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.
Hunter's creator suffered from stress and near-breakdowns working on his last long series, Yu Yu Hakusho. The long hiatuses are probably his way of destressing so he doesn't get burnt out; and to have more family time (I hear he married Sailor Moon's mangaka).
ReplyDeleteChaika LN spoilers:
- Gaz and Guy are 2 different people.
- The Chaika universe was created by a God who ate memories. After finding out that humans were the best memory source, He created Gaz to rule half the world & create perma-war so He could have more potent memories to eat.
-Gaz grew tired of serving God and left Him. Furious, God created Guy as his proxy to provoke anti-Gaz sentiment and kill him.
Guy later collects 9 people, the Apostles, to kill the reborn Gaz. (Gillette is part of this group) They are only able to seriously injure him.
The Finale:
- Gaz uses Niva in a God-slaying spell to kill the original God, then creates an ascension spell(resembling a tower's staircase) for him to become new God. Chaika, Toru, Fredrica and Niva all go after Gaz. Gaz intends to restart the war as he believes humanity will stagnate without it.
- Gaz is defeated, but the spell's nature causes Chaika and Co.'s physical bodies to decompose (the spell was meant to break down Gaz's body for his ascension only). Chaika, Toru and Fredrica start using up their memories to maintain their regeneration magic, forgetting more things.
-Chaika destroys the tower on Toru's orders; everyone else on ground sees a mysterious light trail flying away. Akari and Red Chaika chase after it, thinking it must be them; Gillette's squad returns to base.
The Ending:
- 6 months have passed. Chaika and Co. are still missing.
- Akari and Red are still searching for them; Red hires Akari as a saboteur for the search.
- Selma has a baby with David; they settle down in a village.
Readers are hoping Vol 12 (due March 2015) will resolve the disappearance plot point. Vol 12 comes with an OVA; one half is a swimsuit showdown between the girls.
For more details check the following links:
Vol 10: http://pastebin.com/f7BYHnhm
Vol 11: http://pastebin.com/Uvw876aY
That makes a lot of sense. I'd rather he do it at his own pace than hurt himself.
ReplyDeleteAnd that Chaika finale makes a lot more sense. Although I guess it's not completely over just yet. I was hoping that the anime staff was working closely with the LN writer, but now reading this it looks like they only got some of the big picture changes (although now I have to admit that I'm curious whether or not the anime studio wanted to animate the characters decomposing).