#the chimera ant arc broke me

[shionaster]

Gon and Killua, my favorite cuties 💚💙

[tealfruit]

hxh is really like the best anime of all time

[oneforblu]

my thoughts on hxh: chimera ant arc

There is a LOT of spoilers in this post. Also, a warning: this is a long post...I got very into my hxh watch. I had just finished watching Chimera Ant Arc, and my thoughts were too many to keep to myself. so much has happened, the writing, the character development, the suffering, all of it was just so well done.

I know people say this arc is much "slower" at first, and I understand why that's said. But I didn't once think any part of this arc was boring. It felt like each episode was perfectly crafted for the climax of the arc to take effect. Not one moment was wasted. Every episode had its purpose, which was to push the plot along.

Several episodes got me thinking and super involved in the story, so I wanted to highlight some of them. Also, I apologize in advance for my VERY BAD screenshots!

killua

In this arc, we saw a different version of the "cool" character we were introduced with. Compared to the first few arcs, Killua was known for his calm demeanor; he wasn't afraid and was pretty confident in himself. However, with his arc, he had to come face to face with his insecurities. For once in his life, Killua was SCARED to go into a fight. Unlike Gon, it isn't about WILL he fight but whether or not Killua CAN win. It's an entirely different type of thinking. I knew that issue would have occurred later in the arc, but I didn't expect how it would be handled. 

Ep 85 was so beautiful. It shows how much Killua loves Gon and how he resents himself for running away from Pitou. While Killua thinks of how unqualified and weak he is, there’s Gon being a positive light. And Killua doesn’t believe he deserves it. Killua felt guilty about what he did even though it was in their best interest, and Kite wanted them to go. Kite knew he would die, and he didn’t want them to get hurt. Killua beats himself up over his decision, and Gon responds with kindness. 

The one to make Killua come face to face with his flight instinct was Bisky. She tells him, “You’re too quick to give up” and “You always assume the worst-case scenario,” which is true. What I love most about this scene is that the only way for Killua to stay with Gon is to overcome this fear. It’s so well written. Out of all the times to have this inner conflict come into play, it was such a good move to have it happen during this arc. Throughout this arc, Killua's battle is more internal rather than external. He’s constantly battling his instincts in a fight, knowing that to quit his habits, he needs to stay and fight, but he also wants to run away because of Illumi’s needle increasing his fear. 

Ep 94 was the height of Killua's problem. He pushes through his fight with the chimera ant, thinking about Gon, wanting to protect him, having all their moments flash through his mind. Gon has impacted Killua's life, and despite his fears, he PUSHED THROUGH AND FOUGHT and even ripped out the implant in the process.

This entire arc was so good for Killua's development. Not only did he face his fears, but he also became a friend to someone. In episode 113, we see Killua forget about the plan he made and rush forward to save his friend. At first, I was confused about why he was acting this way, only to realize that Killua has always been about following the plan. Not to lose track, to do what he needs to do, and to keep moving forward. But he knew his friend was in trouble, and his body ACTED ON ITS OWN. This is what friendship is. To save those you care about without any thought behind it. Killua has come such a long way, and this scene makes me feel so emotional.

Ep 124 broke my heart. After burying all his emotions, watching his best friend change into someone unrecognizable, and having to fight Palm, Killua finally reaches his breaking point and cries. Although it was initially thought to be a strategic move, he couldn’t keep it together anymore. He wants to help Gon but realizes he can’t do anything whatsoever. Gon is fighting all by himself with no room for help, and all Killua can do is watch from the sidelines. 

Although Killua went through so much emotional turmoil, this arc made him a stronger and better person. He’s no longer the same Killua as he once was. He’s more sure of himself, and he’s opened himself up to others. He isn’t afraid to do all he can to save his loved ones. Even if he’s hurt over what happened with Gon, he won’t give up on him. 

gon

Compared to Killua, Gon has always been stubborn when it comes to a fight. He won’t ever give up, even with the odds stacked against him. he doesn’t know when to quit. Time and time again, he allows himself to get beat up because he can’t allow himself to lose. Despite this stubbornness, Gon has been a light in everyone’s lives. His overwhelming positivity has brought so much joy to many characters, especially Killua. 

In this arc, we see a completely different side of Gon. Kite's character was one that I grew really attached to, and watching him take Gon and Killua under his wing was so nice. Kite was a strong and great person who valued the lives of animals and people. I thought Kite would be like Bisky in this arc and help Gon become stronger. However, everything changes when Kite forces Gon and Killua to run from Pitou. 

Just like Killua, Gon has to come face to face with his weakness. Although he has grown from the hunter exam arc, it isn’t enough to defeat any ants. Despite this issue, Gon is the one who believes Kite can be saved. Gon is very naive and innocent. It’s evident to the audience Kite is dead; even Killua has doubts about him being alive, but Gon's stubbornness won’t allow him to accept this thought. 

It isn’t until episode 116 that Gon's rage begins to hit his breaking point. It’s so odd to watch Gon be so stubborn in such an aggressive way. He’s so angry, and all that rage is bubbling over, spilling all over the place with nowhere to go. Gon even goes as far as threatening to kill Komugi, AN INNOCENT CIVILIAN, if it means Pitou will heal Kite. It’s so unsettling to see how different Gon changed because of his anger. 

Episodes 130 & 131 were not only perfectly executed but also heartbreaking. I felt like my heart was ripped out. Gon believed Kite could be saved this whole time. He had a plan, thought it out, and stuck with it, and Kite is still dead. His inner dialogue was heart-wrenching. Going from “it’s my fault” to “NO! IT’S PITOU” back and forth was so well done. He finally reached his breaking point. He had been latching on to the certainty that Kite could be saved, only to find out that was never happening. All of Gon's rage coming out at this moment, using up his life to kill Pitou. It was so violent, so unlike him. How much he’s changed mentally and physically was shown so well here. Killua runs to save Gon, only to see he’s too far gone. I can’t begin to explain how well done episode 131 was. I was shocked, hurt, scared, and so sad. All of Gon's anger has come down to this moment. And I don’t know if Gon and Killua could move on from this. 

The end of the Chimera Ant arc was so emotional for me. With Gon's life at risk, Killua is upset that Gon did everything on his own again, and the uncertainty of how these two boys will heal from this arc makes me so stressed. Overall, Gon's story in this arc was so well executed. Although it was so heartbreaking to watch Gon turn into someone unrecognizable, I will never get over how beautifully written it all was. The subtle changes, his inner conflict, his rage, all of these new parts of Gon were done with such care. 

meruem and komugi

I did not like Meruem at first. I spent the beginning of the arc anxious about the birth of the King, so when he finally was born, I was so stressed. He was violent from the moment he killed his mother, killing innocent people like it was nothing, and had the power to take over a whole country. He was terrifying to me because I knew there was no way he could be defeated. 

However, when Komugi was introduced, I knew everything would change. Meruem was simply passing the time, wanting to defeat every game master, but when Komugi came into the picture, it was clear things would change for Meruem. Komugi was the one person Meruem could not beat, and he had every intention of playing with her for as long as he could. 

He even goes as far as ripping his arm off because he realizes how seriously Komugi takes this game. She believes it’s her only reason for living, and if she can no longer win, she will end her life. It was so fascinating watching Meurem listen so intently to A HUMAN. Meruem doesn’t understand basic human concepts like empathy, yet he takes the time to listen to her talk about herself. 

Ep 108 was such a good episode. Meruem was battling his instinct to kill while also being affected by Komugi's humanity. Wanting to know her name, more about her, getting upset that she’s hurt, and doing nothing to protect herself. He has to remind himself that he’s the strongest creature on earth, yet when he sees her hurt, he crumbles down worried. This was such an amazingly written episode that highlighted Meruem's subtle personality changes. 

Ep 112 was such a tense episode, especially because of how angry Meruem was. His aura had even Netero frozen in his spot. Not one person moved during that moment; everyone was subconsciously afraid to move a muscle. It was so eery and made me nervous for everyone in that room. I honestly thought he was going to kill everyone in his sight, but he calmly told Pitou to heal her and walked out like Netero and Zeno didn’t matter. 

Ep 122 highlighted Meruem's development so well that he now wants to use his strength to protect the weak. Most of those changes are thanks to Komugi. He wavers between ant and human without even realizing it. Also, choosing to have a discussion with Netero instead of fighting was so surprising. He’s such a complex character that has quickly become a favorite of mine. 

The way he was written was done with so much care. His change was so gradual that it felt so realistic. Ep 135 was such a heartbreaking but beautiful ending. Meruem remembers Komugi and does everything he can to spend his last moments with her. I can not think of a better way to end Meruem's story. 

chimera ant arc 10/10

Chimera Ant Arc was such a painful but fantastic experience. This arc was so perfectly done that I am still in shock, even after watching it weeks ago. I’m glad I finally started this series, and I can happily say it made it into my top 3 anime ever.

[heliianth]

i forgot how engaging the Knuckle & Shoot vs. Gon & Killua part of the chimera ant arc was just bc of all the crazy shit that happens later. like i think Togashi really effectively sets up a mirror between these 2 pairs that gets elaborated on in the palace invasion.

obviously their personality traits line up very well and thats why the matchups were the way they were but like Knuckle wanting to join the extermination team for the purpose of seeing in person whether the ants "deserve" to be killed reminds me of Gon giving ant officers a nonlethal loss condition and telling Kite he won't respect people who trash talk their friends. & like Shoot being maimed then discarded by Youpi which causes Knuckle to get personally offended by the disrespect reminds me of when Razor nearly killed Killua and Gon was about 2 more bad moments away from wanting to blow his head off, or when he broke Illumi's arm back in the Exam. similarly Knuckle gets in over his head striving for redemption against Youpi and then it's literally Killua who pulls his ass out of the fire.

i dont really have any intelligent elaboration to make theres like nothing cooking in this pan but i can see it. the ingredience . u feel?

[nejiverse]

Me after watching hxh ep 135

I had dropped hxh a few years ago just before the chimera ant arc…OBVIOUSLY I SHOULDVE TAKEN IT AS A DAMN SIGN CAUSE IT ACTUALLY BROKE MY HEART I HAVENT FELT PAIN LIKE THIS SINCE MUGEN TRAIN AGGGH IDK WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF

LOOK AT MY BABIES 🥹🥹

[a-coolusername]

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Hunterxhunter- finished

Characters-

main 4- Gon/Killua/Leorio/Kurapika

phantom troupe-Chrollo/Feitan/Machi/Phinks/Shizuku/Shalnark/Uvogin/Pakunoda/Nobunaga/Kortopi/Franklin/Bonolenov(honestly don't know much about those 3)/Hisoka/Illumi(not troupe members ik just convenient)

Greed island arc- Bisky/Razor(don't rlly remember anymore characters from this arc ngl)

Chimera ant arc- Kite/Colt/Meruem/Neferpitou/Shaiapouf/Menthuthuyoupi(hesitant bc i can't remember a thing about him)/Cheetu/Palm/Meleoron(again don't remember much)/Morel/Knuckle/shoot/knov

extras!- Ging/Silva/Kikyo(maybe)/Wing/Mito(yes.)/Pokkle/Ponzu

I probably forgot some people so if you'd like me to add anyone pls let me know and I might do so, I'll probably also update this again so just keep checking in from time to time. Requets are open but im not writing rn because ive been vv busy lately but i will post soon!

[tobirama-seppuku]

Okay I finished hxh. Final thoughts under the cut. Tw for lots of blood and anime death gifs

I'm not fully satisfied w the ending. I think they meant to continue the series for much longer.

I mean, Gon and Killua's stories were wrapped up beautifully--I fucking love Alluka actually she has an adorable relationship with her brother, glad she's no longer a Fucking Prisoner--they don't need anything else, they were wrapped up perfectly. Even if I still think Gon should've punched the shit out of Ging that boy needs to APOLOGIZE for abandoning his son actually. But. I feel like. They could've done more with Kurapika and Leorio, you know? Especially Leorio. Comic relief character aside I think they could've given him an actual arc rather than him being stuck as a really good conman who knows his way around financial roadblocks with a heartwarming backstory. I think Kurapika's story could've been continued as well, with the Phantom Troupe still very much alive and wreaking havoc and his ultimate goal of collecting his clan's remains being continued offscreen, his friends unable to contact him because of his tunnel vision. They set up so much right before the ending that I think they truly had the potential to keep it going naturally for longer! Like, it hadn't reached the point of series burnout, I don't think. Yes, it REALLY FUCKING DRAGGED at parts, god I never want to binge this again purely because of the chimera ant arc being so fucking extended, but there are some really good parts of this series that I'd love to recommend people watch for if it weren't for the times where it lost its speed. You want to tell me that like 20 episodes in the ant arc were condensed into 3 in-universe minutes? Fuck offffff. But like. Ugh. Maybe it's just because I watched the remaster instead of the original 144p version made forever ago but there was still things I believe they could have done

Its biggest strength to me was that it made psychology actually work with the story. They understand the concept of mental fortitude and the human being's mental limits. There were several very real and very visceral breakdowns onscreen, human anguish and terror beautifully conveyed in a way a lot of series can't replicate while having a fucking magic system like this one. There were some scenes that were so gut-wrenching I really broke out in a sweat. It's captivating. I mean, the effect really isn't there if you haven't watched the series itself but it REALLY squeezes your heart because this is a fucking 12yo kid who doesn't know what to fucking do to help his friend in such a deep pit of despair and vitriol he doesn't even resemble the same person anymore. It's awful, it's hard to watch, and it's so well done it's incredible

One thing I didn't get is how it got so morbid and serious at parts but came across as a feel-good family-friendly anime the rest of the time. There were parts that got so fucking real and horrific-- IT'S LIKE

NOT TO MENTION child neglect and abandonment, selling human parts on the black market, cannibalism, mass human consumption, extreme poverty & capitalism, mafias & gangs, and the main character going so far beyond his physical limits that he turns into a burnt, mummified corpse on LIFE SUPPORT AT AGE 12

There are onscreen deaths the likes of which are so disgusting it's impossible to imagine the pain of. The sound design makes you sick sometimes. People are turned into meatballs,

they're wrung to death with blood painting the walls,

they're shot like 10 times and eaten piece by piece by inhuman creatures to where all that's left is a puddle of blood on the ground,

their heads are crushed with this sick, disgusting crunching sound that makes you flinch,

heads are removed every other fight scene,

necks are snapped faster and more often than you can humanly process,

and one character got punched in the face until their skull was so caved in it was actually literally just a puddle of blood splattered on the ground which I can't even FIND A GIF OF because it's such a low point for Gon that the community doesn't want to acknowledge it happened. He attributed to one of the most gruesome deaths in the series because he was so blinded by rage that he verged on inhuman. It was awful.

Maybe I'm just bitching because my binge is over idk but I really feel like there was meant to be more content or that the writers were throttled in what they could show and say. I feel like they were held back from going all of the way in either direction, maybe because the main characters were such young kids that they would inevitably attract a young audience, and didn't want backlash from parents. It's hard to pinpoint but someone decided not to go all-out and it caused this effect where it gets so close to rated R but just barely skims by because the dialogue is simple due to it being that of tweens and teens. It's almost fascinating. Idk but that concludes my thoughts on the whole thing

[imaginarylungfish]

Chimera Ant arc (episodes 76-136):

Ging seems a little like a deadbeat dad

Aww, the fact that Gon used Accompany instead of Magnetic Force because he wanted to introduce Ging to Killua but Ging thinks it's wimpy if he wants to bring a friend? 😥

I love how Gon wants to find Ging in his own way without taking shortcuts

Ok this arc is kinda weird. Like the whole Queen needing to eat to get pregnant. And the ants. They're kinda weird since they're animal-like yet human-like. And the guns. Idk just feels weird in this universe. I feel like it's hard for me to suspend my disbelief.

Plus, I dont think I like many of these new characters (besides Kite)

Interesting to see Pokkle and the poison girl again

Lol love how Gon finally got new clothes lol

Woohoo so happy to see Killua go into Killer Mode lol

I love Crazy Slots lol

Well damn, poor Pokkle

Aww no!! Kite was taken! 😥 I liked him!

It was crazy to see how strong Neferpitou was compared to Kite!

Glad Killua knocked out Gon

The light thing! Gon is Killua's light 😭

Yay, Bisky's back! Shes a good mentor for the boys

Damn, Killua giving Gon so many piggybacks this arc

I always respected Killua but didn't see he tended to give up easily/be cautious until Bisky pointed it out

Lol Bisky knows how to motivate Killua: through Gon

Ok episode 91 broke me. I really thought Gon and Killua were gonna win against Knuckel and Shoot. And Gon crying? Killua saying he's going to leave Gon after the 30 days? 😭😢

But also Killua repeating he's gonna protect Gon was so precious

And he was jealous of Gon's date with Palm, right? Like idk how else I'm supposed to interpret that

Also that date was so creepy. Palm is like 22, right?

"I dont ever want to lose him" Oh, Killua!! 😭

Wow I was so hype after Killua pulled the needle out of himself. Fuck yeah, he's my favorite!

Poor Kite, I liked him. Sad to see Gon seeing him as a puppet

Love how Killua can calm Gon down

Yay, the Phantom Troupe! I missed them lol. And my favorites! Feitan! Shalnark! Shizuku!

I like how the Phantom Troupe fights one on one and watches that person. It's funny to me

Love this little girl (Kumogi) beating the King in Gungi. Hilarious.

Knov putting those shadow circles in the palace was nerve wracking. I was so scared he was going to get caught!

Killua made another friend!! 😁 and Ikalgo is so sincerely happy!

Ahh the King cares about Kumogi!! He's like someone who gets mad at someone else when they cry because he doesn't know how to help

Super cool how Meleoron and Knuckle work together in the battle!

Kumogi!! I almost cried when witnessing the scene with the King and her when she was hurt by the Dragon's Arrows

I like how the battle war narrated. And the teamwork!!

Aww, Killua helped Ikalgo! It felt weird to see Killua have feelings for anyone other than Gon tbh lol

Gaah the emotions shown in everyone during this battle is so beautifully articulated!

Ok that Let's Go scene really threw me--like time slowed down and it felt like Killua knew Gon changed but was confused/couldn't process it all right then I was feeling really good about the battle until that point. I wrote more about it here.

Shoot's battle was really cool! To see him get better was awesome!

Ok damn Gon's lil outburst was hard to watch. He was hurting Killua and Killua was being so mature about it. I wrote more about that here.

Ok love Knuckle. Simple but straightforward. And how he realized Shoot is his best friend? 😭

Also Killua is just like being hella badass and saving everyone. But like Gon? Wtf you doing bud??

Ahhh Killua's power up. Lookin like a lil Pokemon. He literally just continued leveling up after removing Illumi's needle!!

Ikalgo! Loved seeing his thought process about killing Bloster

Killua literally just doing it all out here

Palm turning evil seemed a bit unnecessary

Fuck I teared up when Killua broke down and told Palm "I can't help him anymore." He finally let everything he was holding inside out.

Ok but actually Palm overcoming the soldier ant programming was cool. And her thanking Killua for helping her return to herself! And telling him he's the person Gon needs the most!

I really enjoyed the King vs Netero. I was kinda rooting for the King tbh. It felt weird to see Netero just continue fighting the King when the King said he just wanted to talk.

Very weird when Youpi and Pouf were feeding themselves to Meruem

Lol Killua thanking Palm and then saying they're friends. Kullua is making so many friends! So proud of him!!

Damn Gon's breakdown after Pitou telling him Kite is actually just dead. The stages of grief.

Ahh Killua immediately going to help Gon even after how Gon has treated Killua this whole fight! They are friends, through and through.

Gon's aged-up form when he fights Pitou was weird lol. Weird to see him grown up

I understand Gon's anger

I think Meruem appreciates Komugi's intelligence of the game. But does he really love her?

Ok wow the Meruem and Komugi death episode? Fuck. I wrote more about it here

It sounds like Killua knows he cleans up Gon's messes for him and he'll keep doing it because he loves him but he's going to hold him accountable. It sounds like he knows things need to change--at least I hope he does.

Ooop there's the deadbeat dad Ging!

^These were the note I took while watching the arc. I was going to consolidate them and make them more cohesive after seeing everything play out, but I decided against it. It was kind of fun seeing what I thought of things as they were happening. I was wrong about certain things and my views changed. I like seeing that.

The biggest things that affected me this arc was Killua and Gon's relationship and Meruem's character development (and therefore, Komugi's involvement in that).

I was a bit wary of Killua in the beginning of this anime. But after seeing their relationship progress more (and especially after the You Are Light scene), I felt like he was 100% whipped for Gon. However, after the extermination battle, I don't feel like he's 100% whipped anymore. I think Killua realized he just does what Gon wants, and I hope that he can see how he is an individual. Frankly I don't want him to be 100% whipped. That means he isn't his own person. I was happy to see him making friends and helping others and not just doing what Gon was doing. So, I'm excited and anxious to see what happens in this next/final arc.

As for Gon, (I mean I assume he recovers because what's Hunter x Hunter without him?) I hope he grows a little more. I think his stubbornness is good in some ways, but horribly detrimental in others. I hope he can learn from this battle and see his errors. I hope he can also learn how to be more of an individual rather than always leaning on Killua for things. I think Gon and Killua have an amazing bond that is very special, but I think this arc made it clear they were codependent and need some time to figure each of themselves out so they can continue enjoying their friendship.

Ok so Meruem (and Komugi). I think I've said what I've wanted to say with my previous post. I'll likely be thinking about these characters and their stories for a while now. And I think that shows what sort of impact they made on me.

Finally, I want to say that while I was a bit resistant to this arc at first (I thought it was weird, boring, and slow to start), it ended up being really fucking good. I don't know if I can say it's my favorite because it was just really brutal to get through at certain points. But I think it was well done overall. I really ended up liking all the characters at the end and loved the direction of each of their stories.

Alright, onto the next/final arc! (Ahh what am I going to do with myself once I finish this anime? 😅)

I'm watching Hunter x Hunter for the first time and am almost done with season 1 and I really love it. Like Gon is such a ball of sunshine. He's really just like hey I'm gonna pass the Hunter test. I'm gonna see Killua. Even though I may not be able to do it now, I can. I will eventually. Small progess is still progress. And Kurapika and Leorio are like yep, exactly and we're here with you along the way. Idk it's just really beautiful.

[meyonnaizzz-art-blog]

Far from done with this, but recently just finished chimera arc with a friend and in honor I redrew this photo from like 2015??? Its not really done but I'm tired of looking at its mostly just been me messing around with procreate and stuff. It's been so long since I've drawn anything digitally rip

[avienta-me]

Me at the start of the chimera ant arc:

Me at the end of the chimera ant arc:

[sparkpuplikesdrawing]

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[potahun]

Thinking about how much i love the narrator in the chimera ants arc precisely because he limits interpretation and slows us down sometimes like

honestly what are the options without him : either the characters voice all their thoughts out loud for us as the audience and it becomes dramatic and unrealistic or we’re left to our own devices and interpret all actions and expressions as we wish

but honestly the second option takes away from the experience precisely because we’re given too much free rein in interpretation Like that scene when killua breaks down in front of palm, yeah we know all the build-up that led to it, we can analyse everything from the source of why he feels hurt to why he externalises it only now but killua himself just knows that when he said those words out loud, it felt like a dam broke within him and its like ;__; oh. yeah he feels like a dam broke within him. Yep. the narrator brings me back to the present and makes me dwell in that moment for a bit and honestly i just wouldnt feel nearly AS MUCH if he didnt do this

[magpiing]

Hi! Could i ask you your thoughts on Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio?

HECK i never posted this.. this is so delayed im sorry anon ;A;

an excuse to talk about the main 4/hunter fam? *throws all my homework on the ground* don’t mind if i do :)

Gon: i tend to get attached to the sunshine boys in all the shows i watch, and hxh is no exception! i was instantly rooting for him during the fishing scene and love how bright and energetic he is (the scene with the kirikos was so fun to watch AH)! my heart broke during chimera ant arc i just want him to be happy sobs would take a bullet for this child

Killua: gosh usually the sunshine of the show is my fav but,, killua might be breaking that trend because holy heck his character is just? so well-written?? my first impression was “oh snarky assassin kid he’s p cool” but then we see his inner thoughts and fierce determination and love and oh my god the scene where hes fighting the rabbit chimera ant and he pulls the needle out i started crying rlly hard,, just,,, and also the scene with alluka and nanika... im getting so emotional over his character development even now i care killua so much ;;

Kurapika: ABSOLUTELY ADORE HIM omg,, i love the whole “calm and collected but can and will go apeshit” character trope and kurapika does not disappoint :D also i dont even need to mention this but he’s just,,, so pretty,,  i wish we got to see more of him in the show and the movies ARGH we were robbed of >:( i lose my mind and want to scream at him for denying himself happiness ;-;

Leorio: last but not least the dad friendTM!! honestly i didn’t rlly like him in the beginning (that prisoner’s scene makes me want to bash my head into a wall) but i did tear up at the scene where he talked about his childhood friend and his reason for trying to become a hunter ;; and as the series went on i liked him a lot more and i really appreciate how much he cares for his friends :”)) i was cheering so loud when he punched ging LOL and then him and gon reuniting made me start crying ;; overall, i feel like he’s an incredibly smart, kind, and determined character and deserves way more screen time and interactions!! 

tldr: i love them so much <3 ty for the ask!

[planetary-00]

Wait a minute did you not like the Chimera Ant arc?

naw i loved it but it broke me

[hematomes]

Ah yeah lmao that’s what I wanted to talk about lmao, like everyone is always raving about the Chimera Ant Arc, and I’ve just seen the first 10 episodes but I literally had to struggle through, I just,,,, didn’t like them aaaaaaaaaaaaa 😭😭 But ep 11 feels a little different again so I think I’ll try to continue watching

I do get real attached to random characters real fast, which was the case with Kite so yeah, that didn’t help lmao

Yeah it’s really sad, I think he’s had that dog since he was a little kid so it’s a big big loss :( I feel really bad for him and he told our friends that he’s gonna take a while too, so yeah, really don’t want to bother him and let him mourn his dog in peace :((

ZNDKZ BUCKLE UP THEN BC FUCKING YIKES

but it's a really good season tbh, i don't cry (as in full on sobbing) that easily and it fucking broke me,,,,,

kite ZJDKZ </3 tho ngl im 0% I vestes in the fandom bc im terrified of the hisoka apologists lmao

hhhh yeah give him time and let him come back to you when he feels better <3 hope it'll be fine, losing a pet hurts so much

[telehxhtrash]

Interested in what makes you characterize each arc as light vs dark. Hunters exam felt like a mixture to me, greed island had some dark themes, election arc wasn't necessarily a party either. maybe the light gets dark over time? sorry for rambling in your askbox

you’re fine you’re not rambling it’s a valid question !!

To me it’s a spectrum. I saw this graph that did a very good job at displaying the relative tone of each arc, but unfortunately couldn’t find it anymore. So I made my own very accurate and totally 100% representative graph :D

Lemme explain my reasoning if you don’t mind !

• Hunter Exam : Sure, it’s a horrific exam. People dying left and right, atrocious tests with terrible consequences. But the general tone of the narrative was relatively light : we get to see lil islander dude embark on an adventure, facing fun trials (gon defo sees them as fun and not horrific). It’s an introductory arc, and yes, it definitely has some troubling parts (like Gon getting his arm broken in a terrible way), the light themes were more prominent : the promise of adventure, fun trials and new friendships ! 

• Zoldyck Arc : Generally dark. It’s not too dark, but compared to the Hunter Exam, it’s definitely darker. You see a 12 yo kid being tortured and abused by his family for a few chapters, so yeah, it’s pretty angsty. But it’s also a mix, because there are also some light themes, like Gon, Leorio and Kurapika teaming up to rescue Killua from his abusers.

• Heavens Arena : Arc meant to introduce the nen system. I don’t think I’ve noticed any sort of dark themes, except for the general presence of Hisoka, but i mean, it’s Hisoka. To me, it’s as light if not even lighter than Hunter Exam.

• York New : Oh boy, this one is angsty. You get to see Kurapika’s crisis, facing his nemesis and going through a lot of psychological trauma. It’s very heavy and you can definitely feel Kurapika’s pain throughout the arc. It also features a lot of gore and deaths for the first time in the series (defo more than Hunter Exam). But once again, it’s a mixture. Because while Kurapika is literally breaking down, we get to see Killua and Gon’s fun lil adventure trying to buy an 8 billion jennies video game. So it’s angsty, but not 100%.

• Greed Island : Mostly light. I don’t really see any dark themes in Greed Island off the top of my head, of course the usual villain and killing but it was pretty mild compared to York New. But once again, a mixture of both light and dark, with prominent light themes.

• Chimera Ant : Ahaahaha. The arc that broke so many people. I don’t even need to explain this one I think. I honestly don’t see a single light theme in that entire arc, except for maybe Killua’s love and devotion for Gon, but it’s also extremely angsty and fueled by trauma so like. Yeah. Full pain and suffering.

• Election Arc : A total breather compared to Chimera Ant. Once again, some dark themes, with politics and Gon being literally a piece of fried chicken, Killua being at the verge of a mental breakdown and their ultimate separation, but we also got some pretty light hearted moments. Killua finding his sister once again, providing her with love. Leorio punching Ging in the face. The general joke that was the election in itself. While there were some dark scenes, the light-heartedness took over.

In short, each arc cannot be classified by purely light or dark. They’re all just relatively lighter or darker compared to each other.

And all of what I said is very well represented in the 2011 version of the anime. When you think about the different arcs, you can see how differently the anime represented them in terms of tone, color palette and ost : Hunter Exam, Heavens Arena, Greed Island and Election Arc are more vibrant than the rest of the arcs who have heavy ost and darker color palettes.

So when I’m saying that what will come after DC arc will be a light arc, I’m not talking about a beach arc where their only trouble is tanning (and not burning, cuz killua would burn 100%) - i’m talking about like you said, a mix of both dark themes and light themes, but with the light themes being more prominent, just like the Hunter Exam for example.

i hope i explained my reasoning in a satisfying way, ty for this ask !!!