Hunter x Hunter, Vol. 38

Hunter × Hunter [ハンター×ハンター] #38

by Yoshihiro Togashi

IL CONFLITTO FRA I TRE GRUPPI MAFIOSI A BORDO DELLA NAVE DIRETTA AL CONTINENTE OSCURO SI INTENSIFICA. Gli Sha’a e gli Shuu’u iniziano a collaborare con chi sta cercando Hisoka. E in un intenso flashback, Nobunaga ripercorre le circostanze che hanno portato alla formazione della Brigata Fantasma… Il grande ritorno del manga di culto di Yoshihiro Togashi.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Comics, Young Adult, Shonen, Fiction, Graphic Novels

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2024

About the author

Yoshihiro Togashi (冨樫義博) is a manga artist. Credited in Chinese translations as Fu Jian Yi Bo.

He began drawing manga at an early age; while he attended college, the publisher Shueisha recognized his talent. Togashi has authored numerous manga series in different genres during the past three decades. He is perhaps best known for writing and illustrating the YuYu Hakusho and Hunter × Hunter series, both of which have been published in the popular Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. Togashi is married to Naoko Takeuchi, the author of Sailor Moon.

Reviews

[Umairah (Sereadipity)]

The Phantom Troupe origin story really moved me... it's crazy to think that if it was a less cruel world they would have been an ordinary theatre troupe. It really explains their messed up idea of morality and retribution. It's like they decided the world doesn't care about them so why should they care for the world.

But despite all the despicable acts they've committed, they still have boundaries and care deeply for each other. Which just makes it more messed up but oddly compelling... they are such an interesting antagonist group I really love them.

I think it's cool that currently their conflict isn't with the main characters but with Hisoka instead. The whole plot with the Phantom Troupe, Hisoka and the mafia is so, so intriguing I can’t wait to see where it goes.

[Bradley]

Seeing all of these popular reviews makes me think I'm looking at the wrong volume. At this point Togashi should write a book given the garrulous, expositional dialogue. The last volume containing any fun was 34, and it was a gem in the past several. Fellas, I'm all about stacking the dominoes but they are falling at .25 speed and slowing. All of the 5 stars are copium. We need a lot more, if not Hunter X Hunter will become the next Berserk, unlike Berserk I am not sold on the last few arcs.

The only thing caught in a Spiders web right now is you, reader.

P.S. Hopefully I'll have to redact/edit this out :P

[Zahra · Rating 3 out of 5]

صرفاً برام سوال شده واقعاً کسی کل دیالوگ ها رو میخونه؟ همه شخصیت های جدید و پلات هاشون رو میشناسه؟ چون واقعاً رشته داستان داره از دست من در می‌ره!

[⋆｡˚꒰ঌ worm ໒꒱˚｡⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the cover, the author's note on page one was correct...no Mr. Gon Freecss.

It's honestly been so long since I've read the last volume it was really hard for me to figure out what was going on (we got there eventually!) but all-in-all this volume was on the more boring side (besides the tragic backstory which was fantastically done)- but it just seems to be setting up the "bigger" plot for future volumes.

[Icko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hinrigh is me, especially after I read the flashback chapters for the Troupe. I was trying to hold back tears during the interactions between Chrollo and Uvo. It gave me flashbacks to the Yorknew City Arc.


Togashi leaves us with a banger backstory before going on hiatus again. Get well soon.

[Riki (˶˃⤙˂˶) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5💫

Re-read before getting to the new chapters. Love <3

( •̀ ω •́ )✧

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art isn‘t very consistent and just mediocre at best. The story is barely interested with it being most word bubbles of people discussing random, barely related stuff at least half the time. For the amount of time I waited for this volume to come out I have to be honest, I feel very disappointed.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're so fucking back!

[insert-a-snoopy · Rating 3 out of 5]

did I read a majority of this manga….
did I primarily skimmed it???? yea

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this really, really boring, to be honest. At least all the stuff with random people searching. There are *so* many named characters, and *so* much exposition. I’m not someone who has trouble reading more difficult books, but the pages of text here meant so little to me that it became extremely difficult.

I did give it an extra star for the Spiders’ backstory, which was great, and the little bit with Melody (my favourite character).

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are still too many characters with long explanations about their Nen abilities, and while creative, it makes every confrontation feel too long. Best thing about this volume is learning about the origins of the Phantom Troupe!

[Loulou11 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je ne veux spoiler personne. Une pure régalade (préparez vous tout de même à LIRE ce manga vu la quantité de bulles présentes à chaque page ou presque)!

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The search for Hisoka is on as multiple Mafic factions seek him out, hoping to utilize the Phantom Troupe's desire for his head to their advantage - but what was it that brought Chrollo and the others together, turning a ragtag group of children into the infamous thieves they are? Togashi unveils long kept secrets and fascinating new powers in this haunting entry, tense and emotional at every turn. Who will find Hisoka first - and can they even control him?

[Gabríel Ísarr Travagini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always love getting new bits of Phantom Troupe lore, and the chapters in this volume were especially good.

[★☆★Glowingz★☆★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Carlos Fernandes II · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phantom Troupe origin story is electric and the quick glimpse of Hisoka aboard the ship has me excited to see how things play out!

[catherine ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phantom Troupe origin story 👍🏼

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The very sad Phantom Troupe backstory aside, this is a tedious read. Togashi is making manga in goggle docs at this point. He should just write a book if this is what he wants to do with the story~

[Person Michaels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Idec if this never gets finished, it’s cemented its legacy several times over. Thank you Togashi

[Deniz Thorogood · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5. Phantom troupe back story was pretty slay. But then the ending… snore fest!

[litty (literature) burger &#x1f354; · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing series

I would be willing to donate at least a few organs so togashi can finish writing it.

[bea &#x1fab4;]

finally caught up and didn’t expect the phantom troupe back story to be as tragic as it was

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up (phantom troupe origin story itself would be 5/5 for sure)

[Arthur · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I need to stop reading this series

I can’t even follow what is Happening anymore
I wish the author luck and the fan base

I just want to accept that it no longer sparks my interest after all these years

[Corey Thibodeaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

When "show/don't tell" reaches critical mass, just tell me everything.

I have no idea what is going on in that room to which everyone seems to teleport. Togashi is going hard on the mechanisms at play here. Give me all the exposition because I am not smart enough.

The highlight of this book was the Phantom Troupe origin story. Some liquid came out of my eye whilst reading it - not sure what that was about.

[Timo Stadler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is really hard to rate for me. On the one hand the main-plot is really fun, on the other hand the author just writes about what he thinks is interesting at the moment. This leads to around 50 character interacting with each other in around 16 Sub-Plots with numerous deviations. It is fun, but I can’t focus and I need a “it’s all comming together moment” asap.

[Sophia Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE TROUPE FORMATION AND BACKSTORY OH MY HEART. PAKU 3 3 chrollo and kurapika are such foils and so similar and they are just going to go round and round until they destroy each other and themselves. Wonderful. Amazing. I need them to fight NOW

[Frank Viebke · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 ig

he's still got it

also a fucking phantom troupe flashback no way

[Kapitol Tank · Rating 4 out of 5]

10 capítulos que marcan un hito en la edición argentina de Hunter × Hunter: se pone al día con Japón ya que alcanzamos el último tomo recopilado allá a la fecha.

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished my binge today with this annoying cliffhanger, which I predicted would be the case when I reviewed book 36. There at least seems to be a next volume—AT LEAST—though I strongly doubt it will wrap up the story at ALL if it's going to be even remotely good. Back to hoping Togashi lives to finish his work! (This will be a regular refrain until I hear otherwise, since I'm at a point in my life where I sadly have decreasing hopes that the people who need to live longer actually will.)

The main problem—which I feared the instant I saw unfamiliar-looking characters on the back cover—is this volume goes into several chapters of flashback. Of the Spiders, and why they're the way they are. How dare! Making me feel bad for them even though I knew going in that they came from trash and were treated like trash, so why should I be surprised they had intense feelings of loyalty to each other and vowed to get revenge on the world for the mafia coming and killing one of their own (and as CHILDREN!). Ugh.

So, it's terminal at this point, that the story that WAS a fun shounen adventure mostly with Gon and Killua is now precisely ZERO of them (though Gon is on the cover, Togashi says in his author blurb, "*Please be advised that Mr. Gon Freecss does not make an appearance in vol. 38. Thank you for your understanding."—even though Gon and Yusuke appear in the chapter 391 splash page, haha). Not that I expected them to magically show up, given that the current characters are effectively sealed in an inescapable conveyance (that goes so far as to kill anyone who tries to leave!) and it's so far removed from the "known" world that they may as well be travelling in space... it would just be interesting to have a check-in (as impossible as that is without even more serious contrivances than already exist).

I comment this mostly as I am finding I'm not as quick on the uptake as maybe people (*cough*Dad*cough*) think I am, since it's only *just* occurring to me why the story feels so off—it's almost literally a different genre now. There's still action, but it's more adult than shounen, and SO heavy on political mafia wars that I'm not surprised I'm lost. So much reading, too! Even the Spiders' flashback seemed fairly dialogue-heavy for what it was.

It's... yeah. I don't know. I don't HATE it, and I do want to see things wrap up, but... it's not the same anymore, is it? Definitely impenetrable to complete newcomers, too.