is another one where the protagonist and antagonist never meet.

[@yumaniga5191]

@@lancemayeux3199 is that a movie?

[@viinaart]

Merphy I'd love to hear your thoughts about all those rabbit holes you said you couldn't go into in this, it would honestly be awesome if you decided to do some more in depth analysis videos on specific characters or scenes or arcs in the future!

[@sparrowfish3537]

yessssss

[@manumaster1990]

Same!

[@nandrirandri4439]

The scene when Killua broke down in tears and begged Palm to talk to Gon also was really tough to read/watch.

[@JustForTheTunes]

By far the worst part about reading/watching the Chimera Ant Arc is knowing I'll never write anything half as good. Every time I re-read it I end up finding more nuance to appreciate, different fully fleshed out character arcs to adore. It's one of my favorite story arcs of all time--not just from manga.

[@dirzz]

Bruh. Same.

[@manumaster1990]

Same!

[@praisethesun9014]

You can be as good if you put in the work

[@soultheconfusing9563]

Bruh u can write something just as good stop acting like chimera ant is the pinnacle of storytelling 😂

[@wraith.ferron]

2 cool linguistic items from this part: Netero's line of "never underestimate humanity's potential for change/evolution" or "humanity's infinite potential for change" (depending on which translation used), can also be read as "never underestimate humanity's potential for malice" in Japanese using the furigana, which is the small hiragana on top of kanji to explain how it can be read. Komugi's line of "I may not be much..." is an old-fashion and formal way to accept a marriage proposal. At that time, she basically admitted her love, as well as her willingness to be next to Meruem until death.

[@kratosgow09]

"'til death do us part." Komugi and Meruem took it to heart😭😭😭

[@elmesaoudizakariae521]

Merphy: It was underhyped!!! Everyone: I KNOW RIGHT!!!

[@doggygod]

0:33 Treat it like a podcast, she says. Merph, we need at least 3 hours. 🤣

[@ibg_music7525]

I love these HxH podcasts 😁

[@mordirit8727]

A note on Netero having the bomb with him, remember that he hired Zeno, Killua's grandpa, specifically for a single purpose: get the King and me away from the palace. Yes, Netero risked everyone on the team and all humans in the palace plaza by accepting to take the bomb inside of him, but he clearly took every possible measure to avoid that happening. I mean, he hired a freaking _Zoldick_ to ensure he would fight Meruem far from people. Think back on Yorknew, what we saw about Killua's father and grandfather dedication to following their missions. _That_ was the level of dedication Netero knew would stand between him and threatening his team with his bomb. In the end, the King didn't need to be sent away since he decided to do it on his own, but _if_ Meruem had tried to fight them on the palace, Zeno's entire job was just to throw him far away from it. From what we've seen of the Zoldyck, he would gladly kill himself to ensure this would happen.

[@PSNchunkylover3000]

There is no way anyone could anticipate how amazing the Chimera Ant arc would be. Every time I reread it, I feel a new sense of awe. It’s really a masterpiece.

[@_void8315]

In the end, adding Human characteristics to their gene pool was one of the greatest gifts to the Chimera Ants, but also what led to their downfall. This strength and dominance is exactly what their queen was after, but the development of complex emotions and individuality was never MEANT to happen and changed everything about what the ants were. In the Royal guards and the king especially; Loyalty was a born characteristic for the guards, but Pitou gained empathy and compassion. For Pouf it was Obsession and idealism, even Youpi who had no human genes learned Respect and honor. And for Meruem, it was love. Seeing Meruem struggle so much to grasp a concept he was never made to have, and ultimately give up EVERYTHING in the end for love just to spend his last moments with Komugi, even when he STILL didn’t fully understand it, just…Man, his death will always stick with me 😭

[@Slendermanz7]

At least there's hope for Colt and the others

[@tanyam928]

This is one of the best arcs in manga/anime. And the Netero/Meruem fight is amazing. Gon's transformation is epic. And Meruem's end with Komugi... so many highs and lows for the characters. And I just love Killua he is one of my favorite characters ever ❤️

[@stevencase796]

Chimera Ant and York New City are the pinnacle of what Hunter X Hunter is as a story. HXH is unique in that it’s a subversive work that I think actually does a really good job both having its cake and eating it too, IE; it’s a shounen story which subverts many of the tropes that shounen manga have come to embody, while also still being able to execute on those tropes completely shamelessly. Most shounen stories have a heavier focus on the emotional side of things rather than the logical progression of plot events. The plot is still important and holds the story together, but these stories tend to lean very heavily on character-driven storytelling. That’s not bad at all, in fact, that’s the appeal. Chainsaw Man became the community’s darling when it was coming out, and is probably about to get even bigger with its upcoming animated adaptation, and that story is the epitome of “all heart, no brain.” What sets Hunter X Hunter apart from its contemporaries is a deliberate decision to focus on the events that are happening first, and then for characters to experience satisfying arcs within the structure of these events. Arcs are something that happens within the story, as opposed to story being something that happens around the arcs. Hunter X Hunter still has all of the makings of a shounen story with a smorgasbord of characters all ready to develop in interesting ways, but it differs heavily in its story-telling philosophy. Instead of a phenomenal clash between forces of good and evil, Hunter X Hunter revels in its shades of grey, and it loves spreading its focus wide. Chimera Ant and York New City have a fun trick they pull where the main characters only ever feel like small pieces in a larger story. Their actions, while important, sometimes don’t seem anywhere close to as impactful as the actions of other characters. Meanwhile, villains like the Phantom Troupe and the Chimera Ants arguably become just as much protagonists as our main characters. While Kurapika is being consumed by a desire for vengeance, the Spiders come together to form a violent tribute for their fallen comrade. While Gon becomes more and more willing to go to any terrible lengths to save a friend, the ants are discovering compassion and camaraderie. While Netero hardens his heart and prepares to pay any price to kill Meruem, the King tries to sit down to broker some form of peace. In Hunter X Hunter heroes can act like villains, and villains can act like heroes, but everything feels in character. I also can’t help but love how the story just sort of… happens. Themes and arcs are still present, but the world doesn’t revolve around one person or group of people. Instead the clash of many characters making many decisions seems to come together to create something genuine and unpredictable. This kind of story telling is a bit more prevalent in prose, certainly, with stories like A Song of Ice and Fire gaining critical acclaim, but it’s a breath of fresh air in a shounen story like this. Conventional shounen wisdom tells us that the Chimera Ant arc should look like… well, like any arc in One Piece. Where everyone is getting their individual battles and thinning out the crowd, and we’re building up to a final confrontation between the main protagonist and antagonist. Effectively it all has to come down to a big final fight between Gon and the King, the same way it would between Luffy and whichever villain is leading the bad guys (there are exceptions to this in One Piece of course, but I believe they prove the rule). Instead, Gon never even meets the King, and focuses his entire grudge on one of the Royal Guards. And despite having a truly bombastic battle against Netero, Meruem doesn’t die in a grand and final attack… he slowly fades away in the arms of a loved one. Despite this subversion however, the conclusions still feel satisfying because they all fit the arcs of the respective characters. There’s this very happy middle ground between logical progression of events and emotional completeness of character work that makes Hunter X Hunter feel truly special. TL;DR: Hunter X Hunter is a subversive masterwork of a story that manages to feel very much like a shounen story, while also playing with the tropes of its genre in very unique ways.

[@Art24mis]

merphy reading berserk would be one of highlight of my life...cant wait

[@raynder5542]

That highlight is likely never coming

[@leakypeach6250]

25:30 "If he stumbles, and hits his head on a rock" XD That's such a funny hypothetical!

[@TimoKanal]

To me the craziest and most profound aspect of this arc is that, after this world-ending threat of the Chimera ants have been built up more and more - to the point where even we the audience lose hope in the survival of our team and humanity as a whole - the thing that ultimately ends this war is love. Love between the Ant King and a female human, who knows nothing else except to play Gungi. And this love has been built up just through playing this board game over and over, for completely different, egoistic purposes from the King. Of course Netero was the one who did kill Meruem, but after Meruem's rebirth, we saw the thing that no one considered, or stopped considering. The possibility of change and love in the chimera ant species - which of course has been mixed with humans more and more.

[@wwe12153]

But most of what happened to him at the end was because he knew that he is gonna die

[@TimoKanal]

@@wwe12153 That is true, but I would further this by the statement that mortal nature is directly linked to being human. In the state Meruem was in, he was no longer a god. It was the last step needed to truly feel human, and in my opinion to truly feeling love as well. Because love is an eternal act of feeling one with everything, also one with the earth that you once came from, and will eventually return to.

[@Macapta]

Fav bit of trivia is that when Netero says “evolution” it can also be read as “malice”. Like the moment humans realise their place at the top of the food chain is legit threatened, they will take the gloves off and create horrors to crush the potential usurper.

[@Slendermanz7]

Malice is a better translation, makes it more menacing

[@MrAmplifier]

I have the feeling that Zeno was hired specifically to try and help isolate Mereum with Netero because of the bomb and not as a fighter.. As an assassin, when Zeno is paid for a job he will do it regardless of the circumstances or personal opinion. We know from the Chrollo fight, that he will do a job he doesn't believe in. When they meet Mereum and he suggests that they fight somewhere else, that effectively completed the mission Zeno was hired to do, so he left. If Zeno was hired to help in as a combatant, then Mereum showing humanity should not have stopped him from doing his job.

[@lyricallegend4026]

In the Netero vs Meruem fight, I love that there is also a theme of the individual vs the collective. Meruem praises Netero multiple times throughout the fight, specifically pointing out that Netero stands at the peak as an INDIVIDUAL, however states that the reason he didn't win was because Meruem, as a king, is a product of his whole species as a COLLECTIVE, and thus was the difference in the battle. However, it is revealed that Netero was not alone in the fight, and had humanity fighting with him all along. And thus, this is how Meruem, the absolute best of what his species as a whole could offer, actually loses when going up against the absolute worst humanity could offer. Not Netero, but a low-budget, extremely destructive bomb whose smoke cloud took a form of a rose.

[@Undeadsaiyan9]

Am I the only one who wanted the 6 hour unedited version of her dive into the fights and themes held within the arc?

[@Zer0Mercy9493]

I have never had a scene in anime hit me so hard, than when I watched the final scenes of Meruem and Komugi. I couldn't believe it how the anime delivered that scene. I was in tears the entire time. My fiancee doesn't watch Hunter x Hunter, or read it. But I tried to tell her about that episode and just how that scene went, and the emotions, and I couldn't get a full sentence out because I would choke up and almost cry just talking about it again. I was stunned. It was the first time an anime, or anything outside of reality, has hit me like that.

[@RTheu2109]

I would love a part 2 of this video, it feels like there was so much you could have explained still And one of the things about Netero that doesn't get much attention is that he isn't send there just because he's the chairman, the people above Netero knows the threat that the ants can be, not from a "protecting the humans" side but more of a power side of things, and those people knows about the bomb so they send Netero literally as a nuke, not caring one bit about who comes back from there or who gets caught in the explosion, and Netero knew that. The imagery of the bomb is clearly to remind the WW2 nukes that killed thousands of innocents, and this part of the show is just to show how far and low humans can go to stay at the top of the foodchain.

[@kingabalos]

one thing the manga cannot replicate: when gon finally turns around to face killua, tears on his face, killua trying to stop him... all while hyori ittai's piano is gradually starting... then an explosion. that is just... something else

[@capitaorodrigo2886]

Definitely my favorite HxH arc, it is insanely good. It is so packed with big and impactful moments that have been seeded for so long by small little moments, it is like a dam that was being put under pressure for years and years until it finally breaks. Like you I could talk and talk about it, and I have for the past ten years. Togashi has earned every health break he takes because of this arc, it is just so wonderful, what a talented man.

[@affanalam6123]

The chimera arc end has to be one of my favourite conclusions in anime. So good.

[@marshwiggle8364]

I love how the author sets up seeming inconsequential characters and they end up being the most important like wolfin(who seemed like he would be cannon fodder)

[@protoaltus]

Now that Merph finished up on Chimera Ant, I would love it if she revisits the anime and sees the Ending Songs. Some of my favourites of all time for a reason and specifically Hyori Ittai (Chimera Ant arc ED2) is on top with Reason (Greed Island ED). The meanings of black and white, two sides of the same coin and the journey itself makes me giddy everytime.

[@luzobsidiana]

"hittory ittai" in sad piano for Gon killing Pitou and "Understanding" when Meruem understand what love is, best OST in my opinion.

[@thewakandankingtchaka5331]

Loved that you noticed the bomb detonating in the event that Netero never managed to get out of the palace. If it had… that’s almost 2 million people dead… Additionally, I love how this arc paints Netero both good and evil. Not wanting to listen to Meruem so that his heart could not be swayed but at the same time looking down on him, wanting to teach him that humanity is deservingly on the top of the food chain. What a great character. I also loved Palm’s character development. How she was unstable prior to her change but the experiment (which was said to be both a physical and a mental re-wiring) stabilised her showing that maybe what Pouf and Pitou could do was in fact could be seen as a positive change despite being the antagonists. (The narrator implied that prior to change Palm was too emotional and those emotions overwhelmed her but that the re-wiring finally stabilised her - which then led her to see the real value in Killua) It just never was black or white.

[@verver6]

Although not my favorite story of all time, this is easily my favorite arc of all time. Scenes like Kite’s death, Killua taking out the needle, Gon vs Pitou, Netero Vs Meruem, Welfin saying “Komugi”, and of course the king and Komugi’s death are indescribably brilliant. But also the themes are so sad and beautiful, and im sure ill be discovering small thematic things that i missed in this arc for years to come.

[@soultheconfusing9563]

Golden age?

[@scruffalumps]

That scene you highlited where meruem is talking about the poison being contagious and she places down a piece for the game. Making it clear she doesn't even consider leaving. The writing of komugis character is so Good. She genuinely shows a pure part of humanity that I cant really put into words, I wish we could have had so much more time with her and meruem.

[@dirzz]

So glad you've enjoyed the arc, when I see people appreciating the story so much it gets me teary eyed 🥲 The arc is so deep and complex people devote almost their whole channels to discussions of its various elements and themes, I'll be really interested in hearing more of your thoughts and insights because 40 min is just not enough! 😄

[@Stuugie.]

The Chimera Ant arc is my favorite in all of fiction. Though you may disagree I'm sure you can understand why I think that lol. As you said the magic is smart, the characters are complex and rich, the story takes irregular turns that work incredibly well, everything feels real honestly - in that the characters aren't trapped in their roles as protagonist, antagonist, etc, they are themselves firstly and can and will flip sides when it suits them. The parallels between Gon and Meruem are fantastic and that part that explained the depths humanity will go to stay on top is so fucking true and dark and I absolutely love it.

[@rulfus7]

The "We are worse than the Ants" Monologue is my favorite moment in the entire series, perhaps even in all of manga

[@Dwish305]

One of the best arcs in the medium! Epic

[@alvesraphsrevenge6616]

Man, it rly says alot about how jam-packed this arc is when Merphy didn't even have time to talk about the episode/chapter where Killua TURNED AROUND IN THE HALLWAY of the mansion and the review still feels so comprehensive. Shoutouts to the real protag in this arc: the Narrator

[@vissivalentfebriyatna2107]

Kite takes a really special places in Gon's heart because similar to how Shanks are the reason for Luffy pirates dream, in HxH 1998 kites is the first character introduced as hunter to Gon. Kite also the one who tells Gon that Ging is still alive, where Mito tell Gon his father and mother died. Kite is the reason Gon become a hunter all along.

[@DoggyP00]

Komugi was just having the best day of her life interrupted by a few hours of confusion and loud noises.

[@Dark_Jaguar]

That "section of the house I've been neglecting" is every flat surface in my living room, currently covered in disassembled circuit boards waiting to be soldered. Thanks for reminding me! Ant-agonist.

[@LeoSkyro]

The end of the Chimera Ant arc is to this day the piece of art that I've cried the most at, and that's because of an angry short insect and a blind girl with a cold. I cannot believe you Togashi. Rewatched it recently with my SO and I cried even more this time! Disgraceful..

[@lucaspintooc]

Oh well. When you said you could talk for hours about this, I started to cry. There's only so much fiction that can do it to some one, I'm so happy you found the ones.

[@joaoferreira3007]

Togashi is a genius ! This is why Chimera Ants is my favorite manga/anime arc of all, i just loved everything.

[@listersays]

Togashi approached each individual moment of this arc with a ton of empathy for all of the characters, they really feel 4 dimensional as they grow and change and expand their own points of view throughout. Just really well written stuff. Reina returning to her mom unsure and scared of being rejected but being IMMEDIATELY recognized through motherly instinct gets to me any time I think about it. Not just as an encapsulation of themes like "we all grow and change but remain ourselves" but just because I love the melodrama. I love the reveal of the bomb in Netero. It recontextualizes so much by essentially saying "these ants were never a threat to mankind," our ability to focus entire nations worth of scientific power into weapons of mass destruction is just plain unfathomable to non-humans. If they progressed past the few areas they were living in, the nations of the world would have authorized nuclear annihilation anyway.

[@wwe12153]

Marineford saga and chimera ants arc (which can be considered saga) are arguably my favorite stories i ever consumed , i watched one piece 3 times and hxh 3 times , every time i prefer one of them over the other , but no other arc could take their place until now

[@Gokulosestoavirus]

Chimera Ant arc is unique in so many. The main character and the villain never meet. The horror element from a show that doesn’t need to show it is definitely a shot in the arm for the genre. The King slowly becoming less of a monster meanwhile we see the worst in humans. The King was willing to talk for peace, and Issac wasn’t having any of it. Togashi is a genius when he definitely wants to create something. You would never see this type of arc from the big three or Dragon Ball, and that speaks volumes. Togashi didn’t say from another character that they hurt children. He showed it. He took the time to draw us seeing the ants hurt even children. That’s powerful

[@RaffyDGoat]

Hunter x Hunter episode 131 and 135 and some of the best episodes in anime history.

[@christopherrivera1673]

Can’t wait until Togashi completes another masterpiece arc. He completed Yorknew in 2001, and Chimera Ant in 2011. I’m sure he’ll have the current manga arc done within 5 years, and it has potential to dethrone Chimera Ant as my favorite manga arc. It’s only just getting out of the setup stage but it’s definitely more complex, unpredictable, and darker than CA.

[@Millennial_Echo]

What I really loved was the parallel between Gon and the King when Gon was waiting for Pito to heal Komugi, he sits just like the King which when I saw that I immediately began to dread/worry at what would come next, while the King is willing to stop and listen (a small bit with Netero) to what others had to say regardless of what side that they were on, much like how Gon would throughout the story until Gon faced Pito for the second time and became the closest thing to a monster for himself. Also, the music and animation for that scene when Gon makes that deal and ages (along with the fight between the King and Netero) is just chef's kiss top-tier animation.

[@Eden.-.]

Honestly every scene that happens with Gon and Pitou, and King after he goes with Netero is worth watching in the Anime. The Fight, Music, the emotions in Gon, the Bone chilling last moments of Netero lasts words. Definitely recommend watching it.

[@brandonanderson3000]

Netero losing the same limbs he keeps restrained in his first tussle with Gon…grade A foreshadowing. So good.

[@xDanKaix]

I like how she literally couldn't talk about every thing in this arc despite being split into 3 full videos. Like, I don't think she mentioned once that Komugi is blind and the implications that has for her relationship Meruem where she can only see him for who he is and not what he is like everyone else does. They all see him as the king not needing a name or a monster to be exterminator also not needing a name. It's that fearlessness and blindness that she possesses that allows Meruem to understand that he doesn't have to bend to his nature of what he is and bring violence to the world, but instead he can choose to be who he wants to be. Also the way her blindness is mirrored by all the other champions in the different board games were they can't focus on the game as they see this monster in front of them and fear for their lives because of what he is and they don't want to lose because they'll die, but for Komugi she is so passionate about her game that if she lost to anyone she would want to die anyways, because she couldn't play any more if she lost. For the other's its the fear of losing their life that makes them not want to lose but for Komugi its the love of the game that makes her want to win. that's just to name one thing that wasn't mentioned, yet there are dozens of other intricate and satisfying plot details in this arc that were glossed over. that's not at all meant to be a diss to Merphy, but a point of praise about this arc that there's so much in this arc that you would prabably need to talk for a day on it alone just to mention everything within it and all the details and how they work together to create such a masterclass in manga.

[@JaswiL-_51]

I think the important thing to notice is that everyone can change. Throughout the interactions & experiences with another, one might change for the better or worse. And that's why I think Netero did the right thing. If they ended up talking instead of fighting, sure, Meruem might turn "good", but for how long? Whose to say he won't revert to being "bad". Just like Youpi, one moment alone changed him back to the Ants. Great review, wished it could be longer. Also no mentions of Knov being bald xD

[@christopherrivera1673]

Yeah, I had similar thoughts about Meruem possibly reverting if he were allowed to live.

[@CGR0620]

Chimera Ant is one of the greatest story arcs in all of Shonen. Anime or Manga, it’s still one of the goats. Those final moments with Meruem and komugi, I’ll never forget the amount of ugly tears I shed for that ( didn’t help that I hade the song “Hey Jude” playing in the background when reading that part). Togashi is a freaking Legend

[@TheRASDEL83]

HunterxHunter is amazing and one of the most beautiful things about it ... is the story twists and turns are most of the time unexpected specially when you remember that silly first image of Gon fishing 🙌🙌🙌

[@IceAokiji303]

I've been here in the comments of a few videos explaining double meanings in Nen ability names, but this time I'm here with something else (in a similar vein): some of Netero's last words, when he tells Meruem that the ant king still "knows nothing about the evils of humans" before detonating the Miniature Rose. So, as a quick refresher (skip to after this paragraph if you already know of furigana double meanings), manga is, naturally, written in Japanese, which consists of the more complex Kanji characters which can be parts of words or entire words, and the simpler Hiragana and Katakana, which are single syllables. Some media, especially things aimed at younger audiences such as much of manga, uses small hiragana and katakana attached to kanji as pronunciation guides to make reading easier - these small ones are called Furigana. Some authors like having fun with these, by giving things nonstandard pronunciations that invoke alternative meanings. What Togashi did with Netero here is one such case. The standard line of text kanji reads 悪意 (akui), malice. However, in place of normal hiragana furigana reading あくい (akui), Togashi instead inserted more kanji into the furigana slot. That kanji reads 進化 (shinka), evolution. So Netero is simultaneously telling Meruem two things. If you go with the furigana kanji (which would be what's pronounced out loud), he's telling Meruem "Look, you may have beaten me, but mankind is still developing in its own way. Through our ingenuity, we found a way to bring you down no matter what. Do not underestimate us." If you go with the primary text kanji (which could be considered the "real meaning"), he's telling Meruem "But look at the kinds of unfathomable evils that ingenuity of ours creates." A simultaneous gloat of human victory over the ant, and a lament of the things humans are willing to do.

[@remigyfgrin8830]

a note about translation and an interesting quirk of how Japanese is written. There are a number of ways you can translate the last line Netero says to the King beyond "you know nothing of the bottomless malice of the human heart." One such way that I saw was "do not underestimate humanity's infinite potential for malice." what's interesting about this line is the use of furigana to change the meaning of the line. Furigana are smaller characters written next to complicated kanji that indicate the intended reading of that kanji; useful since many kanji can be read differently depending on context. In this case, however, the furigana next to the kanji for malice changed the word entirely, to "evolution" Netero's final words challenge the ants on all fronts: he's claiming that not only are humans more monstrous than the ants, they are also better at adaptation. There's a lot of truth to those words as well, especially considering the nature of the bomb that ends up killing the King. It's mass produced, cheap, unspectacular. Our own destructive capabilities have long since outstripped anything the ants had accomplished.

[@aglitchgnome]

even though you are new to manga, you are 100% right that the fight between the Chimera ant king and Netero is one of the best in all of anime. I would 100% recommend watching this part of the animated series to be able to see that fight fully animated

[@Yohandres96]

“Cleaning that section of the house you’ve been neglecting” Merphy? Ma’am? I don’t appreciate being called out like that 😂

[@JustJakeTravel]

Amazing video! Your analysis on the series is so nice to hear. Hxh had been my favorite anime since 2014 and i always love seeing more people enjoy. Togashi is a genius

[@a.m.s6611]

I love how you always apologise for the length of your videos, meanwhile here's me who always checks the length of you video first and am always hyped if you go on for more that 1/2 an hour cause there really is so much to talk about

[@jacobsumner2985]

Something really cool I read recently was the dichotomy between the deaths of Netero and Meruem. Netero died after he sacrificed himself in order to poison his enemy (in the end for almost no immediate damage) similar to an insect. Meruem died peacefully next to the someone he loved, similar to a human.

[@GalekC]

Thank you so much for going so in-depth into my my favorite saga of my favorite shonen series

[@Zidiann]

I actually did not expect a HxH discussion/review series from you but wow here we are. I'll go back to the first vids of this series because what popped up in my recs was the Chimera Ant Arc. I truly truly love how passionate you were about all this and you even revealed some stuff that I never would have thought of. I just HOPE that you can come around to try the ANIME series with all the music and voice acting and sound effects. Truly truly do. Enjoyed it so much I look forward to some more in the future. Oh waiiiit. Question...did you watch and read all though out or just some parts watching?

[@MasterHigure]

The subtitles are funny. Many nice touches there, whoever did them.

[@hanswurst3739]

Man, I was soo looking forward to this video but simultaneously dreading the moment when it will come to an end. my favorite (love) story so far. since you didn't mention it. it was amazing to see pito's relief after realizing king would be save and the ''sacrifice' was well worth it

[@lavishsharma1794]

what i love is netro did'nt bother to listen to merum . because he know there is no point talk no jutsu

[@imageispower20]

There was a good moment when the two tiles in the ending credits represents man and woman. Its good.

[@momame8258]

I wish the video was longer, I speak for everyone when I say we don’t mind 1 hour long video. I hope that you would make a video on Pouf character because his character arc was really amazing

[@RealLifeRyan]

Incredibly spot on to listen to and so well spoken. Loved this review 👍