Hunter x Hunter Episode 1: Departure x and x Friends
The story begins with a young boy named Gon, who aspires to be a hunter just like his father Ging. Ging leaves his son in the care of Mito, Gon's aunt, and has not been seen since. Gon catches the local monster fish, "Lord of the Lake", in order to prove his ability to take the exam. Although Mito is reluctant to let Gon leave his home, she relents after he is determined to understand the reason his father left him and his interest of being a hunter.
Full recap
The episode opens with a narration explaining that Hunters are elite professionals who track down hidden treasures, rare beasts, and people, undertaking perilous jobs for high rewards.
On Whale Island, 12-year-old Gon Freecss attempts to catch the massive "Master of the Swamp," a monstrous fish last caught 20 years ago by his father, Ging, as a condition set by his reluctant aunt, Mito Freecss, to prove he is ready for the Hunter Exam. Townspeople gossip about Gon's quest while Mito sorts fish, expressing her worry over his safety. Gon succeeds in reeling in the enormous fish after a fierce struggle, dragging it to the harbor to the villagers' amazement and Mito's dismay. Mito reluctantly agrees to let him go, and Gon bids an emotional farewell to her and the islanders who gather at the dock, shouting his determination to become the world's greatest Hunter.
Aboard the ship bound for the Hunter Exam site, filled with other applicants, passengers mock Gon's youthful enthusiasm. Gon observes the serious applicants and intervenes to help crew member Katzo, who is being bullied by other sailors over a card game. A violent storm approaches, which Gon had predicted earlier, impressing the Captain. As waves batter the ship and a waterspout forms, crew members struggle to stabilize it; Katzo slips and nearly falls overboard, witnessed in horror by tall applicant Leorio in a suit and silver-haired applicant Kurapika.
Gon leaps from the ship to grab Katzo, dangling precariously as Leorio and Kurapika seize Gon's legs to pull them back aboard. The next day, with the storm passed, Katzo thanks the three for saving him. Earlier tensions between Leorio and Kurapika—stemming from an argument where the Captain demanded their reasons for taking the exam (Kurapika seeks to avenge his clan's massacre by the Phantom Troupe, while Leorio's motives involve money)—resolve as they reconcile and bond with Gon. Impressed by their selflessness and teamwork, the Captain declares they pass his test and promises to take them directly to the port nearest the exam site.
Who appears
Gon Freecss
KurapikaWhere it happens
Whale IslandReading this mid-show?
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