When did Hunter x Hunter Get Darker?

No, I don't mean the content. I'm loving the current arc. I'm talking about the colors. Is is just my monitor or is everything more...gray?

 
When this new adaptation started airing, one of the major complaints that I saw was that everything was too bright. Primary colors were everywhere, and detractors argued that the shiny look didn't match the tone of the series, and that the 1999 series with its dystopian backgrounds and overall gritty feel served it much better. I haven't seen that version, nor have I read the manga, so I have no opinion on the adaptation quality or the changes; this is my first experience with the series. However, in recent episodes the claim that Madhouse's version of Hunter x Hunter is decked out in colors more fitting for a younger demographic has become less valid.

To start with, technically speaking they have to aim for the younger demographic; last time I checked, this was still playing on Sunday mornings in Japan. With that in mind, the amount of stuff this show has been able to get away with is astounding. Early on, some pretty creative decisions were made to convey information without sacrificing the story or having blackout censors everywhere. Now that the show has hit its stride, the staff clearly has a little more freedom to do whatever they want. A lot of neck snapping and severed heads have been flying around in the show lately.

 
But again, this isn't entirely about the content. In those early episodes, I liked the bright and happy colors because of the contrast they provided to what was actually happening in the show. The first time I noticed that the colors has changed was for the same reason; it was in episode 54, in one of the few scenes where Gon and Killua are actually acting their age. As they threw food in each other's faces, I found it really strange that everything suddenly had a gray cast to it, working against the lighthearted tone. At first this seemed to be just a simple lighting change, but it's persisted. Barring the possibility that this really is just a problem with my monitor, I find it interesting that this became noticeable in the episode where the gang finally gets back together. Since I don't know what's going to happen (no spoilers, please) I'm not sure if this is because of the arc changing or something more.

 
Which isn't to say that we haven't gotten interesting lighting and color choices before this point; Kurapika's battle with Uvogin had a lot of cool shots, especially at the end when it went monochrome. In fact, ever since the Spiders have shown up in the storyline, the entire show has taken some great creative moves. In the most recent episode (56), there was some fantastic use of shadow involving Chrollo. Before this, Hisoka had the monopoly on cool lighting.

My overall point is that the change in color also seems to be reflecting the change in the narrative; the themes of adventure and discovery that were so prevalent in the first few arcs have disappeared after the introduction of Nen and the dangerous people who control it. The shine has rubbed off, and we're starting to see the dark underbelly. In just three episodes, dulling down the colors has done a lot for setting up a sense of dread. And when even the animation itself seems to be bracing for something, you've got my attention.

Images from Crunchyroll.com.