Yeah, I totally get that one would find yet 5 more new people with names and opinions hard to stomach at this point, but that prince Tsé-Tsé, who up until now has been portraied as little more than a frightening force of pure genius, evil and broken abilities, had at some point at least some people who would genuinely care for him as a person, is really interesting in itself and gives him back a lot of momentum to his buld up as the (probable) main antagonist.
Hiatus x Hiatus III: Goodnight, Sweet Princes
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If only he wasn't such a bloodthirsty maniac.
Makes me wonder if these guys are some kind of fucking deviants as well.
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For real, they seem to be recollecting about when Tserri shot someone ... but like, this better have some really good context otherwise it makes no sense, right ?
And why is Morena even betraying Tserriednich in the first place ? And when did it happen ? I thought editors were supposed to read the authors for this kind of thing, but I really don't get it.
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For the record, I'm not saying no character has any personality anymore. Tserriednich is most definitely an intriguing character, he is menacing but he's not a mindless villain, he's a perfectionist, he's chill, but we also know he's sick in the head and that, combined with his super creepy nen beast, translates into a constant feeling of danger around him. He's definitely a highlight right now.
These group of guards being introduced to give further depth to Tserriednich is ok on its own, nothing wrong with that. As I said, my main problem lies in how they circle around issues in a way too similar to dozens of other characters. As someone said, that is the mark of them being competent at their work and their way of covering all bases, but I would welcome some variety that's not just super subtle and language-adjacent.
This bring me to my main issue, which is that it gets tiresome. I like my comic books to have cool shit in them, and Togashi is very much capable of providing that and crafting exciting scenarios. That's why it's kind of a bummer to me, personally, to see him comiting to these long form "let's analyze this situation" dialogue / monologue chapters 90% of the time, which I'm sure add depth and even flavour to the current conflict, but push aside the visual stimulation, the action and the violence happening around the ship (which Togashi keeps talking about but is sadly not yet translated into panel form). I say this cause, believe or not, I think Togashi is actualy a pretty talented artist, which was super evident during the Chimera Ant arc, so not seeing more of that in exchange for the other stuff is a detriment for me.
I'll keep reading it cause it is an interesting scenario with the potential to blow up spectacularly, my main concern is, will it blow up? And I don't mean will it literally blow up as some people are speculating this arc will end, with a bomb going off and killing 95% of the cast, but blow up in a blaze of fights, kills, chaos and nen abilities being used left right and center.
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The 4th prince is obviously a psychopath or very close to one. Kind of like Ted Bundy or any charming serial killers. Like high performing CEOs that only sees employees as variables but is still able to get loyalty based on a great understanding of showing empathy. You can have a high level of empathy, it doesn't necessarily means you'll use it for good. Maybe psychopath is not the right word, sociopath maybe. But I think a lot of serial killers/psychopaths sees empathy/emotions as variables to weaponize, not something they care about at all.
I won't blame this chapter for the long form of analyzing because IMO this one does well in doing 2 things, introducing the guards as competent/actual people with personalities and giving depth to the 4th prince. However, when Togashi keeps doing it, I get it. I like it but I totally get the perspective that manga is more show than tell. The real issue was really with that 1 guard with that one shot kill nen ability overthinking that became a meme, now that's one to point out for. However, Togashi being Togashi will surely write that overthinking nature as his weakness and be his Achilles heel, killing him off.
@Nilitch it is not explored yet, Togashi wants to focus on the lower floors before panning back to the 4th prince. I'm surprised he even considers it as a betrayal, I thought he would be entertained by Morena growing more and more batshit crazy and support it,
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The gang war probably get in the way of the succession war - in some capacity. If Morena had decided to do it any other time he probably would be okay.
On spoilers
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Not really feelin it at the moment. Just want Togashi to stop blue balling us with the chaos.
No matter what he's planning, it feels like almost every chapter that gets out is meant to stall the story further.
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I wonder if we’re ever going to meet Gyro
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It always bothers me that if the Troupe is such closely knitted group of people who grew up together, that they didn't show aversion/discomfort to people like Hisoka and Illumi joining.
Or why bother letting an outsider join without vetting him/her? I don't get how Chrollo would look at Hisoka and think to himself that this guy isn't going to put his other members to risk. And Illumi is also a huge wildcard. -
To be honest, I liked the chapter about Tserri's friends more than this one.
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@zeltrax225 i might be rembering it wrong but isn't their whole group structure built around recruting whoever manages to kill an active member.
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They also scout people with useful abilities. Bono, Shizuku and Kortopi aren't from Meteor city.
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@pariston_hill Out of those 3, Shizuku was implied to be from Meteor City in 102.
Phinks and Shalnark also aren't of the OG 6, but are from there as well.
Troupe seem like they model themselves after an ideal version of how the Mafia used to treat the Meteor City kids.
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young Pakunoda is so cute. I've missed her.
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From the latest spoilers:
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I know there's a lot of frustration around the introduction of tons of new plot and character threads to what was already a somewhat complex tapestry, but I have to say I'm really enjoying having HxH back. Weird foibles and all. After all these years, it feels like coming home - even the bit where I have to put it down and get some coffee & come back because the next page is just another wall of text.
Never change, Togashi.
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Go Clean-Up Rangers!
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Succession to the throne of Kakin or the Something Troupe doing voice acting ? You choose !
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@Nilitch Something Troup voice acting. Next.
We already know the last princes to bite the dust are gonna be the first for and 14th. -
@pariston_hill To be honest, this flashback puts so much death flags on the Troupe--- and the prior chapter about the 4th prince's "friends" strengthens the importance of Tserri.
I don't know how Togashi is planning on "subverting our expectations" here...But in the end, our expectations --aka the explosion of the ship-- shall remain the same for years and years until Togashi decides to finally introduce us to the DC. Even if he keeps drawing one page a day, he'll only bring 18 chapter a year maximum.
I feel like he made a mistake when he chose to pace this arc so slowly. I'm specifically talking about how long the trip is, it's supposed to last more than a month iirc, and we're barely at day 7 right ? Tserri better unlock some super haxed meme hatsu and timeskip everyone to the DC. That's what a 1 in a billion nen genius should be able to !
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I thought it was clear that the dark continent is just a Macguffin.
Curiosity has its own reason for existing
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@Alfiere said in Hiatus x Hiatus III: Goodnight, Sweet Princes:
I thought it was clear that the dark continent is just a Macguffin.
that is not clear at all lol
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@Lord-Gaimon I think "I thought it was clear" is an internet tick like asking, "am I the only one who [something that a billion people will also think]".
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Nothing in the story right now is really related to the dark continent in itself. It could be a buried treasure, a lost city, a lightbulb in a suitcase and it wouldn't change a thing, it's just the excuse for the journey to happen, and that's the real story: on the ship we have the culmination of Kurapika and the troupe's stories, framed by the succession war, and later we'll se the climax of Ging and Pariston's rivalry, along with whatever the deal with Beyond is.
The dark continent itself doesn't really matter.
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This flashback has been very good so far. I wouldn't have guessed that the most terrifying group of criminals in the Hunter verse got their start as a fan dub enthusiasts club. I doubt the conclusion will forgive them for the kurta clan massacre but seeing them this young does highlight the tragedy of what they turn into. Especially Chrollo who so far has a completely different personality and seems amazing at everything he tries. I bet he could have passed the Hunter exam as young as Gon and Killua if he had the opportunity.
Togashi is as impatient to get the Dark Continent as he was to introduce Ging into the story, which is to say not at all. If you consider the current story a diversion to skip through before the actual really cool DC arc then you are just setting yourself up for disappointment.
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I'd welcome the flashback, but the timing is really off. Emphasizes the lack of structure of this whole arc. We're on Kurapika and princes but then we skip to mob wars in which Spiders get caught in, and then Nobunaga is like "we're not so different, we and them" and BAM, flashback!
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thats all of HXH. half of the arcs gon did had nothing to do with his goal. its all diversions and Togashi doing genres he enjoys and the openness of the world allows it.
that and good writing. Anyone seeing the succession war as a diversion and that the dark continent is everything misses the whole point, that has never been how the series worked.@Razh the mafia is connected to the troupe and we can see how they have played a part in shaping their childhood + the 4th prince also have something to do with the troupe. Even Kurapika, out of everyone else in the main four, is the one who works underground and has all the connections in order to reach the Spiders. Alot of this introspection by the spiders have to do with the death of their recent members + the flashback from Yorkshin from the memory bullet. If say, for thought experiment sake, the flashback is done in Yorkshin, the weight of what will happen in this arc will be lessen because it is so long ago. With Chrollo's focus on revenge right now, I thought it made a lot of sense to be happening now.
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Something Troupe dubs
https://mangaplus.shueisha.co.jp/viewer/1015128 -
To me, that seems like the same Chrollo. Taking the lead and being steps ahead. Very sensitive and mindful. Able to get the others to follow in his footsteps, even if they disagree or don't know what's good for them initially.
I can see how the Mafia taking them and giving them obligations/orders form them today. Easily products of their environment. Choosing to put themselves first and it's a result of being neglected. Being able to survive a lot of this, magnifies the personality even more as opposed to shifting it to something else.
Whoever survives out of the Troupe, Hunter Association, and princes most likely travel with Beyond to the Continent after dropping off the regulars and civilians at the Fake neutral spot.
I expect that the Gatekeeper flips a lot of this on its head at some point too. Can't wait to see what exact kind of creature that clan is modelled after. The way the kind of individuals that survived were broken down, those who survive this mess can possibly fit those requirements.
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@zeltrax225 I'm aware of the connections, but the timing is incredibly off. There wasn't a moment of great emotional significance to Spiders, something that would maybe trigger a memory. Just business as usual for mercs. Like there's no way anyone in their right mind could have even jokingly considered a Troupe flashback would happen amid all this.
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@Razh In 378, when the 2 brothers are 1st introduced, they mention that some of their underlings look up to the Troupe and share similarities.
Both brothers (Cha-R and Xi-Yu bosses) share the belief that those like the Troupe, basically Meteor City have nots, should remain w/o power.
Meaning, if things don't continue to go their way, Troupe can rise to power like their brother (Kakin King) despite Troupe possibly not seeking it.
The flashback is triggered by Troupe seeing their former selves in the Heil-Ly who represent what the 2 brothers don't want.
The same Mafia community that shaped the Troupe are now afraid of them rising even further. I have to disagree that there is no emotional significance in seeing your former self in the outcast of the 3 Mafia groups. The same ones you have agreed to get rid of.
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So you've been feeling like this could be a sensible time to show Troupe origin story for at least a few chapters, right?
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Troupe being fleshed out with Mafia involved has been on my mind, yes. Troupe and the Mafia community have been tied together for a long time now.
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You may have expected some fleshing out, but you didn't expect a multiple chapter spanning origin story.
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I anticipated Meteor City origin stories in this arc, yes. When exactly and how long it would last was not something I could put a finger on.
I don't get how that cancels out there being an emotional significance. Are you implying that if I didn't anticipate it, then it's out of place?
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@Razh if we are being fair though, even before the series started back up again a few others including myself called out how the arc will have a lot more focus on the troupe...the flashback is just the logical flow from there. But when it happens is yeah, it could have been at a more sentimental moment but then again, when Hisoka killed the troupe members (a sentimental moment), the boat arc still hasn't started yet and it will still be weird. Because now we have to link the flashback all the way from 7-8 years ago to today. Even if HxH runs normally, that still won't be a good place considering immediately after the plot jumps to Kuraprika and the princes.
I won't put in at the climax either because it will be long and ruin the momentum so if we consider that the climax is coming, then... maybe it's not that bad a place with no other options left? -
@Cockycent I say Chrollo is different because in the present we've never really see him smile, or act animated, or be sheepish when other people tease him. He's so reserved and flat compared to his kid self.
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I totally see both sides of the argument. Not just that, I actually feel a little bit of both. On the one side I agree that considering what is conceptually going on, this arc is well suited to have the Troupe origin flashback. Back in Yorkshin they we're hunted too but that was a personal vendetta by one of the protagonists. If anything a little flashback for Kurapika would have worked better.
In this arc, the Troupe long has moved away from antagonists and are more antiheroes. And now they are hunted again but not because of what they did but who they are. And the flashback seems to go for this "this is not the first time it happened to us". Though whatever will happen to that one girl, it's not because she's a Troupe member but because she's one of the citizens of Junk Country.
That being said, I also feel a bit like Razh. Eventhough I think the flashback belons in this arc, I don't feel it was introduced in the most organic better. The Troupe just says something along the lines of something like this being nothing hey are unfamiliar with and suddenly the flashback started. A more elegant and organic way would have been to have just panel, showing and unclear image of the key event that changed their lives after them stating this not being anything. Like for example in Enies Lobby where we didn't immediately got the Ohara flashback but a few chapters prior we saw just one panel where someone shouted "SAUL!!" with a huge silhoutte being hit by an explosion. The actual flashback then revealed what this was.
Funny thing is that Enies Lobby would have worked out with it because Robin and her traumatic past were always one of the main aspects of it. And still having it made it feel more organic. The Troupe flashback however feels like it stumbled into the room rather than knocking on the door and request permission to enter. It's a great flashback so far and it belongs in this arc. But damn if I didn't feel "We're doing what now? Well, that came out of the left field, didn't it?" once it started.
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smirked when the troupe name was thrown out
don't really get the timing for it, but i'm enjoying the ride.
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Great chapter.
The theory of -
It's a pretty obvious parallel to what's happening with Kurapika, too, little by little. After a childhood trauma involving the loss of innocence (Meteor city and Kurta forest both depicted as these sort of harsh but Edenic places) at the hands of intruders, these promising and otherwise kind individuals swear revenge at all cost, becoming increasingly heartless killers deeper and deeper embedded in the underworld, etc.
I like it just fine, but I still miss the rest of our main cast.
Would love to see the fruits of all that sacrifice come to nothing on both ends; the spiders lost their way and never found the killers of their friend, and Kurapika shackled his powers and sacrificed bits of his humanity only to find eg the spiders weren't responsible for the killing, or for some reason can't be brought to justice.
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So the Troupe decided to become the worst villain's the world has ever known in order to protect Meteor City. This actually aligns with that event mentioned in York New in which members of Meteor City bombed a bunch of places in revenge for the unfair death of one of their own.
They want to be so scary that no one ever dare think of incurring their wrath, lest they face pure desruction.
This has been a brilliant run of chapters so far but I should never expect less from Togashi.
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I'm not too sure on the matchups just yet. The introduction of Tserrie's friend lead me to believe him and Kurapika may oppose Troupe.
It could possibly be Troupe taking on multiple enemies in Kurapika, Tserrie and Hisoka. Basically Troupe vs the world as always. Then later on, Tserrie and Kurapika can handle their conflict.
I think it's more likely that Kurapika goes against Troupe than Hisoka.
Togashi is 7 chapters in, so I expect no more than 4 chapters, but will not complain if there's more.
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Wow if you like the Phantom Troupe then this flashback have been amazing.
Paku got a lot of added depth. Paku's final thought to please let the killing end with her because she was tired of seeing her friends die again. And her look of grim shock when sweet Chrollo says he's going to become a mass murderer adds to her scene with Gon and Killua where they are determined not to let Kurapika walk down that same path. She had a chance to make the same choice.
The spider having a policy to always travel in pairs most likely comes from what happened to Sarasa when they let her go alone. It also explains why the spider is bigger than Chrollo and why he's willing to die for it even though he's the boss. All in all the flashback was great. You can tell Togashi had this all thought out while making the group.
I am still confused how this tightknit group of childhood friends came up with and accepted a policy where people who kill them can then be accepted into the group as members. It would make more sense that they all come together to hunt down and kill whoever killed one of them, especially since the main reason the troupe formed was to avenge one of their friend's death.
As for theories, it feels a little too coincidental that we have a "torture crime as art" in the flashback and "torture crime as art" antagonist. Kurapika and Chrollo vs this OP Tserrie could be possible although its just as likely Kurapika would lock Woble in a room and hunt spiders with Hisoka haha
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Yoshihiro Togashi's author comment from Weekly Shonen Jump #2:
"Staff member Tanehana, here. All of the chapters published and the 30 that follow were written 4 years ago. I can't wait to draw them now."
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Wait, so we are expected at least 20 more chapters? That's great news.
