Fighting Sunday 2-19-2012

11:15 AM on 02.19.2012   |   Josh Tolentino

Hey there, welcome to your weekly edition of Fighting Sunday, the weekend fighting anime and manga roundup that's got a really bitchin' logo! Look at those boxes and that text, and--oh geez, behind you Ichigo! Stop looking at the logo an-OH NO!!!

Well, that's it, folks. We've indirectly caused the death of Bleach's protagonist. When they were teasing that the end was near, I didn't imagine it would come like this.

I guess you should read on, then, for our new recaps of Bleach, Naruto, and Hunter x Hunter. Heck, these may be the last recaps of Bleach that you'll ever read.

Oops!

Anime

Chris Walden

Hunter x Hunter Episode 19

I believe this is one of only two shows this season that has really made me want to skip forward a week to immediately watch the next episode. I can be pretty harsh with my opinions of some shows, as you may already be aware (hey C3, Phi Brain), so it's not like I can say this is something that really happens that often. Before I talk about this episode, if you are for whatever reason reading this and have yet to pick up this show, do yourself a favour and do it. I can't speak more praise for the nineteen episodes we've had thus far. 

The final stage of the hunter exam is revealed, and the event couldn't have been more tense. It's a reasonably traditional ladder tournament, except the losers of each fight end up progressing. The person that loses all of their fights, thus ending up at the top of the ladder, will fail the hunter exam. That means that eight of the nine people here are going to become hunters, and all they need to do is win one fight each. Killua isn't happy at all about his positioning, as Netero explains that the people in the lower rungs, who have more chances of passing, are there based on how well they've performed in the exam so far. He isn't happy that Gon has technically done better than him, and he ends up in a foul mood because of it. This is the first time we've seen him act this way towards Gon, especially when they are such good friends, so you can't help but think that there is a deeper reason behind this than straight up jealousy. 

Gon is the first up, and he's fighting the bald ninja guy. With the rules saying that fights can only progress by making your opponent submit, and that you lose if you kill the opponent, it seems like these rounds are going to pretty tortuous, and I mean that in a literal sense. Gon is massively outclassed, and Hanzo proceeds to pummel Gon without holding back, trying to get him to submit. We know Gon is a stubborn guy, but even when we know that he could submit and try again on one of the other five people he could end up fighting, he would never do it. Leorio and Kurapika are absolutely fuming, and who can blame them? It doesn't seem like anyone watching is enjoying the spectacle, but Gon's helplessness and stubbornness aren't doing him any favours.

The real turning point has got to have been with the arm breaking. The show, at this point, had already stunned me at seeing Gon getting pummelled so badly. The time skip showing a weakened Gon with plenty of blood streaks on the floor around him was a powerful image to show, so when Hanzo announces that he is going to break Gon's arm if he doesn't surrender, it hit that much harder. I couldn't help but wince when it happened, and the duo of Kurapika and Leorio certainly acted as you'd expect them to. I find it odd that if Leorio jumped in, Gon would be disqualified. Couldn't anyone just walk into the fight and end the exam now? I wonder if it was a mistranslation of some sort. 

Gon pulls through in the end though, which at this point, comes as a complete surprise. With another four opportunities should Gon have submitted, I was absolutely sure that he was going to lose this round. But lo and behold, Hanzo concedes purely because he can't make Gon submit. Fair play Hunter x Hunter, I didn't see it coming! I'm sure this round has plenty more fights that will be just as nerve-racking as this, and I can't wait! I'm a bit disappointed that the episode preview showed some light spoilers instead of the usual montage of angry faces, but I suppose that's my fault for watching it. I can't wait for more of this, and I'm seriously holding myself off reading the manga now. 

[Hunt around for this show on Crunchyroll!]

Josh Tolentino

Bleach episode 360

The story proceeds at its current breakneck pace, as Ginjou pulls his heel-face turn in dramatic fashion, complete with surprise-buttsex face and villainous cackling. And to think that just last month or so he was joking about how he makes a really cheesy villain.

Well, he was right, but he wasn't cheesy in a bad way, at least.

It's nice to see Uryuu back in the fight after months on the bench, but knowing what happens in the manga, it's sad to know that those post-credit jokes about the other cast members not being able to recognize him are far too true.

Naruto Shippuden episode 250

Yes! Now Naruto is fully yellow-orange, and is ready to test his stuff on Kisame and--what? His foot is stuck in the wall?! Errrrgh.

Look, I know Naruto's not the brightest bulb in the ninja hardware store, but this is a very unconvincing way to push him out of the limelight to set up a Guy v. Kisame matchup. And in the end, the payoff is rather unexciting, mostly shrouded in bad CG special effects. It's as if they were trying to beat Bleach in terms of wrapping things up.

And what exactly are they stepping on the gas to rocket towards? A flashback episode starring Kisame. Great.

Manga

Josh Tolentino

Bleach chapter 481

Yes, finally. This is the sort of spread I've been waiting for since the early portions of the Hueco Mundo arc. It's the humans! Surely it is they who will star in this arc!

Or not. Bleach's disregard for its non-Soul Reaper characters is practically a hate crime. Maybe they're making the manga so indifferent to Orihime, Chad, Uryuu and the Fullbringers that they'll get fed up and self-deport (Hah! I made a political reference! I am so learned!) into another JUMP manga. Maybe they'll show up in Toriko or something next.

Still, best to enjoy this while I can, while the Reapers are busy in Soul Society and...oh? Who's this new Arrancar-looking villain? Unlike my prediction, he doesn't look like some kind of Quincy. In retrospect that theory was a little weak, but I suppose what happened to the Hollows and the people derived therefrom was a more compelling arc to follow.

Is it just me, or is Ichigo sounding more and more "badass"? It's as if the writers realized that there's nowhere to really go with his character, and opted to have him spout witty lines instead. Last time there was that "This is an eel shop" pun, and now "I don't know who you are, but get off my bed."

Priceless. It seems to speak to some self-awareness and awareness of the audience. Ichigo isn't insufferably positive, like Naruto, and he isn't insane, like Toriko. All he has is steely-eyed resolve, which most of his enemies seem to mistake for compassion. It's nice that they're opting to play off of that fact.

Question: What are Hiyori and Lisa doing in the Living World? All the other Visored seem to have gone back to Soul Society, so did they remain off the roster?

Naruto chapter 574

Oh, hey Sasuke, what up? Still got freaky eyes, I see. Still got that Susanoo thing. No new gimmicks? Oh, it shoots black fire now, that's cool. But can you turn orange and teleport and make like a billion rasengans or chidoris or whatever it is you do? Hm, you still have a sword and are really really pissed, so I guess you have that.

Call us when you want to show off, mmkay? Or perhaps when you meet your undead brother.

Oh, it's Suigetsu, Karin and Jugo! They're still okay, and---hmm? They're set to deliver some kind of McGuffin? What could it be?!