Hunter x Hunter 317 Discussion

[3c]

Chapter Out! Enjoy it!

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[Naruto Sennin87]

From: http://animeprodestiny.forumcommunity.net/?t=37822471#lastpost
credit: T ◆PecpvbY4/


425 ：T ◆PecpvbY4/. ：2011/09/21(水) 16:46:56.95 発信元:143.90.177.36
ハンタ落としたけど、内容が楽しそうに軍儀を打つ二人だけだったから内容無いよ。

426 ：T ◆Pez0cfL.PI ：2011/09/21(水) 16:47:12.47 発信元:202.229.176.177
ハンタは帰宅してから
とりあえず次週から休載


第317話 「終幕」
軍儀をうつ二人。鼻血を出しながら語るかける王
王「余の名前を以前尋ねてたな？」
コムギ「は、はい。　あ、でもでも、わだすそんな、、、」
王「余の名はメルエム」
コムギ「え？」
王「メルエム。これが余の名前だコムギ」
コムギ「あ、あ～　総帥様のお名前はメルエム様ですか！　いや、なんどもスデキな、、」

[genisakuragi2]

425 ：T ◆PecpvbY4/. ：2011/09/21(水) 16:46:56.95 発信元:143.90.177.36
ハンタ落としたけど、内容が楽しそうに軍儀を打つ二人だけだったから内容無いよ。

426 ：T ◆Pez0cfL.PI ：2011/09/21(水) 16:47:12.47 発信元:202.229.176.177
ハンタは帰宅してから
とりあえず次週から休載

I hope I'm doing a mistake in the translation but he's saying Hunter has falled, the gungi seems to be interesting but it's just two players playing.
If I dont do mistake from next week there is suspension of publication.

[Naruto Sennin87]

From:http://animeprodestiny.forumcommunity.net/?t=37822471#lastpost
Credit: ohana


66 ：ohana ◆IR7jauNn4E ：2011/09/21(水) 18:07:36.45 ID:1Q/QbtrlO
携帯だから短くします。


王 余は毒におかされた もう長くない
眼を開けて泣くコムギ


コムギ わだすが こんなに幸せでいいのでしょうか？こんなに素敵なことがいくつもおきていいのでしょうか？

王 最期をコムギ お主とうって過ごしたかった だがこの毒は伝染する 余の傍に長くいれば お主にも


コムギ メルエム様 わだす とっても幸せです ふつつかものですが お供させてください わだすはきっとこの日のために生まれてきますた


メルエム (そうか 余は この瞬間のために生まれて来たのだ…)


今際の際に答えを知った…終わり★サーセイ


コムギはメルエムと死ぬことを選んだんだね

---------- Post added at 04:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:10 AM ----------

From: http://animeprodestiny.forumcommunity.net/?t=37822471#lastpost
http://thumbnails42.imagebam.com/15038/3944ba150378171.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/3944ba150378171) http://thumbnails51.imagebam.com/15038/78eaee150378185.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/78eaee150378185)



5 名前：名無しさんの次レスにご期待下さい ：2011/09/21(水) 21:57:40.33 ID:fZKWd6AE0
326 ：T ◆PecpvbY4/. ：2011/09/21(火) 20:34:35.42 発信元:143.90.177.36 返信 tw

ハンタが凄すぎな展開！！！
タイトルは「存在」

パームが回想
王が死亡する
最後の台詞は是非絵で見て欲しい！文字じゃ感動薄れます！
んでゴンがオーラを使い果たしたネテロ並かそれ以上に老いてるのが衝撃！！！
最後に除念を終えたクロロが登場！！！！！！！！
うそばれ氏が考えそうな超絶展開を全部詰め込めたって感じの回でしたｗ

[Bomber D Rufi]

5 名前：名無しさんの次レスにご期待下さい ：2011/09/21(水) 21:57:40.33 ID:fZKWd6AE0
326 ：T ◆PecpvbY4/. ：2011/09/21(火) 20:34:35.42 発信元:143.90.177.36 返信 tw

ハンタが凄すぎな展開！！！
タイトルは「存在」

パームが回想
王が死亡する
最後の台詞は是非絵で見て欲しい！文字じゃ感動薄れます！
んでゴンがオーラを使い果たしたネテロ並かそれ以上に老いてるのが衝撃！！！
最後に除念を終えたクロロが登場！！！！！！！！
うそばれ氏が考えそうな超絶展開を全部詰め込めたって感じの回でしたｗ

HXH has had an incredible development!
The title is 'Existence'


Palm's reccolection,
The King has died.
The last thing he said was something along the lines of wanting to travel to see things (Travel portrait?) The poster said that he was moved beyond words. Gon's aura is now on a level beyond that of Netero's The last page is of Kuroro with his nen removed.
The developments in this chapter almost make it seem fake.

Take that as you will.

The other spoilers are all kind of different from each other, and I can't see the pictures posted because I'm at work and that image site doesn't load here. (if they can be loaded somewhere else...?)

ハンタ落としたけど、内容が楽しそうに軍儀を打つ二人だけだったから内容無いよ。

426 ：T ◆Pez0cfL.PI ：2011/09/21(水) 16:47:12.47 発信元:202.229.176.177
ハンタは帰宅してから
とりあえず次週から休載


Yeah, this one says the Hunters have failed, and that Gungi is fun, but only a two person game.
HXH just returned, but it looks like it will be on break for a while starting with the next issue.


第317話 「終幕」
軍儀をうつ二人。鼻血を出しながら語るかける王
王「余の名前を以前尋ねてたな？」
コムギ「は、はい。　あ、でもでも、わだすそんな、、、」
王「余の名はメルエム」
コムギ「え？」
王「メルエム。これが余の名前だコムギ」
コムギ「あ、あ～　総帥様のお名前はメルエム様ですか！　いや、なんどもスデキな、、」


317 'Curtain close'
The two play Gungi, and the King's nose bleeds as he talks.
King: You had asked for my name before, right?
Komugi: Y--yes. But I don't need to know such a....
King: My name is Merynem
Komugi: Eh?
King: Merynem. That is my name.
Komugi: A...ah...so the leader's name is Merynem-sama! That's such a great name....

[LoS]

Komugi and the King are having a gungi (HxH chess) match.
They chat with each other about various subjects, and Komugi says she is happy right now.
They feel they were born for this very moment

end

T says nothing happened in the chapter than playing the game and chatting lol.

from Aohige over at AP

[ish3]

Eww that sounds like a horrible chapter unless it shows the King dying at the end.

[Uriel]

Eww that sounds like a horrible chapter unless it shows the King dying at the end.
I'm sure there will be more to be shown. And some side-story as well. I bet on it.

[Freecs]

are you guys sure that hunter is going on a breakk again?

it have just got back!

[Phantron]

HXH going on a hiatus has been a staple news on the fake info from 2ch. It doesn't seem like we even know which info is real so I wouldn't worry about it... yet.

[kkck]

Maybe it is just a 1 week break.... Anyways, I doubt there will be a hiatus considering we have not even completed 1 volume. We should get at least this chapter and 2 more...

[BurnSchulz]

One Piece takes a break too. Is another Special Week in Japan theese days?



BTW All theese spoilers especially the "Gon has more aura then ever and Kuroro appears" sound much like all the Spoiler Trolls broke out of their caves...

Hop that everyone here will forget what the fake spoiler said after the real chapter came out. Not as in One Piece where sometimes sombody thinks a fake spoiler from weeks and months ago was indeed real...

[Phantron]

The two info given above half conflicting titles ("Existence" versus "Finale") so they clearly came from two different sources, and at least one of those had to be fake since it's pretty much impossible to get the title of a chapter wrong if you have the original to work with.

When people fake this stuff they do a pretty good job staying true to the original source, which means on HXH you should always expect to see "Next week, HXH is on a hiatus", while something like One Piece will rarely see stuff like that since that's the Iron Man champ for continous serialization out of major mangas. Ironically, One Piece is going on a one week break next week, which might be why there are more "HXH is going on a hiatus" amongst the early info compared to normal.

---------- Post added at 06:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:31 PM ----------


One Piece takes a break too. Is another Special Week in Japan theese days?



BTW All theese spoilers especially the "Gon has more aura then ever and Kuroro appears" sound much like all the Spoiler Trolls broke out of their caves...

Hop that everyone here will forget what the fake spoiler said after the real chapter came out. Not as in One Piece where sometimes sombody thinks a fake spoiler from weeks and months ago was indeed real...

If the info features Hisoka or Kuroro it's almost always fake. It's not even clear Togashi still cares about these guys but the fans certainly do.

I don't think it's a double issue week or a national holiday because quite a few of the HXH boards I go to will post stuff like 'DO NOT PANIC, NO SHONEN JUMP NEXT WEEK' since otherwise people will start threatening to burn down Togashi's house if it went on a hiatus that isn't due to a national event. So far I haven't seen any such warnings yet.

[moubou]

Phantron
********
bagayaro
what u saying
i love hunter x hunter just for kuroro lool
********************************
but one thing Puzzled me
in site web official of the manga
i found It closed
that's site http://www.j-hunterhunter.com/

[BurnSchulz]

It's not even clear Togashi still cares about these guys but the fans certainly do.
Do not talk in a way like this. As if you know or even hate Togashi. I hate this, and i am certain that i am not the only one who don't want to read insults against Togashi.

It's absolutely doubtful that togashi don't care about Hisoka and Kuroro anymore, it is just that in the whole time their plot didnt fit in the actual arc.
And because of that we can assume that the Spoiler about Hisoka and Kuroro is fake. Certainly NOT because Togashi don't cares about the Characters.

[Frogfoot]

Eww that sounds like a horrible chapter unless it shows the King dying at the end.

Total agreed, and for worst it take break next issue too

[Freecs]

hahah so it is just for the next issue. :D

[Naruto Sennin87]

From: http://animeprodestiny.forumcommunity.net/?t=37822471#lastpost
http://thumbnails55.imagebam.com/15051/903889150502155.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/903889150502155)

[Shamy]

Some pics out on MangaHead (http://mangahead.com/Manga-Raw-Scan/Hunter-x-Hunter/Hunter-x-Hunter-317-Raw-Scan)

http://thumbnails55.imagebam.com/15051/903889150502155.jpg (http://mangahead.com/)

[lordoffantasy]

Some pics out on MangaHead (http://mangahead.com/Manga-Raw-Scan/Hunter-x-Hunter/Hunter-x-Hunter-317-Raw-Scan)

http://thumbnails55.imagebam.com/15051/903889150502155.jpg (http://mangahead.com/)

hmmmm, what does this end page saw. what is being said at the end, and what does those letters mean?

[•Sasuke•]

From: http://animeprodestiny.forumcommunity.net/?t=37822471#lastpost
http://thumbnails55.imagebam.com/15051/903889150502155.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/903889150502155)


No break for Hxh

http://img24.imagehaven.net/img/thumbs/Z7OVGUDS15_IMG_3781.JPG (http://img24.imagehaven.net/img.php?id=Z7OVGUDS15_IMG_3781.JPG) http://img24.imagehaven.net/img/thumbs/BSY62HUH5E_IMG_3782.JPG (http://img24.imagehaven.net/img.php?id=BSY62HUH5E_IMG_3782.JPG) http://img23.imagehaven.net/img/thumbs/R0YAAA5HPP_IMG_3784.JPG (http://img23.imagehaven.net/img.php?id=R0YAAA5HPP_IMG_3784.JPG)

tnx that's a great news


From: http://animeprodestiny.forumcommunity.net/?t=37822471#lastpost
http://thumbnails53.imagebam.com/15051/566543150507666.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/566543150507666)

so the chapter is all about the king and komugi?

[Uriel]

I deleted the raws links. We will wait for the chapter come out (Which will be soon) because the link provided is for profit. I'll delete more of those links. If you are providing a for profit link, please also provide a non profit link. See the posting for rules (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/69922-Spoiler-Rules-and-Posting-Guide?p=2434727&viewfull=1#post2434727) for profit download links..

Have a nice day :D

[Naruto Sennin87]

From: http://animeprodestiny.forumcommunity.net/?t=37822471#lastpost

http://thumbnails20.imagebam.com/15054/798d41150538842.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/798d41150538842) http://thumbnails36.imagebam.com/15054/faf17a150538850.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/faf17a150538850)

---------- Post added at 09:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:21 AM ----------

Hunter x Hunter 317 FULL CHINESE (http://animeprodestiny.forumcommunity.net/?t=37822471#lastpost)

[Phantron]

So Meryem says Komugi can't stay next to him for too long because the poison from the Rose spreads, but it obviously doesn't spread so fast that he can't spend the rest of his time playing Gungi with her.

That's some seriously slow spreading poison given how fast it kills you when you can be in the same room with an infected individual until they die and still not get infected.

[lordoffantasy]

i think the poison spread is controlled to the area of infection and thsoe infected, jsut so that it does not kill everyone. it is a toxin, not a disease, if a horrible toxin at that.
i find this oddly touching. in the end, i guess the king jsut wanted to be human.

[Phantron]

i think the poison spread is controlled to the area of infection and thsoe infected, jsut so that it does not kill everyone. it is a toxin, not a disease, if a horrible toxin at that.
i find this oddly touching. in the end, i guess the king jsut wanted to be human.

Meryem specifically tells Komugi to stay away from him or she will eventually get infected too.

[hunter71485]

The poison's intended effects must be affected by the vitality of it's victim.

Yupi - became a fraction of his former self, died first
Pufu - has unaffected fragments of himself unwittingly return to him, which prolonged his life a bit
King - given the life energy of the two above, the poison must really be doing some absurd exponential growth to kill him

[Uriel]

Chapter out at Mangareader.
Such a moving chapter. I really liked it, but I guess there wont be many people doing so. And nice colorspread as well, reminds me someone saying that Togashi did not liked other characters and well, here they are xD

[LoS]

I can see why Palm cried, that was a sad moment indeed

[Host Samurai]

That was definetly nice to see the main characters, Hisoka included on the colorspread. :D

The chapter was really moving it seems like Komugi chose to die alongside the King. So basically the arc has officially ended and nothing much happened either.

[ragnell93]

nice chapter with the gungi play and the color page, was really touching this arc with the development of the characters. Now hope for another great arc after this

[Phantron]

It's a fairly predictable chapter that makes you wonder why this didn't immediately follow chapter 314.

I don't get why Meryem implies that he's born to play Gungi with Komugi. This is clearly not what he was born to do. He can either bring unimagineable horror or usher a new utopia upon humanity. He's not born to be a Gungi player seeking the Hand of God with Komugi. Sure, I have no problem if this is where he finds comfort, but that's not his purpose in life. Meryem has shown quite a few times that he has no real interest in conquest/leadership, and merely does so because he feels it's his duty as the being atop evolution.

[mrsticky005]

I liked the chapter because I like the relationship between Komugi and Meryuem.
I'm interested though in what will happen with all the other characters however
I think it's better to leave that for the next arc.

I'm a little confused. Is Komugi going to die with Meryuem?

[Airget]

It's a fairly predictable chapter that makes you wonder why this didn't immediately follow chapter 314.

I don't get why Meryem implies that he's born to play Gungi with Komugi. This is clearly not what he was born to do. He can either bring unimagineable horror or usher a new utopia upon humanity. He's not born to be a Gungi player seeking the Hand of God with Komugi. Sure, I have no problem if this is where he finds comfort, but that's not his purpose in life. Meryem has shown quite a few times that he has no real interest in conquest/leadership, and merely does so because he feels it's his duty as the being atop evolution.

That's not what he was born to do though it's what the queen chose he was born to do. The main purpose of this chapter was for Meruem to realize that he has to take the bull by the horns and choose his own purpose in life. Everyone following him said your destiny is to be king you are the king and nothing more. But by playing with the weak and feeble girl Komugi who excelled in sucha game he learned that not only does power have many different forms but so does ones destiny. Destiny isn't set in one path just because your father was a farmer and you live on a farm doesn't mean you can't aim to work for Nasa or a political leader. Such as even if your parents are prestige scientist it doesn't mean you have to be a scientist you can be a pro baseball player or an english college professor.

I think he did a good job setting up where this chapter would fit in place, sinec people were dying to see what happened to Gon and the others it was a nice change of pace to switch over to the Hunters giving us time to see some answers before panning back to the King and her. I think had he done this chapter right after people wouldn't enjoy it as much cause we'd keep on asking well how are the others doing it's been 5-6 chapters in and we've only be focusing on the King.

I think also this chapter is pretty much setup as a flashback since Palm's reaction seemed to be either the King had died or perhaps she was brought to tears by the fact Komugi was willing to die by the King's side and be inflicted by the poison he himself has now.

Overall it was an enjoyable chapter, Im glad he used the frames in the proper manner fitting as much as he could into the 20 pages, I"m certain other mangaka would try to fit this into 2 chapters in which they would setup a cliffhanger at the part where she uses the same move with the dinky tag of "Will Mereum Kill Komugi" kinda thing lol. I kinda think this is the last we'll see of those two, I feel next chapter it'll start with Palm saying something about the King being gone and then perhaps we'll see what Killua is doing and possibly have a full focus on Gon and the methods of his recovery.

@mrsticky005

Odds are yes since she basically lives for the game and since Meruem is an oppoenent she has enjoyed playing with so much, if he's gone her joy and excitement will be lost as well. She would much rather die by the side of the King and play Gungi til he's no longer alive rather then stay alive and stop playing so that the poison doesn't infect her. Even if it's only an extra 30 minutes of play she would rather sacrifice her life and play those 30 minutes rather then leave the King and never know if perhaps the King would've won in those 30 minutes.

[mrsticky005]

Disagree. He hasn't ushered in a new utopia and although he's brought horror the Rose Bomb shows that people are even worse than himself.
At least with Meryem he eats people and gains their powers. Whereas people kill each other sometimes for no real reason at all.
Since he hasn't brought either really and is going to die soon then that's not his purpose in life.

However since he looks like he might actually find the Hand of God with Komugi then that's more likely his purpose in life.

[Phantron]

There is no being that wield any kind of power over Meryem so far as choosing his destiny. Meryem didn't even listen to a word the Queen said before he left. He feels obliged to lead because he is The King. It'd be irresopnsible for someone who views himself as the perfection of evolution to simply let lesser species rot, even though Meryem clearly doesn't care too much about the fate of lesser species. Regardless of which Meryem (violent or merciful) turns out to lead, he feels leadership and conquest is, at best, a necessary burden. There is no indication that Meryem derives any kind of pleasure from conquest, war, or a high approval rating.

He could have just said forget this, human beings aren't worth his attention and just tell the Royals to pack up with a Gungi board and head to the wilds with Komugi and play Gungi for the rest of his life. For someone as intelligent as he is, he must have realized there are potential risks for what is essentially a war on the entire human race.

There is no question that playing Gungi with Komugi is what he enjoys the most. But that's not what he was born to do. He is The King, not The King of Gungi.

---------- Post added at 04:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:23 PM ----------


Disagree. He hasn't ushered in a new utopia and although he's brought horror the Rose Bomb shows that people are even worse than himself.
At least with Meryem he eats people and gains their powers. Whereas people kill each other sometimes for no real reason at all.
Since he hasn't brought either really and is going to die soon then that's not his purpose in life.

However since he looks like he might actually find the Hand of God with Komugi then that's more likely his purpose in life.

That's because he hasn't even finished his army which is supposed to be what backs his plans, regardless of what it turns out to be.

There is no reason to question why Meryem can't bring force the vision he promised, a world that is not necessarily perfectly fair, but won't have any unreasonable inequality. He is aware that there is a limitation even for a being of his power, but the world he promises when he negotiates with Netero is pretty much an utopia, or at least as close as you can realistically get to it.

Of course Meryem's army can easily destroy the world too. Either way, he is supposed to be the one with the power to decide the fate of the world, and that's what he was born to do. If his goal in life is to play Gungi, he could have just told the Royals to cancel the plan to create his army, he'll just head to a corner of NGL and play Gungi for the rest of his life. It'd be hard to imagine the Hunters getting the necessarily political backup to use the Rose if Meryem announces the end of his world conquering plans (everyone knows he's planning on doing it), and without the Rose it's hard to see any individual being able to threaten him at all.

[Netero]

The cover and color spread was very nice. Some people might find this chapter boring, but I enjoyed it. Towards the end of the chapter I was kinda teary eyed lol.

[Tombadgerlock]

Very, very nice chapter.

It seems in the end Mereum chose to be 'Mereum' and not The King.

He needs a Hug.

[miotara]

Woah! I have to admit that when I heard that the chapter was only about Meruem and Komugi chatting and playing gungi, I was expecting it to be boring. After reading it though, I actually loved it! Togashi sure is one hell of a mangaka, if only it weren't for all those hiatuses. Speaking of those, I kinda expect him to tie loose ends with the last 3 chapters (before reaching his usual 10 chapters), have another hiatus and then start the new arc.

I mean if he really plans to do only 10 chapters again then it wouldn't make much sense to start next week with the new arc and then leave it there with only 3 chapters. Well if he decides to do 20 then it would be a little different I guess. It would have been perfect if he continued without any hiatuses for once but if that were the case it would have been announced by shonen jump (I think).

To cut it short, I don't really expect to see the new arc this time around.

[LoneLobo]

I really, really loved this chapter. However, I totally get it when some people may find it boring, stretched and totally predictable. But I think Togashi did a great job portraying the last moments of the possible strongest creature on earth. And it was so beautifully done... that is the reason why I like Hunter X Hunter.

[Hunter Reborn]

This chapter was okay and that is it. Either I felt way to hype to see a glory death this chapter, or everyone knew that his death would be prolong to another chapter. Yes this is great character build, but I don't like to be given a chapter that gives us too many questions and the next chapter two chapters are just focus on how the King dies.

[Phantron]

I don't see how duty and passion are conflicting for Meryem like some suggest. He has a Gungi board in his throne room. If he can play Gungi while getting an arm attached, he can definitely rule a nation while playing Gungi too. This isn't someone who is regretting that he spent too much time on war and missed out on Gungi. He can be The King while playing Gungi just fine. Yes you can say if he's not bent on conquering the world all this could've been avoided, but the Ants and human cannot coexist peacefully at least not at the highest level. His existence is simply too dangerous for humanity to leave alone, so unless he's willing to hide in a cave somewhere and renounce his reign (which he could, if he was really born to play Gungi), the war against humans was always unavoidable since humanity fears his power.

At any rate, "The King" for Ants is a position by hereditary. If you're born in that position, you owe it to your species because that's where your powers come from, and must try to lead them at least reasonably well. Meryem flat out said his powers are the result of his species, and it would be utterly irresponsible for a guy born with the full blessing of his species to just leave his species to rot because he wanted to play Gungi. Could he have led with a lower profile? Sure, but again humanity doesn't trust his power so unless he's out hiding, the confrontation is still unavoidable. And suppose Meryem just goes in hiding with Komugi while rest of Ants get picked off one by one, that'd somehow make him a better person because he can play Gungi all day?

[Jack Van Burace]

Maybe... just maybe... he found his answer!

Bare with me on this: the movie "Lawnmower-man" is about a guy who becomes incredibly smart due to some revolutionary treatment, enough to become a danger to all mankind. He is incredibly smart and powerfull, but somehow he falls into a trap and is set to die, but then at his moment of defeat, he discovers how wrong he was and redeems himself! He then starts his search for a way out of that state, the clock is ticking and the bomb that will kill him won't take forever. At the last second he figures a way and the author doesn't say if he survived or if it was too late (ok, afterwards it is said that he did survive, and it's the final scene of the movie). But the important thing is that the situation is REALLY similar to Meryem's!

I think Meryem found out what was trully important that he needed to do! He needs to pass his genes further! I know about the poison, but perhaps there is a chance that he might be able to do it without intoxicating Komugi (he can use Nen like nobody else, why not give it a try?). The thing he wasn't realizing he missed was Love! He loves Komugi, and that's his ticket to "surviving" the trap he's been into: his power/genes will live on, just like his mother's did with him, but now on the least imaginable character that is Komugi. At least that's what my mind was able to conceive by looking at the whole scenario.

Ants are all based on the Queen's reproduction. She's the only one who's reproduction matters, and the survival of the entire species depends on her. On this case, the entire "Humant" species relies on the King making this move. And I think he still could do it. She's the best strategist he found in the whole world, she's got all he could ask for as survival strategy.

[Phantron]

Meryem can certainly pass his genes on another generation, but what's the point? There are already members of the human/Ant hybrid alive who can reproduce. If his children sought revenge, it's pretty pointless since Meryem was never defeated by force anyway. If his children managed to coexist with human, it's still pointless because we already know Meryem has no problem with coexisting with human, it's that human cannot accept his presence at all.

As far as the setting of HXH is concerned, someone like Meryem does not belong in the world. Either he has to conquer the world to make his presence accepted, or he will be killed. Even when Meryem offered the favorable terms to Netero, he never said he's going to call of the creation of his army, so these terms are supposed to be what he thought is fair after his army has steamrolled through the human nations.

[benelori]

I always find it interesting when an author dares to takes a romantic relationship to such levels in an action manga...it's not unprecedented of course but it's still refreshing every time...especially if it is well done...now only if the art in these chapters would be better, the entire atmosphere would be conveyed more powerfully....
I really, really liked this chapter...it was plainly...a pleasant read...cheers:beer

[Ero-Sanji]

Kaito said that the birth of the king was meant to find a mate and produce a new queen. I think his purpose was to find love and that is more or less what he did.

It's amazing how he keeps doing this sort of chapters. In a shounen battle manga he has managed to produce such high class chapters filled with one emotion shared by two people. He's clearly a genius, If Komugi dies with the king that would be a masterpiece.

[elitefox]

It's a fairly predictable chapter that makes you wonder why this didn't immediately follow chapter 314.

I don't get why Meryem implies that he's born to play Gungi with Komugi. This is clearly not what he was born to do. He can either bring unimagineable horror or usher a new utopia upon humanity. He's not born to be a Gungi player seeking the Hand of God with Komugi. Sure, I have no problem if this is where he finds comfort, but that's not his purpose in life. Meryem has shown quite a few times that he has no real interest in conquest/leadership, and merely does so because he feels it's his duty as the being atop evolution.

You took it literally lols

[miotara]

It's weird. Many of you seem to see Meruem's and Komugi's relationship as a romantic one. It doesn't seem like that to me. I always saw it as a form of friendship or companionship or something like that. I believe Meruem would treat Komugi the same way even if she were a boy (and no, I am not talking about boy love). I wonder who's right

[Jack Van Burace]

Meryem can certainly pass his genes on another generation, but what's the point? There are already members of the human/Ant hybrid alive who can reproduce. If his children sought revenge, it's pretty pointless since Meryem was never defeated by force anyway. If his children managed to coexist with human, it's still pointless because we already know Meryem has no problem with coexisting with human, it's that human cannot accept his presence at all.

As far as the setting of HXH is concerned, someone like Meryem does not belong in the world. Either he has to conquer the world to make his presence accepted, or he will be killed. Even when Meryem offered the favorable terms to Netero, he never said he's going to call of the creation of his army, so these terms are supposed to be what he thought is fair after his army has steamrolled through the human nations.

He must pass his genes as it is the ant-royalty instinct to do so. Regardless of how it went after merging with humans, it should be the Queen (or her son, in this case) to lead the colony further. Imo, the same drive that made Royal-guards give-up their lives for the king is what should drive Meryem to live-on through his children/child. And perhaps not even he would fully know why, but that's my take on how his instinct would work in taking his "existence" further and escaping the extermination fate imposed on him.

[Host Samurai]

He must pass his genes as it is the ant-royalty instinct to do so. Regardless of how it went after merging with humans, it should be the Queen (or her son, in this case) to lead the colony further. Imo, the same drive that made Royal-guards give-up their lives for the king is what should drive Meryem to live-on through his children/child. And perhaps not even he would fully know why, but that's my take on how his instinct would work in taking his "existence" further and escaping the extermination fate imposed on him.

I personally think that Kaito will pass his genes, instead of Meruem. If we take it into consideration that both of them were born at the same time. Then isn't it reasonable to think that Meruem's successor has already been decided? I mean while Meruem grew at a fast pace Kaito did the same, from an embryo into a 5-6 year old kid in less then a month.

[Desperado]

Was that spoiler picture about that blonde haired man in the chapter somewhere?

[luffyg2]

I do not understand the rules, goals and moves of this board game that they are playing but I could still get all the dramatic and emotional moment of this chapter. Nice way to end the arc now lets get back to Gon and Kilua

[Phantron]

I do not understand the rules, goals and moves of this board game that they are playing but I could still get all the dramatic and emotional moment of this chapter. Nice way to end the arc now lets get back to Gon and Kilua

Gungi is a fictional game. That's precisely why it actually works because Togashi gets to make up everything as he goes. Part of the reason why something like Hikaru no Go fails at inspiring the same level of awe is that anybody can tell whoever worked on Hikaru no Go is nowhere capable of playing the "Hand of God" in real life so it is actually impossible for the author to describe a "Hand of God" move. It doesn't matter that Hikaru no Go is fairly well-researched in its field, because the "Hand of God" is a move beyond human comprehension so you can't describe it no matter how much research you've done.

It's pretty clear Komugi and Meryem are playing at a level far beyond human comprehension and if this was say, Chess, it'd be totally unbelieveable because everyone knows Togashi isn't exactly a grandmaster Chess player in real life, and again you're talking about two characters that can probably beat a grandmaster Chess equivalent level player in their sleep here. I got the feeling the two major moves played here (the moves after the move that is supposed to be checkmate) are all supposed to be "Hand of God" caliber play. That is, if Komugi was playing anyone but Meryem she would've already won with the first move she played, and likewise Meryem would've won in one move against anybody besides Komugi.

---------- Post added at 04:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:41 PM ----------

One thing I thought was strange was Meryem's reflection on the Royals. Clearly he views them as valuable, family-like members, but the only thing he ever said that was nice about Pufu and Yupi is that they taste great as a meal. I get that he values their loyalty, but Pufu and Yupi were plotting behind his back to get Komugi killed, and presumably he has to be aware of that with his godlike powers. He certainly didn't show any regret when he heard the news of the Royals dying (or even reacted at all for Pufu or Pitou). There's a reason why the fake HXH infos always has Pufu betraying the Royals, because he really hasn't been treated well by his King. Of course the Royals' loyalty turns out to be unshakeable, but I don't really think Meryem can look at himself and said "I treated my men well", especially not Pufu or Yupi. I don't think it's his fault, since Pufu was constantly plotting behind his back, but I really don't see how he could reflect on the Royals as if he actually got along with them back when they were alive, when he pretty much just slapped them around the whole time.

[sharingan_kakashi]

It's weird. Many of you seem to see Meruem's and Komugi's relationship as a romantic one. It doesn't seem like that to me. I always saw it as a form of friendship or companionship or something like that. I believe Meruem would treat Komugi the same way even if she were a boy (and no, I am not talking about boy love). I wonder who's right

http://mangastream.com/read/hunter_x_hunter/99425865/20
read the note on the bottom panel. also there are little hints eg Komugi blushing.

[BurnSchulz]

I don't get why Meryem implies that he's born to play Gungi with Komugi. This is clearly not what he was born to do. He can either bring unimagineable horror or usher a new utopia upon humanity. He's not born to be a Gungi player seeking the Hand of God with Komugi. Sure, I have no problem if this is where he finds comfort, but that's not his purpose in life. Meryem has shown quite a few times that he has no real interest in conquest/leadership, and merely does so because he feels it's his duty as the being atop evolution.

There again. You take things too literally... Don't you have something like imagination?

[Phantron]

It must be easy if everything that doesn't make sense can be explained by imagination.

Meryem has already thought found the answer to why he exists all the way back here:
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/hunter_hunter/v25/c261/12.html
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/hunter_hunter/v25/c261/13.html

It's actually hard to tell what he decided was his true purpose, but since he never gets bored playing Gungi, it can be inferred whatever he decided, his purpose wasn't to become the best Gungi player ever.

Meryem takes his purpose very seriously, as seen here, where he basically credits his power as the result of the sacrifice of his race:

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/hunter_hunter/v28/c297/16.html

Further, this is not a story about a guy who missed out the good things in life due to duty. He has been shown to be able to enjoy life while carrying out his purpose at life. In fact, right after he decided whatever boring destiny he is supposed to fulfill, he went to Komugi's room to continue playing Gungi! He can play Gungi with an arm missing while still bleeding! His purpose in no way is a hinderance to his enjoyment of Gungi.

There's a large difference between "I was born for this" and "This is what I enjoy the most." Nobody doubts Meryem enjoys Gungi far more than conquest, but he has always shown that he must lead the Ants because it's his duty. Again, given his ability, it's not even a burden anyway. If there is no Rose, Meryem will be hearing the news of how his army steamrolled rest of the world while playing Gungi with Komugi.

[Refraction]

The Viz translation of the king's catharsis in chapter 261 helps alleviate some of the ambiguity generated by the scanlations, consequence of subtle changes made both in the delivery of his lines and the direction of his words. He muses to himself that his is a borrowed castle; and he identifies his subjects as "mindless drones"--comments that are delivered in powerfully curt sentences which help to underscore the emptiness of his status, quietly suggesting that he is not at all content with his present function. These lines are spoken subsequent to the headline that he offers the page in large, bold letters, which question, "Who am I? Why am I here?" Notably, the comments he makes about his kingdom and his role do not provide any solution to his query; they describe his situation but do not tell him why he is there. The him asseverates that, if this is the mandate he's been dealt, then he "[fears] nothing, except the tedium that it will bring,"--which, tellingly, are empty words made yet more bleak when offset against the powerful image of the King laughing: the words give him no epiphany; there is no shocking reveal or cathartic sense of exhilaration at finding a purpose--his words simply denote a conclusion that he can handle the role, but it will not resonate with him; it will not be for him. The laughing imagery at once assumes two meanings: it can illustrate a mad and demonic tyrant; or it can, in the context of the King's word, spotlight his maddened desperation: the possessions that he has bring him no joy; they do not satisfy him as a reason for being.

Throughout his time in HUNTERxHUNTER, Meryem has consistently been depicted--both in Viz's official translation and in fan circles--as a grandiloquent, officious, and almost garrulous character, depicted through a dated speaking style. The words that he employs to communicate and to soliloquise are often grandiose, polysyllabic and--crucially--artificial. Meryem incessantly questions; he muses ad nauseam, revising his opinions and rethinking his perspectives in a bid to find a resonant meaning behind the artificial regulations and birth-rights he was born with. From his inception, Meryem possessed a wealth of beliefs concerning his role as a presiding species--whether that be displayed through his logical discussions with Ming's dancers, who he says thought nothing of the cattle their kind would slaughter; or whether that be shown through the first of his epiphanies in volume 24 where he discovers a primitive belief that violence is the "ultimate power" in the world--and his internal polemics with himself depict his efforts to actually find the meaning behind the grandiose, cryptic, and emotionless words that delineate his role as King. Meryem's journey through the series is one of perpetual discovery; his journey is almost a microcosm of life itself--to find meaning in life; to finding a fulfilling reason as to why we're here--something that strikes a vital chord and clicks with one's unique spirit. Togashi presents two conflicting epiphanies that seemingly satisfy this requirement, this condition: the first is an investment in violence. Meryem states that trampling out potential and the capacity to defeat him is "his" power; Komugi makes him realise his power and unique purpose in life--to nip opposition in the bud. It is the fact that he finds something unique to him that exhilarates him; this is not his "borrowed" castle with "mindless" servants--the former of which is testament to the fact that there have been other, ersatz kings in the world; and the latter who think nothing of him and who have had the capacity to be possessions of someone else. The role of king is something that others have done--but the ability to defeat all who should oppose him is something peculiar only to Meryem himself, as he understands it. When, in chapter 260, he states "I am king," he follows with "But who am I really; why was I born?" Meryem has reached a stage where he recognises that being king is just a role--his person isn't "the king", as the queen before him was just the queen and acted only as such and thought only as such. Many volumes prior, Togashi introduced the sense of individuality possessed by new ants; they wanted names--they acted in the good of the ants but wanted individualities. Togashi has kept this theme close at hand; the king and Meryem are mutually exclusive names: one is an artificial and unfeeling title; and the other has the human warmth of a name that was given by one's mother. This mental leap is crucial for Meryem: it shows his very independent and human state of awareness that's frequently defied the ant-like wishes of his royal guards--Pouf's bids to get his attention away from Gungi or to to redirect his attentions towards what he sees as the king's goals illustrate this most flagrantly--and has also offset the robotic and artificial words that come out of his mouth. This dichotomy is made all the more alarming when it can be observed just how humanly simple and emotive the words he uses privately in his head are, "Who am I? Why am I here?" compared to his academically protracted public speeches to others.

The second epiphany--the second meaning for living--that Togashi presents to us is love, partnership with the one you cherish and want to be with most in the world. And it is no surprise that, just as Komugi is used to give the King his first epiphany, she is also used to present the contrast--that of love. Though Meryem believed he had found his resonant desire through violence, the presence of Komugi immediately undercut his belief; his words and his heart completely fly in the face of the academic judgement he reached in his head just moments prior. Gungi is not the reason the King is here--that's proven in chapter 258; "it's just a game, after all"--that's not what the most recent chapter shows. Meryem academically reasons that killing Komugi is permissible and would not contravene the logical he's tried to create--but his heart tells her that she's a special guest. He doesn't know what he wants to do with her; he's spent the past 5 volumes trying to function by logic--but here it fails him. Logic doesn't deliver what he wants. When, in chapter 297, Meryem describes his role to Netero, his words have returned to the academic--they communicate once more the unjustified birth-rights that Meryem was born with, though this time tempered with some of the discoveries he has so far made. Meryem revises and revises his birth beliefs and mother's wishes because his elevated mindset compels him not to act like an automaton that takes its duty for granted and acts upon it; he instead tries to justify what he's doing in his own head. Meryem's beliefs change with such regularity in the story that his purpose is never clear-cut. It's startling that the first time he seems to reach a purpose, his renewed sense of belief is immediately--five mere pages later--completely blown asunder. The purpose that he's given himself is torn to shreds by the sight of Komugi, visually illustrating that the role he emotively and logically cut out for himself amidst the artificial and illogical rites and regulations his mother/servants lay out for him are not at all what he wants deep down. Only in the most recent chapter has Meryem enjoyed his second epiphany, and epiphany that, given its vocalisation so closely to Komogi's implicit and fittingly old-fashioned wedding proposal, is shown to be one that believes that love--nothing more nor less--was his reason for being alive. And the most utterly astounding and touching thing about this final realisation is that it's the same conclusion so many people reach in their lives when they look for meaning; and, more brilliantly still, it's something that's so quintessentially human.

It looks like Meryem's wish--"it'd be nice to live as a human"--didn't quite go unanswered after all.

[Phantron]

If love is most important to Meryem, why did he leave Komugi behind with Pitou and head off against Netero by himself? He could've killed Netero before he had a chance to react when Netero was distracted, and that'd be the safest thing to do from Meryem's point of view (nobody on the Ants apparently knew anything about the Rose, so that's outside of what he knows). Wouldn't it be safer to get rid of all the intruders first?

If he finds ruling, his purpose of existence, to be too tiresome, why did he propose terms to Netero that would still require the unconditional surrender of humanity? He said that he will limit the number of humans he kills to some relatively small number. This isn't a condition humanity can accept unless they've given up. Therefore he is still intending to rule.

In his dialogue with Netero, Meryem said that his power was a gift from his species, and therefore he has a duty to lead them. While it's not clear what members of the race he's actually talking about (the number of Ants in the palace was in the single digits), he clearly feels obliged to fight for their best interest. The Ants cannot coexist with humanity since humanity fears their power. While Meryem is more than capable of fending for himself, not every Ant is blessed with such ability. I think it'd be utterly irresponsible if Meryem just say that thanks for hitting the equivalent of the genetic jackpot, but now he's going to head off to an island with Komugi while the rest of his species gets wiped out by humanity. Meryem doesn't care for conquest, but he's always recognized that for there to be peace for the Ants, they must be the prevailing species in the world of HXH.

I actually have no idea what members of his species he is fighting for, since the Royals can fend for themselves fine too, and it seems like the rest of species is already wiped out. Perhaps he is fighting for the Ants who have been wiped out. Again, look at the world from his point of view. He obviously believes the Ants have just as much right to exist as humans (probably more so, really). As far as he knows, there are something like single digit number of his species who survived the fight against humans. Sure, he can take his Royals and easily elude any human attack that doesn't including a Rose (which is totally Deus Ex Machina anyway), but what does this say about the rest of his subjects that either already died or about to be hunted down? That life as Ant sucks unless you're at least a Royal Guard class Ant? Should a King leave his people to die just so he can find true love? Especially when there is actually nothing stopping him from finding his true love and ruling at the same time?

Nobody on the Ants knew anything about the Rose for some incomprehensible reason (they didn't even knew about the poison, despite the fact Rose is a weapon that has been used in previous wars), so all their plan involves waging a world war without the existence of the Rose. Looking at the events in the invasion, without the Rose, the Ants would've prevailed rather easily. In the worst case Pitou dies versus Gon, though that can be averted if Meryem just killed Netero immediately the moment he had the chance (Gon isn't going have a chance to hold Komugi hostage if Meryem also stayed behind to watch her). Even without Pitou, Pufu can still control Meryem's army, and there sure doesn't look like anything outside a Rose that can stop that (which the Ants didn't know about at all).

I don't agree at all that Meryem has to give up his duty (to rule) for love. If there was a way for him to transfer all his power to another Ant (say, Pufu), then sure he can go with Komugi somewhere else and just learn the Hand of God of Gungi. But he can't do that, and his power exists to protect his species (which had been losing rather badly against humans until he was born). It'd be irresponsible for the King to just say 'not my problem' and forget the fact that pretty much every member of his species was wiped out humanity just because he is capable of defending for himself.

[Refraction]

By that stage, Meryem had not yet reached the conclusion of needing love that he reaches in the most recent chapter. The conclusion that he reaches by the end is one born of the circumstances he has experienced in the intervening chapters. However, the love that Meryem feels towards the preservation of Komugi's life is explicitly sounded out by the narrator, "This was a moment full of love towards one human life." He leaves her in Pitou's care chiefly because he trusts Pitou to accomplish this goal; he believes that it is best for Komugi's safety--and he wants to ensure this. Even if it is to be believed that the king had an alternative course of action by killing Netero, it would be to ignore the staging Togashi has made if one interpreted his orders as not being influenced by love. Suggesting that there was an easier way of going about protecting Komugi is fine--but what he did do satisfies an exploration of the king's stoic virtues and his unspoken or yet unrecognised love for Komugi. Togashi bestows us with a fuller illustration of Meryem's character--but his actions don't represent that he doesn't care for Komugi. He hasn't, by this stage, come to terms with his relationship with her as a whole.

With regard to the second point, I noted that Meryem stated that he feared "nothing, except the tedium that it will bring." Meryem was introduced to the story with all his preconceived notions about the function of a king; he possessed, from the outset, a notion that he would rule as king. His statement that he would ask for the unconditional surrender of humanity fits with the notions he was born with--they represent the ideas he espoused from the beginning--but his dialogue with Netero shows that his beliefs are evolving. He's consistently appending to his beliefs, shifting gears and qualifying. He intends to rule--that's the belief he was born with--but the fact that the absolutism and starkness of his objectives have shifted in so short a time illustrates vividly that his mindset is organic. It is not set in stone; and it is because of this that he's able to reach his independent purpose of living for love that he finds in the last chapter. Again, his words here show his movement on his overarching trajectory in the story.

With regard to you third and fourth points, I really want to stress: the name of "the king" and "Meryem" are mutually exclusive. They represent two separate functions--two dimensions to one's life. Though they are disparate, that is not to say they are incompatible. I do not mean to suggest that he cannot espouse both roles; he need not just run off with Komugi and abandon the ants. However, it is worth pointing out that while Meryem acts in the interests of the ants on certain occasions, his own self-interests do prevail on occasion; and he is not altogether averse to offing his own people on a whim, whatever the justification. The king's sense of duty is organic and changing; it is problematic to take it on one occasion and apply it broadly to his being. Instead, it becomes perhaps more insightful to perceive the king from a more holistic perspective: his character is developed in the midst of a story arc that is largely consumed with love; Gon's friendship or "love" for Kite; Colt's love for Reina; Killua's "love" for Gon; Palm's love for Knov/Gon; Knuckle's friendship or "love" for Shoot; the Royal Guards' love for the king; the mother's love for her children, and eventual welcoming of Brouvda; and, importantly, the queen's love for the king--"love" in all its human forms permeates this arc so much. The king isn't developed in a contextual vacuum; he's deliberating duties, roles, and right over the role of the heart for much of the story. With such a broad amount of relationships being explored in the Chimera Ant volumes, it seems parabolic that the king, too, at the end of it all should find very human love: it's something that, I feel, Togashi really wants us to consider.

So that's my clarification: he would never have needed to give up one role to satisfy love--but this permutation isn't necessarily what Togashi wished to explore. The king's recognition of love in the last chapter can--if one wishes not to think of the two as compatible--be justified in the last instance because circumstances have confirmed that he will pass away anyway. Here, he would be allowed to disqualify himself of all the roles and necessities that his title would bring him, allowing him leverage to enjoy his love for Komugi.

[Phantron]

I don't see how Meryem would've loved Komugi any less had he successfully conquered the world. Let's say the Rose never happened, then at worst Pitou dies while the Ants get a decisive victory. Pitou most likely won't even die because Pufu wouldn't attempt to lie about Komugi's safety if Meryem didn't lose his memory (it'd seem if he's absolutely bent on killing her he could always just do it at the cost of his life). I think the events in 317 would have still played out exactly the same way when Meryem returns home. Okay, he wouldn't be able to play Komugi at the same level at Gungi since he never absorbed Yupi and Pufu, but I'm sure their love wasn't founded on Meryem's Gungi playing ability. I sure don't see Komugi saying, "I'm not sure I can accept a proposal from someone who is so bad (relatively) at Gungi!"

The events in 317, to me, is inevitable. It is not a revealation of any sorts because it should have happened regardless of whether Meryem was going to survive or not. It's not an indication of character growth because Meryem always loved Komugi. It's not something he just figured out because he was on the verge of death. And because he always loved her that much, I think it doesn't make sense he's acting like he just finally figured this out.

While Meryem doesn't appear to care too much for other members of his species, you do see other Ants who are chased by Hunters take refuge in his palace. Presumably they're not just there to serve as emergency snack for the King. We know most things in the world, including conquest and his duty to rule, is merely a burden to Meryem, but he takes his duty very seriously. Even with Komugi on the verge of death, he still chose to negotiate with Netero over the surrender of humanity. If love is always above duty, he should be trying to find the quickest way to kill all the invaders and then get back to watch Komugi, no matter how confident he is in Pitou.

I'm going to assume Meryem has to know that Pitou is defenseless while using his special ability, so there's no way he's thinking 'there is no way Pitou can fail' no matter how confident he is in Pitou. If saving Komugi's life is the only thing that matters, then Meryem didn't come close to making the best decision possible. This is because he has a high sense of duty, namely even with Komugi's life at danger, he felt that it was important enough to discuss stuff like fate of humanity with a human representative so that bloodshed may be averted. Otherwise he wouldn't need to negotiate anything and should just kill all the invaders, conquer all the nations, and rule however he sees fit, merciful or not.

In fact, I think it says a lot about how merciful Meryem is that he negotiated with Netero at all. He knows the one he loves the most is danger. He knows humans are unlikely to accept the terms he outlined, and he certainly has nothing to fear from humanity once his army is complete, but he's still hoping he could convince Netero to deliver his message: surrender under these terms before he has to send his army in force. So I think it's a disservice to say to Meryem, love is the most important thing. He put Komugi aside in hopes of negotiating world peace, even though from his point of view he is quite capable of ruling the world by force, and that'd have to be because he does care about the citizens of the world.

[BurnSchulz]

It must be easy if everything that doesn't make sense can be explained by imagination.
I clearly didnt meant it that way... :eyeroll

But to think that in this whole situation Meruems words:"I was Born for this Day...! Born for this moment!" (http://www.mangareader.net/hunter-x-hunter/317/20) may mean that he means he was born to play Gungi is pretty far away from being logically.

I am pretty sure even without imagination, you could come to the conclusion that he doesn´t mean "for playing Gungi" but for this Situation as a whole and all the feelings that are around.
You aren't stupid, no, but indeed you are very smart.
So why did you set yourself on these silly conclusion, rather than thinking about how it was meant?
If you dont come to a clever conclusion, you can ask what others think and see the things from different points of view.

That's better than making conclusions, which clearly don't fit, and then question the Manga or Author.

[Phantron]

Meryem is a character whose words are absolute. There are numerous examples where Meryem asks a question and it's implied that if you did not answer is exactly the way he expects an answer, you can very well die no matter who you are (including Komugi). One of his favorite saying is "Don't make me say the same thing again". When Meryem was questioning Pufu after they ran into Werefin, Pufu noted that neither loyalty nor fear matters to Meryem. If he answered the question wrong, Meryem doesn't care about Pufu's loyalty anymore than he cares about Werefin's fear. Conversely, if you answered the question correctly, then Meryem can pretty much put up with behavior that'd be considered insolence (Pufu was basically ordering him what to do). Werefin answered correctly and Meryem had no problem sparing his life. When Meryem asked Yupi how did he know about Knuckles's ability, Yupi was clearly ready to die for his failure to defeat the enemies, but Meryem merely said that he asked for a truthful answer, and got one so there was nothing to be afraid of.

Meryem, as a character, demands absolutely precise language from his followers, and he also leads by example. That is why he feels there is no reason to say anything twice, since he means exactly everything he says and nothing he says is open to interpretation. If the King tells you to sit down, that means you sit down.

To be fair in the same arc you see Meryem saying his favorite saying without the usual "this is absolute" stance behind it, though I'm not ready to accept that a guy who is known for absolutely precise language and demands such from all around him is now suddenly going to talk in vague terms open to the reader's imagination. If he says he was born to do something, then it has to be absolutely true based on his personality. You can't say it's just a metaphor (even though it'd make sense) because he's never one to speak in ambigious or confusing terms. If there is something that'd warrant such a fundamental change in his personality, I don't see it. I suppose you can say he changed due to his impending death, but until Werefin said Komugi's name, Meryem is still demanding absolute precision, so if something happened behind the scenes, it's not something we know about. I don't think Meryem fears death anyway.

[Jack Van Burace]

Phantron, you must realize that although he never used his social/emotional side, doesn't mean it didn't exist. Without emotions or a side of him directed to understanding another person's mind he would be flawed in his judgements about how to deal with people, so he did have it since ever. What happened imo is that only after finding something interesting in another person he had a reason to use that side of himself in favor of others, in exchange for something important to him. Otherwise he would never acknowlege anybody else, and without the Rose, he wouldn't acknowledge his guards' importance (he was self-suficient).

It was a cascade of events, starting with Netero's priviledged knowledge on Meryem, passing by the Guards' relevance in keeping him alive, and lastly (just as firstly) Komugi's ability to defeat him always, something very interesting for him, enough to make him value others much more than he did before.

[Freecs]

Is there Jump this week?

[Uriel]

Is there Jump this week?
Only One Piece is on a break, the rest are still out.

[mrsticky005]

That's because he hasn't even finished his army which is supposed to be what backs his plans, regardless of what it turns out to be.

There is no reason to question why Meryem can't bring force the vision he promised, a world that is not necessarily perfectly fair, but won't have any unreasonable inequality. He is aware that there is a limitation even for a being of his power, but the world he promises when he negotiates with Netero is pretty much an utopia, or at least as close as you can realistically get to it.

Of course Meryem's army can easily destroy the world too. Either way, he is supposed to be the one with the power to decide the fate of the world, and that's what he was born to do. If his goal in life is to play Gungi, he could have just told the Royals to cancel the plan to create his army, he'll just head to a corner of NGL and play Gungi for the rest of his life. It'd be hard to imagine the Hunters getting the necessarily political backup to use the Rose if Meryem announces the end of his world conquering plans (everyone knows he's planning on doing it), and without the Rose it's hard to see any individual being able to threaten him at all.

I think from the fact that Meryuem died before doing any of that shows that that WASN'T what he was born to do.

However since he played Gungi with Komugi then he WAS born to do that.

Yes he had plans to rule the world but clearly those plans failed thanks to the Rose Bomb.