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Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Hunter × Hunter is one of the greatest anime series ever made. It probably ranks somewhere in the top 25 anime series of all time. I watched the anime series, and it starts off a little slow, but if you stick with it, you’ll enjoy it. It is that good. The anime follows Gon Freecss as he embarks on a journey to become a hunter and find his deadbeat father, Ging Freecss. Through the anime, Gon meets a variety of characters such as Killua Zoldyck, a member of the infamous Zoldyck family; Leorio, an aspiring physician who wants the financial backing of the Hunters; and finally Kurapika, the last known survivor of the Kurta clan, who is on a mission to seek and destroy the Phantom Troupe, a group who slaughtered his people.
One of the arcs in the series deals with Kurapika and the Phantom Troupe. The arc is the third season of the series and comprises around 20 episodes. The arc is okay, as you want to see more of the group, but it feels like they are here and then gone. You may want to see more of them, but they show up once in a blue moon in the series. It felt like the story focused on this arc and then moved on quickly. I was excited to see a movie adaptation of this anime, and it would focus on the Phantom Troupe. Honestly, it was like the TV show and really didn’t feature the group.
The film starts with Killua having a nightmare about his creepy ass brother, Illumi, who tells him to never make friends because they will betray him. Dude has some serious issues as an older brother. Killua wakes up and sees his homie Gon passed out on an airship, and remembers that Gon promised to never betray him. Gon is a real one. When the pair arrives at their destination, they meet Leorio, who tells them that he and Kurapika were investigating a rumor that a survivor of the Kurta Clan had been found. Kurapika and Leorio meet a young boy named Pairo, a childhood friend of Kurapika’s. Shit hits the fan when Pairo attacks him and steals his eyes. When Kurapika awakens with the others, he sees, through his stolen eyes, a man with the Phantom Troupe.
Yayyyy!! We get some Phantom Troupe. With the details, Gon and Killua suit up and search for Pairo’s location. Gon, who is the nicest person in the world, meets and befriends a young girl dressed as a boy named Retsu, a puppeteer. Killua becomes straight up jealous of her and immediately thinks of his brother’s words. That night, the action begins when the crew is attacked by Uvogin, who should be dead and six feet under. Uvogin is blowing everything up, but the crew is saved by Nobunaga and Machi, who beat Uvogin and reveal that Uvogin is a puppet. It is discovered that Uvogin was revived by Omokage, a former Phantom Troupe member whose powers revolved around puppets. Omokage has a grudge against the group, as he was defeated and replaced by the one and only Hisoka. Nobunaga and Machi warn the group to mind their business and that they will handle this situation.
The story moves its focus from Kurapika and his quest to more of Killua and his damn family issues. Once again, the film is less about the Phantom Troupe and goes back to Killua, which is fine, but I want more of the group and how they came to be. The next day, Retsu leads Gon and Killua to the mansion from Kurapika’s vision, and once again shit hits the fan when they are met by a puppet based on Illumi. At the moment, the Illumi puppet is about to steal Killua’s eyes, Gon, who is a real one, jumps in front of Killua and has his eyes taken. Killua becomes a punk bitch at this moment and leaves Gon and tries to attempt suicide, but is saved by Gon, who tracked him down with his senses. Once again, Gon is a real one and states that he let his eyes be taken to track down Omokage, along with the fact that he knew Retsu was a puppet. Once again, Gon is a real one and knows how to get things done.
The film’s climax reveals that Retsu is Omokage’s deceased sister, and when Gon and the crew roll up to the mansion, Omokage unleashes his grand attack by activating six other dolls, each based on a member of the Phantom Troupe, to attack them. Who rolls up and helps the crew???? The amazing Hisoka. Hisoka goes HAM on three puppets while Gon and company fight Omokage. In the end, the group defeats Omokage, and everyone gets their eyes back.
The highlight of this anime is the fight scenes. The fight scenes are up there in entertainment, and you will love it. It really brings out the fighting in the Hunter x Hunter series. The fight against Uvogin whetted your appetite and made you want more. The film’s climax with the battle was a cherry on top. Everyone went to the extreme, and it was nice to see Killua once again out due to his brother, but Hisoka is always the best to watch.
Honestly, Hunter x Hunter Phantom Rogue is not a bad anime film. It is a simple film that is enjoyable with action and adventure. The downside is that you would think it would feature more of the Phantom Troupe, but they are only in it for about 5 minutes. HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT! If you are a fan of the Hunter x Hunter series, this is a decent film to fill the time.
