For Phinks it’s the “ Ripper Cyclotron“, an Enhancer skill where he winds his arm to add strength to his punches (15 times is “more than twice” as much as needed to dispatch a Chimera Ant captain). We have seen Phinks and Shalnark fight before, but they reveal attacks we haven’t yet seen. Of him we learn that he’s a Bapu warrior, from a tribe who have holes drilled in their bodies at three years old so they turn into human musical instruments, using sound as both a battle hymn and a weapon itself. Basically, this ep is a chance to show off just how beastly the Spiders are, including some – like Bonolenov, who haven’t had much of a chance to do so before. It’s worth noting that when the Troupe (as is often the case with this faction, Phinks acts like he’s in charge) comes a-calling, they go through the front door – disdaining stealth as both unnecessary and beneath their dignity. All of the Spiders we see this week were also in “Greed Island”, as it happens – though in this instance they’re engaged in a somewhat more high-stakes mission. In fact of the original members I believe only Feitan is with the group we see here, who also seem to generally identify as the more wicked of the bunch – certainly Nobunaga and to a lesser extent both Machi and Franklin (all absent) seem to have more of a sense of conventional honor than the others, though despite obvious tensions in the group there’s clearly a powerful loyalty to all their fellow Spiders. It’s fascinating how we generally see the Spiders in subsets, rarely all together – there are various fault lines hinted at, such as seniority and – less obviously – a general sense of who the more and less “evil” of the bunch are. But that’s rarely a problem with the Phantom Troupe, who have plenty to spare. It all makes a ton of sense, really – it’s just that few mangaka would have thought of it, and fewer still had the kintama to follow through. Take a breather from the preposterously intense (both in terms of action and emotion) main story and show us something that’s undeniably dark, but has less a sense of despair and consequence.Showcase Kalluto Zoldyck, who’s been briefly teased as a character in both the “Zoldyck Family” and “Greed Island” arcs but never truly gotten a chance to show off.Give several Spiders a chance to show just how damn GAR they are.Give us an origin story for the Spiders, bringing us at last to their legendary birthplace of Meteor City.Show the extent to which the Chimera Ant menace has spread.But I think he sensed an opportunity here that was simply too good to pass up. Togashi introduces so many truly great characters that you wish they could all find a place in every episode but that’s obviously impossible – he’s basically ignored half of what looked to be the main characters for over half the series, after all. Villains without a doubt, but such utterly fascinating ones – even without the presence of their most fascinating member, Chrollo (who’s sadly not a part of this plot twist, apparently, and neither is Hisoka – who’s presumably searching for him). The Phantom Troupe is a pretty remarkable auxiliary cast, that’s for sure.
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