Chimera Ants Arc really creeps me out...

[ezumi93]

I just finished read all HxH chapters starting Chimera Ants Arc until current hiatus chapter (since i watch the anime version before that chapter)...but what i found is that this chapter really have bloodshed and some of the scene is truly gruesome...until now, i just cant forget about the scene of ponzu & pokkle(the candidate of hunter exam same time with gon & killua) is brutally killed and been feed to the Queen Ant especially Pokkle(the one with arrow power)...i just pity that character ...but eventually i just had to accept it and think that it helps the plot..what you guys think??

[Judirek]

Many known characters introduced did die fast almost all were made into meatballs, poor Pokkle I did like his power because he uses his hand as a bow and the idea was great. Damn...Those Chimera ants are too much, came from the 'outside' world, has the size of just a large insect but is capable to grow to immense proportions especially gaining the knowledge to use nen. I was most dissapointed when Kaito died, was operated and made into a thoughtless practice dummy but the frustration was lost because he was reborn to be Meryem's twin sister.

I just can't wait for the arc to be animated in the HxH 2011, I just hope that the HxH 2011 will skip the Greed Island OVAs cause those OVAs have great animation already and will jump to the Chimera ants arc after finishing the Genei Ryodan arc ofc.

Moreover it was such a relief that the Chimera ants cannot produce a queen anymore since the King died cause the King's supposed mission is to find a mate to impregnate to give birth again to a Queen though the 'outside' world where the Chimera ants came from may have more Chimera ant queens but anyway we should expect that the 'outside' world has strong creatures possibly stronger than the recently introduced strongest, the Chimera Ant King.

[PalletTown]

The first time I read the Chimera Ant arc, I felt the same way you guys did. It was so sad and hopeless and dark, yet I couldn't stop reading. I was disgusted by the scene where some of the humans had to bow down and practically become dogs to the Ants. But there were sweet moments too, like with Meruem and Komugi. And there were moments that me smile, like the Moaru's battle, and the cheetah, and Palm's date, and Killua taking the needle out. And there were chapters that really got me hooked, like the palace invasion, and Killua's killing spree, and Gon's absurd power-up, and Netero's battle with Meruem. And there were so many awesome characters that were written off and introduced.

I speed-read through the manga for four days this summer. Honestly, it was all a giant roller coaster of emotions. I'm looking forward to seeing this arc animated. Also for Pariston's cocoon farm of human-ant hybrids.

Overall, I think Togashi put a lot of thought in presenting the Chimera Ant Arc. I would even go so far as saying that it's probably one of his masterpieces.

[MangaObsessed12]

Hey, everybody...ai hope there isn't a thread like this already...

Anyway, ai'm here to ask what everyone thought of the Chimera Arc. Ai'm not saying it was all bad--there were some deep moments and some character development. However, it just didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story, in my opinion...it just seemed like HxH had been transformed into a crappy horror manga.
Agree? Disagree? What do you think?

[imapaladin]

This is what I always thought. I practically stopped reading HxH back when Chimera arc started. It just didn't feel like HxH anymore; it'd have been much better if he didn't put in "monsters" and only stuck to humans with supernatural powers(Yes, I know there were some monsters even before, but it's in a completely different magnitude from the Chimera arc). Hisoka, Danchou and Genei Ryodan were, and still are some of my favorite antagonists, and I really can't comprehend why he didn't go straight back to focus on them after the game island arc. It was so disappointing.
After that, I dropped by to read it from time to time, but I could never find any incentive to continue reading it. I tracked down and read all the chapters that featured Genei Ryodan memebers though(lol).
Even as I'm approaching mid 20s in age, when I think of what Hunter x Hunter(or Hiatus x Hiatus as it came to be called) could've been if it took a different approach, it still saddens me.
Well, my opinion aside, some people seem to really like the chimera arc but it makes me wonder if they are loyal HxH readers like me(loyal while I was still reading it...) who started reading it when it pretty much first came out. The Chimera arc is just so antithetic from the previous ones, which I believe is mostly due to the sheer number of non-humans and alienating Genei Ryodan.
I'm repeating myself, but seriously, back then I was dying to know how Danchou would make his come back after Kurapika sealed his nen, but the author for some reason decided to go on a completely different tangent and ruined it for me.

Well, I dragged on my ranting a bit, but this is my two cents.

[MarcellX]

This is what I always thought. I practically stopped reading HxH back when Chimera arc started. It just didn't feel like HxH anymore; it'd have been much better if he didn't put in "monsters" and only stuck to humans with supernatural powers(Yes, I know there were some monsters even before, but it's in a completely different magnitude from the Chimera arc). Hisoka, Danchou and Genei Ryodan were, and still are some of my favorite antagonists, and I really can't comprehend why he didn't go straight back to focus on them after the game island arc. It was so disappointing.
After that, I dropped by to read it from time to time, but I could never find any incentive to continue reading it. I tracked down and read all the chapters that featured Genei Ryodan memebers though(lol).
Even as I'm approaching mid 20s in age, when I think of what Hunter x Hunter(or Hiatus x Hiatus as it came to be called) could've been if it took a different approach, it still saddens me.
Well, my opinion aside, some people seem to really like the chimera arc but it makes me wonder if they are loyal HxH readers like me(loyal while I was still reading it...) who started reading it when it pretty much first came out. The Chimera arc is just so antithetic from the previous ones, which I believe is mostly due to the sheer number of non-humans and alienating Genei Ryodan.
I'm repeating myself, but seriously, back then I was dying to know how Danchou would make his come back after Kurapika sealed his nen, but the author for some reason decided to go on a completely different tangent and ruined it for me.

Well, I dragged on my ranting a bit, but this is my two cents.

I heard several reasons and opinions on the chimera ant arc, and yours boils down to they didn't reached the arc I wanted with the characters that I wanted "when" I wanted. It's pretty much the reason people had made me tired of the Ryodan and Kurapika.

[imapaladin]

I heard several reasons and opinions on the chimera ant arc, and yours boils down to they didn't reached the arc I wanted with the characters that I wanted "when" I wanted. It's pretty much the reason people had made me tired of the Ryodan and Kurapika.

That's pretty much sums up my point but you must understand, as I said I started reading HxH when it pretty much first came out; I bought and read the volumes right after they came out, and if you didn't notice, up until Chimera arc, most of the plot had to do with Genei Ryodan and Danchou, and the story was building up around them. Then suddenly, when Danchou finally found a way of getting his nen back, the author throws in a new random character and start a new arc that has absolutely nothing to do with the previous ones. It was my decision to spend my money and time reading it until then, but that doesn't change the fact that it was a letdown for me(Hard to get free manga back in my home country because manga is way more prevalent and readily accessible, due to it being right beside Japan).
Was Chimera arc something I wanted? No. Was Chimera arc appropriate in the plot sequence? No. The author should've started the Chimera arc at least after he wrapped up the Genei Ryodan arc.

[MarcellX]

That's pretty much sums up my point but you must understand, as I said I started reading HxH when it pretty much first came out; I bought and read the volumes right after they came out, and if you didn't notice, up until Chimera arc, most of the plot had to do with Genei Ryodan and Danchou, and the story was building up around them. Then suddenly, when Danchou finally found a way of getting his nen back, the author throws in a new random character and start a new arc that has absolutely nothing to do with the previous ones. It was my decision to spend my money and time reading it until then, but that doesn't change the fact that it was a letdown for me(Hard to get free manga back in my home country because manga is way more prevalent and readily accessible, due to it being right beside Japan).
Was Chimera arc something I wanted? No. Was Chimera arc appropriate in the plot sequence? No. The author should've started the Chimera arc at least after he wrapped up the Genei Ryodan arc.

Hunter x Hunter was about Gon trying to find his father. The Ryodan was barely mentioned in the hunter exam arc, pretty much non-existand in the rescue killua arc, and the heaven's tower arc was about Gon and Killua learning nen, after the york shin arc they went back to their old goal, getting to greed island, and they focused on finishing the game. The only arc where the plot "revolved around the Ryodan was york shin. You're sounding just like Kaizoku_Mavrik D saying they're the main villains of the series. And again, you're putting your needs, taste, etc. ahead of everyone else's. Not to mention that it's rather near sighted to say the author should had finished the ryodan plot when it hasn't finished yet, meaning that we still don't know how it's gonna go, the chimera arc gave us Jairo, the ants and hence ford the dark continent, and due to the things that transpired there, Alluka and the zodiacs, who's not to say any of them (or any other thing I might had missed) is indispensable for the plot planned with the Ryodan.

ps. don't you think the part about the plot sequence is highly opinionated to be stated as a fact like that?

[imapaladin]

Hunter x Hunter was about Gon trying to find his father. The Ryodan was barely mentioned in the hunter exam arc, pretty much non-existand in the rescue killua arc, and the heaven's tower arc was about Gon and Killua learning nen, after the york shin arc they went back to their old goal, getting to greed island, and they focused on finishing the game. The only arc where the plot "revolved around the Ryodan was york shin. You're sounding just like Kaizoku_Mavrik D saying they're the main villains of the series. And again, you're putting your needs, taste, etc. ahead of everyone else's. Not to mention that it's rather near sighted to say the author should had finished the ryodan plot when it hasn't finished yet, meaning that we still don't know how it's gonna go, the chimera arc gave us Jairo, the ants and hence ford the dark continent, and due to the things that transpired there, Alluka and the zodiacs, who's not to say any of them (or any other thing I might had missed) is indispensable for the plot planned with the Ryodan.

ps. don't you think the part about the plot sequence is highly opinionated to be stated as a fact like that?

You totally missed my point... My point was, why bring in a completely unrelated, random and out-of-place(As I mentioned, the "monsters" that, in my opinion, just do not belong in HxH universe) antagonists into the plot when the Ryodan matter was unresolved. It just seemed all over the place(not that I read the ant arc in whole).
I may have exaggerated a little when I said 'revolved around the Ryodan' but it's true that their, and related members'(namely Hisoka) presence was more than insignificant in most arcs. He/They made appearance in all arcs except Killua arc(if I remember correctly). The author spent almost 200 chapters up to that point getting us readers into it, and then decides to suddenly bring in a completely new arc that's been going on for about 150 chapters, and the Ryodan matter is still unresolved(or is it? As I said, I stopped reading). As I specified, I started reading HxX since pretty much the beginning as they were coming out back in early 2000, and I doubt that's the case for you, so you are failing to see this from my point of view.
Just imagine, you're reading a manga that's being currently serialized, you get familiar with the current existing characters and whatnot for a few years, and then it suddenly brings in a plethora of new villains, characters and pretty much throws away some of the existing antagonists that you grew to be fond of.
Also, "everyone else's"? Well, obviously it's not "everyone else's" because I'm agreeing with the guy who started this thread. As much as I might sound opinionated, so are you. People are bound to split into different factions due of different tastes. And I know for a fact that a significant number of people stopped reading HxH because of the Chimera arc.

[MarcellX]

You totally missed my point... My point was, why bring in a completely unrelated, random and out-of-place(As I mentioned, the "monsters" that, in my opinion, just do not belong in HxH universe) antagonists into the plot when the Ryodan matter was unresolved. It just seemed all over the place(not that I read the ant arc in whole).
I may have exaggerated a little when I said 'revolved around the Ryodan' but it's true that their, and related members'(namely Hisoka) presence was more than insignificant in most arcs. He/They made appearance in all arcs except Killua arc(if I remember correctly). The author spent almost 200 chapters up to that point getting us readers into it, and then decides to suddenly bring in a completely new arc that's been going on for about 150 chapters, and the Ryodan matter is still unresolved(or is it? As I said, I stopped reading). As I specified, I started reading HxX since pretty much the beginning as they were coming out back in early 2000, and I doubt that's the case for you, so you are failing to see this from my point of view.
Just imagine, you're reading a manga that's being currently serialized, you get familiar with the current existing characters and whatnot for a few years, and then it suddenly brings in a plethora of new villains, characters and pretty much throws away some of the existing antagonists that you grew to be fond of.
Also, "everyone else's"? Well, obviously it's not "everyone else's" because I'm agreeing with the guy who started this thread. As much as I might sound opinionated, so are you. People are bound to split into different factions due of different tastes. And I know for a fact that a significant number of people stopped reading HxH because of the Chimera arc.

First of all, there has been monsters since the beggining of the series, you even admitted to it, so I don't know where you're going with that. Also, again I bring my point of you putting your desires ahead of everyone else. This is the formula of HxH. What about Jairo? what about the group of ants looking for him, where is Ging, what is Illumi gonna do now, etc. etc. etc. HxH brings up a topic and drags it on, is not the first and most likely last time, so why should the Ryodan be given a special treatment. Now we found out that finding Ging is not the end of the series, which means that that plot was brought up on the first chapter and wasn't resolved until now, over 5 arcs later, which in turn is a much more important plot given that it's the driving plot of the main protagonist.

As I specified, I started reading HxX since pretty much the beginning as they were coming out back in early 2000, and I doubt that's the case for you, so you are failing to see this from my point of view.

Might be true, might not, give or take one or two years, I still don't see your point. You fallacy that seniority somehow matters in this topic. If it's so relevant, explain to me how is it so, because unless I started reading it less than a year ago, I call fallacy. HxH has had plenty of long hiatuses, and a great number of people got introduced to HxH through the anime (as in a new episode once a week), so again, unless I'm someone relatively knew to the series that read it all in one sitting, I don't see the relevance.

Also, "everyone else's"? Well, obviously it's not "everyone else's" because I'm agreeing with the guy who started this thread.

First of all that's another fallacy, an association fallacy to be exact. Just because you agree that you both didn't liked the arc doesn't mean you didn't liked then for the very same reason. For example I don't like the Twilight series, doesn't mean that I don't like it for the same reason as many people out there (because it's popular with little girls) just like I can have my reasons for not liking something while someone else doesn't like it for hip reasons. Anyway moving on, my point was that I've heard other people gave reasons for not liking the series, that'll all well and good, tastes differ. But issue with you is that your reasons boils on fandomisn for a group of characters (you even said you read the part where they appeared just because they appeared in them). You said you haven't even seen the arc because it's not about them. You're complaining about something that about half the shounens do to begin with. Getting many different plots, even different villains and dragging and solving them when the authors thought it would be best, look at One Piece and Toriko for example.

Just imagine, you're reading a manga that's being currently serialized, you get familiar with the current existing characters and whatnot for a few years, and then it suddenly brings in a plethora of new villains, characters and pretty much throws away some of the existing antagonists that you grew to be fond of

That's what I'm talking about putting your desires above the majority's benefit. Togashi said that he had the series more or less planned out, why should he change the story because you're fonder to some characters. Also you're exagerating again, they appear even in the arc, so they were hardly thrown away, unless your criteria for throwing away is: not being the most important driving force in the plot.

As much as I might sound opinionated, so are you.

how? I haven't even said anything about my opinion on the arc or series as a whole.