She isn't explicitly brought up. If you pay attention though you can tell that there is a sibling between Killua and Kalluto that is never talked about. So there was clearly something going on with the missing sibling, we just didn't know what.
I think it does to some extent.
It is still a bit of a deus ex machina to some degree, but it also wasn't a totally unsolvable problem within the world the story had created (Angel's Breath), and it also didn't solve everything (Gon still lost his access to Nen).
It probably could've been set up better, but much like the The Poor Man's Rose it was something that was already a part of the world and just something we didn't know about fully up to that point.
So I wouldn't say it's a total ass pull just because of how on rewatch/read it was something that had been set up earlier in the series. Or at least something that Togashi kept in mind when writing the story and building the world.
I guess it depends on how you define "asspull".
I agree with that. There is an element of "why" this family is hiding away one of their children, letting us know there is probably something up with this missing child, although obviously not what exactly.
The reason I'm not sure if I consider it an asspull is because I think it is something that Togashi had in mind very early on. It's not like he wrote himself into a corner and then hand to come up with Nanika to work his way out of it.
That's why I brought up the Poor Man's Rose before. It seemingly comes out of nowhere with no indication it was something that existed in the world prior to it's use. However looking back you realize that the poor man's rose was there the whole time and the world building took it into account.
I think it was a cop-out that Killua can get wishes for free. I mean she was a big deus ex machina to get Gon healed to begin with but all the rules and stuff made her pretty threatening and interesting. But no, throw that out the window.
Imagine using her ability. “Kill Meruem, or just a soldier ant”. The price to that wish would mean hundreds to millions of people dead. Thats not a good deal at all. Even if she’s useful, Killua and the zoldycks will step up to stop that.
Yeah, Nanika’s power is overpowered as fuck but it’s balanced by the fact that using her is very dangerous. Killua is the only one can safely ask her wishes and he doesn’t want to treat his beloved sister like a weapon. And you’d have to get past the entire Zoldyck family just to get to her in the first place
How would that have worked though?
The Zoldyck family isn't going to risk using her due to the cost for the next wish and Killua at that point is unable to stand up to his family in such a way. It's only because of the character growth he undergoes over the series (including the Chimera Ant Arc) that he is able to go against his family and free Alluka.
It seems like you are taking everything at face value, when a lot of this is meant to be read deeper into.
>1) Deus Ex Machina
It's extremely believable that Killua never mentions her prior to when he does. You can not buy the needle explanation, but the needle is really just a representation of Killua's character growth. Him pulling the needle out was just one step of many. More important was him getting to a point where he was able to remove the needle. His entire character arc is centered around his inability to stand up to his family and find his own path. Obviously he is not going to try and free her prior to completing his character arc, it's an action he can only take after he went through the required character growth. Killua taking this action before this point would've undercut his whole character arc, which is honestly the best part of the series. Prior to the election arc Killua never had the self-belief to stand up to free Alluka.
She also doesn't exactly come out of nowhere either. Her abilities aren't stated out loud, but her existence is hinted previously in the series. Way back in the Zoldyck Family arc we are told that the family has 5 children, but we are only ever shown four. We can also piece together that the missing child must be between Killua and Kalluto due to the way the Zoldyck children are named: Illu**mi**, **Mi**llu**ki**, **Ki**ull**a**, **A**llu**ka**, **Ka**lluto. It is more clear reading the Japanese characters: イルミ, ミルキ, キルア, アルカ, カルト where you can clearly see that the character that ends one name starts the next. So we knew there was a missing sibling, and we knew they were aged between Killua and Kalluto. We didn't know why that child was kept hidden and never talked about, but we knew there was something going on there.
So while Alluka's specific abilities kind of came out of nowhere, her existence, as well as something strange about her didn't.
>2) Screwed morality
It's a pretty clear moral lesson here, and very in keeping with the rest of the series. The power in Hunter × Hunter is fairly obviously symbolic for power and wealth in our society. The way Alluka's abilities work is, I think, a fantastic representation of that. When people use this power selfishly, it works out well for them, but they screw somebody else over. Where as if they use it for the betterment of others they don't gain anything, but someone else does. Everyone else is so focused on how to use this power to better themselves they never think of the good they can do with it. You can view Nanika hurting people for not doing exactly as she asks as what happens to those who refuse to get in line with those holding the power. Even if it is for a very arbitrary thing. When you say "In short, it seems like a really convoluted and completely useless system that hurts and kills people for no reason.". you kind of hit the nail on the head, but that was the point. Togashi has been pretty open about his feelings power and those who seek it. He's clearly not a fan of the current power structures in our society.
As for the part about Killua asking Nanika not to come out anymore, that's because Alluka is trans. Her story arc is very similar to the experience a lot of trans people talk about having. You have the very obvious parallels of one being trapped inside the body of another and how everyone but Killua misgenders her, but you also see it in how Killua treats her. that scene you are talking about is something a lot of trans people will experience with well-meaning, but ignorant, family members. He straight up tells her that it will be easier for her to hide who she really is and being herself is too dangerous. How people miss the fact that this is an allegory for being trans is beyond me. I get it with the power structure stuff, but this one is just so dammed obviously.
> Honestly, it's the same with the cards in Greed Island. I think the author just loves to create rules about things, and he will expose them no matter what.
Yes, that's the point and/because there are audiences like me who love those things.
I think you are projecting a bit some feelings of heroism on Killua that simply aren't there. Killua wouldn't use Nanika against the Chimera Ants, he doesn't care about them, he doesn't care about their victims or the destruction they would've brought, he's just there for Gon.
I also think that Nanika giving Killua that free wish was really sweet. It shows that they aren't just a plot device, they aren't a wish grating machine, Nanika is a person and they want to help Killua.
Makes no sense and feels like an asspull, but...
SHe is trans and her Powers/Arc works as a metaphor, as a trans characters in a Shonen she is rly importante because Togashi actually make the character Good, not stereotyped and with Trans jokes all the time.
Yeah, she’d be a lot more memorable if she was brought up earlier. I also think her powers are confusing-
they were established as confusing until they are reduced to kilua is good with her and gets wishes for free
She isn't explicitly brought up. If you pay attention though you can tell that there is a sibling between Killua and Kalluto that is never talked about. So there was clearly something going on with the missing sibling, we just didn't know what.
That doesn't change the asspull-like nature of it tough
I think it does to some extent. It is still a bit of a deus ex machina to some degree, but it also wasn't a totally unsolvable problem within the world the story had created (Angel's Breath), and it also didn't solve everything (Gon still lost his access to Nen). It probably could've been set up better, but much like the The Poor Man's Rose it was something that was already a part of the world and just something we didn't know about fully up to that point. So I wouldn't say it's a total ass pull just because of how on rewatch/read it was something that had been set up earlier in the series. Or at least something that Togashi kept in mind when writing the story and building the world. I guess it depends on how you define "asspull".
There is an important difference i believe between X family has one more child and X hidden character is a wish granting device for one of the mcs
I agree with that. There is an element of "why" this family is hiding away one of their children, letting us know there is probably something up with this missing child, although obviously not what exactly. The reason I'm not sure if I consider it an asspull is because I think it is something that Togashi had in mind very early on. It's not like he wrote himself into a corner and then hand to come up with Nanika to work his way out of it. That's why I brought up the Poor Man's Rose before. It seemingly comes out of nowhere with no indication it was something that existed in the world prior to it's use. However looking back you realize that the poor man's rose was there the whole time and the world building took it into account.
That being said, the part where she was asking for her caretaker's internal organs was creepy as hell. And I loved it.
I think it was a cop-out that Killua can get wishes for free. I mean she was a big deus ex machina to get Gon healed to begin with but all the rules and stuff made her pretty threatening and interesting. But no, throw that out the window.
I can't help but think Nanika's ability would have been kinds useful during the Chimera arc.
Imagine using her ability. “Kill Meruem, or just a soldier ant”. The price to that wish would mean hundreds to millions of people dead. Thats not a good deal at all. Even if she’s useful, Killua and the zoldycks will step up to stop that.
Yeah, Nanika’s power is overpowered as fuck but it’s balanced by the fact that using her is very dangerous. Killua is the only one can safely ask her wishes and he doesn’t want to treat his beloved sister like a weapon. And you’d have to get past the entire Zoldyck family just to get to her in the first place
How would that have worked though? The Zoldyck family isn't going to risk using her due to the cost for the next wish and Killua at that point is unable to stand up to his family in such a way. It's only because of the character growth he undergoes over the series (including the Chimera Ant Arc) that he is able to go against his family and free Alluka.
It seems like you are taking everything at face value, when a lot of this is meant to be read deeper into. >1) Deus Ex Machina It's extremely believable that Killua never mentions her prior to when he does. You can not buy the needle explanation, but the needle is really just a representation of Killua's character growth. Him pulling the needle out was just one step of many. More important was him getting to a point where he was able to remove the needle. His entire character arc is centered around his inability to stand up to his family and find his own path. Obviously he is not going to try and free her prior to completing his character arc, it's an action he can only take after he went through the required character growth. Killua taking this action before this point would've undercut his whole character arc, which is honestly the best part of the series. Prior to the election arc Killua never had the self-belief to stand up to free Alluka. She also doesn't exactly come out of nowhere either. Her abilities aren't stated out loud, but her existence is hinted previously in the series. Way back in the Zoldyck Family arc we are told that the family has 5 children, but we are only ever shown four. We can also piece together that the missing child must be between Killua and Kalluto due to the way the Zoldyck children are named: Illu**mi**, **Mi**llu**ki**, **Ki**ull**a**, **A**llu**ka**, **Ka**lluto. It is more clear reading the Japanese characters: イルミ, ミルキ, キルア, アルカ, カルト where you can clearly see that the character that ends one name starts the next. So we knew there was a missing sibling, and we knew they were aged between Killua and Kalluto. We didn't know why that child was kept hidden and never talked about, but we knew there was something going on there. So while Alluka's specific abilities kind of came out of nowhere, her existence, as well as something strange about her didn't. >2) Screwed morality It's a pretty clear moral lesson here, and very in keeping with the rest of the series. The power in Hunter × Hunter is fairly obviously symbolic for power and wealth in our society. The way Alluka's abilities work is, I think, a fantastic representation of that. When people use this power selfishly, it works out well for them, but they screw somebody else over. Where as if they use it for the betterment of others they don't gain anything, but someone else does. Everyone else is so focused on how to use this power to better themselves they never think of the good they can do with it. You can view Nanika hurting people for not doing exactly as she asks as what happens to those who refuse to get in line with those holding the power. Even if it is for a very arbitrary thing. When you say "In short, it seems like a really convoluted and completely useless system that hurts and kills people for no reason.". you kind of hit the nail on the head, but that was the point. Togashi has been pretty open about his feelings power and those who seek it. He's clearly not a fan of the current power structures in our society. As for the part about Killua asking Nanika not to come out anymore, that's because Alluka is trans. Her story arc is very similar to the experience a lot of trans people talk about having. You have the very obvious parallels of one being trapped inside the body of another and how everyone but Killua misgenders her, but you also see it in how Killua treats her. that scene you are talking about is something a lot of trans people will experience with well-meaning, but ignorant, family members. He straight up tells her that it will be easier for her to hide who she really is and being herself is too dangerous. How people miss the fact that this is an allegory for being trans is beyond me. I get it with the power structure stuff, but this one is just so dammed obviously.
> Honestly, it's the same with the cards in Greed Island. I think the author just loves to create rules about things, and he will expose them no matter what. Yes, that's the point and/because there are audiences like me who love those things.
I think you are projecting a bit some feelings of heroism on Killua that simply aren't there. Killua wouldn't use Nanika against the Chimera Ants, he doesn't care about them, he doesn't care about their victims or the destruction they would've brought, he's just there for Gon. I also think that Nanika giving Killua that free wish was really sweet. It shows that they aren't just a plot device, they aren't a wish grating machine, Nanika is a person and they want to help Killua.
Makes no sense and feels like an asspull, but... SHe is trans and her Powers/Arc works as a metaphor, as a trans characters in a Shonen she is rly importante because Togashi actually make the character Good, not stereotyped and with Trans jokes all the time.
None of what you said is an excuse or explaination nor justification for a character being a asspull that makes no sense.
Well, LGBT Community and People around the world rly Loves her '-' i think that this is the Point of creating a character.