Here are my thoughts on Chapter 396 of Hunter x Hunter, “Founding: Part 2”.
Chapter 396 begins as Chrollo's dub of “Clean-up Rangers” is about to be premiered. The first thing I want to highlight is the quick characterization of Sarasa.
Sarasa is someone who solves problems with empathy rather than violence. She sees the good in everyone. This aspect of her personality will shine through later in this chapter.
We also learn that Phinks is a “softie”. This isn’t completely new information; we got a sense of it at the end of the Yorknew City arc.
In my analysis of Chapter 395, I made similar conclusions about Nobunaga and Franklin, who seem to be the most “emotionally aware” members of the Troupe. This is not to say that they are empathetic characters, only that they have a thorough understanding of their own emotions (which sometimes translates to understanding the emotions of others). Phinks, on the other hand, buries his emotions and needs Sarasa to draw them out.
A perfect example of this distinction is in the previous chapter, 395, when Nobunaga and Phinks debate the Hei-Ly's plan. Nobunaga considers the emotions of the Hei-Ly while Phinks doesn’t.
The Phantom Troupe has no information regarding Contagion at this point. Nobunaga's conclusion is based largely on emotion.
Again, Phinks has a very cold, logical approach to the situation, while Nobunaga is more sentimental. There is value in both ways of thinking.
Returning to Chapter 396, the dub of “Clean-up Rangers” begins with the future Troupe members watching from the crowd. Chrollo is revealed to be a highly talented actor. This, combined with the scene involving Hisoka in the Black Whale cineplex, may support the theory that Chrollo is disguised as Hisoka (an idea I floated in my breakdown of Chapter 393).
Due to an equipment malfunction (run-of-the-mill for Meteor City), the audio from the dub cuts out. Chrollo, to the astonishment of many, steps up and begins a live voiceover. His talent for acting is further emphasized by how easily he slips into each character.
In general, theater is a major focus of this chapter. After seeing this flashback, it seems plausible that Chrollo could assume a different persona or that the Troupe could be “acting” as villains. (More on this later.)
We also get additional context on Chrollo and Pakunoda’s relationship. This flashback adds a lot of substance to Paku’s actions in the Yorknew City arc.
Pakunoda and Uvogin get a lot of screen time in this flashback, which is interesting considering, they’re... well... dead. Speaking of Uvo, Chrollo runs into him after the premiere.
In what is probably the climax of the chapter, Sarasa “dubs” Uvo, completely disarming him. She did the same thing with Phinks at the beginning of the chapter, only this time the stakes were much higher.
Turns out Uvo was impressed by Chrollo’s performance. He wants to “play the monster” next time. The rest of the crew jumps in, and soon enough, the Troupe has been formed.
There are a few things to point out in the section. The first is Machi’s reluctance to join (or at least, “play a role”).
Look at Franklin making sure everyone is included. Gentle giant behavior.
Machi is somewhat of an oddball amongst the Troupe. She has a strange sixth sense and a unique relationship with Hisoka. I think she’s being intentionally set apart from her colleagues for a future plotline.
In the next chapter, I’ll draw similar conclusions about Nobunaga and Franklin. Certain characters seemed less interested in the acting component of the Troupe and more interested in the “sense of brotherhood”. From these differences, we can learn a lot about their loyalty to Chrollo and his plans. I’ll talk more about this in my breakdown of Chapter 397.
The idea that the Troupe may be “acting” as villains is absolutely planted in this flashback, whether or not it is true. So far, the Troupe has shown little sign of the ruthless, bloodthirsty personalities they assumed in Yorknew City. While it’s clear something is going to happen in this flashback to send them on a downward spiral (and they may very well have become the monsters they were pretending to be) their portrayal is inconsistent with the Troupe we know.
Consequently, when I first read this chapter, I began to consider the possibility that the Troupe was not responsible for the Kurta massacre. My thinking was really catalyzed by Uvo’s behavior:
Uvo is extremely dedicated to the acting component of the Troupe. Not to mention, he expresses a strong desire to “play the villain.” It just so happens that Uvo is the only Troupe member who has attested to involvement in the Kurta massacre, and even then it was a vague, half-admission. Could it all have been an act?
It’s a bit difficult to explain this idea without spoiling the next chapter, but I did write a long-form post about it here.
In that post, I made the argument that Sheila is actually a good-aligned character, despite her portrayal in Kurapika’s Memories. However, I do want to point out some evidence to the contrary.
While talking about the next performance, Franklin reveals that Sheila’s character has a twin, evil counterpart. This seems to suggest Sheila is a “twist villain”. At the same time, it could mean the opposite: that Sheila’s almost-too-obvious deception in Kurapika’s backstory is a red-herring. What I do know is Togashi included this line from Franklin for a reason. We’ll learn more about Sheila in the next chapter.
Chapter 396 concludes with Sarasa leaving on her own to find more episodes of Clean-up Rangers. At the same time, the mafia members from 395 reappear. They’ve completed their quota, but they're not quite finished yet. Security is increasing, so they want to have fun with one last victim before they go. Things aren’t looking good for Sarasa...
