My impressions of this arc are Togashi had 4 S-teir ideas ready to go, but realized that with his long standing health issues he was not guaranteed to be able to tell all of them separately. So instead of compromising any of his stories, he had what I can only describe as a galaxy brain idea to literally layer them all on top of one another in one massive super arc. Even if this impression is off the mark, The fact that he is able to so skillfully interweave so many characters and concepts (old AND new mind you) really goes to show how much of a masterclass this series is.

My favorite part about HXH Is when characters make WRONG assumptions based on the info they have. Even if Is just for a moment seeing incredible smart characters still being able to be wrong because theres just so many things going on is kinda refreshing

Togashi is the master of villainous pressure cooker plots. Nobody else is this good at putting everyone you hate into a room, letting them go to war, and making you fall in love with half of them.

1:02 ah yes. The main characters “Gone and Kahlúa” 😭

Can't wait for your two hour Why You Should Still Read Hunter X Hunter video on the main channel

What I like the most is that the author didn't just make up a stronger villain, like most animes, The ant king probably could still take on the whole ship by himself, but at the same time the magnitude and scale of the threats feel bigger.

The current arc were in feels like we're constantly watching multiple chess grandmaster geniuses pull off crazy new moves and checkmating the other opponent only for the opponent to bite back with THEIR OWN never before seen crazy maneuver that pute THEM on top instead, like i feel like im Watson watching seventeen sherlock holmes try and one up each other though invisible battles.

Somehow, King Crimson has returned.

hunter multiplied by hunter

Togashi has been known to go dark but on this one he outdid himself. Theres so much complexity going around and its a rare moment that I have no idea what the frick is going to happen.

Going from "Stands are psychic manifestations of your powers that only other stand users can see" to "Nen beasts are psychic manifestations of your powers that have wills all their own, you can't see them, but everyone else can" is such a wild inversion of that idea.

The Succession War feels like Togashi having the sheer gall to say "I know the Chimera Ant arc is widely considered the best shounen arc of all time, how can I one-up it?"

this arc is fucking insane. The fact that the previous arc serves to set up this current one, but turns out to only a set up a FRACTION of what’s actually going on in the damn boat is insane.

Dark continent is currently just a dream, considering that Togashi is already 60 years old and often sick

Quick correction, Theta is not a "real" hunter, shes on Tserri's payroll and got a Provisional-only license so Tserri can have 5 extra guards.  Shes only sabotaging Tserri because she has a normal moral compass

19:40 Just because it's a common misconception. Primarily cause the single time the Dark Continent is mentioned in the anime. They make it seem like it's a different isolated landmass. The entire world of HunterxHunter that humans inhabit is actually just a lake. In the middle of the Dark Continent. The Dark Continent completely surrounds the human world. The boat is just going to a landmass closer to the shore of the lake. Not actually directly to the Dark Continent. The world of HunterxHunter is huge.

You can smile again

Let me tell you about why this arc is good. One of the common POV characters is a Phantom Troupe super fan who really wants to get their autographs but understands it would be extremely unprofessional to fanboy out around them. It's an incredible bit to dedicate multiple chapters to. I hope he gets his autograph book.

It's insane how great of a villain Morena is, even though she's not even a part of the main plot.

Togashi, when he's fueled up with music and motivation, can create satisfying storylines with more moving parts than nearly any other mangaka. There are always bits that you think are just worldbuilding that end up being integral to the plot in a totally unexpected way. Add that to the lenses through which the hundreds(not joking) of characters see the world, and the ways in which they inform us about the underlying logic of the power system. It's just impossible to look away. It's to the point where the precision of the translation is scrutinized to understand the underlying logic of nen abilities and their owners. I just love it so much