Hunter x Hunter episode 21 covers chapters 37 and 38 in the manga. It corresponds to the second half of episode 30 and all of episode 31 of the 1999 series, which aired on June 3, 2000 and June 10, 2000.
The dialogue between the versions is almost exactly the same for all three versions; chapter 37 is adapted very well in both, so I don't have much to discuss about it sans a few things.
Chapter 38, regardless of anime adaptation, is done differently in both. This comparison might be confusing because the order of events in episode 31 of the 1999 series is significantly different. Almost all of the pages are out of sequence.
As far as episode 31 goes, however, there are a lot of things in it that cause problems for the future of the series. I'm also going to be less lenient on it because it includes some really corny jokes that really don't fit into the scope of HxH; you can really start to tell how different the 1999 series' sense of humor is from the manga. It's written by probably my least favorite writer of the 1999 series--
Yoshiyuki Suga. Mainly because he writes most episodes concerning Gon and is to blame for some of the characterization issues that I've discussed in prior episodes.
Up to this point, Suga has written episodes 4, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28, and now 31. Out of all of the writers in the 1999 series, he understands the characters the least--Gon especially. Moreover, he tends to recycle and borrow from older series that he's worked on instead of attempting to retain the feel of Togashi's writing style. However, Suga later improves and writes some very compelling anime-only stuff for Kurapika in the future.
The 1999 series doesn't have Gon crush Illumi's arm; it's broken when he's pulled. It's more difficult for Gon to do pull Illumi in the 1999 series.
Gon suggests that Illumi has manipulated Killua into killing Bodoro. The manga and 1999 series see him narrow his eyes and sort of give this ominous glare.
Hanzo's line: "Come on...I want to get this lecture over with so I can leave." is cut from the 1999 series.
Episode 30 implies that Illumi is doing the same thing to Gon as he did to Killua. The director misunderstood the background in that panel; Togashi uses that fill often but it isn't supposed to indicate a mysterious power.
Episode 30 of the 1999 series has Netero announce the end of the Hunter Exam--something he never does in the manga/2011 series. This is a pretty big mistake. It makes their passing this big dramatic moment, but as we find out, it means that he's lying as well.
Beans' orientation is moved to episode 31; Gon ended up missing the entire thing and having to take it alone. Beans is named Maamen in the 1999 series.
Beans' orientation is implied to be long in the manga/1999 series whereas it isn't in the 2011 series. Both anime adaptations cover all of the dialogue given in the manga.
This is sort of an issue in the 2011 series because the manga
chooses not to show him explain the rules for Hunters, which aren't revealed for some ~300 chapters to come. But then again, each Hunter is given a booklet which could possibly contain a packet with that information in the 2011 series.
However, in the 1999 series, Gon doesn't pay attention to it because he's too busy thinking about confronting Illumi again. It's sort of treated as background noise. Gon pretends that he's listening for the entire lecture and he doesn't remember a single word of it in the 1999 series. Then Maamen comes out with this gem:
Maamen: "It is the Hunter's job to maintain and uphold the natural order of things. Hunting animals and treasure are works of second-rate Hunters. Nay--amateur Hunters!"
...What?
This couldn't be more wrong. I don't know where to
begin with that statement. Hunters aren't all supposed to be heroes. And it completely goes against the prologue of the series. Moreover, hunting animals or treasure is never seen as a bad thing in the manga. That's all I'll say.
After the clock strikes 3 (I like how the minute-hand on the clock in the background actually changes position in later portions of this scene), Gon is ready to leave and runs out. Though Beans is only halfway through with his lecture, Gon says that he'll read the rest in the textbook later. Except for the fact that he leaves it where he was sitting.
Gon is then tripped by Netero. Netero asks Gon "what the most important thing is after becoming a Hunter." Gon can't remember (because he wasn't listening).
Netero and Beans then tell Gon to take his seat again, while Gon literally whines about it.
But then he quotes what Satotz said in episode 29 about "What you do after the exam." Netero accepts the answer; Gon cheers and leaves. Netero caps off the scene: "Looks like we're no match for him!" Corny (imo).
Gon is being very childish in this scene, which goes against how Togashi wants you to see him. Becoming a professional Hunter is supposed to be his coming of age. He's becoming an adult.
In the 1999 series, the hotel owned by the Hunters Association is also currently open to the public. There are a ton of people in the background scenes inside.
Episode 30 ends on a bit of a strange note in the 1999 series. Gon approaches Illumi and asks where Killua is, while Kurapika and Leorio choose to accompany him. Illumi refuses to tell Gon where Killua is at first in the 1999 series--the episode ends zooming in on Illumi's eyes on a cliffhanger. In the manga/2011 series, Illumi couldn't care less. He tells Gon where his family's house is right off the bat.
Now you may notice that Gon is on the ground in the hotel courtyard during that scene. Why is this? Because Suga has Gon
fight Illumi for Killua's locale.
This requires a bit of explaining, so I'm going to detail it after these next two tidbits.
Netero's dismissal at the beginning of chapter 38 is cut from the 2011 series. It's moved to the last few minutes of episode 31 of the 1999 series. The rest of episode 21 in the Madhouse version takes place in the courtyard outside while the manga keeps it in house.
Hisoka and Illumi have more than one conversation in episode 31. Nippon Animation splits their conversation into two parts. At the beginning of episode 31, Illumi asks Hisoka if he's happy about whether or not he passed the exam. It then segues into the subject of Illumi's arm and Gon breaking it. Hisoka warns Illumi not to touch Gon, and that's the end of that. The manga/2011 series continue onward to Illumi asking about Hisoka's intentions; this scene is placed at the end of episode 31. Regarding Hisoka's line about allowing the fruit to ripen, the tone is changed in the 2011 series. It's humorous in the manga and 1999 series whereas Madhouse chooses to make the scene unsettling and creepy.
The 1999 series also gives Illumi a corny joke to cap of the scene. "Looks like I don't have to do anything. He'll never make it anyway."
OK. So Gon vs. Illumi in the 1999 series.
After exiting Maamen's lecture, Gon chases after Gittarackur. Leorio says something like "There's no way he's gonna just tell you where Killua is." (Except that he
does in the manga/2011 series.)
Kurapika (1999): "It is true that Killua was acting strange. It seemed as though he was unable to move of his own free will because of his brother."
This line isn't really wrong per se, but the 1999 series changes Illumi's ability so that it is. Huge, HUGE plothole.
Illumi waits for Gon in the hotel's courtyard. He invites Gon to force the information out of him. So Gon charges directly towards Illumi (something that he's never done in the series to this point; he is typically very calculating and intuitive) at a slow pace.
Illumi sways out of the way and grabs Gon's arm. Gon says that he's got a bad feeling from Illumi's grasp and how it's the exact same as when Illumi reached towards him during the lecture. He somehow flips out of Illumi's grasp.
Illumi starts throwing his needles at Gon.
Illumi (1999): "This guy instinctively senses my power."
I don't know what that's supposed to mean.
One of the needles grazes Gon's arm and he collapses in pain. Just as Illumi is about to finish him off, Gon uses his fishing rod to hook onto a palm tree, jumps in front of the sun to blind Illumi, and kicks him in the back of the head.
This fight reads like fanfiction. The writer didn't even attempt to mimic Togashi's style a single bit.
Anyways, commercial break. The show comes back. Illumi praises Gon and the characters then are given slightly altered versions of lines they've said before.
Illumi uses his "power." He sticks out his hand, his hair flies, water ripples, and the trees start blowing. It blows Gon slightly back and he becomes unable to physically move. Ghostly force.
The 1999 series assumes that Illumi is using an ability that will be revealed later. However, the logistics are gotten incorrect. For those of you who have seen the 1999 series, no, Illumi does
not have the ability to psychically make a person stop moving by simply holding out his hand.
Illumi is about to finish Gon off until he notices Hisoka threatening him from the shadows. He looks fucking
fabulous. It's implied by a later line that Illumi doesn't want Hisoka as an enemy, which is why he doesn't kill Gon.
Anyways, then Illumi stops and reluctantly tells Gon where Killua is. OK. We're done with that part.
Hanzo isn't carrying any luggage in the 1999 series. His business card doesn't get the HxH language correct. Hanzo gives the trio three business cards in the Madhouse version. This is the first time in which you realize that the HxH language is a universal dialect, since Hanzo's card also has the text in Japanese on the side.
Fun Fact: Hanzo is a
Jonin from the
Village Hidden in the Clouds, though HxH's came first. There are actually a ton of references to Naruto in later parts of HxH; Sasuke in particular wasn't intended to be in the manga from the start. It wasn't until Kishimoto's editor told him to add in a rival that he decided to create him. Kishimoto has confirmed that Sasuke is based upon Kurapika.
Pokkle shows up and apologizes to Kurapika. He tries to make amends by offering his assistance to the trio in the manga/2011 series. His laptop is different in the 2011 series. In the 1999 series, he gets in several conversations with Leorio and Kurapika but never with Gon. Pokkle doesn't offer to help Gon find Ging in the 1999 series, whereas in the 2011 series he googles Ging for Gon. Kurapika does that action in the manga (at the end of the chapter), while Leorio does it in the 1999 series.
In the manga, Gon has no idea what the internet is. But to be fair, the internet in the manga isn't established to be the same it is in the real world--likely because the chapter was published in 1998. Togashi spends a pretty long time explaining "Electronic Pages" and adds in this home code system. Gon is really bad with things concerning technology though; it's sort of a running joke. Neither animated adaptations does the explanation. He's also adamant about not using his license yet.
So remember how in my last comparison, I said that there was a scene removed from the Madhouse version that I believed was going to be placed into this episode? I was talking about Satotz' conversation with Gon about Ging--from chapter 35/episode 29 (1999).
Satotz overhears Pokkle and Gon talking about Ging, so he approaches Gon to tell him about his dad. But the 2011 series cuts out their second conversation, which is a pretty important one.
After parting from Pokkle, Gon approaches Satotz to ask him a question.
Satotz takes a look and declares that it's a Double Star Hunter License--which viewers of the 2011 series will probably learn of later. Gon received it in the past from a character named Kite that viewers of the 2011 series will undoubtedly learn of later. It turns out that the license is actually Ging's.
You find out that Ging was the only candidate to pass the 267th Hunter Exam 20 years prior and that Gon participated in the 287th in the manga/1999 series. The 2011 series removes this explanation completely. Satotz in the 1999 series knows a lot more about Ging than he does in the manga/2011 series; Nippon Animation gives Kite's lines about Ging from chapter 6 to Satotz. Both anime remove the scene in which Satotz asks Gon for Kite's information.
There's a bit of an animation error in the 1999 series for this scene; the first time that Satotz takes Ging's license, Gon's ID number is written on it. Also, the chain is accidentally colored gold instead of the silver it usually is. The next time it shows up, the error is fixed.
You see the HxH world map for the first time when Kurapika orders tickets to the Republic of Padokea. There's a pretty large error in this scene in the 1999 series; extra continents are added to their World Map.
The nuance of Satotz' line about the Hunter Exam not being over is completely different in the 1999 series. The way the line is written/acted, Satotz means it in a way more akin to his line "What's important is what you do after the exam" instead of "The Hunter Exam isn't
actually over." At least, this is how I inferred it, due to him calling the license "only a temporary permit." I forgot to cap a shot corresponding to the 2011 series for this scene, but it's at the end of the episode. If someone wants to do it for me, I'll add it in.
The 1999 series has a banquet thrown after the Hunter Exam. I have a problem with this because it changes the tone of the end of the exam; it's not really supposed to seem so final. It's too climactic. It's like the Hunters Association is rewarding them for their efforts, but being a licensed Hunter
is the reward. It'd be like the DMV throwing you a party after your driver's exam.
Anyways, totally filler. Hanzo takes a lot of pictures, the characters parody themselves. Menchi gets too drunk and causes a scene. Her personality is overly bitchy in general in the 1999 series; Buhara is fat and eats a lot; Hanzo is a social ninja. Etc.
Here's a contradiction that literally occurs between two episodes--remember how Kurapika and Leorio chose to accompany Gon to bring back Killua at the end of episode 30 (1999)? Now they've changed their minds, I guess. They talk about it with Pokkle.
The soundtrack during this scene is a
muzak version of Chopin's
Nocturne Op.9 No. 2. I wish Nippon Animation could have gotten the rights to the real version; the melancholy in the song matches Gon's melancholy in the 1999 series. But it's also a nice easter egg.
Gon writes at least one letter to Mito during the Hunter Exam in all three versions.
Menchi gets too drunk and causes a scene. Her personality is overly bitchy in general in the 1999 series; she exists mostly for fanservice and doesn't exhibit any other personality traits.
John Woo doves used as a scene transition in the 1999 series.
The 2011 series caps the episode with a filler featuring our protagonists getting caught in a traffic jam and deciding to run their way to the airport, talking about their experiences with the Hunter Exam along the way. Ponzu makes a cameo in an easter egg. The 1999 series caps the episode with a filler featuring the trio parting from each other, Leorio x Kurapika shipping, and then they all reunite.
Ugh, that took too long.
2012-03-10, 10:46
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