@Demonicpoodle:
First of all, as a beginning to all of this, I do not believe Hunter X Hunter is better than One Piece (even remotely), which is what a lot of your points seem to revolve around (and they are series that are fun to compare, because they're vastly different in execution, author's work ethic, art… I see why they get compared so much).
I wouldn't really say that you have to foreshadow the beginning of an arc. Sure, Togashi could have had them run into some aspect of the arc somewhere along the line, but can you really think of a decent place for this where it would not detract from the flow of the other arcs? I'm drawing a blank. Heaven's Arena, York Shin especially (since that arc is well-regarded for its succinctness and flow) are not places where I would ever do it.
You're looking at this with the wrong lens. Look at it with the lens of "whoa, why the hell did this guy appear so suddenly in the narrative? This is weird and awesome and unusual." That's the lens that will allow you to have the most fun, unless you don't like fun. Some people like criticizing things more than fun.
It's not an asspull but you're right, it wasn't particularly foreshadowed. Does this detract from it? Slightly. Why do we need the DAAAARK CONTINENT when we haven't even seen most of what the regular world has to offer yet? Personally I'd have foreshadowed that one multiple times and introduced it after 3-5 more arcs around the world.
He might just be challenging himself. George R.R. Martin thinks to himself (said in interviews) "I want the audience to wonder how the story will continue when I kill off ____." Something similar to that quote. Hunter X Hunter is subversive, so he might encourage the audience to think "How will the story continue? I thought finding his father was the main point?" I'm sure you'll say this, so I'll do it for you: challenging yourself doesn't make good writing. But I'd imagine it's one of the habits of growing authors who want to keep things fresh and interesting.
It takes a lot of skill to know where you're going in a story, I agree. But keep in mind, first of all, we get so much of it with One Piece that we might not need as much in a story that's still keeping us on the edge of our seats like Hunter X Hunter. As others have pointed out, it's the icing on a cake, not the cake.
Nah. It's appreciated, though, and it's usually part of polished stories. But does something have to be polished to be good? I say no. Expand your limits for enjoying things. If you just enjoy something that is highly well-rounded, you'll be limiting yourself unfairly. What if an album has one stinker song at the end, completely unforeshadowed and using like ukuleles and shit when it was electronically based? Do you disregard the entire album?
I'll never get people who use "forced" as a complaint. What is the author NOT forcing them to do with his mind and pen? All of the events of the series are forced upon the universe by the author. We only hate people who make stuff up as they go if it's uninteresting and/or contradictory. Togashi makes an extremely interesting story.
Right so i should just turn off my brain and enjoy the series for what it is ?! You just stopped taking the series seriously and just started enjoying it for what it is , which is the biggest offend to the author that the fans can give . And sorry but no , after all the investment in the main plotline that was supposed to show Gon character growth as a hunter , ended with Gin just showing suddenly ruining the main plot and main character's development and you want me to be happy about it ,rather than feeling that i have been trolled which i did ?!
?!!!! When things are not foreshadowed , it's called an "asspull" . And no , Dark Continent wasn't needed but Togashi did it any way because he wants to drag out his cash cow even more , even though the series should be done seeing as how the main plot has ended .
And Martin's story is really opposite in terms of how it's structured whereas HXH isn't even close to that kind of structure in any way. Martin series have multiple storylines where as Togashi can barely give enough time for one weak storyline but i'll humor you for a second . Togashi wants me to think that?! Really?! So i guess Kishi , Hiro and Kubo must be some brilliant geniuses because they are doing the exact same thing , wow thank you , you just open my eyes to the other worldly possibilities (sarcasm ) . Sorry but this seems like what an author would do when he has to hide behind his shitty writing ( not talking about Martin) but fortunately Togashi hasn't fallen that low.
Really?! Fictional story and Music?! LMFAO!!!!!!!!! Apples and oranges my friend , these two are completely different medium . And it is necessary for good storytelling and good plot structure . Pulling twists and turns , plot points or characters out of nowhere is something only a person who has not planned ahead would do , just look at Bleach , Naruto and FT since those are the biggest examples i can give you . And i disagree , you are probably the only one who likes story that are just made up as they go but that's a pointless argument.
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@NER:
Eh, your arguments doesn't sound all that good to me. I read few mangas where nothing was really hinted or whatever and they were pretty awesome and entertaining.
But yeah, let me do that thing where I seperate your post and reply to every point indivisualy, I've been wanting to try and do this for a while now.
They do connect with each others? How is it that hinting future events = Connecting them with each others? Why did Togashi HAVE to give that some ant is going to eat a human and fuck shit up? He really didn't. Things just happen along the road and they're SO fun to read and doesn't ever mess with any of the points mentioned before. There are few points that should've been hinted or whatever, like maybe Killua having a sister/brother who have the strongest nen power ever. But really, the OVER ALL story is still intact, nothing was ruined or fucked or plot holed.
Oh.. I am sorry that not every Mangka planned his story since day one. No, really. Everything I read was pretty fucking entertaining and emotionally attaching, a story doesn't have to be planned with details to be good. Of course, having all the main points set and ready is ALWAYS better, but Togashi pulled it out and made an amazing story that wasn't planned since day one, so yeah, don't try to force it like a rule or something. The need for the games rule ended with the game arc.
I agree he spent a little much more time on the rules than he should've, but thats it.
90% ? Come on, I know you're not trying to be accurate or whatever and I am not asking you to, but 90?!
There are many awesome characters with awesome and entertaining traits, thats how me and many other people think. There doesn't have to be any 100% unique characters for the manga to be good. An author can use the same ol' typical personalities and still make it work. Thats not saying that I agree with you in this. there are many characters with complicated personalities and loveable distinct characters, you are the only one who think they're typical or overused.
Nah, sorry, but every arc Hisoka appeared in clearly showed that he is no one-dimensional character. he is complicated like the rest and seriously, The Election Arc especally fucks that point of yours up, I don't think you should use it again.
Nah and Blah are bad mangas and they should be bashed like any other bad manga written by horribe Mangkas who obviously don't give a single fuck about the quality of manga they make.
Sorry but i suggest you go learn some stuff about writing rather than shoving your ill-form opinion of what you enjoyed and thought was "great" writing down my throat.
Story doesn't need to connect?! Seriously?! This is the basics of basics of storytelling ,story needs to flow well with other events and be consistent through out the series . A story that is full of random events that don't connect with each other is considered to be bad writing . And Togashi never foreshadowed the whole idea of Chimera ant before that arc , meaning it was pulled out of thin air and that's somehow great writing to you and how does you enjoying an arc say that it's well written , people enjoy FT so what the series is now suddenly one of the best shonen's out there?! A word of advice , if you are arguing with someone about which series is better objectively , i suggest you don't bring your enjoyment into because it's your personal preference , just like i have mine , just because you enjoy something doesn't mean everyone will .
And Hisoka is a complicated character?! LMFAOOOOOO He is just an generic shonen villain with ulterior motives , he hardly has any depth , his character and personality is neither explored nor explained. He basically exists as a growth accelerator for Gon.