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The early chapters of Hunter x Hunter have a pacing that is, relatively speaking, a bit of a slow burn.
From the moment the protagonist, Gon, leaves Whale Island, the story follows his chance encounters with Leorio and Kurapika.
As the trio boards the ship to the Hunter Exam site, they forge a bond after surviving a storm together. On the way to the actual examination grounds, a bus driver arranged by the Hunter Association intentionally takes them on a long detour.
They encounter an old woman in an abandoned village who directs candidates toward a dead-end road infested with magical beasts. Then, a pair of deceptive magical creatures attempts to mislead the group.
Overall, these plot points are quite engaging, featuring a constant battle of wits and courage. However, they leave the fans with a lingering sense of anticipation.
Isn't this supposed to be a battle manga? Why hasn't the protagonist been involved in a single proper fight yet?
While it was certainly satisfying to see the old woman's binary riddle resolved and the man who tried to trick them fall prey to wild beasts, the fact that the protagonist hadn't shown off his prowess felt a bit awkward. But as the manga reached its sixth chapter, the official Hunter Exam, the part fans had been waiting for, finally commenced.
Traveling by ship, riding buses, being carried through the air by magical beasts, and finally taking an elevator deep into the earth, the first six chapters of Hunter x Hunter featured a constant shift in scenery. As for the sixth chapter, hundreds of candidates who passed the preliminary hurdles arrived at the exam site.
There was the eccentric Hisoka, the "Rookie Crusher" Tonpa, the ninja Hanzo, and Killua.
The first stage of the Hunter Exam, surprisingly, turned out to be a massive marathon led by the examiner.
"Finally, we're at the actual exam. It feels like the main plot is finally moving."
"It took a month and a half of serialization just to get to the main point. That's a bit of a drag."
"I think it's fine. Those preliminary tests were pretty interesting."
"In the main trio, only Kurapika has any brains. Leorio is just a meathead with a short fuse."
"That new character Hisoka is fascinating, though. I actually like these twisted types."
"Tonpa is a trip too. He joins the exam just to sabotage other rookies? I don't get it. What does he gain from being that petty?"
"This series feels completely different from Haruto's previous works."
"I get that vibe too."
"The character designs are much stronger here. I'm actually more interested in Leorio and Kurapika than in Gon's performance."
"I like Tonpa. He's such an honest scumbag. He's hilarious."
"I'm a Hisoka fan. He's just the right kind of crazy. Shizuru's art style is perfect for drawing creepy characters like him."
"It looks like this series is going to be a long one. Who knows how long the exam arc will last? I kind of want to wait until it's finished and binge the whole thing."
"Forget it. That's not realistic. Unless you stop buying the magazine, you won't be able to resist opening the first page to see the new chapter."
"Ugh, this is so frustrating!"
With the release of the sixth chapter, the first major arc of the series officially began.
The fans shifted from complaining about the slow pace and lack of direction to discussing the unique personalities of the newly introduced cast. Amidst the ongoing Blu-ray release of Cyberpunk 2077, Haruto kept a close eye on the public sentiment regarding his manga.
He knew that as a shonen battle series, the start was a bit sluggish. However, if one looks at the work as a whole, the brilliance of the early setups becomes clear.
For instance, Kurapika's eyes turning red at the sight of a spider is a direct reference to the Phantom Troupe. Why Leorio is so obsessed with money is an answer that would soon be revealed to the audience.
Most importantly, in the sixth chapter, Gon asks his companions why they want to become Hunters.
Leorio claims it is for the money, wanting to become a Treasure Hunter to get rich and live the good life. Kurapika, on the other hand, claims he wants to be a Hunter because it is the most noble profession in the world, one that can benefit humanity and drive social progress.
Fans reading the sixth chapter for the first time saw nothing wrong with these answers. But Haruto, who knew the future of the story, felt a wave of bittersweet irony while sketching the storyboards.
Was the original creator already planting the seeds for their eventual paths back then?
In the later parts of the story, Kurapika does not become a Hunter who benefits humanity. Driven by revenge, he becomes a Blacklist Hunter, serving as a bodyguard for the wealthy to track down his clan's treasures.
Meanwhile, Leorio ends up pursuing a career as a doctor. They both ended up living the life the other had initially envisioned.
November ended and December arrived.
The temperature dropped sharply, and Haruto, Shizuru, Reina, and Yukino all bundled up in winter clothes.
As literature majors, Haruto and Reina's course load had lightened significantly compared to their sophomore year.
They often had two days in a row without classes. As for Shizuru, she was essentially done with coursework and only needed to focus on her graduation thesis.
Unlike her peers, Shizuru had earned tens of millions of yen.
She didn't have to worry about finding a job and spent her days happily immersed in creating manga. Unlike Haruto, whose focus was split across multiple projects, Shizuru was incredibly dedicated to her craft and found true joy in it.
One morning, the four of them gathered for breakfast.
"So, Haruto, are you really not going to introduce any superpowers in Hunter x Hunter? Is the protagonist just going to rely on physical fitness forever?" Shizuru asked, taking a small bite of toast.
"Oh, they're coming. But it won't manifest for another twenty chapters or so. For now, the battles are more about using one's head," Haruto replied with a smile. These three were his only true friends, and with one being his girlfriend, he spoke freely without worrying about spoilers leaking.
"Reina, you should really relax a bit. You're even working on drafts while you eat," Yukino remarked, looking at Reina who was scribbling away.
"Thank you, but I'm fine. I'm currently in a tight race with Crimson Abyss for the number two spot in the rankings. The chapters being serialized this month are critical; I have to polish every word."
Reina's face was a bit pale.
Her series Absolute Realm had been running for over a year and had a solid following. However, because she had been cutting into her sleep for two months straight to write, she looked a bit frail.
"Maintaining a rank is one thing, but you have to prioritize your health," Yukino said.
Having known Reina for several years, she viewed her as a younger sister and spoke with genuine concern.
"That's a loser's mentality," Reina said, looking from Yukino to Haruto. "The author of Crimson Abyss is one of the top light novel geniuses in Japan. If I want to beat him, I have to match his talent with even more effort. To win, you have to be willing to sacrifice something."
Haruto and Yukino exchanged a look. He wanted to say something, but he hesitated. At only twenty years old, being a consistent top-three author in a major magazine like Kiyozawa Library was an incredible feat.
But the reason she was so obsessed with pushing further was clear.
Currently, Haruto's Sword Art Online held the number one spot by a landslide. Behind him were Crimson Abyss and Reina's Absolute Realm. If she wanted to challenge Haruto, she at least had to secure the number two spot first.
Knowing her thoughts, they found it hard to intervene.
What could they say?
"Don't work so hard because Haruto is a freak of nature with a cheat code"? Saying that would only offend her, as she would see it as them looking down on her.
"You two have been acting a bit strange lately," Shizuru noted, watching Haruto and Yukino with an amused glint in her eye as she peeled a tangerine.
"Huh? Strange how?" Yukino's heart skipped a beat, her fingers tensing up.
"Just the atmosphere. The way you two look at each other feels... intimate," Shizuru said thoughtfully.
Reina stopped writing and looked up at them, appearing a bit dazed.
"You're overthinking it," Yukino said, her smile stiffening. "Haruto and I see each other every day at the office. We've just developed a professional rapport. Animation production requires a lot of communication."
Yukino and Haruto hadn't told the others about their relationship yet.
Initially, they thought it would be awkward for the group of four. Now, they simply didn't feel like making a formal announcement.
"Oh, I see!" Shizuru and Reina looked at them for a few more seconds before dropping the suspicion.
Neither of them had much experience with dating, so Yukino's explanation was enough for them to take at face value.
After breakfast, Reina and Shizuru stayed home to work, while Haruto drove Yukino to the office.
"I swear, it feels like we're having an affair," Yukino said, leaning her head against the car window. "We're in a perfectly normal relationship, yet we're acting like we're hiding something scandalous."
"Then let's just tell them!" Haruto laughed as he drove.
"And say what? If we tell them, they'll probably feel like third wheels and move out immediately," Yukino said, turning to look at him.
"Well, they're going to find out sooner or later," Haruto mused.
"We'll deal with it when the time comes," Yukino said, looking back out the window. "Besides..." She trailed off.
"Besides what?" Haruto waited for several seconds, but no answer came.
"Haruto, can you really not tell?" Yukino turned back to him.
"Tell what?" Haruto was genuinely confused.
"Ugh. If you had even half the emotional intelligence of the male characters you write, you'd understand everything," Yukino sighed.
"Is that so?" Haruto thought about it for a second, but when he couldn't figure it out, he gave up.
That was just his personality.
At the office, Haruto spent the morning in preliminary meetings with manufacturers who wanted to license merchandise for Code Geass.
Even though the anime had only been in production for a month, potential partners were already flocking to him. Both Madoka and Edgerunners had generated massive profits. Haruto personally made billions, and his partners were making a killing as well.
The companies that had handled his previous merchandise had earned hundreds of millions of yen over the past few years, creating a solid industrial chain around his IPs.
Even though Haru-Yuki Animation didn't have a show currently on the air, and the release of the second Cyberpunk movie was largely on autopilot, Haruto was still kept busy by the sheer volume of contracts and negotiations.
By the end of the first week of December, it started to snow.
The city was blanketed in a layer of silver.
Amidst the winter chill, the seventh chapter of Hunter x Hunter was released.
This chapter saw an improvement in the manga's ratings and public reception. On the forums, its score jumped from 9.2 to 9.4 overnight.
The plot picked up where the previous chapter left off, with the official start of the Hunter Exam. As the candidates began the grueling long-distance marathon through the underground tunnel, they were beset by various dangers. However, the chapter highlighted that the most dangerous element of the exam wasn't the monsters, but the human heart.
Tonpa, the portly man with a seemingly kind face, revealed his true colors. He intentionally led Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio into a side tunnel filled with hallucinogenic sap.
Both Leorio and Kurapika fell under the influence of the illusions. While Kurapika's vision wasn't shown, he was driven into a frenzy. Leorio's hallucination, however, was shown in detail, giving the audience their first real look at why he was so obsessed with money. It was this glimpse into Leorio's past that resonated so deeply with the readers and drove the ratings up.