Shonen Beam

[chapter link]

To say that I have high hopes for this chapter would be a fairly colossal understatement.

Whoa. What happened to Gon? … What happened to Gon’s shirt?

Initial impressions on mature Gon: Not to my liking. A little too uncharacteristic of the little boy I’ve enjoyed following over hundreds of chapters. The face and overly-toned muscles are too out of place. I don’t mind the hair, though maybe I’ve grown to expect it a bit, given Togashi’s previous work.

That said, few attack catchphrases send a chill of anticipation down my spine quite like “First comes rock…” I know it’s a little cheesy, but Togashi has done a great job making it carry serious meaning.

Were I some rabid forum-trolling fanboy, that punch would elicit a long string of exclamation points and bolded text. What a moment.

Final Flash: Questionable feelings regarding Gon’s “mature” state aside, I’ve been waiting for that punch for years, and no amount of nitpicking over the way muscles are drawn or scribbled speed lines will stand in the way of my enjoyment of this chapter. My only concern now is whether Gon will be able to maintain this state and challenge the King, or whether he’ll have used up all his nen and be reduced to watching from the sidelines again as other characters take the spotlight. I seriously hope for the former.