It all ends here. For the 2011 anime of course, the manga is still stopping and starting through a whole other arc that's rivaling Chimera Ants in scope. But for lovers of this adaptation such as myself, the 13th Chairman Election is very bittersweet. It's the end to an amazing show, one of the best in anime. But it goes out, in my opinion at least, on a great high note. Though short, this is an incredibly strong arc with interesting characters, intense action, powerful emotions, and expert plotting. Let's dive in.
The 13th Chairman arc picks up right where the Chimera Ants arc leaves off. I love how nearly all HxH arcs don't just push aside the last plots, but this is perhaps the best example of it. The whole arc is built off consequences from what we've just witnessed: Netero has died needing the election, and Gon is in dire straits after expending his life energy to kill Pitou. Killua's mission to save Gon by rescuing his sister Alluka, Gon's injury, and the Hunter Association's election all are disparate plot threads that eventually become weaved together in a way that's brilliant to see. It can be easy for side plots to feel disposable, but here, I cared about all of them.
First up, Killua rescuing Alluka. This is probably the main thread, and damn, is it intense. The family politics and in-fighting between Killua and Illumi is absolutely brutal. A beloved minor character dies, Illumi claims dozens of innocent lives, and Hisoka single-handedly slaughters how many pro hunters? Rewatching this reminded me just how dark this arc was. Beyond the constant cycle of death, Killua is in a really dark place emotionally. By the end of it, I was really pissed no one gave him a hug! r/HugtheDamnKillua
Back to Alluka though, she might be the highlight of the whole arc. I love Alluka's power and all the rules to it we learn; it's a real puzzle and there's a sense of danger that one wrong move could get anyone smushed into a pile of blood. And there's the mystery at what hidden rules Killua knows. However, whereas most anime would leave it there, for HxH, that's just the beginning. Once Something has been set up as this strange force, the anime starts to deconstruct that. First is the twist that healing wishes don't require a burden; an amazing "gotcha!" moment ala Christopher Nolan that I still loved the second time. Beyond that, there's no complex hidden rules behind why Killua can control Something better; it's simply because he's the only one that realizes Something is a person, not just a power. Slowly learning that Something is just as human as Allukah was incredibly powerful, and made the scene where Killua tearfully sends her away heartbreaking. I went from seeing Something as an evil force, to a misunderstood being. Getting audiences to care about Something to the point of tears is Hunter x Hunter at it's most bizarre, but also it's best.
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The other side plots aren't quite as strong, but they also don't need to be. The election drama is engaging and interesting, with lots of power battles and numbers to crunch. The Zodiac characters are a bit underdeveloped though. The show basically just tells us to hate Rat, instead of giving any real justification. This made him a bit of a weak villain, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't take the bait and want him to lose. The show definitely plays with the fact that they never actually show us he's truly evil though, in the second best twist of the arc. He wins, only to give the seat up to Cheadle! Another "holy shit" moment, but one slightly less powerful as it was so hard to get a grasp onto his character at all. The only Zodiac I really enjoyed was Cheadle, who was the right mix of feisty and moral driven for me. However, I loved seeing Leorio go from meme candidate to almost-winner, and kinda wish he'd won just so his character would be more important to the series. But Gon gets it right as usual: Leorio wants to be a doctor. Seeing Leorio fight for Gon and punch Ging was so cathartic, and their reunion was beautiful.
Gon's recovery becomes the main debate topic of the election, thus tying all three threads together. But once he's healed, he finally meets his dad. This is a long time coming, and I'm really glad the show let a lot of characters say how much of a dickhead Ging is. It always felt weird and kinda wrong that Gon idolized Ging, so it was nice to see the author aware of that. Their reunion at the top of the World Tree was sweet though, especially when they swapped their stories. And the tease for the Dark Continent arc!!
Still, when I think back to this arc and this series, getting to Ging is never the highlight. I think of meeting Kurapika and Leorio, the fun or disturbing or thoughtful challenges Gon faces, and especially the friendship he makes with Killua. I think of all the complex villains, the wacky side characters, and the heartbreaking darkness of the world. I think of how much I enjoyed the time I spent rewatching this series. Like the man himself said, take your time with the detours. Because there you'll find something more important than what you want.
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| Until next time~ |
