I've talked a lot in the last few posts about finales, but there was one ending this year that truly earned the top spot.
(A/N: This post contains spoilers for the ending of the recent anime adaptation of Hunter x Hunter.)
At the very beginning, Gon set out on his journey with a very clear goal in mind. He was going to become a Hunter and find his dad. And after nearly 150 episodes, he finally accomplished his goal. He caught up with his dad and was able to have a long talk with him. But in the end, was the story really about Gon's search for his dad? It was a goal he constantly kept in mind, sure, but Gon grew and gained so much along the way because of his friends and the challenges that they faced together. If, theoretically, Gon had pursued his goal single-mindedly without help from the friends that he made, he might've never reached Ging. And when they finally start talking to each other, what they share are stories of their adventures.
Ging goes into a long anecdote about wanting to know what was hidden in some ancient ruins, and how he managed to gather a group of people that also wanted to accomplish that goal. It isn't mentioned what they found down there, but that wasn't the point. The point was what he'd learned on the journey, and the friends that he'd made. The same is true for Gon.
And there's something to said about the stopping point the anime chose as well, since as we know, the Hunter x Hunter manga is not finished (or should I be calling it Hiatus x Hiatus?). Still, the anime made a powerful statement by chosing what to cover in its final episode. The goal laid out in the first episode has been accomplished--now what? That's when the true scope of the Hunter x Hunter world is revealed. Just because Gon accomplished what he set out to do doesn't mean that his journey is over yet. There's a whole universe of possibilities to explore.
Altogether, it feels like the anime was trying to send the message that it's not the goal, it's the journey itself that matters. And for a show as focused on exploration, discovery, and sheer survival alongside friends as this one is, I can't think of a better place to stop.
Images from Crunchyroll.com.
