HUNTER×HUNTER has been popular for nearly 20 years since its serialization began in 1999, and of the many long stories, the Chimera Ant Arc is undoubtedly the most highly acclaimed. With the appearance of many popular characters and epic battle scenes on a scale unimaginable in previous stories, as well as an unbelievable ending, it would take a long time just to talk about the Chimera Ant Arc. In this article, we will take a thorough look at just how interesting the Chimera Ant Arc is!!
What is the Chimera Ant Arc about?
First, as basic knowledge, I would like to introduce the general plot of the "Chimera Ant arc".
The legs of a gigantic queen ant are suddenly discovered
The Chimera Ant arc begins with the sudden discovery of the legs of a gigantic queen of Chimera Ants.
An enemy on a completely different level than ever before!
The legs of the discovered Chimera Ant Queen were incredibly large compared to the size of Chimera Ants seen so far. Gon, Killua, and Kite realized the danger of these Chimera Ants, and even after Kite was captured by the Chimera Ants, he worked hard with the veteran warriors of the Hunter Association to destroy the Chimera Ants.
Royal Guard
The Chimera Ants are a formidable foe, but the Chimera Ant extermination squad, including Gon and Killua, will have a hard time against the three members of the Royal Guard: Pofu, Pitou, and Youpi.
Birth of the King
As the damage caused by the Chimera Ants steadily spreads, the Queen, who has been eating many humans and storing up nutrients, finally gives birth to Meruem, the King of the Chimera Ants, who is known as the strongest enemy. Will humanity be able to defeat this enemy with overwhelming power?
The main characters are the Chimera Ants! ?
In the "Chimera Ant Arc," we can see many of the ingenious ideas of author Yoshihiro Togashi, but the most notable of all is how he portrays the villains, the "Chimera Ants," as if they were the main characters.
Growth of the Chimera Ants
If you watch the "Chimera Ant Arc", you'll understand that the story focuses on the Chimera Ants, who grow by interacting with humans and continue to evolve into even stronger enemies, rather than the main characters Gon and Killua.
A parade of filthy people
And many of the human characters, who should be on the side of justice, are filthy, which makes you wonder, "Are the humans really the ones who are in the right?"
Meruem's Growth
The most obvious example of this twisted position between the humans and the enemies is Meruem's growth. By interacting with Komugi, he acquires the dignity and good sense of a king, but on the other hand, an attack by the Hunter Association side causes Komugi, who is unrelated to the Chimera Ants, to be seriously injured, making you think, "Hey, aren't they doing it the other way around?"
The Chimera Ants are more attractive! ?
Another point is that Yoshihiro Togashi is particular about the design of the "Chimera Ants." The "Chimera Ants" that appear in the story are all very attractive characters, so they are particularly popular, and this is one of the reasons why the "Chimera Ant Arc" is still popular today.
Many popular characters
In particular, there are many popular characters among the Chimera Ants, such as Meruem, the "number one Chimera Ant" who you would want as your boss, and Neferpitou, who is also known as the strongest heroine of HUNTER×HUNTER.
Chimera Ants and psychological depictions
In the "Chimera Ant Arc," the psychological depictions of the characters on the Chimera Ant side are depicted more than those on the Hunter Association side, so that readers are designed to empathize with the Chimera Ants.
Which side is evil?
So why did author Yoshihiro Togashi make readers empathize with the Chimera Ants so much?
Twisted composition
Obviously, the Chimera Ants are originally the enemy, and justice should be on the side of humans, but by deliberately reversing their positions, perhaps it has become possible to present a deeper theme that has not been experienced in traditional shounen manga?
Gon as a villain
With this in mind, Gon is portrayed as a villain in the Chimera Ant arc. He is portrayed as a threat to the life of Komugi, who has nothing to do with the Chimera Ants, and is portrayed as a "villain protagonist" that has never been seen in a shonen manga before.
Hero Meruem and heroine Komugi
In the "Chimera Ant Arc," instead of the pure protagonist Gon, the story is told of the kind king Meruem and his heroine Komugi. Many readers were surprised by this unique approach that had never been seen before.
The "nuclear bomb" is a "shounen manga taboo"
And the most shocking element of the "Chimera Ant Arc" is undoubtedly the fact that Meruem, the king of the Chimera Ants, was killed by a "shounen manga taboo" called a nuclear bomb.
The strongest character in the series doesn't work
In the face of the overwhelming difference in strength, Meruem, the king of the Chimera Ants, was unable to even keep Netero, one of the most powerful characters in the series, close. This left many readers in despair.
The limits of humanity
In the "Chimera Ant Arc," even Netero, one of the most skilled Hunters, was no match for the Chimera Ants, and the result was a reminder of the limits of a human's individual fighting power.
Togashi-sensei's spectacular question
However, the reason why humans have risen to the top of the ecosystem in this world is not because they have high individual combat power. Humans have brains superior to other living things, and with the flip of a switch they can easily create weapons that can rewrite the world map. Their "bottomless malice" is their greatest weapon. This is the epic question that Togashi-sensei raised in "Weekly Shonen Jump"!! This is the terrifying thing about Togashi-sensei, and it can also be said that it is his unique compositional ability that other manga artists cannot do.
Rose poison and radiation damage
In the story, it is gently described as "rose poison", but this "rose poison" is clearly "radiation damage caused by a nuclear bomb". Although it was not possible to use this keyword in Japan, the only country to have been hit by an atomic bomb, the setting shows Togashi's strong determination that the only way to express the message he wanted to convey was to use "radiation damage".
The hottest episode in "HUNTER×HUNTER"! !
I still haven't talked enough about the amazing things about the "Chimera Ant Arc", but I'd like to summarize the "amazing things about the Chimera Ant Arc" that I introduced in this article.
The composition and depiction are all top-notch!!
In the "Chimera Ant Arc", the protagonist and the Chimera Ant side are suddenly swapped, creating an incredible structure, and the depiction of each and every one of the deformed monsters gives them a human touch. All of these aspects stand out even when compared to the long episodes of HUNTER×HUNTER.
An ending that can only be seen in HUNTER×HUNTER! !
It is also the only feature-length film with the ridiculous ending of "defeating the enemy with a small nuclear bomb," and it can be said that this is a unique ending that can only be seen in the "Chimera Ant Arc."
It's worth watching! !
In a word, "You should definitely watch the Chimera Ant arc because it's worth it!" ! This episode is worth watching just to see the ultimate ending that can only be experienced in HUNTER×HUNTER.
I can't wait for the Dark Continent arc! !
The "Chimera Ant Arc" ended with a spectacular finale, but the "Dark Continent Arc" is currently underway. This arc will no doubt be just as great as the "Chimera Ant Arc"! I'm looking forward to the Dark Continent Arc now! !
Summary
As we have explained so far, anyone who has watched HUNTER×HUNTER once will undoubtedly agree that the "Chimera Ant Arc" is the hottest episode. This episode also gives a glimpse of many divine elements, such as Togashi-sensei's outstanding "composition skills" and the "boldness" of not being afraid to plunge into the taboos of shounen manga, and is truly worthy of being called the best episode of HUNTER×HUNTER.
