The Power of Toxic Friendship in Hunter x Hunter 

This script originally started as a comment response to Aleczandxr’s Killua video before it got taken down and reposted on his side channel, so while I restructured it in a way that hopefully kept it self-contained, I still feel like linking the aforementioned video would be good since it was where this line of thought first came together (it’s also just an insightful video, so you should watch it regardless): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xyBg9zn8Be4.html And here’s the Bloom Into You interview I referenced: docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vQX6hyTn5qMpgEDM8l23HyiSrpV1qtAyXGPrRvQOJDHvHeWiUbCvECQ8KhJeCi81Q3-ziwuOXT1zzbY/pub?fbclid=IwAR1hiM413reAlszOszvvuv9aUTYLY_G112nwMQFYlWUyWUghgiyXz2WfI1o Also this: hunterxhunter.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:MrGenial11/Volume_0_Yoshihiro_Togashi_Interview Edit: "Many in the comments rightfully pointed out that the original title of this video (The Power of Toxic Friendship in Hunter x Hunter) was a bit of a harsh one, specifically my choice of the word "toxic." After thinking about it for a few days and seeing some other people misinterpret the point of the video seemingly based on the title, I decided "flawed" is a word that still gets my point across without implying that I condemn the character dynamics or anything. "Toxic" carries the context of poison, something abusive or destructive - but that was a perspective my arguments ultimately refute. My intention, as the video itself can prove, was to deliberately highlight the potential dangers of unbalanced social dynamics, but at no point do I ever say that these things are outright bad. It's a nuanced conversation, and the title of the video could've done a better job of reflecting that nuance appropriately. My apologies for potentially trivializing the impact of relationships that are genuinely toxic and abusive. Language is tricky, and I'm not perfect, but I'm learning. Edit edit (1/1/2024): Upon further reflection and a few more years of life experience, I think I was right about the original title actually. So I changed it back. o7

Hisoka x Illumi: when your psychopathic tendencies land you the only friend/equal you'll ever have

The one thing every hunter x hunter fan can agree on is that we want Gon to just say sorry and make up with killua and be friends again.

Gon was hardly a good representation of “Light” nor was Killua a good representation of “Darkness” - Both characters are fantastic shades of grey.

I think people get upset when the word toxic is used because that typically means a bad friendship, that one or the other needs to get out of. In this case the toxic friend in the scenrio is usually gon. Which is where its wrong, a friendship isn't perfect, ever, no matter how strong it is. Especially at the beginning. Its so fresh and new, mistakes are bound to be made. These are the things the make the bond stronger, how you are able to overcome together and rise better than before. This isn't a toxic friendship, its a great one. Gon has made mistakes and could have handled certain things better but that's what should make people love him more. He isnt perfect, he isn't going to be rational about everything. He's human. We've all done and said things that could have been better. That's not to exuse it, gons actions have caused harm, but to understand it. Just like gon needs to realize that he can be very selfish and stubborn and this affects those who love him, killua needs to realize that disharmony and rift isn't something that he should take personally. Because that comes in a friendship as strong as this, as hard as you may try, you don't exprience and think things the same, no matter how close you are to someone. They are both each others first real friend, they've never had a bond like that with anyone else. The bigger something is, the heavier the weight of its consequences, good or bad. At the end of the day, they are kids that have had to grow up fast, both of them missing something in that growth. You have two boys with strong personalites and physicalities, learning and understanding a world that is new to them both and they are doing it together. They both handle things differently as they are each their own person. What I'm trying to say is that its unfair to label their friendship as toxic, or gon as toxic (I'm not saying that mathwiz said that, I'm saying that to people who do say that), dysfunctional and peculiar at times, yes, toxic, hell no. Also putting someone on a pedestal isn't something that anyone should do. And killua did this to gon. I don't think he will ever stop seeing gon as light because gon was the person that took him out from the life that he had always known, which was actually toxic. But I do think that he will start to see Gon more as a person and his bestfriend rather than his savior and light. killua has never had any goals before and separating from gon means ending the only goal that he had ever formed in his life. He has also never really experienced emotions very strongly, so it's only natural that when the separation does happen he feels uneasy about it, atleast more than gon. Gon has had one goal in his mind and one goal only, to find his father. Until he realizes that goal, the determination and tunnel vision isn't going to go away, this a goal thats been in formation for years. Killuas only goal has been to be there for gon. He would do anything and everything for gon, and I'm sure that gon would do the same for killua, who we empathize more with because we see that his everything is gon. And we see the formation of that. However it is unfair to get mad are gon for not reciprocating these exact feelings, when these feelings aren't necessarily healthy. A goal should not be a person, it should be something you can strive towards. Gons goal is to find his father, that is something you can work towards. You can't work towards someone, there is no endpoint or attainability, its unhealthy and unrealistic. You can't wrap your entire identity around one person because if the person leaves then you're left questioning a lot of things, including who you are. killua is now working towards a goal of his own, to protect this girl. Not just to follow someone because you love them and have felt no other desire besides that. He is building his own identity now, that comes with sensativity and insecurity. Remember our own identity crisis years, now add an assain family that raised you to be a killing machine, not a person with feelings and goals. Plus they said so from the beginning, gon told killua he was welcome in the search for gons father and what comes along the way, until he finds his own goal or something he wishes to do. I love their freindship (๓´˘`๓)♡ , they both have growing and maturing to do, and they are doing it little by little, together and apart. P.s. sorry for the essay (Take a shot every time I say goal)

I don't think "toxic" is the right word to use for these friendships, but yes a certain degree of dysfunctionality does exist. On the contrary, at the heart of it they are all people who love & care about each other which is quite wholesome.

Am I the only one that thought at the beginning the gang would always stay together?

The development of kurapika and leorio's relationship is one of the things I'm most looking forwards to in hxh. Sometimes I just want to grab kurapika, shake and scream at him to stop being a self distructing idiot and TALK to leorio. Also I love how all of our main characters can be self sacrificing at times, each in a diferent way

The fact that gon is the one who got consumed by the despair in the end makes hunter x hunter unique from other anime.

Thats cool and all but did you know hisoka's bungee gum has both properties of rubber and gum?

8:00 Togashi is just being honest - Everybody dies someday

I mean Leorio isn't as strong as the rest of the squad but boy is his hatsu awesome and creative.

LOTS of y'all rlly forget that the two are children and never had friends before knowing eachother. u make mistakes together, learn from them together. whats great about hxh is that the relationships/bond these characters have is put in a realistic way. their personalities too. but, at the end, keyword: KIDS.

Jup, the real treasure was the friends we made along the way. That, and Tungsten. Mainly Tungsten.

If the light shines too bright it's blinding. You lose sight of the good and kindness. If the dark swallows the light and becomes a void it's just as blinding. There's nothing there but despair. Balance is the only solution but balance seems unachievable. We are fundamentally flawed. Our design is filled with mistakes. If we can only lean in one direction or the other, light or dark, or maybe sway back and forth. How do we obtain balance. Can we obtain balance? I don't think we can.

Something that is missed if you only watch the anime is that Leorio was stronger than Kurapika during the Hunter Exam. In the manga Leorio opens one of the Zoldyck gates alone which the others could not. If Kurapika had not taken shortcuts like restrains or his abuse of Emperor Time the two of them might have grown at a more similar rate. (although probably not completely since Kurapika is more combat-focussed)

I’m not complaining or anything but why is everybody into HunterXHunter recently? I keep seeing new HXH vids that were made from this week/month.

I really like how Hunter x Hunter presents close friendships. Things change during such a relationship. Killua spent over a year with Gon with so much proximity and understanding, doing so much for him and growing with him in return. Killua became a more human individual because of Gon's light. The Chimera Ant arc, which showed Gon's darkness and somewhat toxic tendencies re: his friendship with Killua, really changed their friendship to such a drastic degree that, after healing Gon, I think deep down, Killua knew that his friendship with Gon might be taken into a different, less dependent level. Killua depended on Gon for emotional support and Gon benefited so much. When Gon gave in to revenge, Killua wanted to save him but he was too late. That broke him on an emotional level. He did everything to save him, even bring his sister. However, I think it was during his rescue of Alluka and even more so after healing Gon that Killua finally found a much deeper reason to keep moving forward. It was a life without Gon, a life where he could make his sister feel more human, like how Gon taught him. Killua's journey with Gon remains one of the most solid friendships in much of media but the fact that it "ended" in the last episode of the anime is a really good thing for both Gon and Killua. For Gon, he could find another path outside of his desire to be a Hunter, given that he has finally met his dad. For Killua, he can now find himself, without attaching his meaning or his purpose to Gon anymore. Gon was always his light but learned to become his own light after spending so much time in the sun.

Toxic Friendship in HxH without Illumi + Hisoka? that was unexpected Great video. Hope we see more of Leorio and Kurapika's friendship in the future

i just want a friendship like killua and gon... thats all

"Hope versus despair" 𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐊𝐔𝐌𝐀

Gon and killua are best friends they would do everything for each other

Togashi wasn't lying because everyone in the world will die some day

This video makes me really want to rewatch Hunter X Hunter and then read the manga

“Our Beautiful Blonde Bastard” ~ 6:00 i am using this more to describe Kurapika

Next Time on Mathwiz: Bloom Into Yu Yu Hakusho (I'm so sorry) Actually though, Bloom Into You's Mangaka taking inspiration from Hunter X Hunter is amazing and just gives me another reason to love it. Awesome video and a great sendoff to your Togashi month series. Looking forward to your next project!

What most intrigues me in the friendship of Killua x Gon is like at the same time Gon just look like cares about Killua when he's not with him, but not exactly for his safety or feelings. You can imagine what Gon would do if Killua wanted to stay with his family because of Alluka? One of the most probable possibilities is a bad lecture of friendship to convince Killua to stay on his side again. In Kurapika's arc he doesn't even understand him or looks like is making an effort to. His entire clan was murdered and Gon is still being insensitive when Kurapika wants a vengeance. But when Kaito(Kite) died, he still just look to himself ignoring everything around him and he wants the vengeance even if he was going to die (Like Kurapika was doing). And for me his obsession with Kaito just happened because Kaito was Gin's friend, like Kaito was a "present" of his father and he couldn't lose it, so when he loses he goes absolutely mad about it forgetting of his friends because he couldn't rescue what his father's has given to him.

Glad you touched on leorio and kurapikas toxic ass relationship lmao. No one talks about them enough.

Man I have to bring myself back to Gon allowing Killua to be physically hurt with the volleyball when I get the sad feels about them separating. I recently rewatched HxH and it’s odd how an older perspective changed my views of their relationship. Suddenly I have way more irl experience with attachment issue, pedestals, faulty relationships that are personally beneficial but also somewhat off.. younger people tend to obsess over dichotomies, and it’s appealing to consider our relationships dark and light... I mean the story itself has a coming of age progression, with stakes getting higher in each arc, and relationships complicating over time. I feel an awful nostalgia and sadness rewatching it that’s for sure - and I just want them to talk thru it so much more 😩

great analysis made even better by the bloom into you rec at the end! its one of my favorite mangas ever, i love seeing others appreciate it

Every video should have a Hiro Mashima quote

I love watching these hunter x hunter analysis videos on RU-vid because they fill the indescribable void I feel since my favorite anime is on hiatus And to think this was in my recommendations after Aleczandxr uploaded yesterday. Awesome video!

This was an absolute masterpiece of a video!!! I’m blown away, I’ve got a lot to think about now. Thank you 🙏

this video was done so well holy crap haha. you just explained everything that was running through my head when i finished the anime. i love it!

You and Aleczandxr uploaded at the same time. I'm scared wiz. Are you gonna merge? Please tell us beforehand. I don't think I could mentally handle it.

Love the video, will definitely support more of this. Easy to digest and really conveyed the message others cannot see , i didn't see it to this depth myself.

This was a brilliant analysis! I also loved that you quoted Mashima.

Did you and aleczandxr plan this out

Was it a coincidence that you both released videos about hunter x hunter within the same minute on the same day as in today right now.

Toxic ???? Lmaoooo Gon and Killua have one of the most beautiful friendship. They are literally kids of course they are gonna do some mistakes.... in fact everyone does. Remember when Gon called him his best friend in the whole entire world ? I almost cried I think their friendship is the cutest. I love them so so much

damn, this was a great listen. your video was concise and entertaining to keep me attentive the whole way through. this is some damn good content.

Great video, once again. So great to see such in depth HxH analysis.

this was well written, thank you man

It is important to note as well that the strengths of one can help cover the faults of the other. As long as both parties are willing to improve and are aware of their imperfections then it is a potentially good relationship.

A whole month of HXH is nothing to apologize for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If Gon and Killua’s friendship is toxic then my relationship with my own friends is completely fake and deceitful 😶 but on a serious note, i dont think the word “toxic” is fitting to describe their friendship, it may be dysfunctional though.

TOXIC is SOOOO extreme for these friendships

I agree with you replacing "toxic" with "flawed". What is the difference? A toxic relationship is when narcissistic/manipulative tendencies become the focus. People being flawed is fine within a relationship since the strength of the bond proves itself by overcoming those things. Love covers a multitude of faults and wrongs. True love/charity is wanting and desiring to bring the best out of the other person. Toxicity is objectifying the other for ones own gain, whether knowingly or not.

(8:33) Sad thing is that quote was when Mashima was at his best.

The parallels between the main characters of BiY and Hxh despite the two series being seemingly worlds apart, is really cool. I never connected the dots even though Im a huge fan of both. Good work!

this is one of the best parts of this show and I am so happy to have a video about it

"two characters whose arcs aren't complete *yet*" that's awfully optimistic of you.

I fucking love bloom into you great vid

This is something I've thought about for a long time. I've made the same move that Killuia did as seeing my friends as these sources of pure light. I really loved this video! Though I wish there was a bit of warning when you switched to stuff passed the anime because as an anime only guy I don't want to get spoiled on the upcoming arcs.

Now i have 2 videos to look forward to whenever i get around to reading the manga for Hunter X Hunter

You and Aleczandxr uploaded at the same time

Very well made video as expected

This video was really good. I watched the anime when I was nine, so I don't expect my nine year old self to have noticed these thematic elements, however, I intend to watch it again soon. This time, I believe I'll take in the intricacy much more now that I can appreciate it for what it is. That dynamic is really unhealthy, but yet so many people think of their relationship as "goals". There should be no codependency, but especially not one relying on the other more. The healthiest relationships are the ones that compliment a complete person. There should not be 2 halfs that complete eachother, there should be two complete people finding solice, comfort and happiness in each other.

“Without darkness there can be no light” that makes no fucking sense whatsoever

great analysis! I hope that the next season will be in production soon :)

why... WHY did EVERYONE suddenly remember about this wonderful series this spring? what caused this unexpected surge in his popularity (which i have been praying for for so many years)? i am both wildly happy and bewildered. :'D

your intro is always the best

When I saw Killua being tortured I threw my phone across the room and sobbed for like 5 minutes and then I sobbed again when they reunited. ALL OF THEM FREAKING DESERVES SO MUCH BETTER

No friendship is un-flawed.

Amazing analysis of these two characters relationship it’s stuff like this that makes hunter x hunter the best

Leorio is very underrated. He's not weak, he just has terrible luck.

What I want to know is WHEN THE HELL IS THE SHOW GUNNA START BACK UP! Haha Love your content man, good stuff 😁

"..Without no dark, there can be no light" **i mean well.. TECHNICALLY-**

The reason why gon s light shine so bright it s because its darkness is also deep. Killua has also his own light but he s so focus on gon s shiness that he doesnt see his and he thinks. When i started the anime i did realise that killua was lowing himself toward gon. For him he does not deserve to stay with gon . It s like if it s a privilege for him. A gift that gon is offering to him. That s why he was so down when gon says that "killing pito to avenge kite it s none of your business". For him it s like if gon was taking back the privilege he had given to him at the beginning . That s why he asked paamu to save gon because , for killua , she was closest person who can bring gon back to normal. But he didnt understand that gon was just full of anger and didnt mean what he said. He was just angry not to understand why killua was not on his side when he wanted to kill pito (when pito was healing komugi) And that s a normal reaction . When someone is angry and you try to tell him that what he s doing is wrong he will reject you because you re not on his side . In that situation the angry person just want all his friend to be on his side and agree with anything he is doing or prepar to do. But killua was hurt without understanding that gon was not himself and , like he used to do, keep everything inside. The toxic relationship doesnt come only from gon but killua also . Both need to change that bad aspect of themselve Thank if you have watch till the end and sorry for all the fault . As a french guy it s kinda complicated sometimes 😅😅😅

I read the dodgeball moment as a display of trust between friends, myself: Killua willing to risk injured hands because he trusts Gon and his game plan, and Gon trusting Killua to hold the ball steady without flinching, a "beneficial" outcome of Killua's torturous upbringing. It's fun listening to these videos by people who've put a lot of thought into the show and its character development.

Awesome vid bro

I know that a lot consider their story over, but I d love to see growth in their relationship with them being more like equals again (like in the beginning) and seeing the continuination of Gon s character arc and conclusion of Killua‘s

Gon: light trying not to fade into darkness. Killua:From darkness to light but he fights everyday to not slip back into darkness.

It’s great writing when I crave them being United so bad

In terms of friendship and human relationships with the world and each other in general hunter x hunter is surprisingly down to earth for a story set in a totally fictional world. Like you said, it's really a plot about the connections people create along the way. It's not following along with the classical shounen manga formula that is "I'm cool, so I have friends and we're being cool together". HxH is really about joining the big wierd world outside your Whale Island, finding jobs, learning new things. And, most importantly, meeting new people, "good" or "bad, who you're bound to form some kind of relationship with. With that said, I'm not even sure that in their current states the relationships between Gon and Killua and Kurapika and Leorio respectively can really be classified as "friendship". More like difficult phases in their partnerships.

Relations and unity doesnt always provide benefits only

mathwiz is the queen of shonen

man...I cried so hard at the ant arc.

Friends just being friends. This guy: its toxic.

The problem with the "lacks" repetition isn't that you're repeating it, but that you put emphasis on an awkward part of the sentence the second time. You said "his dangerous and chaotic lifestyle *lacks* " when the emphasis conventionally should have been on the opposite part there. It's just a tiny speaking note, the actual substance of your analysis is solid.

“Our beautiful blonde bastard” Damn straight.

"Beautiful blonde bastard" *basically a summary of Kurapika.*

Thank you for this video.. that scene hit like a truck... there was some truth about what Gon said....

Using "lacks" twice wasn't too bad, because you're making two symmetric statements.

Nice recommendation, cool video

Most friendships in real life are like this. You're either Gon, Killua, Kurapika or Leorio

Very wholesome

I just scrolled though all the comments reading each one by one without knowing

i think toxic is a strong word to use

I hope and wish the rest of the Boat arc will pull off of Kurapika and move to Leorio given he's on the boat and yet they don't show much of what he is doing outside of medical training. Hell a big twist theory I got is the big reason why the Spiders are unable to find Hisoka and bulldozing their ways to the upper levels is because Hisoka is getting safe haven with Leorio somehow so the spiders are going the wrong way and will clash with the royals and Hunter organization while Hisoka is recovering under Leorio's care

Hasn't been as extreme... Yet

_Hello Darkness My Old Friend._

Literally yesterday I was watching some older Mathwiz videos wondering when will she grace us with her sexy soothing voice again

By manga spoilers is he talking about after the end of the Anime? Like post world tree?

About Gon’s Nen reset. If Gon gets eaten by ant Kite and reborn as an ant Gon, would he get his Nen back? Would it be on par with Muerum’s since ants seem to be naturally better at learning Nen than humans? Especially given Gon’s crazy talents?

aht aht they jus b hanging wit tha bros lol

I want u to take as much time as u need but do u have updates on universe mode and when u are gonna make a return

I disagree with your first statement yes dark needs light. However light doesnt need dark. Because darkness is the absence of light and light is not the opposite so we could exist without darkness and still have light. Have a good day

I never noticed that, interesting...

Can you do videos on Rurouni Kenshin? That would be really cool! If not, that would be great too. It's your channel anyway and I can't force you to do anything you don't want to do. Just giving out suggestions to what I think are good video topics. God Bless! Stay strong, stay safe and take care of yourselves! Wishing everyone the best!