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Hunter × Hunter [ハンター×ハンター] #21

ハンター×ハンター 21 [Hantā Hantā]

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Hunters are a special breed, dedicated to tracking down treasures, magical beasts, and even other men. But such pursuits require a license, and less than one in a hundred thousand can pass the grueling qualification exam. Those who do pass gain access to restricted areas, amazing stores of information, and the right to call themselves Hunters.

REUNION
The Chimera Ant king is born, bursting from the stomach of the queen--a violent birth for a violent being. He makes his first move on the neighboring country by manipulating its dictator to summon all citizens to a ceremony at the capital. There he plans to Nen-baptize them, which will kill 99 percent of the population. The remaining one percent will have their Nen awakened, thus providing a healthy snack for the new king that not only tastes good but greatly increases his power. Can Gon and Killua find a way to stop this brutal Ant king?

Paperback

First published February 4, 2005

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About the author

Yoshihiro Togashi

321 books1,320 followers
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.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
Profile Image for Hamna.
64 reviews52 followers
March 9, 2023
KILLUAAAA omgg
Profile Image for Natalie.
834 reviews62 followers
January 10, 2019
There was an immense amount of character development in this volume, especially with Kil who seems to have finally overcome what was essentially brainwashing by his older brother Ilumi, and now should be able to fight without any unwanted handicaps - and get the chance to reach his true potential.

We also have the which is uhh... not good 8'D Definitely building up to a big "end game" battle with this one in regards to the Chimera arc, and I'm not so sure how this is going to go tbh. With how much the King seems to be based on Cell, I'm curious as to whether there'll be any absorbing of the Royal Guards - in homage of Cell absorbing the androids XD;;

Honestly though, as far as "evilness" goes, so far it seems to be Meruem (the King) > Cell. Definitely freaks me out far more at the very least o.O

Chapter notes below for reference:
Profile Image for Brandon.
1,338 reviews
June 23, 2024
Took me long enough, but I just realized what I love so much about Togashi's bad-health-induced art-style: it reminds me of the "classic" look of Tezuka's manga!

Osamu Tezuka's artwork began with a cartoonish manga style, which gave way to more realistic proportions for human characters when he began to write more "mature" stories. His figures retained some of the simple features of his cartoonier works, creating a unique sense of charm with the contrast between somewhat-simple art and darker writing. Togashi is quite similar, especially as the Chimera Ant Arc develops further into a grander-scale war story, and his back problems cause him to sketch out rough designs that would be presumably quite easy to draw later on.

Gon was always meant to recall the child Kid Goku from the earliest chunk of Dragon Ball. Togashi's style has evolved to simplify the design further for dramatic effect. Gon's eyes already lack irises, instead just being pitch black ovals, but Togashi can develop the atmosphere for certain scenes to convey a deep, unsettling sense of -coldness- in Gon's eyes... without even having to go out of his way to draw too much!

Killua is meant to look simple like his best friend, but can also show a drastic change in personality if Togashi only avoids shading in his pupils, showing his bloodlust.

The Chimera Ant King looks like a ripoff of Cell from Dragon Ball, and this is by no means an insult.

****

Gon and Killua seem to have finished their training with Knuckle and Shoot, with Killua further working toward dispel Illumi's curse limiting his abilities. The Chimera Ant King is born and immediately goes on a rampage, killing and eating humans without abandon (greatly recalling the initial horror of Imperfect Cell, one of my personal favorite shonen action villains). One of the Queen's most loyal subjects, Colt, teams up with the humans to defeat the King. Netero begins preparations to battle the Ant King himself, as the strongest Hunter. Gon and Killua see what Neferpitou has done to Kite's body. Gon gets fucking pissed, setting up an immense battle with Pitou.

If I wasn't already in love with this arc from its very beginning, I certainly am now.

People weren't fucking around about the North Korea stuff....

****

EDIT (06/22/2024): Coming back to this volume after five years. I guess Volume 21 is the first volume I reviewed, despite not being the first volume I owned (#17), and certainly not the first volume I've read (#1, natch).

"A challenger at my age? What a thrill!"

I saw the Jojonium adverts in the back of the book and was curious to know when this copy was printed. I was in for a bit of a shock: the first printing was 2008, and my copy is from the second printing... from 2016!? So I'm thinking VIZ just sat on reprinting HxH until Netflix/Toonami fluffed the 2011 anime's popularity, or something. Kind of fucked.

Nice butts and boobs on Kim Jong Il's dancer girls...!

"They call those types 'cougars.'"

I drafted a longer review in my head but I'll refrain from typing it since I've already covered most of what I wanted to say back in 2019. I guess I'll add the significance of the other Ants leaving to become King in their own view, as well as the sheer HYPE of the impending Palace Invasion sub-arc. I would have known the reason for the countdown in chapter titles starting from Chapter 223 onward, but in re-reading I know exactly what cool shit the countdown is leading to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Marian.
389 reviews26 followers
July 24, 2016
Goodness gracious, I LOVE this arc.
Both Gon and Killua are so special to me, I mean, Killua spends most of his time in this volume worried about his abilities, and if he is able to protect as well as help Gon. Killua has demonstrated again and again just how much Gon means to him, and this arc is certainly no exception. He has been willing to sacrifice himself for Gon multiple times, and here he does it again. We see him filled with fear, panic, and even regret. So I couldn't help but be glad that he finally released himself from his brother's control.
Anyway, Meruem (or the ant king) has been born, and although I call basically every character written by Togashi interesting, Meruem certainly is so. From the moment he was born, he gives no regards to his mother, the queen, or his fellow species. He is in search of the 'rare meat' in order to satisfy his palate, and simultaneously judges humans, a lot. Meruem is certainly smart, and I find it amazing how he decides he needs to 'look after' humans, and judges the entire structures of our societies. When faced with pleas of mercy from some women, he mentions that we humans ignore the pleas of pigs and cows. I'm basically completely intrigued by him and his uniqueness.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for yel ᰔ.
634 reviews200 followers
July 13, 2020
4 of 5 stars

-----


This will definitely get heavier and darker. I can already feel the enormous burden lurking on top of our hunters, especially Gon and Killua. The kids' will to defeat the Chimera Ants, more specifically Pitou, was coming from what happened to Kite. I knew from that scene that things will go down for Gon and Killua was barely holding his friend up.

That's why I felt sorry for Killua. He has his own personal burden but he chose to keep his mental and emotional issues to himself, stay silent and ignore it. He continued supporting Gon instead, as the bestest friend that he is. I felt the relief he felt when he finally released the needle Illumi had planted inside his head. And I gave that credit not only to Killua's strong will but also his love for Gon. He really cared for his friend so much that he overcame Illumi's 'curse'. Now, we can see that he's past his 'escape' mentality and can now fully fight his battles without restraint. There's no longer a psychopath brother holding him back.
Profile Image for Brandon.
2,796 reviews40 followers
October 20, 2022
Okay now we're getting back into it! Training is done, we're seeing the results of what the chimera ants have been up to while everyone else was training or scouting, and Gon and Killua both have to adjust what their entire characterization has been this series. Gon being a kind dude who wants to help people, needing to learn how to channel his anger to make the necessary moves in combat. Killua being a trained assassin, needing to figure out how to get into a fight where he can't just one-shot assassinate someone. They're both at their lowest points this volume and I'm excited to see how this growth will factor into the upcoming battle(s).
Profile Image for claire.
771 reviews136 followers
Read
November 5, 2024
replacing doom scrolling with the only thing more terrifying: ants

at this point killua should just wear a shirt that says “i 🫶🏻 gon,” it would be less obvious
Profile Image for I.M.BookMeIn.
612 reviews38 followers
March 19, 2022
Chimera Ant arc III
- Why is this scum claiming to be king?
- In the human world, it's a common phenomenon. Humans without intelligence or talent end up in positions of power due to heredity or connections.
- That defiles all logic. In the hands of an incompetent, power brings nothing but ruin. This could only be the work of imbeciles. We must provide proper guidance.
[Chap217]

This volume is the best in the arc so far. We finally have the results of the build up from the previous two volumes. All the pieces have taken shape and the tension is so high..
But most importantly, we have major character development, especially for Killua !! That poor thing literally goes through hell in his head all while keeping to himself, because that's how he was brought up. He's probably the best character in this whole series. At the very least, he's my favorite.
Profile Image for Dani Wladdimiro.
1,061 reviews4 followers
November 20, 2024
En este volumen aparece uno de los antagonistas más emblemáticos de Hunter x Hunter: el Rey de las Hormigas Quimera. Lo considero incluso por encima de Chrollo en términos de relevancia, ya que ha ocupado una mayor cantidad de capítulos en el anime, pero si el resto del manga llega a ser adaptado, esta importancia podría cambiar. ¿Qué nos ofrece el Rey de las Hormigas Quimera? Inicialmente, una sed insaciable de destrucción, la cual queda patente desde su nacimiento, cuando mata a la Reina mientras emerge. Aunque en un principio puede recordar a Cell de Dragon Ball Z, con el tiempo descubrimos que sus reflexiones y evolución son únicas, dotándolo de una profundidad inesperada.

Este volumen también nos muestra un lado más cotidiano de Gon, quien tiene una cita con Palm. Este detalle, aunque pueda parecer trivial, es un recurso del autor para contrastar con los eventos oscuros y transformadores que se avecinan. Estos momentos aparentemente ligeros subrayan la evolución de los personajes y demuestran que Togashi siempre ha tenido claro el camino narrativo que desea recorrer. Este nivel de planificación y atención a los detalles es algo que se valora enormemente y que enriquece la experiencia del lector.
Profile Image for T.R. Preston.
Author 6 books186 followers
August 3, 2021
Series like this are impossible to find. Cherish it. Cherish it and lament about the neverending hiatus.
Profile Image for Jack Reynolds.
1,087 reviews
December 11, 2025
So I’m not sure if Killua actually had a needle in his head that controlled him in some capacity (???), but glad to see the badass is back!
Profile Image for MajesticalLion.
677 reviews59 followers
October 19, 2022
The king is here! And Gon and Killua are ready to rock and roll. Gon seems to have gotten an incredible boost in Nen power, and Killua has done... Something to himself. Whether it's good or bad remains to be seen. A lot of mystery in this volume.
Profile Image for Corey Thibodeaux.
414 reviews22 followers
December 11, 2018
Though this volume was stuffed with content, I'm going to focus on one character in particular today. It has to be Killua.

This series has many compelling traits, but perhaps none more defining than the budding friendship of the innocent, life-loving Gon and the cold-calculated, assassin progeny Killua. It's a dream pairing for readers, but one that, in fiction, is often met with the edgier character's initial resistance and instability (see: Yu Yu Hakusho's Hiei). But Killua never faltered on his friendship with Gon and embraced adventure immediately.

When I first saw Killua, I thought he'd be a temporary pal at best before flaking off somewhere after the first arc's Hunter Exam. This was especially true after the minor Zoldyck Arc, where Gon had to contend not only with Killua's violent past, but his family and bodyguards. But they overcame these obstacles and it's been ride-or-die ever since. They are perfect: Killua shows Gon how to act in the real world while Gon serves as Killua's north star, never judging him for who he is.

That's the foundation of what makes HxH the gem that it is. Think of Gon going through all of these ordeals himself - the training, the danger, the joy. The story would still be charming, but the depth would suffer considerably.

At this point in the Chimera Ant arc, this relationship has revealed some cracks, with Killua faced with his own weakness and doubt. Seeing himself unfit to stay in Gon's life, he vows to guard Gon until he gets his powers back in 30 days. In doing so, Killua runs into Rammot, the Chimera Ant he torched a few volumes back (pre Nen-awakening).

This was a worrisome battle to say the least, as one of the fiercest battlers in this manga was frozen by fear by a manageable opponent. Killua's willingness to protect Gon prevented him from running, but his conditioning from Illumi told him not to fight, effectively making Killua a punching bag. This was the merely the surface of Illumi's influence. When reaching a breaking point - from "run or fight" to "live or die" - Killua found a hidden Nen needle placed in his head by Illumi.

killua removing needle

After removing the needle, Killua returned to savage mode and started the beginning of what is to be his Chimera Ant rampage. RIP Rammot.

This is some tremendous development of an already endearing character, and this gives several new pathways for Killua to grow and his relationship with Gon to development.

Though we're not at the summation of their relationship, the stakes are now much more than one child helping another find his dad. The dynamic has shifted dramatically, and one can sense tragedy coming at any moment. Whether or not Killua really does end up leaving Gon, his actions from here on out are perhaps the most deliberate of any character.

It's a sober reminder to the reader that these beloved relationships, just like in real life, could one day end. Cherish them when you have them.
Profile Image for Bradley.
1,188 reviews11 followers
March 5, 2024
Hell yes! Back to my bread and butter. While this volume isn't particularly astounding, it has its moments. I'm looking at you Killua...
Profile Image for Rolando Marono.
1,944 reviews19 followers
January 28, 2021
El autor le pone prisa a su historia. Pensé que la pelea entre Gon y Killua contra Shoot y Knuckle tomaría más capítulos pero eso queda resuelto bastante rápido y no de la manera en la que esperaba.
La mayor parte del tomo se centra en la aparición del rey de las homrigas quimeras y sus habilidades despiadadas. Me pareció muy interesante cómo empieza a haber conflictos entre las hormigas quimeras y cómo el autor coloca algunas sutiles piezas que seguro serán importantes a la hora de resolver esta trama. También el personaje Colt de las hormigas quimeras, tiene más importancia y es desarrollado de una mejor manera.
Me hubiera gustado ver a Gyro pero no apareció en el tomo.
También tenemos una interesante cita romántica entre dos personajes y el maestro Togashi aprovecha para desarrollar a Gon, no me pareció suficiente porque aunque nos quiso mostrar a Gon como más maduro de lo que pensábamos, sólo nos lo dijo pero no nos lo mostró y no me quedó claro que realmente fuera maduro.
El siguiente tomo traerá peleas muy interesantes. Aunque esta serie no me había atrapado, definitivamente este es el mejor arco hasta ahora.
Profile Image for Anushka Malik.
536 reviews43 followers
October 30, 2024
Okay I was right to continue reading after the disappointing last volume. The new Chimera Ant King is such a strong and worthy adversary that it's a gripping read.
The birth was hard and the first moments of the new King itself showed his violent nature. I kind of felt bad for the dying queen. *sigh* But should I? She ate so many humans --gluttonous wretch!
Yeah I know I know. Survival of the fittest. Prey vs predator. Nature of the wilderness. Blah bleh blah.

This Chimera Ant arc has really spun my mind so that I don't know right from wrong anymore.
The three Royal Guards of King Meruen are really powerful and I don't see how the Hunters will be able to defeat these four. It must be one hell of a showdown.

Out of all the human reborn/turned Chimera ants, Colt makes me the happiest and the saddest. I'm glad he is the one who will raise the twin child. He needs a purpose in his life that is not all violent and wild all the time. The guy needs a break.
408 reviews23 followers
September 29, 2024
I haven’t loved this chimera arc so far, but this volume has been my favourite of the arc so far. The preview for the next chapter mentions the Spiders, which might mean liking the arc will continue. I mostly just want Leo and Kurapika again, sigh.

I’ve seen people shipping Killua and Gon, and I thought it was just because they were best friends and people like shipping. But from this volume and Killua’s reaction to Gon’d date, it makes more sense.

And speaking of dates, there is a *lot* of underage “romance” in this series, starting with creepy clown guy (forget his name), and the 22 year old that dates Gon here, plus Gon’s mention of all the “cougars” that “only go out with younger guys”.
143 reviews
March 4, 2021
don’t remember the details of what stops where – but the arc of killua getting jealous and protecting gon and overcoming his past omg my heart just breaks - my favorite part of the whole arc
Also maybe the phantom troupe fight against zazan – that shit was epic and I do see the feitan zoldyck vibes.. very suggestive pairings in the panels and with kalluto saying he wants his brother back – I don’t understand the English translation I'm reading has all of feitan’s comments with improper grammar like implying he is an immigrant maybe?? Also it’s a little weird how many characters have western backgrounds but oh well
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Juliana.
181 reviews12 followers
March 25, 2024
somehow ignoring the fact that the 12 year old protagonists has gone on lots of "dates" with hometown "cougars," ignoring that that same 12 year old went on a date with a 22 year old woman, I'm hyped for this arc. I'm doubting there's gonna be many 4 star or less ratings for correlating volumes.

and it's like, we get it, Killua was gonna do anything for Gon. Because he's his friend. that was beat to death.

I don't know home much of my ranking is biased or influenced by the fact that I've seen the anime. I feel like I did see part of this arc in the anime, but I can't remember.

anyway, 5 stars.
Profile Image for Worm.
340 reviews1 follower
June 18, 2025
This volume was such a doozy and honestly a bit painful to read at times with Killua's internal debate on keeping true to his promise and leaving Gon. The character development from both of them was a lot- Killua's focusing more on overcoming his brainwashing and wanting to stay friends with Gon - and Gon's accepting his failures and using them to further himself.
I will say it was quite shocking that Gon has been on dates before- but all with older women (which is quite upsetting!) - and I really didn't like where they took the character Palm- in "falling" for Gon. Really, what is up with all the pedophile characters in this series???
Profile Image for Jesse Will.
139 reviews
November 5, 2025
Of course it gets five stars just like all of the others bc they are flawless. We're finally creeping up on some of the bigger moments in HxH that inspired countless other anime and manga. Even today Solo Leveling is basically paraphrasing the entire Chimera Ant arc into a few episodes! Can't go wrong with greatness.

Finally getting to meet the King and getting to learn some cool new nen abilities along the way makes this a super fun book. We even get a peak into just how daunting of a character little Gon is becoming. I hate to see his innocence robbed of him but we all know it's coming. Poor kid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Diana Lynn.
670 reviews20 followers
December 9, 2017
Alright guys...Meruem is here. This book amped everything back up again as we are seeing our heroes grow and get ready to fight. There was a lot of action to be seen her and some awesome new abilities from our new heroes and villains. I loveeeeee this arc. Meruem might be one of my favorite characters in this series and we are just scratching the surface of his power. Other than that, we had some LOL's with Palm and some cool fights with some of the ants leading up to what is next. I can't wait.
Profile Image for Sheila Moreno Moreno.
Author 20 books63 followers
August 8, 2021
Pues hace años que no leía Hunter X Hunter y ahora que por fin tengo este tomo en mis manos, tengo ganas de continuar la serie (todavía tengo la suerte de tener unos cuantos tomos más publicados en mi idioma antes del hiatus, a ver si los encuentro). Como siempre, Togashi logra dar un giro al típico shonen y jugar con lo que piensas en un principio. La saga de las hormigas quimera nunca fue mi favorita, pero cumple con creces más que muchos otros shonen
Profile Image for Josh.
186 reviews
November 14, 2024
Well the King is finally here, and he is a bad ass. First we see a little of Killua’s fight with Shoot before we see the King rip himself out prematurely. Then just kill a bunch of his troops just because. His design is like a mix of Frezia and Cell and I totally dig it. I liked Gon’s date with Palm. The way he draws her is so great. I also feel so bad for Kite and the emotion we get from Gon and Killua in this is great
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for K.
1,371 reviews1 follower
February 1, 2025
This volume was weird bc the 22 year old possessed girl making a 12 year old boy go on a date with her??? Gon canonically in the past been exposed to cougars?? Killua is not allowed to leave Gon ever. This is a turning point we (I mean me) aren’t ready to see. Esp when he has to be the one to put down Kite. Also these volumes have been severally more graphic in violence than any other arc. Mans was going thru something when he wrote this.
Profile Image for Eesh.
1,271 reviews91 followers
March 31, 2025
I still hate the bugs and I want them dead!

But, in newer news, I was surprised by how much Killua's emotions affected my emotions while reading this. Apparently, him being sad can completely bring the vibe of the story down. I'd like to request that he never be sad, thank you.

One last thing, the stuff with Palm was weird. Part of it was funny, but most of it was creepy. Not a fan of her at all.
Profile Image for Yasmeen.
329 reviews49 followers
August 23, 2019
أرك النمل دة عملي حاجة ف نفوخي 😂😂
تنوية بس التصنيف من أول هنا مبقاش شونين خلاص بقا سينين .. أصلاً باين من التغيير ف طبيعة الأحداث اللي كنا متعودين عليها ف هانتر بس دة خلى ناس كتير تتباعه على فكرة يعني ناس كتير متعلقين بالأرك دة عشان تصنيفه العمري الكبير .. يعني الناس كانت كبرت بقت اوتاكو وفاهمة الدنيا ومقدرين الأحداث بقا و كدة 😂💚💚💚
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