I have some catching up to do. Here are my thoughts on Chapter 395 of Hunter x Hunter, “Founding: Part 1”.
Chapter 395 begins with Hinrigh checking his cat-cam for clues about the Hei-Ly hideout. It was established back in Chapter 391 that there is only one hallway leading in and out of the standard cabins on Tier 3. However, Hinrigh sees Perigord and Bille re-entering the hallway without ever having exited.
As it stands, the Hei-Ly seem to be using a combination of Nen abilities and secret passages to connect their labyrinthian hideout.
Recent chapters have included intervening images of mysterious, dark corridors. This gives the unsettling impression that the Hei-Ly are crawling around in the walls.
Hinrigh reports his findings back to Ken’i and Tserriednich’s guards. To be honest, I was a bit surprised to find the guards already working alongside the mafia. I actually think this is a case where things may have progressed too fast, and some important conversations were glossed over.
Hinrigh and Ken’i agree to go after Perigord and Bille, while the Troupe investigates room 3101.
The Troupe demonstrates their understanding of Nen by entering the adjacent room first, then cutting a hole in the bathroom wall. They know a Nen boundary exists somewhere, so they make sure a civilian travels in front of them—that way, he will trigger 3101’s trap first.
Turns out the Hei-Ly really are living in the walls, which is pretty funny. It’s yet another horror-inspired choice that adds to the disturbing, claustrophobic atmosphere of this arc.
This leads into my favorite part of the chapter: the introduction of the Meteor City flashback.
Nobunaga suggests Morena used Luini as a sacrifice to keep the other Hei-Ly members on their toes. Losing one of their own would have a big impact on them, not unlike the Troupe. The lamp he picks up resembles a memorial lantern, and as he stares into its light, the electric buzzing of the lamp gets louder, and the light gets brighter, until suddenly we’re transported into the past with a full spread of Meteor City.
I can’t put into words how awesome this sequence is. There’s so much motion in these panels, and the way Nobunaga trails off… just awesome.
There are a couple things to note about the beginning of this flashback. One is the direct callback to Chapter 102.
There’s also got a callback to Chapter 357 that’s pretty messed up.
I also want to explain why Franklin is one of my favorite Spiders (since I may be the only person who holds this opinion).
He doesn’t wear it on his sleeve, but I consider Franklin an example of the ‘gentle giant’ archetype. While he may look like a brute, he’s actually very wise. He and Nobunaga are the most empathetic of the Troupe, and if anyone were to contradict Chrollo (who seems to be on a downward spiral as of late), I think it would be one of them.
Young Chrollo, with the aid of Franklin and Shalnark, pilfers a DVD from Uvogin’s (and Machi’s) self-proclaimed domain. After tricking Phinks (and Feitan), he takes the DVD to the All Faiths Church screening room.
As the focus of the flashback shifts to Chrollo, it becomes very obvious that Togashi wants us to compare him to Kurapika. Both are cheerful, intelligent, and optimistic children, whose lives were drastically changed by some traumatic event. They are charismatic, yet independent, harkenning to their Specialist Nen types. And they both live in communities led by elders who attempt to protect their people from the outside world.
I’ll try to point out these parallels as they appear, like this one:
We also learn that Meteor City was a long-standing target of human trafficking. In an effort to protect its youth, the city descended into evil itself, forming partnerships with the world’s mafia.
This context seems extremely important given the role of the mafia in the Succession Arc. It also has major implications regarding Kurapika’s backstory, given that the “Law of Retribution” was left behind at the site of the Kurta Massacre.
Chrollo runs into young Pakunoda in the screening room, and I have to say: I absolutely love her design.
I would be hard-pressed to find another manga character that looks like this, especially one with Paku’s depth and charm. Togashi’s character design is through the roof in this arc, and it continues to improve.
Another thing to note is Pakunoda’s clothes. All of the Troupe’s outfits in this flashback are somewhat mish-mashed. Uvo’s clothes are too small, and Feitan’s tank is too big. Phinks is basically wearing a quilt. It’s exactly what you’d expect from the setting, and it shows Togashi’s attention to detail.
Somehow, Paku manages to make the tacky shirt and knee-length shorts work.
Chrollo and Pakunoda’s relationship is further expanded on as they watch the DVD together. They find that the DVD is for a popular program called “Clean-up Rangers”.
The DVD is in a different language, so Chrollo comes up with a plan to dub the footage. He’ll need some help, and not just from Paku. Enter Sheila and Sarasa:
Sheila’s role in the Troupe’s backstory comes as an unexpected surprise. She played a significant part in Kurapika’s Memories by providing Kurapika with the book she’s holding here. During her encounter with Kurapika, she (allegedly) falls several times, reinjuring her leg. Initially, this seemed like highly suspicious behavior. While it’s still pretty suspicious, it turns out Sheila had a reputation for injuring herself this way (see above image, on the left).
This might mean Sheila isn’t as deceitful as we thought, or it may just be a neat callback. Regardless, Sheila is a character we should pay special attention to in this flashback. It’s important that she is introduced alongside Sarasa, assigning significance to their relationship.
The three girls reconvene with Chrollo and prepare for the dub.
Next, we see a nondescript van with three children inside. The men nearby appear to be mafia members, and as the chapter comes to a close, we get the sense things are about to take a sinister turn.
The Library of Progg 