DBZeta Watch: 1999 Hunter x Hunter (Plus the Yorkshin OVA)

[Captain Cadaver]

I'd propose we watch and post our thoughts on the last two episodes of the tv airing tomorrow and then divide the Yorknew OVA evenly with the standard 4 episodes per day quota.

Episode 57 - Reducing the Gyo searching at the flea market to a montage rather than spending too long on it provides this anime with one of the few instances of being better paced than its 2011 counterpart. For the rest of the episode, however, the pacing is better in 2011 with the examination of forgery techniques as well as Zepile's analysis of Gon being condensed down to two scenes rather than an extra one needing to be added, not to mention his wording and focus on analysing what Gon considers right and wrong is far more relevant for future events in the newer version. I do prefer the background of the restaurant in the '99 version though, plus the cameo of Milluki. Overall, not too much difference in quality between both versions, though I'll give the 2011 anime a slight edge here.
Also, aside from the aspects of Gon's morality I've already covered in this thread, it's interesting to note how the design of Zepile's forged work seems similar to the Seed Urn used by the Kakin in the current arc of the manga.

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Episode 58 - Not much to comment on in differences beyond animation and colour. The 1999 version is better animated for the most part with things such as Killua fighting Phinks as well as how Nobunaga's eye turns to Killua's direction (not to mention the detail of the shadows and shading on him changing fluidly as well with realism digital art can seldom replicate) as well as the evening setting offering far more contrasts in shades. I will say 2011 has its merits though such as the angle for Gon and Killua's reaction as well as having better animation for their retreating dash and the choices of ost and when to use music being better fitting for the scene of Killua and Gon's presence being noted by Nobunaga.
One major difference that makes the 1999 version superior though is the scene of Kurapika after returning to the Nostrade group and showcasing him reciting what seems to be a Kurta prayer of sorts as a reminder of why he needs to commit bloodshed as he did on Uvo. Basho's rage at Light Yagami Nostrade's attitude is also a lot more subdued here, though I do prefer Squala not showcasing his anger in the 2011 anime as he'd obviously be more professional in dealing with Nostrade and wouldn't openly show his clenched fist.

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Episode 59 - During the interrogation, the 2011 version was more thorough in its dialogue with Nobunaga questioning if Killua's Nen master could be the chain user. Showing Pakunoda placing her hand on Killua before the reveal of her ability also worked better sequentially. One advantage the 1999 version had over it, however, was clearly showing Machi activate her thread to make it more apparent to Gon how deadly her hold over him would be.
For the scenes of Gon and Killua at the Troupe's hideout, I'd say the arm wrestling was slightly better in the 2011 version, though this anime made the scene of Franklin talking about Uvogin and Nobunaga more engaging by having him take a walk with Shizuku. It does seem a bit odd and ironic that the '99 anime went harder into the comedic aspect of Machi being forced to team up with Hisoka when it's renowned for lessening the light tones compared to the 2011 version. This version of the anime had a better presentation of Killua's fear, and it's pretty interesting it used new footage to display Illumi's control over Killua. The escape through the wall break was better animated in the 2011 anime though.
Comparisons aside, the display of the Spiders in this episode is a very important one in understanding them as a group as well as how this ties into Chrollo's character with the idea of arguments being forbidden and coin tosses being used to prevent them, showing how much Chrollo desires unity in the group that's very much his identity. Nobunaga's sympathetic moment of crying over Uvogin also helps them present themselves as more than the standard Shonen bad guy group and with them having genuine care for each other, a trait which at that point (though to a lesser extent) had only really been present in battle Shonen with the Juppongatana from Rurouni Kenshin.

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Episode 60 - The colour palette for the scene with the hired assassins as well as Zenji confronting Light are far more varied and vibrant here than the 2011 version, though I'd say the newer version executed the latter scene better due to Kurapika reacting before Zenji had a chance to hit Light (as should be expected). The scenes with Neon are better in the 2011 version though due to Chrollo's face being drawn more consistently in that and making it instantly clear to the audience who he is despite his disguise, as well as the flow of the scenes leading up to them meeting being better.

They'd essentially have agreed upon this non-verbally, so Nobunaga falling for it and not sensing any deceit in their loud ass voices is fairly dumb. I would've probably fallen for the same thing, but hey, I'm not a Nen user or expert swordsman. Would be a lot better at detecting lies and shifts in one's emotions if I were.

To be fair, Nobunaga warns them he's not skilled enough to hold back his effort and his mental state wouldn't be as focused as some of the other Troupe members with how hard he took Uvo's death. That, and they were out of range of his En.

 

[Papasmurf]

Ok, sounds good. I'd say we should both rate the Yorknew arc only after we watch the OVA continuation, since to rate off the TV broadcast alone would be like rating Stardust Crusaders on just the first season of Part 3.

 

[Papasmurf]

So, here's my review for the final 2 episodes of the TV broadcast. I obviously won't be rating the arc until I rewatch the 8-episode Yorknew OVA, and I feel it's best to hold off on my rating of the whole series until that rewatch is complete for reasons I'll explain below:

Episode 61 - There's something about 1999's dark and gloomy atmosphere that fits this arc perfectly. Everything else about the episode is flawless, except the obvious "what if this happened in real life" type of questions one would have. With half the whole city in a state of war, it's a little unrealistic that Gon, Killua, Leorio and Kurapika have time to connect a phone call, and there's no attempt to evacuate the city. With 2000 dead by the end of the night, you'd think whoever was Yorkshin's mayor or governor or whatever would've declared a state of emergency and deployed the army with 2000 mafia members being killed off. That being said, the good in this episode far outweighs the bad. The animation in the scene where Chrollo directs the requiem for Uvo's death, as well as some of the animations of Mafia gunmen getting killed off - all completely spot-on. I guess this is where all the budget they were cutting with that one badly animated episode involving Zeppile went. Fitting since this episode leads directly to the finale.

I can't remember if this happened in the manga, but the scene where Kurapika avoids bullets fired off by that one gunman that Shalnark was controlling brings up an interesting point about Kurapika's rapid Nen mastery - it's still apparently lacking, considering that even Dalzollene was able to shrug ouff 10 guns with his aura up. I guess even though with red eyes active Kurapika's Enhancement is a notch far above the other Nen using bodyguards of Neon's, without it he's as vulnerable as any mediocre Conjurer. Interesting stuff, although I might be looking a little too deep into it.

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Episode 62 - The animation in the fight scene between Chrollo and the Zoldycks is entirely better in this version. There's literally nothing I can criticize about it. Between the fluidity of movement, the detail of the characters, and the shiny effects accompanying Silva's special attack, it's all flawless. Then after the big finish of the fight, we see some good voicework in the 10 Don that Illumi murdered along with the other 9 sounding very soulless when he announces that the Spider leader has been killed. That bald midget with a short temper is a little bitch and got what was coming to him. Too bad he didn't get killed. Interesting that we see Shizuku alive and well in the auction when they were scamming Mafia Dons for their bids, yet we see her fake corpse a little before this time. Guess even the anime writers thought that it was too obvious to be a "spoiler." I like the 4 minute montage playing to the tune of The Sun Still Shines At Night, because focusing on the rest of the 4-man team as Kurapika's "light" so to speak shows a fine contrast with how he's been the entire time since he learned Nen at the beginning of the arc. Also of interest is that the clip show only shows events of Kurapika's before the Yorknew arc, and that at the end of the clip show we see Kurapika being the first one to hold out his hand for the group high five. Again, adds to Kurapika's character, which the food fight scene with the bright atmosphere additionally foreshadows that revenge isn't Kurapika's end goal, his end goal is to be with his friends. Cool that Hisoka texting Kurapika that the corpses were fake allows for a more seamless transition into the 8-episode OVA.

And with that, my analysis of the TV broadcast of HxH 1999 is complete. I'll hold off rating this arc or the whole anime until we finish the OVA because the inclusion of the scene where Hisoka texts Kurapika (the first scene in the next episode iirc) shows the casual viewer is to continue onwards with the OVA immediately after they watch these final episodes.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Episode 61 - With the requiem for Uvogin, both versions have their strengths. Feitan and Phinks' killing sprees are presented a lot better in the 2011 anime, as is Pakunoda actually doing something and the general pacing and placement of the scene as the finale of the episode. This version does a better job at Machi's uses of her strings through more subtle movements, Chrollo's conduction having more fluid animation and more interesting cuts between Chrollo and the Troupe. Music-wise, I wouldn't say either version is better, since both do a great job in capturing the tone of the scene, though I'd probably give the 2011 an edge when it comes to music for the overall episode as the '99 theme of the Spiders isn't quite as fitting as a prelude to the requiem. Either way, it's a great scene in both versions in showing the emotion almost all the Troupe members have for Uvogin's death.
Outside of the requiem scene, a few other advantages this version has are some interesting camera angles when Kurapika and Light are walking down the corridor as well as the Indoor Fish's movements seeming less static. The 2011 anime was better when it came to the Zoldycks confronting Chrollo though as Silva making it apparent he ran into Chrollo when he killed one of the Spiders makes it more apparent why he knows Chrollo can steal Nen abilities as opposed to being something inferred.

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Episode 62 - Silva and Zeno VS Chrollo is significantly better animated here, as well as the dark room being more fitting of the scene. For the aftermath of the fight, the 2011 anime was better though with it being made apparent Kortopi can't replicate living beings, something that definitely need clarification in the '99 version as to not raise a lot of questions if one's first experience with the franchise was this series.
For the scenes with Kurapika, this version is better with the despair after his revenge plot was temporarily cut short being better presented as well as his smile at the end. It's a shame Leorio interacting with Zepile was removed though (the '99 series practically just treats him as a character of the week) as well as a few additional scenes displaying Kurapika "drowning in indescribable emptiness."

This is probably as good a time as any to talk about Kurapika's character in the arc. Compared to his Hunter Exam self, it's evident how much darker he's become when it came to his pursuit of revenge and general such as not caring at all about Dalzollene's death and making it apparent he intended to usurp his position at some point, with it being interesting how having enough conviction to place Judgement Chain on himself mirrors the conviction the Spiders have in their own loyalty and ideals (particularly shown through Uvogin's death). In particular, with Uvogin, it's worth noting how not only tying up and interrogating someone is something naturally associated with the villain of a story, but doing so to someone who earned their power as opposed to one who took a cheap route for a power up is something naturally associated with villains within Shonen. It also shows the bleak nature of revenge with Kurapika metaphorically and literally chaining himself down through it despite the option to forego it, which makes his happiness towards the end of this episode when reminded there is more to his life than pursuing revenge so significant, particular when being reminded of the joy of being with those he has close bonds with has on his decisions throughout the rest of the arc. The chains are also very much linked to this dark visage he puts on despite his naturally caring character when he is essentially trying to chain down his feelings of compassion to achieve his goal, something interesting when contrasting him to Chrollo having seemingly purged himself of most emotions beyond his desire for the Spider to live.

 

[Papasmurf]

Outside of the requiem scene, a few other advantages this version has are some interesting camera angles when Kurapika and Light are walking down the corridor as well as the Indoor Fish's movements seeming less static. The 2011 anime was better when it came to the Zoldycks confronting Chrollo though as Silva making it apparent he ran into Chrollo when he killed one of the Spiders makes it more apparent why he knows Chrollo can steal Nen abilities as opposed to being something inferred.

Killua already flashed back to Silva mentioning that he once killed a Troupe member and realized that the price on his head wasn't worth the trouble of facing such a powerful foe, though. The director probably expected the viewer to remember this fact.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

It still didn't show any confrontation between Silva and Chrollo though, making it at best heavily inferred. The omission of this extra bit of history is a disadvantage for the '99 version in comparison to the 2011 version as this leads into Silva noting Chrollo is stronger than last time, something that further drives in the nice reversal of Shonen tropes within the arc of the villains having earned their power through training whereas the protagonist (Kurapika) got his through a cheap power up.

 

[Papasmurf]

Episode 63 (I will number them as though they continue off the TV anime since they do) - Nice that the episode begins from Chrollo's perspective since like the only other great arc in Hunter (Chimera Ant), this arc sees the villains (Chrollo, Pakunoda) be the real MVPs in the plotline rather than just antagonists to be taken down. Hisoka popping that gay glowing boner to Chrollo's quick wit rather than just getting excited like in this anime's adaptation of Heavens Arena was a cool retention of the manga's more pervy depiction of Hisoka as well. Not much else to say, other than that it's neat how much this OVA keeps the general tone of the TV series (unlike the horrid Greed Island OVA continuations of this series}), although from this batch of episodes I can say it's yet to reach the same heights of animation and atmosphere that we saw in Episode 62.

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Episodes 64 and 65 - There appear to be two things worth noting in these episodes. The first is how much character induced stupidity seems to take place with Kurapika revealing functionally all the secrets of his Nen abilities to Gon despite the fact that he knows by this point that Pakunoda reads people's memories with a single touch, and how both he and Gon later jump out of the car when Pakunoda isn't alone - Chrollo and Shizuku are with her. Can't say this writing was good at all, especially when the Spiders already know Killua and Gon's faces. Why the hell would Kurapika risk having his ability, and the very specific vows and restrictions associated with it - discovered? Gon is characterized mostly as a stubborn mule and Killua made a pact to never betray his friends to his father, so the extra reveal really serves no purpose other than to endanger Kurapika further for cheap tension. Even without watching the remaining 5 episodes, it's painfully obvious that Pakunoda will discover these secrets in due time. Too bad I've already seen this OVA before so I know this for a fact

Chrollo forgetting that Neon was a body part collector, on the other hand, I can forgive when Kurapika's pictures aren't even on the Hunter website and Neon hardly spoke much about her weird ass hobbies to Chrollo during their brief date. Cool that we see just how determined Hisoka is to fight Chrollo to the death though, which adds more reason for the change we see in the 1999 version to his reaction upon discovering that Chrollo can never use his Nen abilities without having the Judgement Chain removed

It's also amusing how much this couple of episodes build up to Eliza's boyfriend's death, what with him carrying that tracker red eyes-duplicate and talking about taking care of dogs and Eliza at the same time, calling this his "last job" and such. RIP

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Episode 66 - Wtf? The faggots at Animixplay didn't upload the proper episode (this would be the 4th episode of the 8-part OVA), skipping straight to Episode 5 (67) where this episode would've been and repeating Episode 8/70 for both Episodes 7 and 8

Had to watch it on Youtube instead because of this. [mention]Captain Cadaver[/mention] [mention]ahill1[/mention] If you're going to watch Episode 4 of the OVA, don't watch it on Animixplay because it skips to episode 5 instead. Watch it instead on another anime site or Youtube.

That aside, here's the review for this episode :

So to no one's surprise, Skwala - or Eliza's boyfriend, or whatever we want to call the guy - gets diced up. RIP. Kind of strange that Pakunoda would bother preserving Skwala's memories of Eliza in her Memory Bomb shots, although to avoid answering that question with the meta answer of "they needed a little padding to arrive at the cliffhanger at the end of the episode," I'll just say it was the director's attempt to give more of a memorable send-off to this minor character. It's good that we have Melody calling Kurapika's chase reckless, since for someone who just infodumped the life-threatening mechanics of all his abilities, Kurapika's been acting uncharacteristically reckless with this chase. Rather than head straight for the hotel, what he should've done is confront Koltpi (a weakling with no notable fighting abilities), Pakunoda and Nobunaga and killed Pakunoda at the very least to avoid having his abilities discovered at any cost. I guess you can give him some slight leeway as the Troupe might kill their hostages if they lose one of their own, although to bank everything on a hardly-foolproof plan to kidnap Chrollo that hasn't even succeeded yet is a little idiotic by Kurapika's standards. Killing Pakunoda with only one capable combatant to protect her (and Nobunaga still seems below average by Ryodan standards) sounds a lot easier than kidnapping the Spiders' leader, too. That aside, using Leorio to get the cryptic message of a power outage at 7 PM was smart.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Episode 63 - Omitting Gon's desire to learn about the secret of Kurapika is a shame. It doesn't affect much in terms of foreshadowing when the original anime didn't adapt the Chimera Ant Arc, but Gon's motive of wanting to know to get stronger does offer Kurapika an additional incentive to reveal his secret. It's also a shame Kurapika's design lost the matured aspects it had during the last 6 episodes of the TV airing.
For the scenes with the Phantom Troupe, the direction was better than the 2011 anime including some differences that offer more interesting camera directions such as Nobunaga attacking Hisoka from below as opposed to a levelled playing field, though the skimming over some dialogue makes the Troupe's examination of the prophecy less thorough such as removing some points that show Shizuku can be very analytical despite her ditsy nature. That's not to say all the dialogue from the manga needed to be retained though, considering Chrollo asking Nobunaga for details he already knew comes off as cheap exposition in the 2011 version. On the subject of direction, I also prefer Hisoka's moments in this version such as the animation of Texture Surprise changing the text or the way he licks his lips.

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Episode 64 - Not much to say in terms of changes beyond the 2011 version presenting a greater sense of the comradery in Gon's group. It's quite strange this version would add Gon saying that he'd rather die than let his friends down when considering his most dubious decision in the Hunter Exam (stealing Ponzu's badge for Leorio) was completely scrapped in this version despite being a good example of how far he's willing to go.
It also seems odd that a lot of the prophecies for the Troupe would be skipped over. I can understand Shizuku's not being included for time, though Pakunoda's is pretty important for the finale of the arc. One small thing this version did better though was the art and animation for the small glimpse of Meteor City.
Giving more breathing room between the presentation of some of Squala's core character traits and his death almost made up for lacking some of the earlier establishing of his 2011 counterpart, though that version still did a better job presenting his relationship with Eliza than an off-hand mention. The scene of his dog opening the door was better animated here at least.
One thing that's become apparent as to why I prefer the colour palette for the Troupe members' designs in the 2011 version is the end of this episode. Bar Hisoka, most of them have very dark attire in the older anime which lessens their variation and distinctiveness when compared to the 2011 anime. I will say that one aspect this episode had a solid lead in though was pacing, surprisingly running through events at a faster pace and with a better sequence of events than episodes 55 and 56 of the newer anime.

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Episode 65 - Not that much to say in terms of differences. Killua meeting Melody goes at a faster and better pace in the 2011 version, though the slower pace for the entirety of this anime is one of the few instances of it benefitting the episode with greater atmosphere and uses of sound to ramp up the tension. Also, the animation of the Spiders running on the wall (not sure if Togashi intended on that to live up to their name ) is far better animated here, though them being shown in a typical high speed background here was one comparative flaw.
This version offers a conversation between Squala and Eliza that seems to imply he proposed or at least said something loving. This would help elevated Squala's character above his 2011 self if not for the placement of it being just before his death making it feel a bit too last-moment. Also, Gon's brief encounter with the Troupe is better in the 2011 version due to Machi and Shizuku immediately using Gyo rather than waiting until Chrollo tells them, showing their 2011 selves as more professional and alert.

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Episode 66 - I prefer Chrollo's reveal of his motives slightly more in the 2011 version with more motions such as him tilting his head up. In both versions though, it's a great scene that shows Chrollo's ideals with the Spiders to find meaning and identity through this organisation (something his Nen ability alludes to when it has him stealing the skills of others due to lacking any identity himself).
For Squala's death, I also prefer the 2011 anime. Showing Nobunaga and co. chasing him wasn't really that necessary when we know how they'd track him and Leorio commenting on the traffic was enough to infer Squala couldn't escape in his car. Him having his entire head decapitated and being able to see his expression is also better than having half of it cut, not to mention the detail of it bouncing on the car. The 2011 version also does the scene with Pakunoda's Memory Bomb better by not spending as long recycling used footage.
Comparisons aside and going back to Chrollo's pondering of his own goal, it's very interesting to note how this moment makes it apparent how his and Kurapika's goals parralel each other. Chrollo has happiness within the Spiders and is seeking meaning beyond the relationships he's gained, whereas Kurapika has a goal he's working towards (revenge) and is searching for happiness; something he has glimpses of such as when seeing his friends in the park, yet something he won't gain as a whole on his current path.

Had to watch it on Youtube instead because of this. @Captain Cadaver @ahill1 If you're going to watch Episode 4 of the OVA, don't watch it on Animixplay because it skips to episode 5 instead. Watch it instead on another anime site or Youtube.

Was going to warn you about this. Also had problems with episode 1 that just stopped at 15m for me (though that could've just been an individual problem) and I had to watch both of these episodes on Thewatchcartoononline instead.

 

[Papasmurf]

I had the same issue with Episode 1 as well. Would report this to the webmasters of Animixplay if I actually cared too much about Hunter x Hunter

 

[Papasmurf]

So, I finished tonight's batch of episodes.

Episode 67 - It's quite astounding just how much this one episode develops Pakunoda far beyond her manga/2011 counterpart. While we see her brainstorming her next move in all 3 versions, in this version we see far more montage of Pakunoda's past and her seemingly unrequited feelings toward Chrollo. Very nice touch to say the least, and I entirely approve of their decision to put Pakunoda in almost the same situation as Kurapika (e.g. the position of a "villainous" protagonist committing altruistic acts for the good of her Troupe). It's also cool that this montage of internal monologues from Pakunoda run parallel to Kurapika later flashing back to his friend from the Kurta tribe. Additionally of note is that they finally reveal the contents of Pakunoda's prophecy.

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Episode 68 - Not much to say about this episode seeing as it follows the manga more to the letter like the 2011 anime - it doesn't do anything wrong, but it doesn't really break any records either. Good that they pan close to the reverse cross Shizuku wears on her neck as if to show all the girls in the Phantom Troupe totally want that Danchou D.

Kurapika beating the shit out of Chrollo is also way better than him just punching him once like in the 2011 anime.

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Episode 69 - Again, an episode done entirely better than the manga and 2011. Kurapika's indecision and painful backs and forths between choosing revenge or the safety of his friends are illustrated to a new level here.

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Episode 70 (finale) - This episode I've seen many, many times over the years since I first watched this OVA back in 2015 or '16 or so. Needless to say, it's a legendary episode by Hunter standards. Everything about it is spot on and expands upon the manga perfectly. With Hisoka recently literally returning from the dead with his O my rubber Nen asspull just to fight Chrollo again, enlisting the help of a Nen exorcist in Greed Island, taking Chrollo's name in the hopes that somebody would notice him and help out, and even spending the entirety of the Ant arc chasing after Chrollo now that he's been exorcised, this "faggot dance" of Hisoka's fits his character far, far better than him just walking away the moment that Chrollo reveals he can't use his Nen - when he knows for a fact that deceit is part of a Spider's MO. I am additionally floored by how much they put emphasis on Pakunoda's dubious morality, and the conflicting but resolute and selfless desire to sacrifice herself for the sake of Chrollo and her teammates. Whereas the manga and 2011 anime only just see Pakunoda looking at the kittens for a moment/panel, here we see the cat equivalent of Chrollo in that black cat that was the leader of their pack, with the kitten that jumped into Pakunoda's lap returning happily to its tribe the way Pakunoda wants to return to her Troupe. The slow dramatization of the Judgement Chain closing in on Pakunoda as she resolutely chooses death over putting her comrades in more danger is, again, entirely better and more impactful than the manga and 2011, where she just has one line of monologue while dropping dead.

Also gotta love how Chrollo recites the contents of his prophecy one more time, rather than the OVA needlessly ending on the Greed Island auction and only having Chrollo recite "The east..." in his head during the more appropriate scene for ending this saga.

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So with this, our watch of 1999 HxH is complete. I would've rated the pre-OVA portions of this arc a 7 or 7.5/10 because the animation wasn't as consistent as the OVA batch and we still had some filler at the beginning, and the 1999 TV Anime as a whole about a 6 or 6.5, but since the TV broadcast forebodingly ended with Hisoka informing Kurapika that the corpses were fake, and this OVA is clearly meant to be watched by people who completed the 62 episode show, it'd be unfair to judge the anime by itself without taking the OVA into account. For the OVA portions, I'd gladly give an 8/10 - while I didn't like Kurapika's more questionable decisions, and there was a small flaw in that Pakunoda's delivery of that peon Squala's memories was a little dragged out, the OVA lives up to its hype and entirely improves upon the manga in most ways. As such, and for containing a character development-rich ending, I'd give the entirety of the Phantom Troupe arc an 8/10 - better than the 2011 anime and the manga. With the OVA and the rest of the TV series combined though, I can't give more than a 6.5~7/10 because 8 episodes of goodness after a mediocre first arc and highly questionable changes in the Heavens Arena arc can't upset the mediocrity of certain portions that came prior.

I'm done with this rewatch seeing as I have no intentions whatsoever of watching the Greed Island OVAs, so let's just leave this thread open for Ahill to comment on if he catches up to us at some point [mention]Captain Cadaver[/mention]

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Episode 67 - For the lobby scene that most of this episode covers, I'd say the 2011 anime did it better. Not only does the faster pace work better for a sequence of events that amounted to a few seconds at most, but the '99 anime's aftermath of Pakunoda's thoughts also eats up more time on a montage of her thoughts that entirely reuses older footage. Also, the 2011 version having that anime's 1st ending song play on the radio was a nice easter egg not present here.
I wouldn't really say this version does a vastly superior job at Pakunoda's characterisation though, considering all versions accomplish the same goal of making it apparent what her background is as well as how she puts Chrollo's life above the Spider. I'd say it does this slightly better than the 2011 anime, though it's not as though there aren't subtle cues on her feelings in that.
Comparisons aside, this sequence of the arc is one that definitely presented it as more focused on tactics and strategy rather than appealing to the standard Shonen formula for battles, adding some realism to Chrollo's swift capture.

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Episode 68 - I'd say its art was somewhat better than the 2011 version bar one close up on Kurapika where his hair pretty much blends into the car's background beyond the lines due to the colouration. Not much to compare beyond that other than the better pacing of the 2011 version, and perhaps Leorio stopping Kurapika punching Chrollo happening quicker in the 2011 version being better with Leorio immediately knowing Kurapika may go too far.
For both versions though, the episode is great in presenting the differing thoughts of the Troupe when it comes to valuing Chrollo or the Spiders more and their individual reasoning; for instance, Phinks, Shalnark and Feitan being in agreement of killing Kurapika with the latter two doing so for pragmatic reasons whereas Phinks just wants revenge. Chrollo's conversation with Kurapika is a great scene of showing how much stock he puts in his belief of determinism/fatalism that the prophecy foretold as well as calmly being able to analyse Kurapika's character flaw.

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Episode 69 - The background for the scene where Kurapika meets Pakunoda was a lot more vibrant in this version, and the animation of Judgement Chain wrapping around her and Chrollo's hearts was better animated here too. I also preferred the atmosphere and art during the Spiders' argument and Gon weighing in on things in this version, though the pacing was obviously better in the 2011 anime.
Leaving aside comparisons, of which there aren't many important differences this episode, the stand-out parts of the episode in both versions would include Kurapika's conflict in Pakunoda's actions through it showing him the Spiders aren't as heartless as he imagined as well as the internal argument making it apparent the variation in motives and priorities of the Troupe. I made mention of them sharing similar elements to the Juppongatana from Rurouni Kenshin (an apt benchmark when considering the director here), but what elevates the Troupe above them as stand-out Shonen villains and a villainous organisation isn't just the elements of comradery and emotion they share but the fact that their leader isn't the be-all or end-all for them. Whereas most Shonen villains will control their faction as their supreme head either through fear (Freeza, Raoh, etc.) or charisma (Dio, Shishio, etc.), it's made apparent Chrollo himself isn't as important as what he represents through the Spider, and what the group means to its members varies and allows them to stand out as individuals.

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Episode 70 - The slight morphing of the face of Hisoka's double in this version is far too transparent compared to its 2011 self to the point the Troupe would have to all be blind to not notice something was wrong. Speaking of Hisoka, I far prefer the quick reaction to him hearing Chrollo can't use Nen as well as his more casual attitude afterward in the 2011 anime to here. Having such a quick reaction to it is fitting with how much of an anticlimax (though a necessary one) the Yorknew Arc has when speaking purely of the Shonen formula and Hisoka would have no real reason to doubt when he has a decent idea of how capable Kurapika is. The more depressed look he has afterward in the '99 anime also seems unfitting for a character who mainly lives in the moment and wanted to fight Chrollo purely because he's challenging rather than a deeper reason.
One improvement in this episode of the anime is the extension of Pakunoda meeting the cat and seeing a cat group with a leader, further strengthening her resolve to sacrifice herself. For Pakunoda's sacrifice itself though, I'd say the 2011 anime did it better due to the music and pacing of the scene; with all the bullets being fired simultaneously making them all hit the founding members at once more realistic, as is Judgement Chain's effect occuring immediately rather than being dramatically drawn out and not as much time is spent reusing animation for the relayed information.

There is the closing episode of the arc lumped into the Greed Island OVA, but I've seen enough of this series to cut off here and present my thoughts on this arc.

Though there had been hints and moments before it, the Yorknew Arc is what truly defined HxH as being a step above most Shonen by presenting a very morally grey story through both the dark aspects of Kurapika's vengeful path as well as the Phantom Troupe as having understandable motives with their circumstances providing them meaning and belonging through their organisation and overall presenting great comradery and individuality seldom offered to many villainous groups with multiple members. Along with a mafia plot line to act as a catalyst of the arc and presenting unique and realistic turns in its plot, it truly did have a style and substance for its story not many Shonen can offer as well as perhaps the closest an action-adventure Shonen series has to displaying elements of a good crime drama, not to mention it being interesting how the idea of honour in the mafia lines up with the Troupe's own morality.
It's far from perfect, however, due to the effect Contracts have on the world as a whole. Emperor Time does cheapen the strategic element somewhat when Kurapika can conveniently control all types of Nen at 100% through it if facing a Spider, though Togashi avoided it becoming a huge problem with the plot through the Nen abilities of the troupe as well as Gon and Killua's involvement in the arc making getting into the position very much a game of chess.
To summarise, the Yorknew City Arc does an excellent job creating and developing characters, having an intricate and smart plot as well as some interesting cases of narrative symmetry/parallels, symbolism and inversions (not to mention foreshadowing) to the point it's undoubtedly one of the best arcs in Shonen and probably the most solidly written in the series or in Togashi's career, even if I'd say the Chimera Ant Arc reaches greater peaks when it comes to character writing and theme exploration. Easily an 8/10 in both versions.

As for comparing which of these is the superior version, the 1999 anime has better animation, background colouration and direction more often than not. However, it's missing some nice character moments and more clarity in its plot's sequences present in the 2011 version as well as some questionable filler scenes involving Killua to the point I'd be hard-pressed to parrot the common opinion that the 1999 version is superior. At best, I'd say the two are equal in quality and at worst, I'd say the 1999 version is a tad inferior as a whole.
Will mention a few more thoughts on the series as a whole in the thread appropriate for rating it, but it's pretty obvious my stance is that the 2011 version of the anime was far better as a whole than its predecessor, with some select moments from the 1999 Yorknew Arc being the only thing that would warrant me revisiting this in the future.

 

[Papasmurf]

[mention]Captain Cadaver[/mention] What character moments would you say this version is missing, aside from the Chrollo and Silva thing you mentioned a while back (which I can't say I agree with when Chrollo takes the cheapest possible route in gaining power by stealing other people's abilities through lies)?

 

[SSJ2]

[mention]Kenshi[/mention] unfortunately if you don't watch Greed Island a minimum of 8x you will be banned and arrested.

 

[Papasmurf]

 

[Captain Cadaver]

What character moments would you say this version is missing,

- The Troupe covering their ears before Uvogin screams to beat Porcupine, showing how well they know his thought process.
- Shalnark warning Uvogin to be careful, showing some genuine concern that the 1999 version brushes over for the most part when it comes to his characterisation.
- Zepile pretty much being removed from the arc after his debut.
- Nobunaga being more thorough in his interrogation of Killua, not ruling out the possibility of his Nen master being the chain user.
- Display of Pakunoda's fortune, foreshadowing her role in the climax of the arc.

which I can't say I agree with when Chrollo takes the cheapest possible route in gaining power by stealing other people's abilities through lies?

Chrollo still became stronger with Nen in general rather than just borrowed abilities and still required great base capabilities to pull off his theft as well as understanding of their abilities to use them effectively, as opposed to Kurapika who's strength compared to expert Nen users came entirely from taking the cheap route.

 

[Papasmurf]

What character moments would you say this version is missing,

- The Troupe covering their ears before Uvogin screams to beat Porcupine, showing how well they know his thought process.
- Shalnark warning Uvogin to be careful, showing some genuine concern that the 1999 version brushes over for the most part when it comes to his characterisation.
- Zepile pretty much being removed from the arc after his debut.
- Nobunaga being more thorough in his interrogation of Killua, not ruling out the possibility of his Nen master being the chain user.
- Display of Pakunoda's fortune, foreshadowing her role in the climax of the arc.

Most of that shit is minor shit though, too minor to call them legit "character moments" (it'd be like nitpicking small shit like Sojiro rather than the more intelligent Houji being the one to suggest raiding Okina's inn in the Kenshin manga and not in the anime), plus since the OVA only extended to the pre-Greed Island auction portions (making Zeppile's reappearance unnecessary) and Pakunoda's fortune was told in her monologue anyway when explaining her whole thought process and her feelings toward Chrollo, most of your complaints aren't even legit. Not only that, most of the Nen users they dealt with were weaklings like the Shadow Beasts (they had no idea someone with Emperor Time/Red Eyes was targeting them), it's natural for the Troupe members to not take Uvogin stomping them all that seriously. No offense, but it seems like you gravitate more toward the 2011 version because that's the one you saw first; your reasoning is pretty flimsy and I can counter it with battles that were the highlights of the Yorkshin arc such as Kurapika vs. Uvogin and Chrollo vs. Zoldycks being entirely better executed and animated in the 1999 version than in the 2011 version. I don't prefer 1999 by a landslide like I would with 1997 Berserk vs. the Golden Age trilogy, but 1999 is the better animated and more emotional of the two versions.

Plus, Pakunoda's death was much more emotional with the slow-moving dread of the Judgment Chain and her having more reason to sacrifice herself with the BOSS CAT scene in the Yorkshin OVAs than in the 2011 anime which translated everything from the manga too directly instead of expanding on Pakunoda's thought process. The 2011 version is more or less just a direct adaptation of the manga (barring moments of censorship), while the 1999 anime added its own flavor and improved upon it imo.

which I can't say I agree with when Chrollo takes the cheapest possible route in gaining power by stealing other people's abilities through lies?

Chrollo still became stronger with Nen in general rather than just borrowed abilities and still required great base capabilities to pull off his theft as well as understanding of their abilities to use them effectively, as opposed to Kurapika who's strength compared to expert Nen users came entirely from taking the cheap route.

Kurapika still has to strain himself to the point of losing part of his lifespan each time he activates Emperor Time (which was explained in the Dark Continent/Succession arc, but still), has passed out as a result of it before, and his abilities that don't require Emperor Time usually have his life on the line if he targets someone outside the Troupe. Yes it's a shortcut to power, but it's not completely cheap. Chrollo gaining haxed abilities like Sun and Moon on the other hand required no effort.

 

[Papasmurf]

@[mention]ahill1[/mention] You ever gonna finish this forum watch? Lol

 

[ahill1]

When I finish One Piece :OP:

 

[Papasmurf]

When I finish One Piece :OP:

So One Piece >> Hunter x Hunter eh?

 

[ahill1]

When I finish One Piece :OP:

So One Piece >> Hunter x Hunter eh?

When you don't want to think too hard to comprehend the story and wants more so to pass time, yeah